| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08150649B2 |
Method for operating an automation system
There is described a method for operating an automation system which comprises at least two measuring modules, each connected to a higher order processing unit in order to communicate therewith. The higher order processing unit is informed of an event that is recorded by one of the at least two measuring modules. The processing unit then informs any available measuring module of the event. |
| US08150645B2 |
Automatic analzyer
Measurement of the uncertainty used for quality control typically involves a plurality of factors. When the uncertainty exceeds a clinical permissible value, time is required for a medical technologist to investigate and to determine the factor causing the uncertainty. It is thus beneficial to automatically investigate factors in complicated uncertainty, particularly from the view point of reagents and samples which are subject to quality change and that are prone to affect the measurement quality. Quality control samples having a plurality of concentration levels are measured to calculate the average, coefficient of variation, standard deviation, and other numerical values. When quality control samples having n (n≧2) different concentration levels are measured, variation patterns determine the factor causing the uncertainty, the factor being specific to each of 3n different combinations of variation patterns. |
| US08150642B2 |
Secondary battery deterioration judging device and backup power supply
A secondary battery deterioration judging device is provided with an overdischarge detecting section for detecting the overdischarge of a secondary battery, the deterioration of which is to be judged, a computing section for integrating a value indicating the deterioration of the secondary battery while the overdischarge is detected by the overdischarge detecting section, and a judging section for judging a deterioration state of the secondary battery based on an integration value obtained by the computing section. |
| US08150636B2 |
System and method for time correlated multi-photon counting measurements
The invention provides a method and a measurement system for characterization of luminescence properties, the method comprises irradiating the luminescent material with a pulse of excitation light, providing a triggering signal correlated to the pulse of excitation light; detecting with a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) a plurality of photons emitted from the luminescent material as result of the pulse of excitation light, the photodetector providing an output signal upon the event of detection of a photon; determining for each detected photon a photon arrival time and providing an output suitable for inputting to an analysing module wherein an output comprises zero, one, or more photon arrival time for each excitation, receiving said outputs in an analysing module; and determining in the analysing module, characteristics properties of the luminescent material by performing a statistical analysis based on Bayesian inference. |
| US08150635B2 |
Method and an apparatus for determining nucleotide sequence, and a computer program product to be executed by the apparatus
A method for determining nucleotide sequence encompasses: injecting a solution containing a sample DNA into a chip cartridge provided with a detecting electrode, to which a probe DNA is immobilized; introducing an intercalator solution in the chip cartridge; obtaining a current-voltage characteristic curve by measuring a current in the solution due to an electrochemical reaction of the intercalator through the detecting electrode; obtaining a baseline by linearly approximating the current-voltage characteristic curve; obtaining a net current value by subtracting, from a peak current value of the current-voltage characteristic curve, a baseline current value obtained from the baseline at a peak voltage value defining the peak current value; and identifying a nucleotide sequence in the sample DNA, using the net current value. |
| US08150631B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for quantifying the content of genetically modified material in a sample
A method including providing an initial test sample including a primary material and a relatively smaller amount of at least one adventitious material; combining the initial test sample with a standard addition of at least one adventitious material to form a final test sample, wherein the standard addition has a known amount of genetically modified adventitious material; and analyzing the final test sample to determine the % GMO of the primary material and the % GMO of the adventitious material. |
| US08150629B2 |
Method and apparatus for computer modeling of the interaction between and among cortical and subcortical areas in the human brain for the purpose of predicting the effect of drugs in psychiatric and cognitive diseases
Computer modeling of interactions between and among cortico and subcortical areas of the human brain, for example in a normal and a pathological state resembling schizophrenia which pathological state has inputs representing the effects of a drug(s), for the purpose of using the outputs to predict the effect of drugs in psychiatric and cognitive diseases on one or more clinical scales. Diseases that can be modeled include psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, ADHD, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse and cognitive deficits therein and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Mild Cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, stroke, vascular dementia, Huntington's disease, epilepsy and Down syndrome. The computer model preferably uses the biological state of interactions between and among cortico and subcortical areas of the human brain, to define the biological processes related to the biological state of the generic synapse model, the striatum, Locus Coeruleus, Dorsal raphe, hippocampus, amygdala and cortex, as well as certain mathematical relationships related to interactions among biological variables associated with the biological processes. |
| US08150628B2 |
Establishing a biological recording timeline by artificial marking
A method and system are described for transmitting a timing estimate record responsive to a systemic flow of one or more artificial markers. |
| US08150627B2 |
Methods and compositions for diagnosing lung cancer with specific DNA methylation patterns
The present invention provides a method for identification of differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences within genomic target sequences that are associated with cancer in an individual by obtaining a biological sample comprising genomic DNA from the individual measuring the level or pattern of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences for two or more of the genomic targets in the sample, and comparing the level of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences in the sample to a reference level of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences, wherein a difference in the level or pattern of methylation of the genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences in the sample compared to the reference level identifies differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences associated with cancer. As disclosed herein, the methods of the invention have numerous diagnostic and prognostic applications. The methods of the invention can be combined with a miniaturized array platform that allows for a high level of assay multiplexing and scalable automation for sample handling and data processing. Also provided by the invention are genomic targets and corresponding nucleic acid probes that are useful in the methods of the invention as they enable detection of differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences associated with adenocarcinomas of the lung. |
| US08150625B2 |
System and method for classifying a body tissue sample
A method for classifying a test tissue sample into a class from among K classes, where the test tissue sample has an associated gene expression vector is provided. For each class k from among the K classes, a gene expression matrix is provided based upon a gene expression level in one or more tissue samples known to be in the class k. One or more eigenvectors of the covariance matrix Cx of the centralized gene expression matrix are calculated. A metric μk that is indicative of the extent of dissimilarity between the gene expression vector and the gene expression matrix is calculated using an algebraic expression involving one or more of the eigenvectors of the matrix Cx. The test tissue sample is then classified into a class k for which the metric μk is minimum among the k classes. |
| US08150622B2 |
Traffic information service based on traffic information transmitted to a navigation system
A method and apparatus for providing a traffic information service to a vehicle. Traffic information is broadcast through an external network to the vehicle, wherein the traffic information is based on a first map. Data within the broadcasted traffic information and based on a the first map is compared to a second map provided in a vehicle navigation unit, wherein the second map is different than the first map. A traffic information service is provided to the vehicle navigation unit, wherein the vehicle navigation unit is configured for displaying the traffic information with the second map. |
| US08150619B2 |
Device and program product for controlling map display
An automobile navigation system determines whether or not the relevant vehicle is traveling and whether or not routing assistance is being provided. When the results of both the determinations are affirmative, a displayed map image is scrolled by an amount of scrolling corresponding to the size of a guided route in response to an operation to a touch panel for scrolling, and, further, the scale of the display map image is changed by an amount of change corresponding to the size of the guided route in response to an operation to the touch panel for scale change. |
| US08150615B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring fluid levels in a remotely located storage tank
An improved system for delivering propane or other consumable liquid to remotely located storage tanks including a novel combination of remote monitoring of customer tanks and an improved method of using the remote monitoring data to optimally schedule deliveries, improve safety, and more efficiently operate a propane dealership. More accurate and timely information concerning the status of customer tanks serves to improve operational efficiencies and increase safety. Data received from remote sensors can be collected and organized so that it is easily understood and utilized through the implementation of a user interface accessible via the Internet that allows the information to be presented in an efficient graphical and contextual fashion. Operational efficiencies can also be improved by taking historical propane usage for each tank, weather conditions, and projected fuel usage into account. The system can calendar required inspections of customer tanks, homes, and appliances, and data can be combined with accounts receivable information. Remote monitoring of customer tanks can be combined with other products using similar equipment to provide additional non-seasonal revenue streams. |
| US08150613B2 |
Technique for detecting shifted cargo
A technique for determining shifted cargo on a vehicle is described. A method realization of this technique comprises the steps of acquiring data from a positional sensor and determining a change in a balance of loads upon wheels of the vehicle. Shifted cargo is determined if the change in load balance does not correspond to the positional data. Furthermore, a device and system suited for carrying out the method are provided. |
| US08150611B2 |
System and methods for providing predictive traffic information
A method for providing predictive traffic information to global positioning satellite systems on board vehicles includes a plurality of GPS-enabled vehicles, each estimating at least one travel route comprising a plurality of road segments and estimating arrival and exit times for the vehicle in each road segment; calculating an initial road capacity for each road segment; statistically polling a plurality of GPS-enabled vehicles; obtaining at least one of at least one static parameter, at least one dynamic parameter, or at least one catastrophic condition relating to the at least one travel route; and calculating predictive capacity estimates for each road segment for at least one future time interval. |
| US08150603B2 |
Engine control system having fuel-based timing
A control system for an engine having a cylinder is disclosed having an engine valve movable to regulate a fluid flow of the cylinder and an actuator associated with the engine valve. The control system also has a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an amount of an air/fuel mixture remaining within the cylinder after completion of a first combustion event and a controller in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller may be configured to compare the amount with a desired amount, and to selectively regulate the actuator to adjust a timing of the engine valve associated with a subsequent combustion event based on the comparison. |
| US08150596B2 |
Fuel ignition quality detection
An engine control system comprises a fuel diagnostic module and a fuel control module. The fuel diagnostic module determines a pressure-ratio difference average (PRDA) based on a pressure in at least one cylinder and determines a cetane number (CN) of a fuel based on the PRDA. The fuel control module actuates fuel injectors based on the CN. |
| US08150595B2 |
Method for torque management in a hybrid vehicle equipped with active fuel management
A control method for a hybrid powerplant includes receiving a pre-transition signal, and selectively adjusting a combustion torque of an engine of the powerplant between a first torque value and a second torque value prior to a deactivation transition period based on the pre-transition signal, wherein the second torque value is less than the first torque value. The method further includes selectively adjusting an electric drive torque of an electric machine of the powerplant prior to the deactivation transition period based on the pre-transition signal and the combustion torque. The selectively adjusting the electric drive torque includes adjusting the electric drive torque such that a sum of the combustion torque and the electric drive torque is equal to a desired drive torque of the powerplant during a pre-transition period prior to the deactivation transition period. A related control system is also provided. |
| US08150588B2 |
Methods and system for time of arrival control using time of arrival uncertainty
Methods and a system for vehicle control are provided. The system includes an input device configured to receive a required time of arrival at a waypoint and a processor communicatively coupled to the input device. The processor is programmed to determine a forward late time profile, determine a forward early time profile representing the earliest time the vehicle could arrive at a point along the track and still arrive at the waypoint while transiting at a maximum available speed, and determine an estimated time uncertainty (ETU) associated with at least one of the forward late time profile and the forward early time profile. The system also includes an output device communicatively coupled to the processor, the output device configured to transmit the determined uncertainty with a respective one of the at least one of the forward late time profile and the forward early time profile to a display. |
| US08150587B2 |
Shift control device of transmission
An ECU is configured to disengage a clutch by driving a motor upon detection of starting of a shift operation, and to engage the clutch upon detection of completion of the shift change. The shift operation starting detection is detected upon determination that an operational force given to a shift pedal is equal to or more than a predetermined operational force, and the shift change completion detection is detected upon determination that a rotational angle of a shift drum from a shift gear position before a shift gear operation becomes equal to or more than a first predetermined angle. The shift operation starting detection is also detected upon determination that the rotational angle of the shift drum from a shift gear position before a shift gear operation is a second predetermined angle or more which is smaller than the first predetermined angle. |
| US08150579B2 |
Pump speed command generation algorithm for magnetorheological power steering coupling
A method for determining a speed of a power steering pump used in a power steering assembly of a vehicle that has particular application in a vehicle using a magneto-rheological hydraulic power steering (MRHPS) system for improving the fuel efficiency and ride comfort of the vehicle, and for reliable functioning of the power steering system. The method includes determining an angle of rotation of the steering wheel and a rate of change of the angle of rotation of the steering wheel based on the angle of rotation of the steering wheel of the vehicle. The method further includes determining the speed of the vehicle and the speed of the power steering pump based on the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, the rate of change of the angle of rotation of the steering wheel and the speed of the vehicle. |
| US08150578B2 |
Vehicle electronic system and vehicle
In a vehicle electronic system including a plurality of LSI boards, LSIS which cannot control a user interface such as image or audio directly issue a command for notifying a vehicle occupant of its own information via networks and an information control LSI receives the request to output a message. A mechanism for setting priority of processings regarding LSI status information notification to be lower than that of an apparatus control processing is provided in each of LSIs and networks so that real-time property of the apparatus control processing is maintained. In order to reduce network load regarding the LSI status information notification, a message content itself is stored in a memory in a vehicle information processing unit previously so that only an ID for identifying the message content is transmitted. |
| US08150577B2 |
Modular device for turning on the power supply of an electronic item of equipment in a secure manner
The present invention relates to a device making it possible to turn on a sub-assembly of an electrical item of equipment hosted in a bigger system, which, if turned on unchecked, may impair the operation of the other items of equipment of the system. An embodiment includes three make/break switches in series in the power supply line and a control of the opening or closing of these make/break switches. Two of the make/break switches are controlled by two independent discrete state indicators, to determine whether the power supply of the sub-assembly of the item of equipment may be energized without undue risk to other equipment of the system. The third make/break switch is controlled by a validation command based on the two discretes, actuating the third make/break switch only if the discretes are in the desired state and if a switching of these discretes has been noted. An embodiment of the invention applies to the protection of the onboard equipment of an aircraft in the flight phase against the turning on of ancillary equipment not used in the flight phase and transmitting radioelectric waves that may catastrophically impair the operation of the other items of equipment. |
| US08150574B2 |
Method and system for guiding a vehicle with vision-based adjustment
Preliminary guidance data is determined for the vehicle during an evaluation time window. A vision module collects vision data from a vision module during the evaluation time window. Vision guidance data is determined from the collected vision data. A vision quality estimator estimates vision quality data for at least one of the vision data and the vision guidance data during the evaluation time window. The vision quality data is based on a regression path and density grid points. An adjuster adjusts the preliminary guidance data to a revised guidance data based on the vision guidance data such that the revised guidance data is registered with or generally coextensive with the vision guidance data, if the vision quality data exceeds a minimum threshold. |
| US08150573B2 |
Hybrid car travel mode setting device
A travel mode setting device for a hybrid car capable of ensuring the security against car theft and convenience when the car is lent to the third party. The hybrid car has travel drive sources and selectively uses one of them and can travel in one of travel modes. Authenticating means separately authenticate the car user and creates authentication results. Limiting means limits the travel modes to the usable travel modes according to the results of the authentication by the authenticating means. |
| US08150572B2 |
Electric power generation control apparatus for vehicle and electric power generation control system equipped with the apparatus
An electric power generation control apparatus mounted to a motor vehicle predicts an operational point of an internal combustion engine in the future based on driving path information supplied from a navigation system mounted to the motor vehicle. The apparatus further predicts an increased amount of fuel consumption which is caused by electric power generation of an alternator based on the predicted operational point of the internal combustion engine. The apparatus sets a reference value of an electric power economy index which is an amount of fuel consumption per electric power generation. On driving the motor vehicle on a path, the apparatus sequentially predicts the operational point of the internal combustion engine, and controls the alternator so that the actual electric power economy index becomes equal to the reference value based on the operational point of the internal combustion engine predicted. |
| US08150570B2 |
Auto management system for air filter used in battery pack and auto management method for the same
An auto management system for an air filter used in a battery pack comprises at least one cell and a case accommodating each of the cells so that there is secured an air flow passage between the neighboring cells. The battery pack is provided with an air inlet at one side and an air outlet on the other side and comprises an air filter detachably mounted at an outside end of the air inlet of the case; a blowing fan provided to one of the air inlet and the air outlet; a flux sensor; a control unit connected to the cells of the battery pack, the blowing fan and the flux sensor, respectively, measuring currents, voltages and temperatures of the respective cells and electrically controlling the blowing fan and the flux sensor. |
| US08150569B2 |
Marine vessel running controlling apparatus, and marine vessel including the same
A marine vessel running controlling apparatus is applicable to a marine vessel which includes a propulsive force generating unit arranged to generate a propulsive force to be applied to a hull of the marine vessel, and a steering unit arranged to turn the hull. The marine vessel running controlling apparatus includes an operational unit to be operated by an operator of the marine vessel to control a steering angle of the steering unit, and a control unit arranged to update control information related to the steering angle of the steering unit with respect to an operation amount of the operational unit based on data acquired during travel of the marine vessel. |
| US08150566B2 |
System for selecting data representing an air parameter, process and computer program relating to the same
A system for selecting a datum among a set of data representing an air parameter, this set comprising at least two engine data obtained by measurement respectively in the zone of two engines of an aircraft and at least two reference data obtained by measurement in the zone of the fuselage of the aircraft, the system comprising: means for verifying pairwise agreement of three data of the set of data; means for selecting a reference datum among the said three data if such agreement is verified. A process and a computer program relating thereto are also proposed. |
| US08150561B2 |
Heat dissipation system for computers
A heat dissipation system within a housing of a computer is disclosed. The heat dissipation system includes a heat dissipating fan, a temperature sensor, a rotation speed setting portion, and a performance control portion. The rotation speed setting portion is configured to change a rotation speed of the heat dissipating fan in a stepwise manner based on a threshold temperature and a measurement temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The performance control portion is configured to temporarily reduce the processing capability of a processor within the computer in response to a determination that the measurement temperature has exceeded the threshold temperature during a predetermined period of time. |
| US08150556B2 |
Method of coordinated operation for turbine-generator shafts torsional vibration protection
The present invention relates to the coordinated control method of torsional stress relay in large thermal power plants' generators (300 MW and above), which will be adopted when shaft torsional oscillations occur. This invention also publishes a method of realizing selective trip the generators and the trip criterions which are implemented by the torsional stress relay and coordinated control master station (Tmaster). Tmaster will real-time monitor the operating status of the generators and TSR, TMaster will also real-time generate a trip priority level sequencing by analyzing the unit output.When generators occur subsynchronous resonance and shaft torsional oscillation, this method can ensure that TSR will trip some generators of the power plant according to the real-time generated trip strategy to inhibit the shaft torsional oscillation and safeguard the units. This method can also avoid the tremendous economic loss caused by tripping all the generators, and that will reduce the hazard to the transmission grid. |
| US08150551B2 |
Charging apparatus for mobile robot
A charging apparatus for a mobile robot enabling the mobile robot to move relatively freely even during charging using a wiring member, while preventing occurrence of an inconvenience such as damage to the wiring member, is provided. The charging apparatus includes a charging power source, a control board which controls the charging power source, and a wiring members for use in supplying electric power from the charging power source to a battery mounted on the mobile robot. The wiring member is connected to the mobile robot to follow the movement of the robot. The charging apparatus further includes a detector which detects tension applied to the wiring member. When the wiring members is pulled, an appropriate measure to stop the mobile robot or disconnect the wiring member from the robot is taken in accordance with a signal from the tension detector. |
| US08150549B2 |
Liquid handling system with electronic information storage
An electronic storage device is coupled with a container capable of holding liquid for electronically storing information relating to the liquid stored in the container. The system can be configured with an antenna, for storing information to and reading information from the electronic storage device. A microprocessor-based controller, coupled with the antenna, may be employed for controlling processing of the liquid based on information read from the electronic storage device by the antenna. A connector of a secure reader system having a reader is provided to physically couple to a container having an information storing mechanism, for periodically reading information from an information storing mechanism. The connector may draw material from the container simultaneous with the reading. |
| US08150546B2 |
Article transporting apparatus and method of operating the apparatus
An article transporting apparatus, according to one preferred embodiment, includes: a plurality of movable bodies for transporting articles, the movable bodies being movable between a plurality of article transfer locations; and an operation controlling section for controlling the plurality of movable bodies so that the movable bodies effect article transporting operations in accordance with an article transport request information; wherein the operation controlling section selects a movable body from the group of movable bodies for an article transporting operation, based on an operation condition configured to cause each of the movable bodies to have a different past operation history such that a timing for replacing a replaceable part for one movable body is different from replacement timings for other movable bodies. |
| US08150541B2 |
Methods and apparatus to modify a recipe process flow associated with a process control system during recipe execution
Example methods and apparatus to modify a recipe process flow during recipe execution are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves executing a recipe, and before completion of execution of the recipe, receiving process flow change information indicative of a modification to a process flow of the recipe. Process flow rules are then retrieved from a process flow rules data structure. The recipe process flow is modified based on the process flow change information in response to determining that at least one requested change indicated by the process flow change information does not violate one of the process flow rules. |
| US08150539B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method for controlling power supply of the apparatus
An information processing apparatus includes an information processing unit, an interface supplying electrical power to and communicating a signal with an external electronic device through a single connector, a unit supplying electrical power to the electronic device through the interface and including a rechargeable battery. Detection units detect a connection of the electronic device to the apparatus, an external power supply. The power supply control, when the connections are detected, keeps supplying electrical power to the electronic device through the interface even after deactivation of the apparatus, in the event an instruction to turn off a power supply of the apparatus or deactivate the apparatus is issued. When the connection of the external power supply for charging the rechargeable battery to the apparatus is not detected, the power supply does not supply electrical power to the electronic device even during operation of the apparatus. |
| US08150538B2 |
Triggering and activating device for two coupled control systems that can be mutually activated, and corresponding method
A triggering and activating device and an automated process coupling two reciprocally activatable monitoring devices or operational-intervention devices. A first synchronizing module synchronizes transmissible operational-intervention parameters of a lookup table with operational devices assigned to the first monitoring device, and a second synchronizing module synchronizes storable threshold-value parameters for activating the second monitoring device. Physical measuring parameters of intervention events are detected and transmitted to the activating device, an intervention-event stack being correspondingly incremented by a first filter module based on the physical measuring parameters and a dynamically implemented weighting of the lookup table. By the first filter module, based on the synchronized threshold parameters and the intervention-event stack, corresponding activating parameters are generated and, if the activating parameters exceed the predetermined threshold value, the second monitoring device is activated by an activating unit and a corresponding activating pulse. |
| US08150537B2 |
Transcranial electrical stimulation device
A transcranial electrical stimulation device 1 having a wearing equipment 2 detachably worn onto a patient's head and at least a pair of electrodes 4 attached to the wearing equipment 2, the device for electrically stimulating a motor area of a patient's cerebral cortex by outputting current from the electrode 4 connected to a current generator. An engagement part 6 capable of engaging the wearing equipment 2 to a scalp with a thread-like body 8 is provided to the wearing equipment 2, and the electrode 4 is attached to the wearing equipment 2 protrudably to the head side of the electrode 4, and tip of the electrode 4 is capable of subcutaneously piercing through the head. It is unnecessary to bore a patient's skull outer layer with a drill, and a mounting of the electrode can be performed in a short time. The electrodes can be accurately positioned at predetermined positions of a patient's head, and the motor area of a cerebral cortex can be effectively stimulated. |
| US08150536B2 |
Low profile active fixation cardiac lead having torque transmitting means
An active fixation cardiac lead is disclosed that includes an elongated lead body having opposed proximal and distal end portions and an interior lumen that extends therethrough. A rotatable fixation element is operatively associated with the distal end portion of the lead body and a tubular torque-transmitting member extends through the interior lumen of the lead body. The tubular torque-transmitting member has a distal end connected to the fixation element and a proximal end connected to a rotatable actuator operatively associated with the proximal end portion of the lead body. Preferably, the rotatable actuator is part of a connector assembly that is operatively associated with the proximal end portion of the lead body. |
| US08150531B2 |
Associating therapy adjustments with patient posture states
A therapy adjustment received from a patient is associated with a sensed patient posture state. Thereafter, a stability indication can be associated with the sensed posture state to indicate that a therapy adjustment specific to the sensed posture state was received and implemented. In addition, therapy parameter values associated with related patient posture states are updated based on the therapy adjustment. In some examples, only the related posture states that are not associated with respective stability indications are updated based on the therapy adjustment. The absence of a stability indication indicates that the patient has not inputted a therapy adjustment specific to the respective related posture state. As a result, the therapy parameter values associated with the related posture states that are not associated with stability indications may float until the patient adjusts the therapy parameter value associated with the respective related posture state. |
| US08150525B2 |
Treatment of hyperhydrosis
A device for the treatment of hyperhydrosis by application of electric current to a treatment area of the skin is described. The device comprises: a) a garment comprising a first electrode adapted for contacting said treatment area; b) a second electrode adapted for contacting the treatment area or skin proximal to the treatment area; and c) a power delivery unit in electrical communication with said first and second electrodes. The power delivery unit provides a customized dose of electricity to the treatment area. In one embodiment, the garment is a glove. |
| US08150524B2 |
Selective neurostimulation for treating epilepsy
A method and device for treating epilepsy are disclosed which provide for electrical, chemical or magnetic stimulation of certain areas of the brain to modulate neuronal activity of areas associated with symptoms of epilepsy. Deep brain stimulation is combined with vagus nerve stimulation to enhance symptomatic relief of the disorder. Some embodiments also employ a sensing capability to optimize the therapeutic treatment regimen. |
| US08150521B2 |
Methods and devices for controlling battery life in an implantable pulse generator
Methods, devices, and systems for controlling an implantable pulse generator for activation of a nerve or receptor are provided. In particular, the method, devices, and systems embodying features of the present invention control the energy output of a battery in an implantable pulse generator for stimulation of the baroreflex system of the patient. |
| US08150519B2 |
Methods and apparatus for bilateral renal neuromodulation
Methods and apparatus are provided for bilateral renal neuromodulation, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney. |
| US08150512B2 |
Use of impedance to assess electrode locations
A process for determining whether the location of a stimulation electrode meets a selected heart performance criteria includes providing stimulation to the heart through the electrode and obtaining an impedance measurement during stimulation delivery using an impedance sensing vector formed by electrodes that do not include the stimulation electrode. The impedance measurements are processed, either alone or in combination with an electrogram, also obtained during stimulation, to obtain a measure of hemodynamic performance. |
| US08150507B2 |
Body fat measurement device
A body fat measurement device includes a bioelectrical impedance measurement body attachment unit with an electrode support and a belt. The belt includes a stretchable region at one part. The electrode support includes a fixing portion fixed with one end of the belt, and a holder for holding a portion closer to another end of the belt in a movable manner and including a wrapping length adjustment mechanism for adjusting the wrapping length thereof. The body fat measurement device includes a displacement amount detection unit for detecting a displacement amount of the belt caused by the stretching of the stretchable region, and a wrapping length adjustment mechanism control section for controlling the wrapping length adjustment mechanism based on information detected by the displacement amount detection unit. According to such a configuration, there is obtained a body fat measurement device including a bioelectrical impedance measurement abdomen attachment unit enabling smooth breathing motion without hardly giving pain to the subject, and capable of being closely attached with satisfactory reproducibility regardless of a waist length of the subject. |
| US08150497B2 |
System for navigating a planned procedure within a body
A system including a processor and/or processor system can be used to create a plan for a procedure, such as a surgical procedure. The plan for the surgical procedure can be based on various elements, including determined anatomical landmarks that can be used to determine anatomical targets of a patient. The planning processor can be used to determine the anatomical landmarks and identify anatomical targets in image data of a subject, even if the anatomical targets are indistinguishable in the image data. |
| US08150495B2 |
Bodily sealants and methods and apparatus for image-guided delivery of same
Generally, systems, methods, and apparatus related to the use of a dynamic imaging modality in an image guided intervention are disclosed herein. More specifically, the use of such modalities in sealing a bodily opening, such as those that may be formed during an invasive medical procedure are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method includes viewing a representation of an instrument within a body of a patient, adjusting a position of the instrument based on the viewing such that a portion of the instrument is at a location within the body of the patient, and delivering a sealant via the instrument to the location within the body of the patient. The sealant is configured to seal an opening in the body part. |
| US08150493B2 |
Patient infusion and imaging system
A patient infusion and imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan room shielded from electromagnetic interference and image acquisition equipment positioned within the MRI scan room. The system further includes an IV liquid infusion apparatus configured to be positioned at any location within the MRI scan room without introducing image-degrading RF interference and without being affected by magnetic fields produced by the magnetic source. The IV liquid infusion apparatus includes a pump disposed to receive a liquid conduit and to transfer IV liquid through the liquid conduit from a liquid IV container source, a non-magnetic ultrasonic motor, and a non-magnetic controller configured to selectively actuate the motor to drive the pump, and thereby transfer liquid from the IV container source through the liquid conduit at a controllable volumetric rate. |
| US08150488B2 |
Systems and methods for replacing signal artifacts in a glucose sensor data stream
Systems and methods for minimizing or eliminating transient non-glucose related signal noise due to non-glucose rate limiting phenomenon such as ischemia, pH changes, temperatures changes, and the like. The system monitors a data stream from a glucose sensor and detects signal artifacts that have higher amplitude than electronic or diffusion-related system noise. The system replaces some or the entire data stream continually or intermittently including signal estimation methods that particularly address transient signal artifacts. The system is also capable of detecting the severity of the signal artifacts and selectively applying one or more signal estimation algorithm factors responsive to the severity of the signal artifacts, which includes selectively applying distinct sets of parameters to a signal estimation algorithm or selectively applying distinct signal estimation algorithms. |
| US08150487B2 |
Method and apparatus for demodulating signals in a pulse oximetry system
A method and an apparatus measure blood oxygenation in a subject. A light source is activated to cause a first emission at a first wavelength and a second emission at a second wavelength. A detector detects a composite signal indicative of an attenuation of the first and second wavelengths by tissue of a patient. The composite signal is demodulated into a first intensity signal and a second intensity signal. Blood oxygenation in the subject is determined from the first and second intensity signals. In one embodiment, demodulation is based at least in part on a period when at least one of the wavelengths is not activated. In one embodiment, a modulation of the first and second wavelengths is determined in order to avoid frequencies of ambient noise. In one embodiment, the composite signal's sampling rate is reduced before and/or after demodulation. |
| US08150486B2 |
Superconducting device for current conditioning
The device has a quenchable superconductor (1), a first metallic member (2) electrically coupled with the quenchable superconductor (1), a second metallic member (3) electrically coupled to the first metallic member (2). The first metallic member (2) is thermally and electrically coupled with the quenchable superconductor (1) due to their direct surface contact. The superconducting device has a second metallic member (3) with a resistive element (4) and an electrical coupling (5) with the first metallic member (2). The resistive element (4) of the second metallic member (3) is thermally decoupled from the first metallic member (2). The first metallic member (2) has a substantially higher electrical resistance compared to the second metallic member (3). |
| US08150485B2 |
Casing and portable terminal having the same
A casing for a portable terminal is provided. The casing includes a first portion configured to replace a rear cover of a portable terminal so as to provide an exterior surface of the portable terminal, a second portion connected to the first portion, and an electronic component located at the second portion, the electronic component being connectable to the portable terminal to provide at least one function associated with the portable terminal. |
| US08150484B2 |
Protective housings for wireless transmission apparatus and associated methods
A housing for an apparatus for portable wireless transmission, the apparatus for portable wireless transmission having an antenna element arranged to be able to resonate at a particular highest resonant operating frequency to send/receive transmissions substantially in a significant radiating direction. The housing comprises one or more metal piece areas arranged to, when assembled with the apparatus for the portable wireless transmission, be located over the antenna element in a significant radiating direction in electrical isolation from an electrical ground of the apparatus. The metal piece area(s) comprise a plurality of metal pieces arranged with the housing to be substantially electrically isolated from surrounding metal with dimensions having effective lengths of at most five-tenths of a wavelength for the highest resonating operating frequency of the antenna element. |
| US08150483B2 |
Sliding mechanism and portable electronic device having the same
A sliding mechanism (40) includes a base plate (42), a first sliding plate (44), as second sliding plate (46), and a elastic element (48). The first sliding plate (44) is slidably mounted on the first sliding plate (44) and located adjacent to one side of the base plate (42). The second sliding plate (46) is slidably mounted on the second sliding plate (46) and located adjacent to an opposite side of the base plate (42). The elastic element (48) provides force for driving the first sliding plate (44) and the second sliding plate (46) to slide relative to the base plate (42) and in opposite directions. |
| US08150482B2 |
Mobile computing device with moveable housing segments
A mobile computing device includes a first housing segment and a second housing segment. The first housing segment includes a display surface on a front exterior face. The second housing segment that is slideably coupled to the first housing segment to move between an extended position and a contracted position. The second housing segment includes a keypad provided on a surface that is exposed for use when the device is in the extended position. The first housing segment and the second housing segment are coupled so that a path of motion followed by one of the first housing segment or second housing segment when moving between the extended position and the contracted position is continuously arced. |
| US08150479B2 |
Transmitting fax in mobile networks
Fax transmission over a PLMN using a home gateway connected to the originating fax terminal equipment. A call setup request for a fax call destined towards terminating fax terminal equipment is sent. At the originating fax terminal equipment, a reply from the home gateway is received, sending data from the originating fax terminal equipment to the home gateway and storing them in the home gateway. A call establishment request from the home gateway to the PLMN and at least one connection establishment request from the home gateway to the terminating fax terminal equipment are sent. Waiting for a connection establishment confirmation from the terminating fax terminal equipment within a configurable time. When the connection establishment confirmation is received, sending from the home gateway stored data to the terminating fax terminal equipment through the PLMN and optionally a notification on the fax transmission status—to the originating fax terminal equipment. |
| US08150476B2 |
Battery interface assembly for a communication device
A battery interface assembly for a communication device (100), such as a portable radio, is provided to ensure a reliable interconnection between battery contacts (230) and radio contacts (108). Communication device (100) includes a casting (110) having a cavity (112) with two apertures formed therein (114, 228). The two apertures (114, 228) open into the cavity (112) to provide a point of contact for mating radio contacts (108) to the battery contacts (230). The battery contacts (230) are wiping contacts which mate with the radio contacts (108) as the battery is slid into the casting (110). A compression seal (126) is provided to the radio contacts (108) while a radial seal (120) is provided about the battery contacts (230) to ensure reliable electrical and physical connection under a variety of environments. |
| US08150471B2 |
Network monitoring system
In a network monitoring system according, first, a data acquisition section acquires a plurality of packets flowing on a network. Then, a data analysis section acquires action explanation information for explaining a single action from the plural packets acquired by the data acquisition section. Then, a display-information generation section displays the single action on the network on the single screen based on the action explanation information acquired by this data analysis section. |
| US08150467B2 |
Devices and methods for asymmetrical multicarrier transmission and reception
Devices and methods which supplement a duplex frequency by providing one or more simplex frequencies and distributing a data load among them are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a server containing a scheduler in communication with a communications device. The server initially communicates with the communications device using a duplex channel, determines when it is no longer optimal to use the single duplex channel, and distributes data among the duplex channel and one or more simplex channels. Before distributing the data, the server sends a schedule to the communications device via the duplex channel, so the communications device knows which bits of data are coming through which channels at which times. A descheduler within the communications device receives the schedule and alerts the communications device to start receiving data on other simplex channels. The descheduler then puts the bits of data in order as they stream in across the duplex and simplex channels. |
