| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08184878B2 |
Image diagnosis support system and image diagnosis support method
Specific information for specifying a specific study or series for which an object, which is obtained by adding at least one information of a scan condition, a scan range, and a key image position as a basis of a diagnosis in an image, is to be generated is specified. It is determined whether or not an image for references is present in the specific study or series on the basis of additional information of at least one image related to the specific study or series. When it is determined that the image for references is present, an object about the specific study or series is generated afterwards, for example, in the unit of series by using the image for references and at least one information of a scan condition, a scan range, and a key image position of the additional information. |
| US08184877B2 |
Renormalization of dual-energy images
A method is disclosed for generating a composite image from dual-energy projection radiographic image data and renormalizing the composite image such that the pixel values for the composite image have the same relationship to the detected x-ray energy as the original high- and low-energy images. The method disclosed further provides for renormalization of material specific decomposition images formed form dual energy projection radiographic image data such that the decomposition images are on a common scale with either the high-energy, low-energy or composite image. |
| US08184876B2 |
NNLS image reconstruction
In an aspect, reconstructing an image object associated with an input data set, includes for each step, in a series of iteration steps, determining an updated object from an input object based on a data model of the input object, a weighting-factor data set, and a gradient object, wherein the weighting-factor data set includes modified entries of the input data set. Reconstructing the image object further includes following a last iteration, outputting one of the updated objects as the image object. |
| US08184868B2 |
Two stage detection for photographic eye artifacts
A digital image acquisition device is for acquiring digital images including one or more preview images. A face detector analyzes the one or more preview images to ascertain information relating to candidate face regions therein. A speed-optimized filter produces a first set of candidate red-eye regions based on the candidate face region information provided by the face detector. |
| US08184867B2 |
Method and system for biometric identification or verification
The invention relates to a method for the biometric identification or verification of people. According to said method, biometric characteristics are detected by means of an imaging device and the identification or verification is carried out by means of the detected image data, especially by comparison with known data records and/or original images. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method. The aim of the invention is provide one such method and system which significantly improve the anti-violation security in a simple and secure manner. To this end, the retina of the eye is used as a biometric object for detecting the biometric characteristics, and movements and/or the immobility of the eye are detected and taken into account. |
| US08184866B2 |
Living body guidance control method for a biometrics authentication device, and biometrics authentication device
A biometrics authentication device identifies characteristics of the body from captured images of the body and performs individual authentication. The device guides a user, at the time of verification, to the image capture state at the time of registration of biometrics characteristic data. At the time of registration of biometrics characteristic data, body image capture state data is extracted from an image captured by an image capture unit and is registered in a storage unit, and at the time of verification the registered image capture state data is read from the storage unit and is compared with image capture state data extracted at the time of verification, and guidance of the body is provided. Alternatively, an outline of the body at the time of registration, taken from image capture state data at the time of registration, is displayed. |
| US08184862B2 |
Vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus
Provided is an apparatus capable of, even when an object is moving, measuring the position of the object at a high accuracy. A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus (10) calculates the change rate (Rate(t)) of the size of an object region between two times separated by a specified interval (ΔT). The specified interval (ΔT) is a time interval defined so that the shapes and postures of an object in images resemble or match each other to such an extent that it is possible to identify that the object is identical. Based on the change rage (Rate(t)) of the size of the object region during the specified interval (ΔT), it is possible to measure the distance from a vehicle (1) to the object or the position at a high accuracy even when the object is moving. |
| US08184860B2 |
Image processing device for controlling a plurality of tasks
An image processing device of the present invention performs a task to execute an image processing This image processing device comprises a picture frame assigning unit that assigns an identification number to the image data to be collected by a picture collection device, an image capture requested picture of checking unit that checks whether the image data to which the identification number is assigned is identical with the image data that is requested by the task, an requested picture frame image collection notification unit that notifies the task of the image data having been collected which the task requests, if the image data to which the picture frame number is assigned is identical with the image data which the task requests, and an image capture requested picture frame receiving unit receives an image collection request from the task. |
| US08184858B2 |
System and method for linking real-world objects and object representations by pointing
A system and method are described for selecting and identifying a unique object or feature in the system user's three-dimensional (“3-D”) environment in a two-dimensional (“2-D”) virtual representation of the same object or feature in a virtual environment. The system and method may be incorporated in a mobile device that includes position and orientation sensors to determine the pointing device's position and pointing direction. The mobile device incorporating the present invention may be adapted for wireless communication with a computer-based system that represents static and dynamic objects and features that exist or are present in the system user's 3-D environment. The mobile device incorporating the present invention will also have the capability to process information regarding a system user's environment and calculating specific measures for pointing accuracy and reliability. |
| US08184857B2 |
Moving object recognizing apparatus
The moving object recognizing apparatus includes a data acquisition unit for acquiring image data obtained in time series by an imaging device, a recognition unit for recognizing a moving object by executing a plurality of image processing operations on two of the image data obtained at different times, the plurality of image processing operations including an operation of calculating correlativity of a same recognition target pattern, and a reliability calculation unit for calculating recognition reliability indicative of reliability of recognition of the moving object, based upon at least one of the results of the respective image processing operations by the recognition unit. |
| US08184852B2 |
Character recognition system and method for shipping containers
A system and method, which enables precise identification of characters contained in vehicle license plates, container I.D, chassis I.D, aircraft serial number and other such identification markings. The system can process these identified characters and operate devices, such as access control operations, traffic systems and vehicle and container tracking and management systems, and provide records of all markings together with their images. |
| US08184851B2 |
Inserting watermarks into portions of digital signals
The present invention relates generally to watermarking. In one implementation a method of pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding digital watermarks using a digital filter comprising determining what changes in the digital signal will be affected by the digital filter is provided. In another implementation a system for pre-analyzing a digital signal for encoding at least one digital watermark using a digital filter is provided. The method includes a processor for identifying an area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter; and an encoder for encoding the at least one digital watermark in the digital signal, the encoder encoding the at least one digital watermark so as to avoid the at least one area of the digital signal that will be affected by the digital filter. Other implementations are provided as well. |
| US08184850B2 |
System and/or method for image tamper detection
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to techniques for detecting tampering of digital image data. |
| US08184849B2 |
Error processing of steganographic message signals
A form of error processing is used to decode steganographic messages embedded in image and audio signals in the presence of distortion, which tends to introduce errors in steganographic data communication. Content signals with auxiliary embedded data are analyzed to detect embedded message signals. Confidence values are assigned to the message signals and used to ascertain whether a message has been accurately detected. Error processing enables accurate message extraction in the presence of “soft errors” in the embedded message signal. This error processing enables more effective recovery of the steganographic message from content signals that undergo distortion and/or loss transformations after being embedded with steganographic data. |
| US08184847B2 |
Vehicle speaker mounting system
A vehicle speaker mounting system. The vehicle speaker mounting system comprises a parcel shelf having at least one stiffener extending substantially longitudinally along the length of the parcel shelf. The system further includes at least one aperture extending through a generally planar portion of the parcel shelf. The aperture is configured to receive a speaker. |
| US08184846B1 |
Bed audio entertainment device
An audio control device for use by one or two individuals lying in bed. The device includes a flat outer housing with two display surfaces aligned in opposite directions to face the two individuals when placed between them. Located inside the outer housing are two audio control units. Each audio control unit is connected to at least one input port, and an audio output port. An earphone, pillow speaker or a speaker wing component may be attached to each output port. An external audio source may be connected to each input port. Each control unit may include an illuminated display is mounted on each display surface. A volume switch is provided that enables the user to adjust the volume of sound heard. Mounted inside the outer housing is an optional internal audio source and an optional recording/playback unit and one or more mute buttons. |
| US08184845B2 |
Electrical module comprising a MEMS microphone
An electrical module includes a base plate having an acoustic channel that opens into a first cavity at a first end and that is closed off by a microphone chip at a second end. The microphone chip borders a second cavity that opens to an exterior of the electrical module. The second cavity is separated from the acoustic channel by the microphone chip. |
| US08184844B2 |
Microphone mounter
A microphone mounter includes a first fixture attached to an upper opening of a mounting hole formed in an installation place, and a second fixture attached to a lower opening of the mounting hole. A microphone is installed in the mounting hole via the first and second fixtures. The first fixture includes a flange part having a diameter larger than a diameter of the upper opening and provided with an insertion hole, a sleeve projecting from a lower surface of the flange part, and an anchor part integrally formed at an end of the sleeve opposite to the flange part. The anchor part has an outer peripheral surface adapted to touch an inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole and an inner peripheral surface adapted to touch an outer peripheral surface of the microphone. The outer peripheral surface projects outwardly from the end of the sleeve to the mounting hole. |
| US08184842B2 |
Tool for insertion and removal of in-canal hearing devices
Methods, tools, and methods of manufacturing said tools are provided for inserting a hearing device deeply into the ear canal of a user and adjusting its medial-lateral position therein. The provided tools comprise a shaft. A distal end of the shaft can be coupled to the hearing device. The shaft is flexible to facilitate its insertion into the tortuous ear canal and minimize injurious contact with the ear canal. The length of the shaft can be adjusted to adjust the depth of insertion of the shaft into the ear canal, customizing the tool for an individual user. Medial advancement of the shaft into the ear canal is limited by a base, side extension, or mold coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft or other proximal part of the tool. |
| US08184841B2 |
Ear canal device retention means
The invention regards an ear canal device and a retainer strip, whereby the ear canal device has a distal part for extending into the ear canal and facing the tympanic membrane and a proximal part extending towards the ear canal opening, wherein the proximal part of the ear canal device comprises an opening extending transversely through the ear canal device, and where a retaining strip is arranged with a first end thereof arranged to be fastened in the opening and a second end arranged to lie resiliently against the inside of the concha for exerting a retaining force on the ear canal device. |
| US08184840B2 |
Combined set comprising a vibrator actuator and an implantable device
A combined set including a vibration actuator and an implantable device provided to be implanted in an inner ear part is disclosed. The implantable device has a surface in contact with an inner ear fluid when inserted in said inner ear part. The implantable device includes a frame having an inner wall and a slidably movable member having an outer wall which is connected to the vibration actuator. The slidably movable member is provided for transferring energy supplied by the vibration actuator from and towards the inner ear fluid by means of a translational movement. The slidably movable member is at least partially mounted inside the frame in such a manner that a gap extending between the inner wall of the frame and the outer wall of the member is less than or equal to 0.1 mm. |
| US08184831B2 |
Audio playing systems
An audio playing system is provided comprising a first processing module, a second processing module, a control module, an output module, and a displaying module. The first and second processing modules amplify an audio signal and respectively generates a first first processed signal, a first second processed signal, a second first processed signal, and a second second processed signal. The control module is coupled to the first processing module and the second processing module and generates a playing signal according to a control signal, the first first processed signal, the first second processed signal, the second first processed signal, and the second second processed signal. The output module is coupled to the control module and amplifies the playing signal to generate an output signal. The displaying module is coupled to the output module and plays the output signal. |
| US08184818B2 |
Double-talk detector with accuracy and speed of detection improved and a method therefor
A double-talk detector finds an estimated power value of near end background noise based on a residual signal by a noise estimator; the average power of a transmitter input signal by a transmitter average power calculator; the average power of a receiver input signal by a receiver average power calculator; and an estimated echo path attenuation value through a predetermined echo path attenuation value estimating process based on the estimated power value of the near end background noise, the average power of the transmitter input signal and the average power of the receiver input signal by an attenuation value estimator. The double-talk detector detects a double-talk state based on the estimated echo path attenuation value, the average power of the transmitter input signal and the average power of the receiver input signal by a double-talk determiner to control update of the coefficient of an adaptive filter. |
| US08184816B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting wind noise using multiple audio sources
A method for detecting wind noise is described. At least two audio signals are received. The at least two audio signals are filtered to reduce higher frequencies and to reduce lower frequencies to provide at least two filtered audio signals. The cross correlation of the at least two filtered audio signals is computed for multiple delays. A maximum cross correlation is determined from the cross correlations computed for the multiple delays. Wind noise is detected by comparing the maximum cross correlation with a threshold. |
| US08184814B2 |
Audio signal processing method and system
The invention makes use of impulse responses of the performance venue to process a recording or other signal so as to emulate that recording having being recorded in the performance venue. In particular, by measuring or calculating the impulse responses of a performance venue such as an auditorium between an instrument location within the venue and one or more soundfield sampling locations, it then becomes possible to process a “dry” signal, being a signal which has little or no reverberation or other artifacts introduced by the location in which it is captured (such as, for example, a close microphone studio recording) with the impulse response or responses so as to then make the signal seem as if it was produced at the instrument location in the performance venue, and captured at the soundfield sampling location. |
| US08184812B2 |
Secure computing device with monotonic counter and method therefor
A secure computing device (14) includes a secure processing section (30) having a tamper detection circuit (58) and a monotonic counter (68). The tamper detection circuit (58) detects an event which suggests that the trust associated with the secure processing section (30) may have been compromised. When such an event is detected, a security breach is declared and trusted software (38) is disabled. After a security breach is declared, the monotonic counter (68) may be reclaimed. The monotonic counter (68) provides a monotonic count value (70) that includes an LSB portion (80) and an MSB portion (82). The LSB portion (80) is obtained from a binary counter (72). The MSB portion (82) is obtained from a register (84) of independent one-time-programmable bits. The monotonic counter (68) is reclaimed by programming one of the one-time programmable bits to guarantee that future counting of the monotonic counter will be monotonic relative to all past counting. |
| US08184810B2 |
Secure device and relay terminal
An IC card includes a tamper resistant module which has one or more applications and a card control unit for controlling an operation of the IC card, a secure memory area which is accessible from only the tamper resistant module, and a contactless interface which serves to communicate with a service terminal. The card control unit generates storage instruction information, and the contactless interface transmits the storage instruction information to the service terminal. The storage instruction information contains an address of the secure memory area as a write area of data, an address of a normal memory area that indicates a save area for temporarily saving the data, an identifier of the application which executes a data movement from the normal memory area to the secure memory area, and an address of a relay terminal which relays the data. |
| US08184808B2 |
Chaotic asymmetric encryption process for data security
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for a chaotic asymmetric encryption system that is based on a mathematically proven chaotic dynamical system, the ergodic property of chaotic maps, conventional Diffie-Hellman key exchange procedure, a modified Diffie-Hellman key exchange procedure and a public key which is any number that could be chosen from the interval 0,1. |
| US08184805B2 |
Program converter, encrypting device, and encrypting method
A program converter (1) converts a program (P) which performs arithmetic addition processing to execute encryption, into a converted program (tP) which performs processing equivalent to the processing of the program (P). The program converter (1) includes: a key data extraction unit (10) which extracts key data from the program (P); an addition table generation unit (11) which generates an addition table from the extracted key data; a conversion table extraction unit (12) which extracts a conversion table from the program (P); a table merger unit (13) which generates a merger table by merging the generated addition table and the extracted conversion table; a random number generation unit (14) which generates a random number; a table randomization unit (15) which generates a randomized merger table by randomizing the merger table using the generated random number; and a converted-program generation unit (16) which generates the converted program (tP) according to the generated randomized merger table. |
| US08184804B2 |
Hash function using a piling-up process
In the computer data security field, a cryptographic hash function process embodied in a computer system and which is typically keyless, but is highly secure. The process is based on the type of randomness exhibited by well known tetromino stacking games. Computation of the hash value (digest) is the result of executing such a “piling on” (tetromino stacking game) algorithm using the message as an input (a seed) to a pseudo random number generator which generates the game pieces (shapes) from the resulting random numbers, then executing the game algorithm. |
| US08184802B1 |
Adaptive analog echo/next cancellation
An adaptive analog echo/near-end crosstalk (NEXT) cancellation system includes a bit slicer that receives a first analog receive signal and that generates a first error control signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) receives a digital receive signal and a digital transmit signal and generates second and third error control signals. A first summing module generates a fourth error control signal by summing the second and third error control signals. A selector outputs the first error control signal during a first mode and the fourth error control signal during a second mode. An echo/NEXT cancellation module communicates with the selector and generates an estimated echo/NEXT signal based on the first error control signal and an analog transmit signal during the first mode and based on the fourth error control signal and the analog transmit signal during the second mode. |
| US08184801B1 |
Acoustic echo cancellation for time-varying microphone array beamsteering systems
In a mobile terminal device having a processing unit and a memory unit, an acoustic echo cancellation and a microphone beamforming are provided. Said device includes a plurality of a microphones, a pre-processing stage has an amplifier and a signal converter for an analog-to-digital conversion. In a main signal processing stage, a pre-filter suitable for polynomial beamforming, an acoustic echo cancellation stage and a post-filter for polynomial beamforming are provided. Furthermore, a post-processing stage has an amplifier and a signal converter for a digital-to-analog conversion, and plurality of speakers. |
| US08184799B2 |
Call setup request confirmation
At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising receiving a call setup request, and automatically providing an indication that the call setup request is being processed. At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising providing a call setup request to a network, and receiving an indication that the call setup request is being processed. 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. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope. |
| US08184798B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for accessing number portability (NP) and E.164 number (ENUM) data using a common NP/ENUM data locator structure
According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein comprises methods, systems, and computer program products for accessing number portability (NP) and E.164 number (ENUM) data in a combined NP/ENUM database. One method includes receiving a query including a telephone number (TN). A common NP/ENUM data locator structure is accessed to locate a pointer corresponding to the TN. In response to the query being a NP query, the pointer is used to locate NP data, and the NP data is returned. In response to the query being an ENUM query, the pointer is used to locate at least one URI and returning at least one uniform resource locators (URIs). |
| US08184795B2 |
Method and system for floor control in a wireless network
A method and system for establishing floor control in a communication session enables remote control of devices in a network and provides a status update concerning floor ownership. The method includes processing at a floor controller a floor request message received from a first endpoint, where the floor request message requests that floor ownership be provided to a second endpoint (step 305). A floor control announcement message is then transmitted from the floor controller to at least both the first endpoint and the second endpoint, where the floor control announcement message indicates that the second endpoint has floor ownership (step 315). |
| US08184794B1 |
Do not call registry database access system
An apparatus and method for providing users operating on Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) networks with the ability to interconnect with Advance Intelligent Networking (AIN) and, in particular, to provide database lookup for the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, without requiring users to implement complex and expensive systems in their network. An Intelligent Call Management (ICM) structure receiving information of a dialed toll number is able to convert the information into a compatible database request to determine whether the call to the toll number is allowed to be completed based on information retrieved from the database. |
| US08184785B2 |
Elevator monitor system
In an elevator monitoring system, an operation monitoring device receives operating condition data from a group management control device, and causes a monitor to display operating conditions of a plurality of elevators. An interphone base unit is connected to the operation monitoring device such that mutual communication can be established therebetween. The operation monitoring device can cause the monitor to display communication states of interphone handset units based on information on the communication states of the interphone handset units which has been received from the interphone base unit, and can input thereto channel select information for selecting one of the interphone handset units to communicate with. The interphone base unit can transmit the communication state information to the operation monitoring device, and can make a changeover in the states of connection with the interphone handset units based on the channel select information received from the operation monitoring device. |
| US08184784B2 |
Method and device for data communication
A novel data communication device includes a switching mechanism, a detector, a storage, a measuring unit, a comparator, and a controller. In at least one embodiment, the switching mechanism is configured to connect and disconnect a facsimile device to and from a communication line used in common by the data communication device and the facsimile device. The detector is configured to detect an off-hook state of the facsimile device. The storage is configured to store a delay time. The measuring unit is configured to measure a reference time and a dialing detection time. The comparator is configured to compare the reference time and the dialing detection time. The controller is configured to enable or disable a facsimile priority function depending on whether or not the reference time and the dialing detection time are substantially equal to each other. |
| US08184780B2 |
System and method for controlling voicemail transcription from a communication device
Systems, methods and software product control voicemail transcription from a communication device. An audio mode is monitored within the communication device to determine a change in status between a sound-on mode and a sound-off mode. Automatic transcription of voicemail messages is enabled if the audio mode status transitions from sound-on to sound-off and automatic transcription of voicemail messages is disabled if the audio mode status transitions from sound-off to sound-on. |
| US08184772B2 |
Orthovoltage radiosurgery
A radiosurgery system is described that delivers a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. Some embodiments provide that, among other targets, ocular structures are treated. In some embodiments, the position of an ocular structure is tracked and related to a radiosurgery system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments. |
| US08184769B2 |
Method and apparatus to facilitate using multiple radiation-detection views to differentiate one material from another
At least three radiation-detection views are used to facilitate identifying material as comprises an object being assessed along a beam path relative to that object. This comprises developing a first radiation-detection view (101) as corresponds to the material along the beam path, a second radiation-detection view (102) as corresponds to the material along substantially the beam path, and at least a third radiation-detection view (103) as corresponds to the material along substantially the beam path. At least one of the source spectra and detector spectral responses used for these radiation-detection views are different from one another for each view. One then uses (104) these radiation-detection views to identify the material by, at least in part, differentiating the material from other possible materials. |
| US08184765B2 |
Radiography apparatus
A radiation source is moved, relative to a detection means, in a movement range that is calculated based on a desired slice angle with respect to a predetermined base point on a base plane that defines a range of obtaining a slice image of a subject. The radiation source is moved to a plurality of positions, and a plurality of radiographic images of the subject corresponding to the plurality of positions are obtained by irradiating the subject with radiation from the plurality of positions. Further, a slice image of the subject is reconstructed from the plurality of radiographic images. When the slice image is reconstructed, radiographic images to be used to reconstruct the slice image are selected based on a distance from the detection surface of the detection means to a slice plane on which the slice image is to be generated, and the desired slice angle. |
| US08184764B1 |
Shift register with low power consumption
A shift register comprising a plurality of shift register stages {SN}. Each shift register stage comprises a first input, a second input, a third input for receiving a first clock signal, a fourth input for receiving a second clock signal, an output for providing an output signal OUT(N), therefrom. The stages is electrically connected to each other in serial such that the first input of the shift register stage SN is electrically connected to the output of the (N−1)-th shift register stage SN−1 for receiving an output signal OUT(N−1) therefrom, the second input of the shift register stage SN is electrically connected to the output of the (N+1)-th shift register stage SN+1 for receiving an output signal OUT(N+1) therefrom, and the output of the shift register stage SN is electrically connected to the first input of the (N+1)-th shift register stage SN+1 for providing the output signal OUT(N+1) thereto. |
| US08184761B2 |
Controlling phase locked loop
A method and apparatus for controlling phase locked loop are provided. The apparatus includes a voltage controlled oscillator configured to generate an output signal with a frequency proportional to a control voltage fed into the oscillator. The apparatus also includes an analog loop filter connected to the oscillator and configured to form the control voltage for the oscillator, and a charge pump configured to generate a current pulse into the loop filter. The apparatus includes a phase-frequency detector operationally connected to the charge pump and configured to form waveforms, based on a reference signal and a feedback signal, the feedback signal being proportional to the output signal of the oscillator. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to modulate the feedback signal on the basis of the frequency or phase error of the output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator and the reference signal. |
| US08184758B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting electrical idle
A system and method for detecting electrical idle in a receiver is disclosed herein. A receiver includes a differential receiver, an analog idle detector, and a first filter. The differential receiver receives a variable rate differential signal. The analog idle detector is coupled to the differential receiver. The analog idle detector provides a first idle signal that erroneously identifies a differential signal electrical idle state. The first filter is coupled to the analog idle detector. The first filter processes the first idle signal and generates a second idle signal lacking the idle state errors of the first idle signal. The first filter provides the second idle signal to receiver control logic that controls signal reception. |
| US08184755B2 |
Symbol synchronization for communication
A communication system and method is disclosed that performs symbol boundary synchronization by generating a symbol alignment estimate from a partial signal correlation; and then refining the symbol alignment estimate via a carrier phase calculation. To generate the symbol alignment estimate, two methods are disclosed. After an estimate is determined, an embodiment provides for refining the symbol alignment estimate via a carrier phase calculation by determining a carrier phase of two adjacent carriers, determining a phase error as directly proportional to an offset from the start of a symbol, determining a phase difference contribution due to a communication channel and device hardware, and counter-rotating the determined carrier phase by an angle of a constellation point at a transmitter. |
| US08184753B2 |
Apparatus and method for OFDM channel equalization
An apparatus and method for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel equalization are disclosed. The apparatus includes a compensation value setting unit setting a compensation value in the form of a diagonal matrix by use of a diagonal matrix of diagonal elements extracted from a channel matrix of an OFDM receiver, and a preset divergence suppression value, an initial estimation value calculation unit calculating an initial estimate value by use of a fast Fourier transform (FFT)-processed signal of the OFDM receiver and the compensation value, an equalization unit detecting a transmission signal to be processed by use of the compensation value, the channel matrix and the diagonal matrix, and a symbol decision unit determining a symbol for an adjacent signal of a transmission signal, which is to be processed among a plurality of signals output from the equalization unit, and providing the symbol-determined adjacent signal to the equalization unit. |
| US08184751B2 |
Integrated interference cancellation system architecture with distortion correction
A system and associated method is provided for improved rejection of an interfering signal coupled from a transmission antenna into a local receive antenna in the presence of local multipath. A system of the invention includes a common feedback junction, (i.e., a single sampling point used by all parameter matching control loops), for adjusting a number of distortion matching circuits while advantageously maintaining independence of tuning and other independent circuit actions. |
| US08184750B2 |
Techniques for increasing decoding reliability in an adaptive minimum mean squared error with successive interference cancellation (MMSE/SIC) decoder
A technique for increasing decoding reliability in an adaptive minimum mean squared error with successive interference cancellation (MMSE/SIC) decoder in a channel-coded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system. A code block selector evaluates reliability metrics and determines whether the reliability metric of the decoded symbols of a particular indexed code block of a first code word satisfies a quality threshold. Depending upon this determination, a composite second code word is formed at each indexed code block using a previously calculated MMSE-LLR output of a second code word or a SIC-LLR output using the indexed symbols of a first code word. Composite second code word is decoded with increased accuracy. |
| US08184749B2 |
Sphere decoding method applied to multi-input multi-output (MIMO) channel
A sphere decoding method applied to a MIMO channel is provided. Multiple constellation points of an nth detection layer corresponding to a MIMO channel matrix are enumerated based on an enumeration rule, and at least one nth sub-set of the nth detection layer is defined. The candidate range of the constellation points of the at least one nth sub-set is determined according to a predetermined number K of the preferred points of the at least one nth sub-set. K constellation points are obtained from the at least one nth sub-set as the preferred points according to partial Euclidean distances of the constellation points. The at least one nth sub-set includes at least K constellation points. Kn preferred points are selected from all K preferred points of the at least one nth sub-set. An optimal solution is determined according to the Kn, preferred points. |
| US08184748B2 |
Narrow band receiver
An RF receiver comprises a signal processor arranged to perform a method of decoding data contained within a signal that comprises a set of slots, at least one said slot comprising a preamble portion and a payload portion and being transmitted at a predetermined transmission frequency. The signal processor is arranged to perform a first process to derive timing data from the preamble portion and perform a second process to extract information from the payload portion, the second process being triggered from said timing data derived from the first process. The preamble portion comprises at least a first sequence of data and a second sequence of data, and the second sequence is the inverse of the first sequence. In preferred embodiments the first process comprises identifying a transition between said first and second sequences of data and deriving said timing data from the identified transition. |
| US08184746B2 |
Simplified de-rotation in digital FM demodulator architectures
The present invention relates to a digital receiver for FM signals, in particular to a new demodulator structure and demodulating method, by which according to a first aspect of the invention the usual complex de-rotation process is reduced to a simple addition/subtraction. According to a second aspect of the invention, the requirements for the sampling frequency necessary for processing the demodulator signals are reduced substantially. |
| US08184743B2 |
Overlay modulation technique for COFDM signals based on amplitude offsets
Systems and methods are presented for transmitting additional data over preexisting differential COFDM signals by changing the amplitude of the legacy data symbols. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, additional data capacity can be achieved for a COFDM signal which is completely backwards compatible with existing legacy satellite broadcast communications systems. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, additional information can be overlaid on a legacy COFDM signal by applying an amplitude offset to the legacy symbols. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, special receiver processing can be implemented to extract this additional information, which can include performing channel equalization across frequency bins to isolate the amplitude modulated overlay signal. For example, at each FFT symbol time, average power across neighboring active data bins can be used to determine the localized power at the corresponding FFT bins, and a channel inversion can then, for example, be performed on the data bins to restore, as best as possible, the original transmitted symbol amplitude. |
| US08184729B2 |
Communication processing system, OFDM signal transmitting method, OFDM transmitter, OFDM receiver, and control station
In an OFDM transmitter included in a first service area, an orthogonal-code-pattern multiplication unit multiplies pilot channel signals belonging to any subcarrier group by an orthogonal code which is different from that for one or a plurality of OFDM transmitters adjacent to the OFDM transmitter included in the first service area, or a subcarrier assignment unit assigns pilot channel signals to pilot subcarriers which are common to a plurality of OFDM transmitters and based on a pilot arrangement notified in advance by a control station to all OFDM transmitters included in the first service area. |
| US08184727B2 |
Robust integer carrier frequency offset estimator
A robust integer carrier frequency offset estimation method for OFDM systems is disclosed. Compared with conventional methods which use either two consecutive OFDM symbols or only one training symbol, the method is insensitive to the timing offset as long as the channel spread is shorter than the OFDM cyclic prefix length. Most importantly, it does not require any information on the scrambling code used in systems such as STiMi. The method improves the accuracy of integer carrier frequency offset, especially in channels with long and strong echoes. It offers the receiver more freedom in setting the FFT window since it is insensitive to the timing offset. |
| US08184722B2 |
Coding method
A picture coding apparatus (300) is a picture coding apparatus that codes a difference between picture data (Img) representing an input picture and predictive picture data (Pred) representing a predictive picture for the input picture and generates coded picture data, and includes a picture decoding unit (104) for decoding coded picture data (Img) after the picture data (Img) is coded; inter pixel filters A and B (303 and 304) for performing inter pixel filter operation for decoded picture data (Recon) obtained by the picture decoding unit (104); switches (301 and 302) for selecting one of the inter pixel filters; and an inter picture predicting unit (108) for generating the predictive picture data (Pred) for the input picture data (Img) using filtered decoded picture data (FilteredImg1), as reference picture data (Ref), obtained by the selected inter pixel filter. |
| US08184720B2 |
Optimal video adaptation for resource constrained mobile devices based on subjective utility models
The invention relates to using the properties of the mobile client terminal, preferably data processing capability and the screen size, and the capacity of the communication channel between the video streaming server and the client terminal, to determine the bit rate, frame rate and the spatial resolution that the multimedia data, preferably video, needs to be encoded with in order to provided the end user with the maximum possible subjective user satisfaction. The invention also pertains to sending the multimedia data coded with the determined parameters to the client terminal using a video transcoder and a streaming server. |
| US08184705B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion compensated filtering of video signals
A method and apparatus for filtering video data. First and second frames of the video data are stored. Motion adapted spatio-temporal filter (MASTF) pixel values of the second frame are calculated using pixel values of the first and second frames. The second frame is compared to the first frame to estimate motion vectors (MVs) for the second frame. Pixel MV error level indicators for the second frame are determined using the pixel values of the first and second frames and the MVs of pixels in the second frame. Motion compensated temporal filter (MCTF) pixel values of the second frame are calculated using the pixel values of the first and second frames and the MVs of pixels in the second frame. For each pixel in the second frame, a filtered pixel value is calculated using its MASTF and MCTF pixel values and its pixel MV error level indicator. |
| US08184703B2 |
Interpolated frame generating method and interpolated frame generating apparatus
According to one embodiment, an interpolated frame generator comprises first detector detects potential motion vector by block matching between input frame images, using first block of fixed size, second detector detects motion vector by block matching between the input frame images, using second block having fixed size larger than that of the first block, and generator generates interpolated frame by using the potential motion vector when first detector detects only one potential motion vector, and generates interpolated frame by using a potential motion vector closest to the motion vector detected by the second detector when first detector detects a plurality of motion vectors, wherein first detector includes extractor compares SAD of motion vector with SAD of motion vectors adjacent to the motion vector, and extracts potential motion vector having SAD smaller than any of the SAD of adjacent motion vectors, as a potential motion vector used in generator. |
| US08184699B2 |
Method of reducing computations in intra-prediction and mode decision processes in a digital video encoder
A method of improving the computation speed of the sum of absolute transformed distances (SATD) for different intra-prediction modes is described. Determining the SATD quicker provides the benefits of better coding performance without suffering the drawbacks of longer computation times. The method of reducing intra-prediction and mode decision processes in a video encoder, implements Hadamard transforms with improvements. Hadamard transforms are performed on an original block and predicted blocks and calculations are only performed where coefficients are non-zero thus skipping the coefficients that are zero. Using such an approach, the calculations required for the Vertical Prediction, Horizontal Prediction and DC Prediction are reduced significantly. Thus, the best intra-prediction mode is able to be determined very efficiently. |
| US08184698B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal using inter-layer prediction
Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal using inter-layer prediction. The method includes obtaining inter-layer prediction identification information and quality identification information. The method further includes obtaining prediction constraint information based on the inter-layer prediction identification information and the quality identification information. The prediction constraint information indicates whether it is constrained to use an intra-base prediction mode in predicting a current block when a corresponding block covers at least two slices of a base layer. The method further includes decoding a current block by using the intra-base prediction mode when the prediction constraint information indicates it is not constrained to use the intra-base prediction mode in predicting the current block in case that the corresponding block covers at least two slices of the base layer. |
