| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08218529B2 |
Device for and method of terminating a VoIP call
The invention relates to the field of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and more specifically to a system and method of terminating a VoIP call. In certain exemplary embodiments, the present solution provides in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, a method of terminating a call received from a public switched telephone network (PSTN) phone by a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone via a PSTN gateway, in the absence of a terminating signal from the PSTN gateway, the method comprising: (a) receiving at said SIP phone a sequence of codec frames from said PSTN gateway; (b) determining if a specified portion of each codec frame in said received sequence of codec frames is a specified value; (c) if said specified portion is said specified value, incrementing a counter by an incrementing amount; and (d) when said counter reaches a specified threshold, terminating said call In the absence of a BYE message, session termination of a VoIP call can still be facilitated using the method and apparatus of the present invention. |
| US08218522B2 |
Communication scheduling of network nodes using a cluster coefficient
In one aspect, a method includes scheduling network communications in a network comprising nodes connected by links, receiving at a first node updated bandwidth values from the other nodes, determining a cluster coefficient based on a number of one-hop neighbors of the first node and a number of neighbors N-hops and less of the first node, adjusting the cluster coefficient to form an adjusted cluster coefficient and determining a wait period based on the adjusted cluster coefficient. The method also includes implementing the updated bandwidth values received to determine updated node weight values of the other nodes after the wait period has expired. |
| US08218520B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving an uplink acknowledgement channel for a downlink data channel in a mobile communication system using orthogonal frequency division multiple access
A communication apparatus and method of a mobile communication system using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). A method of transmitting an uplink acknowledge channel (ACKCH) for a downlink data channel in a mobile communication system using OFDMA includes: determining channel resources for each Control Channel Element (CCE), when a downlink control channel including at least two CCEs is received; generating uplink acknowledgement information by analyzing a received downlink data channel; assigning the at least two CCEs to at least two transmission antennas, respectively; and transmitting the uplink ACKCH including the uplink acknowledgement information through the transmission antennas. |
| US08218519B1 |
Transmit ID within an ad hoc wireless communications network
The present example provides a method of providing a Transmit ID within an ad hoc wireless communications network, and use of the transmit ID to provide methods to select a node's transmit pattern (Transmit Patterns), to inform a node receiver that a packet is incoming that is to be decoded (Receive Packet Acquisition), to tell a node receiver how to efficiently retrieve pulses from multiple packets simultaneously (Efficient Receive Processing), and how to disburse network transmissions throughout network time (Network Traffic Smoothing). The present example may also provide for Network Management of the Transmit IDs for use in network bandwidth reduction and maintenance of the Transmit IDs within the Network. |
| US08218517B2 |
Method and apparatus for dual frequency timing acquisition for compressed WCDMA communication networks
Methods and systems for dual frequency timing acquisition for compressed WCDMA communication networks may include processing received WCDMA signals. The WCDMA signals, which may be primary synchronization channel signals, may comprise signals transmitted by one base station at one frequency band and by another base station at a different frequency band, during a compressed frame. Samples of the received WCDMA signals from the different base stations may be stored in portions of a memory allocated for signals from each base station. The received WCDMA signals having the first frequency band may be processed via the processing circuitry during a non-compressed frame. The samples corresponding to the signals with the first frequency band during the non-compressed frame may be stored in the memory. The received WCDMA signals may be sampled at a faster rate during the non-compressed frame than during the compressed frame. |
| US08218515B2 |
Communication control apparatus and communication control program
A communication control apparatus comprises a terminal control part that generates available-terminal information representing a communication terminal belonging to a group of available-terminals and also generates call-status information representing one of the communication terminals having calls and also representing the media of the communication terminals; a terminal/media selecting part that, upon detection of an event occurrence, if the call-status information matches terminal/media information of a terminal/media information storing part and further if changed-terminal/media information of the terminal/media information storing part is included in the available-terminal information, then determines the communication terminal represented by the changed-terminal/media information as a communication terminal to be incorporated into the calls of the media of the communication terminals; and a session control part that establishes a call of the medium of the determined communication terminal between the determined communication terminal and a communication terminal of another user. |
| US08218514B2 |
Wireless data communications network system for tracking containers
A wireless data communications network system for establishing communication between a server and a plurality of containers that are loaded onto a cargo vessel. The system includes a data communications device configured to establish and manage a pre-configured wireless data communications network and to communicate with the server through a local area network, and a plurality of electronic tracking devices each having a wireless transceiver and routing capabilities and configured to be joined to a container and to connect to the wireless data communications network upon being activated. The data communications device is configured to intermittently perform a network scan to locate each tracking device connected to the network and reconfigure the network topology to include each connected tracking devices such that the data communications device maintains mutual communication with each connected tracking device using the routing capabilities of the tracking devices. |
| US08218507B2 |
System for determining when a communication device should rate shift or roam in a wireless environment
Methods for improving communication performance in a wireless communication system where the wireless communication system has at least one mobile wireless communication device and a plurality of transmitter/receiver sites. The transmitter/receiver sites have a geographic area, defined as a cell, within which the mobile wireless communication devices can communicate with at least one of the transmitter/receiver sites. The methods determine when the mobile wireless communication device should rate shift or roam based on connection quality measurement data or position information such as GPS. In one method, the measurement data is subjected to configurable parameters to create a functional relationship value that is recorded. The recorded functional relationship values are trended and extrapolated to determine whether a rate shift or roam should be performed. In a second method, the measurement data taken prior to a communication connection failure is stored in at least one data vector with there being at least one data vector for each rate shift and one for roam. A functional relationship utilizing current measurements, last data rate, and the respective data vectors determines whether a rate shift or roam should be performed. In a third method, the position information for the wireless communication device is compared to at least one transmitter/receiver site and a determination is made as to the optimal transmitter/receiver site for communication. |
| US08218505B2 |
Mobile communication method
In a mobile communication method according to the present invention includes the steps of: transmitting, from a handover source radio base station to a switching center, a handover request including an Next hop Chaining Count (NCC), a Physical Cell Identification information (PCI) and a KeNB*; changing, at the switching center, the NCC, changing, at the switching center, the KeNB* on the basis of the PCI, and transmitting, from the switching center to the handover target radio base station, the handover request including the changed NCC and the changed KeNB*; generating, at the handover target radio base station, a first key on the basis of the KeNB*; and generating, at the mobile station, the first key on the basis of the NCC and the PCI included in a handover command. |
| US08218500B2 |
Pre-synchronization method for hard handovers in wireless networks
A pre-synchronization method in which the source cell chooses a signature for the user equipment (mobile) to use in the target cell for RACH access, and instructs the user equipment to perform RACH access and return to the current cell before a handover command (break command) is issued. This causes parallel execution of the UL synchronization process with the context transfer process among the two base stations. |
| US08218499B2 |
Header compression optimization method during and after handovers in cellular communication network
The present invention concerns a method for optimizing ROHC RTP (Robust Header Compression Real Time Protocol) compression applied to IP header of data packets stream so as to use more compact formats enable to remain in a steady state, to never discard received packet, and to serve radio resources without requiring to modify ROHC specification. In the method, when handover or mobility procedure is started, new reference values are normally added to a sliding compression window, but no reference value is removed from the window as long as the handover or mobility procedure is on going. After the handover or mobility procedure is complete, when the number of values transmitted on the new radio link are appropriate to cope against the error properties on the new link, all older values can be removed at once from the compression window, thereby reverting to normal window operation. |
| US08218497B2 |
Synchronization in an uplink spatial division multiple access mode of a WiMAX wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for synchronization in an uplink spatial division multiple access (UL SDMA) mode of a WiMAX wireless communication system includes a first step (500) of allocating a mixed sequence of first and second tile patterns for mobile station uplink slots. A next step (502) includes detecting embedded pilot signals in mobile station data traffic. A next step (504) includes calculating first and second pilot signal phase difference within the respective first and second tile patterns. A next step (506) includes estimating a time error and a frequency error of the pilot signals. A next step (508) includes sending information about the time and/or frequency error to the mobile station for use in synchronization (510). |
| US08218495B2 |
Apparatus and method for circuit mode resource allocation in broadband wireless access (BWA) system
An apparatus and method for circuit mode resource allocation in a Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) system is disclosed. The method includes generating a first resource allocation message which comprises currently used slot bitmap information with respect to a circuit mode region in a frame; allocating resources to one or more terminals with respect to currently unused slots in the circuit mode region according to the currently used slot bitmap information; and generating a second resource allocation message which comprises information relating to the resource allocation. Thus, the effective circuit mode resource allocation can be achieved without holes in the circuit mode, while maintaining backward compatibility with the existing standards. |
| US08218494B2 |
Systems and methods for allocating and transmitting uplink data block transmissions
Systems and methods for allocating and transmitting uplink data block transmissions with piggy-backed ACK/NACK bitmap field are provided. The systems and methods involve using a request for a DBCCI (Data Block Combined with Control Information) to allocate a timeslot for data transmission. A UADB (uplink allocation for data block) is not also used to allocate the timeslot. |
| US08218493B2 |
System and method for interference mitigation in wireless networks
A computer-implemented method for scheduling a packet for transmission in a wireless local area network can be used to account for hidden and/or exposed terminals. The method includes determining whether the packet is to be transmitted to a computing device through a wireless access point that is in conflict with at least one other computing device associated with a different access point. The method further includes determining whether there is a conflicting packet scheduled to be transmitted for any conflicting computing devices associated with a different access points and scheduling the packet for transmission based on any conflicting packets. The method yet further includes forwarding the packet to a wireless access point at the scheduled time. |
| US08218487B2 |
System and method of adaptive frequency hopping with look ahead interference prediction
A novel and useful adaptive frequency hopping scheme for wireless devices and networks operating in a congested environment of similar devices, where capacity maximization is desired. The hopping sequence of each wireless link is dynamically adapted such that the impact of the surrounding interference is minimized and the interference induced onto the coexisting systems is also minimized. The scheme detects the repetitive presence of interference on a particular channel and comprises a replacement mechanism for swapping the interfered frequency-channel with one that would be clear for that particular time-slot. The mechanism detects interference during a redundant portion of the transmission (i.e. header or trailer) without having to experience packet failures (i.e. data loss). If the interference impact (e.g. corrupted header bits) exceeds a predefined threshold, that frequency channel is declared temporarily unusable for that time slot and is replaced with another in accordance with a frequency replacement policy. Periodic interference at a particular frequency, originating from a coexisting system of similar operating parameters, may also be detected at instances that are distant from the timeslots for which that particular frequency is to be used, such that frequency replacement in the hopping sequence can be scheduled ahead of time and collisions would be avoided altogether. |
| US08218485B2 |
System and method for multi-link communication in home network
A client in a home entertainment network can communicate with other components, including the server, over both a wired and a wireless link, with the particular path being selected based a component preference, and/or a bandwidth capability, and/or an occupancy ratio. Both links may be simultaneously used. |
| US08218481B2 |
Method of transmitting data in a mobile communication system
Disclosed is a data transmission method in a mobile communication system. The data transmission method through a code sequence in a mobile communication system includes grouping input data streams into a plurality of blocks consisting of at least one bit so as to map each block to a corresponding signature sequence, multiplying a signature sequence stream, to which the plurality of blocks are mapped, by a specific code sequence, and transmitting the signature sequence stream multiplied by the specific code sequence to a receiver. |
| US08218479B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a multi-code word assignment in wireless communication systems
A method and apparatus for processing a Multi-code word assignment is provided, comprising receiving a MCW-FLAB1, determining value of supplemental field in the MCW-FLAB1 received with a MACID of an access terminal from the SS MAC protocol with a supplemental field, determining whether a MCW-FLAB2 is received with MACID in a same PHY frame and processing the MCW-FLAB1 based upon whether the MCW-FLAB2 is received and the value of the supplemental field. |
| US08218477B2 |
Method of detecting wireless network faults
A wireless communication system includes the ability to determine that a fault condition associated with at least a portion of a cell associated with a base station is likely. Disclosed examples include using information regarding call activity levels of various portions of a cell for determining an expected call activity level for at least one portion of the cell. One example includes using the least active portion of the cell as the portion of interest. Previously observed activity levels provide information to automatically determine an expected relationship between the activity levels of the portions of the cell. Disclosed examples include determining whether a deviation between the actual call activity level and the expected call activity level is statistically significant enough to indicate a fault condition with at least the portion of the cell, which is of interest. |
| US08218475B2 |
Transmission power control method and system
A transmitting power level control method and system are provided, whereby the power of a terminal device in a wireless sensor network is saved and the lifetime thereof is extended. The control method includes the steps of: (A) broadcasting a plurality of transmitting power level (TPL) messages, each of which represents a respective TPL and the respective TPLs are different from one another, wherein each of the plurality of TPL messages is broadcasted at the respective TPL thereof; and (B) setting a TPL for the terminal device at a minimum one of the TPLs represented by the TPL messages received by the terminal device. |
| US08218474B2 |
Bandwidth allocation in satellite communication networks
There is described a method for allocating bandwidth in a satellite communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising: at each one of the plurality of terminals: sending a local terminal bandwidth request to a centralized bandwidth manager and to all other terminals of the plurality of terminals via a satellite; receiving a centralized bandwidth allocation for a first group of applications from the centralized bandwidth manager; receiving other terminal bandwidth requests from the other terminals, extracting requests for a second group of applications, and generating a decentralized bandwidth allocation according to a set of bandwidth allocation rules common to all of the plurality of terminals; and generating a global bandwidth allocation using the centralized bandwidth allocation and the decentralized bandwidth allocation. |
| US08218468B2 |
Method and system for multicast retry in a communication network
Aspects of a method and system for multicast retry in a communication network may include an originator station device within a multicast group that enables transmission of one or more PDUs via a network utilizing a multicast address. The transmitted one or more PDUs may be associated with an identified multicast flow. Subsequent to transmission of the one or more PDUs, the originator station device may receive one or more acknowledgment PDUs. The received acknowledgment PDUs may enable the originator station device to determine whether the transmitted PDUs were successfully received by one or more destination terminal devices. One or more of the PDUs may be retransmitted based on the determination. The originator station device and one or more destination terminal devices may be members of a multicast group. The multicast group may be identified based on the multicast address. |
| US08218467B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing idle mode stand-by time in a multicast system
Methods and apparatus for optimizing idle mode stand-by time in wireless device operable in a multicast system are disclosed. In order to maximize or optimize the stand-by time for idle mode, a time line for decoding of overhead information symbol (OIS) data received in one or more superframes in the wireless device. Based on the determined time line, an offset time period can be determined for setting an idle mode timer period used by the wireless device to decode the OIS information. By offsetting the timer period, a wireless device can be ensured to wake up and prepared to latch OIS information before the start of a superframe boundary, thus minimizing the wake up time of the device operating in an idle mode and, in turn, optimizing stand-by time. |
| US08218464B2 |
Modulation scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems or the like
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, bit and power loading may be utilized to select a modulation rate and subcarrier power scaling based on channel state information. As a result, a higher data rate may be utilized for a given signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining a constant bit error rate. |
| US08218461B2 |
Apparatus and method for supporting relay service in multihop relay wireless communication system
Apparatus and method for supporting a relay service in a multihop relay wireless communication system are provided. The method includes setting Tx/Rx mode switch region information of a Relay Station (RS). A signal is sent to a Mobile Station (MS) traveling in a service coverage during a first interval of a DownLink (DL) subframe according to resource allocation information. The mode switch region information and a signal are sent over a second interval of the DL subframe. Accordingly, the RS can communicate with a Base Station (BS) with accurate synchronization. |
| US08218459B1 |
Topology hiding of a network for an administrative interface between networks
An administrative interface is provided between a first network and a second network, where the administrative interface is separate from one or more communications session signaling interfaces between the first network and second network. At least one of authorization, authentication, and accounting messages is communicated over the administrative interface. A module associated with the administrative interface is provided to perform topology hiding of the first network such that topology information of the first network is hidden from the second network. |
| US08218456B2 |
Lawful call interception support
Systems, methods and communication nodes according to exemplary embodiments provide for an IMS node to replicate call content for lawful call interception in packet cable networks. A CSCF node sends a command to an SBC node to perform call content replication for an identified call to be intercepted. The SBC node forwards the replicated call content to a delivery function, which in turn forwards the replicated call content to the appropriate law enforcement agency. |
| US08218455B2 |
Information communication system, information communication method, node device included in information communication system and recording medium recording information process program
A group of nodes mutually connected through a communication route form an information communication system. The nodes include a memory for memorizing node information indicating a candidate node of information transfer destination, a participation request information transfer unit for judging whether node information indicating a node of a transfer destination in response to information of the participation request node is memorized, when participation request information is received, and for transferring the participation request information to the node when the node information is memorized, an existence confirmation information sending unit for judging whether information of other than the transfer destination is memorized when the participation request information is received, and for sending existence confirmation information to the node when the information other than the transfer destination is memorized, and a unit for sending return information to the participation request node device when the existence confirmation information is received. |
| US08218451B2 |
Methods and apparatus for detection of hierarchical heavy hitters
An efficient streaming method and apparatus for detecting hierarchical heavy hitters from massive data streams is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method enables near real time detection of anomaly behavior in networks. |
| US08218448B1 |
Control networks providing reliable communications between different entities
The integrity of a control network for providing reliable communications between different entities is verified. Such a verified control network may be included in a device, system, or design library. The verification of a control network includes, but is not limited to: physically exercising the control network itself and/or its design via modeling, analysis, and/or applying or using other testing or design verification methodologies. For example, a Petri net model of the control network may be analyzed to verify that the control signals cannot be generated which could interfere with each other, that a deadlock condition cannot be reached, and that a control signal on an input port will result in a control signal on an output port, albeit possibly delayed. |
| US08218446B2 |
Frame transfer route confirmation method, node, frame transfer route confirmation program and frame transfer route confirmation system
The frame switching unit 630 has the frame analysis unit 700, the frame rewriting unit 710, the frame transfer unit 720, the table search unit 730, the forwarding table 740, the MAC learning unit 750, the control frame distribution unit 760, the setting control unit 790, the STP control unit 780 which, when receiving a topology change message, converts an LT flag from 0 to 1 to indicate an entry as of before switching to leave the entry in the table, and the OAM control unit 770 which, upon an LT execution request before failure switching, transfers an LT frame according an output port in an entry whose LT flag is 1 among entries in the forwarding table 740. |
| US08218443B2 |
Controlling bandwidth share
There is proposed a modification to the ECN protocol to remove the one-to-one relationship between the network signalling congestion and the sender response to that congestion. The result is to allow a receiver terminal to exhibit some control of bandwidth share relative to other receiver terminals. The idea is to calculate the average CE arrival frequency from received data packets and to set ECE flags at a rate determined as a function of the average CE arrival frequency. Preferably, the function is a multiplier applied to the average CE arrival frequency. The effect of averaging the CE arrival frequency as well as application of a multiplier is a decoupling of the ECE marked ACKs sent by a receiver to the sender, and control of the resulting transmission rate at the sender. |
| US08218442B2 |
Methods and apparatus for flow-controllable multi-staged queues
In one embodiment, a method includes sending a first flow control signal to a first stage of transmit queues when a receive queue is in a congestion state. The method also includes sending a second flow control signal to a second stage of transmit queues different from the first stage of transmit queues when the receive queue is in the congestion state. |
| US08218440B2 |
High speed transmission protocol
A high speed transmission protocol that is implemented in a network device that includes a plurality of modules which are connected by a plurality of high speed links. The protocol includes a transmission link aspect for providing at least one of variable-sized packet based transmission with fixed sized messaging capability and pre-emptive transmission capability and a fabric forwarding aspect supporting at least one of class differentiations for packet flows, a plurality of addressable physical and logical modules, generic multicast forwarding port level indication for physical or logical ports, and explicit parameter for packet-content agnostic fabric operation. The protocol also include a packet processing descriptor aspect for providing at least one of a flexibility for various packet-processing descriptor adaptations and packet processing flow continuity across the network device for system design scalability. The protocol further includes an in-band messaging aspect for providing at least one of congestion management protocols, system resiliency protocols, database synchronization protocols and component access protocols and an encoding aspect for providing a structured header design. |
| US08218439B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive buffering
An adaptive buffering scheme allows more effective media transport and buffering. In one aspect of the adaptive buffering scheme, buffering parameters are adapted to different media characteristics, such as media play commands or the amount of encoding/transcoding required for the particular media stream. In another aspect of the adaptive buffering scheme, buffering is adapted to different transmission or memory conditions, such as transmission rate, packet jitter, or the amount of available buffer memory. In one example, the adaptive buffering is supported using Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), and/or Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) and associated Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP), and/or Session Description Protocol (SDP) messages. |
| US08218438B1 |
Regulating traffic flow in a network device
A token bucket instantiation regulate packets in a traffic flow stream based on a predetermined peak traffic flow rate. The token bucket size is nominally set to zero. An evaluation is made at a device that has received a given packet. The packet is considered conforming and is passed from the device if the token depth of the bucket is zero or greater. The token depth is decreased by the number of byes in the packet that was passed. The token depth is continuously replenished at a predetermined token rate until the predetermined bucket size is attained (the bucket is full). A received packet is deemed nonconforming if the token depth is less than zero; the non-conforming packet is not passed but is processed according to non-conforming criteria. Token bucket instantiations may be implemented in hardware, software or firmware for each traffic flow to regulate traffic to a given user. |
| US08218436B2 |
Dynamic aggregated maximum bit rate for evolved packet system non-guaranteed bit rate quality of service enforcement and network bandwidth utilization
A system is provided for specifying a dynamic aggregated maximum bit rate (AMBR). The system includes a processor configured to determine whether a change in the AMBR currently applicable to a first network component should be requested. If a change in the AMBR is requested, the processor is configured to promote the first network component recommending to a second network component an adjusted AMBR. |
| US08218434B1 |
Ethernet facility and equipment protection
Described is a system and method of protection switching in an Ethernet network. First and second point-to-point Ethernet links are established to data equipment. Identical streams of Ethernet traffic are received at a first Ethernet port and at a second Ethernet port. The stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the first Ethernet port is transmitted to the data equipment over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, while the second Ethernet port is prevented from transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic received at the second Ethernet port. During a protection switch, transmission of Ethernet traffic ceases over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, and commences over the second point-to-point Ethernet link, the second Ethernet port transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the second Ethernet port to the data equipment. |
| US08218432B2 |
Routing method in a label switching network
A head router (2) can be used for routing packets in a label-switching network (1), the packets initially being intended for a primary destination router (5). A request is sent to set up a primary path (8) between this head router (2) and the primary destination router (5) in the network (1), this request including a request to activate a back-up path (9) to a back-up destination router (7). |
| US08218431B2 |
Gateway device
A gateway device according to the present art includes a storage part that stores a list having identification information identifying another gateway device that is selectable as a move-destination gateway device; a receiving part that receives a call-out signal from a device located in a telephone network; a move-destination-gateway-device selecting part that selects a move-destination gateway device from the list; a re-direction notification generating part that generates a re-direction notification to be transmitted to the selected move-destination gateway device; a re-direction notification transmitting part that transmits the re-direction notification to the move-destination gateway device; a re-direction request signal generating part that generates a re-direction request signal including call identification information identifying the call-out signal; and a re-direction request signal transmitting part that transmits the re-direction request signal to the device located in the telephone network that transmits the call-out signal. |
| US08218429B2 |
Method and device for multicast traffic redundancy protection
A method of multicast traffic redundancy protection includes detecting an original active router; switching a Virtual Route Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) state, by a Virtual Route Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) state switching module if the original active router is faulty; selecting a new active router, notifying, by the VRRP state switching module, a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) routing protocol module of the new active router after the VRRP state switching; and, selecting, by the PIM module, the new active router in the VRRP as a Designated Router (DR) in the PIM. |
| US08218425B2 |
Signaling method in an OFDM multiple access system
A method for reducing the peak-to-average ratio in an OFDM communication signal is provided. The method includes defining a constellation having a plurality of symbols, defining a symbol duration for the OFDM communication signal, and defining a plurality of time instants in the symbol duration. A plurality of tones are allocated to a particular communication device, and a discrete signal is constructed in the time domain by mapping symbols from the constellation to the time instants. A continuous signal is generated by applying an interpolation function to the discrete signal such that the continuous signal only includes sinusoids having frequencies which are equal to the allocated tones. |
| US08218422B2 |
Coordinated linear beamforming in downlink multi-cell wireless networks
System and methods are disclosed for optimizing wireless communication for a plurality of mobile wireless devices. The system uses beamforming vectors or precoders having a structure optimal with respect to the weighted sum rate in a multi-cell orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) downlink. A plurality of base stations communicate with the mobile devices and all base stations perform a distributed non-convex optimization exploiting the determined structure. |
| US08218421B2 |
Data transmission in a mobile communication system apparatus, system and method
An apparatus, system, and method may include providing a plurality of data streams in respective subchannels and modulating a first data stream of the plurality of data streams at least partially with a different modulation constellation than a second data stream of the plurality of data streams. The method may also include transmitting the first and second data streams using a same radio resource to user terminals using different subchannels of the radio resource. |
| US08218420B2 |
Non-cyclic evolving-type user resource structure for OFDMA based system with null guard tones