| US08150465B2 |
Environmental monitoring using mobile devices and network information server
Sensors mounted on vehicles (e.g., buses, taxis, police cars) and public personnel (e.g., policemen) are used to monitor various conditions and situations such as air quality, potential biological and chemical attacks, and road and traffic conditions. The invention improves upon the typical approach that deploys fixed sensors at every geographical position of interest. The total number of required sensors and the size and the complexity of the network infrastructure required to connect the sensors are reduced and simplified. A method for estimating the number of mobile sensors required to cover a region of interest also is disclosed. A relatively small number of mobile sensors may be sufficient to cover a large area at a lower cost and less complexity than a fixed sensor network. |
| US08150464B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a mobile video blog service
A method and apparatus for providing a mobile video blog (vlog) service in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method captures video content sourced from a mobile device used by a mobile user through a mobile vlog posting service portal, and provides a vlog viewing function accessible to a viewer through a vlog viewing service portal, wherein the vlog viewing function affords viewing of the video content and is provided in accordance with a user profile of the viewer, wherein the user profile comprises a viewing preference of the viewer. |
| US08150458B1 |
Communication device
A communication device which implements a voice communicating function, an OS updating function, a communication device telephone remote controlling function, a communication device computer remote controlling function, a shortcut icon displaying function, an OCR function, a word processing function, a start up software function, and a stereo audio data output function. |
| US08150455B2 |
Method and system for integrating a computer mouse function in a mobile communication device
A method and system are implemented for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen of a remote host device with a mobile communication device. The method comprises establishing a communication link between the mobile communication device and the selected remote host device, detecting an amount of displacement of the mobile communication device, converting the detected amount of displacement into displacement data of the cursor in a coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host device, and transmitting the displacement data to the remote host device. |
| US08150447B2 |
Multi mode outer loop power control in a wireless network
A method and arrangement is provided for adjusting the transmission power of radio signals sent over a radio link from a second node to be received by a first node reducing the transmission power consumption and/or optimizing the radio system capacity. The first node maintains a quality target of the link by generating a SIR target value by means of running an outer loop power control, which SIR target value is used for generating a power adjustment command to be sent to the second node for adjusting the transmission power such that a power level adequate for providing the quality target of the link is achieved. The method comprises the step of detecting an abrupt change in the conditions of the radio signals received from the second node, generating a temporary SIR target value, and replacing the SIR target value generated by the outer loop power control with the temporary SIR target value when generating the power adjustment command to be sent to the second node for adjusting the transmission power. |
| US08150443B2 |
Overload indicator for adjusting open loop power control parameters
The exemplary embodiments of the invention include a method, apparatus, and program to determine actions to be taken upon receiving overload indicators. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method includes: determining if more than a first predetermined number of overload indicator messages are received within a first predetermined period of time. If such a determination is made that more than the first predetermined number of overload indicator messages are received within the first predetermined period of time is made, a value of a power output parameter is adjusted by decreasing the value of the power output parameter, and the adjusted value of the power output parameter is sent. If a determination is made that less than a second predetermined number of overload indicator messages are received within a second predetermined period of time, the value of the power output parameter is adjusted by increasing the value of the power output parameter, sending the adjusted value of the power output parameter is sent. |
| US08150439B2 |
Facilitating user interactions based on proximity
Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.). In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile. |
| US08150437B2 |
Architecture to facilitate the monetization of disparate, inter-worked pushed to talk technologies
An inter-working network includes a plurality of interfaces for facilitating communications with a plurality of dispatch networks, a signaling controller, a media gateway and a system for facilitating the monetization of inter-carrier dispatch communications. The signaling controller and media gateway generate dispatch call records for dispatch sessions facilitated through the inter-working network. The system includes a billing accumulator and a settlement entity. The billing accumulator is interfaced with the inter-working network and includes logic to receive and store the dispatch call data records from the inter-working architecture. The settlement entity is interfaced with the billing accumulator, and includes settlement logic for converting each stored dispatch call data record to a billing record for each of at least two of the dispatch networks. |
| US08150434B2 |
Leadership support system determining a danger of isolation of a group member even under temporarily worsened communication conditions
A leadership support system includes a leader terminal and plural member terminals. The member terminals, according to either the relay of communication information not addressed thereto or the reception of communication information addressed thereto, send back a response to the appropriate communication information. The leader terminal determines, based on the times of relaying the communication information, whether or not the member terminal that transmitted the communication information is in danger of isolation. When the leader terminal determines the member terminal in danger of isolation, it outputs a warning signal indicative of a ranger of isolation to that member terminal. |
| US08150428B2 |
Mobile originated SMS over a wireless IP network
A method for offloads SMS messages from a voice network of a wireless carrier to a data network. The method includes sending a mobile originated SMS using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) from a wireless handset to a short message service center (SMSC) over a wireless data network. The method further includes conducting a lookup at the SMSC to determine the home SMSC for the originating mobile handset and sending a redirect to the mobile handset as means to facilitate a dynamic update of the home SMSC location stored on the wireless handset. |
| US08150427B2 |
Preventing wireless message delivery outside of specified times
A wireless messaging system includes a message controller and a delivery controller. The message controller provides a message to be delivered, and the delivery controller handles transmission of the message to a wireless device. To prevent delivery of a message after a desired expiry time or when a delivery window is closed, the message controller sends a cancellation request to the delivery controller. In response to the cancellation request, the delivery controller cancels any previously scheduled delivery attempts, and inhibits scheduling of future delivery attempts, at least temporarily. |
| US08150423B2 |
Paging group network and method for updating mobile station locations
A paging group network includes multiple paging groups formed by areas covered by base stations (BSs). The paging group network further includes an anchor paging controller (PC) and a relay PC. The anchor paging controller initiates a page to a mobile station (MS), addresses the paging group in which the MS is located, and stores status information about the MS in a corresponding location register (LR). The relay PC manages the paging groups. A method for updating MS locations is also provided. Thereby, the present invention optimizes the paging and location updating processes, and reduces the complexity of managing the idle mode. |
| US08150420B2 |
Mobile station assisted location based service
A method for determining a location of a mobile station is provided. The mobile station is requested to identify pilot signals monitored by the mobile station. A pilot signal report is received from the mobile station identifying the pilot signals monitored. It is determined that a location of the mobile station cannot be determined according to the identified pilot signals. A resource allocation signal is transmitted to the mobile station. A report is received from at least one assisting station. The report includes information for determining the location of the mobile station. The location of the mobile station is determined according to the information received in the report from the at least one assisting station and the signal received at the base station from the mobile station. |
| US08150418B2 |
Methods and systems for proximity-based monitoring of wireless devices
Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring the geographic location or velocity of a first wireless device relative to at least one other wireless device and noting an exception if the first wireless device moves beyond a predetermined threshold of separation from the second wireless device, or if the velocity of the first wireless device is outside a predetermined threshold. In response to an exception, supervisory action is taken which may include contacting the wireless device or contacting another person. |
| US08150412B2 |
Interference mitigation in a wireless communication system
The present invention provides a method of interference mitigation in a wireless communication system. The method that may include reducing transmission power associated with at least one first channel provided by at least one first base station associated with at least one corresponding first coverage area adjacent a second coverage area associated with a second base station concurrently with maintaining at least one transmission power associated with the second base station(s). The method may also include increasing the transmission power associated with the first channel(s) provided by the first base station(s) concurrently with reducing at least one transmission power associated with at least one first channel provided by the second base station(s). |
| US08150411B2 |
Method for efficient radio resource management
An improved admission control procedure for an admission control entity (e.g., Radio Network Controller (RNC), Node B, etc.) in a network that admits a terminal (mobile station, user equipment, etc.) having a certain receiver performance. Without improperly assuming one receiver performance or referring to a reference minimum receiver performance to calculate the resources that will be used, more accurate radio resources that should be used by the terminal when admitted to the cell can be determined by using appropriate information about the receiver performance of the terminal to be admitted. |
| US08150409B2 |
Method of controlling data transmission in a wireless relay system, and the relay system implementing the method
A data transmission method in a wireless relay system, and a method of selecting an optimal transmission mode based on a channel capacity of an individual link that is measured by a mobile station. The data transmission method includes: transmitting a first ratio of first partial data of the data from a base station to a mobile station; transmitting a second ratio of second partial data of the data from the base station to a first relay station; and forwarding the second partial data from the first relay station to the mobile station, wherein the first ratio or the second ratio is determined based on any one of a channel capacity of a first link between the base station and the mobile station, and a channel capacity of a second link between the first relay station and the mobile station. |
| US08150406B1 |
System and method for providing robust location based services
A system and method for anticipating wireless signal loss and providing location based services in view of the anticipated wireless signal loss is disclosed. |
| US08150401B2 |
Method and system for communicating data from wireline terminals to mobile terminals
Methods and systems are provided for communicating data from wireline terminals to mobile terminals in a telecommunications network, which includes a home node associated with the mobile terminal and one or more visited nodes. To establish communication with a mobile terminal, a wireline terminal sends data to a server in the telecommunications network. The server identifies a mobile identification number associated with the mobile terminal, and based on the identified mobile identification number, the server determines a route that excludes the home node when the mobile terminal is out of the geographical area served by the home node. The server then establishes via the determined route a connection to the mobile terminal and sends to the mobile terminal the data received from the wireline terminal. |
| US08150400B1 |
Local point of presence
Systems and techniques for providing a telecommunications service by receiving a request for a telecommunications service from a wireless client, providing a local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request, and providing the telecommunications service to the wireless client through the local exchange point of presence. The local exchange point of presence may be based on the geographic location of the wireless client. |
| US08150393B2 |
Method for handling service failures
A method for handling service failures for in a communications network comprising a user equipment, a first network element and a serving network element, the method comprising the following steps. Receiving at the first network element a first message from the user equipment. Transmitting the first message from the first network element to the serving network element. Detecting at the first network element that the serving network element is out of service. Determining at the first network element the type of the first message, and in dependence on the type of the first message sending from the first network element to the user equipment an error message including an indication that the serving network element is out of service. |
| US08150392B1 |
Private wireless network integrated with public wireless network
A private wireless network is able to provide wireless telecommunication services to subscriber mobile stations that also subscribe to a public wireless network. The private wireless network includes a private base transceiver station (BTS), a private mobile switching center (MSC), and a gateway service control point (SCP). The private BTS provides a private network wireless coverage area within which the mobile station can communicate with the base transceiver station over an air interface. The gateway SCP has a private network database containing private network data records for subscribing mobile stations. A private network data record includes a private network service profile and a private network locator address. The public wireless network has a home location register (HLR) with a public network database containing public network data records for subscribing mobile stations. A public network data record includes a public network service profile and a public network locator address. When a subscriber mobile station is active on the private wireless network, the private network locator address identifies the private MSC, and the public network locator address identifies the gateway SCP. By providing the private network wireless coverage area so that it overlaps the public network's wireless coverage area, the subscriber mobile station may be handed off between the private and public wireless networks. |
| US08150391B2 |
System and method for using a cellular telephone in a mobile vehicle
A system for connecting a cellular phone located in a mobile vehicle such as an aircraft, land vehicle, water craft or space craft to a stationary mobile telephone network includes a mobile radio base station on board the mobile vehicle that converts mobile radio data into IP data and transmits the IP data via an IP connection to a ground station where the IP data are converted back into mobile radio data and provided to a stationary mobile radio network. |
| US08150390B2 |
Method of routing a call made to a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber in a telecommunication network
The invention relates to a method of routing a call made to a fixed telephone number of a UMA-subscriber in a telecommunication network. A service control entity stores a so-called ‘near list’ comprising a cell identifier of each cell overlapping a WLAN coverage area of a WLAN AP associated with the UMA-subscriber. The service control entity also receives location information of the UMA-subscriber from a switching node (2) or from a location server (16). If the cell identifier of the serving cell is in the near list, the service control entity prompt the caller to select out of a list of options. If the cell identifier of the serving cell is not in the near list, the caller will be prompted but with a different message and with different options to select. The caller is for example offered the opportunity to wait for the called party to arrive at home, and be dialed back. |
| US08150385B1 |
Automated reply messages among end user communication devices
An exemplary method processes an electronic communication received by a first end-user communication device. A communication, received by the first end-user communication device, is a digital message sent from a second end-user device. A message processing program includes an auto-reply generation method that is active to automatically transmit a predetermined reply message to another device upon receipt of a message from it. A list of origination addresses to which the predetermined reply message has previously been transmitted is stored in memory. On receipt of the digital message from the second end-user device, a determination is made if the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses. If it is in the list of origination addresses, the auto-reply generation method is inhibited from transmitting the predetermined reply message. If it is not in the list of origination addresses, the origination address of the second end-user device is added to the list and the auto-reply generation method is permitted to transmit the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device. |
| US08150384B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for gesture based remote control
Methods and apparatuses are provided that may be implemented in and/or with a mobile device to allow gesture based remote control of one or more controllable devices. |
| US08150381B2 |
Wireless distribution network
A wireless distribution network provides content delivery and data collection to and from portable devices. The network connects a server controlling access to content storage by home nodes, service center nodes and a plurality of wireless nodes. The wireless nodes are disposed at a plurality of locations, such as gas stations (vehicle service stations). The plurality of wireless nodes are connected to the server via the network. Each wireless node is capable of transferring information wirelessly between the node and one of a plurality of portable devices. Each node is capable of detecting and identifying each of the plurality of portable devices. Each node transfers information between the node and the plurality of portable devices based upon the detection and identification of the portable devices. The node also transfers the information between the node and the first computer based upon the detection and identification of the portable devices. |
| US08150378B2 |
Determining position of a node based on aged position data
Techniques are provided for determining a position of a node. For example, the node receives first position data from a first reference node and second position data from a second reference node. The second position data includes second position measurement information and a precision indicator which indicates accuracy of the second position measurement information. The node generates a timestamp which indicates when the second position data was received by node, and storing the second position data and associated timestamp. Upon receiving updated first position data at the node from the first reference node, the node determines whether updated second position data has been received from the second reference node, and if not, generates aged second position data based on the stored second position data and the associated timestamp. The node can then determine its position based on the aged second position data and the updated first position data. |
| US08150376B2 |
User-initiated communications during multimedia content playback on a mobile communications device
A multimedia display process executing in a mobile device traps user input signals to allow switching from display of multimedia to another task without requiring manual termination of the multimedia display process by the user. |
| US08150373B1 |
Suppression of short message service communications from a trusted domain
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer-storage media for suppressing Short Message Service (SMS) communications from a Short Message peer-to-peer (SMPP) client. A selected response algorithm is provided to the SMPP client from a server. A threshold of undesired SMS communications are detected from a SPAM originator that is communicated to the server by way of the SMPP client. A challenge is communicated to the SMPP client from the server. When a challenge response is not received at the server, communications received from the SMPP client are throttled. When the challenge response is received at the server and the challenge response is incorrect, communications received from the SMPP client are also throttled. When the received challenge response is correct, a SPAM originator source identifier is communicated to the SMPP client in order for the SMPP client to throttle communications received from the SPAM originator. |
| US08150366B2 |
Mobile terminal and mobile communication system
A mobile terminal UE according to the present invention performs, in an IP network, a normal communication between the mobile terminal and a normal communication terminal via a first call control apparatus S-CSCF#1, and an emergency-communication between the mobile terminal and an emergency-communication terminal via a second call control apparatus S-CSCF#2, including an emergency-communication session establishment processing unit 14 configured to perform an emergency-communication session establishment process between the mobile terminal UE and the emergency-communication terminal, without performing an emergency-communication location registration process for the mobile terminal in the second call control apparatus S-CSCF#2, when a normal-communication location registration process for the mobile terminal is completed in the first call control apparatus S-CSCF#1. |
| US08150365B2 |
Base station, subordinate station, and emergency information transmission method thereof
A base station (BS), a subordinate station (SS) and emergency information transmission methods thereof are provided. The SS is in a power-saving state. The BS shall allocate an emergency alert indicator and emergency information in a transmission channel. The SS in the power-saving state receives the emergency information according to the emergency alert indicator and proceeds with a handshake protocol with the BS to establish an emergency service flow between the BS and the SS. |
| US08150362B2 |
Electronically tuned agile integrated bandpass filter
A method and apparatus for an electronically tuned agile integrated bandpass filter is described. In one embodiment, the invention is an intermediate frequency filter for use in an integrated circuit. The filter includes a first filter stage, including a first LC resonator. The first filter stage further includes a first adjustable capacitor array coupled to the first LC resonator. The first adjustable capacitor array has an effective capacitance value adjustable through use of a first plurality of programmable data storage locations. The first plurality of programmable data storage locations are programmable through a serial control interface. |
| US08150357B2 |
Smoothing filter for irregular update intervals
A technique for determining a received signal strength from multiple messages filters noise from the received signal to provide an accurate signal strength value. Advantageously, the more accurate output signal strength value can be used to identify movement of a station as well as estimate locations and direction of movement. |
| US08150355B2 |
Radio receiver
There is provided a method that comprises identifying a parasitic signal transfer in a filter using a signal-directed graph; and adding compensation paths to the filter to reduce or eliminate the effect of the parasitic signal transfer A corresponding filter is provided which comprises a plurality of amplifier stages that generate one or more filter poles; at least one component coupled to at least one of the amplifier stages, the component causing a parasitic effect in the filter; and means for applying a compensation current to the at least one amplifier stage to reduce or eliminate the parasitic effect. A radio receiver is further provided that comprises a filter for receiving and filtering in-phase and quadrature signals; an amplifier for receiving and amplifying one of said filtered in-phase and quadrature signals; means for receiving the amplified and filtered in-phase or quadrature signal from said amplifier, and for regenerating the other one of said in-phase and quadrature signals from said amplified and filtered signal. |
| US08150353B2 |
Masthead amplifier unit
An amplifier unit to be placed in an antenna mast and belonging to a two-way radio system. The amplifier unit comprises two front stages for implementing diversity, each front stage comprising a receiving branch with an amplifier and a transmitting branch including a transmit bandpass filter. In both front stages the output of the receiving branch and the input of the transmitting branch are coupled together and further to a base station (BT1, BT2) by an intermediate cable. There is at least one pair of antenna radiators. One radiator of the pair is coupled to the input of the receiving branch of the first front stage and the output of the transmitting branch of the second front stage, and the other radiator to the input of the receiving branch of the second front stage and the output of the transmitting branch of the first front stage. Then, the feedback path of the signal amplified in the receiving branch circulates for the part of both front stages via both radiators and the airspace. Because of isolation between the radiators, the attenuation of the feedback path increases, in which case the transmit bandpass filters can be made smaller and cheaper. |
| US08150350B2 |
Adaptive IIP2 calibration
A radio frequency transceiver (102), including a transmitter (104), a duplexer (108) and a direct-conversion receiver (106) including a mixer (140 and 141). An IIP2 calibration system (170), coupled to the transceiver, includes an IIP2 coefficient estimator (172) for calculating an estimate of second-order distortion intermodulation distortion, and an IIP2 controller (174) for adjusting an IIP2 tuning port of the mixer in the receiver to minimize second-order distortion intermodulation distortion in the receiver that may be caused by the receiver receiving a transmit RF signal leaking through the duplexer. |
| US08150349B2 |
Apparatus and method for audio conversion
An apparatus and method for audio conversion is provided to upgrade the resolution of transmission frequency of an FM (frequency modulation) transmitter and reduce the size of the FM transmitter by applying frequency coarse tune and fine tune. The apparatus comprises a digital FM modulator, a digital frequency synthesizer, a signal converter, and an analog frequency converter. The digital FM modulator modulates a digital audio input signal into a first digital audio signal. The digital frequency synthesizer converts the first digital audio signal into a second digital audio signal, whose frequency is determined according to a first frequency conversion parameter. The signal converter converts the second digital audio signal into an analog audio signal. The analog frequency converter generates an audio transmission signal with a predetermined frequency according to a second clock signal and the analog audio signal while the second clock signal is generated according to a first clock signal. |
| US08150347B2 |
Radio communications method, transmitter, and receiver
The transmitter transmits at least any one of the multiple kinds of generated pilot signals corresponding to the multiple types of communications services by use of a predetermined band set in a part of a transmission band beforehand, and transmits the other kinds of pilot signals using parts of the transmission band other than the predetermined band. The receiver detects a signal in a band containing at least the predetermined band, out of reception signals from the transmitter, and detects the pilot signal from the detected signal. With this construction, even if other pilot signals are frequency-division multiplexed to the same time domain, the receiver is capable of detecting a pilot signal accurately while avoiding the effect of interference due to the other pilot signals. |
| US08150346B2 |
Detecting a signal in the presence of noise
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal in a receiver, estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a constant modulus (CM) signal in the incoming RF signal based on a calculated magnitude of the incoming RF signal, and indicating presence of a modulated signal in the incoming RF signal if the estimated SNR is greater than a threshold. |
| US08150345B2 |
Simplified interference suppression in multi-antenna receivers
A signal received via a plurality of antennas, and containing an interference component and a desired communication component, is processed to suppress the interference component. The interference component is suppressed based on an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix, which inverse is produced without performing a matrix inversion operation. |
| US08150343B2 |
Dynamic stability, gain, efficiency and impedance control in a linear/non-linear CMOS power amplifier
A power amplifier (PA) provides dynamic stability and gain control for linear and non-linear operation. The PA operates with a baseband processor and a transmitter, in which the PA receives a signal from the transmitter for power amplification prior to transmission of the signal. The PA is configured to select between the linear mode of operation and the non-linear mode of operation, in which device scaling within the PA is achieved by changing a device sizing of at least one stage of the PA. Further to changing the device size, the PA changes biasing resistance and impedance of a matching network in response to the changing of the device size to control power output and stability for the PA. |
| US08150342B2 |
Transmitter, RF transmitter signal processor and method for operation of transmitter
An internal operation of RF IC is adjusted so that the level of an RF transmitter signal is substantially stopped from rising, or made to descend in course of ramp-up of the RF transmitter signal. This adjustment is enabled by ramp-up adjustment data Last 4 symbols contained in preamble data precedent to real transmission data transmitted after completion of ramp-up. The ramp-up adjustment data and real transmission data are supplied from a baseband LSI. The RF transmitter signal contains phase and amplitude modulation components according to the EDGE system. RF IC includes phase and amplitude modulation control loops PM LP and AM LP. Ramp-up of RF power amplifiers PA1 and PA2 is performed by controlling the gain of the first variable amplifier MVGA included in the AM LP according to ramp information. Thus, unwanted radiation's level is reduced during ramp-up of the RF transmitter signal of the RF power amplifiers. |
| US08150316B2 |
Communication partner appliance with automatic send mode activation
A circuit is implemented for a near field communication (NFC) system which includes a communication partner appliance. The circuit is a data carrier which includes activators, a receiver, a detector, and a processor. The activators activate a first or second communication mode. The receiver receives a carrier signal that is transmitted to the communication partner appliance by another communication partner appliance. The detector detects the presence of the received carrier signal and transmits a carrier signal present signal or a carrier signal not-present signal. The processor recognizes a command signal transmitted with the carrier signal. The processor also generates and transmits a command-end signal that is separate from the transmitted command signal and represents the end of the transmitted command signal. The processor also determines whether, after the occurrence of the command-end signal, the carrier signal present signal is present. The processor also transmits a first or second activation signal. |
| US08150307B2 |
Cleaning apparatus having a feeding member and a driving mechanism and image forming apparatus using same
An image forming apparatus having a high toner containing efficiency of a waste toner-collecting container is provided. Piled toner is broken by an vibrating imparting operation and at the same time, a toner feeding member such as a feeding screw disposed inside the toner-collecting container is rotated by changing a reciprocating operation by the vibrating impartment to a rotational operation in a direction. As a result, the piled toner which cannot be completely broken by the vibrating imparting operation is broken and fed, so that driving noise is reduced and the toner containing efficiency is improved. |
| US08150306B2 |
Fixing device for image forming apparatus
A fixing device according to an embodiment of the invention is provided with a center coil and a side coil to induction heat a metal roller which supports a belt. An auxiliary pressurizing member which is adjacent to an opposing roller which supports the belt and presses the belt against a heat roller is provided. The distance from the center position of induction heating of a heat roller to an entrance of a nip is equalized to the distance from the center position of induction heating of the metal roller to the entrance of the nip. The distance from the temperature reading position of the heat roller to the center position of induction heating of the heat roller is equalized to the distance from the temperature reading position of the belt to the center position of induction heating of the metal roller. |
| US08150301B2 |
Developing apparatus
A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with a developer, and a developer feeding member, for supplying the developer to the carrying member. The developing apparatus also includes a regulating member for regulating an amount of the developer carried on the carrying member, the regulating member having a free end portion contacted to the carrying member. The developer feeding member is supplied with a voltage which is different from a potential of the developer member toward a regular charging polarity of the developer. The carrying member is provided with a surface facing substantially downward, in a range from a downstream-most edge of the developer member in the contact portion with respect to a rotational direction of the carrying member to a contact portion between the carrying member and the regulating member. |
| US08150298B2 |
Toner cartridge with protrusion portion and image forming apparatus
A developer cartridge includes a developer storage portion for retaining developer. The developer storage portion includes an opening portion. The developer cartridge further includes a shutter member for opening and closing the opening portion; and a first protrusion portion disposed on at least one of end portions of the developer storage portion in a longitudinal direction thereof. The first protrusion portion extends outwardly in the longitudinal direction. |
| US08150292B2 |
Developing unit and image forming apparatus comprising same
A developing unit includes a unit main body having an internal space defined by a predetermined frame and capable of supplying a developer to the outside while agitating the developer within the internal space, a unit-side cooling duct attached to the unit main body, and a duct connecting member connecting the unit-side cooling duct and an external duct which supplies a cooling gas to the unit-side cooling duct from outside the unit main body. The unit-side cooling duct is structured by a duct piece and a part of the predetermined frame. The duct piece is detachably attached to the unit main body in opposed relation to the part of the predetermined frame, and has an end that is fitted to the duct connecting member. |
| US08150280B2 |
Image forming system
An image forming system includes an image forming station for forming a transparent image on a recording material with transparent toner; a selecting portion for selecting one of image forming modes including a first image forming mode for forming a transparent image having a high glossiness and a second image forming mode for forming a transparent image having a glossiness lower than that in the first image forming mode; and a setting portion for setting a toner amount, per unit area, of the transparent image in accordance with the image forming mode selected by the selecting portion. |
| US08150269B2 |
Lighting device
The invention relates to A method for a lighting device, in particular for a display device such as a LCD-TV, projector etc., generating radiation including at least visible light for illumination with at least one light-emitting element (1) being a LED (1) or an OLED, emitting radiation comprising an average light intensity for illumination purpose, a controller (2) coupled to the light-emitting element (1) modulating said radiation for a data transfer simultaneously to the illumination purpose, wherein the controller (2) is configured in such a way, that simultaneously data signals are transmitted via the generated radiation of said light-emitting element (1) and said modulation is not visible by an observer, wherein the data signals are transmitted to a detecting unit (3). |
| US08150267B1 |
Optical interconnect
An optical interconnect includes a reflective body having a plurality of faces, where the body is translatable in a plane; and an optical receiver configured to receive optical energy reflected by at least one of the faces. |
| US08150263B2 |
Optical code division multiplex signal generator
An optical code division multiplexing signal generator provided with an optical pulse light source, a first encoder to an Nth encoder, a first optical modulator to an Nth optical modulator, and a first optical circulator to an Nth optical circulator. The first optical circulator inputs an input optical pulse train to a first encoder, and inputs a first encoded optical pulse train output by Bragg reflection from the first encoder to the first optical modulator. The kth optical circulator inputs an input (k−1)th optical pulse train which has passed through the (k−1)th encoder to a kth encoder, and inputs a kth encoded optical pulse train output by Bragg reflection from the kth encoder to the kth optical modulator. Herein k takes all integers from 2 to N, and N is a positive integer of 2 or more. |
| US08150260B2 |
Optical network terminal, method for configuring rate limiting attributes of ports, and method for processing packets
The present invention relates to an optical network terminal (ONT), a method for configuring rate limiting attributes of ports, and a method for processing packets. The ONT includes a passive optical network (PON) protocol processing module, and a user network interface (UNI) module, which are connected through an internal interface. The ONT also includes a port rate limiting module connected to a UNI. The port rate limiting module stores rate limiting attributes, and the ONT uses these attributes to control the traffic of the UNI. The port rate limiting attributes are configured for the ONT through an ONT management and control interface (OMCI) message of an optical line terminal (OLT). In this way, when the ONT receives data from the UNI, it can control the traffic of the UNI according to the port rate limiting attributes. The present invention enables the port rate limiting function for the ONT, prevents overflow of the internal receiving buffer of the ONT, and prevents denial of service (DoS) attacks from illegal users. |
| US08150258B2 |
Optical transmission device and optical transmission method
An optical transmission device for controlling an optical signal output includes a return light detection section for detecting return light of the optical signal transmitted via the optical transmission line; a superimposed light transmission section for generating superimposed light having a superimposed basic low-frequency wave and transmitting the light when return light is detected by the return light detection section; a return light identification section for identifying the return light detected by the return light detection section as Fresnel light caused by a disconnection of the optical connector or Stokes light caused by stimulated Brillouin scattering based on an analysis result of the return superimposed light with respect to the superimposed light transmitted by the superimposed light transmission section. |
| US08150257B1 |
Shared mesh restoration with pre-configured standby lightpaths
Systems and methods are described for restoring wavelength services in mesh networks using pre-configured, standby lightpaths. The standby lightpaths are pre-cross-connected lightpaths that provide connectivity between switching nodes having a fiber link of degree-2 or higher. The restoration method overcomes the problem of optical impairments for long haul connections, avoids wavelength power balancing delays, provides wavelength conversion for capacity efficiency, and allows sharing of links across nonsimultaneous failures. |
| US08150253B2 |
Imaging apparatus and interchangeable lens
An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of lenses movable along an optical axis, a plurality of drivers configured to drive the plurality of lenses, respectively, and a synchronizm loss detector configured to detect a loss of synchronizm of one of the plurality of drivers. The one of the plurality of drivers is a driver that drives a lens which is heaviest in the plurality of lenses. |
| US08150251B2 |
Photographic apparatus
A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, an operation unit, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable relative to the taking lens on an xy plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the taking lens. The operation unit is configured to set a movement quantity of the movable platform on the xy plane. The controller performs a controlled movement of the movable platform in accordance to the movement quantity set by using the operation unit. |
| US08150249B2 |
Method and system for detecting horizontal orientation of camera device
A method for detecting horizontal orientation of the picture in a camera device, and the method includes the following steps. A plurality of orientation changes are detected in the camera device and converted to voltage signals by a gravity sensor module. The voltage signals are received by a data processing module and value of the angle in which the camera device deviated from a defined horizontal orientation is calculated. The value of the angle in which the camera device deviated from the defined horizontal orientation is received by an output module. The output module indicates how to adjust the camera device to the defined horizontal orientation. |
| US08150248B1 |
Mount system for attaching camera to a sport board
A camera mount is configured to attach a camera to a sports board. A camera is secured to the mount, which is secured to a sports board. The mount can secure to the sports board via an attachment device such as an embedded plug. The mount can be placed at the front or rear of the sports board. Furthermore, the mount can be configured to face either forwards or backwards to capture images and/or video from different viewpoints while participating in the board activity. Moreover, the mount includes a pivoting joint to allow a user to rotate the camera either upward or downward and then secure the camera at a fixed angle to capture images and/or video from different angles. |
| US08150245B2 |
Shower water heater
An electric shower water heater unit for connection to a water supply and a mains electricity supply comprises a housing having a shower water outlet to which a shower hose is connectable; an electric water heater housed in the housing and fluidly connectable to a water supply outlet of the water supply and electrically connectable to the mains electricity supply, the electric water heater supplying water to the shower water outlet of the housing; a user-operable controller (20) for controlling a temperature and a flow rate of water supplied to the shower water outlet of the housing, and a control circuit which is housed in the housing and which controls the electric water heater based on inputs received from the user-operable controller (20). The user-operable controller includes a touch-pressure sensitive element (40, 49) for pressing by a user and which is in communication with the control circuit. The control circuit only controls the electric water heater when a pressure imparted by a user pressing the touch-pressure sensitive element (40, 49) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. |
| US08150244B2 |
Intravenous fluid warming system
A fluid warming device includes axially or longitudinally slidable covers that retain a removable heat exchange body in a housing in heat exchange communication with a heater assembly while allowing flow through the heat exchange body to be observed. In another aspect, a fluid warming system increases or decreases power to a heater assembly to adjust the fluid temperature to ensure that the fluid is at an appropriate temperature when it reaches the patient. |
| US08150243B2 |
Heating process apparatus
A heating process apparatus includes a process chamber, a heat-processed object support member provided in the process chamber for heating a substrate disposed thereon, a cap for covering the substrate disposed on the heat-processed object support member, a heater for heating the heat-processed object support member, a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the heat-processed object support member, and a controller for controlling the heater. A first measuring unit measures a temperature of the cap, and the controller controls the heater so as to set the cap temperature to a predetermined temperature. A second measuring unit measures a temperature of the heat-processed object support member, and the controller turns off the heater when the temperature of the heat-processed object support member exceeds an over-heat critical temperature. |
| US08150242B2 |
Use of infrared camera for real-time temperature monitoring and control
Embodiments of the invention generally contemplate an apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling the temperature of a substrate during processing. One embodiment of the apparatus and method takes advantage of an infrared camera to obtain the temperature profile of multiple regions or the entire surface of the substrate and a system controller to calculate and coordinate in real time an optimized strategy for reducing any possible temperature non-uniformity found on the substrate during processing. |
| US08150238B2 |
Recording medium, playback device, and integrated circuit
A pair of main-view and sub-view video streams and a graphics stream are recorded on a BD-ROM disc. Metadata is provided in each GOP in the sub-view video stream. The metadata includes offset information. The offset information specifies offset control for a plurality of pictures constituting a GOP. Offset control is to provide a left offset and right offset for the horizontal coordinates in a graphics plane to generate a pair of graphics planes, and to combine them separately with main-view and sub-view video planes. The sub-view video stream is packetized and multiplexed in a transport stream. A header of each TS packet includes a TS priority flag. TS packets containing the metadata have a different value of TS priority flag from TS packets containing sub-view pictures. |
| US08150237B2 |
Reproducing apparatus, reproducing method, reproducing program, and recording medium