| US08184697B2 |
Moving picture coding method and a moving picture decoding method
A moving picture coding apparatus includes a motion estimation unit (101) for performing motion estimation by fixing the one of two reference pictures as a reference picture indicated by an inputted default reference picture number DefRefNo and a variable length coding unit (107) for performing variable length coding on coded residual data ERes, a prediction type PredType, a reference picture number RefNo2 and motion vectors MV1, MV2 on a block-by-block basis, and outputting them as coded moving picture data Str. |
| US08184696B1 |
Method and apparatus for an adaptive systolic array structure
A method and apparatus for an adaptive systolic array structure is initially configured for motion estimation calculations and optionally reconfigured as the motion estimation algorithm progresses. A scheduling map of the processing element (PE) calculations for a given motion estimation algorithm is generated. A systolic array structure may then be generated from the scheduling map, whereby the size and shape of a processing element array is configured to generate the search pattern that is to be used during the search. In addition, delay elements may be implemented within the systolic array structure, so as to preserve the pixels of a current macroblock that are reused in accordance with the scheduling map. The systolic array structure may also be adapted by the motion estimation algorithm during subsequent search stages to accommodate refinements required by the search strategy. |
| US08184691B1 |
Managing telemetry bandwidth and security
An encryption and authentication technique that achieves enhanced integrity verification through assured error-propagation using a multistage sequence of pseudorandom permutations. The present invention generates intermediate data-dependent cryptographic variables at each stage, which are systematically combined into feedback loops. The encryption technique also generates an authentication tag without any further steps that is N times longer than the block size where N is the number of pseudorandom permutations used in the encipherment of each block. The authentication tag provides a unique mapping to the plaintext for any number of plaintext blocks that is less than or equal to N. In addition to being a stand alone encryption algorithm, the disclosed technique is applicable to any mode that uses pseudorandom permutations such as, key dependent lookup tables, S-Boxes, and block ciphers such as RC5, TEA, and AES. |
| US08184690B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus able to encode and decode images by a low cost, small sized circuit configuration, having a temporary storage portion for temporarily storing data, an encoding/decoding processing portion for reading and writing data successively with respect to the temporary storage portion and encoding and decoding the image data in parallel, and a storage control portion for controlling the read and write operations of the data with respect to the temporary storage portion, wherein the storage control portion controls the read and write operations with respect to the temporary storage portion by the encoding/decoding processing portion in the encoding processing and at least read and write operations to the temporary storage portion by the encoding/decoding processing portion in the decoding processing so as to be performed within one frame's worth or one field's worth of processing period in a time division manner. |
| US08184683B2 |
Digital interface and related event manager for integrated circuits
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a transceiver coupled to a baseband processor to receive digital control information that includes both event and schedule information, and which stores the digital control information in a storage of the transceiver. The transceiver may then be operated according to the event and schedule information. |
| US08184676B2 |
Method and apparatus for mitigating the effects of CW interference via post correlation processing in a GPS receiver
A positioning system receiver that mitigates the effect of continuous wave (CW) carrier interference with post correlation processing in a satellite positioning receiver, while not distorting the signal waveform or degrading receiver sensitivity and performing in low signal and dynamic interference environments. |
| US08184675B2 |
Residual frequency offset exploitation
Respective residual frequency offsets of de-spread correlated signals derived from a received communication signal are determined and used to improve receiver performance in high-velocity situations. The knowledge of the residual frequency offsets of the respective fingers can be used for adaptive AFC combining, improved velocity estimation, and adaptive residual frequency offset compensation. |
| US08184672B2 |
Frequency hopping
A cellular communications system includes a base station and a plurality of user devices, wherein each user device is operable to communicate with the base station over a communication channel having a plurality of frequency resources, wherein the base station is operable: i) to provide each user device with a respective initial allocation of the frequency resources; and ii) to provide at least one user device with a periodic communications opportunity in which the user device can communicate with the base station, wherein each user device is operable to apply a frequency shift to its initially allocated frequency resource in accordance with a frequency hopping sequence, wherein the user devices use the same frequency hopping sequence and are synchronized with each other so that, at any point in time, a common frequency shift is applied by the user devices. |
| US08184659B2 |
Network system for communicating between different IP versions with multiple translators
In a telecommunications network system in which two translators are placed for the conversion of IP version 4 (IPv4)-version 6 (IPv6)-IPv4, one translator converts an IPv4 packet to an IPv6 packet by adding a prefix obtained from a prefix management server managing prefixes to an address contained in an IPv4 packet received from an IPv4 terminal and also converts an IPx6 packet to an IPv4 packet by removing a prefix from the address contained in the IPx6 packet received from the translator. According to the conversion table, the other translator converts the IPv6 packet received from the one translator to an IPv4 packet and an IPv4 packet received from the IPv4 server to an IPv6 packet, thus enhancing the transfer efficiency in the IPv6-IPv4 conversion network. |
| US08184656B2 |
Control channel negotiated intermittent wireless communication
A dual mode communication device utilizes a control channel to exploit diversity, history, and context in advance of establishing a broadband data exchange session on a broadband but shorter range wireless data channel, maximizing productive use of such a session. Appropriate diversity for the negotiated session further enhance data transfer, including path diversity, radio technology diversity (e.g., WiMax, Wi-Fi, ultra wideband, Bluetooth), antenna diversity (e.g., MIMO), modulation diversity (e.g., rate selection for 802.11, or symbol length selection to combat multi-path fading), and frequency diversity (e.g., 2.4 GHz versus 5 GHz). Historical information about channel characteristics optimize the selection of channel parameters with respect to the diversity choices. In addition, context information such as location and speed can be used to categorize the historical information that is collected to further optimize channel parameters. |
| US08184649B2 |
Method for transmitting data available in the form of data packets
In a system in which several data links are available for the transmission while one respective sending unit is allocated to the data links to temporarily store data that is to be transmitted via the respective data link, data packets containing non-real-time critical data are subdivided into fragments of variable sizes prior to forwarding to a sending unit. Data packets containing real time-critical data are preferably forwarded to a sending unit without being fragmented. Additionally, a minimum fragment size can be predefined for the fragmentation process. |
| US08184648B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing control of multiple physically dual homed devices
A ring control protocol is used to establish a separate control plane for a plurality of physically dual homed devices to enable collections of dual homed devices to be represented by a single pair of addresses into the attached routed Ethernet network. The gateway devices analyze the passing ring control packets to create direct mappings for data packets to the routed Ethernet network. Thus, although the dual homed devices are treated as a ring from a control perspective, the data path is implemented to be direct so that data packets continue to flow directly from the dual homed devices to each of the attached gateway devices. In one embodiment, each of the gateway devices implements a virtual switch and advertises the MAC address of the virtual switch into the routed Ethernet network rather than the MAC addresses of each of the attached Ethernet Switch Units. |
| US08184642B2 |
PCR jitter reduction in a VSB and/or EVSB multiplexer system
Program clock references in first and second MPEG data streams are re-stamped in accordance with delays introduced into the first and second MPEG data streams. Accordingly, the program clock references in the first MPEG data stream are re-stamped according to a variable delay in the first MPEG data stream, and the program clock references in the second MPEG data stream are re-stamped according to a variable delay in the second MPEG data stream. The re-stamped program clock references in the second MPEG data stream are corrected according to a fixed delay in the second MPEG data stream. The first and second MPEG data streams are multiplexed, and the multiplexed first and second MPEG data streams are transmitted and received. |
| US08184637B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for dynamic quality of service modification
A method, system and apparatus for dynamically modifying the quality of service provided to a mobile communication device. The method includes the steps of establishing a secure tunnel between the mobile communication device and a remote network through a wireless network; communicating through the secure tunnel at a first quality of service; determining that a second quality of service, higher or lower than the first quality of service, is more appropriate to the communication type, and requesting, from the wireless network, the second quality of service. |
| US08184635B2 |
Port packet queuing
A port queue includes a first memory portion having a first memory access time and a second memory portion having a second memory access time. The first memory portion includes a cache row. The cache row includes a plurality of queue entries. A packet pointer is enqueued in the port queue by writing the packet pointer in a queue entry in the cache row in the first memory. The cache row is transferred to a packet vector in the second memory. A packet pointer is dequeued from the port queue by reading a queue entry from the packet vector stored in the second memory. |
| US08184634B2 |
Packet transfer method and node apparatus
In a L2VPN, where Ethernet frames are encapsulated and transferred, when an edge node disposed at an entrance of the L2VPN encapsulates an Ethernet frame, the data type of the payload of the Ethernet frame is checked. If the payload data type includes time-to-live (TTL) information, whether to encapsulate or discard the frame is judged according to the TTL value. One material for judging whether to discard the frame is a condition that the TTL value is larger than ‘1’ and smaller than a predetermined threshold. |
| US08184633B2 |
Automated interoperability assessments based on iterative profling and emulation of SIP or T.38 fax-relay enabled devices
A system for and method of efficient interoperability assessment based on automated Behavioral Profiling and Emulation of SIP or T.38 Fax-relay Enabled Devices, for example, for profiling and emulating VoIP Phones such as SIP Phones, or T.38 Fax-relay devices such as Internet Aware Fax Terminals. The method includes a Multi-step/Multi-technology Iterative Profiling Stage that allows creating a Behavioral Profile based on the analysis of a plurality of traffic samples. Also, the method presents an efficient process of Device Emulation of an actual device to be used in interoperability assessment, including a Standard State Machine parameterized by a set of characteristics stored in the Behavioral Profile. The Emulation method can be used to duplicate one or more device behaviors exhibited either by different firmware revisions, software upgrades or by different OEM product models. |
| US08184632B1 |
System and method for accepting information from routing messages into a list
A system and method adds and manages entries on a list of entries of routing information to allow the top entry to be used for routing to a destination corresponding to the list. Costs of a wireless link may be a function of the success rate experienced on that wireless link. |
| US08184630B2 |
Method for managing multicast traffic in a data network and network equipment using said method
The invention relates to a method for managing multicast traffic in a data network, and network equipment using said method. Hosts receive from a network interface of a router traffic sent by sources in a multicast group. The hosts and the router communicate with one another by means of a multicast host-router communications protocol by means of which the hosts send to the router messages to request multicast traffic from sources in a multicast group. The router receiving one of said messages obtains in said message identifying data which identify the host that has sent said message, and said router stores in specific records for each network interface of the router, host and multicast group information about the sources the traffic of which has been requested by said host in said messages sent to the router. |
| US08184629B2 |
Reliable multicast using merged acknowledgements
Multiple multicast acknowledgements can be merged into a single multicast acknowledgement, thus reducing traffic and reducing logic complexity. An intermediate node that receives multiple multicast acknowledgements merges the multiple acknowledgements into a single acknowledgement, and then supplies the single merged acknowledgment to the multicast source. Encoding of the single merged acknowledgement conveys to the source which of the multicast targets successfully received (or which failed to receive) the multicast information. |
| US08184626B2 |
High-radix interprocessor communications system and method
A high-radix interprocessor communications system and method having a plurality of processor nodes, a plurality of first routers and a plurality of second routers. Each first router is connected to a processor node and to two or more second routers. Each first router includes input ports, output ports, row busses, columns channels and a plurality of subswitches arranged in a n x p matrix. Each row bus receives data from one of the plurality of input ports and distributes the data to two or more of the plurality of subswitches. Each column distributes data from one or more subswitches to one or more output ports. Each row bus includes a route selector, wherein the route selector includes a routing table which selects an output port for each packet and which routes the packet through one of the row busses to the selected output port. |
| US08184625B2 |
GPON management system
The present invention provides the capability to manage NEs with a large number of units of equipment and facilities, by providing functions such profiling, auto-creation, link aggregation and scoping. This makes it easier for to manage GPON data, voice and video services and to support traffic protection. A method for managing an optical network comprises automatically provisioning a unit of the optical network, automatically creating a unit of the optical network, and arranging link aggregation in a unit of the optical network. |
| US08184622B2 |
Integrated internet telephony system and signaling method thereof
A VoIP network includes an integrated Internet telephony system having an all-in-one architecture in which an application layer gateway function, a signaling processing function and a media processing function are integrated. The integrated Internet telephony system performs ALG processing on a packet bound to a first address and processes a signaling message bound to a second address so as to set up a call session between an external SIP terminal connected to a public network and an internal SIP terminal connected to a private network, and performs media processing on an RTP packet based on a third address, the RTP packet exchanged through the call session. A SIP signaling gateway function, a media gateway function and SIP-ALG function are installed in one chip, and respective functions are allocated with different IP addresses by the application of a virtual interface and aliasing IP addresses. |
| US08184621B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for short message routing control
The present disclosure provides an apparatus, system and method for short message routing control for delivering the short message when multiple paths exist. The apparatus for short message routing control includes an short message intelligent decision query unit and a Network Domain selection entity (NeDs) connected with each other; the short message intelligent decision query unit is configure to query the NeDs for a routing decision of a short message upon receiving the short message; and the NeDs is configured to determine the routing decision of the short message according to routing decision information stored in the NeDs, and return the determined routing decision to the short message intelligent decision query unit. |
| US08184619B2 |
Systems, methods and computer products for voicemail via internet protocol television
Systems, methods and computer products for voicemail via Internet Protocol Television. Exemplary embodiments include a method for providing voicemail to an Internet-Protocol-enabled device, the method including receiving a communication that a voicemail to a called party has been deposited in a voicemail infrastructure, mapping the called party number to an Internet Protocol-enabled device address of the called party, and sending the voicemail to the Internet Protocol-enabled device address corresponding to the called party number. |
| US08184615B2 |
Wireless terminal methods and apparatus for establishing connections
Methods and apparatus for establishing communication links, used to support communications sessions with one or more end nodes, e.g., mobile devices, are described. Various features are directed to a mobile node controlling the establishment of initial links to a first access node and the establishment of new links from a first access node to a second access node during a handoff operation using highly efficient messages and signal. |
| US08184614B2 |
System and method for automatic voice over IP endpoint configuration
A telecommunications system includes a packet network; a plurality of VoIP endpoints; and a plurality of VoIP feature servers. The VoIP endpoints are able to send configuration request messages to the feature servers. The feature servers respond with information indicative of supported features. The VoIP endpoints can then update the system configurations based on the response information. Further, newly added feature servers transmit feature availability messages to endpoints when initially installed. The endpoints then respond to configure themselves appropriately. |
| US08184611B2 |
Mobile station assisted timing synchronization in a CDMA communication system
In the present invention, the slave base station attains synchronization with the reference base station through messages transmitted from and received by a mobile station either in the soft handoff region between the reference base station and the slave base station or within a range which allows the mobile station to communicate with the slave base station. When the mobile station is not in communication with both the reference base station and the slave base station, then the round trip delay between the mobile station and the reference base station is measured by the reference base station. The reference base station communicates the PN code used by the mobile station over the reverse link to the slave base station. The slave base station acquires the signal from the mobile station and determines when the signal from the mobile station arrives. The slave base station then makes an estimate as to the length of the delay between transmission of a signal from the mobile station to the slave base station. Based upon these measurements and estimates, the slave base station determines the error which is present in the slave base station system time. |
| US08184609B2 |
System and method for random access in a wireless communication system
The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for random access in a wireless communication system. In one example, the method includes allocating first and second random access orthogonal frequency subbands to first and second subdivisions, respectively, in a wireless communication network. The first subband is assigned to a first position in a first subframe for use in the first subdivision during a first transmission slot, and the second subband is assigned to a second position in the first subframe for use in the second subdivision during the first transmission slot. The first subband is then assigned to a third position in a second subframe for use in the first subdivision during a second transmission slot following the first transmission slot, and the second subband is assigned to a fourth position in the second subframe for use in the second subdivision during the second transmission slot. |
| US08184606B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring base station signal in communication system having multiple antennas
In a signal monitoring apparatus of a base station of a communication system having multiple antennas, a transmitting/receiving unit transmits a plurality of transmit signals by using the multiple antennas or processes a plurality of receive signals received through the multiple antennas. A radio frequency calibration unit calibrates the transmit signals transmitted through the multiple antennas, and processes at least one target transmit signal among the plurality of transmit signals so as to monitor the at least one target transmit signal. A signal monitoring unit receives at least one first signal or at least one second signal, and transmits the at least one first signal or the at least one second signal to user equipment. The at least one first signal is a signal processed from at least one target receive signal among the plurality of receive signals, and the at least one second signal is a signal processed from the at least one target transmit signal by controlling the radio frequency calibration unit. |
| US08184605B2 |
Internet-orientated ad-hoc network
A hierarchical directional internet-oriented ad-hoc network, defined by a software infrastructure, is composed of gateway nodes and a plurality of wireless nodes, which may be fixed or mobile, and which may act as subscribers, routers, or both. The infrastructure hierarchy is defined by the hop count of each node (distance of that node to a fixed gateway node). The software infrastructure includes two tables associated with each node in the network: the upstream routing table which provides shortest routes to fixed gateway nodes through upstream neighbors, and the downstream routing table which provides shortest routes to subscribers through downstream neighbors. These two tables are used by routing algorithms. A peer table can also be used for alternate routes. The maintenance of the aforementioned tables is performed by autonomous algorithms operating locally on each node by receiving and processing signals from their neighbors. |
| US08184597B2 |
Technique for radio resource management
A radio resource management technique in a cellular telecommunication system is disclosed. The telecommunication system comprises at least one radio network controlling component and one or more base station components operable to implement an uplink scheduling scheme in relation to one or more user terminals. A method embodiment comprises the steps of receiving, by one of the base station components from the at least one radio network controlling component, at least one interference control parameter, of generating one or more scheduling grants taking into account the at least one interference control parameter, and of issuing the one or more scheduling grants to one or more user terminals. |
| US08184591B2 |
Handling cell reselections and state transitions for high-speed downlink packet access
A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) is configured to operate in an high speed data packet access (HSDPA) mode in a cell and/or state and to clear HSDPA resources when moving out of the cell and/or state. The WTRU is configured to clear HSDPA resources when conditions to perform high speed downlink shared channel reception are not met. |
| US08184587B2 |
System and method for measuring round trip delay of voice packets in a telephone system
Systems and methods measure a round trip delay of voice packets through a telephone system that includes a plurality of cabinets connected through a network. Each cabinet includes a link for communicating with other cabinets through the network by passing information such as voice packets. Each link includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that inserts and reads information in the voice packets to measure a time delay of the network. A first cabinet link sets a transmit bit in a voice packet directed to a second cabinet and starts a timer. The second cabinet monitors the transmit bit in received voice packets to determine if the bit is set. If so, the second cabinet sets a receive bit in the next outgoing voice packet directed to the first cabinet. The first cabinet monitors the receive bit in incoming voice packets and if set, stops the timer. The resulting value in the timer reflects the network delay. |
| US08184579B2 |
ACK/NAK repetition schemes in wireless networks
ACK/NAK repetition may be necessary to provide sufficient coverage for cell edge UEs. For a coverage limited UE, a NodeB may inform the UE that ACK/NAK repetition is needed. Such information can be explicitly signaled to the UE via DL control channels or conveyed through higher layer signaling. Further, a specific resource for ACK/NAK repetition and the number of repeated transmissions of ACK/NAK are further signaled to the UE. |
| US08184578B2 |
Dynamic inter-cell channel sharing
A mechanism to share channels between cells dynamically and without simultaneous allocation of the same channel by more than one access point achieved by a method for a dynamic inter-cell channel sharing for a first access point in a radio access network, the first access point being associated with a first cell of a number of cells within the radio access network, the first access point being adapted to connecting at least one first user equipment being situated in the first cell, to a network infrastructure, comprising the steps of: receiving from the at least one first user equipment a report indicating whether a specific channel is used in a second adjacent cell of said number of cells, the report being based on a first information sent from at least one second access point, the information indicating whether a specific channel is used in the second adjacent cell. |
| US08184576B2 |
Method for state transition of mobile terminal
In a wireless mobile communications system, a state transition method of a mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal receives downlink data in a first state of the mobile terminal, a state of the mobile terminal keeps in the first state or transits to a second state based on a response message responding to the received downlink data, thereby minimizing an unnecessary state transition of the mobile terminal. |
| US08184573B2 |
Base station, mobile station, and synchronization channel transmission method
A base station communicating with a mobile station in a radio communication system by using OFDM for downlink is disclosed. The base station includes a sequence selecting unit configured to select multiple synchronization signal sequences; a synchronization signal generating unit configured to generate a secondary synchronization channel based on a part of the selected synchronization signal sequences and another part of the selected synchronization signal sequences; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the secondary synchronization channel. The secondary synchronization channel is used to detect cell-specific information. |
| US08184570B2 |
Method of transmitting data in wireless communication system supporting multimedia broadcast/multicast service
A method of transmitting data in a wireless communication system supporting a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) includes transmitting a data block for the MBMS through a main channel, and transmitting the data block through a sub-channel if an error report for the data block is received. Waste of radio resources is minimized by the use of a main channel while improving quality of the MBMS by restoring data by the use of a sub-channel. |
| US08184559B2 |
Key telephone system using a SIP and method of receiving and answering an incoming call for a representative group in the key telephone system
In a key telephone system including SIP telephones forming a representative group, a main unit transmits, upon reception of an incoming call for the representative group, a “NOTIFY” message to all of SIP telephones forming the representative group to perform a calling operation. An answering SIP telephone answers the main unit by sending a “NOTIFY” message to the main unit. The main unit transmits a “200 OK” message to the answering telephone alone and transmits a “NOTIFY” message to an unanswering SIP telephone. |
| US08184557B2 |
Apparatus and method for computer controlled call processing applications in packet switched telephone networks
A method is presented comprising transmitting, from an application computer communicably connected to a call controller which is connected to a data network, packetized messages indicative of telephone calls in progress at an endpoint of the data network, or indicative of such endpoint, and transmitting, from the call controller to the application computer, packetized messages indicative of a variety of information contained in, or relevant to, the telephone calls so as to process such information for a variety of applications. Apparatus to implement the method is also presented. |
| US08184555B1 |
SpaceWire network management
A system and method for SpaceWire network management are disclosed involving a network and a network manager (NM). The network includes a plurality of switches and a plurality of nodes. The switches and nodes do not have any preprogrammed knowledge of the network topology and/or of their unit identification (UID) code. In one or more embodiments, the network is a spacecraft communications network. In at least one embodiment, the method for managing the SpaceWire network comprises the network manager (NM) determining link connectivity of the network; verifying the switches are properly configured to allow for logical address routing; and verifying the nodes are configured to process, receive, and transmit data through the network. In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining newly added units, removed units, and/or unresponsive units in the network, and propagating this information through an active unit table. |
| US08184552B2 |
Communication terminal, control device, communication system, and program
A communication terminal providing optimal communication services between content providers comprising a property management table with an appraised value registered for each of a predetermined set of communication media properties for various types of communication media, a first user specified priority ranking list and a second priority ranking list specified by an application program provider with rankings for the set of communication media properties, whereby the desired communication medium is selected by adding weightings for priority from the first and second priority ranking lists and adding the appraised value for each item from the property management table and using the highest total to specify the optimum communication medium for use when commencement of communication is specified by a predetermined application program, and establishing communication connections between opposing devices using the selected optimum communication medium. Also disclosed are a communication system, control device and program including the communication terminal's elements. |
| US08184546B2 |
Endpoint device configured to permit user reporting of quality problems in a communication network
An IP telephone or other endpoint device in a network is configured to support a reporting mode of operation that may be entered, for example, responsive to user entry of a report command via a user interface of the endpoint device. In one aspect, the endpoint device stores call information in one or more buffers. Responsive to an instruction to enter a reporting mode, the endpoint device sends contents of the buffer(s) to a report server over the network. The endpoint device may reinitialize the buffer(s) responsive to an instruction to leave the reporting mode. |
| US08184541B2 |
Method and system for link layer scheduling in a multiple access communication system
A method and system is provided for link layer scheduling for networked applications in a coordinator-based communications system. A network-coordinating device receives a request from a networked application to establish a communications session. The request includes a set of session parameters. The network-coordinating device allocates a first transmission opportunity in response to the request. The network-coordinating device allocates successive transmission opportunities based on the set of session parameters without receiving successive requests. The set of session parameters comprises at least one of a predetermined flow control mechanism, a quality-of-service (QoS) requirement, a bandwidth requirement, and an application type. In one embodiment, the predetermined flow control mechanism is additive increase and multiplicative decrease (AIMD) of transmission control protocol (TCP). Using the novel link layer scheduling, the network-coordinating device is able to allocate and adjust successive transmission opportunities to match the upper-layer resource requirement and traffic pattern dynamically. |
| US08184536B2 |
Apparatus and method for error concealment for a digital wireless phone
When there are unused data slots available, a system allocates redundant slots in a data frame to a single mobile unit. A receiving device calculates a quality of slot (QoS) score for each slot that it receives data for. After the QoS score is calculated, the system calculates a Quality of Audio Segment (QoAS) score for each individual segment. It does so by comparing the individual audio segments that were received. Segments that are identical are assigned a positive score, while segments that differ get no score. The QoAS for each segment is added to the QoS for the slot the segment was transmitted in to generate the total score. The system then chooses the segment with the highest total score. If the total score is above a specified threshold, the system outputs the segment to the next component. Otherwise, it outputs a mute segment. |
| US08184532B2 |
Estimation of interference variation caused by the addition or deletion of a connection
A method for determining whether a connection event between a base station and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) should be accepted or rejected, comprises measuring the interference level I0 in a candidate timeslot; measuring the path loss L between the base station and the WTRU; measuring the total transmit power P0 of the base station; determining a thermal noise level θ; determining a fading average signal-to-interference ratio (SIR); and calculating a ratio R, wherein if the ratio R is above a certain threshold the connection event will be accepted and if the call is below the threshold it will be rejected. |
| US08184528B2 |
Network backhaul systems and methods
An exemplary system includes a mobile telephone switching office (“MTSO”) subsystem having a first aggregation router and a second aggregation router, and a mobile telephone cell site router communicatively connected to the MTSO subsystem via a network backhaul connection. The cell site router is configured to establish at least one communication tunnel from the cell site router to the first aggregation router, establish at least one backup communication tunnel from the cell site router to the second aggregation router, detect at least one traffic forwarding failure associated with the communication tunnel, and redirect network backhaul traffic directed to the first aggregation router via the communication tunnel to the second aggregation router via the backup communication tunnel in response to the detected traffic forwarding failure. In certain embodiments, establishment of the backup communication tunnel includes pre-signaling the backup communication tunnel as backup to the communication tunnel. |
| US08184527B2 |
Method for conducting redundancy checks in a chain network
The present invention relates to a method for conducting redundancy checks in a chain network, wherein the two ends of the chain network are equipped with a first switch and a second switch respectively, and a port of the first or second switch used for communicating with an external network is set to be blocked, so that when an link failure happens to any switch of the chain network, the two switches close to the link failure port sends control packets to the first and second switches respectively to forward the port that is originally blocking, thus making the network to return to normal state quickly. Besides, as the first and second switches are used to connect other chain networks, external network devices or external redundant network architectures, it allows more network nodes to be included in single network architecture and provides flexibility and compatibility in use by including different redundancy mechanisms. |
| US08184525B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting and fixing faults in an inline-power capable ethernet system
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for detecting ground faults in an Ethernet system. An Ethernet switch is configured to provide inline power to a plurality of ports each having positive and negative rails. Current is injected into selected rails of a port and ground isolation is temporarily broken for the port. A detected mismatch in current levels between the positive and negative rails of the port indicates a ground fault in the port. |
| US08184522B2 |
Optical head for optical recorder/reproducer
An optical head for recording or reproducing a signal on or from an optical recording medium including a light source, an objective lens for condensing light emitted from the light source to the optical recording medium, and a light-separating device arranged between the light source and the objective lens in order to separate the light reflected from the optical recording medium from the light emitted from the light source. The light-separating device includes a first glass, a multilayer film formed on the first glass, and an adhesive layer arranged on the multilayer film in order to bond a second glass onto the multilayer film. The majority of the light emitted from the light source enters into the light-separating device through the first glass and is reflected by the multilayer film. |
| US08184519B2 |
Optical pickup apparatus
An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a diffraction grating that a laser beam enters, the diffraction grating being configured to generate a main beam that is 0th order light and sub-beams that are +1st order diffracted light and −1st order diffracted light; an objective lens configured to focus the main beam and the sub-beams onto a signal recording layer; a main-beam light-receiving portion that the main beam reflected by the signal recording layer is applied to; and sub-beam light-receiving portions that the sub-beams reflected by the signal recording layer are respectively applied to, each light-receiving area of the sub-beam light-receiving portions being smaller than a light-receiving area of the main-beam light-receiving portion. |
| US08184514B2 |
Signal quality evaluating apparatus and method, and information recording medium
A signal quality evaluating method necessary for a signal quality evaluation index and a margin design is provided for an apparatus utilizing hologram recording techniques. An evaluation index is used being obtained by dividing root sum square of standard deviations of luminance value distribution of on- and off-pixels obtained from reproduced signals, by a difference between average values. |
| US08184513B2 |
Recording/reproducing method, recording/reproducing apparatus, optical recording medium, and computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon program for the recording/reproducing method
A recording method for use by an apparatus and/or which is encoded on a computer readable medium includes selecting a defect management on mode or a defect management off mode that indicates whether defect management is to be performed or not while data is recorded in the recording medium, recording the data in the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium, if the defect management on mode is selected, and recording the data in the recording medium without defect management, if the defect management off mode is selected. |
| US08184512B2 |
Optical disk drive with embedded test medium
Embodiments provide an optical disk drive that includes an embedded test medium for testing the optical performance of an optical head in the optical disk drive. |
| US08184501B2 |
Systems and methods for stretching clock cycles in the internal clock signal of a memory array macro
Systems and methods for stretching clock cycles of the internal clock signal of a memory array macro to allow more time for a data access in the macro than the period of an external clock signal. In one embodiment, a local clock buffer in the memory array macro receives a regular periodic external clock signal and generates an internal clock signal. The local clock buffer includes a first signal path that has one or more faster-than-nominal components so that the first rising edge of the internal clock cycle occurs early than it would in a clock buffer with nominal components. When the memory array macro is active for a data access, the local clock buffer stretches a clock cycle of the internal clock signal so that the first and second half-periods of the internal clock cycle are each greater than the half-periods of the external clock signal. |
| US08184500B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of banks, a first bank selection driving control signal generation unit configured to generate a plurality of first bank selection driving control signals corresponding to the plurality of banks in response to an active command signal and an address signal, a second bank selection driving control signal generation unit configured to generate a plurality of second bank selection driving control signals corresponding to the plurality of banks in response to one of a read command signal and a write command signal and in response to the address signal, and an internal voltage driver configured to selectively drive a plurality of internal voltage terminals corresponding to the plurality of banks in response to the plurality of first bank selection driving control signals and the plurality of second bank selection driving control signals. |
| US08184497B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing heat flux in memory systems
The memory module includes front and back faces. Multiple devices are disposed on each of the faces. A first control line serially connects a first group of devices on both the front and back faces so that the first group of devices commonly contribute multiple bits to a data bus. A second control line serially connects a second group of devices on both the front and back faces so that the second group of devices commonly contribute multiple bits to a data bus. |
| US08184496B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for operating the same
A semiconductor device includes a sensing unit configured to sense whether a value of a programming sensing node is within a predefined range, a fuse connected to the programming sensing node, a programming voltage supplying unit configured to supply a programming voltage to the programming sensing node, and a transferring unit configured to transfer the value of the programming sensing node in response to the sensing result of the sensing unit. |
| US08184494B2 |
Cell inferiority test circuit
A cell inferiority test circuit includes a compression data generator configured to compress selected data in response to selection signals and to generate compression data including information about cell inferiority, a strobe signal delayer configured to delay a strobe signal by an amount of time set by a test signal and to generate a delayed strobe signal, and an input/output line driver configured to receive the compression data in sync with the delayed strobe signal and to drive a global input/output line. |
| US08184490B2 |
Self-calibration method of a reading circuit of a nonvolatile memory
A self-calibration circuit of a nonvolatile memory includes a trimming data storage module, a sense amplifier module, a logic judgment module, and a scanning module. The nonvolatile memory circuit includes a memory cell array and the self-calibration circuit of the reading circuit of the nonvolatile memory. Without requiring an additional fuse or differential unit, the self-calibration circuit of a nonvolatile memory solves a deadlock problem securely and reliably without increasing circuit area and test cost, and be widely applied to OTP, MTP and EEPROM of various processes or various nonvolatile memories such as Flash EEPROM, MRAM, and FeRAM. |
| US08184488B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling integrated circuit operation with below ground pin voltage
Systems and methods for controlling operation of an integrated circuit by applying below ground voltage to one or more pins of the integrated circuit, and in which the application of a below ground pin voltage may be employed as an initiator of (or condition for) a given mode of circuit operation in a manner that prevents the inadvertent initiation of the given mode of operation that may otherwise occur due to accidental application of an above ground voltage to one or more pins of the integrated circuit. |
| US08184487B2 |
Modified read operation for non-volatile memory
A method may comprise executing a read operation to access a memory array by performing a preactive command to include a row-address-write operation and a bitline precharge and column selection operation and performing an activate command including a column-address-write operation and a row-decode-selection operation. |
| US08184482B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device for preventing a source line bouncing phenomenon
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array configured to include cell strings coupled between respective bit lines and a source line, a unilateral element coupled to the source line, and a negative voltage generation unit coupled to the unilateral element and configured to generate a negative voltage. |
| US08184481B2 |
Memory devices and methods of their operation including selective compaction verify operations