A non-cyclic evolving-type user resource structure applicable for use in the uplink and the downlink of an OFDMA system with large null guard tones (e.g., a 3GPP LTE system) is provided. In one example, the user resource structure combines the benefits of localized and distributed types of resource structures available in the current baseline 3GPP LTE (Release 8) specifications, and is especially suitable for operating in a fast time-varying channel. In another example, the non-cyclic evolving-type resource structure may be simplified to have no more than three stages: a band-type first stage, a partially evolved-type second stage and an interleaved-type third stage. Depending upon the target or average mobile speed and packet length, the resource structure may even have less than three stages. |
| US08218419B2 |
Simultaneous estimation of multiple channel coefficients using a common probing sequence
An access node of a communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters adapted for communication with at least one receiver. The access node is operative to simultaneously estimate channel coefficients between multiple ones of the transmitters and the receiver, and to utilize the estimated channel coefficients to control at least one data signal sent by at least one of the multiple transmitters to the receiver. In the process of simultaneously estimating the channel coefficients, the access node transmits a plurality of distinct probing signals, each of which is generated based on a distinct combination of a common probing sequence and a selected one of a plurality of different frequency expansions. The access node may comprise at least a portion of at least one central office of a DSL communication system. |
| US08218416B2 |
Multi-layer optical disc, information recording method and information reproducing method
According to one embodiment, single-sided dual-layer recordable disc 100 may be used. Information recording is performed by forming mark and space portions on data area DA using modulated laser power. Pp denotes the maximum laser power or peak power for forming the mark portion, and Pb denotes the bias power for forming the space portion. Power ratio Pb/Pp is calculated for each of recording layers L0 and L1. Information is recorded on any of the recording layers L0 and L1 based on the result of calculation. Here, the calculated power ratio Pb/Pp changes among the recording layers L0 and L1, thereby optimizing the recording condition for a multi-layer recordable optical disc within relatively short time. |
| US08218415B2 |
Laser power control system and method used in optical disc writer
A laser power control system and method used in an optical disc writer. According to a write power value, the laser power control system drives a laser to output a write power through a first channel. According to a proportional value, the laser power control system drives the laser to output an overdrive power through a second channel. By using a close loop control of the laser power control system, the write power and the overwrite power are independent of the temperature changes. |
| US08218412B2 |
Method and system for determining disc format for recovery of data recording
A method for determining a disc format is disclosed. Data from at least one address of the disc is retrieved, wherein the at least one address is selected from a plurality of predetermined addresses related to the disc format. The disc format is determined according to the retrieved data. |
| US08218409B2 |
Method for recording wobble signals on an optical disc and optical disc on which the wobble signals are recorded
According to an embodiment, the invention is directed to an optical disc having signal tracks including a groove track, in which wobble signals are recorded on at least the groove track. Wobble units of wobble signals are modulated on the groove track, while at least 4 wobble units are used to represent a data bit of “0” or “1” in address information. Data bit of “0” or “1” in address information has a same phase and different phase with regard to alternate data bit at least to distinguish from each other. |
| US08218408B2 |
Information recording method and information reproducing method
According to the present invention, when an apparatus performs reproduction from an optical disc of a format not compatible to the apparatus, the apparatus is prevented from obtaining an incorrect address and thus causing a malfunction. A recording method according to the present invention performs first conversion of bit-inverting m number (1≦m |
| US08218400B2 |
Clock
A clock comprising concentric rings of slots slits for indicating time by fully illuminating an appropriate one of the slots. Full illumination is propagated from one slot to an adjacent slot by causing all of the slots in a ring of slots to briefly light up sequentially, thus causing a flash of light to propagate around the ring of slots, thus more clearly showing passage of a second, a minute etc as the illumination was switched from the one slot to the adjacent slot. |
| US08218399B1 |
Gas-filled bubble sound source
A sound source comprises a bubble configured to be filled with a gas, an actuator configured to perturb the gas within the bubble, and a processing circuit configured to provide a control signal to the actuator to cause the actuator to perturb the gas within the bubble at a frequency defined by the control signal. |
| US08218393B2 |
Technique and system to increase the length of a seismic shot record
A system includes an interface and a processor. The interface receives seismic datasets, which are associated with multiple firings of a set of at least one seismic source. Each dataset is acquired by seismic sensors during a different time period of a sequence of time periods that are limited by times at which the set of seismic source(s) are fired. The processor, for each of the firings of the set of seismic source(s), generates an associated shot record based on information contained at least two of the datasets. |
| US08218387B2 |
Semiconductor storage device
In a 4F2 memory cell designed using an SGT as a vertical transistor, a bit line has a high resistance because it is comprised of a diffusion layer underneath a pillar-shaped silicon layer, which causes a problem of slowdown in memory operation speed. The present invention provides a semiconductor storage device comprising an SGT-based 4F2 memory cell, wherein a bit line-backing cell having the same structure as that of a memory cell is inserted into a memory cell array to allow a first bit line composed of a diffusion layer to be backed with a low-resistance second bit line through the bit line backing cell, so as to provide a substantially low-resistance bit line, while suppressing an increase in area of the memory cell array. |
| US08218380B2 |
Degradation equalization for a memory
In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a memory and a control circuit configured to cause an inversion of at least a portion of the data stored in the memory to more evenly balance the amount of time that a given memory cell in the memory stores a binary one or a binary zero. In some implementations, the inversion may be controlled for the memory as a whole via a global indication. In other implementations, data may be inverted on a row-by-row or column-by-column basis. In other embodiments, the global indication may be changed at each boot of a device including the integrated circuit. |
| US08218379B2 |
Semiconductor device having resistance based memory array, method of operation, and systems associated therewith
In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory cell array, a write circuit configured to write to the non-volatile memory cell array, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to store at least one erase indicator. The erase indicator is associated with at least a portion of the non-volatile memory cell array and indicates a logic state. The control circuit is configured to control the write circuit to write the logic state indicated by the erase indicator in the non-volatile memory cell array during an erase operation of the associated portion of the non-volatile memory cell array. |
| US08218377B2 |
Fail-safe high speed level shifter for wide supply voltage range
A fail-safe level shifter switching with high speed and operational for a wide range of voltage supply includes a cascode module, and one or more speed enhancer modules. The cascode module receives one or more input logic signal for generating a plurality of output signals with a reduced switching time. The speed enhancer modules are coupled to the cascode module for facilitating faster charging and discharging of nodes of the cascode module and improving the robustness and operating voltage range of cascode module. |
| US08218376B2 |
Reduced power consumption in retain-till-accessed static memories
Bias circuitry for a static random-access memory (SRAM) with a retain-till-accessed (RTA) mode. The memory is constructed of multiple memory array blocks, each including SRAM cells formed of array transistors; functional and other circuitry outside of the array are formed of core transistors, constructed differently from the array transistors. Bias devices are included within each memory array block, the bias devices constructed as one or more array transistors. The bias devices for a memory array block may be connected in parallel with one another. In the RTA mode, the bias devices drop the power supply voltage differential across each of the SRAM cells. In a normal operating mode, a core transistor serves as a switch, shorting out the bias devices so that the full power supply differential appears across the SRAM cells. |
| US08218371B2 |
Multi-bit flash memory device and method of analyzing flag cells of the same
Disclosed is a multi-bit flash memory device which includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array has multiple memory cells and multiple flag cells. The control circuit determines whether the flag cells are programmed, based on a reference corresponding to a read margin of the flag cells, and controls a program operation of the memory cells in response to the determination. |
| US08218368B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and erase method in the same
A semiconductor memory device and an erase method in the same are disclosed. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array configured to have a cell string in which memory cells are coupled, a block switch configured to switch a global word line and a word line of the memory cell array, a block decoder configured to control the block switch, and a recycle switch configured to use an erase voltage charged in a P-well of the memory cell array as a supply voltage of the block decoder. |
| US08218367B2 |
Verification process for non-volatile storage
When erasing non-volatile storage, a verification process is used between erase operations to determine whether the non-volatile storage has been successfully erased. The verification process includes separately performing verification for different subsets of the non-volatile storage elements. |
| US08218359B2 |
Phase change random access memory and methods of manufacturing and operating same
A phase change memory device includes a switching device, a phase change storage node connected to the switching device, and a gate electrode which is spaced apart from the phase change storage node and increases an electrical resistance of the storage node during a reset programming operation. The gate electrode may be disposed around the phase change storage node, and may be used for applying an electric field to the phase change storage node. |
| US08218356B2 |
Spin-torque memory with unidirectional write scheme
Spin torque magnetic memory elements that have a pinned layer, two free layers, and a current-blocking insulating layer proximate to at least one of the free layers. The resistive state (e.g., low resistance or high resistance) of the memory elements is altered by passing electric current through the element in one direction. In other words, to change from a low resistance to a high resistance, the direction of electric current is the same as to change from a high resistance to a low resistance. The elements have a unidirectional write scheme. |
| US08218354B2 |
SRAM word-line coupling noise restriction
A DC mode word-line coupling noise restriction circuit for multiple-port Random Access Memory cells. This circuit may comprise a Static Random Access Memory array. The SRAM array contains a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows with an SRAM cell formed at a cross-point of the columns and rows. Each SRAM cell has a first word-line conductor and a second word-line conductor. The first word-line conductor is connected to a first coupling noise restriction circuit. The first coupling noise restriction circuit comprises an inverter and a NMOSFET. The inverter has another NMOSFET and a PMOSFET. |
| US08218346B2 |
Multi-chip packages including extra memory chips to define additional logical packages and related devices
A packaged integrated circuit device includes a primary chip stack and a secondary chip stack. The primary chip stack includes memory chips therein that define a logical package addressable by a memory controller. The secondary chip stack includes fewer memory chips than the primary chip stack. The memory chips of the secondary chip stack are configured to be electrically connected to memory chips of at least one external device package to define an additional logical package addressable by the memory controller. The additional logical package may include a same number of memory chips as the primary chip stack. |
| US08218343B2 |
DC polarity converter and DC parallel topology, and methods
Embodiments of DC power related systems and methods including a topology and devices to enable DC powered or driven constant current devices to be connected in a parallel configuration while maintaining a series connection internal to the devices. |
| US08218338B2 |
High efficiency universal input switching power supply
A universal input switching power supply has the rectifier, a signal detecting unit detecting a voltage of an external AC power and outputting a detecting signal, a PFC circuit converts a first DC power from the rectifier to a second DC power with different voltage according to the detecting signal; and a parallel and serial type DC to DC converter converting the second DC power with different voltage to a constant voltage of the third DC power. The parallel and serial type DC to DC converter has a transformer having a primary and secondary coils and physically changes a turn ratio of the primary and secondary coils of a transformer thereof according to a voltage ratio of the second DC power and the third DC power. Accordingly, the universal input switching power supply has good transforming efficiency at different AC power source conditions. |
| US08218333B2 |
Printed circuit board and mounting structure for surface mounted device
The present invention provides a printed circuit board capable of sufficiently ensuring joint strength and joint reliability when mounting a surface mounted device, and a mounting structure for a surface mounted device using the printed circuit board. A BGA package as a surface mounted device includes a plurality of solder balls arranged thereon and a printed circuit board includes a plurality of mounting pads corresponding respectively to the plurality of solder balls. The BGA package is connected to the mounting pads on the printed circuit board due to melting of the solder balls, thereby mounted on the printed circuit board. A concave via hole is formed on each of the mounting pads having a circular surface shape and a part of the solder ball is in the convex via hole. Here, the center of the convex via hole is apart from the center of each of the mounting pads by at least the diameter of the concave via hole. |
| US08218327B2 |
Electronic device, electronic component, and method of manufacturing electronic device
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes an electronic component and a circuit board. The electronic component includes a metal material. The circuit board includes a first surface on which the electronic component is mounted and a second surface opposite the first surface. The electronic component includes a contact surface configured to be in contact with the first surface, and is configured to have the center of gravity at a location displaced from the center of the contact surface. The electronic component is temporarily fixed by a magnetic force that attracts the metal material from the second surface with the contact surface being in contact with the first surface. |
| US08218326B2 |
Rivet standoff for panel connection
A standoff joins a circuit board to a chassis member using a rivet. The standoff has a cap surface with a hole that allows the body of an unexpanded blind rivet to pass into an inner cavity of the standoff. The rivet is then expanded against the underside of the cap. In use, the standoff rests against the underside of a circuit board, and the rivet passes through a hole in the circuit board and into the standoff. The rivet head engages the circuit board to hold the circuit board against the standoff. |
| US08218323B2 |
Apparatus and method for embedding components in small-form-factor, system-on-packages
According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a small form factor mobile platform including a system-on-package architecture, the system-on-package architecture arranged as a stack of layers including a first layer having a first conformable material; a second layer having a second conformable material; one or more electronic components embedded within the stack of layers; and a heat dissipating element configured dissipating heat generating from the one or more electronic components, wherein the first conformable material, the second conformable material, or both are configured to allow high frequency signal routing. |
| US08218322B2 |
Modular computing environments
A computer system may include a connecting hub having a plurality of docking regions and be configured to provide to each docking region electrical power, a data network interface, a cooling fluid supply and a cooling fluid return; and a plurality of shipping containers that each enclose a modular computing environment that incrementally adds computing power to the system. Each shipping container may include a) a plurality of processing units coupled to the data network interface, each of which include a microprocessor; b) a heat exchanger configured to remove heat generated by the plurality of processing units by circulating cooling fluid from the supply through the heat exchanger and discharging it into the return; and c) docking members configured to releaseably couple to the connecting hub at one of the docking regions to receive electrical power, connect to the data network interface, and receive and discharge cooling fluid. |
| US08218321B2 |
Self-cooling electrical device
The invention relates to a portable electronic device, e.g. a mobile phone, comprising a shell, a display, a battery, a processor and a receiver. In the portable electronic device is at least one of the components configured to heat exchange with a phase changing material which is arranged within the portable electronic device. |
| US08218319B2 |
Electronic device with fixing members
An electronic device includes a fan including a frame, an enclosure, and many fixing members engaged with the enclosure to fix the fan in the enclosure. The frame includes many mounting holes positioned in corners of the frame, respectively. The enclosure includes many sidewalls and many fixing members corresponding to the mounting holes. Each fixing member includes a base, a fixing portion extending from a top surface of the base, an angle shaped clasping portion extending from a sidewall of the base. Each base includes a locating block received in a corresponding locating member, and at least one fixing arms abuts against the corresponding locating member. Each fixing portion extends through the locating member and is received in a corresponding mounting hole. Each clasping portion extends through the corresponding locating member and clasps an inner wall of the corresponding mounting hole. |
| US08218318B2 |
Low noise cooling device
A cooling device (1) using pulsating fluid for cooling of an object, comprising: a transducer (2) having a membrane adapted to generate pressure waves at a working frequency (fw), and a cavity (4) enclosing a first side of the membrane. The cavity (4) has at least one opening (5) adapted to emit a pulsating net output fluid flow towards the object, wherein the opening (5) is in communication with a second side of the membrane. The cavity (4) is sufficiently small to prevent fluid in the cavity (4) from acting as a spring in a resonating mass-spring system in the working range. This is advantageous as a volume velocity (u1) at the opening is essentially equal to a volume velocity (u1′) at the second side of the membrane, apart from a minus sign. Thus, at the working frequency the pulsating net output fluid can be largely cancelled due to the counter phase with the pressure waves on the second side of the membrane resulting in a close to zero far-field volume velocity. Thus a low sound level is achieved, at a low cost, without requiring mechanical symmetry. |
| US08218317B2 |
Computer apparatus and method having dual air chambers
A computer system is disclosed having an enclosure having a plurality of components. The computer system further includes a first chamber including a first set of cooling devices; and a second chamber including solely a set of components and a second set of cooling devices. The second chamber is located adjacent to the first chamber, and the set of components includes components not included in the first chamber. The set of components includes solely a plurality of storage components selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM and a hard drive. Air flow is unidirectional from a front side of the enclosure to a rear side of the enclosure. Further, air flow is prevented from flowing between the first chamber and the second chamber by a solid separation mechanism there between. The first chamber has an air flow path independent of the air flow path of the second chamber. |
| US08218316B2 |
Portable electronic device with battery cover
A portable electronic device includes a base defining a chamber, a cover, an operating element, a latching element, and a resisting element. The cover is configured for covering the chamber and rotatably attached to the base. The latching element attaches to the cover. The resisting element attaches to one end of the base. The operating element is slidably attached to the base. The resisting element resists the latching element to force the cover to separate when detaching. |
| US08218314B2 |
Cover mechanism and electronic device using same
An electronic device using a cover mechanism to cover a hole is described. The cover mechanism includes a base member, a cover member and a retaining member. The cover member is fixed with the retaining member and moves between a closed position and an opened position. In the closed position, the cover member is elastically, partially deformed to lock to the base member. In the opened position, the cover member can be elastically bent to expose the hole while still being physically attached to the base member. |
| US08218311B2 |
Electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, a heat radiation block is pressed in contact with a heat receiving plate of an apparatus body, a heat receiving block receives its reaction force via a heat pipe and thus moves. A drawer section and the heat radiation block are fixed and held in the apparatus body after the movement of the heat receiving block. |
| US08218310B2 |
Shockproof assembly for flat storage device
A shockproof assembly, preventing a flat storage device from shock damage, includes a housing, a bracket, and at least one first buffer. The housing has a bottom plate and a top plate coupled to each other correspondingly and covering the flat storage device. The bracket has a plurality of side blades extended along an extending direction, and the bracket is coupled the side wall of the flat storage device. A first buffer store space is defined among the side blades and the bottom plate of the housing. The first buffer is disposed in the first buffer store space and has a preset height for keeping a preset interval between the bottom face of the flat storage device and the bottom plate. Shock is absorbed by the first buffer during being transmitted to the flat storage device via the housing when the shockproof assembly is shaken. |
| US08218309B2 |
Hard disk backplane structure and hard disk cooling assembly using the same
A hard disk backplane structure includes a main body and an additional board. The hard disk backplane structure includes a first side surface and second side surface adjacent to the first side surface and a backplane connector. The additional board includes a receptacle for connection with an additional electrical component. A hard disk cooling assembly using the hard disk backplane structure is also provided in the disclosure. |
| US08218307B2 |
Information terminal device
An information terminal device includes a first case including an operation section, and a second case movably connected to the first case with a connection mechanism, wherein an edge portion is formed around the operation section of the first case, the edge portion being raised toward the second case, and wherein an elastic sheet member is attached to a surface of the second case, the surface facing the first case, and the elastic sheet member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion protruding toward the first case and having an outer side surface that elastically and slidably contacts an inner side surface of the edge portion. |
| US08218304B2 |
Display device and method for assembling the same
A display device includes a casing, a display panel assembled in the casing, and a front panel assembled at the casing to cover edges of the display panel. The front panel includes two first boards and two second boards. Each of the first boards includes a main portion and two auxiliary portions located at two sides of the main portion. The two second boards are stacked on the auxiliary portions. A method for assembling a display device is also disclosed. |
| US08218303B2 |
Information processing apparatus and electronic apparatus system
An information processing apparatus includes a main body portion, a support portion, and a communication portion. The main body portion includes a display portion. The support portion supports the main body portion and forms a space below the main body portion in which information equipment connectable to the main body portion can be accommodated. The communication portion is provided to the support portion and performs communication with a noncontact-type communication medium. |
| US08218302B2 |
Display unit, information apparatus with display unit, and method of assembling display unit
A display unit has a display device; a first case with an opening, covering the front surface of the display device; and a second case covering the back surface of the display device. The first case has a frame part enclosing the opening, and a side wall extending from the frame part toward the second case over the entire circumference of the frame part. The display device is placed on the frame part so as to be enclosed by the side wall. At least two support rods are fixed to the side wall and press the display device. The number of parts, man-hours, and weight of the unit can be reduced. |
| US08218296B2 |
Housing for an electronic device and sealing ring for a housing
A housing comprises a first housing part, having a first bearing surface for a first contact surface of a sealing ring, and a second housing part, which can be screwed together with the first housing part and has a second bearing surface for a second contact surface of the sealing ring. The first contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a first material having a first coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the first bearing surface, the second contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a second material that has a second coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the second bearing surface, and the first coefficient of friction is smaller than the second coefficient of friction. |
| US08218293B2 |
Winding-type electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is an electrolytic capacitor, including: an anode foil having a dielectric coating film and a conductive polymer layer formed thereon; a cathode foil having a conductive polymer layer formed thereon; an anode lead tab and a cathode lead tab electrically connected to the anode foil and the cathode foil, respectively; and a protection member. A first region provided with the protection member is present between the anode foil and the cathode foil that are wound. The first region is at least one of a region covering the anode lead tab, a region covering the cathode lead tab, a region covering a rear side of the anode foil at a connection portion between the anode lead tab and the anode foil, and a region covering a rear side of the cathode foil at a connection portion between the cathode lead tab and the cathode foil. |
| US08218291B2 |
Monomers for preparing polycarbonate resins, methods of preparing the monomers, polycarbonate resins prepared with the monomers, and capacitors comprising the polycarbonate resins
A monomer and polycarbonate resin are provided, as are methods of making the monomer. The resin may be used to provide a thin film that has a higher dielectric constant and higher glass transition temperature, and similar breakdown strength and similar dissipation factor to films prepared from polycarbonate resins not so modified. The thin films, in turn, may advantageously be used to form, wholly or in part, articles such as capacitors, sensors, batteries, flexible printed circuit boards, keyboard membranes, motor/transformer insulations, cable wrappings, industrial tapes, interior coverage materials, and the like. In particular, a capacitor comprising the polycarbonate resin is also provided. |
| US08218289B2 |
Electrolytic capacitor and electric equipment provided therewith
An electrolytic capacitor includes: a case including a case body, in which an electrolytic capacitor element is disposed in a sealed manner and filled up with an electrolytic solution, and a safety valve is mounted to the case body for jetting an evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution filling the electrolytic capacitor element; a cover member mounted to the case so as to cover the safety valve provided for the case; a first fixing unit mounted to the cover member so as to prevent the cover member from dismounting when the evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution is jetted outward; and a second fixing unit disposed in association with the first fixing unit and adopted to reinforce and assist a function of the first fixing unit to thereby prevent the cover member from being dismounted. An electric equipment includes a lighting circuit including circuit components, and an electrolytic capacitor of the structure mentioned above. |
| US08218286B2 |
MEMS microphone with single polysilicon film
An integrated circuit structure includes a capacitor, which further includes a first capacitor plate formed of polysilicon, and a second capacitor plate substantially encircling the first capacitor plate. The first capacitor plate has a portion configured to vibrate in response to an acoustic wave. The second capacitor plate is fixed and has slanted edges facing the first capacitor plate. |
| US08218285B2 |
Variable capacitance element
A variable capacitance element provided with a substrate, a signal line provided on the substrate, a fixed electrode provided on the substrate, and a movable electrode. The movable electrode includes a movable portion that spans the signal line and extends to above the fixed electrode, and is movable with respect to the fixed electrode, and a fixed portion that is fixed to the fixed electrode across a dielectric layer. |
| US08218283B2 |
Resistive films for electrode peak-field suppression
The present invention relates to an arrangement comprising at least one high potential electrode with a high potential in terms of absolute value, e.g. comprising substantially sharp edges and which may be exposed to a high electrostatic field or a high potential. It comprises at least one low potential electrode means or balancing electrode Q mean said low or balancing potential electrode means being provided at a distance from said at least one high potential electrode and at least one resistive arrangement connecting each of said high potential electrode(s) with each respective Q adjacent low or balancing potential electrode means. Said resistive arrangement(s) has a low conductivity but Q is non-isolating, such that a substantially linear voltage drop is provided between said high potential electrode(s) and said low or balancing potential electrode(s) to suppress peak-fields generated in the vicinity of any of the electrode(s). |
| US08218273B2 |
Driving device with motor current overload protection assembly
A driving device includes a motor, a rotatable shaft rotated by the motor, a driven member, a magnetic material spring, and a power source. The driven member sleeves on an end of the rotatable shaft, and includes an end surface with at least one latching groove defined thereon. The magnetic material spring sleeves the rotatable shaft, and includes a first end fixed to the rotatable shaft and an opposite second end capable of inserting into the latching groove of the driven member. The power source includes two electrodes. The motor and the spring are electrically connected in series between the two electrodes of the power source. |
| US08218272B2 |
Early quench detection in a superconducting article
A superconducting article is provided which incorporates an early quench detection facility. The superconducting article includes a first superconductive segment and a second superconductive segment, along with a magnetic field sensor(s). The magnetic field sensor(s) is disposed to monitor relative change in strength of a net magnetic field generated by a first current passing through the first superconductive segment and a second current passing through the second superconductive segment. A relative change in strength of the net magnetic field indicates degradation of a critical quench current of the first superconductive segment or the second superconductive segment, caused for example, by formation of one or more hot-spots or quench regions in the first or second superconductive segment. The indication of degradation is thus obtained prior to complete superconductive segment quenching. |
| US08218270B1 |
Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor with improved hard magnet biasing structure
A hard magnet biasing structure for a CPP-GMR or CPP-TMR read head for a magnetic recording disk drive is located between the two sensor shields and abutting the side edges of the sensor free layer. An insulating layer is located between the biasing structure and the lower shield and the side edges of the free layer. The biasing structure includes a seed layer of either Ir or Ru, a layer of ferromagnetic chemically-ordered FePt alloy hard bias layer on the seed layer, and a Ru or Ru/Ir capping layer on the FePt alloy hard bias layer. The FePt alloy has a face-centered-tetragonal structure with its c-axis generally in the plane of the layer. The relatively thin seed layer and capping layer allow the biasing structure to be made very thin while still permitting the FePt alloy hard bias layer to have high coercivity (Hc), a high remanent magnetization-thickness product (Mrt) and a high squareness (S=Mrt/Ms). |
| US08218267B2 |
Head suspension flexure with conductive polymer layer
A flexure has a substrate made of a thin conductive metal plate, a base insulating layer made of flexible resin formed on the substrate, wiring patterns formed on the base insulating layer and connected to a slider mount, and a cover insulating layer formed over the wiring patterns. The flexure is substantially coated with a conductive polymer layer having a thickness in the range of 18 to 130 nm. The flexure prevents electrostatic accumulation and ion migration. |
| US08218266B2 |
Head slider