For a content-prerecorded large capacity disc-shaped recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility is accomplished. Button image data, corresponding sound data as an effect sound, and control commands for the sound data and image data are multiplexed with a stream and recorded on the disc. A scenario reproduced from the disc is stored in a buffer 104. The image data and sound data are stored in a buffer 105. Image data is read from the buffer 105 in accordance with a scenario and expanded to a graphics plane 133. In addition, corresponding sound data is read from the buffer 105 and reproduced by a sound player 106D. When a button image is varied in accordance with a state change of the button, an effect sound is reproduced. As a result, a more effective user interface is accomplished. |
| US08150235B2 |
Method of home media server control
New forms of entertainment can result from this method of selecting, identifying, and storing by a media producer of multi-media content as files to a storage medium within an editing platform. Generating, using an editing software program, a set of instructions and data for assembly of an edited program, the edited program including specified segments from the files of the multi-media content. Assembling the specified segments using the set of instructions and data to form the edited program. Storing the edited program on the editing platform. Analyzing, using a software program, endpoint frames of each segment in the edited program, the analysis resulting in analysis data stored on the editing platform. Distributing the information to a home media server. Emulating assembly of the edited program by the home media server using the information and a home media server editing program, the assembled edited program being stored in the home media server. |
| US08150234B2 |
Method and system for video quality assessment
A system and method for evaluating a video signal comprising a plurality of video frames. In the plurality video frames, the number of pixels changed from one frame to the next are analysed and each frame is identified as being a repeat if a set proportion of the pixels present in the current frame match those present in the previous frame. The resultant pattern of repeat frames in the video signal is recorded. The resultant pattern is then scanned to determine whether or not a given repeat frame is part of a temporally repetitive pattern and those repeat frames not determined to be part of the temporally repetitive pattern are identified. As result of the above, video quality assessment is able to treat these two types of temporal artefact separately so as to distinguish between the almost invisible regular frame loss and the visually disturbing irregular frame loss. |
| US08150233B2 |
Apparatus for and method of analyzing video contents
According to one embodiment, in an apparatus according to the present invention, an event detection module detects a section in which a specific feature is produced from video images. An event time information storage module stores therein a start time, and an end time of the detected event section, obtains an analysis time between the start time and the end time, and stores therein the obtained analysis time. A plural event section specification module specifies event sections adjacent to each other as event sections in a group, when an interval between two analysis times adjacent to each other satisfies a predetermined condition. And a video image type distinction module distinguishes first and second types of video image, the first type being sections in the group and the second type being other sections. |
| US08150232B2 |
Recording medium, recording device, program, and recording method
A BD-ROM on which a VC-1 video stream and an entry map (EP_map) are recorded. The VC-1 video stream includes: (a) picture data (I/P picture) whose first fields are the intra frame coding format and whose second fields are the inter frame predictive coding format; and (b) picture data (P/I picture) whose first fields are the inter frame predictive coding format and whose second fields are the intra frame coding format. The entry map indicates entry positions (SPN) of the I/P pictures, in correspondence with playback times (PTS), but does not indicate entry positions of the P/I pictures. |
| US08150231B2 |
Data processing method, data processing apparatus, information recording medium and computer program cross references to related applications
There is provided an apparatus and a method determining a data arrangement that guarantees seamless reproduction even in a case of occurrence of a jump in a browsable slide show. An allowable jump range between an image data clip and an audio data clip required for data reading in the browsable slide show in which a consecutive reproduction processing of a still image and an audio reproduction processing are performed in parallel is determined so as to determine arrangement conditions of data to be stored in an information recording medium on the basis of the determined allowable jump range. This configuration enables the browsable slide show to be carried out as a seamless reproduction processing without any data discontinuity. Furthermore, it becomes possible to provide a plurality of combinations of readout rates of the audio data and image data. |
| US08150229B2 |
Rear drawer latch
A cable management panel including a chassis and a drawer slidably mounted to the chassis. The panel includes a rear drawer latch assembly that automatically locks the drawer in the open position to prevent inadvertent closing movement of the drawer. |
| US08150225B2 |
Optical fiber mounting waveguide device and method for fabricating same
An optical fiber mounting waveguide device includes a substrate, an optical fiber mounting groove provided on a part of the substrate for mounting an optical fiber, an under cladding layer and a core sequentially formed on the substrate, and an over cladding layer formed on the core, the over cladding layer having an end surface facing to the optical fiber mounting groove, and wherein the core and the under cladding layer are protruded toward the optical fiber mounting groove with respect to the end surface of the over cladding layer. |
| US08150222B2 |
Optical fiber connector
An exemplary optical fiber connector includes a socket and a plug for insertion in the socket. The plug includes a first sidewall, an opposite second sidewall, a plurality of first fiber engaging holes formed in each of the first and second sidewalls, and a plurality of first converging lenses located in each of the first and second sidewalls, aligning with the respective first fiber engaging holes. The socket includes a fourth sidewall, an opposite fifth sidewall, a plurality of second fiber engaging holes formed in each of the fourth and fifth sidewalls, and a plurality of second converging lenses located in each of the fourth and fifth sidewalls, aligning with the respective second fiber engaging holes. The first converging lenses align with and directly face the respective second converging lenses. |
| US08150219B2 |
Waveguide-type optical interferometer
In an optical interferometer, polarization dependence attributable to the optical path difference has conventionally been eliminated by inserting a half-wave plate at the center of the interferometer. However, light induced by polarization coupling produced in directional couplers used in the optical interferometer causes interference having different interference conditions from those of the normal light. Polarization rotators that effect any one of 90° rotation and −90° rotation of all states of polarization of incoming light are inserted in the optical interferometer, and thereby the interference conditions of light induced by polarization coupling are made the same as those of the normal light. Each of the polarization rotators is implemented by using two half-wave plates and by varying an angle of combination of these half-wave plates. Alternatively, each of the polarization rotators is implemented through a combination of one half-wave plate and a waveguide having birefringence properties. |
| US08150218B2 |
Thermo-optical phase shifter
Provided is a thermo-optical phase shifter including a composite body having an optical waveguide formed by a core and a clad and having a ratio Δ of a difference between a core refractivity and a clad refractivity against the core refractivity which is 4% or above and a heater attached to the optical waveguide. The composite body has: a bridge structure portion arranged along a substrate surface and separate from the substrate surface via a void; and a fixed portion which supports the bridge structure portion with respect to the substrate and is continuous to the both ends of the bridge structure portion. The bridge structure has a half-circle-arc shape in the plane along the surface of the substrate. |
| US08150217B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and program
An image processing apparatus, comprising: a master image acquisition part for acquiring a master image that is the multiple viewpoint image data taken from two or more viewpoints; a recording part capable of recording the image data; a recording control part for recording the master image acquired by the master image acquisition part in the recording part; and an edit part for editing the master image recorded in the recording part according to a desired edit content; wherein the recording control part records an edited image that is the image edited by the edit part distinguishably from the master image in the recording part, and records the edit history information indicating the edit content made by the edit part associated with the master image in the recording part. |
| US08150215B2 |
Routable image pipeline device
An image pipeline device is used for processing an image. The device comprises an external memory, a direct memory access (DMA), an image pipeline controller, and a filter layer. The image pipeline controller comprises a physical memory allocation (PMA) having a physical buffer unit, and a first array controller for configuring the physical buffer unit as a corresponding first logic buffer unit. The filter layer comprises a first filter set electrically connected to the first array controller correspondingly and having a plurality of filters. The first filter set receives the image through the first array controller, processes the image selectively according to the first logic buffer unit and the filters, and stores the processed image back to the external memory through the DMA. |
| US08150214B2 |
Inferred discovery and construction of multi-resolution images
A method and a processing device may be provided for discovering and constructing multi-resolution images. Content, including an image, may be obtained from a specified address via a network and rendered to a display monitor of the processing device. The processing device may attempt to discover a second image, corresponding to the image included in the obtained content, but with a different resolution than a resolution of the image included in the obtained content. If the second image is discovered, the second image and the image included in the obtained content may be linked to create a multi-resolution image. If the image included in the content rendered to the display monitor is enlarged beyond a threshold, the rendered image may become pixelated. A high resolution image corresponding to and linked to the rendered image may be blended into the enlarged rendered image to eliminate pixelation. |
| US08150212B2 |
System and method for automatic digital image orientation detection
Described is a system for automatic digital photo orientation detection. We leverage online public photos with great content variation to extract effective features with layout information. Classification proceeds using an approximate nearest neighbors approach which scales well to massive training sets, hardly compromising efficiency. We have tested the method successfully on the largest data set to date of nearly 30,000 Flickr photos as well as both difficult and typical consumer usage scenarios. Though limited data are available for comparison across different systems, the proposed system significantly outperforms a state of the art system on a common data set. |
| US08150210B2 |
Image synthesis system for a vehicle and the manufacturing method thereof
The present invention discloses an image synthesis system for a vehicle to provide the driver with a downward-facing image of the car's 360° surrounding view. The system includes: a first camera, which is used to shoot a first image of the periphery of the vehicle; a second camera, which is used to shoot a second image of the periphery of said vehicle, wherein the second image and the first image have an overlap region; an image processing device comprising a defining component and a synthesis component, which is used to synthesize the first image and the second image and output a third image; a display device, which is used to display the third image. |
| US08150208B2 |
Image pickup apparatus having stability checker for specific object feature value, and program and method for control of image pickup including checking stability of specific object feature value
A digital still camera includes a CCD image sensor for photographing an object image by photoelectric conversion, to obtain image data. A face detector determines a face feature value of a human face at an object image by image recognition according to the image data, and detects the face. A stability checker monitors the face feature value, and outputs stable result information when the face feature value is within a prescribed range consecutively for time of a predetermined length or consecutively for a predetermined number of times. A controller automatically starts image pickup of the CCD image sensor when the stable result information is output by the first stability checker. |
| US08150207B2 |
Accelerating the hough transform
The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for accelerating computation of a Hough transform of a plurality of digital images of known width and height dimensions. The method includes determining a plurality of Hough values for each pixel location based on the width and height dimensions. The method further includes generating a lookup table comprising an array of Hough values corresponding to one or more Hough parameters of at least one geometric shape in at least one digital image. Each element in the array of Hough values may be based on a value of one or more Hough parameters and at least one of a height value or a width value. The method may include receiving a plurality of digital images having known width and height dimensions. The method may further include selecting, for at least one nonzero pixel of at least one of the plurality of digital images, the Hough values from the lookup table. Of course, many alternatives, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment. |
| US08150204B2 |
Noise reducer for video signals
A noise reducer for a signal determines a direction of correlation for each picture element (pixel) by calculating sums of absolute differences between a block centered on the pixel and neighboring blocks centered on surrounding pixels and choosing the direction of the neighboring block with the least sum of absolute differences. The pixel is then filtered one-dimensionally by averaging it with neighboring pixels located in the direction of correlation. This noise reduction method is simple, reliable, and avoids needless loss of detail. |
| US08150199B2 |
Methods and apparatus for image enhancement
A method and apparatus of enhancing an image, the method comprising applying at least one multi-scale filter bank to at least a portion of an image to detect at least one edge at different scales, and combining the detected edges with said image to yield an enhanced to at least a portion of the image. |
| US08150198B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method and image display apparatus
An image processing apparatus receives n-bit image data, carries out an α-bit bit extension, and outputs (n+α)-bit image data, where n and α are positive integers. The apparatus also performs an epsilon filtering operation that uses the additional gray levels provided by the bit extension to smooth out false edges caused by the bit extension without smoothing out real edges. The output image preserves both the smoothness of regions of gradual change and the sharpness of abrupt changes in the input image. |
| US08150194B2 |
Image adjustment amount determination device, image adjustment amount determination method, image adjustment amount determination program, and image processing device
An image adjustment amount determination device comprises: processing target image determination means for receiving an input video signal which comprises a plurality of frame images and which is input from the outside, for dividing the input video signal into the plurality of frame images, and for determining a processing target image which is to be the target of image processing and one or more neighboring images which are located in the vicinity of the processing target image in the display order, on the basis of a predetermined criterion from the plurality of frame images; image characteristic extraction means for extracting a feature quantity relating to the neighboring images thus determined; and image adjustment amount determination means for determining at least one adjustment amount of the amplitude and bandwidth of a spatial frequency component relating to the processing target image thus determined, on the basis of the feature quantity that relates to the neighboring images thus extracted. |
| US08150191B2 |
Method and system for calculating blur artifacts in videos using user perception threshold
A method and system for calculating a blur artifact in a video are disclosed. The video includes a series of frames captured at a predefined interval of time. The frames include one or more pixels. Calculating the blur artifact in the video includes identifying a focused area in a set of frames. Further, edges are detected in each of the frames. Furthermore, the blur artifact is calculated as a ratio of number of blurred pixels and total number edge pixels. |
| US08150190B2 |
Printing device, image data file processing device, method of selecting image data file, and computer program product
With a minimal process load, to determine level of the image of an image data file, for image data files of a format that saves images in the form of coefficients of discrete frequency components. Image data that includes a plurality of coefficients representing the pattern of change of color of the image are acquired (Step S10). Multiple sets of basic pattern data that respectively include a plurality of basic coefficients representing basic patterns of color change are prepared. Then, based on a comparison of the two, one set of selected basic pattern data is selected from among the multiple sets of basic pattern data (Step S20). Subsequently, the blur level of the image of the image data is calculated, based on the basic blur level associated with the selected basic pattern data (S30-S70). |
| US08150187B1 |
Baseband signal quantizer estimation
A method of deblocking an input signal is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a plurality of transform coefficients corresponding to each of a plurality of blocks in the input signal at baseband, (B) calculating a plurality of quantization parameters based on the transform coefficients, at least one of the quantization parameters corresponding to each respective one of the blocks and (C) generating an output signal by deblocking the input signal based on the quantization parameters. |
| US08150184B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding/decoding image, computer-readable program therefore, and information recording medium storing same program
An image encoding apparatus reduces the discontinuation or elimination of thin lines during a transform process including rounding of coefficient data generated by a frequency transform, thereby enabling the ready acquisition of a high-quality reduced image. The image encoding apparatus includes a frequency transform unit configured to frequency-transform an image to generate coefficient data having a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component; a dynamic range control unit configured to add a bit on a least significant bit end of a portion of pixel data of the image that is used for generating the coefficient data of the low-frequency component on a pixel by pixel basis, thereby increasing a dynamic range of the pixel data; and an encoding unit configured to encode the coefficient data generated by the frequency transform unit. |
| US08150180B2 |
Moving picture coding method and moving picture decoding method
According to a picture coding method of the present invention, a coded picture identified by a picture number is stored, as a reference picture, into a storage unit; commands indicating correspondence between picture numbers and reference indices for designating reference pictures and coefficients used for generation of predictive images are generated; a reference picture being used when motion compensation is performed on a current block in a current picture to be coded is designated by a reference index; a predictive image is generated by performing linear prediction on a block being obtained by motion estimation within the designated reference picture, by use of a coefficient corresponding to the reference index; a coded image signal including a coded signal obtained by coding a prediction error being a difference between the current block in the current picture to be coded and the predictive image, the commands, the reference index and the coefficient is outputted. At that time, information indicating the maximum reference index value is coded and included into the coded image signal, and the commands indicating correspondence between at least one picture number and a plurality of reference indices are generated. |
| US08150174B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding multi-view image
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a multi-view image for a multi-view display apparatus are provided. The method of encoding a multi-view image includes: compressing a multi-view image based on a reference image relative to multiple views; generating enabled stereo pair information in relation to multi-view images; and generating a bitstream by using the compressed multi-view image and the enabled stereo pair information. |
| US08150173B2 |
Image coding method and apparatus, and image decoding method and apparatus
In an image coding apparatus, a ROI setting unit sets a ROI region in an image. An entropy coding unit entropy-codes the image. A ROI information coding unit encodes information for specifying the ROI region. A codestream generator generates a codestream in a manner that the coded image and the coded information are explicitly included in the codestream. When a plurality of ROI regions are set in the image, the information may include a degree of priority. |
| US08150171B2 |
Apparatus for and method of decoding moving picture, and computer product
In a moving picture decoding apparatus, a variable-length decoding circuit decodes motion vectors for each macroblock from a bit stream and stores the motion vectors. An error correction circuit calculates a reference vector for an error macroblock using the motion vectors to generate a corrected picture from a reference picture. An inverse-orthogonal transform circuit stores a difference value between direct-current (DC) components after Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform (IDCT) is performed thereon, in the memory for each macroblock. The error correction circuit further calculates a difference value of the DC component of the error macroblock using the difference values of DC components stored in the memory, to add the difference value calculated to the corrected picture generated from the reference picture. |
| US08150169B2 |
System and method for object clustering and identification in video
Embodiments of computer implemented methods and systems for object clustering and identification are described. One example embodiment includes receiving an unclustered video object, determining a first distance between the unclustered video object and an arbitrary representative video object, the arbitrary representative video object being selected from representative video objects, estimating distances between the unclustered video object and the representative video objects based on the first distance and precalculated distances between the arbitrary representative video object and the representative video objects, and, based on the estimated distances, selectively associating the unclustered video object with a video cluster, thereby producing a clustered video object. |
| US08150166B2 |
Methods and systems for identifying text in digital images
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for detection of text in an image using an initial text classification result and a verification process. |
| US08150165B2 |
System and method for visual recognition
A method for visual recognition of an object in an electronic image includes extracting unique points of an object to be learned and/or a target object. The unique points are obtained by cross-correlating the image with a structure. Generally, the structure and/or the size of the structure may vary to detect extremum information associated with the learned object and/or target object. An icon corresponding to each of the unique points is extracted. The size of the icon corresponds to the scale of the unique point. After extraction of the various icons, an object becomes a collection of icons. Each of these icons is un-rotated and normalized or resized to a constant size so it can be compared with other icons. One of the unique properties of these icons is their stability over scale and angle. Thus, this invention allows the recognition of an image(s) or object(s) from large number of trained images or objects very quickly. |
| US08150162B2 |
Method and system for three-dimensional handwriting recognition
The present invention provides a 3D handwriting recognition system that allows users to freely write words or characters in a 3D space in a touchless manner, without requiring any physical medium such as a pad or a tablet. The users' handwriting input in a 3D space will be tracked by an input device of the system that generates corresponding 3D motion data and wirelessly transfers the 3D motion data to a recognition device of the system. The 3D motion data will be converted and then mapped onto a 2D plane to generate corresponding 2D images for handwriting recognition. In this way, the users' inputting will never be limited to any screen, pad or plane, and the users will have more flexibility and enjoyable writing experience. |
| US08150157B2 |
Card shuffler with card rank and value reading capability using CMOS sensor
A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprises a card in-feed area, a shuffling system, a card removal area, and a card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit. |
| US08150155B2 |
Multi-mode region-of-interest video object segmentation
The disclosure is directed to techniques for automatic segmentation of a region-of-interest (ROI) video object from a video sequence. ROI object segmentation enables selected ROI or “foreground” objects of a video sequence that may be of interest to a viewer to be extracted from non-ROI or “background” areas of the video sequence. Examples of a ROI object are a human face or a head and shoulder area of a human body. The disclosed techniques include a hybrid technique that combines ROI feature detection, region segmentation, and background subtraction. In this way, the disclosed techniques may provide accurate foreground object generation and low-complexity extraction of the foreground object from the video sequence. A ROI object segmentation system may implement the techniques described herein. In addition, ROI object segmentation may be useful in a wide range of multimedia applications that utilize video sequences, such as video telephony applications and video surveillance applications. |
| US08150152B2 |
Device and method for encoding image data
A reading unit reads image data. A re-reading unit that re-reads the image data read by the reading unit by performing, in a pixel matrix consisting of a plurality of pixels of the image data read by the reading unit, a process of scanning pixels in a partition in which at least two pixels are respectively aligned in a column direction and in a row direction in a predetermined order in a predetermined alignment sequence of partitions. A multivalue run length-encoding unit encodes the image data re-read by the re-reading unit to multivalue run length data indicating at least color data and run lengths of the color data. |
| US08150147B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, computer program, and storage medium
The present invention provides an image processing apparatus, and an image processing method, which can reproduce an edge portion with a high resolution in a high resolution raster image, and suppress image degradation such as a jaggy, while suppressing processing cost. In the present invention, an image processing part divides image data of raster data into blocks of M×N pixels (M, N are integers of 1 or more and also at least one of M and N is an integer of 2 or more). Then, the part performs color rounding processing in the block and counts the number of colors in the block. Subsequently, when the number of colors existing in the block is two, the part acquires shape information about arrangement of the two colors. Then, the part stores the shape information and color information for a first color and color information for a second color. |
| US08150144B2 |
Method for determining the rotational axis and the center of rotation of a vehicle wheel
The invention relates to a method for determining the rotational axis and the rotating center of a vehicle wheel by means of at least two image capture units assigned to each other in position and situation during the journey of the vehicle, and by means of an analysis unit arranged downstream of said units, processing the recorded image information, taking into account multiple wheel features (10) present on the wheel or attached for the measurement, and by means of at least one bodywork feature present on the bodywork or attached for the measurement, wherein 2D-coordinates of the wheel features (10) and of the at least one bodywork feature are synchronously detected, and from these the 3D-coordinates of the features are calculated at certain time intervals and counted back to a previously established reference time point or corresponding reference position of the vehicle wheel, taking into account the distance traveled by the at least one bodywork feature relative to the reference position. To achieve measurement results that are as error free as possible, especially also when traveling on a real driving surface, it is provided that the paths of the wheel features (10) and of the at least one bodywork feature in the evaluation undergo an analysis with respect to the effects of at least one of the influencing variables, steering lock angle, steering motion, driving surface unevenness, and change of speed, and that from the analysis, correction factors or compensation functions are obtained for correcting the effects. |
| US08150143B2 |
Dynamic calibration method for single and multiple video capture devices
The present invention discloses a dynamic calibration method for a single and multiple video capture devices. The present invention can acquire the variations of the pan angle and tilt angle of a single video capture device according to the displacement of the feature points between successive images. For a plurality of video capture devices, the present invention includes the epipolar-plane constraint between a plurality of video capture devices to achieve the goal of dynamical calibration. The calibration method in the present invention does not require specific calibration patterns or complicated correspondence of feature points, and can be applied to surveillance systems with wide-range coverage. |
| US08150141B2 |
Defect classifier using classification recipe based on connection between rule-based and example-based classifiers
In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed. |
| US08150139B2 |
Method and device for recognizing a coin by using the embossed pattern thereof
The invention relates to a method and device for recognizing a coin by using the embossed pattern characteristics thereof. For this purpose, the inventive method comprises in spreading the characteristics of the picture, in reducing said characteristics by reducing said picture and in transforming it by polar transformation, in comparing the transformed picture with a plurality of reference patterns according to a first simplified criterion, in creating a list of the reference patterns, in sorting them according to the similarity thereof with the transformed picture and in comparing the transformed picture with the reference patterns contained in the list according to the sorting thereof upon a second exact criterion. |
| US08150131B2 |
Computer tomography method for determining an object region with the aid of projection images
In a computer tomography method an object region of the object being examined is determined in that projection beams that are linked with maximum attenuation are sought in cropped projection images. A central point of the object region is then determined and the object sections associated with the projection beams plotted on the central point. The object region can be at least approximately determined using the end points of the object sections. |
| US08150130B2 |
Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for producing an angiographic image
In a magnetic resonance method and apparatus for generation of an angiographic image of a vascular system of a patient, a first data set of k-space data of the region to be examined is acquired using a contrast agent-free magnetic resonance angiography technique, a second data set of k-space data of the region to be examined is acquired using a contrast agent-assisted magnetic resonance angiography technique, and an angiographic image of the region to be examined is produced using both the first measurement data of the first data set and the second measurement data of the second data set. |
| US08150128B2 |
Systems and method for composite elastography and wave imaging
Systems and methods for composite elastography and wave imaging are presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention an imaging modality field of view, such as, for example, that of ultrasound, can be divided into N sectors, each having 1/Nth of a full field of view. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention a temporal series of 2D or 3D ultrasound images for each of the N sectors can be acquired over a duration of one or more periods of a periodic signal. Substantially simultaneously, such a periodic signal can also be acquired, wherein each of said series of 2D ultrasound images for each sector can be triggered or gated using said periodic signal. For example, for ultrasound imaging of the heart, an ECG signal can function as such a periodic signal. The data from the various N sectors can be synchronized in time using the ECG signals, and the ultrasound signals from each of the N sectors combined to generate a series of composite ultrasound images at the frame rate of the individual sectors. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention such a composite image can be further processed to estimate displacement between consecutive frames, remove noise, accumulate displacement with time for an entire cardiac cycle, and derive strain in the cardiac muscle, vessel or any other organ or tissue under motion. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention the derived strain data can be overlaid onto all or part of the composite ultrasound images, and one or more of such overlaid images can be displayed to a user. |
| US08150125B2 |
System for visualizing regions of interest in medical images
A system for visualizing vascular fluid flow concentration includes at least one repository including a plurality of stored angiography scenes, an angiography scene comprises a plurality of individual images of a vascular structure successively acquired over a time period. A user interface control device enables a user to determine, (a) a duration and (b) a start time relative to a start time of the time period, of a window of interest within the time period. A control processor is electrically coupled to the user interface control device and the at least one repository. Control processor automatically assigns a unique visual indicator representing contrast flow of fluid through vessels to individual images within the user determined duration of the time period. A display processor, electrically coupled to the control processor and the user interface control device and at least one repository, generates data representing at least one display image comprising a composite image including individual images within the user determined duration of the time period having a unique assigned visual indicator. |
| US08150122B2 |
Method for controlling an image data acquisition and/or evaluation procedure in medical examinations
In a method to control the acquisition and/or evaluation procedure of image data in medical examinations, in a previously acquired planning image data set entirely or partially covering a target volume, spatial information of the target volume is determined automatically using a statistical model of the target volume based on data about real anatomy. The acquisition and/or evaluation operation is controlled using the spatial information. A statistical model of at least one greyscale value distribution in the region of the surface of the target volume is used to calculate the location information. |
| US08150120B2 |
Method for determining a bounding surface for segmentation of an anatomical object of interest
A method of bounding an anatomical object of interest in a 3-dimensional volume image includes displaying an image of at least a portion of the object, selecting a plurality of points in the displayed image, at least a first and second point of the plurality of points spanning the object, forming a non-rectilinear surface bounding the plurality of points, identifying a seed point within the surface and extracting a plurality of statistical values corresponding to image voxels disposed proximate the seed point, and classifying image voxels within the surface into a first class and a second class based on the plurality of statistical values. |
| US08150118B2 |
Image recording apparatus, image recording method and image recording program stored on a computer readable medium
There is provided an image recording apparatus for assisting an observer who observes an observed person. The image recording apparatus includes an image-capturing section that captures an image of the observed person, an observation result input section that inputs a result of the observation done on the observed person by the observer, an observer's point of sight position judging section that judges whether the observer looks at the observed person when the image-capturing section captures the image of the observed person, an image extracting section that extracts an image of the observed person for which the observer's point of sight position judging section judges that the observer looks at the observed person, a physical status quantifying section that quantifies a physical status of the observed person by analyzing the image of the observed person which is extracted by the image extracting section, for an observation result which is input by the observation result input section and corresponds to the image of the observed person which is extracted by the image extracting section, and a physical status data storing section that stores thereon physical status quantified data which is generated by the quantification by the physical status quantifying section, in association with the corresponding observation result. |
| US08150112B2 |
Regional reconstruction of spatially distributed functions
The invention addresses the problem of reproducibly estimating statistics in structurally significant regions of interest of medical volumes where the data is acquired as projections of a Cartesian-space distribution. The regions of interest (ROI) are specified to a high resolution using a spatial reference dataset, and these are mapped to the spatial frame of reference of the apparatus on which the data was acquired. This allows the regions to be projected on to the detector loci of the apparatus and ROI activity is estimated directly from measurement projections. The invention also addresses problems associated with poor delineation of ROIs. |
| US08150108B2 |
Systems and methods of identification based on biometric parameters
Systems and methods for authenticating a user are disclosed. In some embodiments, information regarding multiple biometric parameters is gathered from a test subject and compared with a validation template. The validation template can be augmented with some or all of the information if the user is successfully authenticated. |
| US08150107B2 |
Gesture processing with low resolution images with high resolution processing for optical character recognition for a reading machine
A portable reading machine that operates in several modes and performs image preprocessing to prior to optical character recognition. The portable reading machine receives a low resolution image and a high resolution image of a scene and processing the low resolution image to recognize a user-initiated gesture using a gesturing item that indicates a command from the user to the reading machine and the high resolution image to recognize text in the image of the scene, according to the command from the user to the machine. |
| US08150106B2 |
Printer characterization, monitoring and diagnosis using dynamic test patterns generated by sensing and analyzing customer documents
A method for automated image quality based diagnosis of a document printing system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving image data to be printed on a document; printing an image on the document based on the image data; scanning the printed image on the document with a sensor; analyzing the scanned printed image with an image quality analysis module to identify one or more defects in the printed image; automatically generating test pattern image data based on the one or more identified defects; and printing and analyzing a test pattern image based on the test pattern image data. |
| US08150099B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, image processing program product, and imaging device
An image processing device includes: a face detection unit that detects a face region of a person from an image formed by a plurality of pixels; and a scene judgment unit that judges a scene of the image according to a pixel value of the face region of the person detected by the face detection unit and a pixel value of a nonface region excluding the face region in the image. |
| US08150097B2 |
Concealed metadata transmission system
System and method for embedding and concealing data within a video signal such that the embedded data is displayed within an unused portion of a video display area such that the embedded data is not visually offensive. In one embodiment the encoding of metadata may be executed by translating or adjusting pixel values of the video signal within the secondary image area, such that the pixel values are repurposed to contain the metadata and wherein the metadata is visually imperceptible. |
| US08150096B2 |
Video fingerprinting to identify video content
A method of video fingerprinting computes statistics for video frames and forms a fingerprint used to identify the video as a change in the statistics over the video frames. Another method of video fingerprinting computes values representing motion between different portions of the video and forms a fingerprint to identify the video utilizing data associated with at least the values. Yet another method of video fingerprinting computes values associated with luminance for a first video portion, computes values associated with luminance for a second video portion, determines changes in luminance between the first video portion and the second video portion, and forms a fingerprint to identify the video based at least in part on data associated with the changes. |
| US08150091B2 |
Printed circuit board for a flat-panel speaker
A flat-panel speaker is attached to an exterior surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) housed within a consumer electronic device. Rather than place the flat-panel speaker within a sealed speaker box and then attach the speaker box to the PCB, as is conventional, the present invention attaches the flat-panel speaker to the exterior surface of the PCB without the speaker box. Removing the speaker box allows designers to reduce the dimensions of the device, and to minimize the complexity of the device. |
| US08150090B2 |
Headphone and ear pad
The present invention provides a headphone with a more comfortable and stable feeling to the user when being worn by the user. The headphone includes a headphone section that has a sound-sending section of a speaker unit arranged at the front surface side thereof, and has its rear surface side covered by a housing, and an ear pad that covers the sound-sending section of the speaker unit. In the ear pad, a porous elastic body of low repulsion is covered by a pad cover. |
| US08150089B2 |
Wireless microphone and apparatus for fixing transmitter of the wireless microphone
A wireless microphone is provided. The wireless microphone includes: a transmitter wirelessly transmitting audio signals converted from sound collected with a microphone unit; and a receiver receiving said audio signals. A clip is provided on one surface of the transmitter in which the microphone unit is attached to the other surface thereof; and the transmitter is capable of being mounted on a plane using the clip. |
| US08150088B2 |
Condenser microphone
In a gooseneck condenser microphone that supports a condenser microphone unit via a support pipe, when the microphone is used by inserting a microphone cable through the support pipe in the state in which a shield covered wire having no skin is exposed throughout the entire length thereof, the movement of the microphone cable in the support pipe is restricted, by which the generation of noise caused by looseness contact of the shield covered wire with the inner wall of the support pipe is prevented. The microphone cable 40 is inserted through the support pipe in the state in which the shield covered wire 43 having no skin is exposed throughout the entire length thereof, and is provided with a conductive contact, in which the central part 51 thereof is held in a state of conducting with the shield covered wire 43, and wing pieces 52 on both sides are extended in the direction substantially perpendicular to the axis line of the microphone cable 40 so as to be in contact elastically with the inner surface of the support pipe, in the predetermined portion of the shield covered wire 43. |
| US08150085B2 |
Reflex loudspeaker structure
The invention relates to a reflex loudspeaker construction (1, 2, 3), which comprises a loudspeaker chamber (30) delimited by the reflex loudspeaker construction (1, 2, 3), a reflex channel (5) connected to the loudspeaker chamber (30), which connects the loudspeaker chamber (30) to the external space of the reflex loudspeaker construction (1, 2, 3), and at least one loudspeaker element (7) connected to the reflex loudspeaker construction (1, 2, 3), which forms part of the structure delimiting the loudspeaker chamber (30). According to the invention, the reflex loudspeaker construction (1, 2, 3) comprises at least two components (2, 3), which can be repeatedly detached at least partly from each other, without dismantling, in order to use the loudspeaker chamber (30) as a transportation space. |
| US08150083B2 |
Piezoelectric bone conduction device having enhanced transducer stroke
A bone conduction device for enhancing the hearing of a recipient, comprising a sound input element configured to receive an acoustic sound signal and an electronics module configured generate an electrical signal representing the acoustic sound signal. The device further comprises a piezoelectric transducer comprising at least one piezoelectric element configured to deform along at least one axis in response to an application of the electrical signal thereto, the transducer configured to generate an transducer stroke based on the deformation, the stroke having a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the deformation, wherein the transducer stroke is utilized to generate a mechanical force for delivery to the recipient's skull. |
| US08150082B2 |
Waterproof hearing aid
There is provided a waterproof hearing aid capable of being worn without caring about the entry of sweat or water even at the time of sweating or bathing. The waterproof hearing aid has a first waterproof film stretchingly provided at the sound inlet of a microphone and a second waterproof film stretchingly provided at the sound outlet of an earphone, a tube (first vent) communicating a microphone chamber formed by the first waterproof film and the microphone with a hearing aid case chamber formed by a hearing aid case, a tube (second vent) communicating an earphone chamber formed by the second waterproof film and the earphone with the hearing aid case chamber, and a porous film (third vent) communicating the hearing aid case chamber with the outside. |
| US08150080B2 |