Memory devices and methods of their operation, where following an erasure of a string of memory cells, a selective compaction verify operation is performed on one or more, but less than all, of the memory cells of the string, and, if the selective compaction verify operation indicates compaction is desired, a soft programming pulse is applied to one or more of the memory cells of the string. |
| US08184475B2 |
Robust local bit select circuitry to overcome timing mismatch
An integrated circuit can include an SRAM array having cells arranged in columns, each column being connected to true and complementary read local bitlines RLBLT and RLBLC. A local bit-select circuit can be connected to the cells of a column of the SRAM array, which can include first and second pull-down devices for pulling down a respective one of RLBLT and RLBLC at a timing controlled by a write control signal WRT. The circuit can include cross-coupled p-type field effect transistors (“PFETs”) including a first PFET having a gate connected to RLBLT and having a drain connected to RLBLC, and a second PFET of the pair having a gate connected to RLBLC and having a drain connected to RLBLT. A first device can control a strength of the cross-coupled PFETs. A pair of cross-coupled n-type field effect transistors (“NFETs”) can have gates connected to gates of the first and second pull-down devices. A second device can control a strength of the cross-coupled NFETs. The operation of the first and second devices can be controlled by applying first and second signals having programmed levels thereto. The levels of the first and second signals may selectively activate either the first device or the second device, so as to activate either the cross-coupled PFETs or the cross-coupled NFETs at one time. |
| US08184474B2 |
Asymmetric SRAM cell with split transistors on the strong side
An integrated circuit containing an SRAM cell array in which each SRAM cell includes an auxiliary NMOS driver or PMOS load transistor plus a bit-side passgate transistor and a bit-bar-side passgate transistor. An integrated circuit containing an SRAM cell array in which each SRAM cell includes an auxiliary PMOS driver or NMOS load transistor plus a bit-side passgate transistor and a bit-bar-side passgate transistor. A process of operating an integrated circuit containing an SRAM cell array in which each SRAM cell includes an auxiliary NMOS driver or PMOS load transistor plus a bit-side passgate transistor and a bit-bar-side passgate transistor. A process of operating an integrated circuit containing an SRAM cell array in which each SRAM cell includes an auxiliary PMOS driver or NMOS load transistor plus a bit-side passgate transistor and a bit-bar-side passgate transistor. |
| US08184473B2 |
Nanowire memory device and method of manufacturing the same
A nanowire memory device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A memory device includes: a substrate; a first electrode formed on the substrate; a first nanowire extending from an end of the first electrode; a second electrode formed over the first electrode to overlap the first electrode; and a second nanowire extending from an end of the second electrode corresponding to the end of the first electrode in the same direction as the first nanowire, wherein an insulating layer exists between the first and second electrodes. |
| US08184471B2 |
DRAM having stacked capacitors of different capacitances
A DRAM device having a plurality of memory blocks, including edge-located memory blocks and adjacent central memory blocks. An edge-located memory block shares a sense amplifier with an adjacent central memory block. The memory cells in the edge-located memory block include data storage capacitors having a greater capacitance value than data storage capacitors in the memory cells in the adjacent central memory block. The data storage capacitors in edge-located memory cells may have greater surface area than data storage capacitors in the central memory cells. The data storage capacitors in edge-located memory cells may be formed by connecting in parallel two data storage capacitors of the shape and size of data storage capacitors used in each of the memory cells of the adjacent central memory block. |
| US08184469B2 |
Stored multi-bit data characterized by multiple-dimensional memory states
A method for enhancing data storage may comprise storing two or more bits in a memory cell, wherein the stored bits may be characterized by two or more independent variables based, at least in part, on physical properties of the memory cell. |
| US08184463B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
The need for mediation operation is eliminated by adoption of a connection topology in which a circuit for executing one transmission (TR—00T), and a circuit for executing a plurality of receptions (TR—10R, TR—20R, TR—30R) are connected to one penetration-electrode group (for example, TSVGL—0). In order to implement the connection topology even in the case of piling up a plurality of LSIs one after another, in particular, a programmable memory element for designating respective penetration-electrode ports for use in transmit, or for us in receive, and address allocation of the respective penetration-electrode ports is mounted in stacked LSIs. |
| US08184461B2 |
Power conditioner and solar photovoltaic power generation system
A first circuit generates a first sequence of square wave voltages having a voltage level that changes to a positive side relative to a first reference potential, which is a potential on a negative-electrode side of a direct current power source, from a direct current voltage. A second circuit generates a second sequence of square wave voltages having a voltage level lower than the voltage level of the first sequence of square wave voltages on the positive side that changes to a negative side relative to a second reference potential. The second chopper circuit further generates a third sequence of square wave voltages having a voltage level that changes to the positive and negative side in turns in the manner of sinusoidal wave relative to the first reference potential by summing the first sequence of square wave voltages and the second sequence of square wave voltages. A third circuit outputs the third sequence of square wave voltages as a charge/discharge output. The third circuit further PWM-controls the charge/discharge output so that a difference of the third sequence of square wave voltages to a sinusoidal wave voltage is corrected and thereby generates a sinusoidal wave voltage that continuously changes to the positive and negative sides relative to the first reference potential from the third sequence of square wave voltages and the PWM-controlled output, and outputs the generated sinusoidal wave voltage to a load. |
| US08184459B2 |
Switching power supply apparatus
A switching power supply apparatus employing a voltage obtained by rectifying an output from an AC power supply, as an input thereof includes a switching control circuit. The switching control circuit conducts a PFM control having a fixed ON-period of a switching device when a load is judged to be light based on a load signal indicating the load, and a PWM control when the load is judged not to be light. The switching control circuit changes the ON-period based on whether the AC power supply is a high voltage system or a low voltage system. |
| US08184456B1 |
Adaptive power converter and related circuitry
A resonant power converter circuit stage can be configured to: i) receive a rectified voltage derived from an AC input voltage; ii) convert the rectified voltage to an internal voltage based on the application of a duty cycle that varies depending on the input voltage and the output dynamic load, and iii) convert the internal voltage to a DC output voltage for driving the dynamic load based on application of a switching frequency that varies depending on a dynamic load. The efficiency of the power converter system can be increased by setting the internal DC voltage magnitude to be load adaptive. Variation of the internal DC voltage depending on the dynamic load enables the resonant converter circuit to operate at a switching frequency near its optimum resonance frequency. This method results in constant power converter system efficiency over a wide range of loading. In order to further increase the light load efficiency interleaved resonant power converters with load, adaptive internal DC voltage are used. |
| US08184454B2 |
Wireless power transmitting apparatus
A wireless power transmitting apparatus for remotely transmitting energy is implemented with a closed metal housing and a plurality of conductive plates disposed within the closed metal housing. With the aid of a high impedance between the closed metal housing and the conductive plates, a surface having the high impedance is formed on both the closed metal housing and the conductive plates for constraining electromagnetic power within the closed metal housing from dissipating and being consumed. The wireless power transmitting apparatus is not merely able to effectively and uniformly restrict electromagnetic field energy to the closed metal housing with the aid of the high impedance, but is also be able to raise a power transmitting efficiency between a power emitting device and a power receiving device. |
| US08184448B2 |
Bare chip embedded PCB
A PCB having an embedded bare chip includes an insulated substrate having a penetration hole formed therein; a filler filling up an inside of the penetration hole; a bare chip embedded in the filler such that electrode pads formed on one side thereof are exposed at the surface of the filler; and an electrode bump attached to a surface of the electrode pads and protruded to be exposed to the outside. |
| US08184444B2 |
Electrode pad for mounting electronic component and structure for mounting electronic component
Provided is an electrode pad for mounting an electronic component on a surface of a circuit board. The electrode pad includes first and second electrode parts facing each other, and third and fourth electrode parts facing each other. The third and fourth electrode parts are disposed adjacent to the first and second electrode parts for forming corners of the electrode pad together with the first and second electrode parts. At least one of the first to fourth electrode parts includes a chamfered surface formed by cutting a corner of the at least one of the first to fourth electrode parts forming the corner of the electrode pad. Therefore, when the electrode pad is used for mounting an electronic component, the width of an outer electrode of the electronic component can be sufficiently increased, and thus the shape or size of the outer electrode can be easily adjusted. |
| US08184443B2 |
SIM card retention assembly
A retention assembly for a SIM card incorporated in a portable electronic device having a main body, includes a receiving portion, a limiting sheet and a resilient pressing member. The receiving portion is defined in the main body to receive the SIM card. The receiving portion defines an entrance end. The limiting sheet extends from a side of the receiving portion to an opposite side of the receiving portion to resist the SIM card. The resilient pressing member includes a fixing portion fixed to the main body, a limiting portion resisting an end of the SIM card adjacent to the entrance end of the receiving portion, and a resilient portion interconnecting with the fixing portion and the limiting portion to press against the SIM card. |
| US08184442B2 |
Case of an electronic device
A case for an electronic device includes a printed circuit board; a frame capable of storing the printed circuit board; a back board equipped on a back side of the frame, and including a connector for connecting the printed circuit board; rail holders equipped in predetermined positions of the frame and extending from a front side of the case to the back board; and guide rails engaged with the rail holders respectively and including engagement parts capable of engaging with the rail holders respectively, and holding parts for holding both ends of the frame, and extending in accordance with the rail holders, respectively. |
| US08184441B2 |
Flash memory device with telescopic connector port and a casing of the flash memory device
A flash memory device includes a cover, an electrical module, a slider and a rotatable member for driving the slider. The cover defines a receiving chamber and an opening communicating with the receiving chamber. The electrical module is slideably received in the receiving chamber and includes a circuit board and a connector port electrically connected with the circuit board. The rotatable member has a fixed axis around which the rotatable member revolves. The rotatable member includes a protrusion slideably received in a slot defined in the slider. The connector port is driven to telescopically extend through the opening by the slider which is further driven by the protrusion. |
| US08184439B2 |
Semiconductor module
A semiconductor module includes a semiconductor package generating thermal energy, a heat collecting member transferring thermal energy from the semiconductor package to a heat collection area in the heat collecting member, a heat radiating member transferring thermal energy received from the heat collecting member and package to the outside, and a thermoelectric device transferring thermal energy through the heat collection area to the heat radiating member via the thermoelectric effect. The heat collecting member and heat radiating member may be otherwise insulated so thermal energy is transferred and controlled by the thermoelectric device. The package may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), microprocessor, central processing unit (CPU), graphic processing unit (GPU), or flash memory. The heat radiating member may be an external case of a solid state disk (SSD), and the thermoelectric device may be a Peltier cooler controlled through a power line. |
| US08184438B2 |
Control device
A modular control device comprises a control board, a sub-module and a housing cover, with a microcomputer mounted on the control board. The sub-module has a sub-module case provided with a wiring layer that is mounted into a wall of the sub-module case. Electronic parts are mounted in the sub-module case to electrically connect to the control board through the wiring layer. A housing cover accommodates the control board and the sub-module. A housing base is joined with the housing cover. The accommodation portion has a shape corresponding to a shape of each of the electronic parts is arranged in the housing cover. The sub-module is mounted to the housing cover with a heat radiation adhesive between the accommodation portion and each of the electronic parts. |
| US08184437B2 |
Modular test systems for severe environments
A modular equipment testing apparatus is suitable for use in severe environments. The testing apparatus comprises a base computing unit, an interchangeable test instrument board, and an interchangeable equipment interface pod. The base computing unit and the interchangeable test instrument board are sealed within a computing case. A bottom panel of the computing case is formed of a heat conducting material and acts as a heat sink for removing heat from inside the computing case. The computing case and the equipment interface pod interface to form a hermetically sealed case, which can withstand a drop of 1 meter to a solid surface and immersion to a depth of 0.5 meters in water without damage to components located within the sealed case. |
| US08184433B2 |
Switch and electronic device having a pivotable cover
An electronic device having a pivotable cover includes a cover body, a device body connected pivotably to the cover body, and a switch unit disposed on pivot connecting portions of the cover body and the device body. When the cover body is pivoted relative to the device body, the switch unit switches a power supply status of the electronic device. Thus, the convenience of operating the electronic device is enhanced. |
| US08184428B2 |
Dielectric ceramic and capacitor
A dielectric ceramic comprising a barium titanate as a main component and a capacitor comprising the dielectric ceramic are disclosed. The dielectric ceramic has a high dielectric constant that is stable over temperature, and has a small spontaneous polarization. The capacitor can reduce audible noise caused by an electrically induced strain in a power supply circuit. |
| US08184425B2 |
Multilayer capacitor
There is provided a multilayer capacitor including: a capacitor body where a plurality of dielectric layers are laminated, the capacitor body including first and second surfaces opposing each other in a laminated direction, wherein the first surface provides a mounting surface; a plurality of first and second inner electrodes; an inner connecting conductor; and a plurality of first and second outer electrodes formed on an outer surface of the body, wherein a corresponding one of the outer electrodes having identical polarity to the inner connecting conductor includes at least one outer terminal formed on the first surface of the body to connect to the inner connecting conductor, and at least one outer connecting conductor formed on the second surface of the body to connect a corresponding one of the inner electrodes of identical polarity to the inner connecting conductor. |
| US08184424B2 |
Multilayer electronic component including a counter diffusion layer
A multilayer electronic component includes a laminate including insulating layers that are laminated to each other and internal electrodes provided along interfaces between the insulating layers, edges of the internal electrodes being exposed at a predetermined surface of the laminate and an external electrode provided on the predetermined surface. The external electrode includes a plated film which is directly provided on the predetermined surface of the laminate so as to electrically connect edges of the internal electrodes exposed at the predetermined surface of the laminate, and at a boundary portion between each of the internal electrodes and the plated film, a counter diffusion layer is provided, in which a metal component in the plated film and a metal component in the internal electrodes are both detectable, and extend to both sides of the internal electrodes and the plated film, and, at a side of the internal electrodes. |
| US08184423B2 |
Electronic device with automatic mode switching
An automatic hold switch is disclosed. The automatic hold switch provides a means for automatically switching a hold feature on and off. When the hold feature is on, one or more input devices of a portable electronic device are disabled or prevented from providing input signals. When the hold feature is off, one or more input devices of a portable electronic device are enabled or allowed to provide input signals. Because the user no longer has to manually control the hold feature, the number of actions that need to be taken by the user is reduced. In one example, the automatic hold switch is embodied with light sensors that detect when the device is in a dark environment and when the device is in a light environment. A dark environment indicates to the portable electronic device that the user wishes not to input and therefore the hold feature is turned on. A lighted environment indicates to the portable electronic device that the user wishes to input and therefore the hold feature is turned off. |
| US08184422B2 |
Overheat detection in thermally controlled devices
Systems and methods of overheat detection provide for generating a control signal on a die containing a processor based on an internal temperature of the processor and a control temperature threshold. It can be determined whether to generate a warning temperature event on the die based on a behavior of the control signal. In one embodiment, the warning temperature event provides for initiation of an automated data saving process, which reduces the abruptness of conventional warning temperature shutdowns. Other embodiments provide the user the option of saving his or her work before a shutdown temperature threshold is reached. |
| US08184421B2 |
Power converter
The objective of the present invention is to provide a power converter capable of not only boosting the voltage but also shutting-off the flowing current, by switching only the switch element. The power converter 1, comprises a first input-output portion 3, a second input-output portion 5, a first capacitor C1, a second capacitor C2 electrically connected with the first capacitor C1 in serial, a first current control block B1, a second current control block B2, a third current control block B3, a fourth current control block B4, and a switching controller 7 operable to switch certain current control blocks, wherein the current flowing direction is opposite to each other between a first current control element B1a (B2a, B3a, B4a) and a second current control element B1b (B2b, B3b, B4b) which compose the current control block B1 (B2, B3, B4). |
| US08184419B2 |
Power supply with current limiting circuits
A power supply (200) is provided having a plurality of independent current limiting circuits. A first current limiting circuit (6) provides protection against a short circuit or other extraneous load conditions, while a second current limiting circuit, using a trace on a PCB as a sensing element, is programmable on the basis of a time constant and a current level. |
| US08184414B2 |
Method and apparatus for forming I/O clusters in integrated circuits
A first I/O pad has a first type transistor disposed at a first end of the first I/O pad. A second I/O pad has another first type transistor disposed at a first end of the second I/O pad. The first end of the first I/O pad abuts the first end of the second I/O pad, so the first type transistor is adjacent to the other first type transistor. |
| US08184413B2 |
Fault condition protection
A regulator for a switched mode power supply includes switching regulator logic, a counter and a switching transistor. The switching regulator logic is coupled to receive a feedback signal and to generate a switching signal in response. The feedback signal periodically cycles between a first state and a second state when the power supply operates normally. The counter is coupled to receive the feedback signal and an output of the counter indicates an auto-restart mode of the regulator in response to the feedback signal remaining in the first state for a predetermined count. The switching transistor is turned on and off in response to the switching signal when the output of the counter does not indicate the auto-restart mode and is disabled when the output of the counter indicates the auto-restart mode. |
| US08184411B2 |
MTJ incorporating CoFe/Ni multilayer film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for MRAM application
A MTJ for a spintronic device is disclosed and includes a thin composite seed layer made of at least Ta and a metal layer having fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture as in Ta/Ti/Cu to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (CoFe/Ni)x, (Co/NiFe)x, (Co/NiCo)x, (CoFe/NiFe)x, or (CoFe/NiCo)x composition where x is from 5 to 30. In one embodiment, a CPP-TMR spin valve has one or both of a laminated free layer and laminated reference layer with the aforementioned compositions. The MTJ includes an interfacial layer made of CoFeB, CoFeB/CoFe, or CoFe/CoFeB between each laminated structure and the tunnel barrier. The laminated layers are deposited by a low power and high Ar pressure process to avoid damaging interfaces between adjoining layers. Annealing occurs at 220° C. to 400° C. A laminated layer with high PMA may also be included in one or more layers of a spin transfer oscillator. |
| US08184410B2 |
Magnetoresistive element having free layer magnetic compound expressed by M1M2O
An example magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is substantially pinned toward one direction; a second magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is changed in response to an external magnetic field; and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. At least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer has a magnetic compound that is expressed by M1aM2bXc(where 5≦a≦68, 10≦b≦73, and 22≦c≦85). M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni. M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, and Mn. X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of N, O, and C. |
| US08184408B2 |
Magnetoresistive element and method of manufacturing the same
A magnetoresistive element includes a magnetoresistive film including a magnetization pinned layer, a magnetization free layer, an intermediate layer arranged between the magnetization pinned layer and the magnetization free layer, a cap layer arranged on the magnetization pinned layer or on the magnetization free layer, and a functional layer formed of an oxygen- or nitrogen-containing material and arranged in the magnetization pinned layer, or in the magnetization free layer, and a pair of electrodes which pass a current perpendicularly to a plane of the magnetoresistive film, in which a crystalline orientation plane of the functional layer is different from a crystalline orientation plane of its upper or lower adjacent layer. |
| US08184406B2 |
Thin film magnetic head having an angled insulating film
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a thin film magnetic head for preventing a short-circuit failure during formation of a track portion or a stripe-height portion and improving a yield. In one embodiment, a stripe-height direction is first formed, and then a track-width direction is formed. A third insulating film having a smoothly shaped wall surface is formed on a first insulating film during stripe-height formation. During formation of the third insulating film, an optimized lift-off pattern is used to smooth an edge shape. |
| US08184405B1 |
Air-bearing slider design for sub-nanometer clearance in hard disk drive (HDD)
A slider is formed by a three-step ion milling process with an ABS topography that provides aerodynamic stability at sub-nanometer flying heights. The ABS design significantly eliminates the accumulation of lubricant and removes whatever lubricant does accumulate by use of a shallow dam at the trailing edge. In addition, a junction between a down-track channel and a cross-track channel directs airflow towards a center pad in which a transducer is embedded so that the pressure at the pad is enhanced even under high altitude conditions. The slider ABS is divided into two portions by a transverse deep air channel, but the channel is bridged by the cross-track channel which crosses the deep air channel with sides of unequal height. This dual height bridge allows variations in skew angle to be compensated so that pressure variations across the disk tracks are significantly reduced. |
| US08184403B2 |
Disk drive suspension
A suspension is provided with a load beam and a flexure including a tongue on which a slider is mounted. A limiter is formed by cutting and raising a part of the tongue. The limiter includes a bent portion and arm. The tongue has an opening that is left after the limiter is cut and raised. The opening and limiter are formed along a center line of the tongue. A distal end of the dimple is in contact with a back surface of the slider through the opening. |
| US08184399B2 |
Magnetic write head with thin and thick portions for balancing writability and ate
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a tapered main pole having a variable thickness. The tapered portion of the pole is at the ABS tip and it can be formed by bevels at the leading or trailing edges or both. The taper terminates to form a region with a maximum thickness, t1, which extends for a certain distance proximally. Beyond this region of maximum thickness t1, the pole is then reduced to a constant minimum thickness t2. A yoke is attached to this region of constant minimum thickness. This pole design requires less flux because of the thinner region of the pole where it attaches to the yoke, but the thicker region just before the tapered ABS provides additional flux to drive the pole just before the ABS, so that high definition and field gain is achieved, yet fringing is significantly reduced. |
| US08184388B2 |
Image forming optical system and electronic image pickup apparatus using the same
An image forming optical system of the present invention includes at least one cemented lens which includes a first lens element (e1), a second lens element (e2), and a third lens element (e3). The first lens element e1 is cemented to a surface on one side of the second lens element e2, and the third lens element e3 is cemented to the other surface of the second lens element e2. The first lens element e1 is a positive lens, and a combined refracting power of the second lens element e2 and the third lens element e3 is negative. The cemented lens satisfies a predetermined conditional expression. |
| US08184387B2 |
Miniature optical system
Disclosed is a miniature optical system. The miniature optical system includes a first lens; a second lens; a third lens; and a fourth lens, wherein the first to fourth lenses are sequentially aligned from an object side to an image side of the system. The lenses satisfy the following equation: −1.5 |
| US08184386B2 |
Fresnel lens and injection mold
A surface of a base material of a Fresnel lens has a central area having circular zones arranged therein and an outer area located on the outer side of the central area and having circular-arc zones arranged therein. The pitch of zones in a boundary area between the central area and the outer area and where the zone shape changes is smaller than a basic pitch which is the pitch of the circular and circular-arc zones in the central area and the outer area. |
| US08184384B2 |
Imaging lens and imaging apparatus
An imaging lens is provided and includes: in order from the object side, a first lens having a concave surface on an image side thereof; a second lens of a negative lens having a concave surface on the image side and having at least one aspheric surface; a third lens having at least one aspheric surface; and a fourth lens of a positive lens having a convex surface on the image side and having at least one aspheric surface. A stop is disposed between the third lens and the fourth lens. In addition, assuming that a focal length of the whole system is f and a focal length of the first lens L1 is f1, the following Conditional Expression (1) is satisfied. 15.0<|f1/f| (1) |
| US08184383B2 |
Imaging lens and image pickup device
An imaging lens includes in order from an object side, a stop and a first lens to a fourth lens. Both the surfaces of a third lens have surfaces including at least one inflection point, and an inclination of each surface at the terminal end part of a periphery within an effective diameter collapses toward the image side. And 0.1 |
| US08184382B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus which makes it possible to achieve reduction of the size in the optical axis direction thereof, and easily maintain the accuracy of rectilinear guidance between lenses. A cam barrel rotatable around an optical axis has a cam for controlling motion of a lens unit along the optical axis. A rectilinear motion guide unit rectilinearly guides the lens unit. The rectilinear motion guide unit has a rectilinear motion barrel fitted in the cam barrel for rectilinearly guiding the lens unit, and a rectilinear motion member that is rectilinearly guided by a rectilinear motion guide member disposed around the rectilinear motion barrel and is connected to the rectilinear motion barrel. The cam barrel is sandwiched from front and rear in a direction along the optical axis by the rectilinear motion guide unit, and is movable together therewith along the optical axis. |
| US08184380B2 |
Lens barrel
A lens barrel is provided with which manufacturing costs can be reduced. The lens barrel (3) has a first lens group (G1), a second lens group (G2), a third lens group (G3), a first support frame (10) that supports the first lens group (G1), a second support frame (20) that supports the second lens group (G2), a third support frame (30) that supports the third lens group (G3), a first driving unit (50), a second driving unit (60), and a shutter unit (29) that is fixed to the second support frame (20). The first lens group (G1) has an overall negative refractive power, and includes a prism (PR). The second support frame (20) is driven along a second optical axis (A2) by the first driving unit (50). The third support frame (30) is driven along the second optical axis (A2) by the second driving unit (60). |
| US08184369B2 |
Screen unit
A screen unit includes: a screen having a first side, a second side, and a pair of crossing sides which cross the first side and the second side; a winding shaft holding the first side and functioning as a shaft around which the screen is wound; a supporting portion supporting the second side; a pair of string-shaped members provided between the winding shaft and the supporting portion and disposed outside the pair of the crossing sides of the screen in the directions along the pair of the crossing sides; and a plurality of connecting members provided on the pair of the crossing sides to connect the screen and the pair of the string-shaped members, wherein the pair of the crossing sides are curved toward the inside of the screen, and cushioning members are provided in such a manner as to cover at least the pair of the string-shaped members. |
| US08184365B2 |
Optical instruments having dynamic focus
An optical system suitable for use in an optical instrument such as a handheld optical probe, the optical system including a scanning element and an objective, the objective including a variable focus lens that can be electronically controlled to change the focal length of the optical system. In some embodiments, the optical system can axially and laterally scan a subject material by sequentially focusing at an axial depth using the variable focus lens and laterally scanning the material at that depth using the scanning element. |
| US08184360B2 |
Wavelength converting devices
A harmonic wave oscillating device having a supporting body, a wavelength converting layer, a lower side adhesive layer that adheres the wavelength converting layer and the supporting body, an upper side substrate provided on the side of an upper face of the wavelength converting layer, and an upper side adhesive layer that adheres the wavelength converting layer and the upper side substrate. The wavelength converting layer is made of a ferroelectric single crystal and has a channel type optical waveguide with a periodic polarization inversion structure formed therein. The wavelength converting layer has a width of 1.5 mm or smaller when viewed in a direction parallel to the wavelength converting layer and perpendicular to light propagating in the optical waveguide, and at least one of the supporting body and the upper side substrate has a volume resistivity lower than that of the ferroelectric single crystal. |
| US08184357B2 |
Display element
In one embodiment, a display element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a display cell defined by a dielectric material between the first electrode and the second electrode. The display cell includes a narrower portion adjacent the first electrode and a wider portion. The narrower portion has a first cross-sectional area and the wider portion has a second cross-sectional area. A cross-sectional area of the display cell gradually transitions between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area. The display element includes a fluid with colorants within the display cell. |
| US08184347B2 |
Opportunistic process control for printers
A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving print data at an electrophotographic printer; examining the print data to determine if an image within the print data may be used to perform one or more process control measurements and performing the process control measurement if it is determined that the image may be used. |
| US08184346B2 |
Status sending facsimile transmission system, status sending facsimile receiving device, and status sending facsimile receiving method
Facsimile systems, devices, and methods are provided related to transmitting an image from a sending device to a receiving device via a network. One embodiment includes a status information reply unit which replies to a notification request of status information from a sending device by transmitting status information representing status of the receiving-device to the sending device via a network, in which the status information reply unit includes a transmission source classifying portion which determines a class of the sending device and a selected-status information transmitting portion which transmits the status information to the sending device via the network. |
| US08184340B2 |
Method for color rendering using scanned halftone classification
What is disclosed is an image path that advantageously uses halftone classification to select appropriate mappings in gray-scale management and color management operations. The tags generated in the scanner help identify different classes of halftones. One is selected from several pixel-value mappings to provide proper compensation. That is, the one-dimensional and multi-dimensional pixel-value mappings within the color management module are selected based on halftone classification tags from the scanner. The tagging is either one bit that indicates “Low Frequency Halftone” and “Not LFHT”, or, more preferably, the tag is multi-bit indicating a frequency bin that contains the frequency of the input halftone. Additionally, the multi-bit tag can indicate particular halftone screen types, such as dot screens, line screens, stochastic screens or error diffusion. The pixel value mappings are typically implemented as Look-Up Tables (LUTs), and the LUTs of the present invention are optimized for the various halftone classes. Generation of the LUTs, or other pixel-value mappings, is non-trivial in that such mappings are normally applied to contone images and not to blurred halftoned images. The pixel-value mappings of the present invention are derived via an iterative process. Alternatively, a model for this modulated image type is used. |
| US08184333B2 |
Image recording processing circuit, image recording apparatus and image recording method using image recording processing circuit
Mirror sequential data supplied from an RIP are temporarily stored as divided data in memory banks of an intermediate memory. Thereafter, the stored mirror sequential data are read in blocks. Then, a transposition processor transposes a matrix of the mirror sequential data into frame sequential data, and supplies the frame sequential data to a DMD controller. |
| US08184330B2 |
Image processing controller and printing apparatus
Provided is an image processing controller for controlling a line head having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a non-linear shape, the image processing controller including: a plurality of memory regions which stores raster data; an acquiring section which acquires the raster data; a writing control section which sequentially distributes the acquired raster data to the plurality of memory regions so as to be stored therein; and a reading control section which reads each raster data from the plurality of memory regions and sends the read raster data to the line head so as to control a light emitting state of the light emitting elements, wherein the writing control section determines an address on the memory region storing each raster data in accordance with a resolution in the sub-scanning direction and an arrangement pattern of the light emitting elements arranged in the line head. |
| US08184327B2 |
Image data processing apparatus, image data processing method, and program
The image rotation apparatus includes a first storage unit adapted to store compressed image data, and a decompression unit adapted to decompress the image data read out from the first storage unit, and segments the image data obtained from the decompression unit into a plurality of areas. The apparatus further includes a second storage unit adapted to sequentially perform a rotation process on the image data of segmented area, and store the rotated image data, a compression unit adapted to compress the image data of each area read out from the second storage unit, and a third storage unit adapted to sequentially store the image data of each area obtained from the compression unit. There is provided the image data processing apparatus having the above configuration, which rotates the image data while reducing the storage capacity of the buffer memory for storing the image data. |
| US08184322B2 |
Image forming system, device managing method thereof, and program therefor
An image forming system capable of providing a connection configuration as that the network function provided by the image forming apparatus can be sufficiently utilized, even when the print controlling apparatus and the image forming apparatus are connected to each other. The image forming system comprises an image forming apparatus and a controlling apparatus which are connected to each other through a network and have different addresses set thereto, respectively. Information, indicating that the image forming apparatus and the controlling apparatus are connected to each other also by a communication medium that is different from the network, is registered in at least one of the image forming apparatus and the controlling apparatus. A searching request for searching an apparatus connected to the network is received. The information registered by the registering unit is responded in a case that the searching request is received by receiving unit. It is displayed that the image forming apparatus and the controlling apparatus are connected to each other by the communication medium, based on the information responded by the responding unit. |
| US08184320B2 |
Printing control apparatus to control printing operation, printing control system, and methods thereof
A printing control apparatus to control a printing operation includes a web server connection unit to connect with a web server of a pre-set address and receive environmental information of an area where the printing apparatus is located, and a controller to transmit a printing control signal corresponding to the received environmental information and printing data to a printing apparatus. Accordingly, a transfer voltage is adjusted according to the environmental information of the area where the printing apparatus is located, so that the effect of the environment on the printing quality can be minimized and thus the printing quality can be improved. |
| US08184316B2 |
Method and system for secure facsimile delivery and registration
A secure fax transmission system can be used to assure the intended recipient of a confidential document being sent via facsimile is the only person that will have access to the document once it is sent. An application module communicates with a client user interface over a first network and communicates with a recipient fax machine over a second network. The application module receives information associated with a confidential document being sent via facsimile. Prior to sending the document, the application module determines if the recipient fax number has been previously registered as a secure fax number. The application module then sends the document to the recipient if the recipient fax number is registered a secure. If the recipient fax number is not registered as secure, the application module sends a request for registration to the recipient fax number. |
| US08184306B2 |
Operate light source of reading unit of a multifunction peripheral device according to valid instructive keys
A multifunction peripheral device capable of being operated in a plurality of switchable operational modes is provided. The multifunction peripheral device includes a reader unit with a light source and a light receiving element to receive the light reflected on the original document to generate image data, operation receiving members, through which a user's instructions are entered, a valid instruction storage unit to store valid instruction information, which defines correspondence between a valid instruction and a valid instruction receiving member, a judging unit to judge as to whether an operation entered through one of the operation receiving members is the valid instruction based on the valid instruction information and a current operational mode, and a switching unit to switch the light source on when the judging unit judges that the entered operation is the valid instruction. |
| US08184296B2 |
Emissions monitoring apparatus, system, and method
Some embodiments of the invention generally relate to an apparatus configured to monitor emissions. The apparatus includes a sampling chamber, a gas analyzer, and a particulate matter analyzer. The sampling chamber is configured to receive a portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack. The portion of the exhaust flow comprises one or more gases and particulate matter. The gas analyzer is configured to receive the portion of the exhaust flow to measure at least one emission level of the one or more gases using a laser and output a signal indicative thereof. The particulate matter analyzer is operatively connected to the sampling chamber and is configured to measure the particulate matter using optics and output a signal indicative thereof. |
| US08184293B2 |
Methods and systems for chemical composition measurement and monitoring using a rotating filter spectrometer
The invention relates to methods and systems for measuring and/or monitoring the chemical composition of a sample (e.g., a process stream), and/or detecting specific substances or compounds in a sample, using light spectroscopy such as absorption, emission and fluorescence spectroscopy. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to spectrometers with rotating narrow-band interference optical filter(s) to measure light intensity as a function of wavelength. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the invention relates to a spectrometer system with a rotatable filter assembly with a position detector rigidly attached thereto, and, in certain embodiments, the further use of various oversampling methods and techniques described herein, made particularly useful in conjunction with the rotatable filter assembly. In preferred embodiments, the rotatable filter is tilted with respect to the rotation axis, thereby providing surprisingly improved measurement stability and significantly improved control of the wavelength coverage of the filter spectrometer. |
| US08184291B2 |
Method for detecting edge on transparent substrate, apparatus for detecting edge on transparent substrate, and processing apparatus
An apparatus for detecting an edge of a transparent substrate includes a light source provided on a rear side of the edge of the transparent substrate, a first polarizer provided between the transparent substrate and the light source and arranged to convert light from the light source to linearly polarized light, a light receiving unit provided on a front side of the edge of the transparent substrate, and a second polarizer provided between the transparent substrate and the light receiving unit, and having a polarization axis that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a polarization axis of the first polarizer. The light receiving unit is configured to observe, through the second polarizer, the linearly polarized light that is converted by the first polarizer and is transmitted through the edge of the transparent substrate, the linearly polarized light that is converted by the first polarizer and passes outside the transparent substrate, and emitted light that is converted by the first polarizer, and is propagated through inside of the transparent substrate and emitted from a side surface of the edge of the transparent substrate. |
| US08184282B2 |
Method and system for defect detection using transmissive bright field illumination and transmissive dark field illumination