Embodiments of the present invention provide a slider that may suppress contamination from being attached to the flying surface of the slider without influence on reduction of the flying height of the slider. Ions exerting an effect of decreasing surface energy are implanted in the whole surface of a flying surface of a magnetic head slider except for a front rail surface and a center rail surface. According to this, contamination is prevented from being attached to a front step bearing surface, a side step bearing surface, a center step bearing surface and a negative pressure groove where contamination is particularly liable to be attached in the flying surface of the magnetic head slider, so as to suppress destabilization in flying of the slider. |
| US08218265B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for overcoming stiction in a magnetic tape device
Various embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for reducing stiction in a magnetic tape device. For example, according to one representative embodiment, a magnetic head assembly for reducing stiction includes a magnetic head that is communicable in data exchange communication with tape in contact with the magnetic head. The magnetic head assembly also includes a tape lifter that is movable relative to the magnetic head. More specifically, the tape lifter is movable between a first position away from the tape and a second position in contact with the tape. In the first position, tape is contactable with the magnetic head and in the second position, tape is not contactable with the magnetic head. The magnetic head assembly further includes an actuator made at least partially of a memory shape alloy. The actuator is coupled to the tape lifter and the memory shape alloy is resiliently deformable to move the tape lifter between the first and second positions. |
| US08218263B2 |
Write head with different upper and lower yoke lengths and methods for making the same
According to one embodiment, a system comprises an upper yoke having a first length defined between a pole tip thereof and a back gap thereof. In addition, the system includes a lower yoke having a second length defined between a pole tip thereof and a back gap thereof, the second length being greater than the first length. Also, the system includes coil turns in the upper and lower yokes. Additional systems and methods are also presented. |
| US08218260B2 |
Processing disks on a spin stand
A method of processing disks on spin stand is disclosed, the spin stand comprising a spindle motor having a rotor. A first disk is clamped to the rotor, wherein the first disk comprises a reference servo pattern. A second disk is clamped to the rotor, and a first head is servoed over the first disk in response to the reference servo pattern in order to position a second head over the second disk at a first radial location. Data is written to the second disk at the first radial location using the second head. The second disk is removed from the rotor while the first disk remains clamped to the rotor. |
| US08218255B2 |
Retractable lens barrel unit
A lens barrel unit includes a holder configured to hold a lens, a cam cylinder including a cam groove configured to engage with the holder and define a movement of the holder in an optical axis direction, and a projection that has a part of the cam groove and projects in the optical axis direction, and a straightforward movement cylinder configured to guide a straightforward movement of the holder, the straightforward movement cylinder including a flange forming a notch. In a process from a retraction state in which the projection is located in the notch to an image pickup state in which the projection is located outside of the notch, the straightforward movement cylinder moves relative to the cam cylinder in the optical axis direction. |
| US08218254B2 |
Solid imaging objective and assembly technique for small scale sensor applications
An imaging optic comprising a first combination element comprised of at least two individual lens elements, aligned with each other along an optical axis and adhered to each other, a second combination element comprised of at least one individual lens element and an aperture disposed between the first and second combination elements, the surfaces of the imaging optic having less than about 3 minutes tilt relative to the optical axis and less than about 0.005 mm de-center relative to the optical axis. A method of making the imaging optic and an endoscope comprising the imaging optic. |
| US08218250B2 |
Lens barrel and optical apparatus
A lens barrel includes a cam ring driving unit including a moving frame, a linear driving unit that includes a holding frame configured to hold an image pickup element, and a guide bar that is engaged with the holding frame, extends in the optical axis direction, and is configured to guide a linear movement of the holding frame in the optical axis direction, and an intermediate fixing lens unit configured still in the optical axis direction. The cam ring driving unit is arranged on an object side of the intermediate fixing lens unit, the linear driving unit is arranged on an image pickup element side of the intermediate fixing lens unit, and the lens barrel is configured dividable into the cam ring driving unit, the linear driving unit, and the intermediate fixing lens unit. |
| US08218241B2 |
Viewing optical system and imaging apparatus using the same
The invention provides a viewing optical system positioned between a viewing plane as a virtual plane and an eye point. The viewing optical system comprises, in order from the viewing plane side, a first lens group including a positive lens or a negative lens, a second lens group including a cemented lens in which at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens are cemented together, and a third lens group including a positive lens. Of lenses forming the first, second, and third lens groups, at least one lens surface is an aspheric surface. |
| US08218233B2 |
Light source optical system
The invention relates to a light source optical system for endoscopes which is compatible with various viewing modes, prevents an associated light source apparatus from growing bulky, and makes sure brightness. The light source optical system comprises, in order from the light source 1, the collective optical system 2 for collecting light from the light source, the magnification conversion optical system 3 for reducing a pupil magnification, and the positive lens group 4 for collecting light from the magnification conversion optical system 3, and satisfies Condition (1) with respect to the principal point-to-point distance d of the collective optical system 2 and magnification conversion optical system 3, the rear focal length f2B of the collective optical system 2 and the front focal length f3F of the magnification conversion optical system 3. |
| US08218227B2 |
Sculptural imaging with optical tiles
The invention relates to structures for representing images by directing light at a viewer. In order to represent an image, a structure is provided comprising a plurality of tile elements (22) which, when illuminated by a light source, each direct an amount of light toward an observer at a viewing location dependent on their orientation angles. The orientation angles of each tile element (22) may be selected based on a visual characteristic of a corresponding pixel of the image, such that the observer sees a representation of that image created by the varying amount of light directed to the viewing location by the tile elements (22). |
| US08218226B2 |
Surface-plasmon-based optical modulator
An optical modulator that utilizes Bloch surface plasmon (BSP) effects is disclosed. The BSP optical (BSPO) modulator (10) includes a permittivity-modulated (P-M) grating (20) that can be one-dimensional or two-dimensional. Electro-optic (EO) substrates (30) sandwich the P-M grating. The EO substrates have electrodes (64) arranged thereon, and a voltage source (60) connected to the electrodes is used to provide an applied voltage (V30) via a modulation voltage signals (SM) that switches the modulator. Index-matching layers (40) may be used to mitigate adverse reflection effects. The BSPO modulator allows for normally incident input light (100I) to be modulated directly without having to generate oblique angles of incidence for the input light in order to excite the surface plasmon. |
| US08218219B2 |
Micro-mirror array and optical switch
A micro-mirror array including a plurality of micro-mirror elements and each of the micro-mirror elements includes a mirror rotating around two axes and a support unit connected to an outer frame and supporting the mirror. The support unit extends between the mirror of the micro-mirror elements including the support unit and one of two mirrors adjacent to the mirror, and both ends of the support unit are connected to the outer frame. |
| US08218217B2 |
Light scanning device and thrust-direction force canceling method
At least a part of a first thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by at least one surface of reflection surfaces arrayed in a rotating direction of a polygon mirror and tilted with respect to a rotation axis of the polygon mirror is canceled by a second thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by a surface tilted with respect to the rotation axis in a direction opposite to the surface where the first thrust-direction force is generated. |
| US08218214B2 |
Vibration-actuated micro mirror device
The present invention provides a vibration-actuated micro mirror device comprising a substrate having a swinging frame and a reflection mirror, and a vibration part having a first and a second vibration structures coupled to the substrate, wherein the first vibration structure is driven to generate a first complex wave formed by a first and a second wave signals while the second vibration structure is driven to generate a second complex wave formed by a third and a fourth wave signals, and the first and the third wave signals are formed with the same frequency and phase while the second and the fourth wave signals are formed with the same frequency but opposite phases. The first and the second complex waves actuate the substrate such that the swinging frame is rotated about a first axis while the reflection mirror is rotated about a second axis. |
| US08218212B2 |
Device for the production of holographic reconstructions with light modulators
A device for the production of holographic reconstructions having light modulators is disclosed. The device comprises at least one pixelated light modulator illuminated by at least one light source, and a focusing optical element field arrangement which images the light sources in an image plane after the light modulator. For the reconstruction, only one order of diffraction of the Fourier spectrum of the hologram should be used. The light modulator is provided with an assigned filter-aperture field arrangement which is located in the area of the image plane of the light source images and which has a plurality of aperture openings. Said aperture openings are designed in such a way that they each allow the passage of a prespecified area of the overall dimensions either smaller or the same as a diffraction order of the diffraction spectrum following Fourier transformation and produced from the holographic coding of the light modulator. |
| US08218210B2 |
Method for generating computer-generated video holograms in real time by means of propagation
The invention relates to a method for generating video holograms in real time for a holographic reproduction device using at least one light modulator means in which a scene split into object points is encoded as a whole hologram in the form of the reconstruction of a visibility region in a periodicity interval of the reconstruction of the video hologram. The reconstruction of an individual object point only requires part of the whole hologram encoded on the light modulator means. The invention is characterized in that, for each object point, the contributions for propagation of the light waves in the visibility region can be determined from at least one look-up table. |
| US08218209B2 |
Image reading apparatus and method for processing images
An image reading apparatus reads image information of an original document to produce image data having different data sizes. An image converting section converts the image information into a plurality of items of image data. A display section displays a plurality of items of information on the plurality of items of image data. A selecting section allows selecting of one of plurality of items of image data. |
| US08218207B1 |
Polychromatic encoding system, method and device
Disclosed is a polychromatic barcode or portable data file symbology, image, system, method, and apparatus enabling virtually unlimited information density. In a preferred embodiment, ASCII characters are assigned to unique identifiers, which identifiers are in turn assigned to unique colors. Color blots are sequentially arranged in a symbol so as to match the sequence of corresponding identifiers to be encoded, and then the symbol is applied to a surface. To decode, the symbol is scanned, colors translated into identifiers, and identifiers translated into content. Also disclosed are blots dedicated to calibration. Information density is further enhanced through an external reference function achieved through commands included in the barcode itself, by which function infinitely high information density is achieved. Licensing information is available through www.inventerprise.com. |
| US08218206B2 |
Color conversion using transformed gamuts
The gamut of a printer has poor saturation reproducibility in a low-lightness region, often has a shape from which the gamut is cut away, and sometimes locally forms a part having extremely low color reproducibility. Hence, upon converting colors on a first gamut onto those on a second gamut, a third gamut is generated by transforming the second gamut for the purpose of the conversion, and the colors on the first gamut are mapped onto the third gamut. The colors on the first gamut are converted into those on the second gamut based on the mapping result. |
| US08218202B2 |
Multiple image combination via comparative data transform and normalization transform application
Multiple images are combined where the images exhibit variations in illumination between one another. The images are of the same portion of an object, and each image is represented by a set of image data. A comparative data transform is applied to each set of image data, such that the transformed comparative image data isolates and preserves first variations in the illumination between the images but suppresses second differences in illumination between the images. At least one normalization transform is determined from the transformed comparative image data sets. When applied to at least one of the image data sets, the at least one normalization transform minimizes the variation in illumination between the image data sets. Each determined normalization transform is applied to the at least one of the image data sets. The normalized sets of image data are transformed to a single image of the portion of the object. |
| US08218201B2 |
Facsimile machine
A facsimile machine, capable of being connected to an external telephone, including a data access apparatus in the form of a semiconductor device, includes a power circuit configured to output a calling signal and supply voltage to the external telephone; a relay configured to switch between a first state in which the external telephone is connected to the power circuit and a second state in which the external telephone is connected to a public line; a detection portion configured to detect a signal level of a signal line between the power circuit and the relay; and a control portion configured to issue an output instruction of the calling signal to the power circuit on the basis of the content of a signal received by the data access apparatus and a detection result obtained by the detection portion in the first state. |
| US08218199B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of improving an image quality of a barcode while suppressing deterioration in a quality of an image
An image forming apparatus includes an image formation portion forming an image onto a recording medium in an electro-photographic process. An acquisition portion acquires image data and a storage portion stores in advance first and second image formation conditions for the electro-photographic process. A condition setting portion sets the first image-formation condition for an image formation operation, if data indicating a bar code is not included in image data acquired by the acquisition portion, and sets the second image formation condition for an image formation operation if image data indicating a bar code is included in image data acquired by the acquisition portion. A control portion allows the image formation portion to execute an image formation operation based on image data acquired by the acquisition portion according to the image formation condition set by the condition setting portion. |
| US08218196B2 |
Image processing method and image processing apparatus
In the case where an output value of a document reading section for at least any of R, G and B is out of a range between a first reference value and a second reference value due to a change in an output value of a reading device caused by an electrical noise, a change of supply voltage, etc. when a document is being read, a second color conversion table is created in accordance with the above change by expanding ranges in a first color conversion table, which ranges are around predetermined first and second reference values and included in regions of RGB color system associated respectively with predetermined tone values of Y, M and C. Using the second color conversion table thus obtained, a color conversion is carried out from the RGB color system into the YMC color system. |
| US08218195B2 |
Cartridge for use in printer for printing coded data
A cartridge including identifier data that is indicative of a plurality of globally unique identifiers. The cartridge is configured for use in a printer capable of printing machine-readable coded data onto a surface. The printer has an interface for receiving the cartridge, a reader for reading the identifier data, a coded data generator and a printhead. The coded data generator is configured for allocating a globally unique identifier from the identifier data and generating coded data on the basis of the allocated identifier. The coded data includes a machine-readable pattern of coded data identifying a unique region identity for association with a substrate to be printed. |
| US08218191B2 |
Computer readable recording medium stored with control program for controlling image forming apparatus having a tab sheet insertion function, image forming apparatus and method executed in the image forming apparatus
The invention provides the user a first insertion page position setting part that allows a user to designate insertion page positions that respectively indicate pages at which first tab sheets are to be inserted, and a second insertion page position setting part that allows the user to designate insertion page positions that respectively indicate pages at which second tab sheets are to be inserted, when a request for initiating the setting concerning the tab sheets is received. Further, the tab positions in the second tab sheets, which correspond to the insertion page positions designated in said second insertion page position setting part, are set up in accordance with the tab positions in the first tab sheets, which correspond to the insertion page positions designated in said first insertion page position setting part. |
| US08218188B2 |
Electronic document storage apparatus, electronic document storage and reference system, electronic document transfer method, and computer readable medium for storing an electronic document
An electronic document storage and reference system, for providing an electronic document storage apparatus for performing a document transfer processing effectively, and providing means for restoring and enabling the transferred electronic document for a reference on an apparatus other than the electronic document storage apparatus, comprises a unit for transferring from the electronic document storage apparatus to an archive media an electronic document stored for more than a specified period of time, a unit for emigrating, from the electronic document storage apparatus, the information required for referring to the electronic document transferred to the archive media and a unit for restoring the transferred electronic document from the archive media for enabling the electronic document to be referred to. |
| US08218186B2 |
Electronic album image forming apparatus
Provided is an electronic album image forming apparatus having a scanner function, which includes an electronic album unit for displaying, selecting and editing a digital image; a print unit for printing a digital image selected in the electronic album unit; and a scan unit for scanning an original document and converting it into a digital image. |
| US08218184B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming system
An image forming apparatus includes: a radio communication portion that transmits and receives data over radio communication to and from a storage medium in which identification information for user identification is stored; a display input portion that displays a function setting screen and receives a function setting; and a control portion that controls operation of the apparatus and forces the display input portion to perform a display changeover depending on an exposure state of the storage medium if the radio communication portion obtains the identification information from the storage medium. |
| US08218183B2 |
Scanning speed control device and method
A control device and a method for controlling scanning speed of a scanner. The control device includes a decision device and a driving device. The decision device further includes an image buffer, an up-down counter and a comparator. The decision device receives the input image data and utilizes the up-down counter to compute data access volume inside the image buffer. The comparator decides whether to increase or decrease the scanning speed according to the data access volume and also outputs decision data to the driving device. |
| US08218182B2 |
Image forming apparatus performing image formation suitable for adding information in handwriting or the like
When a printing mode is designated by user operation, an MFP embeds information specifying a storage location in designated stored image data and prints the resultant image data. When a user adds information in handwriting or the like to the above-described printing material, and the printing material after the information is added is scanned, the MFP specifies the storage location from the image data, which is scanned data, and replaces the image data in the above-described storage location by the scanned image data and registers the resultant image data. At the time of the above-described printing, even if the printing condition is set for the image data, the designation of the above-described printing mode allows the printing condition suitable for scanning the printing material to be set. |
| US08218179B2 |
Plurality of terminal devices, imaging forming apparatus and system for communicating image data based on registration data
An information processing system facilitates an operation performed on an information processor when data is to be transmitted from the information processor to a terminal device, and an information processor and a terminal device that can be used for the information processing system are provided. |
| US08218176B2 |
Communication device having timer-transmission function
A communication device is configured to transmit subject data to be transmitted. A desired destination is designated by designating a desired abbreviated number contained in a facsimile number list which contains abbreviated numbers and respectively corresponding facsimile numbers. A predetermined operation is applied to a facsimile number corresponding to the desired abbreviated number to obtain a first operated value. Then, the desired abbreviated number and the first operated value are stored. The predetermined operation is applied again to a facsimile number corresponding to the desired abbreviated number as stored to obtain a second operated value after the transmission instruction is acquired. Whether the second operated value coincides with the second operated value is judged, and transmission of the subject data is aborted if the first operated value does not coincide with the second operated value. |
| US08218175B2 |
Printing system, print controller, printing method and computer readable medium
The printing system is provided with: a terminal that outputs print data of a print target and authentication information required for performing a print operation; an image forming unit that receives the print data and the authentication information and that prints the print data on condition that printing authority for permitting the print operation is given to the authentication information; and an authority information memory that stores printing authority information on the presence or absence of the printing authority given to each of the authentication information in the image forming unit. The terminal includes an authentication information obtaining unit that obtains the authentication information; an authority information obtaining unit that obtains the printing authority information; and a print determination unit that determines whether or not the authentication information obtained by the authentication information obtaining unit permits a specific print operation on the basis of the printing authority information obtained. |
| US08218171B2 |
Print order accepting apparatus and printing system
A photo printing system includes a display to display thereon an order screen containing at least one of images corresponding to image data files read out from a recording medium by a reading unit; and an inputting unit to be used for inputting order information containing the number of prints for the image being displayed on the display. A photo print for at least one of one or more images displayed on the display, to each of which order information to request one or more prints has been given, is made before an order for the one or more images to each of which order information to request one or more prints has been given is determined. |
| US08218168B2 |
Image forming apparatus and information processing method
An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store attribute information about a job executed on the image forming apparatus, a detection unit configured to detect a jam that has occurred on the image forming apparatus, and a generation unit configured to generate a test job in which a print setting is set based on a type of the jam detected by the detection unit and the job attribute information corresponding to the jam and stored on the storage unit. |
| US08218166B2 |
Print processing system and print processing method
At the time of processing on print data created by a client computer, in a case where a server computer obtains information that should be notified to the client computer, the server computer adds a message to the print data to be sent to a device. In a case where the print data is added with the message, the device creates the message to be sent to the server computer. The server computer sends the message to the client computer. The client computer displays an image based on the message. |
| US08218164B2 |
Variable fault tolerance methods and systems to support an intervention-by-choice strategy for production piezo ink jet architectures
Methods and systems are provided for an intervention-by-choice printhead maintenance method in an ink jet printing system. Profile representations of scheduled print jobs are compiled which are representative of ink jet performance demand therefor. An ink jet failure is detected and related to the profile representations. A likely impact of ink jet failure is assessed relative to job specific print quality requirements for the scheduled print jobs. Print jobs are rescheduled for enhancing system performance efficiency by re-queuing selected jobs that can be executed with a detected ink jet failure while satisfying a job specific print quality requirement before a system repair intervention. |
| US08218162B2 |
Image processing device
When transmitting a document file stored in a box of a device such as an information processing device to an image processing device via a network, reduction in transfer time of a document file is aimed at. The image processing device has a unit for reading a document and for generating original image data, and a unit for inputting transfer size information of a bitmap. The image processing device transmits the transfer size information in addition to a data transfer request of the document file to another device in accordance with document file information including data about the document from at least part of an area of the original image data. The image processing device extracts at least part of the original image data in accordance with metadata contained in the document file received, and converts the original image data extracted to vector data. |
| US08218161B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: a selection section which selects a print target to be printed; an input section which inputs a print job for printing the print target selected by the selection section; an instruction section which instructs to continue the print job; and a printing section which executes a trial printing of printing a part of the print job including a plurality of pages input by the input section as a trial page, and thereafter, restarting and finishing the print job in response to that the instruction section instructs to continue the print job. |
| US08218159B2 |
Data processing apparatus for transmitting resources to an image processing apparatus
A resource management method according to the present invention for managing a resource retained by an image forming apparatus that is capable of processing print data, which is based upon print languages of a plurality of types, using a specified resource, comprises a setting step of setting attributes, with regard to the resource, corresponding to each of the plurality of types of print languages processable by the image forming apparatus, and a storage step of storing the attributes, which have been set at said setting step, in the image forming apparatus in association with actual data of the resource retained by the image forming apparatus. |
| US08218156B2 |
Global printing system and method of using same for formatting labels and barcodes that are encoding scheme independent
A system and method for parsing data formatted in a plurality of encoding schemes at a printer is provided. The method comprises receiving data from at least one host computer at the printer, wherein at least a portion of the data is encoded in a plurality of encoding schemes. The method also includes determining a parser state of the data based on a plurality of characters and/or at least one printer control command associated with the plurality of encoding schemes. |
| US08218155B2 |
Clear marking material printing to compensate for pile height differential
A method of printing an image on a substrate comprises determining a pile height differential for the image. A clear marking material is added to the image printed on the substrate in response to the determined pile height differential. Adding the clear marking material substantially reduces the pile height differential between two areas of the printed image. The clear marking material may be a clear ink or a clear toner material. The substrate on which the image is printed may comprise a plurality of sheets, a roll or other length of print media. The step of adding clear marking material to the image may include substantially leveling the printed image using the clear marking material. In at least one alternative embodiment, the step of adding clear marking material to the image includes adding at least one patch of clear marking material to the printed image. |
| US08218151B2 |
Light-emitting intra-cavity interferometric sensors
Light-emitting intra-cavity interferometric (ICI) optical sensors based on channel waveguide structures which include an internal light emitting material and a functionalized region. In some embodiments, the waveguides are made of a sol-gel which incorporates the light emitting material. In some embodiments, the waveguide structure includes an ICI resonator backbone and the ICI sensor is a laser sensor. In some embodiments, the resonator backbone has an interferometric Y-branch shape. In some embodiments, the resonator backbone has a Mach Zehnder interferometer shape. In some embodiments, an ICI laser sensor has an interferometric arrayed waveguide grating shape. In some embodiments, an ICI sensor may be remotely optically pumped and remotely read. |
| US08218150B2 |
Phase-conjugate optical coherence tomography methods and apparatus
Phase-conjugate optical coherence tomography (PC-OCT) methods and apparatus. PC-OCT may be employed as a three-dimensional imaging technique of interest for biomedical and other imaging applications. It shares much of the source and detection convenience of conventional OCT employing classical light sources, which is in clinical use in ophthalmology and is being developed for a variety of endoscopic optical biopsy instruments. PC-OCT offers a two-fold improvement in axial resolution and immunity to group velocity dispersion, when compared with conventional OCT, that is available from quantum optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT). PC-OCT does this without Q-OCT's need for a non-classical light source and the attendant requirement of photon-coincidence counting detection. Thus, in comparison with Q-OCT, PC-OCT is capable of producing images in measurement times similar to those of conventional OCT. |
| US08218149B2 |
Object detecting device and information acquiring device
An information acquiring device includes a laser light source which emits light in a predetermined wavelength region; a projection lens which projects the light from the laser light source toward a targeted area; an image sensor which receives reflected light reflected from the targeted area to output a signal; and an imaging lens which guides the reflected light to the image sensor; a filter which transmits the light from the laser light source; and an actuator which inclines the filter. A filter controlling circuit inclines the filter in such a direction as to approximate a transmissive wavelength region of the filter to the wavelength region of the light from the laser light source. |
| US08218148B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring scattered light on an optical system
A method of measuring scattered light on an optical system includes: providing a first measuring field and a second measuring field, both measuring fields respectively being either of a first light manipulation type or a second light manipulation type, which first light manipulation type is configured to cause incoming light to enter the optical system and which second light manipulation type is configured to prevent incoming light from entering the optical system, and both measuring fields respectively having a second light manipulation type reference structure and a respective measuring structure, which measuring structures are of the second light manipulation type in the case where the measuring fields are of the first light manipulation type, and are first light manipulation type regions of the measuring fields in the case where the measuring fields are of the second light manipulation type, wherein the measuring structures of the respective measuring fields are offset in different directions in relation to the respective reference structure, imaging the first measuring field with the optical system into an image plane and measuring a first light intensity produced herewith at a location in the region of the image of the reference structure of the first measuring field, and imaging the second measuring field with the optical system into the image plane and measuring a second light intensity produced herewith at a location in the region of the image of the reference structure of the second measuring field. |
| US08218145B2 |
Particle monitor system and substrate processing apparatus
A particle monitor system that can detect fine particles in a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus has a chamber in which a substrate is housed and subjected to processing, a dry pump that exhausts gas out of the chamber, and a bypass line that communicates the chamber and the dry pump together. The particle monitor system has a laser light oscillator that irradiates laser light toward a space in which the particles may be present, and a laser power measurement device that is disposed on an optical path of the laser light having passed through the space and measures the energy of the laser light. |