Method for adapting a hearing aid using a genetic feature
The present invention relates to a method for adapting a hearing aid with at least one input converter, a signal processing device and an output converter by using a genetic feature of the wearer to whom the hearing aid is to be adapted. Depending on the genetic feature, at least one adaptable parameter is adapted by the signal processing device. The invention further relates to a hearing device system which can be adapted to the hearing device wearer as a function of a genetic feature. |
| US08150079B2 |
Personal digital assistant and stereo reproduction method
An operation section housing and a display section housing are connected by a rotatable hinge having a structure in which the display section housing rotates with the rotatable hinge serving as the central rotational axis. The display section housing has three built-in speakers in predetermined positions of a display. A personal digital assistant detects the angle of the rotatable hinge and identifies the speaker located in the leftmost side and the speaker located in the rightmost side relative to an upright display image displayed on the display. Then, the left audio is output from the left side of the upright display image and the right audio is output from the right side of the upright display image. |
| US08150070B2 |
Sound signal equalizer for adjusting gain at different frequency bands
A bass and treble audio tone control circuit configured as an integrated circuit, wherein a capacitor for setting a frequency band can be accommodated in an integrated circuit. A LPF extracts a low sound region component SLO from an initial sound signal SIN. A low sound region adjustment circuit adjusts the gain of SLO and generates signal SLT. An inverting circuit inverts SLO and an adding circuit extracts a high sound region component SHO by adding the inverted SLO and SIN. A high sound region adjustment circuit adjusts the gain of SHO and generates a signal SHT. A synthesizing circuit synthesizes SIN with SHT and SLT, and generates an output sound signal SOUT. The LPF is composed of an RC active filter, and the resistance that establishes the cutoff frequency is composed of an equivalent resistance using a switched capacitor circuit. |
| US08150067B2 |
Bass enhancing method, signal processing device, and audio reproducing system
If the absolute value of the current sample is greater than or equal to an envelope value at the immediately preceding sample, an envelope value at the current sample is made greater than the envelope value at the immediately preceding sample. If the absolute value of the current sample is smaller than the envelope value at the immediately preceding sample and a count value C does not reach a predetermined number N, the count value C is incremented by one and the envelope value at the current sample is held at the envelope value at the immediately preceding sample. If the absolute value of the current sample is smaller than the envelope value at the immediately preceding sample and the count value C reaches the predetermined number N, the envelope value at the current sample is made smaller than the envelope value at the immediately preceding sample. |
| US08150064B2 |
Audio output device and method
An audio output device and method capable of preventing generation of pop noise by a relatively simple and small-sized circuit configuration and control timing. A D/A converter converts a digital audio signal to an analog audio signal. A non-inverting amplifier amplifies the analog audio signal. A signal output from the non-inverting amplifier is amplified by inverting amplifiers of two stages with a first timing. A signal output from an inverting amplifier is input to a speaker amplifier by a switch. The output signal of the inverting amplifier is output to a speaker with a second timing subsequent to the first timing. The output signal of the inverting amplifier is amplified by the speaker amplifier and output to the speaker. With a third timing subsequent to the second timing, the output of each of the inverting amplifiers is stopped and the output of the speaker amplifier is stopped. |
| US08150063B2 |
Stabilizing directional audio input from a moving microphone array
A device includes a microphone array fixed to the device. A signal processor produces an audio output using audio beamforming with input from the microphone array. The signal processor aims the beamforming in a selected direction. An orientation sensor—such as a compass, an accelerometer, or an inertial sensor—is coupled to the signal processor. The orientation sensor detects a change in the orientation of the microphone array and provides an orientation signal to the signal processor for adjusting the aim of the beamforming to maintain the selected direction. The device may include a camera that captures an image. An image processor may identify an audio source in the image and provide a signal adjusting the selected direction to follow the audio source. The image processor may receive the orientation signal and adjust the image for changes in the orientation of the camera before tracking movement of the audio source. |
| US08150061B2 |
Sound generating method, sound generating apparatus, sound reproducing method, and sound reproducing apparatus
The present invention provides a sound generating method of generating sound signals related to a video signal, which comprises a step of generating independently each of the sound signals matched to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of a video, and a step of allowing the horizontal and the vertical sound signals that have been generated to be reproduced independently with horizontal sound output means and vertical sound output means, respectively. |
| US08150057B2 |
Companion microphone system and method
Systems and methods for wireless communication can include a first unit configured to synchronously transmit a first digital audio packet redundantly in at least a first dedicated slot and a second dedicated slot over a time period, and a second unit configured to receive wireless transmissions from the first unit. In certain embodiments, the second unit does not listen for a transmission in the second dedicated slot if the first digital audio packet is received in the first dedicated slot. In certain embodiments, the units are encoded with a group code that identifies group members, such that the units only receive data packets transmitted by group members with the same group code. |
| US08150054B2 |
Adaptive filter in a sensor array system
Disclosed is a steerable sensor array that receives input from a target and applies an averaging filter. An adaptive filter is then used if the SNR of the output of the averaging filter reaches a threshold. |
| US08150052B2 |
Integrating acoustic echo cancellation as a subsystem into an existing videoconference and telepresence system
The present invention is embodied in a computer-readable program in a computer-readable medium for upgrading a video conference system, the computer-readable program comprising acoustic echo canceling control software having an application programming interface. The acoustic echo canceling control software is implemented on a computer system that operates the video conference system and macros are configured to couple the acoustic echo canceling control software to hardware components of the video conference system and to interface with the application programming interface. The macros are user configurable for providing real time adjustments of echo canceling runtime parameters of the hardware components during a video conference session. |
| US08150049B2 |
Digital hearing aid adaptive to structures of human external ear canals
The present invention relates to a digital hearing aid, which models the structures of external ear canals, sizes and shape characteristics of which differ between respective persons, obtains resonance gains generated due to the structural characteristics of the external ear canals, and performs digitization and signal processing to allow the resonance gains to be used as the gain factors of the digital hearing aid, and thus applies the gain factors to digital signal processing units. Further, the present invention proposes a gain obtainment unit capable of taking both resonance gains, generated due to the structural characteristics, and gains, obtained through a hearing test, into account, thus reducing the time required for gain fitting and possible errors, and optimizing the performance of the digital hearing aid for each individual. |
| US08150047B2 |
Automatic audio system equalizing
An automated process for equalizing an audio system and an apparatus for implementing the process. An audio system includes a microphone unit, for receiving the sound waves radiated from a plurality of speakers, acoustic measuring circuitry, for calculating frequency response measurements; a memory, for storing characteristic data of the loudspeaker units and further for storing the frequency response measurements; and equalization calculation circuitry, for calculating an equalization pattern responsive to the digital data and responsive to the characteristic data of the plurality of loudspeaker units. Also described is an automated equalizing system including a acoustic measuring circuitry including a microphone for measuring frequency response at a plurality of locations; a memory, for storing the frequency responses at the plurality of locations; and equalization calculation circuitry, for calculating, from the frequency responses, an optimized equalization pattern. |
| US08150044B2 |
Method and device configured for sound signature detection
Methods for personalized listening which can be used with an earpiece are provided. A method includes capturing ambient sound from an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) of an earpiece partially or fully occluded in an ear canal, monitoring the ambient sound for a target sound, and adjusting by way of an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) in the earpiece a delivery of audio to an ear canal based on a detected target sound. A volume of audio content can be adjusted upon the detection of a target sound, and an audible notification can be presented to provide a warning. |
| US08150042B2 |
Method, device, encoder apparatus, decoder apparatus and audio system
Techniques are described for combining parametric multi-channel audio coding with matrixing, reconstructing a full-quality multi-channel, independent of the decoder. A stereo signal is obtained from encoding an N-channel audio signal into spatial parameters and a stereo down-mix signal having first and second stereo signals, including adding a first signal and a third signal to obtain a first output signal, the first signal having the first stereo signal modified by a first complex function, the third signal having the second stereo signal modified by a third complex function. A second signal and fourth signal are similarly added to obtain a second output signal. Complex functions are chosen such that an energy value of the difference between first signal and the second signals (fourth signal and third signals) is larger than or equal to the energy value of the sum of the first and the second signal (fourth signal and third signal). |
| US08150037B2 |
Apparatus and method for secure, user-friendly deployment of information
A method of securely deploying information to a device includes placing a device into a shielded structure and exchanging timing messages between a keying device located inside the shielded structure and a beacon located outside of the shielded structure. The shielded structure is closed. The exchange of timing messages is terminated, and upon termination, the keying device transfers the information via one or more shielded messages to the device, and the beacon jams the frequency at which the shielded messages are transferred. The shielded structure is opened, and the keying device and beacon exchange messages to verify the secure deployment of the information. |
| US08150033B2 |
Optical security system using fourier plane encoding
A method of encrypting a set of data is disclosed. The method may include encoding a set of data with a first encryption key, and transforming the set of data encoded with the first encryption key. The method may also include using a second encryption key to encode the transformation of the set of data encoded with the first encryption key. The method may also include transforming the encoded transformation of the set of data encoded with the first encryption key generating thereby and encrypted set of data. |
| US08150026B2 |
Method and system for subscriber line interface circuit
A subscriber line interface circuit apparatus includes a linefeed circuit and a subscriber line control circuit (SLCC). In an embodiment, the linefeed circuit includes a signal conversion circuit which provides a differential mode signal and a common mode signal in response to at least a tip signal and a ring signal from the subscriber loop. The linefeed circuit includes a tip control circuit and a ring control circuit. In an embodiment, the SLCC is provided in a single integrated circuit chip and is coupled to the linefeed circuit which isolates the SLCC from the tip or ring signals. The SLCC includes a first and a second differential mode inputs for receiving the differential mode signal, and a common-mode input for receiving the common-mode signal. In an embodiment, the SLCC also provides various tip control signals and ring control signals to the tip control circuit and the ring control circuit, respectively. |
| US08150025B2 |
Flexible ring-tone service
A subscriber associates a ring-tone media selection based on a media genre, author, or title to a calling number. When an incoming call is detected, a particular ring-tone media selection, based on the subscriber's association, may be streamed from a central server to the subscriber's customer premises equipment and then played. Alternatively, when an incoming call is detected, a particular ring-tone selection indicator, based on the subscriber's association, may be sent from a central server to the subscriber's customer premises equipment which then plays a pre-stored ring-tone selection media associated with the indicator. |
| US08150023B2 |
Automated system and method for distinguishing audio signals received in response to placing and outbound call
A system directs action based on distinguishing audio content received in response to placing an outbound call. The system comprises an audio signal analysis system and an audio content analysis system. The audio signal analysis system directs a portion of an audio signal that comprises audio content to the audio content analysis system. The audio content analysis system: i) receives portions of the audio signal comprising audio content; and ii) directs handling of the outbound call in response to detecting a characteristic of the audio content. The audio content system: i) directs a first handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a first characteristic of the audio content; and ii) directs a second handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a second characteristic of the audio content. The first handling of the outbound call may be directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded content and the second handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with real time spoken audio. |
| US08150019B2 |
Path redundant hardware efficient communications interconnect system
A path redundant, hardware efficient communications interconnect (1) has embodiments that can present true any-to-any interconnect capability for first and second pathways (2) and (3) and can utilize double throw switches (25) with or without single throw switches (24) perhaps in staged collectives of sub arrays (4), (5), (6), (9), and (10). A loop-back communications interconnect (22) can be accomplished by an interleaved sub array (26). A quadrilateral center stage sub array (21) can be combined with asymmetric side stage sub arrays for hardware savings that are tenths of a percent of a traditional interconnect and even present eight fold savings over prior reduced hardware interconnects. |
| US08150015B1 |
System and method of phone bridging
A method for providing a dynamic bridge service is provided. The method comprises provisioning a dynamic bridge service associated with at least a first private number and a second private number. The method also comprises receiving an origination attempt from an electronic device associated with a third private number to establish a call to an electronic device associated with the first private number, requesting the bridge to be opened in response to receiving the origination attempt, and connecting the electronic device associated with the third private number to the bridge. The method also comprises connecting the electronic device associated with the first private number to the bridge, receiving a request to join the bridge from an electronic device associated with the second private number, and connecting the electronic device associated with the second private number to the bridge in response to receiving the request to join the bridge from the electronic device associated with the second private number. |
| US08150013B2 |
Telephony security system
A system and method of telephony resource management and security for monitoring and/or controlling incoming and outgoing calls between an enterprise's end-user stations and a public circuit-switched network and/or a public packet-switched network. A security policy is made up of one or more rules designating at least one action to be performed based on at least one attribute of the incoming or outgoing call. Calls are detected and sensed on the line, trunk and/or cabling, and analyzed to determine attributes associated with each call. Actions are performed based upon the determined attributes, in accordance with the security policy rules. |
| US08150012B2 |
Method and apparatus for deriving the present local time of a target station
A communication system that enables a requesting station to receive information for the local time of the present situs of a target station. The communication system includes a time server that receives a request for the local time of the current situs of the target station. The time server may determine the present time of the target station by querying a location server for the present situs of the target station. The time server uses the situs information to obtain the local time to of the target station based on the present situs. The time information is transmitted to the requesting station for presentation to a user. |
| US08150011B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for geographic call center status and security
An apparatus, method, system, and computer program product are provided for producing a geographical mapping of the status, activity, security, work-force, and other information of call centers. The systems and methods may receive call center data and call data, generate a geographical data, and display at least a portion of the geographical data. |
| US08150010B2 |
Phone communication controlling method
According to an aspect of the embodiment provides a communication terminal for communicating in a network. The terminal receives from another communication terminal a request includes an obscured call information for obscuring an identification information. The communication terminal obscures the identification information after receiving the request. |
| US08150007B2 |
Fully redundant call recording
A system provides redundant telephone call processing. A gateway receives a call and identifies a first server as having primary responsibility for servicing the call and a second server as having secondary responsibility for servicing the call. The gateway communicates the call to both the first server and the second server. The first server initiates recording of a voice message. The first server and the second server record the voice message. If the first server fails to indicate it has completed and stored the voice message in a timely manner, the second server stores the recorded voice message. |
| US08150005B1 |
Method, architectures and technique for authentication of telephone calls
A method and system authenticates an authenticatee and provides an authentication to a recipient. The authenticatee may be either the called party or the calling party. A network platform or customer premise equipment may be utilized to provide information for authentication. Customer premise equipment provides the authentication to the recipient. |
| US08150002B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling unsolicited messaging in real time messaging networks
A Voice over IP (VoIP) or Real Time Messaging (RTM) firewall device is claimed that protects VoIP or RTM network traffic by identifying and controlling the delivery of such network traffic that is unsolicited and undesired by the recipient (i.e. VoIP or RTM spam). The system involves applying a unique marking to RTM messages close to a point of message origination and then at a point close to message termination for the intended recipient examining a reputation store for information on the unique marking and using that information in conjunction with a set of policy rules to decide whether to pass, reject, pass on to an RTM store or otherwise filter the RTM message. The unique marking serves to identify a source characteristic of the message such as the message originator, a corporate affiliation for the originator, or a RTM network characteristic of the originator such as a transmission gateway. |
| US08150001B2 |
Methods for voice activated dialing
Methods for routing a call based on voice activated dialing (VAD). A VAD device module may respond to a VAD instruction, or to a call received with a VAD instruction with a corresponding call destination number obtained from a personal VAD directory. If the personal VAD directory fails to include the call destination number, the VAD device module may route the call or initiate a call through a gateway to a VAD network module. The VAD network module may obtain call destination information from the VAD instruction, and may use the call destination information obtain the call destination number. The VAD network module may obtain additional information from the call or other source, and use the additional information to obtain the call destination number. The call then is routed to the call destination number. The call destination number may be added to the personal VAD directory. |
| US08150000B2 |
Voice mail notification using instant messaging
A system and method that notifies a voice mailbox subscriber of the receipt of a message at a voicemail server using instant messaging. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes an enhanced notification server that receives a notification of the message from the voicemail server, queries the availability of an instant messaging client via an instant messaging presence server, and forwards the notification to the instant messaging client via the instant messaging presence server if the instant messaging client is available. In preferred embodiments, provisions are made to forward the message to the subscriber via instant messaging. |
| US08149997B2 |
Protocol converting 9-1-1 emergency messaging center
Delivery of Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency services to an Internet Protocol (IP) Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is enabled using an existing or legacy selective router and Automatic Location Information (ALI) database. Using a protocol converting 9-1-1 messaging center according to the principles of the present invention, existing or legacy selective router equipment can provide Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) over time division multiplex (TDM) circuits to non-IP capable PSAPs. |
| US08149996B2 |
Providing routing information to an answering point of an emergency services network
Networks, systems, and methods are disclosed for handling alternate routing scenarios for emergency calls or other special number calls, such as a 9-1-1 call. In routing an emergency call, an emergency services network identifies a primary answering point (e.g., a PSAP) to handle the emergency call. If the primary answering point is not available, then the emergency services network identifies an alternate answering point to handle the emergency call, and routes the emergency call to the alternate answering point (if available). The emergency services network also identifies alternate routing information indicating a reason for routing the emergency call to the alternate answering point instead of the primary answering point, and transmits the alternate routing information to the alternate answering point for processing. |
| US08149988B2 |
Use of nearly monochromatic and tunable photon sources with nuclear resonance fluorescence in non-intrusive inspection of containers for material detection and imaging
Methods and systems for detecting potential items of interest in target samples, using nuclear resonance fluorescence, utilize incident photon spectra that are narrower than traditional bremsstrahlung spectra but overlap nuclear resonances in elements of interest for purposes of detection, such as but not limited to the detection of threats in luggage or containers being scanned. |
| US08149987B2 |
Radiation imaging apparatus and control method for the same
A radiation imaging apparatus that captures radiographic images includes a radioactive ray generating unit configured to irradiate a subject with a plurality of radioactive rays generated by a plurality of electron sources. A radioactive ray detection unit captures a plurality of first radiographic images based on detection of the plurality of radioactive rays that have passed through the subject at different irradiation angles. Area specification unit specifies an object area using the plurality of first radiographic images captured by the radioactive ray detection unit, and a determination unit determines an electron source to be driven from the plurality of electron sources based on the object area specified by the area specification unit, such that a second radiographic image is captured based on the radioactive rays generated by the electron source determined by the determination unit. |
| US08149984B2 |
Fuel element of the macrostructured plate type
A new nuclear fuel element has been developed to be used in particular in fourth generation gaseous heat exchanger reactors working with a fast neutron flow.With a composite plate structure, the element (1) according to the invention comprises a network of cells (8), more preferably of honeycomb shape, in each of which is placed a nuclear fuel pellet (10). Radial and axial gaps are provided in each cell (8) to compensate for the differential expansion between fissile materials and structural materials inherent in the operation of the plate (1). |
| US08149978B2 |
Clock/data recovery circuit
A clock/data recovery circuit includes a data duty correction circuit which outputs corrected data by correcting the duty of input data in accordance with the level of a correction signal, a clock recovery circuit which generates a recovered clock in synchronism with the edge timing of the corrected data, a data decision circuit which performs data decision of the corrected data based on the recovered clock, and a data duty detection circuit which detects the duty of the corrected data based on the recovered clock and outputs the correction signal representing a duty correction amount to the data duty correction circuit. |
| US08149976B2 |
Precise frequency estimation of short data bursts
The invention performs frequency estimation over both the burst preamble, during which known symbols are transmitted, and also during the burst's data packet, which is subsequent to the preamble and extracted by the local detector. During the preamble, an initial frequency estimate is obtained. This estimate is based on a time average of either phase or correlation samples. Atypical phase or correlation samples, attributable to detector symbol errors during the data packet, are detected and filtered, so as to avoid including the atypical samples in a time-averages used to provide the frequency estimate. In a first embodiment correlation samples are time averaged, and atypical correlation samples are suppressed prior to correlation time averaging. In a second embodiment, phase slope values are time averaged, and atypical values of phase slope are suppressed prior to phase slope time averaging. |
| US08149975B2 |
Method and computer program for identifying a transition in a phase-shift keying or frequency-shift keying signal
A system for identifying at least one phase transition in a phase-shift keying signal comprising a plurality of data samples corresponding to phase values. The system comprises a memory operable to store computing device executable instructions; and a computing device. The computing device is operable to generate a first falling edge region function for each data sample; generate a first rising edge function for each data sample; generate a first level function for each data sample; and generate a second falling edge function for each data sample. The second falling edge function equals the first falling edge function if the first falling edge function is greater than the first rising edge function and the first level function, and the second falling edge function equals zero. |
| US08149973B2 |
Clock recovery circuit
A clock recovery circuit capable of simultaneously satisfying all of a bit synchronization period, a clock wander tracking performance, and a high high-frequency jitter tolerance. The clock recovery circuit includes: a phase difference detecting circuit that detects a phase difference between an input data signal and a recovery clock; an averaging circuit that averages the output of the phase difference detecting circuit; a sampling and holding circuit with resetting that samples and holds the output of the phase difference detecting circuit; and a recovery clock generating circuit that generates a recovery clock having a phase corresponding to the sum of the integral value of the output of the averaging circuit and the output of the sampling and holding circuit with resetting. The sampling and holding circuit with resetting receives a burst transmission start signal and samples and holds the output of the phase difference detecting. In addition, the sampling and holding circuit with resetting receives a burst transmission end signal and resets the held value to an initial value. |
| US08149970B2 |
Multiple input, multiple output channel, digital receiver tuner
The present invention teaches a compact and highly integrated multiple-channel digital tuner and receiver architecture, suitable for widespread field deployment, wherein each receiver demodulator channel may be remotely, automatically, dynamically, and economically configured for a particular cable, carrier frequency, and signaling baud-rate, from an option universe that includes a plurality of input cables, a plurality of carrier frequencies, and a plurality of available baud-rates. A multiple coax input, multiple channel output, digital tuner is partitioned into a multiple coax input digitizer portion and a multiple channel output front-end portion. The digitizer portion consists of N digitizers and accepts input signals from N coax cables and digitizes them with respective A/D converters. The front-end portion consists of M front-ends and provides M channel outputs suitable for subsequent processing by M respective digital demodulators. In a first clock domain, a fixed predetermined A/D sampling rate is chosen to provide oversampling of the inputs by a common integer multiple of all the symbol rates of interest. A plurality other clock domains operate at selectable sub-multiples of the first domain as required to deliver a constant number of symbol samples at the output of each front-end. At the input to each of the M front-ends is a respective input selector coupled to each of the N streams of digitized input data followed by a digital signal scaler that dynamically scales the selected incoming stream of digitized input data as a function of the signal power of the channel's associated carrier. |
| US08149967B2 |
Combined dual feed-forward and feedback analog and digital automatic gain control for broadband communication
An embodiment is a method and apparatus to process an input signal. An analog automatic gain control (AGC) processor controls an analog adjustable gain of the input signal using a feedback mechanism. The analog AGC processor generates a first signal. A processing circuit transforms the first signal into a second signal. A digital AGC processor controls a digital adjustable gain of the second signal using a feed-forward mechanism. |
| US08149965B2 |
Level sensitive packet detector
An packet detection controller accepts an input from an AGC controller which indicates the presence of an increased signal energy and also completion of an AGC process and generates an output to suspend the AGC process. The packet detection controller also receives a plurality of IQ receiver streams and forms a single stream for use by a packet detector, which is controllable by an SNR_MODE indicating whether the signal to noise ratio is above or below a particular threshold, and a PD_RESET signal indicating that no packet detection should occur. The controller also receives a PACKET_DET signal indicating that packet detection is completed. The packet detection controller examines the incoming receiver streams and suspends AGC process if a packet detect is generated, or suspends the packet detector if an AGC process is required. |
| US08149963B2 |
Start-up automatic frequency control (AFC) method and apparatus
A method and apparatus for use in connection with wireless communication to adjust the frequency of an oscillator to synchronize with a received signal by correlating a synchronization code channel with training sequences to estimate relative offsets which are employed to estimate an error, which is then filtered. The filtered output preferably provides a voltage controlling a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The same technique may be employed to control a numeric controlled oscillator (NCO). |
| US08149960B2 |
Channel estimation for frequency selective multipath channels with long delay spreads based on an assumed physical channel
A channel impulse response is determined for a channel by receiving a signal from the channel, and by determining a least squares estimate of the channel impulse response. The received signal contains a training sequence and unknown data. The least squares estimate of the channel impulse response is determined by multiplying the received signal by a stored quantity. The stored quantity is based on (i) a stored replica of the training sequence, and (ii) an assumed covariance matrix that is based on a noise variance and an initial channel impulse response that assumes a unit physical channel. |
| US08149959B1 |
Enhancements of soft decoders and detectors on asymmetric channels
Systems and methods for enhancing soft decoders and detectors on asymmetric channels are provided. The methods include acquiring log-likelihood ratios (LLRS) for error-correction code (ECC) encoded data symbols, selecting a quality measure function and a quality threshold based on the LLRs, applying the selected quality measure function to the LLRs to obtain quality measures, comparing the quality measures to the selected quality threshold, and updating the LLRs for selected ECC encoded data symbols based on the comparisons. The updating may occur by multiplying the LLRs for the selected ECC encoded data symbols by a selected scaling factor. |
| US08149956B1 |
Method of automated demodulation and classification of phase-shift-keying signals using hysteretic differential zero-crossing time samples
An automatic zero-crossing signal demodulation and classification device for rapidly identifying an unknown modulation in a signal identifies an unknown modulation in a signal, demodulates differential phase shift keying signals and automatically recognizes certain phase shift keying signals. This is accomplished by eliminating the unknown term fc in differential phase estimation, introducing a symbol rate tracking mechanism, applying hysteresis nonlinearity to eliminate the phase shaping effect and using a weighted average to estimate the phase difference. Better estimates are accomplished by using the hysteretic nonlinear function to detect the zero-crossing points in eliminating the false detecting of the zero-crossing points caused by the additive noise, and calculating differential phase without directly using the center frequency to simplify the estimation process. The present invention also encompasses an automated zero-crossing signal surveillance demodulation and classification device for rapidly identifying an unknown modulation in a signal and a method for automatic zero-crossing demodulation and classification of an unknown modulation signal. |
| US08149953B2 |
Data receiver of semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit equipped with an equalizer which has a circuit structure simpler than that of a related equalizer according to an FFE scheme or a DFE scheme and is capable of preventing a noise component from being amplified. The data receiver includes a plurality of receiver units, wherein each receiver unit includes a plurality of level detectors which detect different levels, and an encoder, in which the level detectors receive data according to a clock signal having a predetermined phase difference and perform an amplification operation including an equalization function based on feedback data, thereby outputting an amplification signal, and wherein level detectors of one receiver unit receive an amplification signal, as the feedback data, from level detectors of another receiver unit that receives a first clock signal having a phase more advanced than a phase of a second clock signal received in one receiver unit. |
| US08149950B2 |
Method and system for baseband predistortion linearization in multi-channel wideband communication systems
An efficient baseband predistortion linearization method for reducing the spectral regrowth and compensating memory effects in wideband communication systems using effective multiplexing modulation technique such as wideband code division multiple access and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is disclosed. The present invention is based on the method of piecewise pre-equalized lookup table based predistortion, which is a cascade of a lookup table predistortion and piecewise pre-equalizers, to reduce the computational complexity and numerical instability for desired linearity performance with memory effects compensation for wideband transmitter systems. |
| US08149947B2 |
Channel estimation of multi-carrier signal with selection of time or frequency domain interpolation according to frequency offset of continuous pilot
A method of estimating the transmission channel of a received multi-carrier signal in a mobile environment, by identifying pilots present on carriers of the received multi-carrier signal, which pilots comprise continual pilots, performing channel estimation on the received multi-carrier signal using a time-domain interpolator to give a first interpolator output, and performing channel estimation on the received multi-carrier signal using a frequency-domain interpolator to give a second interpolator output. A frequency offset in a continual pilot is detected, and either the first or second interpolator output is selected based on the detected frequency offset. The invention also relates to a system for estimating the transmission channel of a received multi-carrier signal in a mobile environment. |
| US08149944B2 |
MIMO communication system and transmission station
An imbalanced amplitude is produced to a pair of weighing factors (U1,1 and U1,2, U2,1 and U2,2) with respect to the transmission streams multiplexed to any of the plurality of transmission antennas. Thus, the increase in PAPR in a preceding MIMO system can be prevented. |
| US08149941B2 |
DTV television transmitter/receiver and method of processing data in DTV transmitter/receiver
A DTV transmitter includes a pre-processor pre-processing enhanced data, a data formatter generating enhanced data packets including known data, a multiplexer multiplexing the enhanced data packets with main data packets, a data randomizer randomizing the multiplexed data packets, an RS encoder RS-encoding the randomized data packets, and a data interleaver interleaving the RS-coded data packets, where a plurality of known data sequences are included in the interleaved enhanced data packets. Finally, the DTV transmitter further includes an enhanced encoder which codes each block of enhanced data placed between any two of the known data sequences and bypasses the interleaved main data packets. |
| US08149940B2 |
Digital television transmitter/receiver and method of processing data in digital television transmitter/receiver
A digital television (DTV) transmitter and a method of coding data in the DTV transmitter are disclosed. A data formatter generates an enhanced data packet including the enhanced data and a known data sequence. A data randomizer randomizes the enhanced data packet. A RS encoder RS-codes the randomized data packet by adding first parity data, and a data interleaver interleaves the RS-coded data packet. A trellis encoding unit trellis-encodes the interleaved data packet. Herein the trellis encoding unit includes a TCM encoder for generating a first output bit by trellis-encoding a first input bit and generating a second output bit by bypassing the first input bit, and a pre-coder for generating a third output bit by pre-coding a second input bit, wherein memories included in the TCM encoder and the pre-coder are initialized when the known data sequence is inputted to the trellis encoding unit. |
| US08149938B2 |
Transmission of ACK/NACK bits and their embedding in the CQI reference signal
A transmission of information within a wireless cellular network may include a first and second type of information. A subframe is produced that includes a plurality of symbols, wherein at least one symbol is designated as a data symbol and at least one symbol is designated as a reference signal symbol that contains a pre-defined reference signal. The first type of information is embedded in the data symbols. If the second type of data is expected, then the second type of information is embedded in at least one reference symbol by quadrature amplitude modulating the pre-defined reference signal. The subframe is then transmitted from one node in the network to a second node. In some embodiments, if it is determined that the second node is not expecting the second type of information, then a discontinuous transmission (DTX) response is embedded in the reference symbol instead of the second type of information. |
| US08149928B2 |
Receivers for cycle encoded signals
Some embodiments include a transmitter having a cycle encoding circuit to receive a data input signal and to provide a full cycle encoded signal in response thereto by continuously joining portions of different encoding signals. Some of the encoding signals have a different frequency than others of the encoding signals and some of the encoding signals have a different phase than others of the encoding signals. Data is represented in data time segments of the full cycle encoded signal and no data time segment has more than one cycle of an encoding signal. In some embodiments, a receiver receives the cycle encoded signal and recovers data of the data input signal. |
| US08149927B2 |
Method of and apparatus for encoding/decoding digital signal using linear quantization by sections
A method of encoding/decoding a digital signal using linear quantization by sections, and an apparatus for the same are provided. The method of encoding includes: converting a digital input signal, and removing redundant information from the digital signal; allocating a number of bits allocated to each predetermined quantized unit considering the importance of the digital signal; dividing the distribution of signal values into predetermined sections based on the predetermined quantized units, and linear quantizing data converted pin the operation of converting the digital input signal by sections; and generating a bit stream from the linear quantized data and predetermined side information. Therefore, a sound quality is improved compared to a sound quality produced by conventional linear quantizing devices and a complexity of a non-linear quantizing device is reduced. |
| US08149924B2 |
Adaptive weighting of reference pictures in video decoding
A video decoder, encoder, and corresponding methods for processing video signal data for an image block and a particular reference picture index to predict the image block are disclosed that utilize adaptive weighting of reference pictures to enhance video compression, where a decoder includes a reference picture weighting factor unit for determining a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; an encoder includes a reference picture weighting factor assignor for assigning a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; and a method for decoding includes receiving a reference picture index with the data that corresponds to the image block, determining a weighting factor for each received reference picture index, retrieving a reference picture for each index, motion compensating the retrieved reference picture, and multiplying the motion compensated reference picture by the corresponding weighting factor to form a weighted motion compensated reference picture. |
| US08149917B2 |
Transition creation for encoded video in the transform domain
A system and method for calculating data representative of at least one intermediary transition image between a first image and a second image in the encoded domain is disclosed. Cinematic transitions can be created between encoded still images and frames from video sequences. For each corresponding location within the first and second image, a transform coded value is calculated for the at least one intermediary image using the transform encoded data of the first and second images without transform decoding the transform encoded data. The transform coded values can be fully encoded using a compression protocol and transmitted to a device for decoding and display of the cinematic transition. |
| US08149916B2 |
Video coding and decoding
A decoder for video signals, such as MPEG, which uses motion-compensated bidirectional predictive coding, performs concealment of lost or corrupted portions of a picture. For this purpose, it estimates missing motion vectors by combining the two vectors which accompany a bidirectionally coded frame to create a substitute vector. An encoder can be modified to enhance this decoder operation, including forcing at least one frame per group of frames to be coded using bidirectional prediction, and constraining the two vectors so that the substitute vector is closer to the wanted value. |
| US08149913B2 |
Moving picture converting apparatus and method, and computer program
A restored image is reconstructed from a thinned image to which no motion vector is incident. There is provided a moving picture converting apparatus for restoring a string of thinned images resulted from thinning pixels of an original-image string, which includes an input unit to receive the thinned-image string, an initial motion vector detector to detect a string of motion vector images on the basis of the thinned-image string, a reconstructing unit to reconstruct, each time a new motion vector image string is detected, a string of restored images on the basis of the new restored-image string and previous detected-motion vector image strings, a motion vector detector to detect, each time a new string of restored images is reconstructed, a new string of motion vector images based on the new restored-image string and previous detected-motion vector image strings, and a process terminating unit to terminate the reconstructing process by the reconstructing unit and motion vector detecting process by the motion vector detector and output a restored image, which has been restored, of the restored-image string obtained at the time of deciding the process termination. |
| US08149911B1 |
Method and/or apparatus for multiple pass digital image stabilization
An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate (i) a first series of sequential frames, (ii) a plurality of local motion vectors for each of said frames, (iii) one or more global motion vectors for each of said frames, (iv) a second series of stabilized sequential frames, (v) a plurality of rough motion vectors and (vi) a digital bitstream in response to (i) a video input signal. The second circuit may be configured to store (i) the first series of sequential frames, (ii) the plurality of local motion vectors, (iii) the one or more global motion vectors, (iv) the second series of stabilized sequential frames and (v) the plurality of rough motion vectors. |
| US08149900B2 |
Low complexity acquisition method for GNSS
A low complexity acquisition method and a receiver implemented such a method are disclosed. In the present invention, a cyclical shifted-and-combined (CSC) code is generated by intercepting sub-codes from a full code and combining the sub-codes with an equal gain. The CSC code is correlated with a received signal to find a candidate peak. The other candidate peak(s) can be deduced accordingly. Thus, hypotheses can be significantly reduced. A true peak can be easily and rapidly found by verifying the candidate peaks. |
| US08149892B2 |
Structure having photonic crystal and surface-emitting laser