A method for defect detection using transmissive bright field and transmissive dark field illumination, the method includes: determining a relationship between at least one transmissive bright field illuminator (92) characteristic and at least one transmissive dark field illuminator (91) characteristic in response to at least one characteristic of each defect type out of multiple defect types that should be detected during a defect detection session and in response to at least one phenomenon to be ignored of during the defect detection session; setting the at least one transmissive bright field illuminator (92) characteristic and the at least one transmissive dark field illuminator (91) characteristic according to the determination; illuminating an at least partially transparent object by the transmissive dark field illuminator and by the transmissive bright field illuminator; detecting light that passes through the at least partially transparent object to provide detection signals, and processing the detected signals in order to detect defects. |
| US08184280B2 |
Controllable light angle selector
Disclosed is a controllable light angle selecting device that includes a fixed light selecting means for transmitting light within a limited acceptance angle, optically connected to at least one light redirecting means capable of achieving a variable angular difference between light entering said light redirecting means and light exiting said light redirecting means. Also disclosed is a photometer employing such controllable light angle selecting device and arranged in the path of light between a light source and at least one light measuring sensor arranged to receive at least part of the light exiting from the controllable light angle selecting device. |
| US08184276B2 |
Continuous index of refraction compensation method for measurements in a medium
Described herein are devices and methods for making extremely accurate measurements in a medium by continuously measuring the index of refraction of the medium such as water or biological tissue. Also described herein is a device for constantly measuring the index of refraction, and using the index of refraction data to constantly calibrate the optical measurement device. In addition, a primary measurement device (a ladar) that is optimized for data collection in a volume backscattering medium such as water or biological tissue is described, along with data results from the lab. |
| US08184275B1 |
Vehicle headlamp monitoring using a network accessible user interface
Vehicle headlamp illumination is monitored and data is communicated to a host control unit. The host control unit implements a network accessible user interface to communicate with a user computer, which can include a graphical display of illumination information as well as a numerical indication of an automatically detected location of the edge of the headlamp beam. The network accessible user interface can also include the capability to manually audit the headlamp beam by allowing a user to specify a headlamp beam location, which will then update system parameters. The network accessible user interface may be a web-based interface where the host control unit implements a web server and the user computer is running a web browser. The system can include a collection of intelligent, independent sensor units, each incorporating a vertical array of sensing elements capable of detecting headlamp illumination. Multiple sensor units can be provided, which allows multiple vehicles and multiple headlamp types to be monitored without physical movement of the sensor units. |
| US08184274B2 |
Measuring instrument and method for the measuring of properties of a particulate sample
A measuring instrument (100) for measuring the properties of a sample (10) with a multitude of particles (11), including a spectroscopy device (20) to measure spectroscopic properties of the sample, and a weighing device (30) to measure the mass of the sample. Also described is a method for measuring the properties of a sample (10) with a multitude of particles (11). |
| US08184273B2 |
Method of determining glucose concentration of a whole blood sample
A total transmission spectroscopy system for use in determining the analyte concentration in a fluid sample comprises a sample cell receiving area, a light source, a collimating lens, a first lens, a second lens, and a detector. The sample cell receiving area is adapted to receive a sample to be analyzed. The sample cell receiving area is constructed of a substantially optically clear material. The collimating lens is adapted to receive light from the light source and adapted to illuminate the sample cell receiving area with a substantially collimated beam of light. The first lens is adapted to receive regular and scattered light transmitted through the sample at a first angle of divergence. The first lens receives light having a first angle of acceptance. The first lens outputs light having a second angle of divergence. The second angle of divergence is less than the first angle of divergence. The second lens is adapted to receive light from the first lens and adapted to output a substantially collimated beam of light. The detector is adapted to measure the light output by the second lens. |
| US08184272B2 |
System and method for transitioning from a missile warning system to a fine tracking system in a directional infrared countermeasures system
A method for transitioning a target from a missile warning system to a fine tracking system in a directional countermeasures system includes capturing at least one image within a field of view of the missile warning system. The method further includes identifying a threat from the captured image or images and identifying features surrounding the threat. These features are registered with the threat and image within a field of view of the fine tracking system is captured. The registered features are used to identify a location of a threat within this captured image. |
| US08184270B1 |
System for viewing an object in a visually obscured environment and method of use
A system and method for viewing an object in a visually obscured environment includes a laser for generating a beam of light which is directed at the object. A pulse generator generates a reference pulse which triggers the laser and also a triggers a range generator which generates a range window positioned at a desired range. A gated optical detector (1) receives reflected light from the object, (2) receives the range window from the range generator, and (3) produces a gated optical output which contains reflections from ranges corresponding with the range window. A display is connected to the gated optical detector for displaying the gated optical output. In one embodiment, the transmitted light beam is polarized, and the received light beam passes through a selectable polarizing filter. In another embodiment, a plurality of received reflected light returns are integrated into a combined image. |
| US08184268B2 |
Method for multi-target-enabled resolution of phase ambiguity
In order to derive distance information according to the phase measuring principle, a periodic signal with at least two, in particular modulated, wavelengths λi are transmitted to two or more objects, their reflections are received again and the associated phases φi are determined and decomposed into their individual object phases φij which are assigned to the J objects. In order to resolve phase ambiguities, an ambiguity interval in which at least one object is located is divided into cells (5) with a defined width, with each cell (5) being assigned a counter reading and a distance. The counter reading is incremented for the cells (5) which are assigned to a possible object distance, with the incrementation being carried out for a periodicity sequential variable and for all the phases. An absolute phase or a true object distance Dj from the at least two objects is determined from the distribution of the counter readings. |
| US08184256B2 |
Display panel and method for manufacturing the same
A display panel and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The display panel includes: a first substrate, a touch spacer formed on a first substrate, a common electrode formed on the touch spacer, a second substrate opposing the first substrate, a sensing electrode facing the touch spacer on the second substrate and an alignment layer on the sensing electrode or the touch spacer, wherein the alignment layer has a thickness equal to or less than 500 Å. |
| US08184249B2 |
Method of aligning alignment layer and liquid crystal display device having alignment layer aligned by the same
A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate having a black matrix, a color filter layer and a common electrode; a second substrate having gate lines, data lines and thin film transistors connected to pixel electrodes; a first alignment layer on the first substrate; a second alignment layer on the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer having a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and positioned between the first and second alignment layers, wherein each of the first and second alignment layers has a first area with ion-altered side chains and a second area with non-altered side chains. |
| US08184248B2 |
Apparatus for fabricating liquid crystal display panels
A method for forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display includes preparing a substrate, applying an alignment material for initial alignment of a liquid crystal, and applying a field flux (e.g., an electric or magnetic field) to the alignment material to determine the alignment direction of the alignment material. Further disclosed is an apparatus for forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display. The apparatus comprises a substrate stage on which a substrate is mounted, and an electric or magnetic field generator installed at the periphery of the substrate stage. According to the method and the apparatus, since the alignment direction of an alignment material is determined by using an electric or magnetic field, no physical contact with a substrate is required and thus the problem of light leakage caused by rubbing alignment is solved. |
| US08184244B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
A liquid crystal display apparatus of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell including a pair of substrates provided with a color filter on one substrate, and a liquid crystal layer as a display medium provided between the substrates; and an optical compensation element including at least an optical compensation layer. The optical compensation element is arranged on the same side as the color filter with respect to the liquid crystal layer. The substrate provided with the color filter preferably has a haze value of 10% or less. Such a liquid crystal display apparatus allows excellent viewing angle compensation, exhibits exceptional contrast in an oblique direction, and can be reduced in thickness. |
| US08184243B2 |
Liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate; a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter arranged on the substrate and respectively including a red pigment, a green pigment, and a blue pigment; and a transparent color filter including a passivation layer including at least one of the red pigment, the green pigment, and the blue pigment, and the passivation layer is simultaneously formed with a spacer, the spacer including the same material as the passivation layer. |
| US08184231B2 |
Display device having a regular reflection part and a diffused reflection part on a front panel
Disclosed related to a display device according to the present invention comprising an external housing; a display module accepted into the external housing; and an image signal processing unit supplying image signals to the display module, and the external housing including a regular reflection unit regularly reflecting lights from outside and a diffused reflection unit diffusely reflecting lights from outside. It is advantageous that the normal watching of the screen while the watching of the display device is not disturbed, and that the satisfactory of the users is improved with a predetermined pattern when the display device is not being used. Further, it is also advantageous that the area of gloss may be controlled as controlling the relative area of the regular reflection unit and the diffused reflection unit. |
| US08184229B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight arranged on a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight including a plurality of rod-shaped light sources, a frame which supports the rod-shaped light sources, and a heat radiation plate which is arranged on an inner surface of the frame. Through holes are formed in the frame, and heat radiation fins are formed on the heat radiation plate in a state that the heat radiation fins project toward a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel through the through holes formed in the frame. Due to such a constitution, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device which can enhance heat radiation efficiency. |
| US08184227B2 |
Flat display panel and method of repairing conductive lines thereof
A flat display panel includes a plurality of bridge lines disposed between adjacent common lines. When a short defect occurs, the common line near the short defect can be directly cut off in order to repair the short defect and the common voltage can be transferred through the bridge lines to maintain the normal operation of the flat display panel. |
| US08184225B2 |
Semiconductor device, production method thereof, and display device
The present invention provides a semiconductor device which can be produced by simple and cheap processes and effectively achieve improved performances and a reduced electric power consumption. Further, the present invention provides a production method thereof and a display device including the semiconductor device or a semiconductor device produced by the production method. The present invention is a semiconductor device including a pixel part and an integrated circuit part on a substrate, the pixel part including a switching element having a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor thin film, the integrated circuit part including a semiconductor layer on a gate electrode, wherein a passivation film is formed on the gate electrode in the pixel part. |
| US08184216B2 |
Stereoscopic TFT-LCD with wire grid polarizer affixed to internal surfaces substrates
A stereoscopic TFT-LCD with a wire grid polarizer affixed to internal surfaces substrates, applies to a LCD device having a thin polarizing film and a thin phase retardation film to display a 2D image and a 3D image, a thin film polarizing film formed by accurately processing a thin aluminum film, a polarizing film of a nano imprint lithography method that uses polymer, and a polarizing film and a liquid crystal material that form a polarizing nano material thin film by uniformly coating a polarizing nano material (TCF), wherein a 1/4 phase retardation plate is disposed at a front surface of the second transparent substrate so as to produce circularly-polarized light. |
| US08184210B2 |
Digital Radio Frequency (RF) Modulator
A digital radio frequency (RF) modulator provides modulation for base-band TV signals. The RF modulator provides direct conversion of digital base-band audio and video signals to a desired RF channel frequency, without any analog up conversion. The RF modulator includes an audio module, a video module, and a RF converter. The audio module includes a pre-emphasis filter, a multi-stage audio interpolator and a complex frequency modulator to generate frequency modulated (FM) audio signals. The video module includes a complex VSB filter, a group-delay compensation filter and some processing logic to generate a filtered output video signal. The RF converter includes a complex adder, a complex multiplier and a RF interpolator to construct the base band TV signals and to shift the base band TV signals in a frequency domain to the desired RF channel frequency. The exponential video carrier is generated at baseband and has a frequency whose value is in the range of +/−13.5 MHz. The RF interpolator includes a zero pad logic followed by a quadrature band pass filter (BPF), and an optional second stage of another zero-pad logic followed by a real band pass filter (BPF). The second stage is optional in the sense that it is required only if the desired RF channel is in the higher VHF band. |
| US08184209B2 |
Smart slate
Techniques used for movie, video, or television production, including: generating production information about recorded data of one of: (1) audio sequence; (2) video sequence; and (3) audio and video sequences; tagging the generated production information with timing information; displaying the generated production information on a display; recording the tagged production information, wherein a clapstick of a slate is used to initiate the recording automatically; and associating the tagged production information with corresponding recorded data. |
| US08184203B1 |
Video enhancement with separate and distinct methods of enhancement for single transitions and double transitions of opposite polarity
A transition enhancement method and system for use with television or computer displays submits single transitions occurring in an input signal to a first transition enhancement process; and submits double transitions of opposite signs occurring in the input signal to a second transition enhancement process that is different from the first transition enhancement process. |
| US08184200B1 |
Picture rate conversion system for high definition video
Systems and methods for converting a picture frame rate between a source video at a first rate and a target video at a second rate. A system may include a phase plane correlation calculator configured to determine a first motion vector estimate. The system may further include a global motion calculator configured to determine a second motion vector estimate based on the previous frame data, the current frame data, and the first motion vector estimate. The system may also include a motion compensated interpolator for assigning a final motion vector through a quality calculation and an intermediate frame generator for generating the intermediate frame using the final motion vector. |
| US08184199B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method for processing interlaced video
The invention provides an image processing apparatus for processing an interlaced video which includes a judging module, a determining module and a processing module. The judging module is used for judging if a pixel in the kth frame among P frames of the interlaced video relates to a moving object. If the result judged by the determining module is YES, the determining module determines one between two pixels adjacent to the judged pixel in the frame as an edge pixel relative to an edge of the moving object. The first processing module is used for calculating a gray scale of the edge pixel determined by the determining module in an average way. |
| US08184197B2 |
Focus detecting apparatus and image pick-up apparatus having the same
Disclosed are a focus detecting apparatus capable detection in various light illumination conditions and an image acquiring apparatus having the same. The focus detecting apparatus may include a mark disposed on a primary image plane. A pair of images of the mark is detected by a sensor, the distance between which images is used to determine the main wavelength of the light received from a subject. The main wavelength is used in determining the chromatic aberration correction by which the defocus amount may be adjusted. |
| US08184192B2 |
Imaging apparatus that performs an object region detection processing and method for controlling the imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus includes an image generation unit configured to photoelectrically convert an object image formed by an imaging optical system to generate an image, a control unit configured to perform focusing control of the imaging optical system, an object detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of object regions based on the image generated by the image generation unit, and a display unit configured to display the plurality of object regions detected by the object detecting unit. The object detecting unit sequentially detects the object regions at a plurality of positions to which the imaging optical system is moved, and the display unit juxtaposes and displays the object regions detected by the object detecting unit with respect to the image. |
| US08184189B2 |
Image sensing device and image sensing system
The image sensing device includes a semiconductor substrate; a light shielding layer that is arranged above the semiconductor substrate and shields an optical black region and a peripheral region from light; a first capacitance element that is arranged between the light shielding layer in the peripheral region and the semiconductor substrate and is used to temporarily hold signals output from effective pixels or optical black pixels; and a second capacitance element that is arranged between the light shielding layer in the optical black region and the semiconductor substrate so as to shield the photoelectric conversion units of the optical black pixels from light. |
| US08184184B2 |
Analog multiplexer configured to reduce kickback perturbation in image sensor readout
An analog multiplexer is configured to multiplex a plurality of input analog signal channels into a single output analog signal channel. The analog multiplexer comprises a plurality of input sampling circuits associated with respective ones of the input analog signal channels and an amplifier having an input controllably connectable in turn to each of the input sampling circuits. The analog multiplexer is further configured to connect at least a given one of the input analog signal channels to a sampling element of its corresponding input sampling circuit at a predetermined time prior to connecting the sampling element of that input sampling circuit to the input of the amplifier. The predetermined time is less than a full clock cycle of a sampling clock of the amplifier. The analog multiplexer may be implemented in readout circuitry coupled to a pixel array in an image sensor. |
| US08184179B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program for combining still images
An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. An obtaining unit obtains a first still image, a first difficulty level indicating a complexity of the first still image, a second still image, and a second difficulty level indicating a complexity of the second still image. A combining unit combines the first and second still images at a combination ratio which is changed along a time axis to generate a moving image. An encoding unit encodes the moving image. A moving-image difficulty-level calculating unit calculates a moving-image difficulty level indicating a complexity of the moving image according to the first and second difficulty levels and the combination ratio changed along the time axis. A control unit controls a characteristic of a process of encoding the moving image according to the combination ratio changed along the time axis and the moving-image difficulty level. |
| US08184178B2 |
Method and electronic device for adjusting compression ratio of JPEG image
A method and an electronic device for adjusting a compression ratio of a JPEG image are used to adjust a size of a JPEG image file. The method includes the following steps. a raw image, a first compression parameter (SF1) and a second compression parameter (SF2) are obtained. Then, the first compression parameter and the second compression parameter is used to compress the raw image respectively to obtain a first file and a second file of the compressed raw image A target file size (Target) is set. The target file size, the size of the first file (FileSize1), and the size of the second file (FileSize2) are used to calculate a target compression parameter (NSF) that is generated according to the equation, log ( NSF ) = log ( SF 1 SF 2 ) log ( FileSize 1 FileSize 2 ) × log ( Target FileSize 1 ) + log ( SF 1 ) . Then, the target compression parameter is loaded to compress the raw image, so as to output a target image. |
| US08184167B2 |
Optical apparatus having magnet member
An electromagnetic driving apparatus includes a magnet member having a first face in which first and second magnetic poles are formed in a first direction and a second face in which the first and second magnetic poles are formed in a second direction, a first coil facing the first face, a second coil facing the second face, a first member holding the magnet member, and a second member holding the first and second coils. One of the first and second members holds a driven member. The first and second members are relatively moved in the first direction by the energization of the first coil, and the first and second members are relatively moved in the second direction by the energization of the second coil. The actuator constituted by the first and second coils and the magnet member can be compactly arranged in one region in the apparatus. |
| US08184165B2 |
Apparatus and method for running dual cameras in a portable terminal
An apparatus and method for separating and connecting a main camera and a sub camera in a portable terminal are provided. The portable terminal includes a main camera for receiving a main clock signal from a main chip and transmitting a main camera pixel clock signal to the main chip in response to the main clock signal, a sub camera for receiving the main clock signal from the main chip and transmitting a sub camera pixel clock signal to the main chip in response to the main clock signal, and a switch for configuring a path from the main chip to at least one of the main camera and the sub camera. |
| US08184164B2 |
Method for measuring multimedia video communication quality
A method for measuring multimedia communication quality is disclosed. The multimedia video communication quality may be objectively reflected through the embedment and extraction of digital watermark under a precondition that the quality of the multimedia video data is not obviously affected. In the invention, each frame of the multimedia video data is uniformly divided into blocks of equal size and watermark data is embedded in each of the blocks, so that the watermark may be uniformly distributed. The multimedia video data are divided into groups, and the watermark is embedded in a part of the frames with equal interval between the frames in each group to reduce the effect of the watermark on the data. The watermark information is directly embedded in the spatial domain of the original video data. The PSNR of the video data is linearly fitted using the accuracy rate of the recovered watermark relative to the original watermark, and the fitted PSNR is regarded as a measurement indication of the multimedia video communication quality. Post-processing such as smoothing filtering is performed on video frames after watermark extraction to eliminate the effect of the watermark on the multimedia video data quality. |
| US08184162B2 |
Radiation image capturing apparatus
A radiation image capturing apparatus includes: a radiation detector for detecting charge information; an analog multiplexer for passing an analog charge information signal read out from each pixel of the radiation detector, alternately in a first order and a second order opposite to the first order; an analog signal amplifier for amplifying the analog charge information signal; an analog/digital converter for converting the analog charge information signal to a corresponding digital charge information signal; and a signal correcting unit for using one of a first digital charge information signal corresponding to the analog charge information signal that has passed through the analog multiplexer in the first order and a second digital charge information signal corresponding to the analog charge information signal that has passed through the analog multiplexer in the second order, to correct the other of the first digital charge information signal and the second digital charge information signal. |
| US08184161B2 |
Method and system for vehicle-mounted recording systems
A method for acquiring surveillance data corresponding to a region of interest comprising: installing a plurality of vehicle-mounted recording system on a plurality of vehicles; capturing visual data of exterior perimeters of the vehicles having vehicle-mounted recording systems when the vehicles are in motion wherein the visual data is marked with location data and time data; storing the visual data, the location data, and the time data so that each portion of the visual data is locatable by at least one of a time of video data capture and a location of video data capture; transmitting a request for recorded surveillance data corresponding to a region of interest; receiving a reply transmission to the request for recorded surveillance data, the reply transmission comprising surveillance data corresponding to at least a portion of the region of interest recorded by at least one of the vehicle-mounted recording systems. |
| US08184160B2 |
Image processor, driving assistance system, and out-of-position detecting method
A driving assistance system that projects images imaged by multiple vehicle cameras onto a plane, and synthesizes projection images from images obtained at different times to accurately determine whether the vehicle cameras have moved out of their proper positions or imaging directions. The system includes: first and second in-vehicle cameras that capture first and second images, respectively. The cameras capture overlapping regions respectively in different directions. An image converter converts the first and second images into first and second projection images projected onto a plane. A solid object detection unit determines whether a solid object exists in the overlapping region. When no solid object exists, the images of the overlapping regions within the first and second projection images are compared to generate a comparison value. The comparison value is in turn compared with a threshold value for the determination of vehicle camera movement out of its proper position. |
| US08184156B2 |
Image displaying system and apparatus for displaying images by changing the displayed images based on direction or direction changes of a displaying unit
An image displaying system for displaying an image operable to change a displayed image according to a direction of a image displaying apparatus, including: an image storing unit storing thereon the image; a displaying unit operable to display the image, the displaying unit being carried by a user; a photographing unit operable to photograph exterior as a plurality of photographed images, the photographing unit being carried with the displaying unit all together; a travel distance computing unit operable to compute a travel distance of the displaying unit by analyzing the plurality of photographed images which are photographed by the photographing unit at different times; and a display control unit operable to change the image, which is different from the photographed images, based on the travel distance computed by the travel distance computing unit and to causes the displaying unit to display the image. |
| US08184153B2 |
Method and apparatus for defining and reconstructing ROIs in scalable video coding
A multiple ROI (region of interest) setting method and apparatus in scalable video coding and an ROI reconstructing method and apparatus are provided. The multiple ROI setting apparatus includes: an ROI setting unit which sets at least one or more ROIs and allocates ROI identification numbers to the each of ROIs; a mapping unit which allocates at least one or more slice group identification numbers to the at least one or more ROI identification numbers; and a message generating unit which generates a message including ROI-associated information, slice-group-associated information, mapping information on mapping of the ROI identification number to the at least one or more slice group identification numbers, and scalability information. |
| US08184151B2 |
Flexible imaging fiber bundle monitoring system for combustion turbines
An imaging system for on-line imaging of a component in a gas turbine engine. The imaging system includes a flexible imaging bundle formed by a plurality of optical elements. An imaging end of the optical elements images a component in a hot gas path of the engine during operation of the engine and a viewing end provides an image of the component at a location displaced from the hot gas path. The optical elements are surrounded by a flexible metal sheath that is permeable to air to provide cooling air the optical elements from an air source surrounding the flexible imaging bundle. |
| US08184144B2 |
Method of calibrating interior and exterior orientation parameters
The present invention calibrates interior orientation parameters (IOP) and exterior orientation parameters (EOP). With the calibrated IOPs and EOPs, a remotely controlled camera can quickly obtains corresponding IOPs and EOPs no matter on panning, tilting or zooming. Thus, the remotely controlled camera obtains accuracies on imaging and measuring and obtains wide applications. |
| US08184142B2 |
Method and system for composing video images from a plurality of endpoints
The present application discloses a method and apparatus for a multipoint video conferencing system that can offer a wide variety of layouts and the ability to support a large number of conferees. A received stream of NALs from a plurality of endpoints can be processed by an exemplary NAL Processor Module (NPM) and be arranged into a stream of NALs that are referred to in this disclosure as organized NALs (ONALs). Two or more streams of compressed video organized into ONALs can be received by an exemplary NAL Editor Module (NEM), wherein each stream was created from a video image that was generated at an endpoint participating in the conference. An exemplary NEM can comprise a compressed composed frame memory (CCFM) module. Each CCFM can be divided into segments according to the layout of the continuous presence (CP) image that is to be displayed by one or more receiving endpoints. |
| US08184141B2 |
Method and apparatus for face recognition enhanced video mixing
A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of user devices coupled to the network; a multipoint control unit coupled to the network and configured to supervise multipoint conferencing among the plurality of user devices, the multipoint control unit including a presentation mixer, the presentation mixer configured to remove one or more backgrounds from a presentation and mix a live video feed into the presentation as a substitute background; a screen for displaying a resulting mixed presentation such that a full area of the screen is used to display the mixed presentation; and a feature recognition system configured to identify a party from one or more features displayed on the screen and selectively adjust a transparency of said one or more features other than said party. |
| US08184140B2 |
Line head and image forming apparatus
An optical system of a line head images light emitted from first and second light emitting elements and includes a rotationally symmetric lens having a lens face. A first region of the lens face includes an intersection point of the lens face with the symmetry axis of the lens, and a second region surrounding a periphery of the first region. The shape of a boundary portion between the first and second regions has the relationship 0.5ω<Δθ, wherein ω is a first direction angle that a first chief ray emitted by the first light emitting element makes with a second chief ray emitted by the second light emitting element, and Δθ is an angle that a tangent line to the first region at the boundary portion makes with a tangent line to the second region at the boundary portion in a first direction cross-section including the symmetry axis. |
| US08184139B2 |
Redundance control of temperature compensation for a LED printhead
A driving apparatus having driving circuits formed to correspond to driven circuits arranged on a circuit board. Each driving circuit includes a driving control unit for driving the corresponding driven circuit, a reference voltage generation unit for generating a reference voltage according to a temperature of the corresponding driven circuit, a control voltage generation unit for generating, based on the reference voltage supplied from the reference voltage generation unit, a control voltage for driving the corresponding driven circuit, the control voltage generation unit supplying the generated control voltage to the driving control unit, a switch device formed between the control voltage generation unit and the reference voltage generation unit, and a switch control unit for driving the switch device based on an inputted control signal. The control voltage generation unit is connected to the reference voltage generation unit of another of the driving circuits via the switch device. |
| US08184133B2 |
Methods for sequential color display by modulation of pulses
Each color image is decomposed into at least one series of at least three successive primary images of different primary colors which are successively displayed by modulating the activation duration of the pixels of an imaging device. According to the invention, the distribution of the pixel activation phases in the three successive subframes is contracted: the pixel activation periods of the first primary image are shifted toward the end of the subframe of this first image, and, during the subframe of the third primary image, the pixel activation periods of this third primary image are shifted toward the beginning of the subframe of this third image. Color break-up faults are thus advantageously reduced. |
| US08184128B2 |
Data distribution system and method therefor
An object of the present invention is to provide a data distribution system which is suitable to distribute data to a mobile terminal device and the like to cause the mobile terminal device and the like to display an image, and a method therefor. In response to a request from a mobile communication device (2) through a web page distribution server (5), a web server (12) distributes document data shown in FIG. 2 to the web page distribution server (5). The web page distribution server (5) creates an image of the distributed document data, and divides the created image into a plurality of areas to thereby create divided area data. In response to the request from the mobile communication device (2), the webpage distribution server (5) sequentially distributes such components of the created divided area data as are to be actually displayed, to the mobile communication device (2). The mobile communication device (2) sequentially displays the divided area data distributed from the web page distribution server (5). |
| US08184126B2 |
Method and apparatus processing pixel signals for driving a display and a display using the same
A method of processing image data comprises receiving input signals for specifying red, green and blue colors of the pixels of a display, performing a per-pixel low pass filtering of the input signals, the low pass filtering function being dependent on the chrominance variation between adjacent pixels, and providing the filtered output signals for use in driving the pixels of a display. This method essentially measures the chrominance variation of the incoming signal, in the form of the color change frequency, and depending on this variation, adaptively low-pass filters the incoming signal. This can be in such a way that the chrominance resolution of the outgoing signal is below the maximum chrominance resolution of the intended display, without errors in the average color of a small group of pixels. |
| US08184124B2 |
Automatic color adjustment of a template design
The present invention generates a color template design to format a presentation. According to one aspect, a plurality of template designs are provided on a visual display. A selection of one of the plurality of template designs is received from a user. A plurality of source images that are separate from the plurality of template designs are provided on the visual display. A selection of a color from one of the plurality of source images is received from the user. Colors of the selected template design are automatically adjusted to contrast with the selected the color from the source image. The selected template design may include framing, mat, background, and foreground portions, at least one of which is adjusted. After automatically adjusting the colors, the selected template design may be displayed and/or stored for use as a template. |
| US08184123B2 |
Image display apparatus, image processing apparatus, and image display method
The object of the present invention is to provide an image display apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and an image display method that are able to display images without motion blur without increasing the transmitted amount of image signal. An image display apparatus of the invention comprises an image reception unit that receives an image signal; a gray-level correction unit that corrects image signals each corresponding to sub-frames consisting of a plurality of pixel groups split from the received mage signal, using respective grayscale characteristics different from sub-frame to sub-frame; and an image display unit that displays the frame image by successively displaying the sub-frame images each having been gray-level-corrected. |
| US08184119B2 |
Fast ambient occlusion for direct volume rendering
A method of direct volume rendering is provided comprising combining ambient occlusion volumes terms from a plurality of different filtered volumes using filters with different radii. During an ambient occlusion computation phase, the method obtains ambient occlusion terms from a plurality of different filtered volumes and, combining the ambient occlusion terms from the plurality of different filtered volumes into a composite ambient volume occlusion. During a subsequent volume rendering phase, data acquired from the subject is processed using the composite ambient volume occlusion to obtain a shaded rendition of an image of the subject. |
| US08184118B2 |
Depth operations
Described are a video graphics system, graphics processor, and methods for rendering three-dimensional objects. A buffer is partitioned into tiles of pixels. Each pixel of each tile includes at least one sample. A primitive is received and determined to fully cover one of the tiles of the buffer. A section of the primitive that maps to the fully covered tile is tested to determine whether that section of the primitive may be drawn in its entirety. A value is stored in the buffer for the fully covered tile in response to determining that the section of the primitive may be drawn in its entirety. The value indicating that every sample of the fully covered tile has a depth value determined by the primitive. |
| US08184116B2 |
Object based avatar tracking
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for object based avatar tracking. In one embodiment, a range for an object in a virtual universe is identified. The range comprises a viewable field of the object. Avatars in the viewable field of the object are capable of viewing the object. Avatars outside the viewable field of the object are incapable of viewing the object. In response to an avatar coming within the range of the object, an object avatar rendering table is queried for a session associated with the avatar unique identifier and the object unique identifier. The object avatar rendering table comprises a unique identifier of a set of selected objects and unique identifiers for each avatar in a range of a selected object in the set of selected objects. An object initiation process associated with the object is triggered. |
| US08184115B2 |
Plasma display device and method for driving the same
Disclosed here is a method for driving a plasma display panel and a plasma display device capable of providing image display with a high contrast ratio and excellent quality by stabilizing an address discharge. According to the method, which is the method for driving a plasma display panel in which discharge cells are formed at intersections of scan electrodes, sustain electrodes and data electrodes, the field—that contains at least one sub-field having the all-cell initializing operation—and the field—that is formed of sub-fields having the selective-cell initializing operation only—are set at a ratio of 1:N (where, N takes an integer of 1 or greater). At the same time, at least in one sub-field of the field having the selective-cell initializing operation only, the scan-pulse width employed for the selective-cell initializing field is determined longer than the scan-pulse width employed for the field containing the all-cell initializing operation. |
| US08184111B2 |
Driver for a display having a frequency detection unit
A driver for display provides a driving signal having a frequency synchronized with that of an image signal when the image signal is normal and provides a driving signal having a predetermined frequency when the image signal is abnormal, thereby performing a stable operation. The driver includes a frequency detection unit detecting a frequency difference between a frequency of an inputted image signal and a frequency of a frequency-divided driving signal, a driving signal generation unit generating the driving signal having a frequency synchronized with the frequency of the image signal according to a detection result of the frequency detection unit, and a control unit stopping a frequency detection operation of the frequency detection unit when the detection result of the frequency detection unit shows an abnormal operation. |
| US08184109B2 |
Coordinate input device, position indicator and variable capacitor
A dielectric (16) is housed in a chassis (15) having an opening (22) and a main face portion (23). The dielectric (16) is formed with a hole (30) extending from a first surface (28) to a second surface (29) thereof, and the main face portion (23) of the chassis (15) is formed with a through-hole (25). A conductive pin (17) is inserted into the hole (30) and the through-hole (25) with one end portion thereof projected to the outside of the chassis (15) from the main face portion (23). Further, the electrode portion (32) of the lead electrode (18) is interposed between the second surface (29) of the dielectric (16) and the main face portion (23) of the chassis (15), and a terminal piece (33) of the lead electrode (18) is projected toward the outside from the main face portion (23) of the chassis (15). Further, a conductive elastic member (19) is arranged to approach the first surface (28) of the dielectric (16). Further, a biasing member (21) is provided for biasing the electrode portion (32) of the lead electrode (18) or the dielectric (16), so that the second surface (29) of the dielectric (16) and the electrode portion (32) of the lead electrode (18) are brought into contact with each other. With such a configuration, the dielectric and the electrode can be reliably brought into contact with each other, and good pen pressure characteristics can be obtained. |
| US08184107B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of driving the same
A liquid crystal display includes a transparent conductive layer on an first substrate of a liquid crystal display panel transmitting display light, an insulating layer on the transparent conductive layer, a sensing circuit to generate a touch or non-touch sensing signal based on changes in the amount of surface charge of the transparent conductive layer depending on whether or not the insulating layer is touched, and a driving voltage supply circuit to generate a driving voltage of a high potential for a light sensing operation of a touch sensor circuit only when the touch or non-touch sensing signal indicates that the insulating layer is touched. |
| US08184106B2 |
Position detection device
A position detection device including a substrate; a first ohmic resistor applied to the substrate and extending along an active surface of the position detector, whereby the first ohmic resistor is connected between a first terminal and a second terminal of the position detection device; a plurality of electric conductors connected to the first ohmic resistor at places that are distinct therefrom, the electric conductors extending from the first ohmic resistor inside the active surface alternating between the first electric conductors, whereby one first end of the conductor elements is connected to a third terminal of the position detection device. The conductor elements are configured as ohmic resistors extending through the active surface of the device and a second end of the conductor elements is connected to a fourth terminal of the position detection device. |