| US08218142B2 |
Fiber optic probe scatterometer for spectroscopy measurements
A device for making spectroscopy measurements with reduced or eliminated surface reflections is provided, the device including an elongated member including an outermost opaque thin walled enclosure; an optically transparent thin-walled enclosure adjacent an inner surface of said outermost thin walled enclosure; one or more optical fibers centrally and axially disposed and spaced apart a distance B with respect to the optically transparent thin-walled enclosure; wherein the elongated member is adapted to be coupled to a spectrometer and an illumination source to provide a light signal from the illumination source along said optically transparent thin-walled enclosure and collect a scattered light signal from the sample by said one or more optical fibers to provide to the spectrometer. |
| US08218141B2 |
Universal multidetection system for microplates
An apparatus and a method for optically analyzing a sample are provided. The apparatus includes a first optical device that transmits a narrow waveband of light and has a first filter and a first monochromator that provide different paths for the narrow waveband of the light. The apparatus may also include a light source that generates the light as broadband excitation light, in which case the first optical device transmits a narrow waveband of the broadband excitation light through the first filter or the first monochromator. Further, the apparatus may include a second optical device that directs the narrow waveband of the broadband excitation light onto the sample and receives emission light from the sample, a third optical device that transmits a narrow waveband of the emission light, and a detector that converts the narrow waveband of the emission light into an electrical signal. |
| US08218137B2 |
Methods of operating DRAM devices having adjustable internal refresh cycles that vary in response to on-chip temperature changes
An integrated circuit memory device includes a refresh control circuit that generates an internal memory refresh command signal having a period that is changed relative to a period of an external memory refresh command signal received by the memory device. This change in the period of the internal memory refresh command may be in response to detecting a change in temperature of the memory device. In particular, the refresh control circuit is configured so that the period of the internal memory refresh command signal is increased in response to detecting a reduction in temperature of the memory device. |
| US08218134B2 |
Rotation and differential angle optical sensor with non-transition pattern sampling
A sensor may simultaneously sense the angular position of a first rotatable member relative to a frame of reference and the angular position of a second rotatable member relative to the first rotatable member. The sensor may include a first and second disk, each having an annular pattern which alternates between two different levels of optical transparency. One disk may be coupled to the first rotatable member, the other disk may be coupled to the second rotatable member. A signal processing system may determine both angular positions based on sampling a consolidation of the first and the second annular patterns at locations that are not at a transition in the consolidated pattern. |
| US08218133B2 |
Refractive index tool and method
Refractive index tools and method. A refractive index tool includes a wave source configured to generate a wave; a transparent rod configured to receive the wave from the wave source; and a wave detector configured to receive the wave from the transparent rod. The wave source is provided at a first end of the transparent rod and the wave detector is provided at the first end or a second end of the transparent rod so that the wave emitted by the wave source travels through the transparent rod and experiences total internal refraction prior to arriving at the wave detector. |
| US08218131B2 |
Position measuring system, position measuring method and position measuring program
A position measuring system, comprising a distance measuring unit for projecting and scanning a pulsed beam for measurement to a measurement area and for measuring a distance based on a reflected light of the pulsed beam for measurement and for obtaining a position data group in the measurement area, a digital image pickup unit for acquiring an image data by taking an image of the measurement area, a storage unit for storing at least two sets of the position data groups and the image data acquired from at least two directions by interrelating and associating the position data groups with the image data, and an arithmetic unit for synthesizing the at least two position data groups through matching of the two images based on the two stored image data. |
| US08218130B2 |
Device manufacturing method and lithographic apparatus,and computer program product
In a lithographic printing process a substrate is moved, in the scanning direction, relative to a patterned beam of radiation being projected onto it during a scanning exposure of a pattern feature. An image of the pattern feature is blurred in the scanning direction. The effect of the blurring is used to reduce a difference of critical dimension between similar horizontal and vertical features. The effect on critical dimension may be obtained by providing an amount of anamorphic magnification to the projection system. |
| US08218129B2 |
Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, device manufacturing method, measuring method, and position measurement system
By moving a wafer stage while monitoring an XY position of a wafer stage WST using an interferometer system, and scanning a Y scale in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction using a surface position sensor, an XY setting position of the surface position sensor is measured. Based on information of the setting position obtained, by measuring a position coordinate of the wafer stage in a perpendicular direction with respect to an XY plane and a tilt direction, the wafer stage is driven in a stable manner and with high precision. |
| US08218126B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A liquid handling system is disclosed in which an extractor to contain liquid in a space between the projection system of a lithographic apparatus and a substrate has, in plan, a shape with a single corner. The extractor is provided in a rotatable part of a liquid handling system. The rotatable part is rotated under the control of a controller. |
| US08218121B2 |
Liquid crystal display having a printed circuit board combined with only one of the tape carrier packages
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device to which a line on glass structure and a cascade structure are both applied, and a manufacturing method thereof. The liquid crystal device includes: a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of pixels defined by gate lines and data lines that cross each other, wherein a first group of signal lines is formed on the liquid crystal panel in an on-glass-configuration; a plurality of tape carrier packages mounted with source drivers that provide data signals through the data lines to the liquid crystal panel and mounted on the liquid crystal panel in a cascade structure, wherein a second group of signal lines connected to the first group of signal lines is formed thereon; and a printed circuit board combined directly with only one of the plurality of tape carrier packages so as to supply a plurality of driving signals and control signals to the liquid crystal panel. |
| US08218119B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display includes a pair of transparent substrates opposed to each other with liquid crystal therebetween, one of the pair of transparent substrates having a plurality of drain signal lines and a plurality of gate signal lines, and a plurality of pixel regions defined by the drain signal lines and the gate signal lines. The pixel region has a TFT element, a first electrode formed of a transparent electrode having a plurality of slits, a connection area that connects the first electrode to the TFT element, and a second electrode formed of a transparent electrode. The second electrode is disposed between the first electrode and the one of the pair of transparent substrates, the second electrode is connected with the second electrode of an adjacent pixel region, and the connected second electrode is arranged at a position overlapping with the gate signal line. |
| US08218118B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display includes first and second substrates opposed to each other with liquid crystal therebetween, the first substrate having a plurality of drain signal lines and gate signal lines, and a plurality of pixel regions defined by the drain signal lines and the gate signal lines. The pixel region has a first electrode formed of a transparent conducting layer having a plurality of slits, a second electrode formed of a transparent conducting layer, and an insulating layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The second electrode is overlapped with a plurality of the slits of the first electrode in the pixel region, the first electrode is overlapped with the drain signal line and the gate signal line, and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer in the pixel region. |
| US08218116B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing method thereof
A mounting terminal portion 33A of an FFS mode liquid crystal display panel includes a gate insulator 14 and a passivation film 17 covering a surface of a wiring 34 for a mounting terminal, a contact hole 36a penetrating therethrough, a first transparent conductive film 38 electrically connected to the wiring 34 for a mounting terminal, an insulator 23 formed with an opening 36b having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the contact hole 36a in a central part of the first transparent conductive film 38, and a mounting terminal formed of a second transparent conductive film 41 electrically connected to the first transparent conductive film 38. |
| US08218113B2 |
Pixel structure of display and method for manufacturing the same
A pixel structure of a display including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer disposed therebetween. The pixel structure comprises a plurality of first, second, and third sub-pixels; a plurality of alignment controlling patterns, respectively formed in the first, second and third sub-pixels for controlling alignment direction of LC molecules of the LC layer; a plurality of opaque regions, respectively formed in the first, second, and third sub-pixels, and substantially aligned with the portion of the alignment controlling patterns, so that the alignment controlling patterns are shielded by the substantially corresponded opaque regions having different areas in at least two of the colored sub-pixels. |
| US08218109B2 |
Liquid crystal display comprising a touch panel and a bandpass filter
A liquid crystal display includes a first flat glass substrate, an opposite second flat glass substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, a backlight module disposed adjacent to the first flat glass substrate, a color filter disposed adjacent to the second flat glass substrate, a bandpass filter member disposed on the color filter. The bandpass filter member is configured for allowing light of a given spectrum emitted from the backlight module to pass therethrough and blocking light that is not in the given spectrum from passing therethrough, and a touch panel disposed adjacent to the bandpass filter member. |
| US08218108B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device excellent in display qualities, capable of suppressing coloring of stains such as a fingerprint which has adhered to a surface of a display so that the stains are not recognized. The present invention is a liquid crystal display panel having a structure in which the first polarizer, the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, the second substrate, and the second polarizer are stacked in this order toward a display surface, wherein the second polarizer includes an anti-reflective film on a display surface side, a reflection spectrum of the anti-reflective film having a bottom wavelength of less than 550 nm, at least one of the first and second substrates includes a color filter including three colors of blue, green, and red, and in the color filter, blue has the highest depolarization property of all the three colors. |
| US08218106B2 |
Bulk diffuser, and polarizing plate and liquid crystal display apparatus comprising the same
A bulk diffuser including: a base material; and a diffusion layer which has a forming material and inner diffusion particles dispersed in the forming material, and is formed on the base material, wherein the inner diffusion particles include two or more types of spherical particles having different refraction indexes, and variations of cross-sectional area of scattering per unit volume of the bulk diffuser owing to a variation of a refraction index of the forming material are mutually cancelled by a combination of the inner diffusion particles. |
| US08218103B2 |
Display device having scanning function with camera modules
A display device includes a housing, a liquid crystal panel member, numerous camera modules, a light emitting device and a processing unit. The housing defines a slot configured for allowing an display medium to enter the display device. The liquid crystal panel member is received in the housing. The camera modules are positioned in the reflective housing and each is configured for capturing a sub-images of a corresponding portion of the display medium. The light emitting device is configured for emitting light to the display medium. The processing unit is configured for obtaining an image of the display medium by synthesizing the sub-images of the corresponding portions of the display medium. |
| US08218101B2 |
Electronic device having an LCM with particular fixing element
An electronic device having an LCM has a main body and an LCM. The main body has a rectangular base defining a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The top surface of the base has a receiving recess for receiving the LCM. The bottom surface of the base has at least one through hole communicating with the receiving recess. At least one fixing element has an adhesive portion received into the through hole. Two connecting portions respectively extend perpendicularly from the ends of the adhesive portion. Two fixing portions respectively extend outwards from the connecting portions. Two contacting portions each extend from the fixing portions and bend inwards. The fixing portions and the contacting portions will clasp the bottom surface of the base when the adhesive portion is received into the through hole and removably connected with the LCM by conductive adhesive. |
| US08218099B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same
An object is to provide an active matrix liquid crystal display device in which plural kinds of circuits are formed over one substrate and plural kinds of thin film transistors are provided corresponding to characteristics of the plural kinds of circuits. An inverted-coplanar thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer which is over and overlaps with a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer is used for a pixel thin film transistor. A channel-protective thin film transistor is used for a driver-circuit thin film transistor is used. In addition, main parts of the pixel thin film transistor are formed using a light-transmitting material, so that the aperture ratio is increased. |
| US08218098B2 |
Display panel with an electrostatic protection member for a liquid crystal display device
A display panel of a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a display area (DA) having a plurality of pixel portions, and a peripheral area (PA) surrounding the display area. A second substrate of the display panel comprises a common electrode and an electrostatic protection member electrically disconnected from the common electrode and surrounding the common electrode. The electrostatic protection member is electrically connected to a fixed-voltage terminal through the first substrate. A liquid crystal layer is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. |
| US08218097B2 |
Liquid crystal display
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display with a plurality of pixel units. Each pixel unit includes two sub-pixels, and each sub-pixel includes a thin film transistor, a liquid crystal capacitor and a storage capacitor. One of the storage capacitors is a tunable capacitor. The tunable capacitor includes a first conductive layer, an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer with a area Asem, and a second metal layer. The second conductive layer has a first region with a area Acon overlapping with the semiconductor layer. The area Acon is less than the area Asem. |
| US08218096B2 |
Method of controlling a 2D/3D switchable display apparatus including a scanning backlight and a plurality of light guide plates
Provided are a 2D (2-dimensional)/3D (3-dimensional) display apparatus using a scanning backlight and a method of controlling the same. The apparatus sequentially includes a backlight which is capable of scanning and irradiating polarized light, a retarder which transmits light emitted from the backlight as phase-maintained light and phase-delayed light, a lenticular array which transmits light from the retarder as directional light, and a display panel which displays an inputted image and which is illuminated by light being transmitted through the lenticular array. The backlight includes a plurality of light guide plates which are independently disposed and arranged in parallel with one another, a plurality of light sources which are provided for the respective light guide plates and emit light, and a plurality of polarization filters which are arranged in front of the respective light guide plates. The scanning frequency of the backlight is synchronized with the input frequency of the input frames so that an illumination function and a scanning function are simultaneously performed using one backlight, a 2D image and a 3D image are efficiently displayed and crosstalk is reduced. |
| US08218094B2 |
Television apparatus and electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, a television apparatus includes, a printed wiring board provided with a cutout portion, a plurality of first light emitting diodes provided on the printed wiring board and configured to emit light parallel to the printed wiring board, and a lens. The lens includes a plurality of light receiving parts fitted in the cutout portion in such a manner as to correspond to the first light emitting diodes, respectively, and a display part configured to display the light which has entered through the light receiving parts. |
| US08218093B2 |
Remote controller, image signal processing apparatus, and image signal processing method
A remote controller includes a base unit having a transmission section configured to transmit a remote control signal, a plurality of function operation units connected to the base unit and configured to operate different functions, and a priority setting section configured to set priorities of the plurality of function operation units. When each of the plurality of function operation units is operated, the transmission section of the base unit sends transmission data, the transmission data including operation data and priority data that indicates the priorities of the plurality of function operation units set by the priority setting section. |
| US08218091B2 |
Shared memory multi video channel display apparatus and methods
A scaler positioning module may receive a video signal selected from among a plurality of video signals. The scaler positioning module may include scaler slots for arranging the signal path of the selected video signal through at least one scaler in the scaler positioning module. The scaler slots may enable the scaler positioning module to operate in three modes. The three modes may enable the scaler positioning module to output scaled data without memory operations, scale prior to a memory write, and scale after a memory read. A blank time optimizer (BTO) may receive data from the scaler positioning module at a first clock rate and distributed memory accesses based on a bandwidth requirement determination. The BTO may access memory at a second clock rate. The second clock rate may be slower than the first which may reduce memory bandwidth and enable another video signal to access memory faster. |
| US08218087B2 |
Method for adjusting image
A method for adjusting image is applied to an image output device. According to the method, the image output device firstly obtains a current image frame including plural pixels, and analyzes an intensity of an input image signal value of each pixel. The image output device defines each pixel having the input image signal value being smaller than a critical value as a dark pixel, and counts a number of the dark pixels to obtain a ratio of the dark pixels among all the pixels to serve as a dark pixel ratio. The image output device determines an image adjusting curve equation according to the dark pixel ratio, substitutes the input image signal values to the image adjusting curve equation, and obtains output image signal values of the pixels. Finally, the image output device combines all the output image signal values to obtain a final output image frame. |
| US08218085B2 |
Signal separator
A signal separator for separating luminance and color signals from a composite video signal includes: a first band pass element for passing a part of the composite video signal within a color signal band and within a predetermined frequency band; a second band pass element for passing a part of the first filtered signal within the color signal band and without the predetermined frequency band; and a first subtraction element for subtracting the first filtered signal from the composite video signal, wherein the predetermined frequency band is a frequency range in which the separation of the composite video signal into the color and the luminance signals is difficult. |
| US08218079B2 |
Stream generating apparatus and method of supplying frame sync signal used for stream generating apparatus
A stream generating apparatus includes an acquirer which acquires from an external source a reference signal synchronized with the video signal, a self-driven counter which has a first count mode in which the number of clocks in the frame period is counted in synchronization with a reference signal acquired by the acquirer thereby to generate and supply a first frame sync signal to the first and second signal processing units, and a second count mode in which the number of clocks in the frame period is counted independently not in synchronization with the reference signal thereby to generate and supply a second frame sync signal to the first and second signal processing units, and a controller which switches a count mode between either from the first count mode to the second count mode or from the second count mode to the first count mode based on predetermined conditions. |
| US08218075B2 |
Method and system for efficient de-interlacing
A system and a method may include performing a coarse estimation to eliminate at least one direction from a set of edge candidate directions without directly evaluating each direction; performing a fine estimation to select a single direction as corresponding to an edge; and performing a directional interpolation as a function of the single selected direction to generate a pixel value for a pixel being interpolated. |
| US08218071B2 |
Digital camera
A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer 110 having a live view mode controlling so that image data generated by a CMOS sensor 133 or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 133 to predetermined processing is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 150 as a moving image in real time, wherein the microcomputer 110 controls so that, when the live view mode is set, the digital camera comes out of the live view mode, and setting information on the digital camera is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 150, in accordance with the manipulation of the manipulation portion 140. Due to this configuration, in a digital camera that includes a movable mirror and is capable of displaying a subject image in a live view through an electronic viewfinder, the operability thereof can be enhanced. |
| US08218068B2 |
Exposing pixel groups in producing digital images
A method for producing a digital image from pixel signals captured by an image sensor array is disclosed. The method includes: providing an image sensor array having at least two groups of pixels wherein the pixels of each group are uniformly distributed over the sensor; exposing the image sensor array to scene light and reading pixel charge from only the first group of pixels to produce a first set of pixel signals; after producing the first set of pixel signals, exposing the image sensor array, and then reading pixel charge from the second group of pixels and reading again pixels from the first group to produce a second set of pixel signals; and using the first and second sets of pixel signals to produce the digital image. |
| US08218067B2 |
System and method for effectively performing a white balance procedure for electronic cameras
A system and method for effectively performing a white balance procedure for electronic cameras includes a neutral density diffusion light filter assembly adapted to be attached over the lens of a camera-type device equipped with an electronic device that captures image data using an image sensor device. Alternatively, the diffusion filter could be inserted internally in association with the lens assembly or built into the camera body as an external window associated with an independent image sensor device. The diffusion filter acts as an illuminance integrator of broad light acceptance angle to document light conditions (incident or reflective) that exist at the time an image is captured, thereby enabling a white balance operation at point of capture and production of a computer-generated image with little or no colorcast and requiring minimal (if any) subsequent manual color adjustment. |
| US08218056B2 |
Imaging apparatus and video camera, and method of reproducing recorded information performed by the imaging apparatus or the video camera
There are provided an imaging apparatus and a video camera which allow an image being recorded and an image being reproduced to be easily discriminated from each other when an already recorded image signal is reproduced while a photographed image signal is being recorded. A recording section records an image signal obtained by an image pickup section on a randomly accessible recording medium, and a reproducing section is capable of reproducing an image signal recorded at a random location on the recording medium while the image signal is being recorded on the recording medium by the recording section. The recording section and the reproducing section are controlled such that the image signal recorded at a random location on the recording medium can be reproduced while the image signal obtained by the image pickup section is being recorded. A first display means and a second display means are controlled such that either the first display means or the second display means displays a first image according to the image signal obtained by the image pickup section while the other displays a second image according to the reproduced image signal. |
| US08218052B2 |
High frame rate high definition imaging system and method
A high frame rate high definition imaging system and method are disclosed. An imager is clocked asynchronously to a desired output video clock. During a frame cycle, data held in a first portion of the pixel array in the imager is clocked out of the imager using an imager clock signal, and data held in a second portion of the pixel array is bypassed. The imager data is subsequently converted to a higher video clock rate and output as desired video data. |
| US08218050B2 |
Solid-state imaging apparatus, method of driving solid-state imaging apparatus, and imaging system
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix in one or more rows and one or more columns, wherein each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element converting light into an electric charge and outputs a read out signal based on the converted electric charge, a plurality of capacitors arranged correspondingly to each of the columns to hold the signal output from the plurality of pixels, and a horizontal scanning circuit for sequentially reading out the signals held by the plurality of capacitors, by sequentially transferring data pulse in response to a clock pulse. The horizontal scanning circuit includes a mask signal input portion to which a mask signal is input. When the plurality of pixels output the signals to the plurality of capacitors during a horizontal scan time period in which the horizontal scanning circuit reads out the signal of one row of the pixels, and the read out signals change, the mask signal is input to the mask signal input portion, and a transfer of the data pulse is disabled irrespective of the input of the clock pulse. |
| US08218046B1 |
Monochrome/color dual-slope traffic camera system
A video traffic system comprises a dual-slope, high dynamic range CMOS camera. Shutter, gain, and pedestal control and set-points for the dual-slope integration knee threshold and trigger time are computed from an operational model of the camera response using an input from a wireless light sensor. Darker pixels can integrate over the full shutter period, but bright pixels that are integrating too quickly and will saturate are reset to an adjustable level around 78% of maximum. Such reset occurs at an adjustable time about 93% of the full shutter period. The bright pixels are released to integrate from that point until the shutter closes. |
| US08218043B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, method of producing the same, and camera
The prevent invention is to provide a solid-state imaging device having a electrode configuration applicable to a progressive scan, and able to reduce a obstruction of incident light at the periphery of a light receiving portion, a method of producing the same, a camera including the same. A first transfer electrode, a second transfer electrode, and a third transfer electrode which have a single layer transfer electrode configuration are repeatedly arranged in a vertical direction. The first transfer electrodes are connected in a horizontal direction by an inter-pixel interconnection formed in the same layer. Shunt interconnections are formed in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction above the transfer layers. The shunt interconnection connected to the second transfer interconnection is formed on the inter-pixel interconnection. The shunt interconnection connected to the third transfer electrode is formed above the transfer electrodes. |
| US08218040B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer-readable storage medium
An imaging apparatus includes a smear detection unit configured to detect the amount of smear from an image signal, a smear correction unit configured to execute smear correction based on the detected amount of smear, and an image processing unit configured to execute image processing based on the detected amount of smear. |
| US08218032B2 |
Imaging apparatus and method for producing the same, portable equipment, and imaging sensor and method for producing the same
A plurality of imaging regions are provided in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of optical systems and are disposed on optical axes of the respective optical systems. Each imaging region has a plurality of pixels. The imaging apparatus further comprises an origin detecting means for detecting an origin of each imaging region, a pixel position specifying means for specifying positions of a plurality of pixels included in each imaging region using the origin as a reference, and a combination means for combining a plurality of images captured by the respective imaging regions. Thereby, it is possible to make a thin imaging apparatus capable of being easily assembled. |
| US08218030B2 |
Digital image processing apparatus and method of controlling the same where an image size may be reduced to increase brightness
Provided are a digital image processing apparatus capable of photographing an image of which an ISO sensitivity-to-noise ratio is improved by adjusting a size of the image to be photographed in low light conditions, and a method of controlling the digital image processing apparatus. The method includes the operations of receiving an input image; measuring input brightness of the input image; determining whether the input brightness is lower than an appropriate brightness; and generating an intermediate image by reducing a size of the input image by using an add mode for each pixel if the input brightness is lower than the appropriate brightness. |
| US08218029B2 |
Image taking apparatus, correction circuit and correction method
Disclosed herein is an image taking apparatus including an image taking device, a gain adjustment circuit, and a correction circuit. The image taking device operates with timings based on a frame rate determined in advance and the total number of horizontal lines, has an electronic shutter allowing a shutter speed to be adjusted, receives light in a period equal to the shutter speed of the electronic shutter and carries out an opto-electrical conversion process on the light for every horizontal line in order to generate a predetermined signal. The gain adjustment circuit adjusts the gain of the electrical signal received from the image taking device. The correction circuit compares an image taking video signal with a reference video signal to compute a flicker component as a component oriented in the vertical direction of an image represented by the image taking video signal in a flicker correction process of eliminating flickers. |
| US08218028B2 |
Imaging apparatus, image processing apparatus, and program
An imaging apparatus includes: determination means for determining whether a capture image is a frontlit image or a backlit image; detecting means for detecting a flesh-color area in the capture image; calculation means for setting weights, in a luminance histogram on the flesh-color area, on luminance of pixels included in a high-luminance area having a relatively high luminance value and luminance of pixels included in a low-luminance area having a relatively low luminance value in accordance with the determination result, and calculating modified luminance produced by modifying luminance on the flesh-color area on the basis of the weights; and correcting means for correcting brightness of the capture image on the basis of the modified luminance. |
| US08218027B2 |
Imaging terminal having color correction
There is provided an imaging terminal comprising a hybrid monochrome and color image sensor pixel array having a first subset of pixels provided by color pixels having color filter elements and a second subset of pixels provided by monochrome pixels without color filter elements. The terminal can be operative to capture a frame of image data including monochrome image data representative of light incident on the monochrome pixels and color image data representative of light incident on the color pixels. The terminal can be operative to activate a color correction processing module that utilizes the monochrome color image data. |
| US08218025B2 |
Image capturing apparatus, image capturing method, and computer program product
Provided is an image capturing apparatus capable of outputting an image in a form displayable by a display apparatus, while making use of a space resolution and a temporal resolution of a captured image. A monitoring system includes an image capturing section that captures an image; an output image generating section that generates an output image from the image captured by the image capturing section; a matching determining section that determines whether an object that matches a predetermined condition exists in the image captured by the image capturing section; and an output section that outputs, by embedding in the output image, an image of a subject indicated by the object having a data amount larger than a data amount of an image of the object in the output image. |