In a structure having a two-dimensional photonic crystal in which structures having different refractive indices are disposed at a two-dimensional period and comprising a structure emitting in a direction perpendicular to a resonance direction of light propagating in the in-plane direction of the two-dimensional photonic crystal, wherein the structure comprises a one-dimensional photonic crystal in which components having different refractive indices are arranged at a one-dimensional period, and, the light propagating in the in-plane direction of the two-dimensional photonic crystal is reflected by a photonic band edge of the one-dimensional photonic crystal. |
| US08149891B2 |
Semiconductor device and optical module
A semiconductor laser element 10 according to the present invention comprises a waveguide 12 of a high mesa type. And then such the waveguide 12 comprises an oblique end face 17 as an emitting facet that is different from a cleaved end face 16. And hence it becomes possible to reduce a reflection factor at the end face by making of such the oblique end face 17, and it becomes possible to design a direction of an emitting beam 21, that is to be emitting from the oblique end face 17, to be independent of that for the cleaved end face 16 as well. Moreover, the emitting beam 21 is designed to be emitting as vertical to the cleaved end face 16. And then therefore in a case where an emitting beam from a semiconductor optical device is designed to be coupled with such as an optical fiber or another waveguide or the like, it is not necessary to device such as that the semiconductor laser element 10 is required to be arranged at a sub mount by being inclined to be oblique or the like. |
| US08149890B2 |
Multiple distributed feedback laser devices
Provided is a multiple distributed feedback laser device which includes a first distributed feedback region, a modulation region, a second distributed feedback region, and an amplification region. An active layer is disposed on the substrate of the first distributed feedback region, the modulation region, the second distributed feedback region, and the amplification region. A first diffraction grating is disposed in the first distributed feedback region to be coupled to the active layer in the first distributed feedback region. A second diffraction grating is disposed in the second distributed feedback region to be coupled to the active layer in the second distributed feedback region. The multiple distributed feedback laser device further includes a first micro heater configured to supply heat to the first diffraction grating and a second micro heater configured to supply heat to the second diffraction grating. |
| US08149888B1 |
Single photon source
An embodiment of the invention relates to a single-photon source for emitting single photons, comprising a cavity having a first mirror and a second mirror and exhibiting a longitudinal resonance frequency between the first and second mirror; at least one quantum dot arranged inside said cavity, said quantum dot being strain-dependent and configured to generate radiation at a strain-dependent radiation frequency; a device capable of exciting the quantum dot to generate radiation; a piezoelectric crystal being arranged outside the cavity and mechanically coupled to the second mirror's outer surface, said piezoelectric crystal configured to receive a control voltage and capable of applying either a laterally tensile and vertically compressive strain to both the cavity and the quantum dot, or a laterally compressive and vertically tensile strain to both the cavity and the quantum dot, depending on the control voltage's polarity; wherein, in response to said strain, the resonance frequency and the radiation frequency shift in opposite directions. |
| US08149887B2 |
Planar waveguide laser device
A planar waveguide laser device forms a waveguide by a plate-like laser medium having birefringence and clad attached to at least one of the surfaces of the laser medium perpendicular to its thickness direction, amplifies laser light by a gain produced by excitation light incident on the laser medium, and performs laser oscillation. The laser medium is formed of a material having an optic axis on a cross section perpendicular to the light axis, which is the laser travelling direction. The clad is formed of a material having a refractive index in a range between refractive indexes of two polarized lights that travel along the light axis in the laser medium and have oscillation surfaces that are orthogonal to each other. The planar waveguide laser device readily oscillates linearly polarized laser light. |
| US08149879B2 |
Method and apparatus for data transfer using a time division multiple frequency scheme supplemented with polarity modulation
A method of data transmission according to one embodiment of the invention includes encoding a set of data values to produce a corresponding series of ordered n-tuples. The method also includes transmitting, according to the series of ordered n-tuples, a plurality of bursts over a plurality n of frequency bands. Specifically, for each of the plurality of bursts, a frequency band occupied by the burst is indicated by the order within its n-tuple of an element corresponding to the burst. A bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least two percent of the center frequency of the burst. Information is encoded into a polarity of at least one of the plurality of bursts. |
| US08149878B2 |
Apparatus and method of encoding and decoding audio signal
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data includes a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. The first and second channel data is provided jointly if the first and second channel data are paired with each other. The method further includes obtaining frame length information indicating a length of the audio frame data, obtaining block information indicating a block type, and lossless decoding the first and second channel data based on the frame length information and the block information. |
| US08149877B2 |
Apparatus and method of encoding and decoding audio signal
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data includes a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. Block information indicating the block type is obtained. The block information corresponds to the first and second channel data being common when the first and second channel data are paired. The first and second channel data is lossless decoded based on the block information. |
| US08149876B2 |
Apparatus and method of encoding and decoding audio signal
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data includes a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. The embodiment further includes obtaining frame length information indicating a length of the audio frame data, and obtaining block information indicating the block type. The block information corresponds to the first and second channel data being common when the first and second channel data are paired. The first and second channel data are lossless decoded based on the frame length information and the block information. |
| US08149874B2 |
Adaptive-allocation of I/O bandwidth using a configurable interconnect topology
Apparatus and methods allocate I/O bandwidth of an electrical component, such as an IC, by configuring an I/O interface into various types of interfaces. In an embodiment of the present invention, an I/O interface is configured into either a bi-directional contact, unidirectional contact (including either a dedicated transmit or dedicated receive contact) or a maintenance contact used in a maintenance or calibration mode of operation. The I/O interface is periodically reconfigured to optimally allocate I/O bandwidth responsive to system parameters, such as changing data workloads in the electronic components. System parameters include, but are not limited to, 1) number of transmit-receive bus turnarounds; 2) number of transmit and/or receive data packets; 3) user selectable setting 4) number of transmit and/or receive commands; 5) direct requests from one or more electronic components; 6) number of queued transactions in one or more electronic components; 7) transmit burst-length setting, 8) duration or cycle count of bus commands, and control strobes such as address/data strobe, write enable, chip select, data valid, data ready; 9) power and/or temperature of one or more electrical components; 10) information from executable instructions, such as a software application or operating system; 11) multiple statistics over respective periods of time to determine if using a different bandwidth allocation would result in better performance. The importance of a system parameter may be weighted over time in an embodiment of the present invention. |
| US08149869B2 |
Telecommunication network
The present invention relates to a telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a telecommunication satellite with several spot beams, known as a multispot satellite. The network includes a multispot satellite including a payload for the reception, processing and retransmitting of telecommunication signals received by said satellite, a service area comprised of a plurality of basic coverage areas, known as cells, each cell including a plurality of ground terminals and a plurality NGWactive of active gateways interconnected by a ground network, NGWactive being an integer, said satellite relaying signals sent by said NGWactive active gateways to said cells. Furthermore, the network includes NGW gateways, NGW being an integer strictly greater than the number NGWactive of active gateways, said NGW gateways being interconnected by said ground network and including said NGWactive active gateways such that NGW−NGWactive gateways are not active. |
| US08149868B2 |
Interface board and optical transmission equipment
A circuit capable of processing signals of different signal types is provided for identifying the signal type by the signal type setting from an administrator or by the implementation of the optical module, thereby selecting a signal processor to be used. An OTN frame standardized by ITU is used in a fixed manner independent of the signal type to be accommodated, while a corresponding SDH/SONET frame standardized by ITU is used for signal accommodation. |
| US08149867B2 |
Multi-network shared PHY layer
A system and method for providing physical (PHY) layer signal processing in a PHY layer signal processing circuit, at least portions of which may be shared for communication with a plurality of different types of communication networks. Various aspects of the present invention may, for example and without limitation, provide a PHY layer signal processing module that operates to perform a PHY layer signal processing operation on an input PHY layer signal. The PHY layer signal processing module may, for example, operate in a first operating mode to process the input PHY layer signal in a first manner in accordance with a first communication protocol. The PHY layer signal processing module may also, for example, operate in a second operating mode to process the input PHY layer signal in a second manner in accordance with a second communication protocol. |
| US08149863B1 |
Detection of strong high frequency sinusoidal interference in wireless communications
A method is provided for controlling access to a wireless communications medium. The method includes: sampling RF activity on the medium; autocorrelating samples to produce a first value indicative of autocorrelation computed with a first delay substantially matching periodicity of a signal of interest and to produce a second value indicative of autocorrelation computed with a second delay different from the first delay; monitoring the first value to determine whether the first value is possibly indicative of the signal of interest; monitoring the second value to determine whether the second value is indicative of an interferer signal; and preventing transmission of an RF transmit signal on the medium in response to the first value indicating that activity on the medium includes the signal of interest when the second value indicates that activity on the medium does not include an interferer signal. |
| US08149858B2 |
Powered device analysis and power control in a power-over-ethernet system
A system and method of analyzing a powered device (PD) in a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) system are presented. The system includes an Ethernet interface having a physical layer (PHY) chip capable of providing a signal pulse in addition to physical layer 1 functions. The system further includes a pulse transformer, coupled to the PHY chip, capable of relaying the signal pulse provided by the PHY chip to the PD via the transmit line and a second PHY chip. The first PHY chip receives one or more return pulse signals from the PD, analyzes characteristics such as voltage and/or frequency of the return pulse signal(s), and determines attributes of the PD based on those characteristics. The attributes can include powered device validity and power classification. A method of supplying power to a PD is also presented. |
| US08149857B2 |
Remote HDSL test access system
A system and method are provided for modifying an existing HDSL system to allow for remote access to performance monitoring information stored on each HDSL circuit card. This is accomplished by attaching a cable harness to an existing chassis. A cable harness containing a number of data lines equal to the number of circuit cards in the chassis is housed in a moveable bar which protects the harness and allows removal or insertion of HDSL circuit cards. Each data line attaches to a data port on the individual circuit cards, and the cable harness terminates to a multiplexer (shelf multiplexing unit). A system controller unit provides power and signaling to the shelf multiplexing unit, instructing the multiplexing unit to select an individual data line connected to an individual circuit card. Then utilizing a mutually agreed upon communications means, the system controller unit extends the HDSL data port connection to a remote location. This distributed multiplexing arrangement provides economical remote access to all circuit cards in a central office from a remote location. Utilizing specialized user software, a user can access any circuit card connected to the data lines of the cable harness. The user software provides a terminal emulation so a user can have a virtual connection to the circuit card interface from a remote location. The user can then navigate through various menus provided by the circuit card interface as if the user were directly connected to the circuit card. |
| US08149855B2 |
Method for transferring data packets to a shared resource, and related device and computer software
The invention relates to a method for transferring data packets to a shared resource (12) in a telecommunication network, that comprises the following steps: providing N processing queues (Qi, i=i to N) each associated with a respective period having a predetermined duration, where N>1; based on information indicated by a received packet, allocating said packet to one of the processing queues; adding the received packet (P13) in the queue (Qi) to which it has been allocated; selecting a processing queue from the N queues so that each non-empty queue is selected at least once during the associated period; and extracting at least one packet from the selected processing queue and transferring it in priority to the shared resource (12). |
| US08149854B2 |
Multi-threaded transmit transport engine for storage devices
An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to process a plurality of I/O sequences associated with a storage device. A task context pre-fetch engine pre-fetches a task context from a task context memory based on a pre-fetch request. At least a multi-threaded transmit transport layer (T×TL) processes the plurality of I/O sequences from an I/O pool simultaneously. The multi-threaded T×TL generates the pre-fetch request and one or more frames from the plurality of I/O sequences. A switch fabric and controller routes the frame to a link layer associated with the storage device. |
| US08149852B2 |
Transmission method, system and router based on a border gateway protocol
A transmission method, system, and router based on a border gateway protocol (BGP) are provided. The method includes: notifying a standby route and a data packet ID corresponding to the standby route to a peer autonomous system (AS); receiving a data packet carrying a data packet ID from the peer AS; and forwarding the data packet via a standby route corresponding to the data packet ID carried in the data packet. The transmission performance based on the BGP can be improved by applying the present invention. |
| US08149849B2 |
Zigbee/IP gateway
A gateway enables communications between a personal area network, such as a Zigbee network, and an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The gateway includes a first interface device for connecting to the personal area network, a second interface device for connecting to the IP network, and a gateway controller. In one embodiment, the gateway controller allocates ports on an IP interface to one or more clients in said personal area network, stores a routing table in memory for relating said clients in said personal area network with their corresponding ports, and transfers messages between said personal area network clients and said IP network based on entries in said routing table. In other embodiments, the gateway may function in conjunction with a gateway proxy. |
| US08149847B2 |
Initializing, provisioning, and managing devices
A method of initializing, provisioning, and managing a cable modem and a customer premise equipment device includes sending a customized configuration file to the cable modem. The configuration file contains service provisioning information and further includes information indicative of a network address type for the customer premise equipment device. A message is passed from the cable modem to the customer premise equipment device indicative of the network address type. The customer premise equipment device is provided with a network address in accordance with the network address type indicated in the message. In this way, the customer premise equipment device knows what kind of address to obtain, and excessive transactions are avoided. |
| US08149845B2 |
Network for exchanging packet signals via a pooled connection
Networks for exchanging packet signals between first network-units (1) like access providers and/or access multiplexers coupled to terminals and second network-units (2) like service providers and/or gateways coupled to further networks can be improved by providing a network with a pooled connection (3) having a capacity smaller than a sum of all terminal-capacities, which sum equals the capacity necessary in case all terminals communicate via the network at the same time. This pooled connection (3) is located between said first (1) and second (2) network-unit and is managed by a manager (23) in said second network-unit (2). By providing a first network-unit (1) with a router (12) managed by a manager (13), control traffic can be routed transparently to said second network-unit (2). By providing a manager (23) in the second network-unit (2) with a controller (28), the capacity of said pooled connection (3) can be controlled and guarded. |
| US08149842B2 |
Automated discovery of network devices supporting particular transport layer protocols
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with automated discovery of network devices supporting particular transport layer protocols, such as, but not limited to Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). Packet switching devices automatically discover peer packet switching devices supporting a particular transport layer protocol, and then establish a session using the particular transport layer protocol between them for subsequent use in transporting packets. |
| US08149841B2 |
System and method for end-user custom parsing definitions
Systems and methods for performing customizable analysis of a communication session between two entities includes loading predetermined first parser definitions, stored as at least one binary file, receiving second parser definitions in a form other than a binary file form, after the first parser definitions are already operating, loading and compiling the second parser definitions, and applying the first and second parser definitions to a communication session, wherein the first parser definitions identify standard components of the communication session and the second parser definitions are customizable and identify non-standard components of the communication session. |
| US08149840B2 |
Method, system and processor for processing network address translation service
A method, a system, and a processor for processing a network address translation (NAT) service are provided. The method includes: performing NAT service identification of a received message, and selecting a corresponding NAT service processor for processing a NAT service of a message that needs a NAT service processing from at least two NAT service processors. Through embodiments of the disclosure, a demand for the system to process a lot of NAT services within a short time is fulfilled, so as to increase the capacity of processing NAT services of the system. |
| US08149839B1 |
Selection of trunk ports and paths using rotation
Techniques that offer enhanced diversity in the selection of paths (e.g., ECMP paths) and/or ports from ports associated with trunks for forwarding network data traffic. In one embodiment, a network device uses a rotate function to generate a rotated index (path index) that is used to select a path (e.g., an ECMP) path from multiple paths (e.g., multiple ECMP paths) for forwarding a packet. A network device may also generate a rotated index (trunk index) that is used to select an output port from multiple output ports associated with a trunk for forwarding the packet. |
| US08149838B2 |
Method for suppression index reuse and packet classification for payload header suppression within a wireless network
A method is provided for payload header suppression within a wireless network in which a limited number of suppression indices are used to map suppression rules to data streams. Network resources are conserved by implementing precise classification algorithms to correctly identify incoming packets at the wireless device as belonging to a particular data stream, which ensures that a minimum number of suppression indices are utilized. Additionally, network resources are conserved by utilizing sophisticated algorithms for reusing suppression indices when new data streams are detected by the wireless device. One such reuse algorithm involves recycling the suppression index that has been least recently used in transmitting a packet with a suppressed payload header. |
| US08149834B1 |
Forwarding a packet to a port from which the packet is received and transmitting modified, duplicated packets on a single port
Packet switch operating methods and packet switches receive a packet from a port and then forward the packet to the port from which the packet was received. The packet switch receives a packet having a first transport identifier from a port, modifies the packet to have a second transport identifier, and forwards the modified packet to the port while retaining a layer-two source address and a layer-two destination address. Other methods and packet switches transmit modified, duplicated packets on a single port. The packet switch receives a packet on a first port and creates at least one duplicate of the packet. The packet switch modifies the packet and the duplicate so that they have different transport identifiers. The packet switch then transmits the modified packets on a single port. |
| US08149830B2 |
Efficient light-weight multicasting communication protocol
A method for communication in a computing environment is provided. The method comprises transmitting a first data packet to one or more receiving units in a first set; receiving one or more acknowledgement messages (ACKs) from one or more receiving units in a second set, wherein the second set is a subset of the first set; removing the first data packet from a queue, in response to receiving at least one ACK from N receiving units within a time threshold; and re-transmitting the first data packet to the first set, in response to failing to receive at least one ACK from N receiving units within the time threshold. |
| US08149829B2 |
Personal area network with automatic attachment and detachment
A network (100) includes a hub device (110) and at least one unattached peripheral device (120). The unattached peripheral device (120) transmits an attach request to the hub device (110) with a selected address, receives a new address from the hub device to identify the unattached peripheral device (120), and communicates with the hub device (110) using the new address. |
| US08149827B1 |
System and method for network transport service relying on call induced targeted media
A telecommunication appliance serves a large user base via an interface to a universal registration database having access to a set of transport mediums applicable to each user. A media database operates in conjunction with the appliance for identifying the user and providing targeted media to the user during a connection interval commonly referred to as the “ringback” period while a connection supporting the requested communication is completed. The universal identifier indexes alternate transport mediums available to the user based on entries in the universal database, and determines a lower cost (or no cost) transport. In lieu of the convention ringback, the initiating user receives targeted media referenced from the media database and responds to it while the communication is completed. The targeted media is provided as a fee based service to media provides (advertisers), therefore injecting revenue for supporting the service without requiring a fee from the invoking users. The user identification also enables a slew of value added services such as secure login to various databases and secure billing and payment. |
| US08149826B2 |
Method and system for profiling and learning application networking behavior
In general, the invention relates to a method for classifying an application. The method includes receiving, at a kernel, a plurality of packets from the application, wherein the application is executing outside of the kernel, obtaining a first measurement from the plurality of packets associated with a first parameter using a first internal estimator in the kernel, applying a first statistical technique to the first measurement to generate a first estimate of the first parameter, and obtaining a classification of the application based on the first estimate. Further, the classification of the application is used to optimize a network connection associated with the application. |
| US08149825B2 |
Hierarchical data collection network supporting packetized voice communications among wireless terminals and telephones
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc. |
| US08149818B2 |
Mesh network within a device
A radio transceiver device includes circuitry for radiating electromagnetic signals at a very high radio frequency both through space, as well as through wave guides that are formed within a substrate material. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric substrate formed within a board, for example, a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, the wave guide is formed within a die of an integrated circuit radio transceiver. A plurality of transceivers with different functionality is defined. Substrate transceivers are operable to transmit through the wave guides, while local transceivers are operable to produce very short range wireless transmissions through space. A third and final transceiver is a typical wireless transceiver for communication with remote (non-local to the device) transceivers. |
| US08149815B2 |
Communication system, a communication method, and a communication apparatus with clear to send signal frame features
A communication system for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations is disclosed in which a first communication station for transmitting to other communication stations a Request To Send (RTS) signal for requesting a transmission upon the start of the data transmission; and a plurality of second communication stations transmitting to other communication stations a Clear To Send (CTS) signal for notifying the completion of preparing the reception, wherein the first communication station transmits the RTS signal describing at least each of addresses the second communication stations that are desired to receive the data, and receives a plurality of CTS signals transmitted from each of the second communication stations in order to increase communication capacity. |
| US08149814B2 |
Method and device for service time division multiplexing
A method and device for service time division multiplexing as well as a method and a device for transmitting service are disclosed. The method for service time division multiplexing includes: selecting a part or all of radio frames in one time unit as specific radio frames; and selecting a part or all of subframes in the specific radio frames as specific subframes for sending a specific service. The specific service is a multimedia broadcast multicast service, or a unicast service, or one or more than one kind of service transmitted in broadcast or multicast mode. |
| US08149813B2 |
Wireless device having fast-receive mode for measuring received signal strength (RSSI) for higher time division multiple access (TDMA) multislot classes
A wireless communications device having a fast-receive mode for measuring received signal strength indication (RSSI) enables the device to handle higher time division multiple access (TDMA) multislot classes without requiring that the device include either a second receiver or a receiver with a more advanced and expensive phase-locked loop (PLL) design. The time to complete an RSSI measurement is reduced by initiating the sampling of signal strength before the radio transceiver is fully stabilized in the downlink mode. By initiating sampling before PLL stabilization is complete, the overall time to complete an RSSI measurement is reduced sufficiently to enable scheduling of an RSSI measurement in each GSM frame. |
| US08149812B2 |
Method and apparatus for retransmitting data in wireless LAN system using visible light communication
A method for retransmitting data when data transmission/reception has failed in a wireless LAN system using visible light communication. A mobile node searches a received frame for a fast feedback slot allocated for retransmission information when momentary data transmission/reception failure has occurred. One mini-slot from among the plurality of mini-slots is selected from the fast feedback slot. The mobile node transmits a fast feedback message, including information for retransmission, to an access point by using the selected mini-slot. |
| US08149807B2 |
Communication control method, communication system, home agent allocation server, and mobile node
Disclosed is a technique for allowing a mobility service provider to allocate a home agent appropriate for each individual mobile node. According to the technique, an MN 10 notifies the domain name of an MSP 3 to an ASP 1, and in response to the notified domain name of the MSP, the ASP notifies the address of an HA allocation server 3a to the MN. The MN transmits, to the notified address of the HA allocation server, an HA allocation request message including the domain name of the ASP. The HA allocation server selects an HA based on previously held correspondences between HAs 3b, 3c and one or more ASPs, and notifies the selected HA to the MN. |
| US08149806B2 |
Mechanism to avoid interference and improve communication latency in mmWave WPANs
Briefly, a mechanism to avoid interference and improve channel efficiency in mmWave Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) is disclosed. In particular, interference information during various time periods is tracked and used to optimize transmission scheduling. Further, a mechanism is provided to improve communication latency by distributing responsibility for coordination of slots amongst multiple transmitting devices. |
| US08149805B2 |
Method, system and device for optimizing routing in mobile IPv6
This disclosure relates to a method, system and device for optimizing routing in a mobile IPv6. The core is that the communication between a mobile node and a correspondence node is performed in a routing optimization mode, while providing a secure verification, so that the care-of address of the mobile node would not be obtained by a distrustful third party or a distrustful correspondence node. Moreover, to further ensure the privacy of the location of the mobile node, the current care-of address of the mobile node is shielded from the correspondence node by separating the binding cache from the correspondence node. |
| US08149804B2 |
Multi-transceiver wireless communication device and methods for operating during device discovery and connection establishment
Embodiments of a multi-transceiver wireless communication device and methods for operating during device discovery and connection establishment are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the multi-transceiver wireless communication device includes a broadband wireless access network (BWAN) transceiver and a short-range frequency-hopping (SRFH) transceiver. The SRFH transceiver transmits a non-continuous sequence of either page or inquiry trains to either discover or establish an initial connection with a SRFH device when an active BWAN connection exists with a base station. The non-continuous sequence of trains may include a regularly repeating vacant transmission interval selected to coincide with listen intervals of frames when the BWAN transceiver is in sleep mode. |
| US08149797B2 |
Visualization of RF neighbor correlation in a single view
A system for generating a single view of wireless data including two perspectives and corresponding method therefor are described. The system comprises a device information collection mechanism arranged to collect information from a wireless device and a device information presentation mechanism arranged to cause the generation of two lists of information based on information collected by the device information collection mechanism. The two lists of information comprise: a list of wireless devices which a preselected wireless device is able to detect; and a list of wireless devices which are able to detect the preselected wireless device. |
| US08149792B2 |
Allocation of spreading codes for telecommunications channels
In a radio access network (10) comprising a radio network controller node (26) and a base station node (28), a code tree has spreading codes which are allocatable between high speed downlink shared (HS-DSCH) channels and dedicated (DCH) channels. According to one aspect of the technology, use of the spreading codes of the code tree is monitored and an HS-DSCH channel is allocated a free spreading code which is non-adjacent to a spreading code already allocated to the HS-DSCH channels. In some example implementations, the free, non-adjacent spreading code is allocated so that more than one high speed channel user can use the spreading codes. In other example implementations, the free, non-adjacent spreading code is allocated so that one user uses the spreading codes by using more than one HS-SCCH channel. Preferably the non-adjacent spreading code is released from the HS-DSCH channel when the non-adjacent spreading code is needed for use by a DCH channel. |
| US08149791B2 |
MIMO beamforming method and method of constructing a differential codebook for a wireless network
A MIMO beamforming method comprises receiving at a base station information regarding a difference between an ideal beamforming matrix and an averaged beamforming direction, using the information to construct a beamforming matrix at the base station, and performing a beamforming operation using the reconstructed beamforming matrix. Alternatively, the method comprises computing at a subscriber station an averaged beamforming direction, computing at the subscriber station a quantization index corresponding to a differential matrix in a differential codebook, and transmitting the quantization index across a wireless channel of the wireless network. The differential codebook may be constructed by identifying a codebook center and transforming a predefined codebook that is stored in a memory of a component of the wireless network. |
| US08149790B2 |
Bi-directional handover method and apparatus
Apparatus for bi-directional handover are disclosed. An apparatus configured to perform handover from a wireless code division multiple access (WCDMA) to a wireless broadband (WiBro) network is disclosed. An apparatus configured to perform handover from a WCDMA network to a WiFi (IEEE 802.11x) network is disclosed. An apparatus configured to perform handover from a WiFi network to a WCDMA network is disclosed. |
| US08149789B2 |
Apparatus, and an associated method, for preserving communication service quality levels during hand-off of communications in a radio communication system
A mobile station is configured to transmit a sequence of data packets over a wireless network. The station includes a data sequence expander. The expander receives an indication of a pending hand-off for the mobile station from a first network access point to a second network access point and estimates an amount of time prior to occurrence of the hand-off. The expander inserts a number of delay packets into the sequence of data packets in response to receiving the indication of the pending hand-off. The number of delay packets is determined based on the estimated amount of time prior to the occurrence of the hand-off such that the insertion of the delay packets into the sequence of data packets will cause a delay that corresponds to the amount of time prior to occurrence of the hand-off. |
| US08149785B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for jumping calls between different modes of the same device
Methods, systems, and computer program products for jumping a call between modes of the same device are disclosed. According to one method, a call is established between a first mode of a calling device and a call device. An indication is received to jump the call to a second mode of the calling device. In response to the indication, the call is jumped to a second mode of the calling device such that the call continues between the second mode of the calling device and the called device. |
| US08149783B2 |
Providing mobility control information to a communications device
A method for providing mobility control information to a communications device includes determining, for a transceiver device of a communication system, mobility control information of at least one further transceiver device and broadcasting system information from the transceiver device on a basic broadcast control channel, wherein the system information comprises the mobility control information of the at least one further transceiver device. |
| US08149773B2 |
Resource allocation for enhanced uplink using an acquisition indicator channel
Techniques for supporting UE operation with enhanced uplink are described. A UE may select a first signature from a first set of signatures available for random access for enhanced uplink, generate an access preamble based on the first signature, and send the access preamble for random access while operating in an inactive state. The UE may receive an acquisition indicator (AI) for the first signature on an acquisition indicator channel (AICH) from a Node B. The UE may use a default enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) resource configuration for the first signature if the AI has a first predetermined value. The UE may determine an E-DCH resource configuration allocated to the UE based on an extended acquisition indicator (EAI) and a second signature if the AI has a second predetermined value. In any case, the UE may send data to the Node B using the allocated E-DCH resource configuration. |
| US08149770B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining capability of a serving system for anchoring a call using an intelligent network protocol
A method (200) for determining capability of a serving system for anchoring a call using an intelligent network protocol is provided. A communication network (100) includes a plurality of serving systems. Each serving system of the plurality of serving systems is associated with a unique identifier (ID). The method at a communication device (124) includes detecting (204) a movement of the communication device from a first serving system (102) to a second serving system (104) based on the unique ID of the first serving system and the unique ID of the second serving system. Further, the method includes accessing (206) a list that includes a mapping of the unique ID of each serving system with the intelligent network protocol capability of the serving system. Furthermore, the method includes determining (208), based on the list, whether the second serving system supports the intelligent network protocol for anchoring a call. |
| US08149769B2 |
Apparatus and method of transmitting and receiving reception acknowledgment signal in mobile communication system
Provided are apparatus and method of transmitting and receiving a reception acknowledgment signal in a mobile communication system. The apparatus and method of receiving the reception acknowledgment signal includes respectively calculating a probability that the received reception acknowledgment signal is a reception success signal and a probability that the reception acknowledgment signal is a reception failure signal, by using an estimated packet error rate predicted based on a pre-set required packet error rate and determining whether the reception acknowledgment signal is the reception success signal or the reception failure signal. The apparatus and method of transmitting a reception acknowledgment signal includes determining transmission powers of a reception success signal and a reception failure signal in order to maximize a difference between a first complex signal and a second complex signal, the first complex signal being modulated for the reception success and the second complex signal being modulated for the reception failure, based on the average transmission power and a pre-set required packet error rate. The apparatus and method of transmitting reception acknowledgment signals transmits a single packet indicating reception successes or failures for a plurality of received data packets by using variable length coding based on a pre-set required packet error rate. According to the present invention, non-uniformity of frequency between the reception success signal and the reception failure signal is considered to increase correct reception rate of the reception acknowledgment signal. |
| US08149765B2 |
Mobile station, base station, communications system, and communications method
A mobile station includes a radio link control unit for outputting or inputting data that are transmitted or received via a radio channel to or from a higher-level protocol layer, a media access control unit for outputting or inputting data via a logical channel to or from the radio link control unit, a physical layer control unit for outputting or inputting the data via a transport channel to or from the media access control it and for controlling radio communications, and a radio resource control unit for outputting or inputting control data to or from the radio link control unit, media access control unit, and physical layer control unit. The mobile station multiplexes report information therefrom into a channel for packet data transmission so as to transmit it to a base station. The base station carries out assignment of radio resources using the report information. |
| US08149764B2 |
Methods and apparatus for distributing and acquiring overhead flow data in a multi-frequency network
Methods and apparatus for distributing and acquiring overhead flow data in a multi-frequency network. In an aspect, a method includes generating primary flow (PF) overhead data associated with one or more multiplexes to be distributed in the multi-frequency network, identifying multiplex specific overhead (MSO) data associated with the one or more multiplexes, transmitting the PF overhead data over the multi-frequency network using first pre-assigned flow identifiers, and transmitting the MSO data over the multi-frequency network using second pre-assigned flow identifiers. An apparatus includes flow acquisition logic configured to acquire PF overhead data associated with at least one multiplex using first pre-assigned flow identifiers, and processing logic configured to determine that overhead data associated with the at least one multiplex has been updated based on the received PF overhead data, and to obtain MSO data associated with the at least one multiplex using second pre-assigned flow identifiers. |
| US08149762B2 |
Satellite, mobile terminal, and complementary terrestrial component in OFDM based multi-beam satellite system reusing the same frequency band for all the beams, and communication method thereof
Provided is a communication method of a mobile terminal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based multi-beam satellite system reusing the same frequency band for all the beams, the method including: receiving location information of the mobile terminal from a satellite to determine a location of the mobile terminal within multiple beams; determining a subcarrier group for a communication with the satellite according to the location of the mobile terminal within the multiple beams; and communicating with the satellite using the subcarrier group for the communication with the satellite. |
| US08149761B2 |
Incrementally increasing deployment of gateways
In one embodiment, a satellite communications system includes first and second receivers, splitters, and combiners. The first receiver is configured to receive a first microwave communications signal; and the first splitter is coupled to the first receiver and configured to split the first microwave communications signal into at least first and second channels. The second receiver is configured to receive a second microwave communications signal; and the second splitter is coupled to the second receiver and configured to split the second microwave communications signal into at least third and fourth channels. The first combiner is coupled to the first and second splitters and configured to combine the first and third channels to form a third microwave communications signal; and the second combiner is coupled to the first and second splitters and configured to combine the second and fourth channels to form a fourth microwave communications signal. |
| US08149752B2 |
Media-access-control protocol for a network employing multi-user wireless channels
A medium-access-control (MAC) scheduler, according to one embodiment of which a station of a wireless network evaluates data throughputs corresponding to three different transmission configurations for transmission of a packet over a first of that station's wireless links. The first and second of those transmission configurations have the packet encoded in the first and second tiers, respectively, of a two-tier signal. The third transmission configuration has the packet encoded as a conventional single-tier signal. For each of the first and second transmission configurations, the station selects a second of that station's wireless links for transmission of at least a second packet, with the first and second packets encoded in different respective tiers of the two-tier signal. The station varies power allocation between the first and second tiers to optimize data throughput for each of the first and second transmission configurations and selects from the first, second, and third transmission configurations one resulting in the highest data throughput. |
| US08149749B2 |
Mobile communications system and mobile terminal
A mobile terminal judges whether or not the mobile terminal is able to make a transition to a DTX period during Active, and, when judging that the mobile terminal is able to make a transition to a DTX period during Active, notifies a base station to that effect. If the base station judges that the mobile terminal is able to make a transition to a DRX period during Active when triggered by the notification from the mobile terminal, the base station temporarily stops supply of electric power to the data transmission processing units and the data reception processing units of the mobile terminal. |
| US08149737B2 |
Method and system for data transmission in a wireless network
A method and system for data transmission by computational devices in a wireless network (100) are disclosed. A computational device (102) organizes the wireless network in a hierarchical topology having at least one root node and updates a list of interferers and a list of descendents. Then, the computational device allocates a Contention Free Period (CFP) slot to each computational device in the wireless network based on at least one of the list of interferers and the list of descendents and transmits data during the allocated CFP slot. |
| US08149735B2 |
Utilizing ad-hoc network pathway support via communication devices