| US08184105B2 |
Touch panel
A touch panel including a substrate, a plurality of first sensing series, and a plurality of second sensing series is provided. The first sensing series and the second sensing series are disposed on the substrate. The first sensing series extend along a first direction and are electrically insulated from each other. Each of the first sensing series includes a plurality of first sensing pads and a plurality of first bridge portions connected between the first sensing pads. The second sensing series extend along a second direction and are electrically insulated from each other. Each of the second sensing series includes a plurality of second sensing pads and a plurality of second bridge portions connected between the second sensing pads. Each of the first bridge portions and one of the second bridge portions are intersected, and at least one of the second bridge portions has at least one electrostatic discharge tip. |
| US08184103B2 |
Mobile terminal having moving keypad
The present invention provides a mobile terminal including a moving keypad. The mobile terminal includes: a main body; a touch screen disposed at a surface of the main body; a fixed keypad disposed adjacent to the touch screen at the surface of the main body; and a moving keypad to move on the fixed keypad and the touch screen. |
| US08184102B2 |
Finger gesture recognition for touch sensing surface
Touch sensor methods, devices and systems are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method comprising monitoring a finger movement along a touch sensing surface based on position data of a finger touching the touch sensing surface, where the position data is obtained by locating a position of a force applied by the finger in a coordinate of the touch sensing surface. In addition, the method comprises generating direction data associated with the finger movement if the finger movement travels for more than a threshold distance. Furthermore, the method comprises determining a finger gesture which corresponds to the finger movement using a lookup table having multiple preconfigured finger gestures based on the direction data. |
| US08184100B2 |
Inertia sensing input controller and receiver and interactive system using thereof
An inertial sensing input controller, receiver and interactive system using thereof are provided in the present invention. The inertial sensing input controller functioning to capture motions of a human body comprises an inertial sensing module for sensing a sequence of motions of the human body and generating the corresponding parameters and then transmitting to a receiver connected to an electrical device. In addition, the inertial sensing input controller further integrates a plurality of communication protocols and the electrical device interacting with the inertial sensing input controller can be switched to different control modes according to the parameters received by the receiver. On the other hand, the parameters generated by the inertial sensing input controller can be transmitted to the electrical device directly so that the electrical device can process the parameters and judge the action or scenario with respect to the human movement accordingly for increasing diversity of interactions. |
| US08184094B2 |
Physically realistic computer simulation of medical procedures
An apparatus for interfacing the movement of a shaft with a computer includes a support, a gimbal mechanism having two degrees of freedom, and three electromechanical transducers. When a shaft is engaged with the gimbal mechanism, it can move with three degrees of freedom in a spherical coordinate space, where each degree of freedom is sensed by one of the three transducers. A fourth transducer can be used to sense rotation of the shaft around an axis. |
| US08184093B2 |
Mobile terminal device
A device and method for selecting one option from a plurality of options is disclosed. A sequential selection of one option from the plurality of options proceeds when a detecting unit detects an operation associated with movement. A selecting unit sequentially selects one option from a plurality of options, and then the detecting unit detects if the operation associated with movement is stopped and the operation associated with movement is stopped. |
| US08184088B2 |
Image display apparatus and image display method
An image display apparatus includes: a luminance modification unit configured to modify the luminance setting value so as to make a luminance difference between adjacent partial regions of a back light smaller; a luminance distribution calculation unit configured to calculate a predicted value of luminance distribution of light incident on a liquid crystal panel from the back light on the basis of the modified luminance setting value; a liquid crystal transmittance correction unit configured to correct an optical transmittance of the image signal at each pixel of the liquid crystal panel on the basis of the image signal and the luminance distribution; a back light control unit configured to control the back light on the basis of the modified luminance setting value; and a liquid crystal control unit configured to control the liquid crystal panel so that the transmittance of the image signal becomes the corrected optical transmittance. |
| US08184087B2 |
Display method for LCD device with reduced color break-up
The present invention provides a display method for an LCD device with reduced color break-up, comprising the following steps: generating a control signal for each sub-frame, and displaying the sub-frames successively. The present invention generates, according to brightness of a screen to be displayed, second backlight control signals and second LC control signals for each display region in the each sub-frame and then, according to the second backlight control signals and the second LC control signals, displays a chromatic sub-frame and a plurality of monochromatic sub-frames successively so that the screen to be displayed can be viewed through human vision. The present invention can not only facilitate reducing color break-up (CBU) of the LCD device, but also can contributes to the LCD device advantaged by high contrast, high color saturation, low power consumption and low manufacturing costs. |
| US08184085B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method for driving the same
A liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method for driving the same include a timing control unit that outputs a first timing signal including a data signal and a load signal and a second timing signal including a gate selection signal and an output enable signal, a delay unit that delays the output gate selection signal by a predetermined period of time, a data driver that converts the data signal into predetermined data voltages according to the load signal and outputs the data voltage, a gate driver that outputs gate-on/off signals according to the delayed gate selection signal, and a liquid crystal panel that displays an image by driving pixel electrodes according to the data voltages and the gate-on/off signals. |
| US08184082B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of driving liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display selectively operates in one of a full screen display mode, in which the full screen of the display panel is set as a display area, and a partial display mode, in which a partial area in the full screen is set as a display area and a remaining area is set as a non-display area. The liquid crystal display includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, a plurality of storage capacitor lines that are provided to correspond to the plurality of gate lines, a plurality of pixels that are provided at intersections between the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of source lines, a polarity signal generation circuit that generates a polarity signal corresponding to a frame inversion signal to be repeatedly alternately inverted between a first level and a second level different from the first level for each frame in the display area, and generates a polarity signal corresponding to a fixed signal fixed at one of the first level and the second level in the non-display area, a storage capacitor line driving circuit that changes the potentials of the storage capacitor lines depending on the polarity signal generated by the polarity signal generation circuit, and a control circuit that changes the display area at a timing according to the frame inversion signal. |
| US08184081B2 |
Pixel unit, method for controlling the pixel unit, and display apparatus comprising the same
A pixel unit, a method for controlling the pixel unit, and a display apparatus having the same are provided. The display apparatus includes a driving circuit and a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel unit includes a switch circuit and an energy storage circuit. The energy storage circuit has a first end, a second end, and a third end. The first end is coupled to the switch circuit. The second end is electrically connected to the driving circuit so that the drive circuit is able to provide a first voltage to the second end. The third end is electrically connected to the driving circuit so that the driving circuit is able to provide a second voltage and a third voltage to the third end before the first voltage transits. There is a difference between the second voltage and the third voltage in order to generate a voltage oscillation with in the pixel unit. Therefore, the problem of color washout can be solved. |
| US08184079B2 |
Display device having reduced flicker
A driving apparatus for a display device and display device having the driving apparatus. The display device has a plurality of pixels each having a switching element. The driving apparatus includes a gate line connected to the switching element, a gate driver to apply a gate signal having first to third voltages to the gate line, a first voltage generator to generate the first and third voltages, and a second voltage generator to generate the second voltage. The first and second voltages turn on the switching element, and the third voltage turns off the switching element. The second voltage is less than the first voltage. Thus, since the gate driver includes the second voltage generator to generate the second voltage and a plurality of transistors, and generates a gate output having a step shape, a kickback voltage is reduced and flicker is prevented. |
| US08184077B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for improving color reproducibility thereof
A liquid crystal display device and a method for improving a color reproducibility thereof, detects a gray scale value in applied image information that reduces a color reproducibility of a liquid crystal display device by measuring a gray scale level of a color displayed on a liquid crystal display panel while increasing the gray scale value of the color, and storing a maximum value of the gray scale level is displayable prior to reducing the color reproducibility. The applied image information is compensated to prevent reduction in the color reproducibility. |
| US08184076B2 |
Method for driving liquid crystal display device and liquid crystal display device
In a method of driving a liquid crystal display device in accordance with the present invention, a transition voltage (+25 VDC) for causing liquid crystal molecules to be in a bend orientation state is applied, and after an entire surface is changed into the bend orientation state, the voltage applied to a liquid crystal layer is continuously reduced from a transition voltage to a reverse tilt eliminating voltage. |
| US08184074B2 |
Active matrix organic light emitting display
An organic light emitting display keeps a constant grayscale in an organic light emitting display panel even if power supplied by a power supply is changed. The organic light emitting display includes: a switching unit for selecting and outputting a first source power or a second source power as a first reference power; a comparator for comparing the first reference power with the second source power and outputting a difference value between the first reference power and the second source power; an adder for adding the difference value to an initial second reference power to output as a second reference power, such that a voltage level of the second reference power is changed when a voltage level of the first reference power is changed; and a gamma voltage generator for generating plural gamma voltages to be utilized for displaying the image on an organic light emitting display panel by utilizing the first and second reference powers. |
| US08184066B2 |
Computer system and control method thereof
A computer system including a display unit to display a display area of the computer system, a wireless communications module to interface with at least one external device, a pointing processing unit to move a pointer indicated on the display unit in correspondence to a first radio signal input through the wireless communications module, and a controller which controls the wireless communications module to output a second radio signal, which corresponds to the first radio signal, to the external device when the pointer points to a changeover area of the display area of the display unit for a predetermined time. |
| US08184064B2 |
Antenna system and method
A conical radiator coupled to an antenna patch disposed along a first end of the radiator, said patch disposed on an insulator. A ground plane is connected to the insulator and a radome is disposed opposite a second end of the radiator. The radome has a first region presenting a convex surface towards the radiator, and the radome has a second region presenting a concave surface towards the radiator. The first end of the conical radiator is the apex of the cone. A ground plane is included and a portion of the ground plane is a planar surface and another portion extends away from the planar portion towards the radome.Also disclosed is a method for forming a radiation pattern by shaping the radome to effectuate a predetermined radiation pattern using localized convex and concave surfaces positioned on the radome at different points in relation to the conical radiator. |
| US08184061B2 |
Antenna system and method
A device comprising a metallic conical portion, said conical portion substantially hollow having a vertex end and a base end, a first cylindrical portion disposed annularly about the base end of the conical portion, a metallic second cylindrical portion coupled to the vertex of the conical portion, said cylindrical portion having a threaded aperture, and an antenna feed coupled to the threaded aperture. The device may have a patch disposed on an insulator portion connected to the second cylindrical portion, said patch and insulator portion each having an aperture, and a metallic ground portion connected to the insulator portion, said ground portion having an ground aperture, and a threaded screw disposed through the ground aperture, the patch, the insulator aperture and into the threaded aperture. An RF feed may be created by coupling the threaded aperture to a conductive material disposed on the insulator portion. |
| US08184056B1 |
Radial constrained lens
The invention provides apparatuses for a radial constrained lens in a steerable directional antenna system. The radial constrained lens includes a feed array that excites a continuous radiating aperture through a section of radial waveguide. Feed elements of the feed array are coupled to a feed network that processes a signal for each of the active feed elements. A feed array may include a plurality of feed probes or a plurality of waveguide sections. A sector, which includes a contiguous subset of feed elements, may be configured by a switching arrangement either in a transmit mode or a receive mode. The radial constrained lens may be commutated about a full 360 degree aperture view. Also, a plurality of radial constrained lens may be vertically stacked so that a scanned beam may be adjusted both in an azimuth and elevation directions. |
| US08184054B2 |
Portable terminal and built-in antenna
A portable terminal includes a non-conductive resin chassis that is formed by molding a molding material and internally provided with a printed circuit board on which a wireless circuit is formed, and an antenna pattern that is disposed on a wall surface of the chassis and in a region excluding a eject pin track formed when the chassis electrically connected with the printed circuit board is formed, wherein the antenna pattern is constituted by sequentially laminating a copper layer, a nickel layer and a gold layer by electroless plating, and the nickel layer is rendered amorphous. |
| US08184050B2 |
Antenna alignment and monitoring system and method using GNSS
An antenna alignment and monitoring system is provided for telecom antennas and includes a pair of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antennas mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) for installation in a telecom antenna enclosure. Multiple telecom antennas are configured in an antenna array for mounting on a transmission tower or other elevated structure. A common GNSS receiver cycles among the GNSS antenna pairs for initially aligning and subsequently monitoring the azimuth alignment of the telecom antennas relative to a reference azimuth using GNSS triangulation. |
| US08184049B2 |
Method and system for sharing clock sources to save power on a GNSS enabled mobile device
A GNSS enabled mobile device selects an associated local GNSS clock or host clock as a clock source to operate a GNSS radio and one or more non-GNSS radios within the GNSS enabled mobile device. When the GNSS radio is in a GNSS active mode, the local GNSS clock is turned ON and selected to be shared with the host. The host operates the GNSS radio and the non-GNSS radios only using the local GNSS clock instead of the host clock. The host clock is turned OFF to save power. When the GNSS radio is in a GNSS inactive mode, the host clock is turned ON and selected to operate the non-GNSS radios. The local GNSS clock is turned OFF to save power. The non-GNSS radios comprise a Bluetooth radio, a WiFi radio, a FM radio, a cellular radio and/or a WiMAX radio. |
| US08184046B2 |
Time reference system
A time reference system for generating a time reference from signals produced by a global navigation satellite constellation has a satellite signal receiver to receive and down-convert code-modulated signals from a plurality of satellites and a correlator to track and decode the down-converted signals to provide signals containing partial pseudo-range measurements for respective satellites. A data processing arrangement receives assistance data from an external source and performs data-bit synchronization in which bit edges of a low frequency data bit stream carried by the received satellite signals are identified, to perform a preliminary position-velocity-time solution to provide an approximate time reference, and to perform auto-correlation of pre-selected data sequences in the data stream to resolve time ambiguities thereby to compute a precise time reference signal in weak received signal conditions. The pre-selected data sequences may be the repeated data preamble in the GPS navigation message constituted by the data stream. |
| US08184045B2 |
Processing of satellite positioning system signals
The invention provides a method of processing signals from a satellite positioning system in which a user inputs an approximate indication of current position, and this is used when processing satellite samples to reduce the processing required or increase the reliability. This approach avoids the need for an automated approximate location system (for example using cellular telephony). This represents a change in the way GPS (or other satellite systems) is used. Instead of relying on a GPS system to provide a location in entirely automated manner, the approach is for the user to give an approximate location (which will generally be known), and for the GPS system then to correct this and provide an accurate location. This approach can enable the GPS system to function in areas where it would normally be unreliable. |
| US08184041B1 |
Search of an acquisition face with modified spy radar
Radar beams for searching a volume are selected by determining the central angle and azimuth and elevation extents to define an acquisition face. The number of beams NMBA required to cover the acquisition face is determined by N MBA = ( 2 n + 1 ) ( m + 1 2 ) + ( - 1 ) n + m 2 ( 2 ) The number of beams NMBA is multiplied by the dwell per beam to determine the total search time, which is compared with a maximum time; (a) if the total search time is greater than the permissible time, the acquisition face is partitioned, and (b) if the total search time is less, the acquisition face information is applied to a radar processor for filling the unextended acquisition face with the number NMBA of beams in a particular pattern. |
| US08184040B2 |
Radar device and a method of detecting a target object using radar
This disclosure provides a radar device including a transmission module for sequentially transmitting two or more kinds of pulse signals having different pulse widths by a predetermined transmitting pattern, a memory module for storing a predetermined number of pulse reply data corresponding to each kind of the pulse signals, the predetermined number being number of transmissions of the kind of the pulse signals, a pulse integrating module for performing pulse integration of the pulse reply data stored in the memory module for each kind of the pulse signal, and an image generating module for generating a radar image using the results of the pulse integration. |
| US08184034B2 |
Code sequence generator
A code sequence generator (20) comprising a memory (22), a feedback logic network (24) and an output logic network (26) which is configured to perform a logic function on the contents of elements (26) of the memory (22) to generate bits of the code sequence, wherein the code sequence generator (20) outputs a plurality of bits of the code simultaneously. |
| US08184031B1 |
High-order wide band modulators and multiplying digital-to-analog converters using distributed weighting networks
A distributed weighting network that employs a summing line including distributed summing blocks disposed thereon. Each summing block includes a plurality of resistors that define a resistor divider network. Each summing block includes at least three ports having an input port, an output port and at least one signal port. A signal applied to each signal port of the summing blocks is modified in amplitude by the resistor divider network and summed with the signal propagating along the summing line being input to the input port and output from the output port of each summing block to provide a combined signal. The distributed weighting network can be part of a digital-to-analog converter or a QAM modulator. |
| US08184023B2 |
Rotary operation type input device
A rotary input device includes a circular ring shaped operation body, a magnetic first guide plate fixed to the bottom of the operation body, movable magnets disposed on the bottom of a first flat plane of the first guide plate concentrically with the operation body, a base for rotatably supporting the operation body from beneath, a detection element for detecting a change in magnetic field from the movable contacts due to rotating operation of the operation body without making contact, and a magnetic second guide plate fixed to the base having a plurality of second flat planes opposite to the position of the movable magnets so as to be opposite to each one of the movable magnets. The movable magnets face to or depart from each one of the second flat planes of the second guide plate depending on the rotation of the operation body. |
| US08184022B2 |
Method for automatically preferring a diacritical version of a linguistic element on a handheld electronic device based on linguistic source and associated apparatus
A method for automatically preferring a diacritical version of a linguistic element on a handheld electronic device by utilizing a linguistic source. |
| US08184021B2 |
Keyboard with illuminating architecture
A keyboard with illuminating architecture includes a keyboard portion and a substrate carrying the keyboard portion, wherein the keyboard portion includes a plurality of pressing elements for receiving a pressing force from the user and inter-dependent mechanisms respectively under a force receiving surface of each pressing element for providing a moving stroke of the pressing element following the force direction, and the substrate has an assembling portion for assembling with the other end of the inter-dependent mechanism. Moreover, the surface of the substrate has at least one light guiding groove, which forms a light channel for transmitting light, and at least one inner sidewall of the light guiding groove is a light reflecting surface, so that the light in the light guiding groove is reflected by the light reflecting surface to the keyboard portion, thereby providing the pressing elements the brightness, and reducing whole keyboard thickness and thinning. |
| US08184018B2 |
Image-based vehicle safety warning system
An image-based vehicle safety warning system is disclosed, which uses an image retrieval module for receiving an image signal and camera parameters related to the source of the image signal into a space definition module, which defines an image space and warning areas of different levels in the image space. Then, an object identification module identifies parts of a possible vehicle in the image according to the image signal and variations thereof. A warning indication module then obtains an interrelation by locating the position of the vehicle within the image space and comparing the vehicle position with the warning areas, thereby providing alarms in different levels based on the interrelation. |
| US08184003B1 |
Motion detection and locating apparatus and method
A motion detecting apparatus and method which comprises a plurality of area-sensors each generating or modifying an electrical signal in response to a stimulus, and thereafter monitoring the signal to locate the object and its relative position, moment to moment. |
| US08183993B2 |
Tire pressure monitor system tool with parts number database
A tool for use with a tire pressure monitor system includes a storing module configured to store a plurality of communication protocols used by the tire pressure monitor system to interface with a vehicle electronic control unit, the storing module further including a database having parts numbers of sensors utilized with the tire pressure monitor system, the database further includes a vehicle data associated with the tire pressure monitor system, a requesting module configured to request the vehicle data from the storing module, a receiving module configured to receive the vehicle data from the storing module, an accessing module configured to access the storing module to retrieve at least one communication protocol based on the vehicle data, a communications module to receive and transmit the at least one communication protocol to and from the electronic control unit and to and from a sensor, and a processor. |
| US08183991B2 |
Vehicle lighting device for illuminating objects around a vehicle detected by an infrared sensor
A vehicle lighting device includes: an infrared sensor which detects an object around a vehicle using infrared light; a visible light source which illuminates visible light to the object when the infrared sensor detects the object; a reflection mirror which reflects the infrared light and the visible light to an area around the vehicle; and a light path adjusting mechanism which adjusts light paths of the infrared light and the visible light in a synchronizing manner by rotating the reflection mirror. |
| US08183977B2 |
System of controlling device in response to gesture
A control system includes: an input unit through which a signal for a gesture and a background of the gesture is input; a gesture recognition unit which recognizes the gesture on the basis of the input signal; an attribute recognition unit which recognizes an attribute of a background target of the recognized gesture on the basis of the input signal; and a command transmitting unit which generates a control command on the basis of a combination of the recognized gesture and the background target attribute and transmits the control command to a device. |
| US08183976B2 |
Resistor device and method for manufacturing same
A resistor device includes a resistor plate having a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture and a fourth aperture respectively arranged on a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side thereof. A first electrode plate is coupled to the first side of the resistor plate and includes a first measurement zone and a second measurement zone disposed at opposite sides of the first aperture; and a second electrode plate is coupled to the third side of the resistor plate and including a third measurement zone and a fourth measurement zone disposed at opposite sides of the third aperture, wherein the first measurement zone and the third measurement zone are disposed at opposite sides of the second aperture, and the second measurement zone and the fourth measurement zone are disposed at opposite sides of the fourth aperture. |
| US08183973B2 |
Highly dense and non-grained spinel NTC thermistor thick film and method for preparing the same
Disclosed herein are a highly dense and nano-grained NTC thermistor thick film and a method for preparing the same, and specifically, an NTC thermistor thick film vacuum deposited by spraying a spinel grained ceramic powder containing Ni and Mn on one side of the surface of a substrate using a room temperature powder spray in vacuum (AD) and a method for preparing the same. According to the present invention, a room temperature powder spray in vacuum (AD) may be used to perform a rapid deposition of NTC thermistor thick films and prepare a highly dense ceramic thick film, the NTC characteristic constant B which would be obtained by doping may be maximized without doping, demagnetization may be obtained without any additional heat treatment, and thus limitations on substrate that the conventional art has may be completely overcome. |
| US08183968B2 |
Bobbin of transformer
A bobbin of a transformer includes a main body and plural connecting bases. The main body has two side plates. The two side plates are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main body. A winding section is defined within the two side plates for winding a winding coil. The plural connecting bases are disposed on the two opposite sides of the main body and connected with the side plates. Plural wire-arranging grooves are formed in a bottom surface of each connecting base. Each side plate has an inner recess in communication with a corresponding wire-arranging groove. An initial winding segment of the winding coil is accommodated within the wire-arranging groove and the inner recess, thereby preventing the winding coil from rubbing against the initial winding segment during the winding coil is wound on the winding section. |
| US08183966B2 |
Entirely integrated EMI filter based on a flexible multi-layer strip material
An entirely integrated EMI filter is based on a flexible multi-layer strip material. An EE or EI core comprises two side pillars and one middle pillar and forms a closed magnetic circuit. The middle pillar has an air gap. A first winding and a second winding respectively are wound around the two side pillars in a same winding direction. The middle pillar is wound with a third winding and a fourth winding, or with only a fifth winding. Passive components (e.g., all passive components) of the EMI filter are integrated into one core so that in its differential mode, insertion loss is significantly reduced, the size and volume are reduced, and the distribution constant of the EMI filter has less impact on the filter's performance. |
| US08183956B2 |
Diplexer circuit, high-frequency circuit and high-frequency module
A diplexer circuit comprising a common terminal, a low-frequency-side terminal, a high-frequency-side terminal, a low-frequency-side path comprising a low-frequency filter disposed between the common terminal and the low-frequency-side terminal, and a high-frequency-side path comprising a high-frequency filter disposed between the common terminal and the high-frequency-side terminal, the low-frequency filter comprising a first transmission line series-connected to the low-frequency-side path and a capacitor parallel-connected to part of the first transmission line. |
| US08183954B2 |
Coaxial line to waveguide converter with an adjustable conductor attached to the coaxial line inner conductor
A coaxial waveguide converter is disclosed. It includes a waveguide to which a high frequency signal is transmitted, a coaxial line having an inner conductor that is coupled to the waveguide so as to project an end of the inner conductor into the waveguide, and a first adjustment conductor provided on the periphery of the projected end part of the inner conductor so as to be movable in the axial direction of the inner conductor. |
| US08183952B2 |
Surface mountable circulator
The present invention is directed to a surface mountable circulator/isolator device that includes a first dielectric layer having an electric circuit formed thereon. A second center dielectric layer is disposed adjacent the first dielectric layer, the center dielectric layer including an opening formed therein, the opening being aligned relative to the electric circuit. A ferrite element is disposed in the opening such that the ferrite abuts the electric circuit and is aligned in two-dimensions relative to the electric circuit. A third dielectric layer is disposed adjacent the second center layer. The third dielectric layer includes a ground plane formed on each major surface thereof. The first dielectric layer, the second center dielectric layer, the ferrite element, and the third dielectric layer are bonded together to form a laminated multi-layer structure. A permanent magnet is bonded to the second ground plane. |
| US08183951B2 |
Modulator
It is possible to restrain distortions generated in a mixer. A modulator includes a local signal source that generates an in-phase local signal, a multiplier that multiplies an in-phase baseband signal (I) and the in-phase local signal by each other, a phase inverter that receives the in-phase local signal from the local signal source, and inverts the phase thereof, an anti-phase multiplier that multiplies an anti-phase baseband signal (−I) (signal equivalent to a signal obtained by inverting the phase of the in-phase baseband signal (I)) and an output from the phase inverter (anti-phase local signal) by each other, and an adder that adds an output from the multiplier and an output from the anti-phase multiplier to each other. The addition by the adder of a leak component (carrier leak) which is the in-phase local signal leaked from the multiplier, and the signal which is the output from the phase inverter leaked from the anti-phase multiplier to each other results in zero. In other words, the leak component output from the multiplier is cancelled. |
| US08183950B2 |
Auto-calibration for ring oscillator VCO
A phase locked loop (“PLL”) includes a voltage controlled oscillator (“VCO”) operable to acquire and maintain lock at a selected output frequency of the VCO and control logic operable to perform steps in a method of selecting a frequency band for operating the VCO. Such method can include switching the VCO to a given operating band from among the plurality of operating bands of the VCO; determining a band center frequency at which the VCO oscillates in the given operating band when the control voltage is set to a center of a range of minimum to maximum control voltages [CVmin, CVmax]; determining a difference between the band center frequency and the selected output frequency when the selected output frequency is within the given operating band; switching the VCO to another operating band; repeating the above steps until a difference between the band center frequency and the selected output frequency increases; and selecting the operating band for operation of the VCO for which the difference between the band center frequency and the selected output frequency is smallest. |
| US08183949B2 |
Compensation of VCO gain curve offsets using auto-calibration
A method is provided for selecting an operating band of a voltage-controlled oscillator (“VCO”) of a phase locked loop (“PLL”) for which the lock frequency is closest to a center of the frequency range of the operating band. In such method, steps can be performed to determine the maximum and minimum frequencies of the operating band and the center frequency between them. From the center frequency of the operating band and the lock frequency within such operating band, a difference value can then be determined. The operating bands of the PLL can be tested until an operating band having the smallest difference value is determined. The VCO can then be set to such operating band in order for the lock frequency to be closest to the center frequency of the operating band. |
| US08183938B2 |
Tuning methods and apparatus for inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) systems
A method is provided for controlling a resonant circuit (1) of an ICPT system. The resonant circuit has a controlled variable reactance (2), and a predetermined perturbation is introduced in the magnitude of variable reactance. The change in a property of the resonant circuit in response to the perturbation is sensed, and the variable reactance is varied to alter the resonant frequency of the circuit in response to the sensed change. |
| US08183936B2 |
Phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer and loop locking method thereof
A phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer and a loop locking method thereof are provided. The phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer includes a reference route sigma-delta modulator feedback circuit, a reference phase integration circuit coupled to the output end of the reference route sigma-delta modulator feedback circuit, a phase/frequency detector coupled to the output ends of the reference and feedback phase integration circuit, a loop filter coupled to the output end of the phase/frequency detector and the input end of the reference route sigma-delta modulator feedback circuit, an oscillator coupled to the output end of the loop filter, and a feedback phase integration circuit coupled to the output end of the oscillator and the input end of the phase/frequency detector. In the phase-locked loop frequency synthesizer, the oscillator generates corresponding frequency output signals which yield the advantages of resisting noise signals, enhancing resolution, and facilitating integration. |
| US08183934B2 |
PLL circuit and voltage-controlled oscillator
In a PLL circuit, a threshold discriminator generates a control signal indicating a relative level of a control voltage. A controller outputs a controlling value based on the control signal. If the control signal indicates a high level when the controlling value specifies a control voltage-to-oscillation frequency correspondence relation whose upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency are highest, and if the control signal indicates a low level when the controlling value specifies a correspondence relation whose upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency are lowest, the controller outputs a predetermined controlling value. An oscillator has the correspondence relations set therein such that the correspondence relations have respective different upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency and are correlated with the respective controlling values. The oscillator outputs a signal with the oscillation frequency corresponding to the control voltage and associated with the correspondence relation specified by the controlling value. |
| US08183932B2 |
Method and system for processing signals via an integrated low noise amplifier having configurable input signaling mode
Aspects of a method and system for processing signals via an integrated low noise amplifier having a configurable input signaling mode are provided. In this regard, one or more circuits comprising an integrated amplifier may be configurable such that, in a first configuration, the one or more circuits are operable to handle a differential input signal, and, in a second mode of operation, the one or more circuits are operable to handle a single-ended input signal. The one or more circuits may output a differential signal when handling a differential input signal and when handling a single-ended input signal. In some instances, whether the one or more circuits are operable to handle a differential input signal or a single-ended input signal may determined by an inductance of a bond wire coupling the integrated amplifier to an integrated circuit package. |
| US08183929B2 |
Multi-chip doherty amplifier with integrated power detection
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a Doherty amplifier is provided for applications in radio frequency, microwave, and other electronic systems. An exemplary Doherty amplifier comprises a first MMIC having a first power detector, and a second MMIC having a second power detector. The first MMIC and the second MMIC are structurally identical. Furthermore, the first MMIC is configured as a carrier amplifier and the second MMIC is configured as a peaking amplifier. In the exemplary embodiment, an amplifier control bias of the carrier amplifier is a function of the power detected by the first power detector and an amplifier control bias of the peaking amplifier is a function of the power detected by the second power detector. The ability to assemble a Doherty amplifier using a single MMIC product results in a simple and less expensive manufacturing process. |
| US08183924B2 |
Output stage with adaptive bias control
An input stage receives a differential input signal at first and second input nodes and provides a differential output current at first and second output nodes. The differential output current includes a component taken from the input nodes through first and second impedances, and an additional component generated in response to a sample of the voltage of the differential input signal. A transconductance cell having cross-coupled inputs may generate the additional component of the output current. |
| US08183921B1 |
Offset cancellation for continuous-time circuits
One embodiment relates to a continuous-time circuit configured with an offset cancellation loop. The continuous-time circuit includes a multi-stage amplifier chain, including a first amplifier stage and a last amplifier stage, and an offset cancellation loop. The offset cancellation loop is configured to receive an output of the last amplifier stage and to provide an offset correction voltage signal to the first amplifier stage. The offset compensation loop may create one dominant pole and a single consequential parasitic pole so as to have greater stability and may advantageously achieve a second-order roll-off in response magnitude at higher frequencies. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed. |
| US08183914B2 |
Constant Gm circuit and methods
Structures and methods for providing a temperature independent constant current reference are provided. A constant Gm circuit is disclosed with embodiments including a voltage controlled resistor providing a current into a current mirror, the current mirror sinking a reference current at its output. By providing a feedback loop that controls the voltage controlled resistor, a temperature compensated circuit may be obtained. The temperature dependence of the voltage controlled resistor is positive and the feedback circuitry maintains this resistor at a value that compensates for the negative temperature dependence of the current mirror circuit. The reference current is thus obtained at a predetermined level independent of temperature. A method for providing a reference current is disclosed wherein a voltage dependent resistor is provided supply current to a current mirror, the voltage dependent resistor receiving a feedback voltage from the current mirror and the feedback controlling the resistor so that a temperature independent reference current is obtained. |
| US08183913B2 |
Integrated circuits including a charge pump circuit and operating methods thereof
An integrated circuit includes a first current source. A second current source is electrically coupled with the first current source via a conductive line. A switch circuit is coupled between the first current source and the second current source. A first circuit is coupled between a first node and a second node. The first node is disposed between the first current source and the switch circuit. The second node is coupled with the first current source. The first circuit is configured for substantially equalizing voltages on the first node and the second node. A second circuit is coupled between a third node and a fourth node. The third node is disposed between the second current source and the switch circuit. The fourth node is disposed coupled with the second current source. The second circuit is configured for substantially equalizing voltages on the third node and the fourth node. |
| US08183909B2 |
Method for operating a converter circuit with voltage boosting
Method for operating a converter circuit with voltage boosting with N half-bridges, which in each case can be connected by their center connection to a phase of an N-phase generator and at an end side are connected in parallel with a series circuit formed by two capacitances, wherein each half-bridge contains a Top switch and a Bot switch, in which, in a PWM method with a fixed period duration at the beginning of the period duration, all the TOP switches are simultaneously switched on for the duration of a TOP switched-on interval. After half the period duration all the BOT switches are simultaneously switched on for the duration of a BOT switched-on interval wherein the TOP switched-on interval, and the BOT switched-on interval amount at most to half the duration of the period. |
| US08183908B2 |
High frequency switching circuit for reducing insertion loss and restricting variations in harmonic levels
There is provided a high frequency switching circuit having good characteristics of high-order harmonics that has little variation. A high frequency switching circuit according to an aspect of the invention may include: a high frequency switch having one end connected to an input terminal receiving a high frequency signal and the other end connected to an output terminal of the high frequency signal, the high frequency switch turned on or off by a control signal; and a capacitor having a predetermined capacitance, and having one end connected the output terminal and the other end connected to a ground by a bonding wire. |
| US08183905B2 |
Configurable clock signal generator
A method to provide a low-power clock signal or a low-noise clock signal is described herein. It is determined whether a low-power mode or a low-noise mode is in use. A voltage reference input of a low-dropout voltage regulator (LDO) is switched to a low-power voltage reference for low-power mode and to a low-noise voltage reference for low-noise mode. The LDO provides a constant voltage output to a crystal oscillator. A clock signal is generated using the crystal oscillator. The clock signal is limited using a low-power limiter to generate a low-power output clock signal and/or is limited using a low-noise limiter to generate a low-noise clock signal. The low-power output clock signal or the low-noise output clock signal is selected using a mux. |
| US08183899B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and control method for clock signal synchronization