| US08218022B2 |
Imaging apparatus and associated methodology of independently powering components to limit power consumption
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to photoelectrically convert light into an electrical signal serving as an imaging signal and output the imaging signal at predetermined frame intervals, a memory configured to store the imaging signal output from the image pickup unit, a first signal processing unit configured to generate a Y/C signal from the imaging signal output from the image pickup unit, a second signal processing unit configured to generate a Y/C signal from the imaging signal stored in the memory, and a control unit configured to control power supplied to each of the first and second signal processing units. |
| US08218018B2 |
Optical apparatus
An optical apparatus includes a lens frame 12 which holds a focus correction lens 11a and is movable in an optical axis direction, optical axis direction position detectors 19a to 19c which are arranged on one of the lens frame 12 and a supporting portion 13 inside a barrel and detect signals in accordance with a distance to the other one, driving portions 112a to 112c and coils 17a to 17c (driver) which drive the lens frame 12 in the optical axis direction, an optical axis direction movement limiting member of the lens frame, and a lens CPU 1204 (controller) which controls the driver so as to suppress a tilt of the focus correction lens 11a based on a signal detected by the optical axis direction position detectors 19a to 19c whose sensitivities have been calibrated in association with the driving portions and the optical axis direction movement limiting member. |
| US08218016B2 |
Image stabilization mechanism for camera module
Disclosed herein is an image stabilization mechanism for a camera module. The image stabilization mechanism includes a base, a movable stage receiving a lens barrel therein and having a magnet, and a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator is installed to the base, moves the movable stage in an X-axis or Y-axis direction to remove shake of the lens barrel, and maintains contact with the movable stage because of magnetic attractive force between the piezoelectric actuator and the magnet. The image stabilization mechanism reduces the number of components, thus simplifying the structure and minimizing an increase in height. |
| US08218015B2 |
Method for monitoring and controlling photographs taken in a proprietary area
Method for avoiding unauthorized images of a proprietor's information from being transmitted outside the proprietor's control. A photographic image captured with a camera incorporated upon the wireless handheld communication device is wirelessly transmitted to a proprietor's server. The image is stored on the server after capture and transmission, preferably while the device is still in the photography-restricted geographical area that is under the control of the proprietor of the server. Once at the server, the photographic image is analyzed to determine whether or not the image is authorized for dissemination outside the proprietor's control. Local storage of the photographic image can be prevented on the device which assures that the transmission and storage of the photographic image on the proprietor's server is exclusive. |
| US08218014B2 |
Electromagnetic scanner having variable coil width
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a scanner for a scanned beam display may comprise a scanning platform having a mirror disposed thereon to reflect a beam of light impinging on the mirror, a drive coil disposed on the scanning platform to scan the reflected beam of light in response to a drive current applied to the drive coil. The drive coil has coil winding segments having a narrower width in one or more regions of the drive coil, and has coil winding segments having a greater width in one or more other regions of the drive coil to provide a the drive coil with a reduced electrical resistance. |
| US08218012B2 |
Multi-window/multi-target tracking (MW/MT tracking) method and system for point source objects
A sensor is used to detect and track a plurality of objects by using a separate track window for each object. Such sensors may be electro optical or infrared. Each object of interest (potential target) in the sensor FOV has a unique track window assigned. This allows independent control of video frame summing for each object to maintain a constant (optimized) signal to noise ratio (SNR) over an extremely large signal dynamic range and reduces track jitter by the simultaneous tracking of multiple objects. |
| US08218011B2 |
Object tracking system, method and smart node using active camera handoff
If an active smart node detects that an object leaves a center region of a FOV for a boundary region, the active smart node predicts a possible path of the object. When the object gets out of the FOV, the active smart node predicts the object appears in a FOV of another smart node according to the possible path and a spatial relation between cameras. The active smart node notifies another smart node to become a semi-active smart node which determines an image characteristic similarity between the object and a new object and returns to the active smart node if a condition is satisfied. The active smart node compares the returned characteristic similarity, an object discovery time at the semi-active smart node, and a distance between the active smart node and the semi-active smart node to calculate possibility. |
| US08218010B2 |
Image monitoring system and image monitoring program
Disclosed herein is an image monitoring system including: a camera connected to a network; display means for displaying an image captured by the camera; and display control means for controlling display such that, in displaying images by the display means, an image is displayed in a window having a predetermined layout; wherein the display control means presets an allocation database containing a correlation between the window having a predetermined layout and a camera identification code and, when the camera is connected to the network, automatically sets a correlation between the camera identification code in the allocation database and the camera, thereby controlling image display into the window on the basis of the allocation database. |
| US08218005B2 |
Apparatus for making a virtual movie for use in exploring a site
A method for producing an interactive virtual movie which simulates the walking of a user within a real site and exploring the same. A scanning apparatus defines minimal conditions for the capturing of a new photograph, including one or more of: (i) displacement of the apparatus by a distance D; (ii) change of the apparatus orientation by an angle Δ°; or (iii) change of the orientation of the camera with respect to the apparatus by an angle of δ°. A photograph is captured each time the apparatus exceeds one of the predefined minimal conditions, wherein the measurements of the variables is reset after each capturing. The method also includes storing the captured photographs and forming open chains of those photographs captured during a common route photographing session, and forming closed chains, of photographs captured during a common junction photographing. For each of those first and last from among the closed chain photographs relating to the junction, a corresponding similar photograph is found meeting one of the criteria of highest correlation or having the closest field of view direction, and connecting between them. |
| US08218003B2 |
Optimization strategies for GPU view projection matrix implementation
A method and system for optimizing a data structure for manipulation of matrices in a parallel environment limits computational branching. The data structure further is further optimized for linear data storage and synchronization among multiple processing threads. |
| US08218002B2 |
Method and apparatus providing computer generated images over a network with a point of view corresponding to images acquired during navigation of an imaging device
A method and apparatus performing the method transmit an encoded light control signal having computer generated images over a network to a device decoding the received signal and controlling light in an image space for providing the computer generated images with a point of view presented changing in translatory position and orientation with respect to an image space frame of reference corresponding to a changing point of view of images acquired in an object space by an image acquisition device sensed changing in translatory position and orientation during navigation of the image acquisition device in the object space with respect to a frame of reference of the object space. |
| US08217998B2 |
Microscope picture processing
A microscope image processing method includes applying a computing operation to at least one part of a microscope image, having the following steps: (a) providing the image in the mass storage device, (b) breaking down the microscope image into at least two image segments that can be loaded into the working memory and that have a dimension m, where m≦n, (c) for one image segment, determining all pixels that are located in the image segment and in at least one of the partial images, so that a filled image segment results, (d) providing the filled image segment in the working memory, (e) applying the computing operation to the pixels located in the filled image segment so that an image segment result is created, (f) repeating steps (c), (d), and (e) for all image segments, and (g) combining all image segment results to create an overall result. |
| US08217996B2 |
Stereoscopic display system with flexible rendering for multiple simultaneous observers
A method for display of stereoscopic images defines at least first and second unequal subsets of viewers and provides at least the first subset of viewers with a first decoding device for viewing displayed stereoscopic images. From a single display apparatus, separate images are displayed for each eye of at least the first and second subsets of viewers in a repeated sequence of displaying the image for the first eye of all viewers during a first time interval; displaying the image for the second eye of the first subset of viewers during a second time interval; and displaying the image for the second eye of the second subset of viewers during a third time interval. The first, second, and third time intervals are non-overlapping. |
| US08217993B2 |
Three-dimensional image capture system for subjects
Apparatus to capture three-dimensional images of a subject selected from the group consisting of an animate object, an inanimate object, a human, an animal, a biological mass or a portion of a subject comprises a plurality of image capturing device modules, each module comprises a plurality of image-capturing devices; and a rigid support structure supporting the plurality of image capturing device modules to define a space wherein said subject may be disposed. The rigid support structure supports all of the modules in predetermined relationship to each other and to the space. The rigid support structure further supports the modules in positions such that each module is positioned to capture a group of first images of a corresponding surface portion of the subject disposed within the space such that each group of first images captured by the corresponding module captures a substantially different surface portion of the subject disposed within the space. |
| US08217990B2 |
Stereoscopic picture generating apparatus
An apparatus for rendering a three-dimensional model from a plurality of eye points to present a three-dimensional picture, wherein the position of a virtual camera for rendering apexes of the three-dimensional model is controlled in accordance with the amount of protrusion of an object under rendering from a display plane to create and present a non-perspective projection picture as a picture at each eye point position. Also, for this control, a weighting parameter is incorporated in each part of the three dimensional model, such that the presentation of stereoscopic sense can be finely controlled. |
| US08217984B2 |
Videoconferencing network adapter detection using STUN protocol
A network adapter detection is used to establish a videoconference between a videoconferencing unit and a remote endpoint. Information about a plurality of network adapters available for the videoconferencing application is obtained, and one or more test messages are sent to at least one open source server using each of one or more of the obtained network adapters. The videoconferencing unit than awaits a response to each of the one or more sent test messages from the at least one open source server. If a response is received, the videoconferencing application uses the network adapter that received the response to establish a videoconference connection with the remote endpoint. |
| US08217983B2 |
Video communication terminal and method of road guidance using the same
The present invention relates to a video communication terminal and a method of providing road guidance using the same. More specifically, the present invention provides a road guidance service to a user during video communication by transmitting the user's location information to a user of a correspondent video communication terminal and receiving road guidance information from the correspondent video communication terminal. The method of road guidance includes requesting, by a first video communication terminal road guidance, to a second video communication terminal through video communication, transmitting, if the first video communication terminal receives a signal accepting to provide the road guidance from the second video communication terminal, a location value of the first video communication terminal to the second video communication terminal and displaying a map including the location of the first video communication terminal in the second video communication terminal. A user of the video communication terminal may thereby receive precise road guidance, without an invasion of the user's privacy. |
| US08217977B2 |
Color image forming apparatus and control method thereof
A color image forming apparatus and a control method thereof to correct an error between scanning lines due to an alignment error between the laser scanning units corresponding with each color of the image forming apparatus on the basis of a difference of detection times between termination signals for each color when the scanning units output a horizontal synchronization signal and a termination signal to scan a line. A difference of termination times between termination detecting sensors may be used to variably set video clocks for each color, thus reducing the number of components required and reducing the signal processing load. A single sensor may be used to detect the synchronization and termination signals, thus further reducing manufacturing costs. |
| US08217976B2 |
Image forming apparatus, manufacturing method thereof, and exposing device
A method and apparatus usable in an image forming apparatus, comprising a photoreceptor, and a plurality of exposing devices having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged therein for exposing the photoreceptor, wherein the plurality of exposing devices include at least two exposing devices having a distribution tendency similar to the plurality of light emitting elements. |
| US08217973B2 |
Exposure device for controlling light emitting elements
An exposure device includes plural light-emitting elements, a light amount detection unit, a controller, plural holding units and a connection unit. The controller sequentially determines control values of the light-emitting elements based on comparison between the light amounts detected by the light amount detection unit and a predetermined reference value. The holding units are provided for the light-emitting elements, respectively. Each holding unit holds a control voltage of the controller. When the controller is to sequentially determine control values of a part of the plurality of light-emitting elements, the connection units connects the controller and the holding units corresponding to one or more light-emitting elements for which control values are determined earliest among the part of the plural light-emitting elements, before the controller determines the control values of the one or more light-emitting elements. |
| US08217972B2 |
Printer
Tilt angle and tilt direction of lenticular lenses are detected precisely to correct attitude of a transported lenticular sheet with high accuracy. At least first to third lens sensors are disposed in a transport track of the lenticular sheet, aligned in a main scan direction and spaced at uneven intervals. Each lens sensor has a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged to sandwich the lenticular sheet and output a detection signal corresponding to concavities and convexities of the lenticular lenses. During the transport of the lenticular sheet, the detection signals output from the first to third lens sensors are analyzed to detect the tilt direction and the tilt angle of the lenticular lenses accurately. Based on the tilt direction and the tilt angle, the attitude of the lenticular sheet is corrected in advance, preventing the lenticular sheet from skewing while stripe images are being recorded thereon. |
| US08217969B2 |
Display apparatus, display control module
A display device and a display controlling module are provided. The display controlling module includes a data analyzing unit, an interference data storage unit and a data adjustment unit. The data analyzing unit receives a plurality of display data of a corresponding frame, analyzes the display data to obtain a plurality of grayscale distributions of the corresponding display regions of a display panel and generates a backlight signal for adjusting a brightness of each of a plurality of light emitting groups of a backlight module according to the grayscale distributions. The interference data storage unit outputs a plurality of interferences of the corresponding display data according to the backlight controlling signal. The data adjustment unit receives the display data and the interferences and correspondingly adjusts grayscales of the display data according to the interferences. |
| US08217965B2 |
Magnification engine
An improved graphics processing system and method are described for magnifying visual output information for printing, display, or other output. A graphics engine transforms display information so as to magnify one or more components or areas of an output image for display via output hardware such as a screen or printer. Magnification parameters are supplied to the graphics engine by one or more magnification applications. In an embodiment of the invention, the graphics engine performs compositing of magnified and unmagnified content for display. In an alternative embodiment, the graphics engine outputs corresponding scaled image material to the appropriate magnification application for rendering. In a further embodiment, the graphics engine may operate in both modes. The magnified output according to various embodiments of the invention enhances the accessibility of the computer system for visually handicapped or impaired users by providing high quality magnification and increased system and application stability. |
| US08217962B2 |
Single-pass bounding box calculation
Embodiments for single-pass bounding box calculation are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the single-pass bounding box calculation includes rendering a first target to a 2-dimensional screen space, whereby the first target includes at least six pixels. The calculation further includes producing transformed vertices in a set of geometry primitives based on an application-specified transformation. The calculation also includes generating six new points for each transformed vertex in the set of geometry primitives. The calculation additionally includes producing an initial third coordinate value for each pixel by rendering the at least six new points generate for each pixel to each corresponding pixel. The calculation further includes producing a post-rasterization value for each pixel by rasterizing the at least six new points rendered to each pixel with each corresponding pixel. Finally, the calculation includes computing bounding box information for the set of geometry primitives based on the produced third coordinate values. |
| US08217955B2 |
Producing wrinkles and other effects for a computer-generated character based on surface stress
Wrinkles are produced by computing directional stress, whether compression or stretching, for each pixel within each face of the mesh representing the skin, and then perturbing a surface normal based on the computed stress at each pixel in that face of the mesh. Directional stress at a given frame in an animation is determined, in general, by comparing the current state of the mesh at that frame (called a “current pose”) to the original state of the mesh (called a “rest pose”). An artist specifies a wrinkle pattern by defining a texture that is mapped to the surface, using conventional techniques. A gradient texture is created from this wrinkle texture by computing the gradient at each pixel in the wrinkle texture. For each location in a face of the surface, the vector from the gradient texture is mapped to the corresponding face of the rest pose skin model and the current pose skin model, to produce two surface vectors. These two vectors are compared to provide an estimate of the surface stress at this location in the face. A wrinkle effect may be implemented using bump mapping, but the surface normal is perturbed differently for each location in the face of the mesh based on the skin stress estimated at that location. Other effects also may be created using the estimated stresses. |
| US08217952B2 |
Techniques for caching images
Techniques for caching images are presented. A matrix of pixel values represents an image. A diagonal of the matrix is used as an array of numbers representing an index value. The index value is compared to existing index values housed in a cache. When no match is present, the index value is inserted into the cache and the corresponding image associated with the inserted index value acquired. When a match is present no action is taken on the index values of the cache. |
| US08217947B2 |
Text-reading support on handheld devices and devices with small displays
One aspect of the invention relates to techniques for increasing the displayable font size while retaining a wide text line of information on small information displays. In one embodiment, the inventive technique leverages the wider diagonal (in device dimensions) for text viewing and combine this form of display with a horizontal (in text dimensions) scrolling feature i.e. scrolling text along the diagonal of the device's display. Vertical context (in text dimensions) is maintained by adding a constant-offset look-ahead and look-back line above the primary diagonal focus area. Another embodiment bends the text along two edges of the display area to leverage the fact that the lengths of the two sides are even longer than the length of the screen diagonal. In both configurations, one can retain a large font size without sacrificing the number of characters displayed per line. |
| US08217938B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining item orientation
A computer-implemented method and computer software for calculating an orientation for an item. A bounding cube is constructed which encompasses a mesh representation of the item. The bounding cube is divided into a plurality of voxel elements. A data structure may be used to subdivide the bounding cube. Calculations are performed to determine which of the plurality of voxel elements intersect with the mesh, defining a voxel representation of the item. A statistical analysis is performed on the voxel representation to determine an orientation for the item. |
| US08217936B1 |
Minimizing tessellation of surfaces
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for minimizing tessellation of surfaces. A first plurality of polygons may be generated, wherein the first plurality of polygons are adjacent to a plurality of exterior curves of a surface. Each of the first plurality of polygons comprises at least one outside edge approximating a portion of one of the exterior curves within a first flatness tolerance. A second plurality of polygons may be generated, wherein the second plurality of polygons are on the interior of the surface. Each of the second plurality of polygons comprises a plurality of inside edges approximating portions of interior curves of the surface within a second flatness tolerance. The first flatness tolerance may be smaller than the second flatness tolerance. |
| US08217933B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting between virtual objects
A collision target map and a collision target LUT are generated for each pixel to be subjected to rendering as collision target information with recorded identification information for CG data rendering on the pixel, while carrying out rendering of colliding object group CG data. Then, collision target information corresponding to a rendering pixel is referenced while carrying out rendering of collided object group CG data. In a case in which the colliding object group CG data is contained in the collision target information, it is determined that collision detection should be carried out for a virtual object being rendered, and collision detection information is generated. Such collision detection information allows collision between virtual objects to be detected at high speed. |
| US08217932B2 |
Systems and methods for implementing haptic systems and stimulated environments
A method is provided for simulating interaction between a tool and an object. The method involves: providing a tool model for simulating the tool in a simulated environment; providing a mesh for simulating the object in the simulated environment, the mesh comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of first force functions between pairs of nodes, each first force function being a function of a distance between its corresponding pair of nodes; and deforming the mesh in response to interaction between the tool model and the mesh in the simulated environment. Deforming the mesh may involve: displacing one or more initially displaced nodes; and displacing one or more level-one-connected nodes, displacement of each level-one-connected node dependent on at least one first force function between the level-one-connected node and a corresponding one of the one or more initially displaced nodes. |
| US08217931B2 |
System and method for processing video images
Embodiments use point clouds to form a three dimensional image of an object. The point cloud of the object may be formed from analysis of two dimensional images of the object. Various techniques may be used on the point cloud to form a 3D model of the object which is then used to create a stereoscopic representation of the object. |
| US08217929B2 |
Electro-optical device, driving method, and electronic apparatus with user adjustable ratio between positive and negative field
A method of driving the electro-optical device includes selecting a plurality of scanning lines in a predetermined order in each of first and second fields of one frame; when one of the plurality of scanning lines is selected in the first field, for each pixel located on the selected scanning line, supplying one of a positive voltage and a negative voltage as the data signal to one of the plurality of data lines associated with the pixel, the positive voltage having a positive polarity corresponding to a voltage higher than a predetermined reference potential and the negative polarity corresponding to a voltage lower than the predetermined reference potential; and when the one of the plurality of scanning lines is selected in the second field, for each pixel located on the selected scanning line, supplying the other one of the positive voltage and the negative voltage as the data signal to one of the plurality of data lines associated with the pixel. A ratio between durations of the first field and the second field of the one frame is adjustable. |
| US08217925B2 |
Display panel driver and display device
Provided is a display panel driver with an improved driving characteristic by use of an amplifier output having excellent symmetry of an output characteristic. The display panel driver according to the present invention includes a first input differential stage circuit, a first output stage circuit, a second output stage circuit, and a first switch circuit. The first input differential stage circuit outputs two first input stage output signals according to one of a positive voltage and a negative voltage. The first switch circuit selects one of the first and second output stage circuits, and connects the selected circuit to the first input differential stage circuit. The output stage circuit connected to the first input differential stage circuit outputs a single-ended signal based on the two first input stage output signals from the first input differential stage circuit. |
| US08217917B2 |
Touch sensing with touch down and lift off sensitivity
A touch sensing device includes a plurality of sensors and an emitting transducer coupled to a touch panel. The transducer induces bending waves in the touch panel. The sensors sense bending waves in the touch panel and generate a bending wave signal responsive to the sensed bending waves. A controller identifies an untouched condition signal responsive to the induced bending waves. The controller compares the untouched condition signal to the bending wave signal, and detects a touch on the touch panel based on the comparison. |
| US08217915B2 |
Capacitive position sensor
A capacitive position sensor for detecting the position of an object, typically an operator's finger, relative to a resistive sensing element, wherein the sensing element comprises a sensing path that has terminals connected along it that subdivide the sensing path into multiple sections. Each terminal is coupled to its own sensing channel, each of which generates a signal that is sensitive to the capacitance between its terminal and a system ground. The signals are fed to a processor for analysis. The processor determines over which section the object is positioned by comparing the signals from the sensing channels, and determines the position of the object within that section by comparing the signals from the terminals spanning that section. In this way, the sensing path can be formed in a closed loop, such as a circle for a scroll dial, in which the operator's finger position and movement can be uniquely determined in a straightforward manner. |
| US08217913B2 |
Integrated touch screen
Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. Circuit elements, such as touch signal lines, such as drive lines and sense lines, grounding regions, in the display pixel stackups can be grouped together to form touch sensing circuitry that senses a touch on or near the display. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that can operate as circuitry of the display system to generate an image on the display, and can also form part of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels that can be configured to operate as storage capacitors/electrodes, common electrodes, conductive wires/pathways, etc., of the display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as circuit elements of the touch sensing circuitry. |
| US08217912B2 |
Graphical authentication for a portable device and methods for use therewith
A portable device includes a touch screen that includes a display screen and that generates touch screen data in response to a user's interaction with the touch screen. A processor executes a security application for authenticating the user to the portable device that provides first display data to the touch screen for displaying a security prompt on the display screen. Touch screen data is received from the touch screen in response to the user's interaction with the touch screen and is processed to determine when an authentication shape is recognized as being indicated by the touch screen data. The user is authenticated to the portable device when the authentication shape is recognized as being indicated by the touch screen data. |
| US08217911B2 |
Display with visually homogeneous border
A handheld device with a compact integrated touch panel is disclosed. A handheld device incorporating a touch panel display requiring electrical connections is reduced in size by incorporating electrical pathways within the support structure of the touch panel display, obviating the need for a flex circuit extension from the touch panel display for connection to the handheld device. A further reduction in size is obtained by providing an inherent visually homogeneous perimeter for the touch panel display by matching the colors of the conductive and dielectric materials, thereby eliminating the need for a bezel. |
| US08217910B2 |
Morphing touch screen layout
A device displays one or more display elements on a touch screen associated with the device, and detects interaction of a finger, associated with a user of the device, with the touch screen. The device also calculates one or more touch areas associated with the finger based on the detected interaction, and resizes, reshapes, and/or relocates the one or more display elements based on the calculated one or more touch areas. |
| US08217909B2 |
Multi-finger sub-gesture reporting for a user interface device
Touch sensor methods, devices and systems are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method for reporting a sub-gesture on a touch sensing surface, e.g., laid over a display of a user interface device. The method comprises determining a number of fingers simultaneously placed on the touch sensing surface. The method also comprises periodically sampling respective position data of the fingers moving along the touch sensing surface and calculating event data based on the position data, wherein each of the event data includes a geometric shape associated with the number of fingers and a centroid of the geometric shape. The method further comprises forwarding the event data to a presentation layer of application of the user interface device, where the application is configured to identify a gesture based on a subset of the event data. |
| US08217908B2 |
Apparatus and method for interactive display with tactile feedback
An electronic device including an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode. The interactive display comprises an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at last a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode, and a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad. |
| US08217907B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal are provided. Specifically, zooming in/out or shifting a display screen is facilitated. The mobile terminal includes a touchscreen for displaying a webpage including a plurality of areas, a wireless communication unit for accessing the Internet, and a control unit for shifting the displayed webpage in response to touching a first point of the displayed webpage and dragging from the first point to a second point on the displayed webpage, when the displayed webpage is shifted in a direction of the dragging. |
| US08217902B2 |
Conductor pattern structure of capacitive touch panel
Disclosed is a conductor pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel. First-axis conductor assemblies and second-axis conductor assemblies are formed on a surface of a substrate. Each first-axis conductor assembly includes a plurality of first-axis conductor cells that are interconnected by first-axis conduction lines. An insulation layer is formed on a surface of each first-axis conduction line. Each second-axis conductor assembly includes a plurality of second-axis conductor cells that are interconnected by second-axis conduction lines. Each second-axis conduction line extends across the insulation layer of the associated first-axis conduction line. |
| US08217899B2 |
Information processing apparatus with double-sided operable keyboard
There is provided an information processing apparatus with a double-sided operable keyboard, capable of executing desired application processing even in the case where a keyboard is folded and keys to be normally operated are directed to a reverse side (e.g., a display apparatus side or a lower side) with respect to a user. The information processing apparatus includes a display apparatus and a keyboard apparatus. The keyboard apparatus is foldable so as to cover a lower part or a portion of a display region of the display apparatus, and at least one function key assigned arbitrary applications are provided on a bottom surface of the keyboard apparatus. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus includes a keyboard position detecting part for detecting a relative position of the keyboard apparatus with respect to the display apparatus, and switches effective keys between keys on an upper surface of the keyboard apparatus and keys on the bottom surface of the keyboard apparatus in accordance with the relative position of the keyboard apparatus. |