A user end-point device may determine a plurality of personal communication devices that are operable to provide ad-hoc network pathway support when communicatively coupled to the user end-point device, and negotiate with the personal communication devices for incentives for facilitating ad-hoc network communication via one or more connections between the devices. Incentives comprise offering pay and/or credit to the personal communication devices. The personal communication devices receive traffic intended for the user end-point device, and the received traffic is stored, buffered, and/or queued in the personal communication devices. Various types of communication are available during ad-hoc network pathway support, comprising multicast and snoop communications. Providing access to, blocking, limiting and/or modifying available/offered services is managed based on incentives and/or availability of resources in the personal communication devices. The user end-point device is operable to reconstruct data from plurality of packets received directly and via the personal communication devices. |
| US08149733B2 |
Systems and methods for synchronizing communication networks
In many aspects, the invention relates to systems and methods for synchronizing a communication network, particularly a slotted communication network, having a plurality of nodes. In slotted communication networks, the nodes are configured to transmit or receive data during selected time slots. During a selected time slot, each node transmits a synchronization message that is received by a neighboring node. The neighboring node adjusts its time slot boundary to coincide with the time of receipt of the synchronization message, thereby synchronizing each node with a neighboring node. Such systems and methods are energy efficient, accurate, fast, fault tolerant and easy to implement. |
| US08149732B1 |
Clearing message broker system
Systems and methods are provided for efficiently permitting the transmission and receipt of trading messages between message sources configured to use a variety of different protocols. Messaging gateways may be configured to reformat messages for proper transmission across a transport mechanism. Routers may be dynamically partitioned so that manual reconfiguration is not required when sources and/or routers are added or deleted. The routers may be configured to route messages based on content to limit the amount of formatting required at message sources. |
| US08149729B2 |
Methods to detect wireless stations in a wireless local area network
In one exemplary embodiment, a process for detecting a phone includes monitoring wirelessly transmitted traffic between first and second stations. Next, the process determines whether the traffic sent in both directions between the first and second stations are close to each other in term of traffic volume. The process identifies a total frames count of a number of frames of an identical frame size transmitted, where the number of frames is greater than any number of frames of a same size. The process calculates the percentage of the count that was just collected out of the count of the total frames. The process identifies the first station as a phone if the calculated percentage is over a first threshold and the total frames count is over a second threshold. |
| US08149727B2 |
Radio transmission apparatus, and radio transmission method
Provided is a communication device, which is enabled to improve the throughput of a communication system by reducing the difference of a transmission power between an SCCH and an SDCH thereby to satisfy the required quality of a PAPR. In this device, an MCS selection unit (111) of a transmission unit (110) decides, with reference to a CQI lookup table, an MCS pattern (MCS1) of the SDCH, an MCS pattern (MCS2) of the SCCH and information (multiplex information) on multiplex positions on the time axes of those two channels, on the basis of the CQI information. On the basis of the MCS2 and the MCS1, encoding modulation units (112 and 113) perform encoding and modulating operations. According to the multiplex information, a channel multiplexing unit (114) time-division multiplexes the SCCH and the SDCH thereby to generate a transmission signal. |
| US08149726B2 |
Wireless communication system and method
A method for performing wireless communication in a network by at least one of a plurality of network nodes, the network including a network coordinator, the plurality of network nodes, and a plurality of subscriber stations. The method includes sending, by at least one of the plurality of network nodes, delay data to at least one of the network coordinator or one or more upstream network nodes. The delay data includes a network node delay data associated with the at least one of the plurality of network nodes, and the one or more upstream network nodes include any of the plurality of network nodes located along an upstream transmission path between the at least one network node and the network coordinator. In addition, the method includes receiving, from at least one of the network coordinator or the one or more upstream network nodes, target delay data, and receiving, from at least one of the network coordinator or the one or more upstream network nodes, a message. Further, the method includes transmitting, at a target transmission time, the message to one or more of the plurality of subscriber stations. The target delay data is based on the delay data, and the target transmission time is based on the target delay data. |
| US08149722B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting VPN communication
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) communication detecting apparatus connecting to an internal network for detecting a VPN node on an external network which connects to the internal network through a relay apparatus, transmits response request packet to test target node, receives response packet from the test target node in response to the response request packet, measures response time which is from first time point when the response request packet is transmitted to second time point when the response packet is received, and determines whether the test target node is the VPN node, based on correlation between the response time and delay time inserted by the relay apparatus when test target packet pass through the relay apparatus, the test target packet, if the test target node is the other of the VPN nodes, including the response request packet or the response packet. |
| US08149721B2 |
Test apparatus and test method
There is provided a test apparatus for testing a device under test, including an obtaining section that obtains a packet sequence communicated between the test apparatus and the device under test, from a simulation environment for simulating an operation of the device under test, a packet communication program generating section that generates from the packet sequence a packet communication program for a test, where the packet communication program is to be executed by the test apparatus to communicate packets included in the packet sequence between the test apparatus and the device under test, and a testing section that executes the packet communication program to test the device under test by communicating the packets between the test apparatus and the device under test. |
| US08149720B2 |
Method and apparatus for QoS control
A method, an apparatus and a system for operating Quality of Service, QoS, based on stream, are provided. The method may include: delivering a Real-Time Transport Protocol, RTP, data stream feature to a forwarding plane; learning a RTP packet which is delivered by the forwarding plane conforming to the RTP data stream feature; and judging the RTP data stream to be a determined RTP data stream based on the RTP packet learned; identifying and monitoring the determined RTP data stream to obtain control strategy of QoS of the determined RTP data stream; and delivering the control strategy of the QoS of the determined RTP data stream to the forwarding plane so that the forwarding plane manipulates QoS of the determined RTP data stream based on the control strategy of QoS. |
| US08149717B2 |
System and method to provide differentiated routing in multi-hop multi-radio wireless networks
A method provides for differentiating usage permissions between different categories of communication traffic within a given network. The method includes ensuring one or more categories of traffic never transits communication radios, link, and/or spectrums dedicated to a different category of traffic. A combined routing metric is calculated using a scaling factor for discouraging usage of restricted communication links and encouraging usage of non-restricted communication links. |
| US08149714B2 |
Routing engine for telecommunications network
A system for automated installation of a communication line using an optimal route between a source location and a destination location is disclosed. The system includes a routing module configured to provide an automated design process for rendering the optimal route. The routing module utilizes a routing algorithm to select the optimal route from a graph of capacity links defining a plurality of possible routes between the source and destination locations. If, at any time during the design process, the optimal route or capacity links defining the optimal route are detected as unavailable for any reason, the routing module re-initiates the design process and thereafter selects a new optimal route based upon a new capacity graph built without the previously unavailable capacity link. A command and control engine manages the process for assigning the optimal route in the provisioning system. |
| US08149713B2 |
Forwarding of packets based on a filtered forwarding information base
A filtered Forwarding Information Base (FIB) (the “complete local FIB”) is used to determine how to forward packets, typically on line cards. The complete local FIB is generated by filtering (i.e., dropping or removing) extraneous entries in the standard global FIB of a router. This smaller FIB is then installed within the memory of a forwarding engine, possibly implemented as a single application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), for use in determining how to forward packets, with the router forwarding packets accordingly. |
| US08149712B2 |
Method for selecting transport format combination guaranteed QoS in mobile communication system
The present invention relates to selecting a transport format combination (TFC) such that a quality of service (QoS) is guaranteed in a mobile communication system of a certain level even for a service having a low priority. The present invention selects a transport format combination such that not only a priority of each service is guaranteed but also a service quality is guaranteed by an MAC layer at the time of transporting services having different QoSs and different priorities. |
| US08149704B2 |
Communication apparatus and data communication method
A communication apparatus includes an arrival time estimation unit, connection selection unit, and network processing unit. The arrival time estimation unit estimates, for each block and each of a plurality of connections, an arrival time until a block generated by segmenting transmission data arrives from the apparatus at a final reception terminal or a merging apparatus through a network. The connection selection unit selects, for each block, a connection with the shortest arrival time from the plurality of connections on the basis of the estimation result. The network processing unit outputs each block to the network by using the selected connection. A data communication method and a data communication program are also disclosed. |
| US08149698B1 |
Providing a schedule for active events to be processed by a processor
A switch that interconnects networks provides a scheduling algorithm that determines a number of active events to be processed by a processor in the switch. The active events involve processing of bearer traffic. A schedule tailored to the number of active events is generated. In response to a change affecting the schedule, the schedule is modified. The active events are processed by the processor according to the modified schedule. |
| US08149693B2 |
Method of implementing association in automatic switched optical network (ASON)
A method of implementing association in an Automatic Switched Optical Network. When an initial node of the 1+1 protection service is outside the ASON, it associates the primary service and the slave service to realize 1+1 protection. This invention includes: a node of a first associated service acquiring path information of a second associated service from a node of the second associated service, and associating the second associated service to the first associated service according to the path information of the second associated service. |
| US08149686B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus and synchronization channel transmission method
A base station apparatus is disclosed for use in a mobile communication system including multiple cells having multiple sectors. The base station apparatus includes a synchronization channel generation unit configured to generate a synchronization channel for use in cell search by a user apparatus and a transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit a signal including the synchronization channel. The synchronization channel includes a primary synchronization channel and a secondary synchronization channel. The primary synchronization channel includes multiple types of sequences, and the secondary synchronization channel transmitted in a sector of a cell includes a code derived from a predefined generation polynomial equation corresponding to the primary synchronization channel. |
| US08149685B2 |
Covert OFDM transmission using cyclic prefix
Methods for secure OFDM communications include changing the length of OFDM symbols in a pseudo-random fashion by appending a totally random signal to some of the OFDM symbols. An adaptive cyclic prefix is provided for covert and spectrally efficient communication. A developed PN based random data addition provides further security by removing the chance of combining synchronization information over several OFDM symbols. |
| US08149677B2 |
Optical pickup unit and optical disk apparatus having a phase-differing periodic structure
An optical pickup unit comprises a diffraction grating that divides light into at least three luminous fluxes and condenses the three luminous fluxes to apply at least three focusing spots, independent of each other, onto a signal side of a medium. The diffraction grating is divided into at least four regions, a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region. |
| US08149676B2 |
Apparatus and method for recording/reproducing holographic data and holographic data storage medium
A method and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing holographic data and a holographic information storage medium, wherein the apparatus for recording and/or reproducing holographic information includes an optical pickup emitting light onto a holographic information storage medium and receiving the emitted light. The optical pickup includes: a light source unit emitting a signal beam and a reference beam in a recording mode; and a focusing optical system focusing the signal beam and the reference beam on one focal point in the holographic information storage medium so that information can be recorded by using an interference pattern formed along a depth direction of the holographic information storage medium in the vicinity of the focal point, wherein the numerical aperture of the focusing optical system for the signal beam is different from the numerical aperture of the focusing optical system for the reference beam. |
| US08149675B2 |
Recording apparatus, recording method, program, and recording medium
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a program, and a recording medium whereby data is reproduced from a two-layer optical disk that has yet to be formatted completely. A control section 51 divides a recording area of a layer L0 of the optical disk 33 into a plurality of recording regions and a recording area of a layer L1 of the same disk 33 into a plurality of recording regions at substantially the same physical positions as the recording regions of the layer L0. A control section 51 records the region where user-designated data was last written. The control section 51 controls a signal processing section 56 to write dummy data to the recording area of the layer L0 or L1 different from the layer that includes the region to which the user-designated data was last written. The signal processing section 56 is then controlled to write dummy data to the recording area of the layer containing the region where the user-designated data was last written, thus formatting the optical disk 33. This invention can be applied advantageously to the recording apparatus for recording data to optical disks. |
| US08149672B2 |
Optical recording medium, information recording method, and information reproducing method
According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium is provided in which interlayer crosstalk is low and in which stable and high-quality recording characteristics can be obtained. To this end, an optical recording medium comprises a first recording part which includes a first recording layer and a first light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side closer to a light receiving surface, and a second recording part which includes a second recording layer and a second light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side farther from the light receiving surface, the first recording part and the second recording part being stacked, wherein the thickness of the second light reflecting layer is larger than the thickness of the first light reflecting layer. |
| US08149667B2 |
Optical recording medium having read-only storage area and writable storage area and recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor
An optical recording medium having a read-only storage area and a writable storage area and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor. The optical recording medium is a hybrid disc having both the read-only storage area, which is suitable for mass production of information having the same contents, and the writable storage area on which data can be recorded, updated or added at a user's option. The read-only storage area has a structure that is completely compatible with a digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM) specification, and the writable storage area is compatible with the recording/reproducing characteristics of a writable DVD specification so that an existing reproducing-only apparatus can read information from the read-only storage area, and data can be recorded in the writable storage area using an apparatus obtained by minimally changing an existing recording/reproducing apparatus while maintaining the physical recording characteristics of the existing recording/reproducing apparatus. |
| US08149666B2 |
Optical disc apparatus
An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention includes a disc type recognizing section for determining whether the optical disc loaded is a first type, of which the number of information storage layers is less than a setting T (where T is an integer that is greater than two), or a second type, of which the number of information storage layers is equal to or greater than the setting T. Depending on whether the optical disc loaded has turned out to be the first type or the second type, the apparatus determines the read/write preprocessing (such as whether a fingerprint detection process needs to be performed or not). |
| US08149661B2 |
Short-pulse light source, laser light emission method, optical device, optical disc device, and optical pickup
Directed to freely adjusting an emission period of a semiconductor laser.In the present invention, pulsed light serving as pulse-shaped laser light (LL) is emitted from a semiconductor laser (3), and a laser drive voltage (DJ) that is generated on the basis of a pulse signal (SL) and that has pulse-shaped drive voltage pulses (DJw) is applied to the semiconductor laser (3). At this time, a short-pulse light source (51) varies a voltage period (TV) corresponding to an interval between the drive voltage pulses (DJw), thereby varying a set period (TS) corresponding to an interval between generated signal pulses (SLw) in the pulse signal (SL). |
| US08149655B2 |
Information recording medium, information recording apparatus and method, information reproducing apparatus and method, and computer program
An information recording medium (100), provided with: a first recording layer (L0 layer) and a second recording layer (L1 layer) in each of which record information can be alternately recorded, at least one of the first recording layer and the second recording layer provided with: an anchor area (AP#1 to 4) which is to record therein anchor information (VRS, AVDP, VAT_ICB) and which is referred to in reading file system information (101, 111) for controlling at least one of recording and reproduction of the record information; and an update area to update and record therein the anchor information. |
| US08149652B2 |
Compensating the effects of static head-media spacing variations and nonlinear transition shift in heat assisted magnetic recording
An apparatus comprises a storage medium, a recording head, a source of electromagnetic radiation, and a control circuit for modulating the source of electromagnetic radiation in response to a static deviation of a spacing between the recording head and the storage medium. A method of compensating a static deviation of a spacing between a recording head and a storage medium performed by the apparatus, and a method of precompensating for nonlinear transition shifts in a heat assisted magnetic recording system, are also provided. |
| US08149651B2 |
Resonator mounted in a case incorporating a watch module
The invention concerns an electronic watch comprising an electric motor (5) for driving analogue display means (6), and a time base (1, 2) comprising an oscillator circuit (2) and a resonator (1), both mounted in the same case (9), characterized in that said case further comprises a control circuit (4) for said electric motor. |
| US08149648B2 |
Method of processing echo pulses, and pulse-echo ranging system using the method
Error correction in an echo pulse is performed by periodically (for example, every 100th pulse) generating a parabola derived from a selected part of the pulse leading edge. An error value is generated from the distance from a leading edge reference point to the peak of the generated parabola or to the echo peak, whichever is less. In this way an error correction is dynamically re-learned. |
| US08149647B2 |
Seismic cable and acoustically decoupled sensor
A robust seismic cable and sensor module system wherein the sensor modules include a housing and sensing unit. The housing substantially transfers the load and torque of the cable from one end of the housing to the other bypassing the sensing unit and the sensing unit and housing are acoustically decoupled from each other for the seismic frequencies desired. |
| US08149639B2 |
Test apparatus of semiconductor integrated circuit and method using the same
A test apparatus includes a test fuse unit for generating a test fuse signal in response to a test mode signal during a test time and generating a test fuse signals according to a fuse cutting after a termination of the test time, a combination signal generating unit for storing a test signal and inactivating a combination signal when the test mode signal is inactivate and for outputting the stored test signal as the combination signal when the test mode signal is activate, and a code signal generating unit for activating a test code signal when one of the test fuse signal and the combination signal is activated. |
| US08149637B2 |
Semiconductor device capable of being tested after packaging
Provided is a semiconductor device capable of effectively testing whether memory cells and a memory cell array are defective. The semiconductor device may include a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells and an external test pad connected to an internal test pad. A test voltage may be applied to the plurality of word lines connected to the plurality of memory cells via the external test pad and the internal test pad in a test mode, wherein the test voltage disables the plurality of word lines. |
| US08149632B2 |
Output circuit for a semiconductor memory device and data output method
An outputting transistor circuit of a push-pull structure has an outputting PMOS transistor and an outputting NMOS transistor connected in series between a first power supply and a grounded power supply. In a standby state, a voltage level of a gate terminal of the outputting PMOS transistor is set to a voltage level of a second power supply higher than a voltage level of the first power supply. In an active state, a voltage level of the gate terminal of the outputting PMOS transistor is changed to a voltage level of the first power supply in response to an active command or a read command, or in response to the state of a semiconductor memory device changing to the active state or a read state, and either the outputting PMOS transistor or the outputting NMOS transistor is turned ON in response to a data read signal from a memory cell. |
| US08149631B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor storage device
For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage. |
| US08149626B2 |
Threshold voltage digitizer for array of programmable threshold transistors
A method and system for determining a respective threshold voltage of each of a plurality of transistors in a memory array. The method includes: applying a ramp voltage to gates of the plurality of transistors, wherein the ramp voltage is configured to increase based on an incrementing digital code; as the ramp voltage is being applied, generating a respective control signal in response to sensing a predetermined threshold current along a respective bitline in the memory array, wherein each transistor in the memory array is in communication with a respective bitline in the memory array; and for each transistor in the memory array, latching a current value of the incrementing digital code in response to the respective control signal corresponding to the transistor being generated. The current value of the incrementing digital code latched by each register corresponds to the threshold voltage of the corresponding transistor. |
| US08149625B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device, operating method thereof, and memory system including the same
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array; a voltage generator configured to provide stepwise increasing step pulses for varying logic states of memory cells in the memory cell array; and control logic configured to adjust an initial voltage of the stepwise increasing step pulses according to the number of the stepwise increasing step pulses. |
| US08149623B2 |
Controller and non-volatile semiconductor memory device
A controller includes a generation unit configured to aggregate comparison results between second threshold voltage levels held in the memory cells and predetermined third threshold voltage levels, and generate a histogram of the second threshold voltage levels, an estimation unit configured to estimate statistical parameter of a distribution of the second threshold voltage levels with respect to a first threshold voltage level according to writing data, based on the histogram, and a determination unit configured to determine a fifth threshold voltage level defining a boundary of a fourth threshold voltage level indicating a read result of the memory cells from the third threshold voltage levels based on the statistical parameter in such a manner that mutual information amount between the first threshold voltage level and the fourth threshold voltage level becomes maximum. |
| US08149622B2 |
Memory system having NAND-based NOR and NAND flashes and SRAM integrated in one chip for hybrid data, code and cache storage
A memory system includes a NAND flash memory, a NOR flash memory and a SRAM memory on a single chip. Both NAND and NOR memories are manufactured by the same NAND manufacturing process and NAND cells. The three memories share the same address bus, data bus, and pins of the single chip. The address bus is bi-directional for receiving codes, data and addresses and transmitting output. The data bus is also bi-directional for receiving and transmitting data. One external chip enable pin and one external output enable pin are shared by the three memories to reduce the number of pins required for the single chip. Both NAND and NOR memories have dual read page buffers and dual write page buffers for Read-While-Load and Write-While-Program operations to accelerate the read and write operations respectively. A memory-mapped method is used to select different memories, status registers and dual read or write page buffers. |
| US08149620B2 |
Flash memory device having dummy cell
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a string selection transistor coupled to a bit line. The device also includes a plurality of memory cells coupled in series to the string selection transistor, wherein at least one of the memory cells is configured to be in a programmed state during an erase procedure of the plurality of memory cells. |
| US08149614B2 |
Magnetoresistive random access memory element and fabrication method thereof
A magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) element includes a bottom electrode embedded in a first insulating layer; an annular reference layer in a first via hole of a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, the annular reference layer being situated above the bottom electrode; a first gap fill material layer filling the first via hole; a barrier layer covering the annular reference layer, the second insulating layer and the first gap fill material layer; an annular free layer in a second via hole of a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer, the annular free layer being situated above the annular reference layer; and a top electrode stacked on the annular free layer. |
| US08149606B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of memory cell arrays stacked on the semiconductor substrate, each memory cell array including a plurality of first lines paralleled with each other, a plurality of second lines paralleled with each other and formed crossing the first lines, and a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections of the first lines and the second lines, each memory cell having one end connected to the first line and the other end connected to the second line; a first control circuit provided on the semiconductor substrate immediately beneath the memory cell arrays and having one end connected to the first line to select and drive the first line; and a second control circuit provided on the semiconductor substrate immediately beneath the memory cell arrays and having one end connected to the second line to select and drive the second line. |
| US08149604B2 |
Method of controlling a rectifying bridge and a circuit for the control
A circuit for controlling a thyristor (V1) into conducting state, the thyristor (V1) being in a rectifier, which rectifier is adapted to supply DC voltage to a DC voltage circuit. The circuit comprises a pulse transformer (T1), means for generating voltage pulses on the primary winding of the pulse transformer (T1), a trigger capacitor (C2) adapted to be charged from the voltage pulses in the secondary winding of the pulse transformer, a zener diode (V5) adapted to be triggered with the voltage of the trigger capacitor (C2) when the voltage of the trigger capacitor (C2) exceeds the breakdown voltage of the zener diode (V5), and an auxiliary thyristor (V3) adapted to be triggered with the current from the trigger capacitor (C2) flowing via the zener diode (V5), wherein the cathode of the auxiliary thyristor (V3) is connected to the gate of the thyristor (V1) for triggering the thyristor (V1) with the current from the trigger capacitor (C2) flowing via the auxiliary thyristor (V3). |
| US08149599B2 |
Controller circuit and system having such a controller circuit
A controller circuit is specified, having a step-up controller, a resonant converter connected downstream of the step-up controller on the output side, a transformer, a rectifier, which rectifier is connected to the secondary winding of the transformer on the input side, and a CLL resonant circuit connected to the resonant converter and to the primary winding of the transformer, which CLL resonant circuit has a resonance capacitance and a first and a second resonance inductance. In order to reduce the switching losses, the CLL resonant circuit is embodied as a “T” circuit. |
| US08149594B2 |
Electromagnetic shield structure of electronics housing
An electromagnetic shield structure of an electronics housing includes a terminal having a protrusion for external connection; a substrate having the terminal disposed thereon and electrically connected to the terminal; a housing made of resin, enclosing the substrate and having an opening at a position corresponding to the protrusion of the terminal on a front surface side where the protrusion of the terminal is located; and an electromagnetic shield disposed so as to surround the substrate inside the housing, having an opening at the position corresponding to the protrusion of the terminal, and electromagnetically shielding the substrate. The electromagnetic shield has a bent portion formed on the front surface side for filling a gap between the terminal and the housing. |
| US08149593B2 |
Radiation level reducing device
A radiation level reducing device, including: a metal plate for covering surface of an electromagnetic wave generation source for radiating an electromagnetic wave; a cover region, set within a plane of the metal plate, for covering the surface; and a plurality of slits formed to a band-shape in the cover region, and spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the plurality of slits includes, a drawing slit extending towards a central part of the cover region from an intense electric field position where an electric field generated in between the electromagnetic wave generation source by the electromagnetic wave is stronger than other positions at an outer periphery of the cover region, and a coupling slit extending so as to line in parallel to another slit from an end in the central part direction of the cover region in the drawing slit. |
| US08149591B2 |
Wall box dimmer
A dual function air-gap switch actuator (26) is incorporated into the generally planar face of a wall box dimmer. The switch actuator is finger operated and provides both a main power disconnect via air-gap contacts (211) and the means (212) to activate a secondary function. The dual function air-gap switch actuator is optionally fitted with an indicator lamp (265). |
| US08149590B2 |
Circuit board fixing element
A circuit board fixing element is provided. The circuit board fixing element is used for fixing a circuit board on a sheet, and includes a fixing portion, a buckling portion, and a connecting portion. The buckling portion is made of a resilient material. The connecting portion is connected between the fixing portion and the buckling portion, and has two opposite ends and a side surface connected to the ends. The fixing portion and the buckling portion are respectively located on the ends and protrude from the side surface. |
| US08149584B2 |
Electronic component and electronic component module
In a dielectric element, the angle θ made by either the top face or the bottom face and the side faces is either 0°<θ<89°, or is 91°<θ<180°, and is an angle other than 89°≦θ≦91°. By this means, the area of contact of the side faces of the dielectric element with a glass epoxy resin substrate and with insulating material is increased, adhesion with the resin substrates is improved, and strength and reliability can be enhanced when buried between the two resin substrates. |
| US08149576B2 |
Information processing unit
Since an information processing unit of the present invention includes a protrusion portion on a back face side of a first casing, it is possible to reduce an impact transmitted to a notebook PC when the notebook PC is placed in an upright position on the surface of a desk. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the notebook PC from being damaged. Furthermore, since the protrusion portion is provided to the back face side of the first casing, it is possible not to allow the notebook PC to stand self-supported in an upright position. Therefore, the notebook PC will not be placed carelessly in an upright position on the surface of a desk or the like; thus, it is possible to prevent the PC from being broken or damaged due to a fall. |
| US08149574B2 |
Cooling fan housing assembly
A cooling fan housing assembly for assembling to a heat sink includes a boosting portion and a connecting portion extended from the boosting portion. The connecting portion includes a first part and a second part for covering on and fixing to the heat sink. The second part of the connecting portion is provided with at least one hooking section for firmly hooking to the heat sink, so that a cooling fan supported on the cooling fan housing assembly can be quickly assembled to the heat sink without the risk of producing vibration during the operation of the cooling fan. Therefore, the cooling fan housing assembly not only reduces assembling labor and time and manufacturing cost, but also enables stable operation of the cooling fan. |
| US08149569B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor with cathode terminal and anode terminal
A solid electrolytic capacitor including a capacitor element having an anode member and a cathode member, an anode terminal electrically connected with the anode member, a cathode terminal electrically connected with the cathode member, and a mold resin portion covering the capacitor element; wherein the cathode terminal has an upper step portion in face-to-face contact with the cathode member and a lower step portion exposed out of the mold resin portion and a bottom surface of the mold resin portion and an upper surface of the lower step portion of the cathode terminal are disposed in an approximately same plane. |
| US08149565B2 |
Circuit board device and integrated circuit device
A circuit board device includes a circuit board comprising a mounting area, and first and second power lines and a ground pad formed on the mounting area, and a vertical multilayer chip capacitor (MLCC) comprising a capacitor body, a plurality of first and second polarity inner electrodes, first and second outer electrodes, and a third outer electrode, wherein the first and second power lines are separately disposed on the mounting area, connected to the first and second outer electrodes, and electrically connected to each other only by the vertical MLCC, and the ground pad is disposed between the first and second power lines and connected to the third outer electrode. |
| US08149564B2 |
MEMS capacitive device and method of forming same
A MEMS capacitive device (90) includes a fixed capacitor plate (104) formed on a surface (102) of a substrate (100). A movable capacitor plate (114) is suspended above the fixed capacitor plate (104) by compliant members (116) anchored to the surface (102). A movable element (120) is positioned in spaced apart relationship from the movable capacitor plate (104) and has an actuator (130) formed thereon. Actuation of the actuator (130) causes abutment of a portion of the movable element (120) against a contact surface (136) of the movable plate (114). The abutment moves the movable plate (114) toward the fixed plate (104) to alter a capacitance (112) between the plates (104, 114). Another substrate (118) may be coupled to the substrate (100) such that a surface (126) of the substrate (118) faces the surface (102) of the substrate (100). The movable element (120) may be formed on the surface (126). |
| US08149563B2 |
Ignition circuit
An ignition circuit includes a system power supply, an ignition coil, a delay unit, a first switch unit, and a second switch unit. When the system power supply is powered on, the second switch unit is turned on, the ignition coil is powered on. After a delay time, the delay unit controls the first switch unit to be turned on, the second switch unit is turned off, the ignition coil is powered off. Therefore an ignition operation is accomplished. |
| US08149562B2 |
System for decharging a wafer or substrate after dechucking from an electrostatic chuck
A system for decharging a wafer or substrate disposed on an electrostatic chuck, includes a capacitance detector for measuring a capacitance between the electrostatic chuck and the wafer or substrate, and a decharging voltage calculator for calculating a decharging voltage based at least in part on the capacitance measured by the capacitance detector. The decharging voltage calculated by the decharging voltage calculator of the system is applied to the electrostatic chuck after dechucking to substantially neutralize electrostatic charges on the wafer or substrate. |
| US08149558B2 |
Contactor engagement system and method
A battery control module for a battery system includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) module that generates N PWM signals. The battery control module also includes a contactor control module that consecutively applies the N PWM signals to close a contactor in order to connect a battery to a load. Application of a first one of the N PWM signals moves the contactor at a first velocity from an open position and application of a second one of the N PWM signals moves the contactor at a second velocity to a closed position. The first velocity is less than the second velocity. N is an integer greater than one. |
| US08149557B2 |
Residual magnetic devices and methods
Residual magnetic locks, brakes, rotation inhibitors, clutches, actuators, and latches. The residual magnetic devices can include a core housing and an armature. The residual magnetic devices can include a coil that receives a magnetization current to create an irreversible residual magnetic force between the core housing and the armature. |
| US08149554B2 |
Apparatus for fault tolerant digital inputs
An input termination board for use with an industrial controller in a safety system is disclosed herein. The industrial controller may be populated with standard input modules according to the application. The termination board, in conjunction with the controller allows the standard input modules to be used as safety inputs. The termination board provides simplified wiring between the input modules and the remote devices by splitting each of the signals generated by the remote device into separate inputs for two different input modules. In addition, a program executing on the controller of the safety system monitors and tests each of the inputs in both input modules to verify proper operation of the inputs. If the program detects a fault in either input module, the safety system may alternately shut down according to a fail-safe procedure or continue operating under a fault-tolerant mode of operation. |
| US08149553B2 |
Electrostatic discharge event protection for an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit 2 is provided with a clamp transistor 20 for providing electrostatic discharge event protection. A detector circuit 28 produces a clamp control signal for switching the clamp transistor 20 to a conductive state so as to provide the electrostatic discharge protection. The detector circuit 28 also generates an electrostatic discharge event signal 36 which is distributed elsewhere within the integrated circuit 2 and controls a protection circuit element 60, 64, 44 to force a processing control signal 40, 52 of a signal processing transistor 38, 54 into a state in which the signal processing transistor 38, 54 is more resistant to electrostatic discharge damage. The signal processing transistors 38, 54 may be P-type field effect transistors associated with a receiver 14 or a transmitter 12 connected to an external signal communication line. The use of this active protection controlled by the electrostatic discharge event signal 36 permits smaller protection diodes 22, 24 to be use with such communication signal lines and/or provide for increased electrostatic discharge protection. |
| US08149551B2 |
Systems and methods involving motor drive ground fault interrupts
A method comprises determining whether a ground fault on a bus (110) operative to drive the system (100) exceeds a first threshold level, (502) receiving values of phase currents of a first motor, (504) calculating a sum of the values of the phase currents of the first motor (106) responsive to determining that the ground fault on the bus exceeds the first threshold value, and (504) determining whether the sum of the values of the phase currents of the first motor (106) exceeds a second threshold value (506). |
| US08149547B2 |
Magnetoresistive effect element and thin-film magnetic head with the magnetoresistive effect element
An MR element includes a pinned layer, a free layer and a nonmagnetic space layer or a tunnel barrier layer sandwiched between the pinned layer and the free layer. A magnetization direction of the free layer is substantially perpendicular to a film surface thereof, and a magnetization direction of the pinned layer is substantially parallel to a film surface thereof. |
| US08149545B1 |
Low profile load beam with etched cavity for PZT microactuator
A dual-stage actuator disk drive suspension load beam has a recessed cavity formed in it into which the microactuator motor is partially or completely placed. The cavity may be formed by partially etching the load beam during the same etching process that creates the load beam from a sheet of stainless steel material. The partially etched load beam having a cavity for the microactuator motor has the advantages of a lower profile, improved inertial balancing of the suspension, and increased sway resonant frequency. |
| US08149544B2 |
Hard disk drive with recessed actuator joint
Components and assemblies for a hard disk drive (HDD) with a recessed actuator joint are described. A rotary actuator hub assembly comprises a shaft having a flange, and a pivot seat on which the flange is seated when the shaft is fastened to an HDD chassis. According to an embodiment, the pivot seat has at least one “contact-reducing feature” recessed from the surface of the pivot seat at which the seat contacts the flange. A purpose of the contact-reducing feature(s) of the pivot seat is to weaken the joint between the actuator hub assembly and the chassis, thereby mechanically loosening the rotary actuator assembly from the chassis. Consequently, movements to and vibrations from the chassis are less likely to be transmitted to the rotary actuator assembly and, ultimately, to the HDD read/write head(s). |
| US08149541B2 |
System for controlling contact location during TFC touchdown and methods thereof
A system according to one embodiment includes a thin film stack having a magnetic transducer and a contact pad; and a heater in the thin film stack for inducing thermal protrusion of a media-facing side of the thin film stack, wherein the thin film stack is characterized by the contact pad protruding farther than the magnetic transducer upon the thin film stack being heated by the heater. A method for calibrating a protrusion of a magnetic head includes increasing a thermal protrusion of a magnetic head to induce head-medium contact; determining that the head has contacted the medium, wherein a portion of the head that contacts the medium is a contact pad or overcoat of the contact pad; determining parameters for inducing a desired amount of protrusion based in part on the determination that the head has contacted the medium; and storing the parameters. |
| US08149535B2 |
Magnetic and encapsulation contamination control for disk drives
A disk device with disk contamination control having a spindle for rotating at least one disk. A spindle hub located on the spindle. A disk clamp for clamping the at least one disk on the hub. A magnetic clamp seal magnetically and removably attached to the disk clamp wherein the magnetic clamp seal encapsulates disk contaminants between the clamp and the clamp seal. The magnetic clamp seal magnetically collects metallic contaminants within a sealed housing. |
| US08149534B2 |
Protective coatings for data storage devices
A data storage device comprising a storage medium having a recordable surface, a transducing head having a bearing surface positioned adjacent to the recordable surface of the storage medium, and at least one compound disposed between the recordable surface and the bearing surface, the at least one compound comprising at least one functional group that imparts corrosion resistance and at least one functional group that imparts lubricating properties. |
| US08149528B1 |
Disk drive connecting defect shapes to preempt data loss
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks. A first defect shape is detected during a manufacturing defect scan of the disk. A second defect shape is detected while the disk drive is deployed in-the-field. Whether the first defect shape is connectable to the second defect shape is determined, and when the first defect shape is connectable to the second defect shape, data sectors along a trajectory between the first defect shape and the second defect shape are relocated. |
| US08149527B2 |
Systems and methods for reducing attenuation of information derived from a defective medium
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data regeneration. For example, a method for data regeneration is disclosed that includes receiving a data input derived from a medium, determining a media defect corresponding to the data input, and determining an attenuation factor associated with the defective medium. Based at least in part on the determination that the medium is defective, amplifying the data input by a derivative of the attenuation factor to regenerate the data. |
| US08149522B2 |
Image forming optical system and electronic image pickup apparatus using the same