There is a need to ensure operation performance of a circuit region under DVFS control at low costs and highly precisely while a power-supply voltage change is made to the region. A first circuit (FVA) uses a first power-supply voltage (VDDA) for operation. A second circuit (NFVA) uses a second power-supply voltage (VDDB) for operation. A clock delay may be adjusted between paths for transmitting a clock to these circuits. When VDDA equals VDDB, a clock is distributed to FVA through a path that does not contain a delay device for phase adjustment. When the power-supply voltage for the FVA region is reduced, a clock is distributed to the FVA region based on a phase equivalent to one or two cycles of the clock displaced. Synchronization control is provided to synchronize clocks (CKAF and CKBF) and ensures operation so that a phase of two clocks to be compared fits in a range of design values while the power-supply voltage for the first circuit is changed. |
| US08183897B2 |
Integrated circuit device and electronic apparatus
An integrated circuit device includes: an internal circuit; a ground terminal; a first terminal that is provided with a first signal that becomes to be a ground level during at least a portion of a period in which the internal circuit is operating; a detection circuit that compares a voltage on the first terminal and a voltage on the ground terminal, thereby detecting an open state of the ground terminal; and a setting circuit that sets the internal circuit to a reset state or a disabled state when the open state of the ground terminal is detected by the detection circuit. |
| US08183896B2 |
Resistive frequency mixing apparatus and signal processing method using the same
A resistive frequency mixing apparatus includes a first frequency mixer having a source follower FET, and a second frequency mixer having a common source FET. The resistive frequency mixing apparatus perform a frequency mixing of an RF depending on an LO signal to generate a down-converted IF signal when the RF signal is applied to the source follower FET and the LO signal is applied to the common source FET. Further, the resistive frequency mixing apparatus performs a frequency mixing of an IF signal depending on an LO signal through the use of the source follower FET to produce an up-converted RF signal when the IF signal is applied to the common source FET and the LO signal is applied to the common source FET. |
| US08183893B2 |
Driver comparator circuit
A first resistor is arranged such that a first voltage is applied to a first terminal thereof, and a second terminal thereof is connected to an input/output terminal. The first voltage is applied to a first terminal of a second resistor. A tail current source generates a predetermined tail current. A current switch receives data to be transmitted to a second device, selects one from among the second terminals of the first and second resistors, and connects the terminal thus selected to the tail current source. A voltage dividing circuit includes a third resistor and a fourth resistor provided in series between the second terminals of the first resistor and the second resistor. A load balancer includes a fifth resistor arranged such that a second voltage is applied to a first terminal thereof, and a second terminal thereof is connected to the second terminal of the second resistor. |
| US08183886B2 |
Apparatus for detecting a USB host
A multi-interface integrated circuit (IC) comprises a plurality of transistors, and a level detection block. At least one transistor of the plurality of transistors is in communication with a first terminal and either a first or a second lead of the multi-interface IC, and at least one of the plurality of transistors is in communication with the first terminal, a second terminal and either the first or a second lead of the multi-interface IC. The level detection block is in communication with at least one of the plurality of transistors and the first and second leads. |
| US08183885B2 |
Circuit for digitally controlling line driver current
In one embodiment, a circuit for providing a tail current for a line driver includes an adjustable current source. The adjustable current source includes a number of current source cells coupled together in a parallel configuration, where the current source cells are configured to provide the tail current for the line driver in response to a digital control signal. The circuit can further include a digital core coupled to the adjustable current source, where the digital core provides the digital control signal. The digital control signal provides a number of bits, where each bit controls one of the current source cells. In one embodiment, a current source cell can comprise a number of current source sub-cells. The current source cells can be configured to provide the tail current for the line driver in response to the digital control signal when the line driver is operating in a class AB mode. |
| US08183884B2 |
Output driving device in semiconductor device
An output driving device prevents an inflow of external current through an output terminal even when there is no power supply. The output driving device includes an output circuit that maintains an output terminal at a low impedance state by receiving a supply of power in an output drive operation and maintains the output terminal at a high impedance state by receiving the supply of power in a non-output drive operation and a leakage prevention unit coupled to the output terminal of the output circuit, the leakage prevention unit preventing a current inflow to the output circuit through the output terminal when the supply of power is not supplied to the output circuit. |
| US08183874B2 |
Monitoring of the aging of the capacitors in a converter by means of capacitance measurement
A method and a device for converting an electrical current include at least one phase module having an AC voltage connection and at least one DC voltage connection. A phase module branch is disposed between each DC voltage connection and the AC voltage connection. Each phase module branch includes a series circuit of submodules, each having a capacitor and at least one power semiconductor. The apparatus can establish aging of an energy storage device in a simple manner by using a capacitor diagnosis device for a time-dependent determination of the capacitance of each capacitor. |
| US08183871B2 |
Method and device for fault location in a two-terminal transmission or distribution power line
A method for locating a fault in a two-terminal power transmission or distribution line. Measurements of the three phase currents are received from both terminals. Measurements of the three phase voltages are received from one line terminal. Parameters of the line are received. The fault type is received. Based on this received information the distance to fault from the one terminal where the phase voltages were measured is determined and output. Since only the phase voltages of one line terminal are needed, the functionality of a device, in particular a current differential relay, can be expanded to determine the distance to fault in an off-line mode. |
| US08183869B2 |
Circuit interrupter with continuous self-testing feature
A circuit interrupter includes a current transformer, phase conductor and neutral conductor. The phase conductor and the neutral conductor are each configured to pass through the transformer from line side to load side that are defined by the current transformer. The circuit interrupter generates a continuous test current by continuous current imbalance established between the load side of the phase conductor and the line side of the neutral conductor, or between the line side of the phase conductor and the load side of the neutral conductor. A continuous test conductor may be coupled correspondingly to establish the current imbalance. Alternatively, an integrated circuit coupled correspondingly receives power and is energized by a quiescent current thereby. The current imbalance is established by the quiescent current. The current transformer detects the quiescent current as the continuous test current. Corresponding methods are also disclosed. |
| US08183867B2 |
Localization system for an earth moving machine
The invention relates to a localization system for localizing an underground object for an earthmoving machine comprising a working part. The localization system comprises a fastening component and a detector component. The fastening component can be arranged on the working part for example by means of magnets. The detector component is adapted to detect the object using an electromagnetic field that can be associated with the object and is arranged on the fastening component so as to swing like a pendulum, thereby effecting an alignment of the detector component under the effect of gravity. Optionally, the localization system comprises an arithmetic component for deriving a distance information of the object from the detected value. The localization system also comprises a display component for displaying and/or forwarding the detected value and/or the distance information. |
| US08183863B2 |
Displaced electrode amplifier
A displaced electrode amplifier (“DEA”) for measuring signals from high impedance sources. The amplifier may include an operational amplifier (“op-amp”) configured as a unity gain buffer, with a feedback path to the non-inverting input to at least partly compensate for a parasitic input shunt impedance. In cases where the device is to measure AC signals in high ambient temperatures, the non-inverting input may be coupled via a large resistance to a ground reference that is driven with a second feedback signal to magnify the effective value of the large resistance. Where a differential configuration is desired, one or more tuning resistors may be provided to match responses of different input buffer stages, thereby maximizing the common mode rejection. The disclosed amplifier is suitable for use in oil-based mud resistivity imaging tools but is also suitable for other applications. |
| US08183853B2 |
Power network sensor devices and related methods
An operation detection device for an overcurrent protection component that detects a transition event between a closed state and an open state of the protection component includes an event sensor positioned at a location selected to allow the event sensor to detect the transition event and a current sensor positioned at a location selected to detect a current passing through the overcurrent protection component and to generate a first output signal based on a level of the detected current. A switch circuit operatively coupled to the event sensor is configured to generate a second output signal indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component responsive to detection of the transition event by the event sensor. |
| US08183850B2 |
Power converting device and power supply apparatus
Each voltage converting unit outputs a first signal at a first output and second signal at a second output. Each first transforming unit includes a magnetically coupled primary and secondary coil, the first output of each one of the converting units is connected to a primary coil of a different one of the first transforming units, the primary coil of each one of the first transforming units is electrically connected to one secondary coil of another one of the first transforming units. Each second transforming units includes a magnetically coupled primary and a secondary coil, the second output of each one of the voltage converting units is connected to a primary coil of a different one of the second transforming units, the primary coil of each one of the second transforming units is electrically connected to one secondary coil of another one of the second transforming units. |
| US08183846B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling a DC/DC converter
A control system including a DC/DC converter and a control module. The DC/DC converter includes a first inductor and a second inductor. The DC/DC converter is configured to i) receive a first DC voltage and ii) output a second DC voltage. The control module is configured to, during a first operation mode, charge the first inductor while discharging the second inductor, and, during a second operation mode, one of i) charge the first inductor while charging the second inductor and ii) discharge the first inductor while discharging the second inductor. The control module is further configured to initiate the second operation mode in response to detecting a current transient in the DC/DC converter. |
| US08183842B2 |
Control device for a multi-phase DC-DC converter and related multi-phase DC-DC converter
A control device for a multi-phase DC-DC converter is disclosed. The multi-phase DC-DC converter includes a plurality of converting channels. The control device includes an error amplifier for comparing a feedback signal of the multi-phase DC-DC converter and a reference signal to generate a comparison result, a main comparator for comparing the comparison result and a first sawtooth signal corresponding to a first converting channel of the plurality of converting channels to generate a first PWM signal, and at least one computing module each corresponding to one of the plurality of the converting channels, for generating a PWM signal according to the comparison result, a corresponding sawtooth signal, a corresponding sensing signal, and a sensing signal corresponding to a previous converting channel of the converting channel to control the converting channel. |
| US08183837B2 |
Control device and control method for electric system
In an electric system including a first converter and a second converter connected in parallel, an ECU executes a program including a step of selecting a charging mode for a first battery pack connected to the first converter and a charging mode for a second battery pack connected to the second converter, and a step of controlling a charger connected to the first battery pack, the first converter and the second converter to charge the first battery pack and the second battery pack in the selected charging modes. |
| US08183831B2 |
Battery pack
A battery pack includes at least one battery cell and a base and a cover, together adapted to house the at least one battery cell. A plurality of linking holes are located on at least one first side surface of one of the base or the cover, each linking hole defined by a periphery, wherein at least a portion of the periphery includes a reinforcement that is thicker than the thickness of the first side surface. A plurality of linking protrusions are located on at least one second side surface of the other of the base or the cover, each of the plurality of linking protrusions adapted to mate with a corresponding linking hole, thereby holding the base and cover in engagement with one another. |
| US08183830B2 |
Adjustable charger
An adjustable charger for compatibly charging at least one rechargeable alkaline battery and at least one first rechargeable battery includes a charger housing and an adjustable charging arrangement. The adjustable charging arrangement includes an upper charging platform, a lower charging platform, and a charging circuitry. The upper charging platform is formed on the top charging side of the charger housing for fittedly and adjustably receiving one of the alkaline battery and the first rechargeable battery in the first charging slot. The lower charging platform is also formed on the top charging side of the charger housing at a position underneath the upper charging platform for fittedly and adjustably receiving another of the alkaline battery and the first rechargeable battery in the second charging slot. |
| US08183821B2 |
Charging device for electric automobile
The present invention provides a charging device for an electric automobile that can reduce the number of connection terminals provided in a vehicle and respond to a plurality of charging methods including normal charging and fast charging. Fast charging lines, an in-vehicle charger, and a feeder unit are connected to a power supply circuit for supplying power from a high voltage battery to a motor/generator. The fast charging lines, normal charging lines connected to the in-vehicle charger, and feeder lines connected to the feeder unit are respectively connected to common connection terminals of a connector. Relays provided on the respective lines are activated in accordance with the type of a connection plug attached to the connector, and as a result, charging is performed in accordance with the type of the connection plug. |
| US08183815B2 |
Method and control device for automatically determining a mass of a door system
A method is disclosed for automatically determining an effective mass of a door system that is driven by a motor and has at least one door. In this case a speed change accomplished during an acceleration movement is established, and a force variable, for example the motor current or an armature voltage, influencing the drive force of the motor is summed or integrated during the acceleration movement. The effective door mass is established from the sum or the integral of the force variable and the speed change, the summation or the integration of the force variable being performed over a number of operating system cycles of a control device assigned to the door system. Also described is a control device for automatically determining the effective door mass, having a memory for force variable profiles that is designed in such a way that mass can be established for different force variable profiles in the memory in conjunction with an unchanged program code. |
| US08183811B2 |
Platform screen door
A control system for a platform screen door system. The platform screen door system includes a door configured to be opened and closed. The control system includes a door drive means and a microprocessor door drive control means configured to control an opening and closing of the door according to a predetermined profile. Also included is at least one probe configured to monitor one or both of the door drive means and a motion of the door. Further included is a controller configured to control the door drive means such that when the controller is in use the controller brakes the door drive means when a signal from the probe is outside a predetermined door operating envelope. |
| US08183810B2 |
Method of operating a motor
Embodiments of the invention provide a method of operating a motor connected to a power device having a reduced current rating. The motor can include an increased torque constant and/or an increased back electromagnetic force constant in order to decrease a peak current in relation to the reduced current rating of the power device. The method can include increasing a length of time the motor can operate at the peak current without overheating. A phase angle of the motor can be advanced in order to achieve a continuous operating point with the power device having the reduced current rating. |
| US08183808B2 |
Motor overload protecting method
A motor overload protecting method includes (a) detecting an instantaneous motor current value in real-time, calculating a current integral value in each of a corresponding integral period, and resetting the current integral value to 0 at an end of the integral period, (b) obtaining an overload coefficient according to the current integral value, which is greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1 when the current integral value is greater than or equal to a maximum motor current value, and is equal to 1 when the current integral value is less than the maximum motor current value, wherein the maximum motor current value is a maximum current integral value when the motor is in a non-overload condition; and (c) multiplying the instantaneous motor current value by the overload coefficient to obtain a new input current value, and operating the motor according to the new input current value. |
| US08183805B2 |
System for controlling the steady-state rotation of a synchronous electric motor
The control system comprises a switch (TR) in series with a stator winding (W) between two terminals (A, B) connected to an alternating supply voltage source (V), a first detector circuit (2) capable of providing a signal (Voi) indicating when the current (I) in that winding (W) is zero, a second detector circuit (1) capable of providing a signal (Vw) indicating the magnitude of the supply voltage (V), and a control unit (MC) connected to the first and second detection circuits (2; 1) and designed to control the switch (TR) in such a way as to cause an alternating current (I) of the same frequency as the supply voltage (V) and having alternating positive and negative phases (11, 12) to pass through the winding (W), separated by intervals during which it remains at zero, of a duration (tp) which varies according to an increasing function of the magnitude of the supply voltage (V). |
| US08183802B2 |
Composite electromechanical machines with controller
Embodiments of the present invention include a composite electromechanical machine which can operate as a motor, a generator (including dynamo or alternator), or any combination thereof. In an aspect, the present composite electromechanical machine comprises at least a double-sided magnetic plane (e.g., rotor or stator) to form two rotor/stator pairs, together with a controller to configure the multiple rotor/stator pair. The controller can configure or convert the multiple rotor/stator pairs into motors, generators, or nonoperation, and also can change the windings characteristics of the magnetic planes. The controller can add new functionality and characteristics to the present composite electromechanical machine. Other embodiments can also be included. |
| US08183798B2 |
Variable light control system and method using momentary circuit interrupt
An electronic circuit designed to reduce energy consumption by toggling between a plurality of conventional or electronic fluorescent lighting ballasts within a given fixture, and where said toggle circuit shall increase or decrease fixture light output levels according to immediate requirements. Toggle circuit may be remotely controlled from conventional Mains wall switch or other such means. Initial applications of Mains power automatically provides the minimum of light levels. Additional momentary interruptions to Mains power provides varied and/or additional lighting levels. |
| US08183793B2 |
Method for synthesizing anthracene derivative and anthracene derivative, light emitting element, light emitting device, electronic device
It is an object to provide a novel method for synthesizing an anthracene derivative with the small number of steps. It is another object to provide a novel anthracene derivative. It is further another object to provide a light-emitting element, a light-emitting device, and an electronic device, each using the anthracene derivative. A method for synthesizing an anthracene derivative represented by a general formula (1) is provided by coupling a 9-arylanthracene derivative having an active site at a 10-position with a 9-arylcarbazole derivative having an active site in an aryl group using metal, a metal compound, or a metal catalyst. |
| US08183785B2 |
Method of controlling a lighting system based on a target light distribution
The invention relates to a method of controlling a lighting system with multiple controllable light sources 3a, 3b and a system therefor. According to a first aspect, influence data of the lighting system are obtained, which data represent the effect of one or more of the light sources 3a, 3b on the illumination of one or more sections of an illuminated environment. In an optimization method, sets of control commands are continuously determined, a predicted light distribution for these control commands is determined from the influence data, and a colorimetric difference between the predicted light distribution and a target light distribution is determined. A plurality of adjustment steps are performed to minimize the colorimetric difference. According to a second aspect, a neural network is trained with the influence data and a set of control commands for controlling the lighting system is determined with the use of the neural network. |
| US08183782B2 |
High-pressure discharge lamp with improved ignitability and high-voltage pulse generator
High pressure discharge lamp (20) with improved ignitability. A spiral pulse generator (1) that is directly mounted inside the outer piston (12) of the lamp is used for igniting the high pressure discharge lamp. |
| US08183771B2 |
Organic light emitting diode and method of fabricating the same
An organic light emitting diode and a method of fabricating the same. The organic light emitting diode includes a substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, emission layers on the first electrode including red, green and blue pixel regions, and a second electrode on the emission layers. The organic light emitting diode further includes an electron transport layer on the emission layers, and an intermediate layer formed by co-depositing metal quinolate and an organic material between at least one of the emission layers and the electron transport layer. The intermediate layer inhibits hole transport and increases a life span of the red pixel region. |
| US08183767B2 |
Display apparatus and imaging system using the same
Provided is a display apparatus including multiple light emitting devices, in which each of the light emitting devices includes a reflective layer and a light emitting layer which are stacked, using interference between light directed from the light emitting layer to the reflective layer so as to be reflected by the reflective layer and light directed from the light emitting layer in the direction opposite to the reflective layer, and in which the multiple light emitting devices include a first light emitting device, a second light emitting device having a light emission color different from the first light emitting device, and a third light emitting device having the same emission spectrum as a spectrum in which light emission of the first light emitting device and light emission of the second light emitting device are mixed. |
| US08183765B2 |
Controlling an electronic device using chiplets
An electronic apparatus including a common substrate, a plurality of controlled electronic devices disposed over the common substrate, and a wiring layer having a plurality of conductors formed on the common substrate. A plurality of chiplets are located over the common substrate, each chiplet having an independent substrate separate from the common substrate, each independent substrate having a bottom side opposing a top side with one or more connection pads formed on the bottom side of the chiplet, and each chiplet including circuitry for controlling functions of one or more of the controlled electronic devices. The chiplets are adhered to the common substrate with the bottom side of the chiplet closer to the common substrate than the top side of the chiplet, and each connection pad is electrically connected to one of the plurality of conductors. |
| US08183763B2 |
Organic light emitting display and method of fabricating the same
An organic light emitting display and a method of fabricating the same, in which the resistance of a cathode electrode is reduced by applying a conductive ink material on the cathode electrode. A pixel defining layer is formed on a substrate, with a recess or depression in a non-light emitting region of the pixel defining layer. An electrode on the substrate includes a portion within the recess of the pixel defining layer. The conductive ink is in the portion of the electrode in the recess. |
| US08183762B2 |
Organic electroluminescent display device and method of fabricating the same
An organic electroluminescent display (OELD) device includes first and second substrates facing each other, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines and a plurality of power lines on the first substrate, the gate and data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions, a switching element and a driving element connected to each other in each pixel region, a first electrode connected to the driving element, an organic luminescent layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the organic luminescent layer. The organic luminescent layer includes a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, an emission material layer, an electron transporting layer, and an electron injection layer in order. Further, the hole injection layer includes a crystallizable hole injection material and a hole transporting material, and the hole transporting layer includes the hole transporting material. |
| US08183757B2 |
Display element
In one embodiment, a display element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer on the second electrode. The dielectric layer has recess regions therein. The display element includes an opaque layer on the second electrode within each recess region and a fluid with colorant particles between the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US08183756B2 |
Thermionic electron emitter, method for preparing same and X-ray source including same
A thermionic electron emitter (1) is proposed comprising an emitter part (2) with a substantially flat electron emission surface (3) and a bordering surface (5) adjacent thereto. In order to better absorb main stress loads (L) induced by external forces, the emitter part is provided with an anisotropic polycrystalline material having a crystal grain structure of elongated interlocked grains the longitudinal direction (G) of which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction (L) of the main stress loads occurring under normal operating conditions. |
| US08183754B2 |
Alumina-based sintered body for spark plug and method of manufacturing the same, and spark plug and method of manufacturing the same
An alumina-based sintered body for a spark plug having enhanced mechanical strength and a method of manufacturing the same, as well as a spark plug having the alumina-based sintered body for a spark plug and a method of manufacturing the same. |
| US08183750B2 |
Resonator, conductive film layer and oscillator
A resonator element includes: a resonating body having a first region and a second region, the first region receiving a compression stress or an extension stress by a vibration, the second region receiving an extension stress responding to the compression stress in the first region, or a compression stress responding to the extension stress of the first region; and at least one film layer, on a surface of the resonating body between the first and the second regions, having thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the resonating body. In the element, the film layer includes a recessed section in which at least one film layer is removed between the first and the second regions. |
| US08183747B2 |
Piezoelectric porcelain composition, and piezoelectric ceramic electronic component
A piezoelectric porcelain composition includes a main ingredient represented by a general formula ((1−x)(K1−a−bNaaLib) (Nb1−cTac)O3−xM2M4O3) (where M2 represents Ca, Ba or Sr, M4 represents Zr, Sn or Hf, and 0.005≦x≦0.1, 0≦a≦0.9, 0≦b≦0.1, 0≦a+b≦0.9, and 0≦c≦0.3), and Mn is contained in an amount ranging from 2 to 15 mol, relative to 100 mol of the main ingredient, and the M4 is contained in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 mol, relative to 100 mol of the main ingredient. Preferably, Ni is contained in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 mol, relative to 100 mol of the main ingredient, and also preferably Yb, In and the like specific rare earth elements is contained. A ceramic layer in a ceramic base is formed of this piezoelectric porcelain composition. As a result, the degree of sintering in a reductive atmosphere is improved, and a piezoelectric porcelain composition allowing co-sintering with Ni, and a piezoelectric ceramic electronic component using the same are realized. |
| US08183745B2 |
High frequency ultrasound transducers
An example ultrasound device, such as a transducer array, includes a plurality of ultrasound transducers, each ultrasound transducer having a first electrode, a second electrode, a thin piezoelectric film located between the electrodes, and a substrate supporting the plurality of ultrasound transducers. In some examples, the electrode separation is less than 10 microns, facilitating lower voltage operation than conventional ultrasound transducers. |
| US08183744B2 |
Piezoelectric motor
A piezoelectric motor includes a piezoresonator body (3) having opposing front and back surfaces and opposing first and second end surfaces. The front (17) and the back (18) surfaces are substantially parallel to first (15) and second (16) longitudinal axes of the piezoresonator body. The end surfaces (2) are substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the second longitudinal axis and are separated by a length (L) of the piezoresonator body. The motor also includes at least one common electrode (6) disposed on the back surface and at least 6n excitation electrodes (7-12) disposed across the front surface in two symmetric rows extending along L, where n is an integer ≧1. In the motor, the piezoelectric body has an nth order longitudinal vibration frequency (ν1) along L and a 3nth order bending vibration frequency (ν2) along L, and where ν1 and ν2 are substantially equal. |
| US08183741B2 |
Valves based on reversible piezoelectric rotary motor
A piezoelectric valve is provided that includes a valve body includes a plug and a drive body coupled to the valve body and operable to cause the rotatable plug to rotate about a rotational axis. The drive body includes a shaft disposed along the axis, the shaft statically coupled to the plug and rotatably coupled to the drive body. The drive body also includes a rotor assembly disposed about the axis and rotatably coupled to the drive body. The drive body further includes a first piezoelectric actuator disposed about the axis and statically coupled to the drive body, the first piezoelectric actuator configured to frictionally engage an inner surface of the rotor assembly. The drive body additionally includes a second piezoelectric actuator disposed about the axis and statically coupled to the shaft, the second piezoelectric actuator configured to frictionally engage the inner surface of the rotor assembly. |
| US08183740B2 |
Piezoelectric motor with high torque
A piezoelectric motor (100) includes a stator (2) having a stator shaft (9). The motor also includes an annular piezoelement (4) having upper and lower surfaces and inner and outer rims retained on the stator. The motor further includes an annular wave shell (6) on an outer rim of the piezoelement and a rotor coupled to the stator shaft, where the rotor has a rotor inner circumferential surface (20). The motor additionally includes elastic pushers (8), each having an end coupled to the wave shell and another end extending to and contacting the rotor inner circumferential surface. In the motor, a radius of the outer rim is at least twice the radius of the inner rim and an annular width of the piezoelement is at least twice its thickness. |
| US08183739B2 |
Electroactive polymer actuated devices
Devices employing electroactive polymer actuators are disclosed. The devices include pumps, valves, cameras (where electroactive polymer actuators control either one or both of zoom and focus), vibrators (for inclusion in cell phones, game console controls, etc.) and audio speakers. These devices advantageously incorporate the actuator configurations described. The devices generally incorporate a diaphragm-type actuation having a central section of material that is less flexible than adjacent material. |
| US08183738B2 |
Control system for oscillatory actuator
In driving a target body only by one of actuators, the target body is smoothly driven.A drive unit (1) includes a stage (3), a first ultrasonic actuator (4A) for driving the stage (3) in an X direction and a second ultrasonic actuator (4B) for driving the stage (3) in a Y direction. When the stage (3) is driven only in one of the X direction and the Y direction, one of the first and second ultrasonic actuators (4A and 4B) which corresponds to the direction generates composite vibration of longitudinal direction parallel to a contact surface of the stage (3) and bending vibration perpendicular to the contact surface of the stage (3). On the other hand, the other one of the first and second ultrasonic actuators (4A and 4B) generates only longitudinal vibration parallel to the contact surface of the stage (3). |
| US08183737B2 |
Surface acoustic wave device including electrode fingers partially disposed in grooves in a piezoelectric substrate
An elastic wave device has a low temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF), a low insertion loss, a high electromechanical coupling coefficient (k2), and an increased pitch of the electrode fingers. The elastic wave device includes a piezoelectric component, IDT electrodes, and a dielectric layer arranged to cover the IDT electrodes. The dielectric layer has a temperature coefficient of frequency, the sign of the temperature coefficient of frequency being opposite to that of the temperature coefficient of frequency of the piezoelectric component, or the sign of the temperature coefficient of frequency being the same as that of the temperature coefficient of frequency of the piezoelectric component, and the absolute value of the TCF being smaller than that of the temperature coefficient of frequency of the piezoelectric component. Electrode fingers of the IDT electrodes each include a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. Each first electrode layer is located in a corresponding one of a plurality of grooves. Each second electrode layer is located above the top of a corresponding one of the grooves. The one-half power of the product of the cube of the mean density (ρa) and the mean stiffness (C44a) of the first electrode layer, i.e., (ρ3×C44)1/2 of the first electrode layer is larger than (ρ3×C44)1/2 of the second electrode layer. |
| US08183734B2 |
Hybrid winding configuration of an electric machine
An electric machine system includes an electric machine and a companion device. The electric machine has a stationary member and a movable member that, by interaction of magnetic fields, at least one of moves relative to the stationary member or generates electricity when moved relative to the stationary member. One of the stationary member and the movable member comprising a permanent magnet. The companion device is coupled to the electric machine to communicate mechanical movement with the movable member. In certain instances, the electric machine system has adaptations for operation of the electric machine system subsea and/or in a corrosive environment. The electric machine includes a stator that carries a conductive winding having multiple coils. A first subset of the coils are in a first configuration, and a second subset of the coils are in a second configuration. In some implementations, the first configuration is a lap winding configuration, and the second configuration is a concentric winding configuration. |
| US08183733B2 |
Two-phase brushless DC motor
A brushless motor includes a two-phase winding stator having 4×n winding poles and auxiliary poles provided between the winding poles, and a rotor constituted by 6×n permanent magnet rotating poles having divided angle. The two-phase brushless motor can be driven by a control device for the two-phase motor which can transform electric power and rectify electronically. The two-phase brushless DC motor can increase a permeance coefficient of the rotor, improve the efficiency and the starting of the motor, and reduce torque ripple and noise thereof. |
| US08183731B2 |
Electro-motive machine using Halbach array and electrons trapped in electromagnetic providing current
A Halbach array is radially disposed in an environment optimized for efficiency and controlled for efficient generation and use of power in order to generate, establish, and maintain a desired level of rotational energy with enhanced efficiency. |
| US08183730B2 |
Motor
A small DC motor includes a motor frame having a cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion having a constant thickness and having a cross section in a shape that comprises four sides and connecting portions, each of the connecting portions connecting adjacent two of the four sides and being located inward from a corresponding corner in a quadrangle comprising the four sides; and a magnet having a circumferential surface on an inside thereof and having conformable contact with the motor frame on an outside thereof. |
| US08183729B2 |
Electrically powered device
The electrically powered device is provided. The electrically powered device includes: multiple stators structured to respectively have electromagnetic coils and position sensors; a shaft fastened to the multiple stators; and multiple rotors structured to respectively have permanent magnets and arranged to rotate around the shaft; wherein the multiple rotors are connected with a driven member driven by the electrically powered device. |
| US08183728B2 |
Stator for an electric machine
A stator for an electric machine includes an annular stator yoke at which a plurality of radially projecting stator teeth carrying coils with coil terminals is circumferentially arranged. Annular connection conductors are arranged concentrically at a carrier member adjacent to the coils so as to be electrically insulated relative to one another and are connected to the coil terminals in a predetermined manner in the connection area of the carrier member. The coil terminals emerge axially from the coils and apertures corresponding to the coil terminals are formed in a wall area of the carrier member. The coil terminals extend axially through these apertures into the connection area of the carrier member, wherein the wall area of the carrier member radially overlaps an exit area where the coil terminals emerge from the coils. |
| US08183725B2 |
Motor and recording disc driving device
A motor includes a shaft supporting a rotation of a rotor, a sleeve supporting the shaft such that an upper end of the shaft protrudes upward in an axial direction, a rotor case having a rotor hub, which is forcibly inserted and fixed to a protrusion of the shaft, and rotated by a rotation of the shaft, and an adhesive sealing space formed on an insertion surface between the protrusion and the rotor hub. |
| US08183724B2 |
Cooled electric generator with tubes embedded in the cover thereof
A cooling electric generator with pipes embedded in its housing which includes mechanisms for generating electrical power from the motor torque provided by a wind turbine rotor, and with an external housing comprised of a cylindrical casing (23) and side shields (25) made of cast iron and have embedded conduits configured to form a refrigeration circuit (31, 41) for the generator with routes for entry and exit (33, 35, 43, 45) of the refrigeration liquid to and from the generator exterior. Preferably, the circuit (31) embedded in the cylindrical casing (23) has a helicoidal form and the circuits (41) embedded in the shields (25) have a spiral form. |
| US08183721B2 |
Oscillation drive device
An oscillation drive device includes an oscillating unit that includes attaching portions on either sides thereof, the attaching portions being arranged on an oscillation axis; a base that includes an oscillating fulcrum that supports the oscillating unit on the oscillation axis and supporting portions that firmly support the oscillating unit; and a pair of strip-shaped leaf springs that is arranged so as to intersect with the oscillation axis and oscillates the oscillating unit on the oscillation axis, each of the strip-shaped leaf springs includes a fixing portion attached to the attaching portions of the oscillating unit; and a flexible beam portion that both ends of which are attached to the supporting portions of the base, and causes the oscillating unit to oscillate on the base by flexure behavior thereof. |
| US08183719B2 |
Drive circuit for DC latching devices
A drive circuit for a DC latching device includes a battery, a storage element, and a plurality of switches connecting the battery to the storage element for charging the storage element from the battery and discharging the storage element into the coil of a DC latching device. The drive circuit further includes components for determining a state of the DC latching device. The drive circuit may include components for terminating the discharge of the storage element into the coil of the DC latching device in response to determining that the DC latching device has changed states to add reliability to the system and reduce energy consumption. |
| US08183718B2 |
Method and device for controlled reclosing of a circuit breaker
A method for controlled reclosing of branch elements in an electric power system that has been subjected to a disturbance and that includes at least one branch element and at least one circuit breaker connected thereto. The angular difference between voltage vectors on both sides of the circuit breaker or at two end points of the branch element is detected and compared with a comparison value. In dependence on a magnitude of a deviation of the angular difference from the comparison value, the reclosing is either completed or blocked. The comparison value is updated automatically and regularly in such a way that an adaptive value is obtained. A system includes an element arranged to update the comparison value automatically and regularly in such a way that an adaptive value is obtained. |
| US08183711B2 |
Power extraction from signal sinks
A power extractor suitable for locations proximate to the sink of a signal channel is disclosed. The power extractor can generate power from the signal channel without substantially disturbing a quality of signals within the channel. In one embodiment, the power extraction circuit can include: a current source coupled to a sink side of a signal channel, where the signal channel is independent of any power supply signal, the current source being high impedance to maintain signal quality within the signal channel; a first regulator configured to generate a first regulated supply from a current derived from the signal channel using the current source; and a second regulator coupled to the first regulator, where the second regulator is configured to generate a second regulated supply from the first regulated supply. |
| US08183710B2 |
Pre-stressed stiffening system for a wind turbine generator frame
A system for stiffening and pre-stressing a generator frame in a wind turbine is provided. The system includes a plurality of stress-inducing members configured for imparting a predetermined amount of stress on the generator frame. Each of the plurality of stress-inducing members has a length, a first end, and a second end and the length of each of said plurality of stress-inducing members is selectively adjustable. A coupling plate is configured for coupling the second ends of at least some of the plurality of stress-inducing members together. A plurality of brackets are coupled to the generator frame and configured to couple the first ends of the plurality of stress-inducing members to the generator frame. |
| US08183709B1 |
Electricity generation from forced air flow
The present invention is used for generating electricity from forced air flow. An electricity generator may have a first panel attached at a peripheral edge to a second panel at a peripheral edge to form a frame. The first panel and the second panel each have an opening with a propeller rotatably attached to a generator that is positioned in each opening for rotation caused by a forced air flow. |
| US08183707B2 |
Method of controlling a wind energy system and wind speed sensor free wind energy system
A method for controlling a wind energy system is provided wherein the method comprises determining the effective wind speed taking into account the load on the rotor blades of said wind energy system exerted by the wind is provided. A computer-readable medium is provided that provides instructions which when executed by a computing platform cause the computing platform to perform operations wherein the operations include the method according to embodiments described herein. Further, a wind energy system having a calculation unit adapted for calculating the effective wind speed by taking into account the load on the rotor blades of said wind energy system exerted by the wind is provided. Further, a wind speed sensor free wind energy system having a generator for generating electric energy and a controller for shutting down and/or starting the electric energy generation in dependence of the wind speed is provided. |
| US08183705B2 |
Wind park, method of correcting voltage imbalances, and wind turbine