| US08217897B2 |
Speckle interference laser tracking
An optical tracking system is disclosed that provides more precise tracking and better performance in an optical mouse. It involves provides a collimated laser, and imaging a reflection of the collimated laser, such that the reflection has a substantially linear phase gradient. The reflection of the laser includes a pattern of speckles due to optical interference effects. The speckles are imaged such that the substantially linear phase gradient restricts any variation in intensity of the imaging of the speckles during a translating motion of the reflection, thereby providing superior tracking performance. |
| US08217895B2 |
Non-contact selection device
A non-contract selecting device is disclosed. The non-contract selecting device include a light source, emitting light to an outside; a camera unit, generating and outputting a video signal corresponding to an external video; a video data generating unit, generating video data corresponding to the video signal; and an identity unit, detecting a location of a detected area formed by light, reflected by pointing-means and inputted, of the light emitted from the video data in units of each frame, recognizing a moving locus of the detected area by comparing at least two continuous frames and generating and outputting corresponding change information. With the present invention, the function-selecting can be more quickly and easily and increase making the most use of elements. |
| US08217893B2 |
Inertial sensor-based pointing device with removable transceiver
An inertial sensor-based pointing device 10 is compatible with a removable USB pod 14 having a digital flash memory 32 and an integrated radio transceiver 30. Flash memory 32 can be used by a user to store software that enables a user to auto load software applications into compatible computers. Pointing device 10 is adapted to receive USB pod 14 resulting in a combined memory/transceiver and pointing device system that can be conveniently carried as a single unit in a pocket or via a belt clip. |
| US08217892B2 |
Tactile feedback input device
An input device includes an input device chassis. At least one tactile feedback module is coupled to the input device chassis. The tactile feedback module includes a first electromagnet and a second electromagnet located in a spaced apart relationship from the first electromagnet. A mass includes a pair of opposing ends and is located between the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet. A permanent magnet is located on each of the opposing ends of the mass. The mass is operable to move along an axis between the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet and may be moved to produce a variety of forces on the input device in order to provide tactile feedback. |
| US08217891B2 |
Dielectrophoretic display
A display includes a first substrate, a partition element, a second substrate, a dielectric liquid, a plurality of dielectrophoretic particles and a plurality of electrophoretic particles. The partition element is disposed on the first substrate. The second substrate is disposed on the partition element. The partition element forms at least one accommodating room between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate or the second substrate is adapted to forming an electric field in the accommodating room. The dielectric liquid is disposed in the accommodating room and has a first dielectric constant. The dielectrophoretic particles are dispersed in the dielectric liquid. Each of the dielectrophoretic particles has a first color and a second dielectric constant different from the first one. The electrophoretic particles are dispersed in the dielectric liquid. Each of the electrophoretic particles has a second color different from the first one. Another display is also provided. |
| US08217890B2 |
Liquid crystal display with black point modulation
A backlit display with improved dynamic range. A first pixel is illuminated at a first non-zero illumination level during a first frame and a second non-zero illumination level during a second frame, immediately following the first frame. The second illumination level is greater than the first level. The first pixel is decreased in illumination to a level less than the first illumination level prior to illuminating the first pixel at the second illumination level during the second frame. |
| US08217889B2 |
Pulse-width modulation control for backlighting of a video display
A pulse-width modulated backlight control for a video display restarts the pulse-width modulated pulse train on occurrence of a video refresh pulse. In order to prevent an undesirable momentary increase in brightness in the event that the last pulse of the pre-refresh pulse train occurs too close to the first pulse of the post-refresh pulse train relative to the normal pulse interval, the width of the first pulse following refresh may be reduced from a first value determined by the desired brightness to a second value that bears the same proportion to the first value that the interval between the beginning of the previous pulse and the occurrence of the refresh pulse bore to the normal pulse interval. In that way, the duty cycle during the shortened pulse interval is the same as during a normal pulse interval, avoiding or minimizing perceptible increase in backlight brightness. |
| US08217888B2 |
Method for processing images in liquid crystal display
A method for processing images in a liquid crystal display is provided. The method includes the steps of: acquiring a backlight index according to an image; adjusting a backlight according to the backlight index; acquiring a reference gray level according to the adjusted backlight, wherein the reference gray level lies in between a first gray level boundary and a second gray level boundary; transferring a gray level of the image into a corresponding output gray level according to the backlight index when the gray level of the image lying in between the reference gray level and the first gray level boundary; and transferring the gray level of the image into another corresponding output gray level according to a linear relationship when the gray level of the image lying in between the reference gray level and the second gray level boundary. |
| US08217885B2 |
Enhancing time-wise likelihood for a leak current from a floating memory node in a display device having a shift register circuit
In a display device which includes a driver circuit having a shift register circuit, the shift register circuit is constituted of basic circuits in plural stages. Each basic circuit is constituted of a circuit A, a circuit B and a circuit C. The circuit A fetches a first drive clock (or a second drive clock) inputted from the outside when transfer data is inputted to the circuit A from a circuit of preceding stage, outputs the transfer data as a shift output of own stage, and transfers the transfer data to the circuit B. The circuit B transfers the transfer data to the circuit A of the basic circuit of the succeeding stage, and resets the circuit C. The circuit C resets the circuit A and the circuit B in synchronism with the first drive clock (or the second drive clock) generated at next timing or succeeding timing of the first drive clock. |
| US08217883B2 |
Output circuit, and data driver and display device using the same
Disclosed is an output circuit including a connection switch and an operation unit. The connection switch receives first and second voltages from first and second terminals, respectively, selects and outputs the first voltage or the second voltage for first to third intermediate terminals, including selection of the same voltage and switches assignment of the first and second voltages to the first to third intermediate terminals responsive to a connection switching signal. The operation unit receives the voltages assigned to the first to third intermediate terminals and outputs to an output terminal a voltage obtained by performing a predetermined operation on the voltages. |
| US08217881B2 |
Display device and display method
In the display device and the display method of the present invention, a scanning signal line driving circuit controls falls of a scanning signal line, so as to make level shifts occurring to pixel potentials substantially uniform throughout display plane, the level shifts being caused by parasitic capacitances which parasitically exist in scanning signal lines. Fall waveforms of the scanning signal change at a change rate Sx which is a change quantity per unit time, and by desirably setting the change rate Sx, a change rate Sx1 in the vicinity of an input-side end of the scanning signal line and a change rate SxN in the vicinity of the other end thereof are substantially equal to each other, not being influenced by signal delay transmission characteristic which the scanning signal line possesses, like scanning signal line waveforms Vg(1, j) and Vg(N, j). |
| US08217877B2 |
Display device, driving method thereof, and electronic device using the display device
A display device is provided in which a signal line can be shared by a plurality of pixels and data supplied from scan lines can be distributed to a desired pixel selected from the plurality of pixels. The display is characterized in its circuit structure of the plurality of pixels, which allows the signal line to be shared by neighboring three pixels. This circuit structure results in the reduction of the number of signal lines and the simplification of the structure of the signal line driver circuit, which contributes to the reduction of the power consumption and miniaturization of the signal line driver circuit. The detailed structure of the display device is defined in the specification. |
| US08217875B2 |
Signal processing device for liquid crystal display panel and liquid crystal display including the signal processing device
A liquid crystal display system including a signal processing device uses interpolation to generate an intermediate image frame using previous image frame data and present image frame data. The system converts data of the intermediate image frame into transposed image data that is to be used to drive a liquid crystal display panel and display a corresponding image. The transposed image data and the present image data are subjected to a prespecified DCC process (dynamic capacitance compensation process) to thereby generate respective first and second compensation image data. Since the first compensation image data is generated based on the transposed image data and the transposition is configured to prevent over-compensation by the DCC process, over-compensation by the dynamic capacitance compensation process can be reduced or prevented. |
| US08217873B2 |
Liquid crystal display device for improving color washout effect
A liquid crystal display device for improving color washout problem is disclosed in the present invention, in which storage capacitors of two sub-pixels of a pixel are electrically connected to a next scan line and a next scan line of the next scan line, respectively, in order for utilizing driving signals of the two scan lines to modulate voltages of the storage capacitors, so as to make the two sub-pixels have different driving voltages. |
| US08217872B2 |
Active matrix substrate, and liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device including an active matrix substrate with improved characteristics and providing high-contrast between black and white displays. The active matrix substrate of the present invention is an active matrix substrate, including: pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix pattern; a source line extending in a column direction and overlapping with any adjacent two of the pixel electrodes in a row direction; and a storage capacitor line extending in the row direction and intersecting with the source line, wherein the pixel electrodes, the source line, and the storage capacitor line are disposed in different layers stacked with an insulating film therebetween, the source line has bend points below both of the adjacent two row pixel electrodes and has a crossing portion passing across a space between the adjacent two row pixel electrodes, the storage capacitor line has a portion extending in the column direction and overlapping with the space between the adjacent two row pixel electrodes, and the source line overlaps with the storage capacitor line substantially only at an intersection thereof. |
| US08217871B2 |
Touch-controlled liquid crystal display and touch panel thereof
A touch-controlled LCD includes a liquid crystal display panel and a touch panel. The liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The touch panel is disposed on a side of the second substrate facing away from the liquid crystal layer. The touch panel includes a plurality of first electrodes being parallel to each other, a plate shaped second electrodes facing the first electrodes, and a plurality of spacers disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrode. |
| US08217867B2 |
Compensation scheme for multi-color electroluminescent display
A method of compensating for changes in the characteristics of transistors and electroluminescent devices in an electroluminescent display, includes: providing an electroluminescent display having a two-dimensional array of subpixels arranged forming each pixel having at least three subpixels of different colors, with each having an electroluminescent device and a drive transistor, wherein each electroluminescent device is driven by the corresponding drive transistor; providing in each pixel a readout circuit for one of the subpixels of a specific color having a first readout transistor and a second readout transistor connected in series; using the readout circuit to derive a correction signal based on the characteristics of at least one of the transistors in the specific color subpixel, or the electroluminescent device in the specific color subpixel, or both; and using the correction signal to adjust the drive signals. |
| US08217857B2 |
Display, display method, and electronic device
A display, comprising: a planar display section; a pixel space provided next to a side adjacent to one surface of the display section and encapsulating a plurality of kinds of colorants, each kind having a different color; an accumulation section provided in the pixel space and accumulating the colorants; a separation system that separates a specific kind of colorant from the accumulated colorants in the accumulation section; a transfer system that selects at least one kind of colorant from the separated colorants and transfers this colorant to the side adjacent to the display section of the pixel space. The separation system performs separation utilizing the magnitude of a dielectrophoretic force generated in each colorant upon receipt of an alternating electric field of a specific frequency applied by this system, the magnitude varying depending on the kind of the colorant. A color of at least the one kind of colorant transferred by the transfer system is displayed at the display section. |
| US08217846B1 |
Low profile dual-polarized radiating element with coincident phase centers
The present invention is directed to a dielectric radiating element. The dielectric element may include a ground plane connected to a dielectric superstrate. The dielectric superstrate includes multiple dipole layers which include metamaterials and dipoles. The ground plane is configured with a horizontal polarization slot and a plurality of vertical polarization slots. The ground plane is further configured for receiving electrical signals from a power transmission assembly and radiating electromagnetic waves via the polarization slots based upon the received electrical signals. The electromagnetic waves may be transmitted or radiated from the ground plane, may pass through the dielectric superstrate and may then be radiated from the dielectric radiating element. The dielectric radiating element is a dual-polarized radiating element configured with coincident phase centers. |
| US08217845B2 |
High frequency glass antenna for automobiles
There is provided a high frequency glass antenna for automobiles which is capable of having an improved antenna gain without changing the shape of a defogger.A defogger, an antenna conductor, a feeding portion for the antenna conductor, a grounding conductor, and a grounding-side feeding portion for the grounding conductor are disposed in or on a rear window glass sheet for automobiles, the defogger forms at least one portion of the grounding conductor; and the grounding-side feeding portion is electrically connected to the defogger. |
| US08217843B2 |
Adjustment of radiation patterns utilizing a position sensor
A device for a wireless RF link to a remote receiving device can radiate at different radiation patterns in response to detecting a change in the device position. As the device is moved, displaced, or re-positioned, a position sensor in the device detects the change in position and provides position information to a processor. The processor receives the position information from the position sensor, selects an antenna configuration and physical data rate based on the position information, and provides an RF signal associated with the selected antenna configuration through the antenna elements of the selected antenna configuration. |
| US08217837B2 |
System and method for providing triggered location information
A system and a method for enabling a Home-SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP) to rapidly identify a currently available positioning method of a target SUPL-Enabled terminal (target SET) are provided. To this end, a message, including positioning capabilities (SET capabilities) which represent whether one or more positioning methods exist, to be transmitted from the target SET to the H-SLP is configured to additionally include information representing whether each positioning method is currently available. Accordingly, even if an electric wave environment of the target SET is changed or a positioning method is changed, the H-SLP can rapidly and efficiently perform a positioning because it always recognizes a currently available positioning method. |
| US08217835B2 |
Method and apparatus for beam-forming signal in multi user-MIMO wireless communication system
A base station is capable of transmitting a signal in a wireless communication network. The base station decides channel state information matrices of respective channels by determining a state of the channels corresponding to respective transmission antennas. The base station calculates transmission beam forming vectors for the respective transmission antennas by a combination of a dot product and a cross product of the channel state information matrices. Thereafter, the base station beam-forms signals for the respective transmission antennas by using the respective transmission beam forming vectors, and transmitting the beam-formed signals. |
| US08217821B2 |
Reference signal generator circuit for an analog-to-digital converter of a microelectromechanical acoustic transducer, and corresponding method
A reference signal generator circuit for an analog-to-digital converter, the circuit having a signal-generation stage to generate a first reference signal on a first reference terminal, and a filtering circuit arranged between the generator stage and the analog-to-digital converter to determine a filtering of disturbance present on the first reference signal and supply at output on a second reference terminal a second filtered reference signal, the filtering circuit having a switching circuit to connect the first reference terminal to the second reference terminal directly during startup of the reference signal generator circuit and then through the filtering circuit once the startup step is terminated. |
| US08217820B2 |
Using multi-level pulse width modulated signal for real time noise cancellation
A mixed signal processing circuit includes an analog to PWM converting circuit and a finite impulse response (FIR) filter having a multiple output tapped delay line and a summing and integration circuit. The mixed signal processing circuit converts an input analog signal to a PWM signal, forms a multi-level PWM signal from the PWM signal and one or more delayed versions of the PWM signal, and converts the multi-level PWM signal to an output analog signal. The analog to PWM converting circuit is implemented using a triangle waveform generator and a comparator. The FIR filter is implement using a resistive network to apply scaling coefficients of the FIR filter. The mixed signal processing circuit can be implemented within a noise cancellation headphone to generate a noise cancelling signal or generally in applications that would be benefitted from the combination of analog input/output and digital filter techniques. |
| US08217818B2 |
Digital RF converter and RF converting method thereof
Provided are a digital radio frequency (RF) converter and an RF converting method thereof. The RF frequency converter includes first and second RF output terminals of a differential form outputting an RF signal; a differential switch selectively connecting first and second nodes into the first and second RF output terminals in response to an oscillating waveform; at least one digital delay device column outputting a plurality of unit bits by sequentially delaying an input bit corresponding to the digital input signal; a front-end processor summing an output of the at least one digital delay device column; a plurality of current sources; and a plurality of first switches corresponding to the plurality of current sources, respectively, and delivering currents of current sources whose number corresponds to the sum value of the front-end processor among the plurality of current sources, to one of the first and second nodes. |
| US08217812B2 |
Adjustable sampling rate converter
Techniques of this disclosure provide for adjustment of a conversion rate of a sampling rate converter (SRC) in real-time. The SRC determines relative timing of generated output samples based on non-approximated integer components that are recursively updated. The SRC may further base relative timing of output samples on a value of one or more step size components associated with the integer components. Also according to techniques of this disclosure, a conversion rate of an SRC may be adjusted in real-time based on a detected mismatch between a source clock of a digital input signal and a local clock. |
| US08217807B1 |
Operational flight phase determination and indication system
An operational flight phase determination and indication system for an aircraft includes input/output circuitry for receiving an operational flight phase selector output signal and aircraft sensor signals. A processor is coupled to the input/output circuitry. A flight phase data table is coupled to the processor. The flight phase data table includes a list of the defined operational flight phases for the aircraft. A flight phase transition rules set is coupled to the processor. The flight phase transition rules set includes flight rules for defining flight phase transitions. Program memory and working memory are coupled to the processor. The processor uses input from the input/output circuitry, the flight phase data table, the flight phase transition rules set, the program memory and the working memory to provide an operational mode signal indicating the operational mode of the aircraft. A flight phase selector is coupled to the processor for providing the flight phase selector signal to the processor in accordance with the pilot selected flight phase input. A display indicator driver is coupled to the processor for providing display indicator driver signals to an operational flight phase indicator in accordance with the operational mode signal. The input/output circuitry preferably receives on-board automation systems input. |
| US08217806B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing parking information
A method and apparatus, where the apparatus includes: a transmitting/receiving unit for receiving location information of other vehicles existing in a limited area by communicating with the other terminals via a mesh network; a controller for identifying an available parking space by analyzing the location information of the other terminals; and a display unit for displaying the available parking space. |
| US08217803B2 |
Wireless data acquisition network and operating methods
A wireless network is provided, that may comprise wireless sensor units organized in chains of wireless sensor units. Each wireless sensor unit may comprise plural sensors and at least a wireless transceiver connected to communicate by wires or wirelessly with the plural sensors. Each chain of wireless sensor units may include a terminal wireless sensor unit and intermediate wireless sensor units, each intermediate wireless sensor unit being configured to relay data along the chain of intermediate wireless sensor units towards the terminal wireless sensor unit. The terminal wireless sensor unit in each chain of wireless sensor units is adapted to communicate wirelessly with at least one backhaul unit of plural backhaul units; and the backhaul units are adapted to communicate with a central computer. |
| US08217802B2 |
Methods and systems for borehole telemetry
Methods and systems for borehole telemetry utilizing a tool configured or designed for deployment in a borehole traversing a subterranean formation. The tool includes a downhole telemetry module; a surface telemetry module; and a datalink between the downhole and surface modules configured or designed for transferring data over two or more data communication channels, wherein the transferred data comprises coding at a transmitter to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the data. |
| US08217801B2 |
LED (light emitting diode) module
An LED (Light Emitting Diode) module includes a base seat and a plurality of LEDs. The base seat includes a planar portion having a planar external surface and a straight portion connected interactively to the planar portion, and having a straight external surface. The plurality of LEDs includes a first LED mounted on the planar external surface of the planar portion to emit light rays in the facing in a vertical direction and a second LED mounted on the straight external surface of the straight portion to emit light rays in the horizontal direction. |
| US08217800B2 |
Motion-based disabling of messaging on a wireless communications device
When a wireless communications device is traveling a speed exceeding a first predetermined threshold but less than a second predetermined threshold, the device is presumed traveling in a motor vehicle. In order to inhibit operation of the wireless communication device when traveling, access to certain device functions or applications such as e-mail, text messaging, etc. are limited by requiring the user of the device to respond correctly to a randomly generated visual challenge, such as, for example, a CAPTCHA (in which a user is prompted to recognize the characters in a visually distorted string of text). This visual challenge presents a sufficient obstacle that the user will be less likely to use the wireless communications device for e-mailing or texting while operating a motor vehicle. |
| US08217796B2 |
Child seat safety system
The Child Seat Safety System provides drivers (common vehicles) with an alarm and monitoring system for the attachment of safety harnesses and temperature readings for respective child seat occupants within the car. The monitoring component details the attached “status” of said harnesses through indicator lights on the main operator dashboard along with on the system device. Alarm features automatically warn either the driver or surrounding bystanders or emergency personnel of alarm situation including temperature variances, harness disengagement, accident or unattended occupant warnings. The Child Seat Safety System can reduce the risk of small children being injured due to unattached seat belts during accident, braking or collision, and can reduce exposure to unhealthy temperatures either during driving or from extended lengths of time being unattended in a car. |
| US08217795B2 |
Method and system for fall detection
A fall detection system includes a wearable monitoring device that monitors the movement of a person. The device monitors a sensor and detects variation from the normal range and duration thereof. The system determines whether the wearer has fallen through an algorithmic analysis technique using parameters to evaluate the accelerations and timings of the events that comprise a fall. If the combination of the timing and variations from the normal ranges are sufficient as compared to preset thresholds, a fall report will be generated. The wearable device optionally allows qualified professionals to adjust or customize the parameters to optimize the evaluation to the requirements of particular users or classes of users. The wearable device generally transmits data and alerts over a short distance to a console or over a long distance using a connection to a long-distance back haul communication system such as cell network or internet or both. The device thus transmit data and alerts to a call center or other designated location. |
| US08217792B2 |
Acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices
A theft prevention system for protecting portable electronic devices is disclosed. An acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of a portable electronic device, and a controller analyzes this acceleration to determine whether a theft condition is present. If so, an alarm can be initiated. The theft prevention system can include a filter for attenuating irrelevant acceleration frequencies and isolating those representative of theft, and comparison hardware/software for determining whether the detected acceleration matches a known acceleration profile characteristic of theft. Various parameters of the theft prevention system can also be set by a user through mechanisms such as a graphical user interface. |
| US08217786B2 |
Checking apparatus for containers
An apparatus for checking for the presence of objects and in particular containers, comprising a transmitting device which has a sound signal generation unit for emitting a sound signal, and a receiving device which is arranged relative to the transmitting device in such a way that a sound signal emitted by the transmitting device and transmitted through air can be received by the receiving device. According to the invention, at least the transmitting device or the receiving device has a housing, wherein at least one region of this housing is suitable for emitting or for receiving sound signals. |
| US08217785B2 |
Mobile tag tracking system
A mobile tag tracking system for providing mobile security monitoring is provided. The system includes a communications facility, a communications network coupled to the communications facility, and a mobile tag. The mobile tag is coupled to an item to be monitored. The mobile tag has a processor having a memory and for controlling operation of the mobile tag, a radio communications component coupled to the processor for communicating with the communications facility over the communications network for reporting status messages related to the item, a power supply coupled to the processor for providing power to the mobile tag, security sequence generator coupled to the processor for generating binary sequences, a location tracking component coupled to the processor for determining the location of the mobile tag and providing a location signal to the processor, and a clock coupled to the processor. The mobile tag communicates with the communications facility using randomly scheduled communications each including a status message. |
| US08217783B2 |
Method of conserving energy and water using an apparatus to locate leaks in subsurface pipelines
A method of conserving energy and natural resources transported in subsurface pipelines and preventing environmental contamination therefrom by identifying the subsurface location of leaks of oil, gas, water or other natural resources transported in these pipelines includes adhering a continuous tape having a plurality of uniquely identified radio frequency identification (RFID) tags mounted thereon axially along the pipeline and use of a mobile robotic device to identify the specific location of a leak in the pipeline, thereby preventing loss of energy and water traveling through pipeline, contamination of these fluids and environmental contamination, and the use of additional fuel to replenish these lost natural resources. |
| US08217781B2 |
Method of facilitating servicing an appliance using a central collector
A central collector has appliance communication links to communicate with multiple appliances, and removable memory to store operational data retrieved from the appliances. When the memory is removed from the central collector and installed in a device capable of communication, the operational data can be communicated from the removable memory to a remote service center or a portable computing device. |
| US08217780B2 |
System and method for extension of entry delay in a security system
A system and method are provided for extending the expiration of an entry delay period for disarming a security system based on the entry of a keypress that matches a valid access code before expiration of a preprogrammed entry delay period. The security system includes a plurality of detection devices to detect any number of conditions, a user interface such as a keypad, and a control panel communicating with each of the detection devices and the user interface. The system extends the entry delay period based on the input of each keypress using the user interface that matches a symbol of a valid access code. |
| US08217775B2 |
Method and device for warning the driver
To warn the driver as a function of the driver condition, a standing acoustic wave is generated. The head of the driver is positioned in this standing wave in such a way that, in a setpoint position of the head, the ears of the driver come to lie in nodal points of the standing wave, and an acoustic warning signal is able to be perceived by the driver in a deviation therefrom. |
| US08217772B2 |
Automated geo-fence boundary configuration and activation
A geo-fence is defined and established automatically based on a current location of an asset along with some range or distance, avoiding the need for a user to manually specify a location by drawing a perimeter, specifying a point location, or by any other means. Once established, the geo-fence can be activated so as to notify the owner of the asset and/or some other entity of movement of the asset beyond the boundary specified by the geo-fence. In one embodiment, the geo-fence can be automatically activated upon certain conditions, or can be manually activated, or any combination thereof. |
| US08217770B2 |
Seat belt system
A seat belt monitoring system is provided. The seat belt monitoring system includes a seat belt system. The seat belt system has a first portion including a seat belt webbing and a tongue. The seat belt system also includes a buckle. A radio frequency device is associated with the first portion. The seat belt monitoring system further includes a radio frequency receiver that detects either a signal from the radio frequency device or a particular spatial relationship between the radio frequency device and a second radio frequency device placed near the buckle of the seat belt system. |
| US08217767B2 |
Vehicle presence notification apparatus
A vehicular horn device of an existing electromagnetic type is used as a dynamic speaker so as to generate a false engine sound. The shortage of a low-pitched sound in a parametric speaker device is complemented with a false engine sound which the vehicular horn device generates. Thereby, without need of mounting a large-sized dynamic speaker such as a woofer in a vehicle, a false engine sound is generated so as to model for a real engine sound. In addition, as the vehicle approaches a pedestrian, a sound tone of the false engine sound which the pedestrian hears changes, enabling the pedestrian to easily notice the approach or presence of the vehicle. |
| US08217765B2 |
Portable electronics and sensing method