There is provided an image forming optical system in which, it is possible to achieve both, the small-sizing and slimming of an optical system, and a favorable correction of various aberrations, mainly the chromatic aberration.In an image forming optical system including a lens component in which, a shape of another optical surface C of an intermediate layer L2 which is made of a transparent material having Abbe's number νd2 which is in a close contact with one optical surface B of a lens L1 which is made of a transparent material having Abbe's number νd1, is an aspheric shape differing from (a shape of) the optical surface B, and furthermore, a lens L3 which is made of a transparent material having Abbe's number νd3 is in a close contact with the optical surface C, the following conditions are satisfied 0.012<1/νd3−1/νd1<0.090 (1) 0.010<1/νd3−1/νd2 (2) where, νd1 denotes Abbe's number for the lens L1, νd2 denotes Abbe's number for the intermediate layer L2, and νd3 denotes Abbe's number for the lens L3. |
| US08149521B2 |
Lens apparatus and imaging apparatus
A lens apparatus includes a first lens unit and a second lens unit that can respectively move in an optical axis direction, a first cam tube, a linearly moving guide tube that is arranged on an inner circumferential side of the first cam tube and configured to guide the second lens unit in the optical axis direction, a guide member that is configured to guide the linearly moving guide tube in the optical axis direction, a cylindrical member that is provided on an outer circumferential side of the first lens unit, and a second cam tube. The first lens unit includes a guide part configured to guide the cylindrical member in the optical axis direction. |
| US08149520B2 |
Rotary actuator for auto-focusing a camera lens
A rotary actuator includes a multi-polar magnet, in which north and south poles are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction, the multi-polar magnet being shaped into one of a circular ring and a circular arc member; and a coil body having coils which are provided around the multi-polar magnet to be capable of moving in the circumferential direction of the multi-polar magnet, each of the coils substantially lying on a plane that extends in a radial direction of the multi-polar magnet and orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the multi-polar magnet. The north and south poles of the multi-polar magnet are positioned apart from each other by a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction. Dimensions of each coil are predetermined so that length of each coil in the circumferential direction is associated with the predetermined interval. Predetermined currents are passed through the coils in a properly phased manner. |
| US08149513B2 |
Package structure of liquid lens
The invention discloses a package structure of a liquid lens which includes a first substrate and an electrode on the first substrate. The package structure includes a second substrate, a first sleeve, a second sleeve, a first circular member, and a second circular member. The first substrate is fixed at the first sleeve to form a holding chamber for receiving a first dielectric liquid and a second dielectric liquid. The second substrate is disposed on the liquid lens and fixed at the second sleeve. The first sleeve is fixedly connected inside the first sleeve and the second substrate. The second circular member is disposed on the first circular member. The first and second circular member are located and urged between the first sleeve and the second sleeve to form a reserved expansion chamber. |
| US08149509B2 |
Projection screen and method of constructions
A projection screen apparatus having a retention member configured, in use, to be in contact with at least one surface of a screen along at least a portion of at least one edge of the screen. The projection screen may include polymeric material and the retention member may be bonded to the screen. The retention member may comprise a plurality of apertures and tensioning members extending through the apertures to apply tension to the screen. A portion of each tensioning member extending through the apertures to contact the retention member may be flexible and non-resilient. The retention member may be configured to allow slidable engagement with the plurality of tensioning members. Each retention member may comprise biasing means configured to bias each retention member away from a neighboring retention member, the biasing means adjustable to vary the bias applied when the screen is in situ. |
| US08149506B2 |
Cassette for facilitating optical sectioning of a retained tissue specimen
A cassette for retaining a specimen of surgically exposed tissue from a patient in an orientation that facilitates optical sectioning of the tissue by a confocal microscopic or other optical imaging microscope. The cassette includes a base member having an optically transparent window upon which a tissue specimen is situated, a membrane locatable over a substantial portion of the base member including the window, and an upper member which can cover the base member to provide an enclosed cavity between the membrane and the window sealing the tissue specimen therein. The edges of the tissue specimen may then be positioned planar against the window and retained in that position by bonds formed between the membrane and window around the tissue specimen. The cassette may be part of a confocal imaging system to produce microscopic images of sections of the tissue specimen useful for Mohs surgery. |
| US08149505B2 |
Laser scanner device with limited test part accessibility
A laser scanner device (1) for imaging and/or measuring fluorescent samples located on slides and treated using fluorescent pigments includes a sample table (2) defining a sample plane (49) and a motorized transport device (3) for moving a slide from a storage unit (4) to the sample table (2) and back. The storage unit (4) includes one sample part (7) for sample slides (8) and one test part (9) for test slides (10), each having at least one depository (6) and being accessible during the operation of the laser scanner device (1) for the transport device (3). The test part (9) is implemented separately from the sample part (7) and as a test part magazine (9′) that is permanently connected to the laser scanner device (1) for one or more test slides (10). |
| US08149503B2 |
Reflective semiconductor optical amplifier and optical signal processing method using the same
Provided are a semiconductor optical amplifier and an optical signal processing method using the same. The reflective semiconductor optical amplifier includes: an optical signal amplification region operating to allow a downward optical signal incident from the external to obtain a gain; and an optical signal modulation region connected to the optical signal amplification region and generating a modulated optical signal. The downward optical signal is amplified through a cross gain modulation using the modulated optical signal and is outputted as an upward optical signal. |
| US08149501B2 |
Quantum entangled photon pair generating device
Excitation light is split into two components with mutually orthogonal polarization. One component is fed clockwise and the other component is fed counterclockwise into a polarization maintaining loop. A second-order nonlinear optical medium disposed in the loop generates up-converted light from each excitation component by second harmonic generation, and generates down-converted light from the up-converted light by spontaneous parametric down conversion. A polarization manipulation unit manipulates the polarization direction of at least one of the excitation or down-converted components. The clockwise and counterclockwise components of the down-converted light are recombined and output as quantum entangled photon pairs having substantially the same wavelength as the excitation light. The optical components can be optimized for operation at this wavelength without the need to consider the shorter wavelength of the up-converted light. |
| US08149493B2 |
Electro-optic silicon modulator
In a general aspect, a device includes a substrate, a light transmission formed on a top surface of the substrate, a first contact, and a second contact. The light transmission structure includes a first doped region; a second doped region doped oppositely to the first region; a lateral junction between a part of the first doped region and a part of the second doped region, the lateral junction oriented substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate; and a vertical junction between a part of the first doped region and a part of the second doped region, the vertical junction oriented substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate. The first contact is in electrical contact with the first region and the second contact is in electrical contact with the second region. |
| US08149491B2 |
Scanning unit and image display device
A scan unit according to the present invention is a scan unit including: a reflecting portion for reflecting laser light; and an enclosure portion having a movable object enclosed within a hollow, characterized in that the movable object moves in accordance with an angular velocity of the scan unit, thereby changing a reflecting state of the reflecting portion with respect to the laser light. In one embodiment, the movable object moves in accordance with the angular velocity of the scan unit to cover at least a part of the reflecting portion. In one embodiment, the movable object moves in accordance with the angular velocity of the scan unit to deform the reflecting portion. |
| US08149487B2 |
Optical apparatus
An optical apparatus includes: a focusing lens that focuses light which is one of recording light being irradiated to an optical recording medium with reference light for recording a hologram and reference light being irradiated to an optical recording medium for reading out a hologram; and a focal position-shifting unit that refracts the light while moving in accordance with a moving speed of the optical recording medium, so as to shift a focal position of the light in the optical recording medium a distance in a thickness direction of the optical recording medium. |
| US08149486B2 |
Recording device, recording/reproducing method, and reproducing method
A hologram recording and reproduction method is configured such that the number of values which can be implemented per one pixel is increased from two according to a conventional method to three or more to achieve increase of the data recording capacity. While two values are conventionally represented by two different values of “0” and “1” of the amplitude, for example, phases “0” and “π” are combined with the amplitudes “0” and “1” thereby to make it possible to represent three values of “0,” “1” and “−1” (amplitude “1”×phase “π”). In particular, a two-value data train of “0” and “1” is converted into another data train of three values of “0,” “1” and “−1” in accordance with a rule for encoding determined in advance, and the amplitude “0” is allocated to pixels of the value “0”; the amplitude “1” (phase “0”) is allocated to pixels of the value “1”; and the amplitude “1” and the phase “π” are allocated to pixels of the value “−1,” to carry out recording. Increase of the data recording capacity can be achieved thereby. |
| US08149483B2 |
Color gamut data creating device
A color gamut data creating device includes a locating unit, and an extracting unit. The locating unit locates characteristic points based on the measurement points on a target plane. The extracting unit extracts at least three vertices of a color gamut from among the characteristic points. The at least three vertices satisfy the conditions that a first point, which is any one of the at least three vertices, is located within a reference distance from a second point adjacent to the first point from among the at least three vertices, and that all cross products that are calculated by a vector from the first point to the second point and vectors from the first point to any characteristic points that are located within the reference distance from the first point have the same sign. |
| US08149479B2 |
Original transport and reading apparatus
An original transport and reading apparatus is provided with an original transport portion that transports an original, an original reading portion that reads the original transported by the original transport portion through a reading region of a reading glass, and a control portion that controls the original transport portion. The control portion executes foreign matter removal at the reading region of the reading glass by controlling the original transport portion so as to cause the original to advance in a reverse direction to a transport direction of when the original is being read and causes the original to contact at least the reading region of the reading glass. |
| US08149477B2 |
Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus including the same
In an optical scanning apparatus, the shape of a sub-scanning section of a transmissive imaging optical element on which a light beam subjected to scanning and deflected by a deflecting surface of an optical deflector is incident twice, the tilt angle of a reflective optical element disposed in an optical path between the optical deflector and a surface to be scanned, and the relationship between the transmissive imaging optical element and the reflective optical element are provided. |
| US08149476B2 |
Document reading apparatus
Provided is a document reading apparatus in which an original document fed by feeding means to contact glass having a predetermined reading position is read by reading means. Then, the document reading apparatus is provided with a guide unit having a guide member for guiding the original document to be fed to the contact glass, and a backup unit to back up the original document to be read, and the guide unit is configured to be able to travel between a close position to near the contact glass and an open position to distance from the contact glass. In the guide unit is formed a concave portion for removably accommodating the backup unit, and the backup unit is configured so that an original document guide face of the guide member and an original document guide face in the backup unit form a continuous guide face when the guide unit travels to the close position.Then, the guide unit is moved to the open position to perform cleaning of the backup unit and contact glass. Further, the backup unit is removed to perform maintenance. |
| US08149474B2 |
Image reading apparatus
A control unit inputs a control signal depending on whether reading at a high resolution is selected or reading at a low resolution is selected in an image reading unit. A first delay circuit and a second delay circuit output image data that is captured by a first CCD line sensor and a second CCD line sensor to an adder after retaining the image data for a time in accordance with the input control signal. The adder generates color image data by adding the image data that is captured by the first CCD line sensor to the image data that is captured by the second CCD line sensor. |
| US08149473B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus is provided that can prevent image streaks due to dirt, stain or the like from being produced in an image of an original that is read while being conveyed. The image reading apparatus (A) includes an ADF (40) having a scanner unit (59) incorporated therein and comprised of a cylinder (60) having an outer peripheral surface thereof on which a plurality of read pixels (61) are arranged in a matrix. In reading an original (D), the scanner unit is rotatably driven in an original conveying direction at a circumferential speed approximately equal to an original conveying speed, and reads image information on the original passing through an image reading position (P1). |
| US08149472B2 |
Image-scanning system, method of controlling image-scanning system, and computer readable medium therefor
An image-processing system and a method for controlling the same, including an image-scanning device obtaining image data by scanning data written on a document, an image-processing device processing the image-data item and outputting as an output-image data, and a user interface including setting conditions of the scanning and the image processing, setting an item having a limit value, so as to determine whether or not, at least one of (1) the size of the processed image data, and (2) a time period from when the scanning processing is started to the output, should be limited based on an input from the user interface, changing at least one of the conditions based on the item, performing scanning for the document based on the conditions and the changed condition, and processing image data obtained through the scanning based on the conditions and the changed condition, and outputting the output-image data. |
| US08149469B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image reading method
An image reading apparatus has an image sensor in which a plurality of sensor arrays for reading a document image are connected into a line, and parallel-output image data. In the image reading apparatus, of image data output from each sensor array, image data of a pixel at one end and image data of the remaining pixels are compressed by different compression methods. The compressed data of one line are decompressed by a set method at the timing when the number of pixels reaches a preset number of pixels. |
| US08149467B2 |
E-mail transmission apparatus, e-mail transmission method and e-mail transmission program
A technology for use in an e-mail transmission apparatus capable of preventing or discovering ‘impersonation’ in e-mail transmission efficiently, in which an e-mail is sent not only to a receiving address, but also to a sending address set by a sender. |
| US08149466B2 |
Method of embedding data in original image with reduced effect on visibility of original image
A PC generating image data divides data to be embedded into a predetermined size and arranges it in a predetermined area of a watermarking image. In the predetermined area are defined positions a-h assumed by an information dot configuring an information pattern based on the data to be embedded, and, of positions a-h, a position defined for the information pattern is assumed by a point dot. Of positions a-h, a position that is not defined for the information pattern is assumed by a linear dot. Furthermore in the predetermined area there is a position assumed by a positioning dot defining the predetermined area, and this position is assumed by a point dot. The linear dot has a geometry extending in one of the main scanning direction and vertical scanning direction of an image formation apparatus that allows higher performance in reproducibility for a line. |
| US08149463B2 |
Information processing apparatus, image processing apparatus and method thereof, which create and use a halftone screen
A halftone screen which is applicable to a low-resolution electrophotographic printer is created. Hence, dot-lattice points arranged in a predetermined region are displaced using rotation processing, the predetermined region is partitioned into polygons each of which surrounds the dot-lattice point. Then, a threshold matrix used to grow a halftone dot, which is surrounded by each polygon, in a direction of the displacement is generated. |
| US08149461B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method to compensate for displacement of different printing positions in different colors
An image processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit; an edge detecting unit; a transparency setting unit; an image data generating unit; and an instruction unit. The acquisition unit acquires print data, the print data indicating an object image and a background image, a region of the object image being located at least partly inside a region of the background image. The edge detecting unit detects at least a part of an edge of the object image. The transparency setting unit sets an edge region that is located inside the region of the object image and that extends along the at least a part of the edge detected by the edge detecting unit, the transparency setting unit setting a transparency degree to the edge region of the object image. The image data generating unit generates image data based on the print data and on the transparency degree for the edge region of the object image. The instruction unit issues a printing instruction instructing that a plurality of color component images are printed in a plurality of different colors one on another based on the image data. |
| US08149455B2 |
Color reproduction method using B-spline approximation
A units of red {u1-uA}, B units of green {v1-vB} and C units of blue {w1-wC} are sampled and measurements are performed, and an interpolation equation is found from the A×B×C units of data in three-dimensions (L*, a*, b*) that are obtained. Firstly, A units of point sequence data in 3×B×C dimensions are least squares approximated for the parameters u, and Mu control points in 3×B×C dimensions are found. Then, B units of point sequence data in 3×C×Mu dimensions are least squares approximated for the parameters v, and Mv control points in 3×C×Mu dimensions are found. Next, C units of point sequence data in 3×Mu×Mv dimensions are least squares approximated for the parameters w, and Mw control points in 3×Mu×Mv dimensions are found. Then, output values (L*,a*,b*) corresponding to arbitrary input values (Red,Green,Blue) can be obtained by an interpolation equation according to Mu×Mv×Mw final control points in three dimensions and basis functions used in the least squares approximations. |
| US08149451B2 |
Information processing device, information embedding method, and program
In an information processing device which embeds a number of partial information items produced from predetermined information in an image, an image dividing unit divides an image into a number of division images in a lattice formation to generate the division images. An information assigning unit assigns the partial information items to the division images generated by the image dividing unit. An information embedding unit embeds the partial information items assigned by the information assigning unit, in the division images. The information assigning unit assigns all the partial information items to a set of division images located in a predetermined direction. |
| US08149449B2 |
Systems and methods for print scheduling
In some embodiments of systems and methods for print scheduling, at least one of a plurality of entries in a request table associated with a printing device is updated with print job related information when a spool associated with a printing device is full. A priority is associated with the entries in the request table and an incoming print job is spooled at the time of a print job request, if the spool associated with the printing device is not full and the entry corresponding to the print job in the request table has the highest priority. Embodiments of the methods disclosed provide for the ordered processing of print jobs in a timely fashion with minimal alterations to existing protocols. |
| US08149444B2 |
Printing control system
A print system in which a printer and a client personal computer are connected to a network. The printer may include a storage unit configured to store a residual quantity information of sheets of paper in a paper feed cassette, a communication unit configured to transmit the residual quantity information to the client personal computer, and a printing unit. The client personal computer may include a generation unit configured to generating print data corresponding to a print job, and a control unit configured to acquire the residual quantity information and a number of sheets of paper necessary for the print job and compare the residual quantity information and the number of sheets of paper necessary. Upon judging an occurrence of exhaustion of sheets of paper according to a comparison result, the control unit may notify a user before starting printing in the printer. |
| US08149437B2 |
Image forming apparatus with user authentication
An image forming apparatus spools normal print requests received from external equipment as normal print jobs which are sequentially executed by a printer, spools a private print request received from an external equipment in a spooler as a private print job executed by a printer in response to an instruction by a user who has requested the private print, and changes a normal print job in an execution waiting state of the user which is spooled in the spooler to a private print job of the user in response to a request from the user authenticated by a user authenticating portion. |
| US08149436B2 |
Network facsimile apparatus
A communication apparatus is connected to a terminal apparatus via a network. The communication apparatus includes a storage that stores a document file and an HTML file of a user setting page. A file manager stores a storage period for the document file, determines whether or not the document file has been stored in the storage for the storage period, and deletes the document file when the document file has been stored in the storage for the storage period. A web server transmits, to the terminal apparatus, the HTML file of the user setting page, the user setting page configured so that a user at the terminal apparatus can request a change of the storage period. The web server further instructs the file manager to change the storage period, when the user requests the change of the storage period. |
| US08149432B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and recording medium storing program for modifying print instructions
An information processing apparatus that can be connected to an image-forming apparatus, a method, and a program used for the information processing apparatus are disclosed. The information processing apparatus comprises a control unit for controlling print-setting information set for document data to be printed, a recognition unit for recognizing information about a first function specified by the print-setting information by translating the print-setting information controlled by the control unit, an obtaining unit for obtaining information about a second function of the image-forming apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus, a determination unit for determining whether or not the image-forming apparatus can perform the first function recognized by the recognition unit based on the second-function information obtained by the obtaining unit, and a modification unit for modifying the print-setting information controlled by the control unit based on the determination result. |
| US08149431B2 |
Systems and methods for managing printer settings in a networked computing environment
Systems and methods for remotely managing printer settings that are associated with a remote printer connected to a client machine. A virtual printer driver, executing on a server, is used to generate and manage generate virtual printer queues associated with remote printers connected to the client machine. Each virtual printer queue intercepts print requests generated by one or more applications executing on the server, these print requests cause the virtual printer driver to either retrieve printer setting information from cache memory, or interrogate the remote printer for printer setting information. The virtual printer driver retrieves printer setting information and associates virtual printer queues with remote printers using the retrieved printer setting information. The virtual printer driver then responds to the print request by generating a graphical interface that incorporates the retrieved printer settings and user-defined printer settings. |
| US08149430B2 |
Dual-head or hybrid print driver supporting XPS and GDI print paths without performing data conversion between XPS to EMF or vice versa
A method is provided for improving printing performance of a print job from a Graphics Device Interface (GDI) based Windows® application submitted to an XPSDrv printer driver which is utilized by a filter pipeline service, wherein a required conversion from an existing GDI/device driver interface (DDI) to an XML Paper Specification (XPS) performed by a GDI-to-XPS conversion unit is eliminated to reduce latency. The method includes replacing the GDI-to-XPS conversion unit with a printer graphics driver which converts DDI calls into raw spool data; and adding a dual head filter as a first filter to the filter pipeline service to handle the raw spool data generated from the printer graphics driver. |
| US08149429B2 |
Control apparatus, program, computer-readable storage medium, imaging apparatus control system, and control method
In acquiring setting information from a user, a multifunctional apparatus can be switched between (i) a first input mode in which an operation panel displays a setting window and accepts an operation from the user and (ii) a second input mode in which a printing section prepares an entry sheet on which setting information is written to be designated and a scanner section reads the entry sheet on which the setting information has been written. A control server controls such multifunctional apparatuses, and includes: an input mode selecting section for selecting either of the two input modes in accordance with a predetermined condition when the multifunctional apparatus acquires setting information from a user; and a command generating section for generating a control command for instructing the multifunctional apparatus to acquire setting information in the input mode selected by the input mode selecting section. This provides a user-friendly input environment. |
| US08149427B2 |
Dispatching pages for raster-image processing prior to printing the pages by a printing device
A raster-imaging processing (RIP) time is predicted for each of a number of pages to be printed in printed-page number order. The pages are sorted based at least on when RIP should be finished for each page. The pages are dispatched to RIP components for RIP at least substantially in an order in which the pages have been sorted. Each page is dispatched to a next RIP component that is available. A RIP component is available for a given page to be dispatched thereto where a total size of the RIP component's output buffer minus space within this output buffer taken up by any pages ordered after the given page in the printed-page number order is greater than the needed space to store the given page. The pages as have been raster-image processed are retrieved from the output buffers in the printed-page number order and transmitted to a printing device. |
| US08149424B2 |
Image processing device and information processing device
A disclosed image processing device includes: a media connecting portion including a first surface and a second surface forming a space for housing a protrusion type storage medium whose body protrudes from the media connecting portion and an insertion type storage medium whose body is inserted into the media connecting portion; a protrusion type slot portion for protrusion type storage media formed on the first surface; and an insertion type slot portion for insertion type storage media formed on the second surface. An insertion direction in the protrusion type slot portion is substantially orthogonal to an insertion direction in the insertion type slot portion. |
| US08149422B2 |
System and method for dispersion-force-based actuation
A system and method for dispersion-force-based actuation are disclosed. In some embodiments, a light beam is used to change the dispersion force between two spaced apart surfaces. The change in the dispersion force causes a change in the gap between the surfaces. The actuation system can be used in conjunction with a deformable mirror to provide an improved adaptive optics system. |
| US08149417B2 |
Synchronous radiation hardened fiber optic gyroscope
A synchronous fiber optic gyroscope includes a light source, an optical coupler in optical communication with the light source, an optical modulator in optical communication with the coupler, and a fiber optic coil in optical communication with the modulator. A detector is configured to receive an optical signal from the coupler and convert the optical signal to an electrical signal. A loop closure signal processor has a first input configured to receive the electrical signal from the detector. A phase lock loop has an output operatively connected to a second input of the processor. A direct digital synthesizer is operatively coupled to an input of the phase lock loop, with the synthesizer configured to generate a low-frequency signal that is transmitted to the phase lock loop. The phase lock loop converts the low-frequency signal to a high-frequency signal that is transmitted to the second input of the processor, and the phase lock loop provides signal modulation that is synchronous with signal demodulation. |
| US08149414B2 |
Method and device for measuring the spectral phase or the combined spectral and spatial phases of ultra short light pulses
The method and device for measuring the spectral phase or combined spectral and spatial phases of ultra short light pulses, consisting of a decomposition of the light pulse to be measured in two identical replicas called signal pulse and primary reference pulse, respectively, of different polarization or direction and the phase characteristics of which are essentially identical to the original pulse, a temporal filtering of the primary reference pulse by a nonlinear interaction generating a secondary reference pulse of average frequency essentially identical and of spectral width greater than the spectral width of the primary reference pulse, and a spectral interferometry measurement by recombination of this secondary reference pulse and the signal pulse with a given temporal offset. |
| US08149413B2 |
Surface plasmon resonance sensing device
A surface plasmon resonance sensing device that is portable, and having the fiber sensing unit whose resonant wavelength being within the transmission range of a single-mode fiber or a multi-mode fiber, is disclosed. The disclosed sensing device comprises: a light source unit, a fiber sensing unit, an optical sensor, a plurality of fibers, and a computing and displaying unit. The fiber sensing unit includes a trench, a cladding layer, a core layer, a first metallic layer, and a plurality of dielectric thin film layers, wherein the first metallic layer covers the trench, and the plurality of dielectric thin film layers forms on the first metallic layer. The light source provided by the light source unit will become a light signal, after the light passes through the fiber sensing unit. The optical sensor transforms the light signal into a corresponding electric signal, for the usage of the computing and displaying unit. |
| US08149410B2 |
Detecting device, detecting unit substrate, detecting unit, detecting unit kit and detecting method
A necessary number of metal structures including a trapping body for trapping a target substance provided on a support are one-dimensionally placed to form a transmission path of plasmon, and a signal based on the plasmon transmitted on the transmission path is detected so as to detect whether or not there is trapping of the target substance from a sample to the trapping body. It is thereby possible to detect a reaction of the trapping body belonging to the detecting unit and the target substance with high sensitivity. |
| US08149409B2 |
Apparatus and method for on-line detecting welding part of strip
There is provided an on-line detection system and method for a weld of a steel strip, which can emit a laser beam onto the surface of a steel strip moving at a high speed and measure the reflectivity of the laser beam reflecting from the same, thereby detecting the weld of the steel strip easily on-line. In the on-line detection system, reflectivity measuring means emits a laser beam onto a moving steel strip and continuously measuring the reflectivity of the laser beam returning from the surface of the steel strip, and signal processing means detects a weld of the steel strip based on change in the reflectivity measured on the weld. |
| US08149406B2 |
Method of controlling the colour of the light output of a lamp
The invention describes a method of controlling the color of the light output of a lamp (1), which method comprises electronically collecting color data pertaining to a first color (C1) to obtain a first color description (D1), electronically collecting color data pertaining to a second color (C2) to obtain a second color description (D2), and combining the first color description (D1) with the second color description (D2) to obtain a target color description (DT). The target color description (DT) is transferred to a control unit (4) of the lamp (1), and the lamp (1) is driven according to the target color description (DT) to give a target color light output. The invention also relates to a system (3) for controlling the color of the light output of a lamp. Furthermore, the invention relates to a color data collection device (2) for use in a system (3) for controlling the color of the light output of a lamp (1), which color data collection device (2) comprises a color detector (20) for electronically converting captured light (Lr, Lsp) into color data pertaining to a color (C1, C2), a conversion unit (21) for translating the color data pertaining to a color (C1, C2) into a corresponding color description (D1, D2), a combining unit (22) for combining a first color description (D1) with a second color description (D2) to obtain a target color description (DT), and a transfer interface (23) for transferring the target color description (DT) to a control unit (4) of the lamp (1). |
| US08149404B2 |
Method for aligning wafer and alignment apparatus using the method
A method of aligning a wafer includes recognizing images of the wafer accommodated on a work table and a notch of the wafer using a camera, designating at least one notch point of the notch in a recognized image, producing at least one reference line using the designated notch point in the recognized image, designating a center point of the reference line in the recognized image, producing an imaginary line having an angle with respect to the reference line from the center point of the reference line in the recognized image, producing a center line of the wafer using the imaginary line in the recognized image, and aligning the wafer using an alignment apparatus to allow the center line of the wafer and an alignment line of the work table to be matched. |
| US08149400B2 |
Coded aperture snapshot spectral imager and method therefor
The present invention enables snap-shot spectral imaging of a scene at high image generation rates. Light from the scene is processed through an optical system that comprises a coded-aperture. The optical system projects a plurality of images, each characterized by only one of a plurality of spectral components, onto a photodetector array. The plurality of images is interspersed on the photodetector array, but no photodetector receives light characterized by more than one of the plurality of spectral components. As a result, computation of the spatio-spectral datacube that describes the scene is simplified. The present invention, therefore, enables rapid spectral imaging of the scene. |
| US08149397B2 |
Metallic nanostructures adapted for electromagnetic field enhancement
The disclosure relates to metallic nanophotonic crescent structures, or “nanocrescent SERS probes,” that enhance detectable signals to facilitate molecular detections. More particularly, the nanocrescent SERS probes of the disclosure possess specialized geometries, including an edge surrounding the opening that is capable of enhancing local electromagnetic fields. Nanosystems utilizing such structures are particularly useful in the medical field for detecting rare molecular targets, biomolecular cellular imaging, and in molecular medicine. |
| US08149393B2 |
Personal identification system
A personal identification system, which uses a vein pattern of a finger, optimizes the amount of light of a light source based on a captured finger image and emphasizes the vein pattern during image processing for identification. |
| US08149391B2 |
Distance measuring instrument and method
A distance measuring instrument comprises at least one light source; at least one light detector; optics to direct measuring light emitted from the at least one light source towards an object and to direct measuring light received back from the object to the at least one detector; a signal delay module; a first signal analyzer; and a variable gain amplifier. |
| US08149390B2 |
User interface for laser targeting system
A simulation system for predicting a likelihood of whether a target object positioned in an environment will be detected by a detection system when illuminated by a laser source. The simulation system may be used for a laser rangefinder application and a laser designator application. The simulation system may provide a detection probability of the target object at a specified range to the detection system or a plurality of detection probabilities as a function of the range to the detection system. The simulation system may provide an indication of an overlap of the beam provided by the laser source on the target object. The simulation system may determine the effect of vibration on the detection of the target object at a specified range. |
| US08149389B2 |
Radiation sensor for detecting the position and intensity of a radiation source
A description is given of a radiation sensor for detecting the position and intensity of a radiation source. The radiation sensor includes at least one photodetector having a radiation-sensitive surface. Furthermore, the radiation sensor includes a reflector that reflects the radiation emitted by a radiation source from specific directions at least partly in the direction of the radiation-sensitive surface of the photodetector. The reflector is arranged on that side of the radiation sensor that is remote from the radiation source. |
| US08149386B2 |
Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus using the same and device manufacturing method
An illumination optical system includes a pair of fly-eye mirrors configured to receive light from a light source, a first condenser configured to condense light from the pair of fly-eye mirrors, a reflection type integrator configured to receive light from the first condenser, the reflection type integrator including a plurality of cylindrical reflective surfaces having parallel generating line directions, an aperture stop arranged perpendicular to the generating line direction, and a second condenser configured to superpose on an illuminated surface luminous fluxes from a plurality of cylindrical reflective surfaces of the reflection type integrator. |
| US08149384B2 |
Method and apparatus for extracting dose and focus from critical dimension data
A method for monitoring a photolithography system includes defining a model of the photolithography system for modeling top and bottom critical dimension data associated with features formed by the photolithography system as a function of dose and focus. A library of model inversions is generated for different combinations of top and bottom critical dimension values. Each entry in the library specifies a dose value and a focus value associated with a particular combination of top and bottom critical dimension values. A top critical dimension measurement and a bottom critical dimension measurement of a feature formed by the photolithography system using a commanded dose parameter and a commanded focus parameter are received. The library is accessed using the top and bottom critical dimension measurements to generate values for a received dose parameter and the received focus parameter. The received dose and focus parameters are compared to the commanded dose and focus parameters to characterize the photolithography system. |
| US08149381B2 |
Optical element and exposure apparatus
An optical element is used for an exposure apparatus which is configured to illuminate a mask with an exposure light beam for transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system and to interpose a given liquid in a space between a surface of the substrate and the projection optical system. The optical element includes a first anti-dissolution member provided on a surface of a transmissive optical element on the substrate's side of the projection optical system. |
| US08149379B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
The use of electro wetting to control the behavior of immersion liquid within an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. |
| US08149378B2 |
Cleaning apparatus for exposure apparatus and exposure apparatus
A cleaning apparatus for an exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an exposing mask onto a substrate with first light through an optical element is provided. The cleaning apparatus cleans the optical element with second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light, and includes a recording part configured to record information on exposure history of the exposure apparatus, and an information producing part configured to produce information on a cumulative irradiation light amount of the second light at each of regions in a predetermined cleaning area on the optical element, based on the information on the exposure history. |
| US08149375B2 |
Display panel and manufacturing method thereof
There is provided a display panel formed by segmenting a large sized substrate into an individual substrate along alignment marks, remaining portions of the alignment marks being formed in the display panel. A remaining portion of a slant mark formed by a plurality of scale lines arranged in parallel to each other is formed between the remaining portions of the alignment marks. |
| US08149374B2 |
Cholesteric liquid crystal display devices with actuating thin-film driving elements
Cholesteric liquid crystal display (Ch-LCD) devices with actuating thin-film driving elements are presented. The Ch-LCD device includes a first substrate and an opposing second substrate. An actuating thin-film structure is disposed on the first substrate. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer is filled between the first substrate and the second substrate. A common electrode is disposed on the second substrate. In operation, the actuating thin-film structure is deformed to drive phase transition of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. |
| US08149371B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with grounded by thermocompression bonding tape
A liquid crystal display device which can be manufactured at a low cost is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate, a CF substrate of a size smaller than a size of the TFT substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate. A ground pad is formed on a portion of the TFT substrate where the CF substrate does not overlap with the TFT substrate. A transparent conductive film is formed on an upper surface of the CF substrate. The transparent conductive film of the CF substrate and the ground pad formed on the TFT substrate are electrically connected with each other via a thermocompression bonding conductive tape. A double-sided adhesive tape is arranged between the thermocompression bonding conductive tape and an upper surface of the CF substrate and between the thermocompression bonding conductive tape and the TFT substrate. |
| US08149368B2 |
In-plane switching LCD panel
The present invention discloses an array substrate for an IPS-LCD device. The IPS-LCD device according to the present invention implements a multi-domain for a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal molecules are aligned in various directions with respect to each different domain. Therefore, the different domains compensate for one another such that a color shift is prevented in spite of wide viewing angles. To form the multi-domain, the present invention provides an array substrate having divided common electrode or pixel electrode or both. In another aspect, to form the multi-domain, the present invention provides an array substrate having multi-bar shaped common and pixel electrodes. Each of the common and pixel electrodes has a transverse portion and a perpendicular portion. The transverse portions of the common and pixel electrodes induce a first domain, whereas the perpendicular portions of the common and pixel electrodes induce a second domain. |
| US08149367B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An IPS-method liquid crystal display device which exhibits small directivity of a viewing angle and high brightness is realized. A planar common electrode is arranged below a pixel electrode which includes comb-teeth-shaped electrodes and slits. When a video signal is applied to the pixel electrode, an electric field is generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode by way of slit portions formed in the pixel electrode thus controlling liquid crystal molecules. To reduce the occurrence of a phenomenon that an abnormal domain is generated in an end portion of the slit and the abnormal domain lowers transmissivity of liquid crystal, the structure in which the slits having both ends thereof closed and the slits having one-side end portion thereof opened are alternately arranged next to each other in parallel is adopted. |
| US08149365B2 |
Upper substrate and liquid crystal display device having the same
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a lower substrate, an upper substrate and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate. The lower substrate includes a display part for displaying image and a driving part for providing the display part with a driving signal. The upper substrate includes a common electrode and an insulating member that electrically insulates the common electrode from the driving part. The insulating member has a lower dielectric constant than the liquid crystal layer. Thus, a parasitic capacitance between the driving part and the common electrode is reduced to prevent malfunction of the driving part, and a display quality is enhanced. |