A wind park, a method of correcting voltage imbalances, and a wind turbine are provided. The wind park includes at least one wind turbine; a transformer coupled between the at least one wind turbine and a power grid. The transformer includes a primary winding arrangement coupled to the power grid, and a secondary winding arrangement coupled to the at least one wind turbine. The power grid includes at least three power lines, each power line conducting a respective phase of a multi-phase current. Each power line of the power grid is coupled to the primary winding arrangement via an individual tap changer. Influences of the detected voltage imbalances on the wind turbines can be compensated. |
| US08183702B2 |
Engine generator
An engine generator accommodating an engine and a generator inside a case. A first stationary handle that extends in the width direction is mounted in the rear section of the case. A second stationary handle is mounted on the upper front part of the case. A draw handle is provided so as to swing in the vertical direction in relation to the second stationary handle. The second stationary handle is manually grasped and the engine generator is moved. The first and second stationary handles are grasped and the engine generator is lifted. The draw handle is pulled to move the engine generator. |
| US08183697B2 |
Apparatus and methods of forming an interconnect between a workpiece and substrate
Embodiments of an apparatus and methods of forming interconnect between a workpiece and substrate and its application to packaging of microelectronic devices are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08183695B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor chip region provided with a plurality of internal circuits, and a plurality of electrode pads provided proximate to an outer edge of the semiconductor chip region and each electrically connected to any one of the plurality of internal circuits. The plurality of electrode pads include: a long pad including a probe region with which a probe is brought into contact, and a bonding region provided in a position different from a position of the probe region, for bonding a wire; and a short pad for high frequency, which is formed to have a smaller pad area compared with the long pad and inputs/outputs a high frequency signal by employing a structure including the bonding region but the probe region. |
| US08183691B2 |
Semiconductor device with pads overlapping wiring layers including dummy wiring
A semiconductor device includes plural electrode pads arranged in an active region of a semiconductor chip, and wiring layers provided below the plural electrode pads wherein occupation rates of wirings arranged within the regions of the electrode pads are, respectively, made uniform for every wiring layer. To this end, in a region where an occupation rate of wiring is smaller than those in other regions, a dummy wiring is provided. On the contrary, when the occupation rate of wiring is larger than in other regions, slits are formed in the wiring to control the wiring occupation rate. In the respective wirings layers, the shapes, sizes and intervals of wirings below the respective electrode pads are made similar or equal to one another. |
| US08183690B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device including: a semiconductor chip on which an integrated circuit is formed; an electrode formed on the semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the integrated circuit; a resin protrusion disposed on the semiconductor chip; an interconnect formed on the electrode and extending over the resin protrusion; a wiring board on which a wiring pattern is formed, the semiconductor chip being mounted on the wiring board so that part of the interconnect positioned over the resin protrusion faces and is electrically connected to the wiring pattern; and an adhesive that bonds the semiconductor chip and the wiring board. The resin protrusion is compressed in a direction in which the distance between the semiconductor chip and the wiring board decreases and is formed of a material having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion. |
| US08183683B1 |
Semiconductor device and fabricating method thereof
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor die having bond pads, each of which consists of a first bond pad made of a material whose ionization tendency is relatively low and a second bond pad made of a material whose ionization tendency is relatively high. The second bond pads function as sacrificial anodes to prevent the occurrence of galvanic corrosion at the interfaces between the first bond pads and conductive wires. In an embodiment, the upper surfaces of the second bond pads are marked instead of those of the first bond pads, which reduces the number of defects in the first bond pads. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device is also provided. |
| US08183682B2 |
Methods of packaging a semiconductor die and package formed by the methods
A method of packaging a semiconductor die. The method comprises mounting a semiconductor die to a die attach pad on a carrier and electrically coupling an electrode of the semiconductor die and a contact pad on the carrier with a clip carried by a sacrificial substrate. The method further comprises removing the sacrificial substrate to release the clip. The method may be extended to accommodate a carrier having multiple device regions each with a die attach pad and a contact pad for mounting multiple semiconductor die. |
| US08183679B2 |
Electronic part package
A peeling off layer 18 is formed on an entire surface of one surface side of a support plate 10 including the inner wall surfaces respectively of a recessed part 12 for an electronic part and recessed parts 16 for posts in which the posts 20 are formed. Then, the recessed parts 16 are filled with metal to form the posts 20. Then, conductor patterns 28 are formed that electrically connect the electrode terminals 22a of the electronic part 22 inserted into the recessed part 12 to the posts 20. Then, an insulating layer covering the conductor patterns 28 is formed to form an electronic part package 30 on the one surface side of the support plate 10 through the peeling off layer 18. After that, the electronic part package 30 is separated from the support plate 10 by the peeling off layer 18. |
| US08183678B2 |
Semiconductor device having an interposer
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. An interposer used for the semiconductor device includes integrated circuits therein to realize the functions of a decoupling capacitor, an ESD preventing circuit, an impedance matching circuit, and termination. The semiconductor device may include a semiconductor die with a through silicon via (TSV) structure having two or more through electrodes that pass through the semiconductor die, in which each of the through electrodes are connected to a respective bond pad of the semiconductor die. |
| US08183676B2 |
Memory circuit having memory chips parallel connected to ports and corresponding production method
A memory circuit includes multiple memory chips configured to store data and disposed in at least one stack. The memory circuit includes multiple ports configured to receive and transmit control signals and data to and from the memory chips and to supply energy to the memory circuit. The memory circuit includes a housing accommodating the multiple memory chips and the multiple ports. |
| US08183671B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a device isolation insulating film which is buried in a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulation film which is provided on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode which is provided on the gate insulation film, a source region and a drain region which are provided in the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other in a manner to sandwich the gate electrode, both end portions of each of the source region and the drain region being offset from the device isolation insulating film in a channel width direction by a predetermined distance, and first and second gate electrode extension portions which are provided in a manner to cover both end portions of each of the source region and the drain region in a channel length direction. |
| US08183669B2 |
Nitride semiconductor wafer having a chamfered edge
A nitride semiconductor wafer is planar-processed by grinding a bottom surface of the wafer, etching the bottom surface by, e.g., KOH for removing a bottom process-induced degradation layer, chamfering by a rubber whetstone bonded with 100 wt %-60 wt % #3000-#600 diamond granules and 0 wt %-40 wt % oxide granules, grinding and polishing a top surface of the wafer, etching the top surface for eliminating a top process-induced degradation layer and maintaining a 0.5 μm-10 μm thick edge process-induced degradation layer. |
| US08183668B2 |
Gallium nitride substrate
A gallium nitride substrate comprising a primary surface, the primary surface being tilted at an angle in a range of 20 to 160 degrees with respect to a C-plane of the substrate, and the substrate having a fracture toughness of more than or equal to 1.36 MN/m3/2. |
| US08183663B2 |
Crack resistant circuit under pad structure and method of manufacturing the same
A circuit under pad structure includes a substrate, a pad electrode, wiring layers interlayer insulation layers alternately disposed between the pad electrode and the substrate, and at least one circuit pattern integral with the substrate, disposed beneath the lowermost wiring layer and spanned by the pad electrode. The width of each wiring layer is smaller than the width of the wiring layer beneath it, i.e., closer to the substrate. The structure is fabricated such that it resists cracking, which maximizes its production yield, and possesses a minimal footprint. |
| US08183658B2 |
Field-effect transistor (FET) with embedded diode
A Field-Effect Transistor (FET) is provided that includes a first portion and a second portion separated from the first portion by a gap. The FET further includes at least one diode embedded within the gap between the first and second portions. A plurality of FETs also may be provided with adjacent FETs electrically isolated. |
| US08183656B2 |
Photodiode
A photodiode includes: an upper spacer layer including a semiconductor transparent to incident light; a metal periodic structure provided on the upper spacer layer and arranged to induce surface plasmon, the metal periodic structure including first and second electrodes including portions arranged alternately on the upper spacer layer; a light absorption layer formed under the upper spacer layer and including a semiconductor having a refractive index higher than that of the upper spacer layer; and a lower spacer layer formed under the light absorption layer and having a refractive index smaller than that of the light absorption layer. Each of the first and second electrodes forms a Schottky barrier junction with the upper spacer layer. |
| US08183655B2 |
Radiation detector of the ΔE-E type with insulation trenches
A radiation detector of the ΔE-E type is proposed. The detector is integrated in a chip of semiconductor material with a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, the detector having at least one detection cell arranged on the front surface for receiving a radiation to be evaluated, wherein the detector includes: a first region of a first type of conductivity extending into the chip from the front surface to a first depth; a second region of a second type of conductivity extending into the chip from the back surface to a second depth so as to reach the first region; and for each detection cell a third region of the second type of conductivity extending into the first region from the front surface to a third depth lower than the first depth and the second depth, a thin sensitive volume for absorbing energy from the radiation being defined by a junction between the first region and each third region, and a thick sensitive volume for absorbing further energy from the radiation being defined by a further junction between the first region and the second region. For each detection cell the detector further includes insulation means arranged around the third region and extending from the front surface into the first region to an insulation depth comprised between the first depth and the third depth. |
| US08183651B2 |
MEMS sensor, method of manufacturing MEMS sensor, and electronic apparatus
A MEMS sensor includes: a substrate; a fixed electrode portion formed in the substrate; a movable weight portion formed above the fixed electrode portion via a gap; a movable electrode portion formed in the movable weight portion and disposed so as to face the fixed electrode portion; a supporting portion; and a connecting portion that couples the supporting portion with the movable weight portion and is elastically deformable, wherein the movable weight portion is a stacked structure having conductive layers and an insulating layer, and plugs having a larger specific gravity than the insulating layer are embedded in the insulating layer. |
| US08183643B2 |
Semiconductor device having silicide layer completely occupied amorphous layer formed in the substrate and an interface junction of (111) silicon plane
A semiconductor device includes diffusion layers formed in a SOI layer under a side-wall, a channel formed between the diffusion layers, silicide layers sandwiching the diffusion layers wherein interface junctions between the diffusion layers and the silicide layers are (111) silicon planes. |
| US08183640B2 |
Method of fabricating transistors and a transistor structure for improving short channel effect and drain induced barrier lowering
A method of fabricating transistors includes: providing a substrate including an N-type well and P-type well; forming a first gate on the N-type well and a second gate on the P-type well, respectively; forming a third spacer on the first gate; forming an epitaxial layer in the substrate at two sides of the first gate; forming a fourth spacer on the second gate; forming a silicon cap layer covering the surface of the epitaxial layer and the surface of the substrate at two sides of the fourth spacer; and forming a first source/drain doping region and a second source/drain doping region at two sides of the first gate and the second gate respectively. |
| US08183637B2 |
Semiconductor device
There is provided a semiconductor device including: a field effect transistor that is provided with a gate region, a drain region and a source region and that is formed on a substrate; a circuit region that is formed on the substrate so as to be electrically isolated from the field effect transistor; a first guard ring that is formed in a ring shape encircling the field effect transistor and that includes an internal resistance; and a second guard ring that is formed in a ring shape encircling the circuit region, that forms a capacitance between the second guard ring and the gate region by capacitive coupling with the gate region, and that includes an internal resistance. |
| US08183631B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate having an upper main surface and a lower main surface. The semiconductor substrate includes a drain layer, a main base region, an underpad base region and a source region. The semiconductor device includes a first main electrode connected to the main base region and the source region and not connected to the underpad base region, a gate electrode opposed to a channel region in the main base region interposed between the drain layer and the source region with a gate insulating film provided therebetween, a conductive gate pad opposed to an exposed surface of the underpad base region in the upper main surface with an insulating layer interposed therebetween and the conductive gate pad is connected to the gate electrode, and a second main electrode connected to the lower main surface. |
| US08183630B2 |
Circuit with transistors integrated in three dimensions and having a dynamically adjustable threshold voltage VT
A microelectronic device including: a substrate surmounted by a stack of layers, at least one first transistor situated at a given level of said stack, at least one second transistor situated at a second level of said stack, above said given level, the first transistor including a gate electrode situated opposite a channel zone of the second transistor, the first transistor and the second transistor being separated by an insulating zone, and said insulating zone being constituted of several different dielectric materials include a first dielectric material and a second dielectric material. |
| US08183625B2 |
NROM flash memory devices on ultrathin silicon
An NROM flash memory cell is implemented in an ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator structure. In a planar device, the channel between the source/drain areas is normally fully depleted. An oxide layer provides an insulation layer between the source/drain areas and the gate insulator layer on top. A control gate is formed on top of the gate insulator layer. In a vertical device, an oxide pillar extends from the substrate with a source/drain area on either side of the pillar side. Epitaxial regrowth is used to form ultra-thin silicon body regions along the sidewalls of the oxide pillar. Second source/drain areas are formed on top of this structure. The gate insulator and control gate are formed on top. |
| US08183618B2 |
Method for fabricating a charge trapping memory device
A method for fabricating a charge trapping memory device includes providing a substrate; forming a first oxide layer on the substrate; forming a number of BD regions in the substrate; nitridizing the interface of the first oxide layer and the substrate via a process; forming a charge trapping layer on the first oxide layer; and forming a second oxide layer on the charge trapping layer. |
| US08183616B2 |
Semiconductor device, RF-IC and manufacturing method of the same
Provided is a technology capable of reducing parasitic capacitance of a capacitor while reducing the space occupied by the capacitor. A stacked structure is obtained by forming, over a capacitor composed of a lower electrode, a capacitor insulating film and an intermediate electrode, another capacitor composed of the intermediate electrode, another capacitor insulating film and an upper electrode. Since the intermediate electrode has a step difference, each of the distance between the intermediate electrode and lower electrode and the distance between the intermediate electrode and upper electrode in a region other than the capacitor formation region becomes greater than that in the capacitor formation region. For example, the lower electrode is brought into direct contact with the capacitor insulating film in the capacitor formation region, while the lower electrode is not brought into direct contact with the capacitor insulating film in the region other than the capacitor formation region. |
| US08183614B2 |
Stack capacitor of memory device and fabrication method thereof
The invention provides a method for forming a stack capacitor of a memory device, including providing a substrate, forming a patterned sacrificial layer with a plurality of first openings over the substrate, conformally forming a first conductive layer on the patterned sacrificial layer and in the first openings, forming a second conductive layer on the first conductive layer to seal the first openings with a void formed therein, removing a portion of the first and second conductive layers to expose the patterned sacrificial layer, and removing at least a portion of the patterned sacrificial layer to form bottom cell plates. |
| US08183613B2 |
Bipolar transistor for a memory array
A memory device includes an insulation layer, an active pattern, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode. The insulation layer is formed on a substrate. The active pattern is formed on the insulation layer, and includes two protrusions and a recess between the protrusions. The active pattern includes a first impurity region and a second impurity region at upper portions of the protrusions distal from the substrate, respectively, and a base region at the other portions serving as a floating body for storing data. The gate insulation layer is formed on a surface of the active pattern. The gate electrode is formed on the gate insulation layer, and surrounds a lower portion of the active pattern and partially fills the recess. |
| US08183610B2 |
Nonvolatile memory and manufacturing method thereof
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nonvolatile memory including: a cell transistor including: a gate electrode and first and second diffusion layers; a second insulating film covering the cell transistor; first and second plugs penetrating the second insulating film to reach the first and second diffusion layers, respectively; a ferroelectric capacitor having a ferroelectric film and first and second electrodes, the first electrode contacting with the first plug; a first conductive spacer contacting with the second plug and including the same material as the first electrode; a third insulating film covering side faces of the first electrode, the ferroelectric film and the first conductive spacer; and a first wiring that is continuously formed with the second electrode and connected to the first conductive spacer and that includes the same material as the second electrode. |
| US08183607B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device features a semiconductor chip including a MOSFET, a first electrode of the MOSFET disposed on an obverse surface of the chip, a second, control electrode of the MOSFET disposed on the obverse surface, a third electrode of the MOSFET disposed on a second, opposing surface of the chip, first, second, and third conductive members, each having top surface and opposing bottom surface, the first, second, and third conductive members connecting with the first, second, and third electrodes electrically, respectively, a sealing body having top and bottom surfaces and sealing parts of the first, second, and third conductive members, the first conductive member having first, second, and third contiguous portions, the first portion is positioned over the first electrode, the second is positioned between the first and second portions and the third portion is positioned under the obverse surface of the chip. |
| US08183605B2 |
Reducing transistor junction capacitance by recessing drain and source regions
By recessing portions of the drain and source areas on the basis of a spacer structure, the subsequent implantation process for forming the deep drain and source regions may result in a moderately high dopant concentration extending down to the buried insulating layer of an SOI transistor. Furthermore, the spacer structure maintains a significant amount of a strained semiconductor alloy with its original thickness, thereby providing an efficient strain-inducing mechanism. By using sophisticated anneal techniques, undue lateral diffusion may be avoided, thereby allowing a reduction of the lateral width of the respective spacers and thus a reduction of the length of the transistor devices. Hence, enhanced charge carrier mobility in combination with reduced junction capacitance may be accomplished on the basis of reduced lateral dimensions. |
| US08183603B2 |
Solid-state imaging device for inhibiting dark current
A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, light being incident on the second surface side; a wiring layer disposed on the first surface side; a photodetector formed in the substrate and including a first region of a first conductivity type; a transfer gate disposed on the first surface of the substrate and adjacent to the photodetector, the transfer gate transferring a signal charge accumulated in the photodetector; and at least one control gate disposed on the first surface of the substrate and superposed on the photodetector, the control gate controlling the potential of the photodetector in the vicinity of the first surface. |
| US08183602B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including via-holes continuously formed through plural cell array layers
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a cell array block formed on the semiconductor substrate and including plural stacked cell array layers each with a plurality of first lines, a plurality of second lines crossing the plurality of first lines, and memory cells connected at intersections of the first and second lines between both lines; and a plurality of via-holes extending in the stacked direction of the cell array layers to individually connect the first or second line in the each cell array layer to the semiconductor substrate. The via-holes are formed continuously through the plural cell array layers, and multiple via-holes having equal lower end positions and upper end positions are connected to the first or second lines indifferent cell array layers. |
| US08183599B2 |
Semiconductor device with interface circuit and method of configuring semiconductor devices
Methods and devices yielding an improved semiconductor device with interface circuit are disclosed. Configuring a semiconductor with parallel device features reduces process variation (e.g., lithographically-induced process variation or other defects). Embodiments of the present invention provide semiconductor devices with I/O cell device features (e.g., I/O gates or core gates) laid out in parallel. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention can allow patterning devices to be made to more exacting tolerances because some patterning devices may have a higher capability along one axis than another. Embodiments of the present invention also include a semiconductor device having like-functioned I/O cells arranged such that their layouts and rotational orientations with respect to their corresponding core remain constant. Furthermore, disclosed semiconductor devices may include at least one circuit cell having non-parallel features, where the circuit cell is arranged either within the core or within a corresponding interface circuit cell. |
| US08183598B2 |
Semiconductor device, semiconductor module, and electronic apparatus including process monitoring pattern overlapping with I/O pad
A semiconductor device includes a process monitoring pattern overlapping with an input/output (I/O) pad. The semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate having a cell array region and a peripheral circuit array region, and a plurality of process monitoring patterns disposed in the peripheral circuit array region. The semiconductor device may further include a plurality of input/output (I/O) pads, where each I/O pad is disposed on a corresponding process monitoring pattern. |
| US08183595B2 |
Normally off III-nitride semiconductor device having a programmable gate
A III-nitride semiconductor device which includes a charged gate insulation body. |
| US08183592B2 |
Light emitting device having a pluralilty of light emitting cells and package mounting the same
A light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting cells which are formed on a substrate and each of which has an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer located on a portion of the N-type semiconductor layer. The plurality of light emitting cells are bonded to a submount substrate. Heat generated from the light emitting cells can be easily dissipated, so that a thermal load on the light emitting device can be reduced. Since the plurality of light emitting cells are electrically connected using connection electrodes or electrode layers formed on the submount substrate, it is possible to provide light emitting cell arrays connected to each other in series. Further, it is possible to provide a light emitting device capable of being directly driven by an AC power source by connecting the serially connected light emitting cell arrays in reverse parallel to each other. |
| US08183591B2 |
Light-emitting devices
Light-emitting devices are provided, the light-emitting devices include a light-emitting structure layer having a first conductive layer, a light-emitting layer and a second conductive layer sequentially stacked on a first of a substrate, a plurality of seed layer patterns formed apart each other in the first conductive layer; and a plurality of first electrodes formed through the substrate, wherein each of the first electrodes extends from a second side of the substrate to each of the seed layer patterns. |
| US08183589B2 |
Substrate for fabricating light emitting device and method for fabricating the light emitting device
Provided is a substrate for fabricating a light emitting device and a method for fabricating the light emitting device. The method for fabricating the light emitting device may include forming a sacrificial layer having band gap energy less than energy of a laser irradiated on a substrate, forming a growth layer on the sacrificial layer, forming a light emitting structure including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the growth layer, and irradiating the laser onto the sacrificial layer to pass through the substrate, thereby to lift-off the substrate. |
| US08183588B2 |
High efficiency group III nitride LED with lenticular surface
A light emitting diode is disclosed that includes a conductive substrate, a bonding metal on the conductive substrate and a barrier metal layer on the bonding metal. A mirror layer is encapsulated by the barrier metal layer and is isolated from the bonding metal by the barrier layer. A p-type gallium nitride epitaxial layer is on the encapsulated mirror, an indium gallium nitride active layer is on the p-type layer, and an n-type gallium nitride layer is on the indium gallium nitride layer, and a bond pad is made to the n-type gallium nitride layer. |
| US08183586B2 |
Organic electroluminescence device and luminescence apparatus
The invention provides an organic EL device including an anode, a cathode, and a luminescent portion positioned between the anode and cathode, the luminescent portion including two or more luminescent layers, each of the luminescent layers including plural primary luminescent layers that emit light of different colors, and each of the primary luminescent layers having a thickness of 5 nm or less. |
| US08183585B2 |
Lighting module
A lighting module comprising a base panel and a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) chips attached directly to the base panel. The LED chips are in electrical communication with conductive traces on the base panel, which deliver a current to the LED chips. Various embodiments of this generally described lighting module are also presented. Additionally, methods of preparing such a lighting module, and system components of the lighting module are presented. |
| US08183583B2 |
LED package module
An LED package module according to an aspect of the invention may include: a substrate having predetermined electrodes thereon; a plurality of LED chips mounted onto the substrate, separated from each other at predetermined intervals, and electrically connected to the electrodes; a first color resin portion molded around at least one of the plurality of LED chips; a second color resin portion molded around all of the LED chips except for the LED chip around which the first color resin portion is molded, and having a different color from the first color resin portion; and a third color resin portion encompassing both the first color resin portion and the second color resin portion and having a different color from the first color resin portion and the second color resin portion. Accordingly, a reduction in luminous efficiency of an LED caused by yellowing is prevented to thereby increase luminous efficiency and achieve a reduction in size. |
| US08183580B2 |
Thermally-enhanced hybrid LED package components
A light-emitting device (LED) package component includes an LED chip and a carrier chip. The carrier chip includes a first bond pad and a second bond pad on a surface of the carrier chip and bonded onto the LED chip through flip-chip bonding, and a third bond pad and a fourth bond pad on the surface of the carrier chip and electrically connected to the first bond pad and the second bond pad, respectively. The first bond pad and the second bond pad are on a same side of the carrier chip facing the LED chip. The carrier chip further includes at least one through substrate via (TSV) connected to the first and second bond pads. |
| US08183576B2 |
Light-emitting diodes including perpendicular-extending nano-rods
Light-emitting diodes, and methods of manufacturing the light-emitting diode, are provided wherein a plurality of nano-rods may be formed on a reflection electrode. The plurality of nano-rods extend perpendicularly from an upper surface of the reflection electrode. Each of the nano-rods includes a first region doped with a first type dopant, a second region doped with a second type dopant that is an opposite type to the first type dopant, and an active region between the first region and the second region. A transparent insulating layer may be formed between the plurality of nano-rods. A transparent electrode may be formed on the plurality of nano-rods and the transparent insulating layer. |
| US08183575B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a patterned electrically conductive and optically transparent or semi-transparent layer over a lighting semiconductor device
A light emitting diode (“LED”) using an electrical conductive and optical transparent or semi-transparent layer to improve overall light output is disclosed. The device includes a first conductive layer, an active layer, a second conductive layer, an electrical conductive and optical transparent or semi-transparent layer, and electrodes. In one embodiment, the electrical conductive and optical transparent or semi-transparent layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is overlain the second conductive layer. The second surface includes a pattern which contains thick regions and thin regions for facilitating light passage. |
| US08183574B2 |
Thermal isolation of electronic devices in submount used for LEDs lighting applications
The present invention relates to an electronic device for providing improved heat transporting capability for protecting heat sensitive electronics and a method for producing the same. The present invention also relates to uses of the electronic device for various applications such as in LED lamps for signalizing, signage, automative and illumination applications or a display apparatus or any combinations thereof. |
| US08183573B2 |
Process for forming an interface between silicon carbide and silicon oxide with low density of states
An embodiment of a process for forming an interface between a silicon carbide (SiC) layer and a silicon oxide (SiO2) layer of a structure designed to conduct current is disclosed. A first epitaxial layer having a first doping level is homo-epitaxially grown on a substrate. The homo-epitaxial growth is preceded by growing, on the first epitaxial layer, a second epitaxial layer having a second doping level higher than the first doping level. Finally, the second epitaxial layer is oxidized so as to be totally removed. Thereby, a silicon oxide layer of high quality is formed, and the interface between the second epitaxial layer and silicon oxide has a low trap density. |
| US08183572B2 |
Compound semiconductor device and its manufacture method
A vertical type GaN series field effect transistor having excellent pinch-off characteristics is provided. A compound semiconductor device includes a conductive semiconductor substrate, a drain electrode formed on a bottom surface of the conductive semiconductor substrate, a current blocking layer formed on a top surface of the conductive semiconductor substrate, made of high resistance compound semiconductor or insulator, and having openings, an active layer of compound semiconductor burying the openings and extending on an upper surface of the current blocking layer, a gate electrode formed above the openings and above the active layer, and a source electrode formed laterally spaced from the gate electrode and formed above the active layer. |
| US08183570B2 |
Thin film transistor array panel
A thin film transistor array panel, in which a middle storage electrode and a storage electrode overlapping a drain electrode of a thin film transistor thereby forming a storage capacitance are formed. Accordingly, sufficient storage capacitance may be formed without a decrease of the aperture ratio and light transmittance of a liquid crystal display. Also, the capacitance may be sufficiently formed through the connecting member connected to a gate metal layer. |
| US08183566B2 |
Hetero-crystalline semiconductor device and method of making same
A hetero-crystalline semiconductor device and a method of making the same include a non-single crystalline semiconductor layer and a nanostructure layer that comprises a single crystalline semiconductor nanostructure integral to a crystallite of the non-single crystalline semiconductor layer. |
| US08183565B2 |
Programmable resistance memory array with dedicated test cell
A rewritable nonvolatile memory includes a test cell that is dedicated to testing the storage characteristics of other, similar, storage cells formed within the same integrated circuit memory. The test cell may be share the same structure and composition as storage cells and may be positioned proximate storage cells. |
| US08183561B2 |
OLED panel with broadened color spectral components
A method and device in which the light emitted from a color sub-pixel in an organic light emitted display panel can be the sum of two or more light beams of slightly different colors in the same wavelength range. The difference in color is the result of difference in the length of the resonant cavity within the same color sub-pixel. In the manufacturing process, the non-uniformity in the layer thickness can cause a shift in the color coordinates in the color sub-pixels. The color shift when the width of the color spectrum is narrow is more noticeable. By broadening the width of the color spectrum, the color shift would become less appreciable. Thus, broadening the width of the color spectrum would ease the strict requirements in manufacturing. |
| US08183557B2 |
(Al,In,Ga,B)N device structures on a patterned substrate
A nitride light emitting diode, on a patterned substrate, comprising a nitride interlayer having at least two periods of alternating layers of InxGa1−xN and InyGa1−yN where 0 |
| US08183556B2 |
Extreme high mobility CMOS logic
A CMOS device includes a PMOS transistor with a first quantum well structure and an NMOS device with a second quantum well structure. The PMOS and NMOS transistors are formed on a substrate. |
| US08183555B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor light emitting device including a first semiconductor layer including a first type dopant; a second semiconductor layer including the first type dopant on the first semiconductor layer; an active layer on the second semiconductor layer, the active layer including a multi-quantum well structure having a plurality of quantum barrier layers and a plurality of quantum well layers; a third semiconductor layer including a second type dopant on the active layer; and a fourth semiconductor layer including the second type dopant on the third semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer has a composition equation of AlY(GaxIn1-x)1-YN (X=1, 0 |
| US08183554B2 |
Symmetrical programmable memresistor crossbar structure
A crossbar structure includes a first layer or layers including first p-type regions and first n-type regions, a second layer or layers including second p-type regions and second n-type regions, and a resistance programmable material formed between the first layer(s) and the second layer(s), wherein the first layer(s) and the second layer(s) include first and second intersecting wiring portions forming a crossbar array. |
| US08183550B2 |
Imaging an imprinted substrate on a printing press
A method of imaging an imprinted substrate on a printing press is provided. The method comprises sensing light reflected by the substrate using a contact image sensor to produce data representative of the imprinted substrate. The substrate has been imprinted with different colors at a plurality of printing units of the printing press. Each printing unit comprises a plate cylinder. The method further comprises storing the data representative of the imprinted substrate in a memory. |
| US08183549B2 |
Substrate holding apparatus, and inspection or processing apparatus
In order to enable high accuracy positioning and strong pressing of a substrate, the present invention provides a substrate holding apparatus including: a rotating bed having an inclined surface supporting a lower side of an outer circumferential side surface of the substrate, which bed rotates on a normal line of the substrate as the rotation axis together with the substrate; a position restriction unit rotating together with the rotating bed and restricting the substrate in a predetermined position on the rotating bed by pressing a plurality of points on the circumference on an upper side of the outer circumferential side surface of the substrate prior to the rotation; and a pressing unit rotating together with the rotating bed and pressing the substrate against the inclined surface by pressing a plurality of points on the upper side of the outer circumferential side surface of the substrate during the rotation. |
| US08183545B2 |
Charged particle beam writing apparatus, charged particle beam writing method and apparatus of processing data for charged particle beam writing
There is provided a charged particle beam writing apparatus in which data processing is optimized by automatically dividing process regions on which parallel distributed processing is performed. A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes: a data storage unit to which layout data defining a plurality of figure patterns in a chip region is input and which stores the layout data; a dividing unit configured to divide the chip region into a plurality of process regions; a shot data generating unit configured to perform distributed processing on pattern data in the process regions using a plurality of computing processors so as to convert the pattern data to shot data for shooting a charged particle beam onto a target object; a determining and instructing unit configured to compare an amount of output data from each of the computing processors with a predetermined threshold, and when the amount of the output data is larger than the threshold, instruct corresponding one of the computing processors to divide corresponding one of the process regions and continue the data processing; and a writing unit configured to write on the target object using the shot data. |
| US08183536B2 |
System for monitoring optical modules of high-power lasers
High-power excimer lasers are assembled with individually replaceable optical module subsystems containing consumable optical components. Windows formed in the enclosures of the optical modules incorporate a fluorescent material for converting ultraviolet light scattered from the components of the optical module into visible light emanating from the windows. Changes in the amount or location of the visible light emanating from the windows are interpreted as indications of the degradation in the performance of the optical modules. |
| US08183534B2 |
Scintillating fiber dosimeter array
A radiation dosimetry apparatus and method use a scintillating optical fiber array for detecting dose levels. The scintillating optical fiber detectors generate optical energy in response to a predetermined type of radiation, and are coupled to collection optical fibers that transmit the optical energy to a photo-detector for conversion to an electrical signal. The detectors may be embedded in one or more modular, water-equivalent phantom slabs. A repeatable connector couples the collection fibers to the photo-detector, maintaining the fiber ends in a predetermined spatial relationship. The detector fibers may be distributed as desired in a three-dimensional detection space, and may be oriented with their longitudinal axes at different orientations relative to a transmission axis of an incident radiation beam. A calibration method uses two measurements in two spectral windows, one with irradiation of the scintillator at a known dose and one with only irradiation of the collection fiber. |
| US08183531B2 |
System and method for tomography combining single and paired photons
Methods and systems for producing an image. Measurement data is obtained for a coincidence photon event, and a line projector function is generated based on the obtained measurement data. Additional measurement data is obtained for a single photon event, and a cone-surface projector function is generated based on the additional measurement data. An image is reconstructed using the generated line projector function and the generated cone-surface projector function. In another example method for producing an image, a measurement is obtained, and a projector function is generated using the obtained measurement. The generated projector function is modified based on an a priori image. An image is reconstructed using the modified projector function. |
| US08183529B2 |
Method for three-dimensional presentation of a moved structure using a tomographic method
The invention relates to a method for three-dimensional presentation of a moved structure using a tomographic method, in which a plurality of projection images are recorded from different imaging angles between a start angle with a start node point and an end angle with an end node point by an imaging unit during a number of rotation passes, with three-dimensional image data being able to be reconstructed from the projection images, with the projection images being spaced by a path or an edge. For determining the three-dimensional presentation for each angle of projection only those projection images are selected which minimize the sum of the paths or weighted edges between adjacent projection angles for a gating. |
| US08183528B2 |
Electromagnetic wave measuring apparatus, measurement method, a program, and a recording medium
According to the present invention, the CT is carried out based on parameters other than the absorption rate. An electromagnetic wave measurement device includes an electromagnetic wave output device 2 which outputs an electromagnetic wave at a frequency equal to or more than 0.01 [THz] and equal to or less than 100 [THz] toward a device under test 1, an electromagnetic wave detector 4 which detects the electromagnetic wave which has transmitted through the device under test 1, a relative position changing unit 6 which changes a relative position of an intersection 100 at which an optical path of the electromagnetic wave transmitting through the device under test 1 and the device under test 1 intersect with respect to the device under test 1, a phase deriving unit 12 which derives, based on a detected result by the electromagnetic wave detector 4, a phase in the frequency domain of the electromagnetic wave which has transmitted through the device under test 1, a sinogram deriving unit 16 which derives a sinogram based on a derived result by the phase deriving unit 12, and a cross sectional image deriving unit 18 that derives, based on the sinogram, an image of a cross section of the device under test 1 including a trajectory of the intersection 100. |
| US08183524B2 |
Mass spectrometer having time of flight mass analyser
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser. A pulse or packet of ions is released either from an ion trap or alternatively from a travelling wave ion guide arranged upstream of an orthogonal acceleration electrode which forms part of the Time of Flight mass analyser. Ions in the pulse or packet or ions which is released become temporally dispersed and the orthogonal acceleration electrode is energized multiple times prior the release of a subsequent pulse or packet of ions. |
| US08183522B2 |
High filling flow water phantom
The present invention is related to a water phantom for measuring and determining the dose distribution of radiation produced by a particle beam or photon radiation beam comprising: a water tank, the water tank having a lower base and side walls; supply means for supplying water to the water tank. The water tank comprises an intermediate base that forms, together with side walls and said lower base, a closed lower tank underneath said intermediate base and an upper tank above said intermediate base, the closed lower tank being connected to the supply means and allowing the flow of water toward said upper tank through a plurality of water admission passages defined in the intermediate base to provide an unturbulent water flow within said water tank 2. |