A portable electronics includes detection unit which detects a state of the portable electronics, storage unit which stores a detection result of the detection unit at a first period, and determination unit which reads out, every time a second period longer than the first period has elapsed, a plurality of detection results stored in the storage unit during the second period and determines the state of the portable electronics based on the plurality of readout detection results. |
| US08217758B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and program
In an information processing apparatus in which a sheet having an RFID tag is transported, the transport speed is changed or the sheet is stopped to enable data to be communicated to or from the RFID tag without the need for setting a fixed speed in advance. Common communication standards are identified between the RFID tag and an RFID reader/writer, and common communication speeds are identified. Among the common communication speeds, the maximum common communication speed is identified. Based on the size of the data that needs to be communicated and the maximum common communication speed, a read/write required time is calculated. Based on the access range of the RFID reader/writer and the read/write required time, the maximum transport speed is calculated. When the maximum transport speed is lower than the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be transported stably, the sheet is stopped. |
| US08217757B2 |
Voice over RFID
A wearable mobile computer communicates with a headset worn by an operator using a communication channel established between the computer and a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag located in the headset. The headset may be configured for receive only (voice travels only from the computer to the headset) or configured for two-way voice communication. For two-way communication backscatter from the RFID tag is used to carry voice signals. |
| US08217756B2 |
Rule-based filtering and alerting
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates utilizing rule-based technology with radio frequency identification (RFID) network. An interface can receive real-time RFID data from a process comprising at least one device collection in the RFID network, wherein a rules engine (RE) component can employ a declarative event policy associated with the RFID network as rules. The RE allows dynamic updates of business logic associated with applications in real-time without the re-start and/or stop the applications. The system and/or method further comprises a vocabulary component that provides terms that defines at least one of the rule, rule condition, and action based at least in part upon an industry specific nomenclature. |
| US08217749B2 |
Coil component, transformer, switching power supply unit, and method for manufacturing coil component
A coil component includes coil windings, and resin portions that are insulating members having electrical insulation properties and integrally formed with the coil windings covering parts of surfaces of the coil windings, and the coil component is sandwiched by magnetic core members in directions of winding axes of the coil windings. The coil windings are composed of a plurality of plate-like coil members in a ring shape having ends joined in a stacking direction with a clearance therebetween to be continuous in a predetermined winding direction. The resin portions that are the insulating members cover outermost plate surfaces of the coil members facing the magnetic core members, a space between the adjacent coil members, and inner perimeter edges of the coil members, and have openings along the directions of winding axes of the coil windings. |
| US08217748B2 |
Compact inductive power electronics package
An inductive power electronics package is disclosed. It has a circuit substrate with power inductor attached atop. The power inductor has inductor core of closed magnetic loop with an interior window. The closed magnetic loop can include air gap for inductance adjustment. The circuit substrate has bottom half-coil forming elements constituting a bottom half-coil beneath the inductor core. Also provided are top half-coil forming elements interconnected with the bottom half-coil forming elements to form an inductive coil enclosing the inductor core. An inner connection chip can be added in the interior window for interconnecting bottom half-coil forming elements with top half-coil forming elements. An outer connection chip can be added about the inductor core for interconnecting bottom half-coil forming elements with top half-coil forming elements outside the inductor core. A power Integrated Circuit can be attached to the top side of the circuit substrate as well. |
| US08217747B2 |
Planar inductor
A planar inductor (50) comprises a conductive path in the form of a spiral pattern (53A-53D, 54A-54D). A conductive connecting path (62A, 63) connects a terminal (60) to an intermediate tap point (61A). The connecting path comprises at least one path portion which is radially directed with respect to the spiral pattern (53A-53D). The connecting path (62A, 63) can be routed via the inside of the spiral pattern. Where the connecting path comprises only radially-directed path portions, they are commonly joined at the center (64) of the spiral pattern. Multiple path portions (62A, 62B) can each connect to the intermediate tap point of a respective conductive path. The connecting path can use a further conductive track (85) which is parallel to the conductive path which forms the spiral pattern. |
| US08217746B2 |
Choke coil for interleaved PFC circuit
A choke coil includes a pair of E-shaped cores, first and second coil windings around central legs of the E-shaped cores, and an I-shaped core. Side legs of the pair of E-shaped cores are positioned face to face with each other with the I-shaped core intervening. There are gaps between the I-shaped core and each central leg. Electrical currents flow in the first and second coil windings in the same direction, and magnetic fluxes generated by each of the electrical currents are in opposite directions in the I-shaped core. |
| US08217745B2 |
Inductor and base thereof
An inductor includes a base and a winding assembly. The base includes an outer frame, a middle part and a connecting part. The outer frame has a first upper surface. The middle part has a second upper surface. The connecting part is connected with the outer frame and the middle part and has a third upper surface. The connecting part, the outer frame and the middle part collectively define a receptacle. The winding assembly is accommodated within the receptacle. The second upper surface of the middle part is disposed at a higher level with respect to the first upper surface of the outer frame. A first height is defined by the level difference between the second upper surface and the third upper surface. A second height of the winding assembly is smaller than the first height, so that a fourth upper surface of the winding assembly is disposed at a lower level with respect to the second upper surface after the winding assembly is accommodated within the receptacle. |
| US08217744B2 |
Transformer arrangement
A transformer arrangement comprising a transformer having a neutral and formed as a symmetrical transformer, in particular a cage transformer and having a reactor coil connected to the neutral of the transformer is provided. The transformer can be of any type having a neutral such as a Y-n/Y-n, Z-n/Z-n, Y-n/Z-n or a Z-n/Y-n transformer. By providing a transformer having symmetrical phases connected to a reactor coil a transformer arrangement having less weight is obtained. The lower weight is obtained because in comparison to using an E core for the transformer all phases will be symmetrical so that if a ground fault occurs in one of then phases there is no need for any compensatory windings regardless of which phase suffers the ground fault. |
| US08217741B1 |
Magnetically loaded electromechanical switches
A switching device is provided. An electromechanical switch controls rotation and/or lateral displacement of a core inside a housing with a magnetic field. The core is magnetically aligned by the magnetic relationship between the core and the housing. An energizing device generates a magnetic field that is sufficiently strong to realign the core with the generated magnetic field. As a result, the core switches to an energized state. When the generated magnetic field is removed, the core switches back to the natural state. |
| US08217740B2 |
Electromagnetic relay
An electromagnetic relay comprises a coil generating magnetic force when power is distributed, a contact point part opened and closed by the magnetic force, and a fuse functional part having a conductor wired electrically in series with the contact point part and disconnected when predetermined heat quantity is received, and the fuse functional part is disposed at a position which receives arc heat generated in the contact point part when switching the contact point part from conduction state to cut-off state. Thereby, a small electromagnetic relay which enables interruption of current in all current value range can be provided. |
| US08217738B2 |
Electromechanical element, driving method of the electromechanical element and electronic equipment provided with the same
An electromechanical element includes a first electrode which is provided on a substrate, and a second electrode and a third electrode which are provided via a gap with respect to the first electrode. The first electrode contacts with the second electrode when an attracting force is applied between the first electrode and the third electrode. The first electrode has a bending portion. |
| US08217737B2 |
Coupler for tuning resonant cavities
Various exemplary embodiments relate to an improved coupler for resonant cavities and dielectric resonators. The coupler may permit accurate tuning of electromagnetic signals within desired frequency ranges. The coupler may be secured to a movable tuning device by a plurality of securing members. Each securing member may be separate, having no contact with any other securing member. |
| US08217736B2 |
Quartz crystal unit, and manufacturing method of the same and manufacturing method of quartz crystal oscillator having quartz crystal unit
A quartz crystal unit has a quartz crystal resonator, a case for housing the quartz crystal resonator, and a lid for covering an open end of the case. The quartz crystal resonator comprises a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator capable of vibrating in a flexural mode of an inverse phase and having at least one groove, and an electrode is disposed on at least one of opposite side surfaces of each of the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator has a capacitance ratio r2 of a second overtone mode of vibration greater than 1500. The lid is connected to the case through a connecting member to cover the open end of the case. |
| US08217735B2 |
Harmonic suppression device
A harmonic suppression device includes a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB). The multilayer PCB includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The third layer is connected to the ground. The first layer is configured with a power amplifier, an input microstrip, a voltage divider microstrip, and an output microstrip. The power amplifier is operable to amplify radio frequency (RF) signals input using the input microstrip and to output the amplified RF signals using the output microstrip. The second layer is configured with a first microstrip and a second microstrip. One end of each of the first and second microstrips is connected to an alternative one of the first layer and the third layer by vias, and the other ends of the first and second microstrips are unattached so as to suppress harmonics on the power amplifier. |
| US08217732B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive impedance matching
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port, and a voltage detector coupled to the at least one output port to provide voltage information to a controller. The controller can be adapted to generate one or more control signals responsive to the voltage information provided by the voltage detector. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map the one or more control signals that are output from the controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08217731B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive impedance matching
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a matching network having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be adapted to increase power transferred from the at least one input port to the at least one output port responsive to signals generated by a controller adapted to adjust one or more reactances within the matching network according to a mode of operation of a device detected by the controller. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08217712B2 |
Semiconductor device that can adjust substrate voltage
To provide a semiconductor device including: a MOS transistor formed in a semiconductor substrate and have a threshold voltage to be adjusted, a replica transistor of the MOS transistor, a monitoring circuit monitors a gate/source voltage needed when the replica transistor flows a current having a given designed value, a negative voltage pumping circuit generates a substrate voltage of the MOS transistor, based on an output from the monitoring circuit, and a limiting circuit defines the operation of the negative voltage pumping circuit, regardless of a monitoring result of the monitoring circuit, in response to an excess of the substrate voltage with respect to a predetermined value. |
| US08217709B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a signal output unit, and a decision unit. The signal output unit includes m (≧2) pieces of fuses, a NAND gate, resistance elements, and an output terminal. The decision unit decides whether n or more pieces (m≧n≧2) of fuses are disconnected out of the m pieces of fuses included in the signal output unit, and outputs the result of a decision. When m=n=2, the decision unit is constituted of a NOR gate having two input terminals connected to a respective end of the fuses. Thus, a H-level potential signal is output at an output terminal of the NOR gate when the decision result is affirmative. On the other hand, when the decision result is negative, a L-level potential signal is output at the output terminal. |
| US08217708B2 |
Temperature sensor
A temperature sensor performs more precise temperature measurement, even when manufacturing fluctuations are present in semiconductor elements forming a circuit for generating a temperature-dependent current. The temperature sensor includes: a temperature-dependent voltage generation circuit for generating a temperature-dependent potential that is dependent on temperature; a current generation circuit for allowing a temperature-dependent current to flow based on the temperature-dependent potential; a reference current generation circuit for generating a reference current that is independent of temperature; a capacitor that is charged alternately with the temperature-dependent current during a first charge period and the reference current during a second charge period; a pulse generation circuit for comparing a charged voltage of the capacitor with a reference voltage to generate a pulse; and a control circuit for alternately supplying the temperature-dependent current and the reference current to the capacitor. The temperature-dependent voltage generation circuit includes switches for switching connection relations between MOS transistors forming a current source circuit included in the temperature-dependent voltage generation circuit and bipolar transistors each serving as a load of the current source circuit. |
| US08217707B2 |
Thermal control system and method for operating an integrated circuit
According to one embodiment, a system and method for operating an Integrated Circuit (IC) includes inputting power to the IC in bursts, sensing an IC temperature using a temperature sensor, operating the IC by controlling the power to be outputted by the IC during the burst in dependence on the sensed IC temperature compared to a reference IC temperature using a controller, wherein the IC temperature is obtained at a predetermined moment prior to a start of the burst, and the IC is operated by setting an allowable power to be outputted by the IC prior to the start of the burst. |
| US08217705B2 |
Voltage switching in a memory device
Voltage switches, memory devices, memory systems, and methods for switching are disclosed. One such voltage switch uses a pair of switch circuits coupled in series, each switch circuit being driven by a level shift circuit. Each switch circuit uses a group of series coupled transistors with a parallel control transistor where the number of transistors in each group may be determined by an expected switch input voltage and a maximum allowable voltage drop for each transistor. A voltage of a particular state of an enable signal is shifted up to the switch input voltage by the level shift circuits. The particular state of the enable signal turns on the voltage switch such that the switch output voltage is substantially equal to the switch input voltage. |
| US08217704B2 |
Gate drive device
A gate drive device which can suppress the fluctuation of an internal power source voltage and output voltage, while reducing the number of parts by omitting a bypass capacitor connected in parallel with a semiconductor integrated circuit, is provided. The gate drive device drives the gate of an active element with a large input capacity, such as an IGBT or MOSFET, and includes a semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit has an internal power source based on an external power source, such as a battery. The semiconductor integrated circuit incorporates a voltage drop suppressing circuit, configured so that, if an input external power source voltage momentarily drops below a minimum operating voltage, a drop of an internal power source voltage below the minimum operating voltage, and a sharp drop in a voltage output to the gate, are prevented by the voltage drop suppressing circuit. |
| US08217703B2 |
Low power fast level shifter
A lever shifter is provided for receiving a signal in a first voltage domain and providing an output signal in a second voltage domain. The level shifter reduces propagation delay and power consumption by mitigating contention between NFETs and PFETs during signal propagation. |
| US08217701B2 |
Level shifter
A level shifter includes a first input circuit, a first load circuit, a second input circuit, and a second load circuit. The first input circuit receives a first input signal and a second input signal that swing between a first high power voltage and a first low power voltage. The first load circuit generates a high voltage, a sub-high voltage, a low voltage, and a sub-low voltage. The second input circuit receives a first voltage pair including the high voltage and the low voltage, and a second voltage pair including the sub-high voltage and the sub-low voltage. The second load circuit generates an output signal that swings between a second high power voltage and a second low power voltage. |
| US08217698B2 |
Clock integrated circuit
The clock circuit of an integrated circuit operates with variations such as temperature, ground noise, and power noise. Various aspects of an improved clock integrated circuit address one or more of the variations in temperature, ground noise, and power noise. |
| US08217696B2 |
Adaptive digital phase locked loop
In some embodiments, a digital PLL is disclosed with a dynamically controllable filter for changing the effective DPLL bandwidth in response to one or more real-time performance parameters such as phase error. |
| US08217694B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing with a clock signal
Clock synchronization and skew adjustment circuits that utilize differing unit delay elements in their delay lines in either a graduated or a stepped unit time delay arrangement are for synchronizing with a clock signal. These graduated or a stepped unit time delays allow reduction in the number of the fine unit delay elements of the delay lines by placing a fine delay element granularity at the most critical timings to sense and adjust for the portion of the clock signal time period that are high speed or critical. |
| US08217692B2 |
Frequency synthesizer
The frequency synthesizer has two fixed frequency dividers, two charge pumps, five capacitors, a voltage controlled oscillator, and a transconductance voltage amplifier. The pulse widths of the input reference signal and the output signal are compared and the resultant signal is coupled to the oscillator to adjust its frequency. The circuit exhibits accurate frequency synthesizing, and thus can be used in wireless communication and signal processing systems. It provides a precise integer and fractional frequency division with a low phase noise. Moreover, it has a simple and compact structure that can be implemented in integrated circuit technologies such as CMOS. |
| US08217689B2 |
Method and circuit for DisplayPort video clock recovery
A method and a circuit are described for recovery of video clocks for a DisplayPort receiver. The disclosure includes two clock dividers, a direct digital synthesis (DDS), a fixed multiplier Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) on a DisplayPort video system. A DisplayPort receiver link clock is divided to a lower frequency as the input of the DDS which can lower the performance requirement on a DDS circuit. The output from a time stamp value indirectly controls a direct digital synthesis device, which then drives a PLL to generate the recovery clock signal. The technique is suitable for implementation on an integrated circuit and Field Programmable Gate array system. |
| US08217688B2 |
Method and device for dividing a frequency signal
A method for dividing a frequency includes the steps of receiving a first signal having a first frequency as a clock input to a first digital counter and outputting a second signal as a clock input to a second digital counter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter. The output occurs when the first counter reaches a first number of count cycles. The method also includes generating a third signal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function of the first number of count cycles. Depending on a desired division ratio, the high and low cycles may also be a function of a second number of count cycles associated with the second counter. The third signal has a frequency lower than the first frequency. |
| US08217687B2 |
Capacitive load driver
A capacitive load driver includes a first switching element whose first end receives positive potential, an EL element arranged between a second end of the first switching element and the ground, a charge collecting capacitor whose first end is connected to a positive electrode terminal of the EL element, a voltage source connected between a second end of the charge collecting capacitor and the ground, and a controller. The controller charges a parasitic capacitance of the EL element and the charge collecting capacitor, and thereafter, applies negative potential from the voltage source to the second end of the charge collecting capacitor. Thereafter, the controller brings the output voltage of the voltage source to ground potential so that the charge collecting capacitor is discharged to charge the EL element. The capacitance of the charge collecting capacitor is set to be sufficiently greater than that of the parasitic capacitance. |
| US08217685B2 |
Input/output driver with controlled transistor voltages
In an embodiment, an integrated circuit comprises core circuitry and at least one driver circuit. The core circuitry is powered by a first supply voltage during use, and comprises a control circuit configured to generate a pull up control signal, a pull down control signal, and at least one reference voltage. The driver circuit is powered by a second supply voltage during use, the second supply voltage having a greater magnitude than the first supply voltage. The driver circuit is connected to a pad to be connected to a pin on a package of the integrated circuit. The driver circuit comprises a cascode connection of a first transistor and a second transistor, and a capacitor coupled between a first gate terminal of the first transistor and a second gate terminal of the second transistor. The first gate terminal is coupled to receive the pull down control signal. |
| US08217675B2 |
Electrical testing apparatus with a tilt adjusting arrangement for testing an electrical test sample and electrical testing method
An electrical testing apparatus for testing an electrical test sample. The apparatus includes a conductor substrate (12) which is electrically connected via a contact spacing converter (7) to a test head (2). The conductor substrate is mechanically connected to a first stiffening device (26) and is thereby stiffened. At least one spacer (30) which penetrates the conductor substrate (12) is mechanically connected to the contact spacing converter (7) and is held on the first stiffening device (26) via at least one tilt adjusting arrangement (34). |
| US08217674B2 |
Systems and methods to test integrated circuits
Open and short systems and methods for testing integrated circuits are disclosed. An example implementation includes engaging an integrated circuit testing module with an integrated circuit testing apparatus, the integrated circuit testing module for receiving an integrated circuit, a first set of contact points, and a second set of contact points; engaging a first probe onto at least one of the contact points of the first set of contact points, controllably engaging at least one of a second probe onto at least one contact pair of the integrated circuit testing module, and providing an electrical stimulus to the integrated circuit testing module. |
| US08217671B2 |
Parallel array architecture for constant current electro-migration stress testing
A parallel array architecture for constant current electro-migration stress testing is provided. The parallel array architecture comprises a device under test (DUT) array having a plurality of DUTs coupled in parallel and a plurality of localized heating elements associated with respective ones of the DUTs in the DUT array. The architecture further comprises DUT selection logic that isolates individual DUTs within the array. Moreover, the architecture comprises current source logic that provides a reference current and controls the current through the DUTs in the DUT array such that each DUT in the DUT array has substantially a same current density, and current source enable logic for selectively enabling portions for the current source logic. Electro-migration stress testing is performed on the DUTs of the DUT array using the heating elements, the DUT selection logic, current source logic, and current source enable logic. |
| US08217669B1 |
Electrical sensor for monitoring degradation of products from environmental stressors
An environmental degradation sensor for environmentally sensitive products such as food, pharmaceuticals or cosmetic products provides the degraded state and estimated remaining life of the product. The sensor is made of a polymeric matrix and conductive filler. A control agent, selected to adjust a reaction rate of the sensor to environmental conditions, allows correlation of an electrical property of the sensor to a degraded state of the product. The sensor may be integrated with a passive RFID to provide product identification and degradation status wirelessly via reader. The sensor improves product safety, reduces cost of premature product disposal and, combined with RFIDs, improves the security of products through combined product degradation monitoring and tracking. |
| US08217659B2 |
Method for on-line measurement of battery internal resistance, current operational module, and on-line measurement instrument for battery internal resistance
A method and a current operational module for on-line measurement of battery internal resistance and an on-line measurement instrument for battery internal resistance have high measurement accuracy and strong anti-interference ability. The on-line measurement instrument for battery internal resistance comprises a current work module, a voltage measurement module, an analog to digital conversion module, a signal generation module, a center processing module, an Input/Output module, and a power supply module used for on-line measurement of battery internal resistance. |
| US08217658B2 |
Prismatic battery short circuit inspection method and prismatic battery manufacturing method
An object of the present invention is to easily detect a short circuit failure in a current collector of a prismatic battery and prevent a short circuit caused by an existence of a burr generated while cutting or a spatter generated while welding the current collector to an electrode plate. A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected. |
| US08217656B2 |
Motion compensation in magnetic resonance imaging
In a method of compensating for the effects of motion of an image subject during magnetic resonance imaging using phase encoding in a magnetic resonance imaging system having a number of wireless local coils and a wireless microwave transceiver array, one or more phase encoding steps are implemented to derive one or more magnetic resonance signals in the wireless coils. The signals from the phase encoding steps are upconverted to generate upper and lower sidebands of the magnetic resonance signals; and the upconverted upper and lower sideband signals are transmitted to the microwave array. Signals are derived from the upper and lower sidebands; and a representative phase difference between the signals derived from the upper and lower sidebands is determined from one or more of the phase encoding steps; then the representative phase difference is applied to each pair of derived signals for every phase encoding step to produce phase compensated signal pairs; such that the pair of signals are moved more closely into phase. |
| US08217655B2 |
Automated transport device for NMR measuring samples, cryo-magnetic system with automated transport device, transport container for an automated transport device and method for conveying an NMR measuring sample
A transport device for conveying an object to be transported (18) between an input point (A) and a supply point (Z), where the object to be transported (18) can be supplied to an RT tube (4) of a cryostat (1), wherein the input point (A) is both horizontally and also vertically spaced apart from the supply point (Z), wherein a transport tube (14) is provided for pneumatically conveying the object to be transported within the transport tube (14) from a first transfer point (B) to a second transfer point (C), is characterized in that the transport tube (14) is vertically arranged, a first transport container (TB1) and a second transport container (TB2) are provided for receiving the object to be transported (18), a first transfer device is disposed between the input point (A) and the first transfer point (B), and a second transfer device is provided between the second transfer point (C) and the supply point (Z). |
| US08217652B2 |
Spatial intensity correction for RF shading non-uniformities in MRI
An MRI MAP prescan data from a predetermined imaged patient volume is decomposed to produce a transmit RF field inhomogeneity map and a receive RF field inhomogeneity map for the imaged patient volume based on a three-dimensional geometrical model of the inhomogeneity maps. At least one of the transmit RF field inhomogeneity map and the receive RF field inhomogeneity map is used to generate intensity-corrected target MRI diagnostic scan image data representing the imaged patient volume. |
| US08217648B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and scanning-condition setting method
In a console device that controls an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus, a preset-information storage unit stores preset information including information about a plurality of scanning parameters that are grouped based on an instruction from an operator, and a scanning-condition setting unit sets scanning conditions based on parameter values of the scanning parameters that are grouped in the preset information stored by the preset-information storage unit. |
| US08217646B2 |
Inspection apparatus for performing inspections
An inspection apparatus is provided that can include at least one probe receiving unit. The at least one probe receiving unit can be capable of processing data corresponding to one or more of image information of the type that can be generated by a visual inspection probe, eddy current information of the type that can be generated by a eddy current probe, and ultrasound information of the type that can be generated by a ultrasound probe. |
| US08217644B2 |
High sensitivity differential current transformer for insulation health monitoring
A current transformer is provided. The current transformer includes a magnetic core having a central opening, at least one pair of conductors extending through the central opening and positioned symmetrically with respect to a center point of the magnetic core, one or more coils disposed on the magnetic core along a magnetic neutral axis of the magnetic core and one or more coils disposed on the magnetic core along a reference axis, wherein the reference axis is substantially perpendicular to the magnetic neutral axis. |
| US08217643B2 |
Current detector and wattmeter using the same
A current detector includes a plate conductor (4) that is folded in one portion in a longitudinal direction to have two parts parallel to and facing each other having a predetermined width (w1) therebetween, so as to compose a looped current path (2a) in the conductor, and a magneto-electric transducer (2) that is placed between the two parts of the conductor (4; 4a, 4b) so that a magnetic sensing axis is parallel to a width direction of the conductor (4), of which a length (a) in a direction of the magnetic sensing axis is smaller than the width (w1) of the conductor. |
| US08217642B2 |
Current sensor arrangement for measurement of currents in a primary conductor
A method and current sensor arrangement for measurement of a primary current in a primary conductor which is magnetically coupled to a secondary conductor via a ferromagnetic core, with a voltage of a specific amplitude being applied to the secondary conductor, such that a secondary current flows for remagnetization of the ferromagnetic core, and the secondary current is measured during the remagnetization of the core, in order to obtain a first measured value. The voltage polarity is then reversed such that a secondary current flows for renewed remagnetization of the ferromagnetic core, and the secondary current is measured during the remagnetization of the core, in order to obtain a second measured value. The primary current is calculated as a function of the first and of the second measured value, with the polarity reversal being carried out at least once at a time which occurs before that time at which the ferromagnetic core reaches its saturation magnetization. |
| US08217640B2 |
Method and device for determining the phases in a multi-phase electrical system
A method and device for determining the phases in a multi-phase electrical system includes detecting a first waveform on a phase of the multi-phase system In a first position of the multi-phase electrical system timed data is stored, synchronized with the first waveform. A second waveform is detected in a second position of the multi-phase electrical system, on an indeterminate phase of the system. Data is obtained relative to the phase on which the second waveform was read on the basis of the phase shift between the timed data and the second waveform. |
| US08217639B2 |
System for supplying and receiving power, power supply device and method thereof
A power supply device includes a power input unit, a voltage converting unit, a communication unit, a control unit. The power input unit is used for receiving an external power source. The voltage converting unit is used for converting the voltage of the external power source to a predetermined voltage. The communication unit is used for obtaining working voltage information of a power receiving device connected to the power supply device. The control unit is used for controlling the voltage converting unit to output a working voltage indicated by the working voltage information to the power receiving device. |
| US08217636B2 |
Circuit and method for reducing output voltage transients in a voltage mode buck converter