| US08149363B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A VA-mode liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of alignment sustaining layers 34a and 34b formed by a photopolymerized material on surfaces of a pair of vertical alignment films 32a and 32b which are closer to a liquid crystal layer, and a cruciform opening 22a provided only in a counter electrode. When a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, four liquid crystal domains are formed such that the azimuths of the directors of the respective liquid crystal domains are different from one another and form an angle of about 45′ relative to the polarization axes of a pair of polarizing plates. When no voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, the pretilt azimuths of liquid crystal molecules included in regions respectively corresponding to the four liquid crystal domains are regulated by the alignment sustaining layers 34a and 34b. |
| US08149358B2 |
Automated teller machine
An ATM of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display panel having, between two transparent substrates, (i) an image forming layer including at least a liquid crystal layer and a pixel section in which RGB pixels are arranged in a matrix manner, and (ii) a plurality of barriers (16) for splitting a display image formed by the image forming layer into a plurality of images each having a specific viewing angle. The plurality of barriers are provided so as to face the image forming layer. The plurality of barriers (16) are extended in a horizontal direction (lateral direction) parallel to the surfaces of the transparent substrates, and provided at substantially regular intervals in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, parallel to the surfaces of the transparent substrates (i.e., in a longitudinal direction). This makes it possible to provide an ATM that prevents a peep at private information such as a secret number without giving, whichever direction a display is viewed, a false recognition that the display is in a resting state. |
| US08149357B2 |
Light absorption layer for a display device
A liquid crystal display is presented. The liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a pixel electrode formed on the first substrate; a first alignment layer formed on the pixel electrode; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a common electrode formed on the second substrate; a second alignment layer formed on the common electrode; a liquid crystal layer formed between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer; and a light absorption layer formed between the first substrate and the first alignment layer, or the second substrate and the second alignment layer, wherein the light absorption layer absorbs light having a UV wavelength between about 280 nm and about 450 nm. |
| US08149355B2 |
Liquid crystal display device comprising color polarizing plate
A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, electrodes formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer twisted in the gap between the pair of substrates at a predetermined twisted angle. A normal polarizing plate to exhibit a polarizing function for the whole visible light is arranged on the outer surface of an observation side substrate in the pair of substrates. A color polarizing plate to exhibit a polarizing function for visible light of a wavelength band other than a specific wavelength band is arranged on the outer surface of the opposite side substrate in the pair of substrates. A reflecting plate to reflect light entering from the observation side toward the observation side is arranged on a surface of the color polarizing plate that is opposite to the surface that opposes the opposite side substrate. |
| US08149353B2 |
Visual display unit illumination
A method of adapting a visual unit having a first screen (10) in a first focal plant by the addition of one or more at least partially transparent display screens (20) at least partially overlapping said first screen (10) and located in focal planes distinct from said first focal plane, characterized in that an at least partially transparent emissive layer (21) is provided between said first screen (10) and at least one said additional display screen (20). |
| US08149351B2 |
Passive and hybrid daylight-coupled backlights for sunlight viewable displays
A passive daylight-coupled display having an LCD panel, a diffuser, and a curved reflector behind the LCD panel. For passive backlighting, the diffuser transmits daylight to the reflector, which reflects the daylight to the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the LCD panel for backlighting it. A hybrid display includes both a passive backlight and an active backlight for providing backlighting from an active light source. |
| US08149350B2 |
Optical element, and lighting device, display device and electronic device that use the optical element
A micro-louver (1) includes: a transparent substrate (2); a concavoconvex shape portion (5) formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2) and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and a light controlling layer (7) including at least one transparent layer (3) and at least light-absorption layer (4) arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2), each of said at least one transparent layer (3) and said at least one transparent layer (4) extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2). |
| US08149347B2 |
Thin film transistor substrate and method of manufacturing the same
A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes forming a gate electrode; forming a gate insulator on the gate electrode, an active layer on the gate insulator, and an etch stopper on the active layer; depositing an ohmic contact layer, a first metal layer and a second metal layer on the substrate; etching the ohmic contact layer, and the first and second metal layers to form ohmic contact patterns, and first and second metal patterns including source, drain and pixel electrodes using a single photomask. |
| US08149345B2 |
Transflective liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a transistor formed in a pixel. A first insulating layer is formed over the transistor, a first electrode is formed on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer is formed on the first electrode, a second electrode is formed on the second insulating layer, and the first electrode has a bumpy plane shape and the second electrode has a line shape portion. |
| US08149343B2 |
Display device and method of manufacturing the same
The present invention relates to a display device having an image-emitting panel and an image dividing sheet. The image-emitting panel includes a light-blocking layer, a lower substrate, an upper substrate and an electro-optic layer. The lower substrate includes pixel electrodes into which a first image signal and a second image signal having different viewing angles are applied in a spatial dividing method. The electro-optic layer reflects a circularly polarized light towards the upper substrate. The image dividing sheet includes a first optical element and a second optical element. The first optical element converts the circularly polarized light into a first light corresponding to the first image signal. The second optical element converts the circularly polarized light into a second light corresponding to the second image signal. |
| US08149342B2 |
Controlling the perceived depth of autostereoscopic display device and method therefor
An autostereoscopic display device comprises: a display panel having an array of display pixels for producing a display, the pixels being arranged in rows and columns; and at least two arrays of light output directing elements, the arrays being arranged in series over the display panel at different depths, each array being controllable to direct the light output from respective groups of pixels in different directions to enable a stereoscopic image to be perceived. The device is operable to selectively control any one of the arrays to provide the light output directing function, thereby providing respective first and second three dimensional display modes having different amounts of perceived depth. |
| US08149341B2 |
LCD apparatus
An LCD panel (214) is provided on the light-incidence side thereof with a reflective polarizer. An optical compensator (213) is provided between a reflective polarizer (211) and the LCD panel (214) to reduce birefringence that takes place in the liquid crystal of the LCD panel (214). A further absorptive polarizer (212) is provided between a reflective polarizer (211) and the optical compensator (213). The reflective polarizer (211) and the absorptive polarizer (212) are arranged so that their transmission axes coincide to each other. Thus, the absorptive polarizer and optical compensator together cooperate to compensate for the deficient polarization degree of the reflective polarizer to improve the contrast of a displayed image. The absorptive polarizer absorbs unwanted catoptric light. The optical compensator removes irregularity in the blackness of the LCD panel that would otherwise appear in the black display screen. Thus, degradation of picture quality of a displayed image caused by unwanted catoptric light undergoing multiple reflections in the LCD panel can be eliminated by the absorptive polarizer in collaboration with the optical compensator. |
| US08149339B2 |
Broadcast receiving apparatus and reproduction processing method
In switching a channel or in switching an external input, a reduction in a psychological strain on a user is offered. An image generating unit 22 generates image data indicating a lapse of time on the basis of time information received from a control unit 30 and supplies it to a combining unit 21. The combining unit 21 combines image data stored in a storage unit 25 and the image data indicating the time information from the image generating unit 22 to generate video data and supplies the video data to a video switching unit 16. The video switching unit 16 selects video data from a video decoder 14, the video data from the combining unit 21, or video data from a determination unit 24 on the basis of the control of the control unit 30 and outputs it to the display unit 18. For example, when a user switches a channel by operating an operating unit 31, muting is performed, the video data from the combining unit 21 is selected, and video indicating a lapse of time is displayed on the display unit 18. |
| US08149338B2 |
Method and apparatus for color decision metadata generation
A method presents metadata that is used for determining the color correction processes to be performed on image data representing a sequence of moving images. Instructions in the metadata controls how many color corrections are to be performed and when such operations occur. The image data is then subjected to the specified color correction operations that are performed at specified times and in a determined order. The image data is then rendered as a series of images by a rendering device. Optionally, different regions of the image data may be subjected to different color correction operations. |
| US08149324B2 |
Phase difference detection device, imaging apparatus, phase difference detection method
The ratio between an image A and an image B is calculated as the comparison result of the images A and B obtained from a pair of optical images. The variance is then calculated in order to evaluate the statistical fluctuation of the ratio obtained for each pixel. The fluctuation due to the variance is evaluated for each phase difference while the phase between the image A and the image B is shifted. The phase difference detection is performed on the basis of the evaluation result of the fluctuation. |
| US08149323B2 |
System and method to autofocus assisted by autoexposure control
In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes comparing a frame rate of image capture by an image sensor to a frame rate threshold at an image capture device. The method also includes when the frame rate is less than the frame rate threshold, increasing the frame rate to a modified frame rate that is greater than or at least equal to the frame rate threshold. The method further includes performing an autofocus operation on an image to be captured at the modified frame rate. |
| US08149322B2 |
Image sensor with an improved sensitivity
An image sensor having a surface intended to be illuminated and pixels, each pixel including a photosensitive area formed in an active area of the substrate, at least one first pixel including a first microlens located on the surface, the sensor including at least one second pixel including a transparent portion forming a pedestal located at least partly on the surface and a second microlens at least partially covering the pedestal. |
| US08149321B2 |
Camera module and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is a camera module including a housing that is formed in a rectangular box shape and has a cylindrical barrel coupling portion extending upward from the central portion thereof; an image sensor module that is mounted in the housing; a lens barrel that has a lens insertion port provided in the central portion thereof and a housing coupling portion extending downward therefrom, the housing coupling portion being closely coupled to the barrel coupling portion of the housing; a wafer lens that is mounted in the lens insertion port of the lens barrel; and a lens fixing cap that is covered on the upper end portion of the lens barrel. |
| US08149317B2 |
Display device, photographing apparatus, and display method
A feature area having a visual feature is analyzed for each of at least three of similar images in a memory card, and the analyzed feature areas are displayed on a display screen while overlapped with a reference image. The visual feature is used to distinguish an image from other images in the plural images. In the case where the images of the feature areas are displayed on the display screen while visually overlapped, when a user touches a touch panel on the display screen, the image corresponding to the feature area to which the touched point belongs is read from the memory card and displayed on the display screen. |
| US08149316B2 |
Imaging apparatus with a rotatable monitor
An imaging apparatus includes an apparatus body, a monitor connected to the apparatus body, and a hinge mechanism including a support member. The supporting mechanism includes a mounting portion on a first end, the mounting portion being rotatably mounted on the apparatus body, and a supporting portion on a second end, the supporting portion supporting the monitor. The support member rotatably supports the monitor relative to the apparatus body. The support member of the hinge mechanism is disposed at substantially the same height as that of a viewfinder disposed on the apparatus body. |
| US08149315B2 |
System and method for changing display of an image during a changed state of electronic device
An information processing apparatus capable of being opened and closed includes storage means, display means, and taken image display control means. The storage means stores a taken image therein. The display means has a display screen provided in a surface which is located inside when the information processing apparatus is closed and which is located outside when the information processing apparatus is opened. The taken image display control means displays a taken image on the display screen, and changes a taken image to be displayed between before and after closing and opening the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is closed and opened again. |
| US08149312B2 |
CMOS image sensor with shared sensing node
A CMOS image sensor has a pixel array provided with a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix shape of rows and columns. Each of the unit pixel includes a photocharge generation means for generating photocharges by absorbing an external light; and a sensing node for receiving the photocharges transferred from the photocharge generation means, wherein the sensing node of the unit pixel in a previous scan line is shared with a sensing node of a unit pixel in a current scan line in response to a line select signal of the current line. |
| US08149311B2 |
Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor
A CMOS image sensor includes a unit pixel including controlled by a high voltage; a reference high voltage generator for generating a reference high voltage; and a high voltage output unit for generating the high voltage by using the reference high voltage as an operating voltage to thereby output the high voltage to the unit pixel, wherein a level of the high voltage is stably maintained regardless of a variations of the reference high voltage level. |
| US08149309B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and camera system
A solid-state imaging device and a camera system are disclosed. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel unit and a pixel signal readout circuit. The pixel signal readout circuit includes a plurality of comparators disposed to correspond to a pixel column array, and a plurality of counters. Each counter includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a mirror circuit to from a current mirror in parallel with the second amplifier. The first amplifier includes differential transistors, initializing switches connected between gates and collectors of the differential transistors, and first and second capacitors connected to each of the gates of the differential transistors. The second amplifier includes an initializing switch and a third capacitor. The mirror circuit includes a gate input transistor whose gate is inputted with a voltage sampled by the first amplifier or a voltage sampled by the second amplifier. |
| US08149306B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, production method and drive method thereof, and camera
A solid-state imaging device capable of reducing an eclipse (blocking) of an incident light at a circumferential portion of a light receiving portion and realizing a larger angle of view and high-speed driving. A single-layer transfer electrode configuration of forming first transfer electrodes and second transfer electrodes by one polysilicon layer is adopted. Two shunt wirings extending in a horizontal direction are formed on the first transfer electrodes connected in a horizontal direction and, for example, four-phase transfer pulses are supplied to first transfer electrodes and second transfer electrodes on transfer channels through low-resistance shunt wirings extending in the horizontal direction. |
| US08149301B2 |
Image processing device, correction information generation method, and image-capturing device
An image processing device that corrects and interpolates pixel values of defective pixels present upon an image sensor, includes: a position information storage memory that stores a position of a defective pixel of a first type whose pixel value can be utilized after correction, and a position of a defective pixel of a second type whose pixel value is to be interpolated using pixel values of other pixels, distinguished from one another; a correction amount storage memory that stores a correction amount for the defective pixel of the first type; a correction unit that corrects the pixel value of the defective pixel of the first type according to the correction amount; and an interpolation unit that interpolates the pixel value of the defective pixel of the second type, using the pixel values of pixels including the defective pixel of the first type whose pixel value has been corrected by the correction unit. |
| US08149300B2 |
Radiometric calibration from noise distributions
Technologies that enable correcting for the non-linear relationship between scene irradiance and digital pixel intensity values of an image of the scene produced by a camera. Imaging noise is used as a signal from which a corrective function is derived. Noise distributions from the image are evaluated to determine the radiometric response function of the camera, from which an inverse response function is computed and used for calibration. |
| US08149299B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a picture having a high visibility
A first filter generates a first smooth picture by smoothing an input picture. A second filter generates a second smooth picture by smoothing the input picture. The second filter has a characteristic different from the first filter. A contrast component picture calculation unit generates a contrast component picture by dividing each pixel value of the input picture with the pixel value of the first smooth picture. A picture composition unit generates a composed picture by composing the second smooth picture with the contrast component picture. |
| US08149298B2 |
Imaging device and method
An image processing method and apparatus operable for processing images is disclosed. The image processing method allows for drawing any given image in an output image on which various types of image processing have been performed. Such various types of image processing are, for example, correction of an image having distortion due to the distortion aberration of an imaging lens, an image having unnatural perspective distortion of a subject due to high-angle or overhead photography, generation of an output image with the viewpoint changed from the viewpoint of a captured image, mirror-image conversion of a captured image, and electronic zooming. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an imaging apparatus that uses the image processing method. |
| US08149289B2 |
Pseudo-digital average sub sampling method and apparatus
A method of k*k subsampling, where k is an integer greater than one, a full frame readout on a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each pixel belonging to one of at least two sets, a first set configured to sense a first value of an image parameter and a second set configured to sense a second value of the image parameter, the method including sampling signals of k pixels of at least one set in a first row to output subsampled signals, converting the subsampled signals into digital signals having a lower resolution than the full frame readout, repeating sampling and converting for k rows, and adding digital signals for the first to kth rows within the at least one set. |
| US08149287B2 |
Imaging system using restoration processing, imaging apparatus, portable terminal apparatus, onboard apparatus and medical apparatus having the imaging system
An imaging system is provided and includes an imaging lens and an imaging device such that the maximum diameter of an effective region of a point image becomes a size covering three or more pixels of light receiving pixels, the point image being projected onto a light receiving surface through the imaging lens from any position of X, Y, and Z directions. A signal processing unit in the imaging system executes restoration processing on first image data output from the imaging device that images an optical image of a subject projected onto the light receiving surface through the imaging lens, the restoration processing being executed to generate second image data equivalent to the first image data output from the imaging device when the resolving power of the imaging lens is higher. |
| US08149283B2 |
Image processing device, electronic camera, image processing method, and image processing program
To provide a technique to obtain a synthesized image with an expanded dynamic range with ease and a technique to reduce workload of a user while maintaining the degree of freedom relating to image processing. There provides an image inputting part taking in at least one of a plurality of low-resolution images and a high-resolution image obtained by shooting the same subject while changing exposure condition, a shift detecting part detecting a positional shift of pictorial pattern between each of the plurality of low-resolution images and the high-resolution image, and a gradation expanding part generating a synthesized image in which a range of reproduced gradation is expanded by performing position alignment between each of the plurality of low-resolution images and the high-resolution image based on the positional shift, extracting a gradation information of the plurality of low-resolution images, and synthesizing it with the high-resolution image. |
| US08149281B2 |
Electronic device and method for operating a presentation application file
An electronic device and method for operating a presentation application file includes acquiring a histogram of each of a plurality of designated objects, and defining an operation corresponding to each of the plurality of designated objects. The electronic device and method further includes acquiring a histogram of a recognized object in an image, determining a matched designated object by comparing the histogram of the recognized object with the histograms of the designated objects, and executing an operation function corresponding to the matched designated object. |
| US08149276B2 |
Pressure-bonded ball diameter detecting apparatus and pressure-bonded ball diameter detecting method
Improving detectability of a diameter of a pressure-bonded ball bonded by a bonding apparatus by calculating the diameter of the pressure-bonded ball by obtaining a first tentative radius by subtracting a distance between a line representing an outline of a pad short side and a curving line representing an outline of a pressure-bonded ball from a distance between the line representing the outline of the pad short side and a bonding-control-center position of the pressure-bonded ball; obtaining a second tentative radius by subtracting a distance between a line representing an outline of a pad short side that faces toward the pad with which the first tentative radius is calculated and an outline of a pressure-bonded ball from a distance between the line representing the outline of the pad short side and a bonding-control-center position of the pressure-bonded ball; and averaging the same number of the first and the second tentative radii. |
| US08149274B2 |
Endoscope apparatus
An endoscope apparatus of the present invention includes a light quantity adjusting section that adjusts outgoing light quantity from a light source section that generates light irradiating a subject, a current control section that controls a current to be applied to the light source section, an image pickup section provided with an image pickup device that picks up an image of the subject, an identification section that identifies whether or not the image pickup device is provided with a shutter function, a brightness detection section that detects brightness based on an image pickup signal from the image pickup section, a white balance acquiring section for acquiring information on white balance adjustment processing, an amount of adjustment control section that controls an amount of adjustment of the light quantity adjusting section to a predetermined amount according to a white balance information acquiring operation in the white balance acquiring section, and a control section that controls the current control section or the shutter function of the image pickup device based on the output result from the brightness detection section and the output result from the identification section. |
| US08149273B2 |
System and methods for vital sign estimation from passive thermal video
A system for measuring a pulse and respiratory rate from passive thermal video includes contour segmentation and tracking, clustering of informative pixels of interests, and robust dominant frequency component estimation. Contour segmentation is used to locate a blood vessel region to measure, after which all pixels in the nearby region are aligned across frames based on the segmentation's position, and scale in each frame. Spatial filtering is then performed to remove noise not related to heart beat and then non-linear filtering is performed on the temporal signal corresponding to each aligned pixel. The signal spectrum of each pixel is then feed to a clustering algorithm for outlier removal. Pixels in the largest cluster are then used to vote for the dominant frequency, and the median of the dominant frequency is output as the pulse rate. |
| US08149270B1 |
High resolution endoscope
A stereoscopic endoscope employing a single light sensor array and a lenticular lens layer located at a proximal end of the endoscope, a pair of periscopic prisms located at a distal end of the endoscope and an optical relay assembly array located between the pair of periscopic prisms and the light sensor array. One prism of the pair of periscopic prisms receives a right view of an object and another prism of the pair receives a left view of the object. The interpupilar distance (IPD) between the right and left view is substantially large, thereby increasing the resolution of a stereoscopic image which is eventually displayed on a display. Another embodiment includes a set of three light sensor arrays, a light director and three lenticular lens layers. Each light sensor array detects light at a predetermined range of wavelengths (e.g. red, green and blue). |
| US08149269B2 |
Emergency services call delivery from a legacy communications device to a VoIP PSAP
An Emergency Services Application Server (ES-AS) that obtains routing instructions for both VoIP-originated and non-VoIP-originated calls to emergency services numbers (e.g., 9-1-1). If the emergency request is a VoIP-originated call and includes a location object, the ES-AS queries its database using the location object to obtain routing information. If a location object is not provided, the ES-AS queries a location information server to obtain a location object. The ES-AS then uses the location object to query its database. If the call is originated by legacy user equipment, the ES-AS accesses a legacy automatic location information system to obtain location information and the associated PSAP. The ES-AS then queries its database with the returned information to refine routing information needed to route the call to the identified PSAP. The ES-AS includes a web services interface that allows a PSAP or authorized agency to change routing instructions dynamically, which overrides any static data in the ES-AS's routing database. |
| US08149261B2 |
Integration of audio conference bridge with video multipoint control unit
In one embodiment, a system includes a video multipoint control unit (MCU) and an audio conferencing bridge, the audio conferencing bridge being operable to receive audio streams from audio-only and video endpoints, and to negotiate video sessions between each of the video endpoints and the video MCU. In response to detecting when one of the video endpoints is an active speaker, the audio conferencing bridge transmitting a dummy audio stream over a dummy audio channel from the audio conferencing bridge to the video MCU. The dummy audio stream causes the video MCU to switch an image in a video output stream. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. |
| US08149260B2 |
Methods and systems for producing seamless composite images without requiring overlap of source images
A method for color blending seamless composite images without requiring overlap of source images is disclosed. A plurality of source images is acquired from a plurality of imagers and is combined to produce a seamless composite image. Moreover, a first reference location is selected in a first source image and a second reference location is selected in a second source image of the composite image. Color transform interpolation is then performed between the reference location in the first source image and the reference location in the second and other source images to produce a seamless color blended composite image without requiring overlap of image regions of the plurality of source images. |
| US08149259B2 |
Drive device, LED array, LED head, and image forming apparatus provided therewith
A drive device for outputting a drive signal for driving a plurality of light emitting elements time-divisionally, the drive device includes a plurality of input terminals receiving input of a drive control signal for the light emitting elements, and a plurality of output terminals connected to the light emitting elements, for outputting the drive signal based on the drive control signal input into the input terminals, in which the input terminals and the output terminals are arranged substantially in a line. |
| US08149257B2 |
Printer and method of adjusting conveying distance of recording sheet
A printer includes printing unit provided on a conveying path of a recording sheet and sheet feed unit provided on the downstream and upstream sides of the printing unit in a conveying direction of a recording sheet. The printer includes a platen roller, a first sheet feed roller, a second sheet feed roller, a first branch transmission gear group, a second branch transmission gear group, and thrust amount adjusting unit. A tooth trace of one of the gears of each of the first and second branch transmission gear groups has an inclination angle with respect to an axial direction, and the first and second branch transmission gear groups are formed of first and second idler gears including inclined gear portions of which inclined directions of tooth traces are the same as each other. |
| US08149256B2 |
Techniques for changing temperature of a platen
Techniques for changing temperature of a platen are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for changing temperature of a platen comprising a platen and one or more movable thermal pads comprising one or more thermal fluid channels to carry a thermal fluid configured to affect a temperature of the platen. |
| US08149255B2 |
Image forming apparatus and modification sheet cartridge using the same
An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium in a predetermined direction, a thermal transfer sheet traveling unit that causes a thermal transfer sheet to travel in a predetermined direction, a modification sheet moving unit that moves a surface modification sheet, a thermal head that applies thermal energy and thermally transfers sequentially a dye layer and a protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the recording medium while the dye layer or the protective layer opposes the surface of the recording medium, and a modification sheet protecting unit disposed in a movement path of the surface modification sheet, and configured to prevent adhesion of dust to the surface modification sheet or to eliminate the adhesion. After forming the image onto the recording medium using the thermal transfer sheet and forming the protective layer that protects the image, the surface modification portion of the surface modification sheet is aligned with a plane in which the protective layer is formed, so that heat and pressure are applied by the thermal head to modify the surface state of the protective layer formed at the recording medium. |
| US08149252B2 |
Duty cycle calculation and implementation for solid state illuminators
A display uses x illuminator systems to produce x primary colors and y overlap colors, which are combinations of primary colors, to illuminate a spatial light modulator in a display system. A first set of n duty cycles for the x primary colors over a frame is provided, wherein the display system can select any one of the duty cycles to produce a desired white point. A second set of n duty cycles of x+y colors over a frame corresponding to the first set of duty cycles is determined, where the second set of duty cycles are generated responsive to a specified desired allocation of the frame to the y overlap colors, such that each of the overlap colors can be displayed from a dark shade to a bright shade while maintaining a constant color point. |
| US08149247B1 |
Method and system for blending rendered images from multiple applications
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of generating a first rendered image associated with a first application, independently generating a second rendered image associated with a second application, applying a first set of blending weights to the first rendered image to establish a first weighted image, applying a second set of blending weights to the second rendered image to establish a second weighted image, and blending the first weighted image and the second weighted image before scanning out a blended result to a first display device. |
| US08149236B2 |
Information processing apparatus and program
Conventional information processing apparatuses have the problem of not being able to easily extract and observe a three-dimensional region of interest from 3D voxel data. The present invention provides an information processing apparatus in which a first slice information group, which is multiple pieces of slice information obtained as a result of extraction from 3D voxel information using a first three-dimensional region mask extracting the 3D voxel information, is stored, wherein the information processing apparatus: receives input regarding a second three-dimensional region mask; acquires second mesh information constituting the second three-dimensional region mask; determines an internal region, which is a region inside the second mesh information, and an external region, which is a region outside the second mesh information, for each slice information in the first slice information group, based on the second mesh information; and outputs the first slice information group such that the internal region and the external region are visually distinguished from each other. With this information processing apparatus, it is possible to easily extract and observe a three-dimensional region of interest from 3D voxel data. |
| US08149235B2 |
System and method for upscaling low-resolution images
A method is disclosed which may include providing an original image having an array of samples; defining a two-dimensional target image having a higher resolution than the original image; defining a splat in the target image for each of a plurality of samples in the array; and rendering the plurality of splats employing a graphics processor. |
| US08149234B2 |
Picture processing using a hybrid system configuration
A system is presented that is configured to reduce power consumption when performing processing tasks. The system includes a first processing entity capable of performing a set of operations, and a second processing entity configured to consume less power than the first processing entity and capable of performing a subset of operations that is part of the set of operations. During system operation, the second processing entity is configured to perform the subset of operations instead of the first processing entity. |
| US08149232B2 |
Systems and methods for generating reference voltages
Systems and methods for generating reference voltages are provided. A representative system comprises a resistor circuit; a first switch coupled between a first end of the resistor circuit and a first power source; a second switch coupled between the first end of the resistor circuit and a second power source; a third switch coupled to a second end of the resistor circuit; a fourth switch coupled to the second end of the resistor circuit; a first resistor coupled between the first end of the resistor circuit and the first switch; a second resistor coupled between the first end of the resistor circuit and the second switch; a third resistor coupled between the second end of the resistor circuit and the third switch; a fourth resistor coupled between the second end of the resistor circuit and the fourth switch; and a control circuit for controlling the switches. |
| US08149225B2 |
Display apparatus for refrigerator
The present invention discloses a display apparatus (30) for a refrigerator which can be operated by using a touch screen (60). The display apparatus for the refrigerator includes a control unit (40) for controlling the refrigerator, a display unit (50) installed on the front surface of the control unit, for displaying information from the control unit, and a transparent touch screen (60) installed to cover the front surface of the display unit (50) and the front surface of the control unit (40), and electrically connected to the control unit, for applying a clicking input of the user to the control unit. The display unit (50) is externally shown through the transparent touch screen (60). A printed matter (70) is printed on the touch screen except the portion corresponding to the display unit. |
| US08149221B2 |
Touch panel display system with illumination and detection provided from a single edge
A touch panel that has a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of edges and an interior volume. An energy source is positioned in proximity to a first edge of the touch panel and is configured to emit energy that is propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel. A diffusing reflector is positioned in proximity to the front surface of the touch panel for diffusively reflecting at least a portion of the energy that escapes from the interior volume. At least one detector is positioned in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel and is configured to detect intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface of the touch panel. Preferably, two detectors are spaced apart from each other in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel, to allow calculation of touch locations using simple triangulation techniques. |
| US08149218B2 |
Controlling device with selectively illuminated user interfaces
A controlling device using a source of energy, such as light energy, to provide the controlling device with a user interface having multiple, different visual appearances. |
| US08149217B2 |
Creating responses for an electronic pen-computer multimedia interactive system
A system for associating a selected object on any printed material to a valid response provided by a computer system includes a maker component to define an object on a page of printed material, and to link a position of the object on the page, the contents of the page, and the response to be performed by a computer system. The system also includes a pointing device to determine a position on the printed material, a communicating device to transmit the position to the computer system, and a player component to correlate the position to selected digital content associated with the printed materials, the selected digital content being accessible by the computer system; and to provide a valid response to a user based at least in part on the position and the correlated content, wherein the valid response includes at least one of rendering audio content, rendering video content, rendering image content, and performing an action by the computer system. |
| US08149216B2 |
Electronic device with joystick
An electronic device with joystick is provided. The joystick includes a receiving space includes a plurality of first conductive elements. The device further includes a plurality of resistors, a chip, and a rotatable post. Each of the first conductive elements is electrically connected to the ground via a resistor. The chip includes a plurality of input pins, and each of the pins is electrically connected to a node between a first conductive element and a resistor. The rotatable post includes a second conductive element. The second conductive element is electrically connected to a direct current power source. When the joystick is rotated, causing the second conductive element to contact with one of the first conductive elements, the voltage of the pin connected to the second conductive element is changed. The chip detects a change of the voltage of the pins and executes corresponding functions according to the detected change. |
| US08149215B2 |
Cursor control method applied to presentation system and computer readable storage medium
The invention discloses a cursor control method applied to a presentation system. The presentation system comprises a computer, an imaging plane, an optical pointer, a camera, and a projector. The projector is a mobile or built-in projector of the computer for projecting output from the computer onto the imaging plane, wherein the output of the computer comprises an internal cursor generated by the computer. The optical pointer is used for projecting an external cursor onto the imaging plane. The camera is a mobile or built-in camera of the computer for capturing an image of the imaging plane. After capturing the image, a processor of the computer detects both a first position of the external cursor and a second position of the internal cursor corresponding to the image, calculates a shift vector between the first and second positions, and moves the internal cursor based on the shift vector. |
| US08149203B2 |
Systems and method for displaying images with reduced power consumption
A method and a system for displaying images are provided. In the method, a pixel is provided that includes a layer of ferroelectric material and a layer of liquid crystal material. A first electric field is momentarily applied to the pixel to electrically polarize the ferroelectric layer to a first polarization. The first polarization is then used to maintain the liquid crystal material in a first orientation corresponding to a first apparent brightness of the pixel. |
| US08149199B2 |
Driving system and method for liquid crystal display
A driving system and method for liquid crystal display is disclosed. The system stores only the driving values corresponding to specific grayscale values of pixels on a current frame and specific grayscale values of pixels on a previous frame. The stored driving values are then used by an operation processing unit of the system to calculate out driving values to be applied to the current frame. Moreover, the system is provided with a logic judging unit for preventing the noises of the frame from being overdriven. |
| US08149195B2 |
Method and apparatus for driving liquid crystal display device
A method of driving a liquid crystal display device includes extracting brightness components of a portion of the first data for a current frame, arranging the brightness components for the current frame into a brightness histogram, retrieving brightness histograms for at least two frames prior to the current frame to generate an average histogram, generating second data for the current frame based on the average histogram, comparing the histogram for the current frame with the average histogram to determine whether an image at the current frame is a moving image or a still image, and driving the liquid crystal display device in accordance with one of the first data and the second data based on the comparison result. |
| US08149192B2 |
Optical writing image forming device, control device for optical writing image forming device
There is provided an optical writing image forming device including: a positioning section positioning an optically written display medium including a pair of electrodes with at least one of which formed by a group of plural sub-electrodes, a display layer, and a photoconductor layer; a display layer initialization section applying an initialization voltage between the pair of electrodes and irradiating initialization light over the entire region of the photoconductor layer; an optical writing section; a head position identification section; and a writing information erasing section, based on information identified by the head position identification section, erasing in a time-series writing information in the display layer corresponding to the group of the plural sub-electrodes by selecting the sub-electrodes in sequence so that an image writing head does not obstruct light emitted from the initialization light source while the image writing head light source is being returned to a standby position. |
| US08149190B2 |
Correcting brightness variations in organic electroluminescent panel
An OLED display having a correction circuit for producing corrected image data in response to the first image data and in response to correction data to correct for brightness unevenness due to TFT variations; a memory for storing first image data or correction data; a switch effective in first and second states in response to a function switching signal having first and second conditions, respectively; and circuitry for causing the switch to be in the first state to connect the memory to the image input signal interface and to provide the stored first image data to the panel as the second image data; and for causing the switch to be in the second state to connect the memory to the correction circuit, provide the stored correction data to the correction circuit, and provide the corrected image data to the panel as the second image data. |
| US08149186B2 |
Pixel, organic light emitting display using the same, and associated methods
A pixel including an organic light emitting diode, a second transistor controlling a current supplied to the organic light emitting diode, a pixel circuit configured to compensate a threshold voltage of the second transistor; and a compensating unit controlling a voltage of a gate electrode of the second transistor in order to compensate for deterioration of the organic light emitting diode. The compensating unit includes seventh and eighth transistors coupled in series between the organic light emitting diode and a first power source, the seventh and eight transistors being commonly connected to a fourth node therebetween, first and second feedback capacitors coupled in series between the fourth node and a second node, the second node being coupled to the gate electrode of the second transistor, and a ninth transistor coupled between a predetermined voltage source and a fifth node that is common to the first and second feedback capacitors. |