| US08183518B2 |
Touch panel driving circuit removing current due to heat of finger and touch panel comprising the same
Provided is a driving circuit of a photosensing touch panel including: a first photodiode coupled between a first voltage source and a sensing node and for generating a first current in accordance with a brightness of an external incident light and a heat of a finger; a second photodiode coupled between the sensing node and a second voltage source and for generating a second current in accordance with the heat of the finger, the second photodiode being shielded from the external incident light; and an amplifier circuit for detecting the brightness of the external incident light regardless of the heat of the finger by subtracting the second current from the first current at the sensing node. |
| US08183515B2 |
Pumps for CMOS imagers
A pixel for an imaging device is described. The pixel includes a photosensitive device provided within a substrate for providing photo-generated charges, a circuit associated with the photosensitive device for providing at least one pixel output signal representative of the photo-generated charges, the circuit includes at least one operative device that is responsive to a first control signal during operation of the associated circuit and a pump circuit. The pump circuit may include substrate pumps, charge pumps and/or voltage pumps. The pixel may also be embedded in an imaging system. |
| US08183514B2 |
Signal waveform measuring apparatus and method comprising a wavelength conversion element
A signal waveform measuring apparatus 1A is configured from: a signal optical system 11, a reference optical system 16, a time difference setting unit 12 setting a time difference between signal light L1 and reference light L2, a wavelength conversion element 20 including an aggregate of crystals of a dye molecule and generating converted light L5, which has been wavelength-converted to a shorter wavelength than incident light made incident on the crystal aggregate, at an intensity proportional to an r-th power (r>1) of the intensity of the incident light, a photodetector 30 detecting the converted light L5, generated at the element 20 at the intensity that is in accordance with the intensity of the signal light L1, the intensity of the reference light L2, and the time difference between the two, and a signal waveform analyzer 40 performing analysis of the detection result of the converted light L5 and thereby acquiring a time waveform of the signal light L1. A signal waveform measuring apparatus and a measuring method that enable a time waveform of signal light to be measured with good precision by a simple configuration are thereby realized. |
| US08183512B2 |
Optically-triggered power system and devices
A power device is provided in an optically-triggered power system having a controller for generating electrical control signals and a converter for converting the electrical control signals to optical control signals. The power device includes a pair of terminals and a P-body region provided adjacent an N+ source region. An optical window is provided at least partially over the P-body region, and an N− drift region is provided between the two terminals. The P-body region causes current to conduct between the first and second terminal through the N− drift region when an optical control signal is incident on the optical window. |
| US08183505B2 |
Heat-generating element for an electric heating device and method for the manufacture of the same
A heat-generating element includes at least one PTC heating element, strip conductors lying flat on it on both sides, and a frame which forms at least one frame opening for holding the at least one PTC heating element. The frame, as a part of a housing, forms a structural unit with a wedge element having a first wedge surface that extends parallel to the strip conductor and a second wedge surface that lies exposed on the exterior side of the housing and that is aligned diagonally to the first wedge surface. For fixing the heat-generating element precisely in place in a slot in the housing, the heat-generating element has spacing surfaces positioned upstream or downstream of the at least one PTC heating element in the direction of the length of the slot. Also provided is a method of manufacturing an electric heating device. |
| US08183503B1 |
Encapsulated heating system
A reversible, submersible, encapsulated PTC heater is disclosed having: a disc-shaped sealable housing; a central disc comprised of a sheet mineral disposed within the sealable housing; cavities disposed within the central disc; PTC heating elements disposed within the cavities; an upper electrode disc disposed upon a top side of the central disc and PTC heater elements; a lower electrode disc disposed upon a bottom side of the central disc and PTC heater elements; an upper polyimide film disc disposed upon a top side of the upper electrode disc; and a lower polyimide film disc disposed upon a bottom side of the lower electrode disc. The electrode discs are configured to make an intimate contact with the PTC heating elements and for connectivity to an electrical power source. The PTC heater is configured to electrically heat a medium to a predetermined temperature and to maintain the temperature of the medium. |
| US08183498B2 |
Systems and method for optimization of laser beam spatial intensity profile
A thin beam directional crystallization system configured to process a substrate comprises a laser configured to produce laser light, the laser configured to have a high energy mode and a low energy mode. The high energy mode is configured to produce light energy sufficient to completely melt a substrate coated with amorphous silicon film, while the low energy mode is configured to produce light energy that is not sufficient to completely melt a substrate coated with amorphous silicon film. The system further comprises beam shaping optics coupled to the laser and configured to convert the laser light emitted from the laser into a long thin beam with a short axis and a long axis, a stage configured to support the substrate and film, and a translator coupled with the stage, the translator configured to advance the substrate and film so as to produce a step size in conjunction with the firing of the laser. |
| US08183495B2 |
Cascade source and a method for controlling the cascade source
A cascade source provided with a cathode housing, a number of cascade plates insulated from each other and stacked on top of each other which together bound at least one plasma channel, and an anode plate provided with an outflow opening connecting to the plasma channel, wherein one cathode is provided per plasma channel, which cathode comprises an electrode which is adjustable relative to the cathode housing in the direction of the plasma channel, wherein the clamping provision is preferably of the collet chuck type. Also described is method for controlling the cascade source in use. |
| US08183493B2 |
Ultrasonic system for monitoring a weld operation
A system for monitoring a weld operation is provided. The system includes an ultrasonic wave generator adapted to deliver an ultrasonic wave to a target material during the weld operation and an ultrasonic receiver adapted to receive the ultrasonic wave propagated through the target material. The system also includes a signal processor adapted to determine a quality level of a weld created during the weld operation by extracting data corresponding to a torsional mode from the ultrasonic wave and comparing the data to a profile that corresponds to an acceptable quality level. |
| US08183490B2 |
Shield apparatus for circuit breaker
An improved circuit breaker having an improved shield apparatus provides protection to components that are internal to the circuit breaker during an arc event. A contact arm carrier assembly of the circuit breaker comprises a number of springs that bias a number of movable contacts that are disposed on contact arms into engagement and electrical connection with a stationary contact. The shield apparatus is disposed on a carrier housing of the contact arm carrier assembly and is situated adjacent the springs. A shield member of the shield apparatus is biased into engagement with the contact arms. When the circuit breaker is moved between the ON position and the OFF or TRIPPED positions, the shield of the shield apparatus moves between a retracted position and a deployed position, with the shield remaining in engagement with the contact arms and protecting the springs from damage in an arc event. In one embodiment, the shield member is formed of a material that generates gases when struck by an arc. |
| US08183485B2 |
Circuit breaker having automatic release linkage
A circuit breaker having an automatic release linkage is disclosed that is capable of preventing damage and deformation of elements by automatic linkage release before electro-impulsive force generated from within the circuit breaker by a large short-circuit current causes the damage and deformation of open/close linkage. |
| US08183484B2 |
Detection device and seat comprising one such device
A detection device having a body including an electric contact with at least two electric operating states, and a movable operating device having at least two operating positions. The movable operating device is connected to the body by a sliding connection permitting translational movement of the movable operating device, and a connection permitting the operating device, to swivel with respect to the body. A change of position of the movable operating device actuates the electric contact. The swivel connection is between the movable operating device and the body, and the movable operating device actuates the change of electric operating state of the electric contact by pressing directly on a contact surface of the electric contact. |
| US08183483B2 |
Electrical switching apparatus and shaft assembly therefor
A shaft assembly is provided for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing and a pivotal shaft. The shaft assembly includes a paddle assembly comprising an elongated body including a first end and a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end. A number of paddles extend radially outwardly from the elongated body. A support bracket is coupled to the housing of the circuit breaker. The first end of the elongated body is coupled to and supported by the pivotal shaft, and the second end of the elongated body is coupled to and supported by the support bracket. The support bracket is preferably an accessory mounting bracket. The paddle assembly preferably further includes a separate molded member. When the separate molded member moves, the elongated body moves. However, the elongated body is pivotable independently from the separate molded member. |
| US08183482B2 |
Rotary switch for a glass ceramic cooktop
The invention relates to a rotary switch for a glass ceramic cooktop, which rotary switch includes a rotary knob projecting above the glass ceramic plate. The rotary knob interacting with a switch unit disposed on an underside of the glass ceramic plate. The rotary knob interacts with the switch unit via a knob axis and the switch unit includes a signal generator for generating a signal on the based on an angular position of the knob axis. |
| US08183479B2 |
Lock mounting device
A lock housing for a circuit breaker accessory housing includes a body having a aperture configured to receive a keyed lock, a collar circumscribing the aperture at a first end of the housing, the collar extending radially outward from the body, and at least one resilient member integral to the housing, the at least one resilient member configured to engage the circuit breaker accessory housing. |
| US08183478B2 |
Key assembly for an electronic device having a connected keycap
The present application provides a key assembly for use in an electronic device. The key assembly comprises a plurality of dome switches and one or more single-piece keycaps. Each keycap has a plurality of key portions separated by deforming portions. The key assembly further comprises a plurality of actuators for activating the dome switches. Each actuator has a stem portion and an enlarged rigid blocking portion. The key assembly also comprises one or more rigid blocking members disposed between the blocking portion of the actuators and the keycaps and in close proximity to the blocking portion of the actuators. The blocking members form a barrier to limit a rotational movement of the actuators away from the dome switches. |
| US08183475B2 |
Sealing assembly
A sealing assembly having a flexible sleeve and a means for sealing a top portion of the sleeve around a plurality of cables, such as by a hook and loop type fastener attached at the top portion of the sleeve. The sleeve is configured to receive at least one cable therethrough and a bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface. The sleeve can also be electrically conductive such that the sleeve dissipates static electricity from the cable to the surface. The sealing assembly can also have a grommet positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the sleeve. The grommet has a first wall having a plurality of apertures for connecting the grommet to a surface and a second wall that extends substantially perpendicular to the first wall and is configured to extend through an aperture in the surface. The second wall is flexible to protect the cable from sharp edges associated with the aperture in the surface. |
| US08183472B2 |
Waterproofing apparatus for electrical cable end, and method of waterproofing electrical cable end
Provided is a waterproofing apparatus for an electrical cable end of the invention, in which, for waterproofing of an electrical cable end, the electrical cable end is placed in a high pressure atmosphere such that a liquid waterproofing agent dispensed onto the electrical cable end permeates the inside of a sheathed electrical cable, the apparatus is provided with; a first accommodating section that accommodates the electrical cable end to which a liquid waterproofing agent is applied, a sealing device that seals the first accommodating section, and a pressurizing device that feeds air into the first accommodating section. |
| US08183468B2 |
Electromagnetic bandgap structure, printed circuit board comprising this and method thereof
An electromagnetic bandgap structure and a printed circuit board including it as well as a method of manufacturing thereof that can solve a mixed signal problem between an analog circuit and a digital circuit are disclosed. The electromagnetic bandgap structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can include: a first metal layer; a first dielectric layer, stacked on the first metal layer; a metal plate, stacked on the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer, stacked on the metal plate and the first dielectric layer; a second metal layer, stacked on the second dielectric layer; and a via, directed from the metal plate to the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The via can be connected to the first metal layer and is not connected the second metal layer. |
| US08183466B2 |
Matched-impedance connector footprints
Disclosed are methodologies for defining matched-impedance footprints on a substrate such as a printed circuit board, for example, that is adapted to receive an electrical component having an arrangement of terminal leads. Such a footprint may include an arrangement of electrically-conductive pads and an arrangement of electrically-conductive vias. The via arrangement may differ from the pad arrangement. The vias may be arranged to increase routing density, while limiting cross-talk and providing for matched impedance between the component and the substrate. The via arrangement may be altered to achieve a desired routing density on a layer of the board. Increasing the routing density may decrease the number of board layers, which tends to decrease capacitance and thereby increase impedance. Ground vias and signal vias may be arranged with respect to one another in such a manner as to affect impedance. Thus, the via arrangement may be altered to achieve an impedance that matches the impedance of the component. The via arrangement may be also be altered to limit cross-talk among neighboring signal conductors. Thus, the via arrangement may be defined to balance the impedance, cross-talk, and routing density requirements of the system. |
| US08183463B2 |
Plating film, printed wiring board, and module substrate
The present invention provides a plating film 50 including a nickel plating layer containing phosphorus and a gold plating layer formed on the nickel plating layer, wherein the nickel plating layer has a phosphorus content of 11 to 16 mass %, and wherein (3×σ×100)/X is 10 or less, where X and σ are the average value and standard deviation of the phosphorus content in a surface of the nickel plating layer on the gold plating layer side, respectively; and a module substrate 100 having the plating film 50. |
| US08183458B2 |
Photovoltaic apparatus having a filler layer and method for making the same
Devices for converting light into electric current are provided. A representative device has an encasing structure having at least one portion transparent. The encasing structure is configured to pass light energy into an interior of the encasing structure. The device further has a photovoltaic device positioned within the interior of the encasing structure. The photovoltaic device is positioned to receive light energy. The photovoltaic device is operable to transform the light energy into electric current. The device further has a protective space material, disposed between the encasing structure and the photovoltaic device. The protective space material is operable to transmit the light energy. The protective space material is a non-solid material having a physical property such as a viscosity of less than 1×106 cP and/or a thermal coefficient of expansion of greater than 500×10−6/° C. |
| US08183457B2 |
Method and apparatus for solar energy collection
A pontoon structure is described that may be floated on a body of coolant liquid, together with others in an array. The entire array may be aligned with the sun in an azimuth direction, and each pontoon may be rotated to align it with the sun elevation. A solar energy conversion target, typically a photovoltaic conversion device, may be mounted on a portion of the pontoon structure that remains below the coolant level over a wide range of sun elevations. An asymmetric focus lens may be used to direct light entering the pontoon toward the conversion target. A lens to improve the uniformity of light directed to a conversion target is also described that is useful with pontoons, and can be configured to improve target illumination uniformity, particularly in the presence of partial shadowing, by directing light uniformly toward the target from each of a plurality of subregions. |
| US08183456B1 |
Thermoelectric device with make-before-break high frequency converter
An improved circular multi-element semiconductor thermoelectric hybrid utilizes a make-before-break high frequency switching output component to provide nominal alternating current voltage outputs. Overall efficiency of heat conversion is improved by coupling a chiller to the thermoelectric generator where exhaust heat produces chilled liquid or air that is conveyed to the cold side of the thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric generator is used in a variety of transportation vehicles including manufactured vehicles, retrofitted vehicles and vehicle power combinations. |
| US08183453B2 |
Interventive-diagnostic device
Apparatus for improving health of a user is provided, including a first sensor, adapted to measure a first physiological variable, which is indicative of a voluntary action of the user. A second sensor is adapted to measure a second physiological variable, which is substantially governed by an autonomic nervous system of the user. Circuitry is adapted to receive respective first and second sensor signals from the first and second sensors, and, responsive thereto, to generate an output signal which directs the user to modify a parameter of the voluntary action. |
| US08183445B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH957322
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH957322. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH957322, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH957322 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH957322. |
| US08183444B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH434101
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH434101. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH434101, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH434101 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH434101. |
| US08183443B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH669818
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH669818. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH669818, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH669818 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH669818. |
| US08183441B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH413233
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH413233. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH413233, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH413233 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH413233. |
| US08183440B2 |
Cotton variety 07W902DF
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 07W902DF. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 07W902DF. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 07W902DF and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 07W902DF with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US08183439B1 |
Soybean variety XBP54003
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP54003 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP54003, cells from soybean variety XBP54003, plants of soybean XBP54003, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP54003. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP54003 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XBP54003, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP54003. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP54003 are further provided. |
| US08183437B2 |
Lettuce line PS06519291
The invention provides seed and plants of the lettuce line designated PS06519291. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of lettuce line PS06519291, and to methods for producing a lettuce plant produced by crossing a plant of lettuce line PS06519291 with itself or with another lettuce plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of lettuce line PS06519291, including the gametes of such plants. |
| US08183435B2 |
Pasture, forage and seed production technology through pod and leaf retention on annuals of the Medicago genus (annual medics)
The present invention relates to improved cultivars, varieties, lines or plants of annual medics (Medicago genus) wherein the majority of seed pods, upon reaching maturity, remain attached to their respective pedicels. In particular, the present invention relates to improved cultivars, varieties, lines or plants of annual medics (Medicago genus), having a mutant form of the gene for pod shedding, thereby resulting in a “pod holding” trait. The invention also extends to methods for isolating such plants. A yet further aspect of the invention relates to a method of transferring the “pod holding” trait from an annual medic having this trait to another annual medic of the genus Medicago by a process of controlled cross-breeding. A still further aspect of the invention relates to a method of obtaining plants having the “pod holding” trait from a population of annual medics of the genus Medicago. |
| US08183434B2 |
Method for producing transgenic surface layer chimeric plant
A rose is produced in which an introduced gene is only present in a part of the cells thereof, such as cells of the L1 layer of flower petals, but is not present in germ cells such as pollen cells or ovule cells. Since the introduced gene is not propagated to other roses even when this rose is crossed with other roses, the possibility of dispersal of the introduced gene can be completely negated. |
| US08183433B2 |
Method of controlling gene expression in plants or plant cells
A method of controlling a genetically-modified plant or plant cells, said method comprising the following steps: (a) providing a genetically-modified plant or plant cells, said plant or plant cells containing a heterologous nucleic add encoding a first polypeptide containing or consisting of a first fragment of a protein, (b) introducing a second polypeptide into cells of said genetically-modified plant or plant cells, said second polypeptide containing (i) a second fragment of said protein and (ii) a peptide sequence enabling the introduction of said second polypeptide into cells of said genetically-modified plant or plant cells, whereby said first fragment and said second fragment jointly generate a predetermined function of said protein only when jointly present. |
| US08183431B2 |
Absorbent body, multilayer absorbent body and absorbent article
The present invention provides an absorbent body containing absorbent fibers in which fiber orientation is mainly adjusted, and fiber basis weight and shape are additionally adjusted. The absorbent body 110 of the present invention is an absorbent body containing absorbent fibers, a plurality of low fiber basis weight regions formed continuously in the first direction with a fiber basis weight that is less than an average fiber basis weight of the absorbent body 110, and a plurality of high fiber basis weight regions, formed along and on both sides of the low fiber basis weight regions in relation to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with a fiber basis weight that is greater than the average fiber basis weight of the absorbent body 110. The content of longitudinally oriented fibers in the fibers 101 making up the high fiber basis weight regions is greater than that of laterally oriented fibers, and the content of longitudinally oriented fibers in the fibers 101 making up the low fiber basis weight regions is greater than that of laterally oriented fibers. |
| US08183418B2 |
Process for the synthesis of dihalodinitrotoluene
An improved process is provided for the preparation of 2,6-dihalo-3,5-dinitrotoluene by the nitration of 2,6-dihalotoluene. The direct isolation of highly pure 2,6-dihalo-3,5-dinitrotoluene is accomplished without a water or ice quench, by providing at least one equivalent of SO3 during the reaction, slow crystallization, and isolation of product from a cold crystal slurry. |
| US08183417B2 |
Purification of biologically-produced 1,3-propanediol
A process for purifying 1,3-propanediol from the fermentation broth of a cultured E. coli that has been bioengineered to synthesize 1,3-propanediol from sugar is provided. The basic process entails filtration, ion exchange and distillation of the fermentation broth product stream, preferably including chemical reduction of the product during the distillation procedure. Also provided are highly purified compositions of 1,3-propanediol. |
| US08183416B2 |
Heterocyclic amide derivatives useful as microbiocides
The invention relates to a fungicidally active compound of formula (I): where Het is a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring containing one to three heteroatoms, each independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, the ring being substituted by the groups R6, R7 and R8; R1 is hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 haloalkyl, C1-4alkoxy, C1-4haloalkoxy, CH2C≡CR9, CH2CR10═CHR11, CH═C═CH2 or COR12; R2 and R3 are each, independently, hydrogen, halo, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy, C1-4 haloalkyl or C1-4 haloalkoxy; R4 and R5 are each independently selected from halo, cyano and nitro; or one of R4 and R5 is hydrogen and the other is selected from halo, cyano and nitro; R6, R7 and R8 are each, independently, hydrogen, halo, cyano, nitro, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 haloalkyl, C1-4 alkoxy(C1-4)alkyl, C1-4haloalkoxy(C1-4)alkyl or C1-4haloalkoxy, provided that at least one of R6, R7 and R8 is not hydrogen; R9, R10 and R11 are each, independently, hydrogen, halo, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 haloalkyl or C1-4 alkoxy(C1-4)alkyl; and R12 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6haloalkyl, C1-4 alkoxy(C1-4)alkyl, C1-4 alkylthio(C1-4)-alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy or aryl; to the preparation of these compounds, to novel intermediates used in the preparation of these compounds, to agrochemical compositions which comprise at least one of the novel compounds as active ingredient, to the preparation of the compositions mentioned and to the use of the active ingredients or compositions in agriculture or horticulture for controlling or preventing infestation of plants by phytopathogenic microorganisms, preferably fungi. |
| US08183415B2 |
Methods of synthesizing cinacalcet and salts thereof
Methods of preparing cinacalcet, cinacalcet derivatives, and salts thereof is disclosed herein. Also disclosed herein are polymorphs of cinacalcet, compositions of cinacalcet, and methods of treating a subject by administering cinacalcet, wherein cinacalcet is prepared by the disclosed methods. |
| US08183412B2 |
Process for the preparation of cyclopropyl carboxylic acid esters and derivatives
The invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of certain cyclopropyl carboxylic acid esters and other cyclopropyl carboxylic acid derivatives; a novel process for the preparation of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide and dimethylsulfonium methylide; to the use of certain cyclopropyl carboxylic acid esters in a process for the preparation of intermediates that can be used in the synthesis of pharmaceutically active entities; and to certain intermediates provided by these processes. |
| US08183410B2 |
Preparation of free flowing granules of methylglycine diacetic acid
The present invention concerns a process for the preparation of free flowing granules of low hygroscopicity of one or more methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA) salts, of the formula wherein R═CH3 and M is hydrogen, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium in the appropriate stoechiometric amounts, by a process comprising the steps of i) heating a concentrated slurry comprising methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA) and/or any salts thereof, the slurry having a solids content in the range of 45% to 70% and suitably in the range from 50% to 70%, and a moisture content of 30% up to 55%, and suitably between 30% and 50%, to a temperature in the range of 50 to 120° C., preferably to about 80° C., and ii) spray granulating said slurry, using an air inlet temperature of 120° C. or less. |
| US08183402B2 |
Industrial method for the synthesis of 17-acetoxy-11β[4-(dimethylamino)-phenyl]-21-methoxy-19-norpregna-4,9-dien-3,20-dione and the key intermediates of the process
The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of the 17-acetoxy-11β-[4-(dimethylamino)-phenyl]-21-methoxy-19-norpregna-4,9-dien-3,20-dione of formula (I): from 3,3-[1,2-etandiyl-bis(oxy)]-oestr-5(10),9(11)-dien-17-one of formula (II): |
| US08183400B2 |
Alkylene oxide recovery systems
Embodiments of the present disclosure include processes and systems for recovering alkylene oxide. System embodiments include a stripping section located in an alkylene oxide recovery column to convert a feed stream comprising to a first gas phase portion comprising alkylene oxide, a condensing zone comprising at least a first condenser and a second condenser configured in series, and a reabsorption region located in the alkylene oxide recovery column above the last of the at least two condensers. |
| US08183392B2 |
(E)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl) propenamine and process for producing the same and process for producing (E,Z)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl) propenamine
The present invention provides a process for producing (E)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl)propenamine represented by Formula (1); wherein R is a C1-4 alkyl, the method comprising the steps of: maintaining a solution containing (Z)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl)propenamine dissolved therein at 25° C. or below to deposit crystals and separating crystals having a particle diameter of 100 μm or less from the deposited crystals; and a process for producing (E,Z)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl)propenamine comprising the steps of: reacting an alkali metal salt of β-oxo-β-(2-thienyl)propanal with a monoalkylamine compound; adding a water-insoluble organic solvent to the resulting reaction mixture; adding seed crystals containing (E)-N-monoalkyl-3-oxo-3-(2-thienyl)propenamine to an organic layer obtained by conducting separation; and keeping the resulting mixture at 25° C. or below. |
| US08183391B2 |
Process for preparing dorzolamide
A process for resolving dorzolamide trans racemate, which comprises reacting said racemate with (1S)-(+)-10-camphorsulfonic acid so obtaining the (4S,6S) enantiomer by selectively precipitating and recovering the camphorsulfonic acid salt thereof (dorzolamide camphorsulfonate), and neutralizing dorzolamide camphorsulfonate to obtain dorzolamide. |
| US08183389B2 |
Process for the treatment of an aqueous mixture comprising a dipolar aprotic compound
The invention relates to a process for the treatment of an aqueous mixture comprising a dipolar aprotic compound, comprising: a) an adsorption step, in which the aqueous mixture is brought into contact with a porous adsorbent, whereby the porous adsorbent is chosen such that the dipolar aprotic compound adsorbs to it more readily than water; b) a desorption step, in which the porous adsorbent is brought into contact with a desorbing agent, whereby a recovery solution is formed comprising the desorbing agent and the dipolar aprotic compound. |
| US08183388B2 |
Androgen receptor modulator and uses thereof
The present invention relates to the compound of the formula: to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound of Formula (I); and to methods for treating or preventing hypogonadism, osteoporosis, osteopenia, sarcopenia, cachexia, muscle atrophy, sexual dysfunction or erectile dysfunction, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of the compound of Formula (I). |
| US08183386B2 |
Phenylnaphthylimidazole compound and usage of the same
A surface treating agent containing a novel phenylnaphthylimidazole compound represented by the following formula is brought into contact with the surface of copper or a copper alloy. In the formula, when A1 is a phenyl group, then A2 represents a 1-naphthyl group or a 2-naphthyl group, and when A1 is a 1-naphthyl group or a 2-naphthyl group, then A2 represents a phenyl group; and R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. |
| US08183383B2 |
Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitor, preparation methods and uses thereof
PTP1B inhibitors with the following structure (formula I). Experiments indicate that these inhibitors can effectively inhibit the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). They can be used as insulin sensitisers. They can be used to prevent, delay or treat diseases which are related to insulin antagonism mediated by PTP1B, especially diabetes type II and obesity. The invention also provides methods for preparing these inhibitors. |
| US08183381B2 |
N-linked heterocyclic receptor agonists for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic disorders
Compounds and methods are provided for the treatment of, inter alia, Type II diabetes and other diseases associated with poor glycemic control. |
| US08183378B2 |
Ligands, their preparation and uses thereof in asymmetric reactions
Novel chemical agents are described herein. More a ligand of general Formula I: wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C2-C10 alkynyl, C1-C10 alkoxy, C1-C10 alkylthio, C(O)R5, C(O)OR5, C(O)NHR5, Si(R5)3, benzyl and aryl; X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I, OR6, O-Prot, OPR6, P(R6)2, NHR6, N(R6)2, NHCSNHR6, NHCONHR6 and SR6; and R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, C2-10 alkenyl, C2-10 alkynyl, C1-10 alkoxy, phenyl, and aryl. These ligands are useful in asymmetric reactions as well as in asymmetric synthesis of molecules of biological interest. |
| US08183373B2 |
Solid state forms of sitagliptin salts
Crystalline forms of Sitagliptin salts, processes for preparing crystalline forms of Sitagliptin salts, and pharmaceutical compositions of Sitagliptin salts are provided. |
| US08183370B2 |
Process for the preparation of abacavir
Process for removal of the amino protective group of a N-acylated {(1S,4R)-4-[2-amino-6-(cyclopropylamino)-9H-purin-9-yl]-cyclopent-2-enyl}methanol of formula (II) where R═H or a (C1-C4)-alkyl, using an inorganic base in a mixture of water and alcohol, to yield abacavir or its salts. The process proceeds very fast and the product can be obtained in high yield and purity. |
| US08183368B2 |
Thermosetting compound, composition containing the same, and molded article
The object of the present invention is to provide a thermosetting compound having dielectric properties, in particular permittivity and dielectric loss, which are improved compared to prior art, a composition containing the same, and a molded article. The thermosetting compound according to the present invention is a dihydro benzoxazine compound represented by the following Formula (2), where, R6 to R13 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or the like, and R14 represents a divalent saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon group having a condensed ring structure. |
| US08183367B2 |
Methods of preparing polymorphic form A of bazedoxifene acetate
The present invention relates to methods of preparing polymorphic Form A of bazedoxifene acetate and polymorphic Form A prepared by such methods. |
| US08183366B2 |
Chemokine receptor antagonists
A compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug ester thereof: wherein the variants R, R9, Z, X, Q and Y are defined in the specification. |
| US08183364B2 |
Substituted porphyrins
To improve bioavailability of the catalytic metalloporphyrin-based SOD mimics Mn(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl]porphyrin (MnTE-2-PyP5+) and Mn(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[N,N′-diethylimidazolium-2-yl]porphyrin (MnTDE-2-ImP5+), three new Mn(III) porphyrins, bearing oxygen atoms within side chains, were synthesized and characterized: Mn(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[N-(2-methoxyethyl)pyridinium-2-yl]porphyrin (MnTMOE-2-PyP5+), Mn(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[N-methyl-N′-(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium-2-yl]porphyrin (MnTM,MOE-2-ImP5+) and Mn(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[N,N′-di(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium-2-yl]porphyrin (MnTDMOE-2-ImP5+). The catalytic rate constants for O2.− dismutation (and the related metal-centered redox potentials vs NHE) for the new compounds are: log kcat=8.04 (E1/2=+251 mV) for MnTMOE-2-PyP5+, log kcat=7.98 (E1/2=+356 mV) for MnTM,MOE-2-ImP5+ and log kcat=7.59 (E1/2=+365 mV) for MnTDMOE-2-ImP5+. At 30 μM levels none of the new compounds were toxic, and allowed SOD-deficient E. coli to grow nearly as well as wild type. At 3 μM levels, the MnTDMOE-2-ImP5+, bearing an oxygen atom within each of the eight side chains, was the most effective and offered much higher protection than MnTE-2-PyP5+, while MnTDE-2-ImP5+ was inefficient. These new porphyrins were compared to Mn(III) N-alkylpyridylporphyrins. While longer-chain n-alkyl members of the series exerted toxicity at higher concentration levels, they were very effective at submicromolar levels. Thus, 0.3 μM Mn(III) tetrakis(N-n-hexyl-pyridinum-2-yl)porphyrin and its n-octyl analogue offered the same level of protection as did ≧10 μM methyl and ethyl porphyrins. The kcat of methyl and n-octyl porphyrins are identical, but n-octyl is ˜10-fold more lipophilic. Therefore, the 30-fold improvement in bioavailability appears to be due to the increase in lipophilicity. MnTDMOE-2-ImP5+ and longer-chain Mn(III) N-alkylpyridylporphyrins may offer better treatment for oxidative stress injuries than the previously studied MnTE-2-PyP5+ and MnTDE-2-ImP5+. |
| US08183361B2 |
Oligonucleotide-containing pharmacological compositions and their use
The present invention relates to methods and compositions containing oligonucleotides suitable for administration to humans and other mammals. |
| US08183359B2 |
Kits for amplifying DNA
Kits for amplifying DNA which include a priming oligonucleotide that hybridizes to a 3′-end of a DNA target sequence, a displacer oligonucleotide that hybridizes to a target nucleic acid containing the DNA target sequence at a position upstream from the priming oligonucleotide, and a promoter oligonucleotide that includes a region that hybridizes to a 3′-region of a DNA primer extension product that includes the priming oligonucleotide and a promoter for an RNA polymerase. The priming oligonucleotide does not include an RNA region that hybridizes to the target nucleic acid and is selectively degraded by an enzyme activity when hybridized to the target nucleic acid. The kits do not include a restriction endonuclease and oligonucleotides that include a promoter for an RNA polymerase are all modified to prevent the initiation of DNA synthesis therefrom. |
| US08183357B2 |
Antibodies that bind to EphA2 and methods of use thereof
Provided herein is disclosure about the development and characterization of an antibody that binds to antigen EphA2 which is present on a variety of human cancers from breast, lung, prostate, and colons. Methods of diagnosing and treating various cancers by using such antibodies directed against this antigen are also disclosed. |
| US08183345B2 |
Recombinant factor VIII having reduced inactivation by activated protein C
The present invention relates to a recombinant factor VIII that is characterized by one or more mutations within a region surrounding an activated protein C cleavage site, which one or more mutations result in a reduced rate of inactivation by activated protein C. Isolated nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors, and host cells suitable for expression of the recombinant factor VIII are also disclosed. The recombinant factor VIII can be used for the treatment of clotting disorders, such as hemophilia A. |
| US08183344B2 |
Inactivation resistant factor VIII
The present invention provides novel purified and isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding procoagulant-active FVIII proteins. The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention encode amino acid sequences corresponding to known human FVIII sequences, wherein residue Phe309 is mutated. The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention also encode amino acid sequences corresponding to known human FVIII sequences, wherein the APC cleavage sites, Arg336 and Ile562, are mutated. The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention further encode amino acid sequences corresponding to known human FVIII sequences, wherein the B-domain is deleted, the von Willebrand factor binding site is deleted, a thrombin cleavage site is mutated, an amino acid sequence spacer is inserted between the A2- and A3-domains. Methods of producing the FVIII proteins of the invention, nucleotide sequences encoding such proteins, pharmaceutical compositions containing the nucleotide sequences or proteins, as well as methods of treating patients suffering from hemophilia, are also provided. |
| US08183338B2 |
Sterically hindered poly(ethylene glycol) alkanoic acids and derivatives thereof
The invention provides a sterically hindered polymers and conjugates formed therefrom that comprise a water-soluble and non-peptidic polymer backbone having at least one terminus covalently bonded to an alkanoic acid or alkanoic acid derivative prior to conjugation, wherein the carbon adjacent to the carbonyl group of the acid or acid derivative group has an alkyl or aryl group pendent thereto. The steric effects of the alkyl or aryl group allow greater control of the hydrolytic stability of polymer derivatives. The polymer backbone may be poly(ethylene glycol). |
| US08183337B1 |
Method of purifying ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers for use with implantable medical devices
Methods for the purification of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers are provided. |
| US08183329B2 |
Encapsulant materials and associated devices
Compositions suitable for use as encapsulants are described. The inventive compositions include a high molecular weight polymeric material, a curing agent, an inorganic compound, and a coupling agent. Optional elements include adhesion promoting agents, colorants, antioxidants, and UV absorbers. The compositions have desirable diffusivity properties, making them suitable for use in devices in which a substantial blocking of moisture ingress is desired, such as photovoltaic (PV) modules. |
| US08183327B2 |
Rubber composition for tire and pneumatic tire
The present invention provides: a rubber composition for a tire having favorable productivity, excellent heat aging resistance and abrasion resistance, and excellent fuel economy; and a pneumatic tire using the rubber composition. The rubber composition contains neither soluble sulfur nor insoluble sulfur, and contains diene rubber, 1-15 parts by mass of compound 1 represented by formula (1) and 0.1-5 parts by mass of compound 2 represented by formula (2), per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber, and the amount ratio of compound 1 to compound 2 (compound 1/compound 2) is 1-8. wherein R1-R4 are the same or different, and represent C1-20 alkyl, C6-20 aryl, or C7-20 aralkyl, and n represents an integer of 1-12; wherein R5-R7 are the same or different, and represent C5-12 alkyl, x and y are the same or different, and represent an integer of 2-4, and m represents an integer of 0-10. |
| US08183326B2 |
Functionalized polymer
A polymer includes directly bonded aromatic pendent groups and at least one moiety defined by one of the following formulas >N—N═CR1R2 or —N═N—CR1R2— where R1 and R2 (a) are independently H or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, allyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or alkynyl group, or (b) together form a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene, cycloalkenylene, or arylene group. The moiety can be attached to the polymer through one or both of the two open bonds and, where it is attached through only one bond, the other bond attaches to a hydrogen atom, i.e., the moiety is at a terminus of the polymer. Such polymers can be used to provide compositions that also include particulate fillers. |
| US08183325B2 |
Perfluorocyclobutane copolymers
The present invention provides copolymer having repeating units based on polyoxyalkylene radicals, polysiloxane radicals and perfluorocyclobutane radicals. The copolymers are useful as biomedical devices such as contact lenses or intraocular lenses. |
| US08183322B2 |
Composition containing a lactic acid homopolymer and a block copolymer
The present invention relates to a composition containing at least one lactic acid homopolymer and at least one block copolymer with a polydispersity index ranging from 1.5 to 5 and comprising: at least one block A that is miscible with the homopolymer and formed from monomers containing at least one methacrylate of formula CH2═C(CH3)—COOR1, and at least one block B that is immiscible with the homopolymer and formed from monomers containing at least one alkyl acrylate of formula CH2═CH—COOR2 and/or at least one methacrylate of formula CH2═C(CH3)—COOR3. The invention also relates to the use of this composition for the manufacture of medical articles, textile fibers, thermoformed plates or packaging, in particular films or bottles. |