A voltage control mode buck converter circuit includes a feedback amplifier providing a comparison signal and a storage circuit in communication with the comparison signal to store a storage comparison signal value. The storage circuit stores the operating conditions for the circuit during normal continuous conduction mode operation in response to sensing a load drop for the circuit. A switching circuit locks the feedback amplifier into the stored operating parameters while the converter circuit operates in non-continuous conduction mode. When the circuit transitions back into the continuous conduction operation mode, the feedback amplifier is already operating at conditions that are compatible with a continuous conduction operation mode. |
| US08217629B2 |
Battery and hydrogen fuel cell charging regulator
A charging regulator assembly for an energy storing device includes an active material actuator configured to move a contact from a connected position permitting current transfer between the contact and a power bus into a disconnected position preventing current transfer between the contact and the power bus. The active material actuator is engaged in response to a temperature of the active material actuator rising above a pre-determined value. Moving the contact into the disconnected position prevents further current transfer into or out of the energy storing device, thereby preventing further heating of the energy storing device and preventing potential damage to the energy storing device form overheating. |
| US08217627B2 |
System and method for managing power to an electronic apparatus on-board a bicycle
In order to allow the cyclist to keep the state of the batteries under control during use of a bicycle equipped with an on-board electronic apparatus or during the recharging of the batteries, data is displayed to the cyclist relative to the batteries on the display device of the on-board electronic apparatus. |
| US08217626B2 |
System and method for dynamic power management of a mobile device
The present relates to a system and method for dynamic power management of a mobile device. The mobile device has a plurality of loads and a battery charger electrically connected to a voltage rail. The method comprises monitoring the plurality of loads to determine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive, determining a minimum required output voltage level to be provided by the voltage converter based on active loads and the at least one load that will become active or inactive and device operation; and adjusting an input voltage level via the voltage converter to provide the minimum required output voltage level on the voltage rail in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive. The method further monitors the input voltage level, and determines whether the input voltage level is below a first predetermine threshold. When the input voltage level falls below the first threshold, the method reduces the output voltage level provided by the voltage converter thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger. |
| US08217620B2 |
Method and system for retrofitting a full hybrid to be a plug-in hybrid
A retrofit system for converting a hybrid vehicle to a plug-in hybrid comprises a battery for storing a charge sufficient to provide a vehicle with an electric-only driving range in excess of 5 miles, a battery management system for monitoring battery parameters indicative of the state of battery charge to produce a signal indicative thereof; and a control unit responsive the battery management system to report an inflated state of battery charge to the hybrid vehicle's hybrid control system to maintain the gasoline engine in a deactivated condition over an extended driving range. |
| US08217618B2 |
Energy-saving controller for three-phase induction motors
The present invention relates to an energy-saving system for three-phase induction motors and is based on the principle of variable voltage control at constant speed. It is composed of a microprocessor, exampling circuit, sensing circuit, acquiring circuit, firing circuit, and AC to AC converter. The system is to automatically adjust the voltage to the induction motor with the variation in the motor load, in order to obtain high operating power factor and efficiency. The system will result in considerable energy-savings when a three-phase induction motor runs under constant light-load or variable-load with low duty ratio. |
| US08217615B2 |
Current sensing in a disk-drive spindle motor
One embodiment of the invention includes a disk-drive spindle motor power regulator system. The system includes a switching system comprising at least one power transistor for each of a plurality of phases of a disk-drive spindle motor. The system also includes a switching controller configured to generate a plurality of switching signals configured to control the at least one power transistor for each of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor. The system further includes a current monitor configured to measure a magnitude of an individual phase current through at least one of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor. |
| US08217614B2 |
Fan delay controlling apparatus
A fan delay controlling apparatus includes a connector connected to a fan of an electronic device, a power supplying module connected to the connector, and a power controlling module connected to the power supplying module. The power supplying module is connected to a fan power source and a stand-by power source. The power controlling module controls the power supplying module supply power to the fan when the electronic device including the fan powers off until an ambient temperature is lower than a predetermined value. |
| US08217612B2 |
Collision monitoring system
Disclosed is an improved system and method for sensing both hard and soft obstructions for a movable panel such as a sunroof. A dual detection scheme is employing that includes an optical sensing as the primary means and electronic sensing of motor current as a secondary means. The secondary means utilizes system empirical precharacterization, fast processing algorithms, motor parameter monitoring including both current sensing and sensorless electronic motor current commutation pulse sensing, and controller memory, to adaptively modify electronic obstacle detection thresholds in real time without the use of templates and cycle averaging techniques. |
| US08217607B2 |
Safety device for power window, opening/closing control method and plate-glass processing method
An opening/closing control method for a window regulator, which is a method of performing opening/closing control with a pinching prevention function while determining a detection signal from a sensor based on a threshold value. The method includes setting the threshold value as a value offset from a reference value for control, and updating the reference value in correspondence to a value of the detection signal from the sensor in an initial stage of control, and each time when the value of the detection signal from the sensor continuously changes in a certain time within a range where the value of the detection signal from the sensor does not exceed the threshold value, the reference value is modified by a value corresponding to such a changed value. |
| US08217605B2 |
Motor controller for determining a position of a rotor of an AC motor, AC motor system, and method of determining a position of a rotor of an AC motor
A motor controller for determining a position of a rotor of an AC motor, the motor controller comprises a control input for receiving a control signal, an output for providing a power control signal for controlling power applied to a stator of the AC motor, and an input for receiving a feedback signal representative of the current in the stator. The control input and output are coupled by a reference path, and the input is coupled to the control input by a feedback path. A carrier signal injection element injects a high frequency carrier signal in the reference path at an injection node. The motor controller is arranged to generate the power control signal in dependence on the control signal, the feedback signal, and the high frequency carrier signal. A position determining element generates a position signal representing the position of the rotor in dependence on the feedback signal which includes a carrier signal component comprising rotor position information. The motor controller further comprises a filter block coupled between the control input and the injection node in the reference path for filtering signals in the reference path in a frequency range including the frequency of the high frequency carrier signal. |
| US08217603B2 |
Apparatus and method for driving rotary machine
A motor driving apparatus has a loss-of-synchronism monitoring circuit that monitors the rotation of a rotary machine such as a brushless DC motor to detect a sign of transition to a state of loss of synchronism. When the sign is detected, an energization control circuit temporarily stops driving of the rotary machine to bring it into a free running state, and thereafter carries out control so as to resume driving of the rotary machine. Further, the motor driving apparatus has an inverter and a drive control circuit that controls switching operation of the inverter based on rotation of the rotary machine. |
| US08217602B2 |
Motor driving apparatus and control method thereof
Provided is a motor driving apparatus including a motor drive unit including a plurality of transistors which are repeatedly turned on and off in response to a pulse having a pulse width modulated at a first carrier frequency to control driving of a motor in a normal operation state and which supply a drive current to the motor; and a control unit that controls the plurality of transistors to be turned on and off in response to a pulse having a pulse width modulated at a second carrier frequency higher than the first carrier frequency, when a voltage applied between input terminals of the motor drive unit rises to a predetermined value. |
| US08217601B2 |
Robust rotational position alignment using a relative position encoder
A robust method for detecting a relative position of a feedback device, such as an encoder or resolver, coupled to a shaft, such as a motor shaft, is provided. To detect the relative position, electrical commands are issued in an open loop mode to spin the motor shaft an amount greater than the apparent rotational angle between two consecutive markers of the position feedback device, such that the net mechanical rotation is equal to or greater than the total rotational angle between two consecutive markers. |
| US08217600B2 |
Motor control device and electric power steering system
A motor control device is configured in such a manner that a current detection circuit and an exciting circuit for a motor resolver share one grounding wire. A microcomputer that serves as a current detector sets a phase of an exciting current in such a manner that values of an excitation noise superimposed on an output voltage of the current detection circuit at respective timings (L1, H1, L2, H2, . . . ), at which the output voltage is acquired in one current detection process, are equal to each other. An electric power steering system is provided with the motor control device. |
| US08217599B2 |
Regenerative braking apparatus
In a regenerative braking apparatus that is connected to a power supply apparatus that supplies electric power to a load, and consumes regenerative power regenerated from a load side together with other regenerative braking apparatuses that are connected to the power supply apparatus, an operation-level changing unit calculates, as occasion demands, according to energization time of a consuming unit, a lower limit of an operation level for judging whether an energizing unit should be actuated and changing and outputting the calculated lower limit of the operation level, a comparing unit compares the lower limit of the operation level output from the operation-level changing unit and a monitor output of a monitoring unit, and the energizing unit operates when the monitor output exceeds the lower limit of the operation level by a driving unit. |
| US08217598B2 |
Method of driving vibration wave motor and device for driving the same
A method of driving a vibration wave motor enables proper frequency control of an AC voltage applied to the motor according to the rotational speed difference between the actual and target rotational speeds of the motor, even if frequency-rotational speed characteristics are not stored in advance. A target rotational speed of a moving member is set. A ratio of an amount of increase or decrease in a rotational speed of the moving member to an amount of update of a frequency of the AC voltage and a rotational speed difference between the target rotational speed and an actual rotational speed of the moving member are calculated. The amount of update of the frequency is calculated by dividing the calculated rotational speed difference by the calculated ratio. The frequency of the AC voltage is updated by using the calculated amount of update of the frequency. |
| US08217597B2 |
Drive circuit for a capacitive load
A drive circuit comprising: a direct current power source; a control unit for supplying control signals; a power switch topology comprising a first switch and a second switch each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, the input terminals being respectively connected to the power source, the control terminals being connected to the control unit for receiving the control signals there from, the output terminals being connected to a node; and an inductance connected with a capacitive load in series between the node and the power source, wherein the control signals control the switches to alternately conduct to thereby cause the node to output a pulse signal. |
| US08217596B1 |
Method of controlling coherent synchroton radiation-driven degradation of beam quality during bunch length compression
A method of avoiding CSR induced beam quality defects in free electron laser operation by a) controlling the rate of compression and b) using a novel means of integrating the compression with the remainder of the transport system: both are accomplished by means of dispersion modulation. A large dispersion is created in the penultimate dipole magnet of the compression region leading to rapid compression; this large dispersion is demagnified and dispersion suppression performed in a final small dipole. As a result, the bunch is short for only a small angular extent of the transport, and the resulting CSR excitation is small. |
| US08217593B2 |
Method and driving unit for driving a gas-discharge lamp
In this method an arc-length control value, indicating the current length of a discharge arc of the gas-discharge lamp (1), is monitored and the lamp (1) is driven in a first operation mode (OMP) with a first current wave-shape when the arc-length control value indicates that the arc-length is higher than a switching threshold, which first current wave-shape is selected to result in a tip (31) growing on an electrode (30) of the lamp (1), and the lamp (1) is driven in a second operation mode (OMn) with a second current wave-shape when the arc-length control value indicates that the arc-length is lower than a switching threshold, which second current wave-shape is selected such that the tip (31) on the electrode (30) is at least partly melted back. In this method an operating frequency of the lamp is switched from a first frequency value (fi) to a second frequency value (f2), which second frequency • (f 2) value is higher than the first frequency value (fi)′, if a first time criterion pertaining to a duration of driving of the lamp (1) in the second operation mode (OMn) is fulfilled and the operating frequency is switched from the second frequency value (f2) to the first frequency value (fi), if a second time criterion pertaining to a duration of driving of the lamp (1) in the first operation mode (OMP) is fulfilled. |
| US08217591B2 |
Power source sensing dimming circuits and methods of operating same
Lighting is controlled by receiving an input signal, determining whether the input signal is an AC signal or a DC signal and generating a dimming command signal based on the determination of whether the input signal is an AC signal or a DC signal. For example, determining whether the input signal is an AC signal or a DC signal may include generating an average signal indicative of an average duty cycle of the input signal and determining whether the average signal meets a predetermined criterion. |
| US08217586B2 |
Apparatus and method for dimming a backlight with pseudo-random phase delay
A method for generating an actuation signal for a light source is provided. A random phase delay for each period of an input signal is generated, where each period is a predetermined length. Each phase delay is added to a predetermined actuation period to generate a sum. The sum is compared to the predetermined length. At least one turn-on and at least one turn-off for each period of the input signal is calculated from the comparison of the sum to the predetermined length, and the actuation signal having each turn-on and each turn-off is generated. |
| US08217583B2 |
Gas-discharge lamp controller utilizing a novel reheating frequency generation mechanism
A gas-discharge lamp controller utilizing a novel preheating frequency generation mechanism, including: a resistance sensing means, used to generate a sensed voltage when coupled to an external series resistor-capacitor network, the external series resistor-capacitor network being biased between a first supply voltage and a reference ground; a sample and hold circuit, used to generate a sampled voltage of the sensed voltage under the control of a latch signal; and a mapping circuit, used to generate a control voltage according to a function of the sampled voltage. |
| US08217578B2 |
LED lighting arrangement
An LED lighting arrangement comprising at least one LED, for producing light is disclosed. A power supply provides power for the at least one LED. At least one control circuit is coupled to the at least one LED in a way that directly or indirectly uses, to power the at least one control circuit, one or more forward voltage drops across the at least one LED. Beneficially, one or more additional control circuits can be added without redesign of the power supply for the at least one LED. |
| US08217577B2 |
Hybrid modulation in an emission-gated electron gun
An apparatus and method of modulating an electron beam to induce a high degree of spatial bunching uses multiple control grids located in close proximity to an electron-emitting cathode. An RF field couples to the electron beam in the cathode-grid gap to induce velocity modulation. The electron beam then propagates through a first control grid, allowing the velocity modulation to induce spatial bunching. The electron beam then traverses a gap between the first grid and a second control grid and interacts with the RF field to induce further bunching of the beam. Simulations show that bunching factors of 50:1 may be achieved. |
| US08217568B2 |
Light emitting element and light emitting device using the light emitting element
The light emitting element includes a first electrode and a second electrode opposite each other and electrically connected respectively to a first conductive-type layer and a second conductive type layer constituting a semiconductor structure. The first electrode has a pair of electrode extending portions disposed opposite each other on an electrode forming surface over the first conductive-type layer which is positioned at the light extracting side. In the opposing direction of the pair of electrode extending portions, a half distance I1 between the electrode extending portions is smaller than the distance L2 from the electrode extending portions to an end edge of the electrode forming surface. |
| US08217561B2 |
Spark plug having laminated ground electrode
A spark plug includes: a metal shell having a mounting thread formed with a nominal diameter of M12 or smaller; a ground electrode consisting of a first structural member and at least one ith structural member (i=2, 3, 4, 5) laminated to cover an outer surface thereof, the length of protrusion of the ground electrode from a front end face of the metal shell being 4.5 mm or larger, the ground electrode having a bent portion with a curvature radius of 2.3 mm or smaller; and an electrode tip joined thereto at a position facing the front end of the center electrode and having a protrusion length of 0.5 mm or larger and a cross sectional area of 0.20 to 1.13 mm2. The ground electrode has a total thermal conductivity of 35 W/(m·K) or higher at 20° C. |
| US08217557B2 |
Solid state lights with thermosiphon liquid cooling structures and methods
A solid state lighting (SSL) device with a solid state emitter (SSE) being partially exposed in a channel loop, and methods of making and using such SSLs. The SSE can have thermally conductive projections such as fins, posts, or other structures configured to transfer heat into a fluid medium, such as a liquid coolant in the channel loop. The channel loop can include an upward channel in which the SSE is exposed to warm the coolant in the upward channel, and a downward channel through which coolant moves after being cooled by a cooling structure. The coolant in the channel loop can naturally circulate due to the heat from the SSE. |
| US08217551B2 |
Surface acoustic wave package with air hole that prevents thermal expansion
A surface acoustic wave device includes a surface acoustic wave (SAW) chip, a base that is made of resin and surround the SAW chip, and a cap that is made of resin and is bonded, by a seal member, to the base so as to define a cavity in which the SAW chip is sealed with the cap and the base, the cavity communicating with an outside of the surface acoustic wave device through a through hole formed in the seal member. |
| US08217550B2 |
Alternator and method of manufacturing a rotor core thereof
An alternator includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly includes a rotor core having a first core portion and a second core portion. The rotor core is processed by cementation, so that the first core portion has carbon content that gradually decreases from the outer surface toward the central line of the rotor core till reaching a predetermined carbon content. The second core portion has carbon content lower than that of the first core portion. With these arrangements, the alternator can reduce turn-on speed and increase outputs. A method of manufacturing the non-homogenous rotor core of the alternator is also provided. |
| US08217548B2 |
Electric motor
A DC motor, has a stator housing accommodating a permanent magnet stator; a rotor, rotatably mounted confronting the stator, the rotor having a shaft, a rotor core fitted to the shaft and having laminations forming salient poles, a commutator fitted to the shaft adjacent one end of the rotor core, windings wound about poles of the rotor core and terminated on the commutator, the windings each being wound around a single pole of the rotor; and brush gear comprising brushes in sliding contact with the commutator for transferring electrical power to the windings. |
| US08217544B2 |
Motor-generator having stator and inner and outer rotors
A motor-generator has a stator including an annular stator core and stator windings wound on the stator core, an annular inner rotor located radially inward of the stator core, and an annular outer rotor located radially outward of the stator core. Each of the inner and outer rotors is made of a soft magnetic material or magnetic steel. The stator core consists of a plurality of stator core segments each being in the form of a tooth. The stator windings are wound on the stator core in a continuous distributed winding manner at a predetermined winding pitch. The outer rotor consists of a plurality of outer rotor segments each of which is magnetically polarized to have opposite polarities on opposite circumferential ends thereof. Each of the outer rotor segments is offset from the inner rotor by a predetermined electrical angle that corresponds to the winding pitch of the stator windings. |
| US08217538B2 |
Linear motor having a slidable element
A linear motor is provided with a stator, a slider disposed to be movable relatively with respect to the stator with a gap, and a non-magnetic plate mounted to either one of the stator and the slider so as to define the gap between the stator and the slider. |
| US08217537B2 |
Magneto-plasma-dynamic generator and method of operating the generator
A magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) generator has a conveying duct shaped for conveying a high velocity, conductive fluid; a magnetic field generator arranged to generate a magnetic field across the conveying duct, substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fluid, such that the fluid passes through the magnetic field when conveyed by the duct; electrodes arranged to conduct a current induced in the fluid as it is conveyed by the conveying duct through the magnetic field; and a fluid break-down circuit arranged to electrically break-down the fluid by developing an additional voltage across the electrodes. |
| US08217535B2 |
Wireless power supply apparatus
A wireless power supply includes: a power transmitting coil resonant at a first resonant frequency that generates a magnetic field resonance, a power receiving coil resonant at the first resonant frequency, a power receiving unit that outputs energy received by the power receiving resonant coil; a distance detector that detects a distance between the power transmitting resonant coil and the power receiving resonant coil; a power transmitting frequency controller that changes the first resonant frequency to a second resonant frequency on the basis of the distance detected by the distance detector; and a power receiving frequency controller that changes the first resonant frequency of the power receiving resonant coil from the first resonant frequency to a second resonant frequency on the basis of the distance detected by the distance detector. |
| US08217533B2 |
Control methods for the synchronization and phase shift of the pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy of power converters
A method of controlling a plurality of power converters 1a, 1b and 1c can be used to interface to a supply network, ac busbar etc. Each power converter includes a network bridge 14 operating in accordance with a pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy having the same switching period and which causes at least one unwanted harmonic in the supply network voltage. The method includes the step of providing the switching period of the PWM strategy of each network bridge with a different time offset relative to a time datum such that the at least one unwanted harmonic in the supply network voltage is at least partially cancelled. Two alternative ways of providing the time offset are described. |
| US08217531B2 |
Dynamically configuring current sharing and fault monitoring in redundant power supply modules
Methods, apparatus, and products for dynamically configuring current sharing and fault monitoring in redundant power supply modules for components of an electrically powered system, including summing, by a master service processor, during powered operation of the system, the present power requirements of components presently installed in the electrically powered system and setting, by the master service processor for each redundant power supply module in dependence upon the sum of the present power requirements, a current sharing tolerance and a fault reporting tolerance. |
| US08217530B2 |
System for managing power based on current monitoring
A system includes a power bus and a circuit. The power bus delivers power from a first power source to an output node. The circuit monitors a current flowing through the power bus and provides power from a second power source to the output node based on an amount of the current, and maintains a voltage level of the output node in a predetermined range. |
| US08217529B2 |
System and method for enabling power applications over a single communication pair
A system and method for enabling power applications over a single communication wire pair. In one embodiment, a data transformer is provided that has three separate windings. Two of the windings are tied to each other via high frequency pass DC-blocking capacitors, or another suitable element that creates an AC path while providing a DC block, such that the voltage forms on either ends of the DC-blocking capacitors and the signal is sent on the outer legs of each winding. A circuit measures the current draw (I) and injects a current proportional to, but smaller than, I into a third bias cancellation winding. |
| US08217528B2 |
Electrical power supplying device having a ring-like subassembly for receiving the power plugs and/or power adapters associated with a plurality of electrical appliances, and a housing design for containing and concealing the power plug and adaptors during power supplying operations
An electrical power supplying device for supplying electrical power to a group of electrical appliances located in an environment. The electrical power supplying device includes a power supply cord for plugging into a standard power receptacle by way of a supply power plug, and also a base housing portion having a 3D interior volume with a capacity for holding a plurality of power transformer modules associated with a group of electrical appliances located in the environment. A power-ring subassembly is supported within the base housing portion, and has a central aperture defining the boundaries of 3D interior volume, and adapted for supporting a plurality of electrical receptacles and one or more electronic circuits, which are electrically connected to the power supply cord. A power-ring housing portion is provided for covering the power-ring subassembly and has a set of plug apertures, aligned with the electrical receptacles, and allows appliance power plugs associated with the electrical appliances to plug into the electrical receptacles. A cord portal allows a group of electrical power cords associated with the group of electrical appliances, to enter/exit the 3D interior volume in a bundled manner. A cover housing portion is adapted to cover the central aperture of the power-ring subassembly, and conceal (i) appliance power plugs plugged into the electrical receptacles, (ii) appliance power plugs plugged into the electrical receptacles and appliance power cords associated with the electrical appliances, and (iii) the plurality of power transformer modules contained in said the housing portion. |
| US08217524B2 |
Wind turbine generator and blade pitch angle control method thereof
The present invention provides a wind turbine generator and a blade pitch angle control method thereof in which an aerodynamic imbalance of a wind turbine rotor at the time of shutdown is further reduced, the maximum load of a wind turbine is further reduced, and the wind turbine generator can be reduced in weight and cost. The wind turbine generator includes a collective pitch angle controller 11 that produces a collective pitch angle demand that is common to blade pitch angles of wind turbine blades, an individual pitch angle producing unit 13 that produces an individual pitch angle demand inherent in each wind turbine blade, multipliers 21 to 23 that multiply the individual pitch angle demand by the individual pitch angle gain; an individual pitch angle gain producing unit 14, and adder 24 to 26 that add collective pitch angle demands to the output of the multipliers 21 to 23 and supply the same to pitch actuators 31 to 33 inherent in the wind turbine blades. When shutdown is performed, the individual pitch angle gain is adjusted such that an individual pitch angle gain is reduced gradually and reaches to zero by the individual pitch angle gain producing unit 14 after first set time. |
| US08217523B2 |
Apparatus for in vivo energy harvesting
An energy harvesting mechanism creates electrical energy from in vivo physiological motion, transforming low frequency, physiological excitation into high frequencies for producing electricity and harvesting energy using an energy collector is deformed from variation of physiologic forces or motion with an input displacement, then captured, and then released to allow the energy collector to move with an output displacement being either faster or has a higher frequency, or both, when compared to the input displacement. |
| US08217521B2 |
Hardwired switch of die stack and operating method of hardwired switch
A hardwired switch of a die stack including eight landing pads is provided. A first, a second, a third, and a fourth landing pads are disposed on a first surface of a die. The second and the fourth landing pads are electrically connected to the first and the third landing pads respectively. A fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth landing pads are disposed on a second surface of the die. The seventh and the eighth landing pads are electrically connected to the sixth and the fifth landing pads respectively. In a vertical direction of the die, the first, the second, the third, and the fourth landing pads overlap partially or fully with the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth landing pads respectively. In addition, an operating method of a hardwired switch is also provided. |
| US08217520B2 |
System-in-package packaging for minimizing bond wire contamination and yield loss
A system-in-package (SiP) package is provided. In one embodiment, the SiP package comprises a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the substrate having a set of bond wire studs on bond pads formed on the second surface thereof; a first semiconductor chip having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the first semiconductor chip is mounted to the second surface of the substrate by means of solder bumps; an underfill material disposed between the first semiconductor chip and the substrate, encapsulating the solder bumps; a second semiconductor chip having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the second semiconductor chip is mounted to the second surface of the first semiconductor chip; and a set of bond wires electrically coupled from the second semiconductor chip to the set of bond wire studs on the substrate. |
| US08217518B2 |
Enhancing metal/low-K interconnect reliability using a protection layer
A protection layer is coated or otherwise formed over the interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a metal line (such as top and bottom metal layers connected by a metal via) and a low-K material. The protection layer includes a vertically aligned dielectric or other material dispersed with carbon nanotubes. The protection layer could include one or multiple layers of carbon nanotubes, and the carbon nanotubes could have any suitable dispersion, alignment, and pattern in each layer of the protection layer. Among other things, the carbon nanotubes help to reduce or prevent damage to the interconnect structure, such as by reducing or preventing the collapse of the low-K material or delamination between the metal line and the low-K material. |
| US08217517B2 |
Semiconductor device provided with wire that electrically connects printed wiring board and semiconductor chip each other
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a printed wiring board provided with a connection pad, a semiconductor chip provided with an electrode pad and a conductive wire. One end of the conductive wire is connected to the connection pad of the printed wiring board and the other end of the conductive wire is connected to the electrode pad of the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip is mounted on the printed wiring board so that the first surface of the semiconductor chip provided with the electrode pad is oriented opposite to the printed wiring board. A first insulating layer is formed on the first surface of the semiconductor chip oriented opposite to the printed wiring board. A thermoplastic second insulating layer is formed on the first insulating layer. Part of the conductive wire between one end and the other end is buried in the second insulating layer. |
| US08217512B1 |
Thermal interface device
A thermal interface device (100) includes a base member (102) and a pocket (104) which is filled with a thermally conductive material or medium such as diamond dust suspended in a solvent such as propylene glycol or a thermally conductive material such as thermally conductive rubber. The pocket (104) is hermitically sealed to the base member (102) in order to keep the thermally conductive material within the pocket. The filled pocket (104) forms a deformable “pillow” having a high thermal conductance. The deformable pocket (104) can contour to the shape of a device it is pressed against such as an electronic device undergoing testing. |
| US08217511B2 |
Redistributed chip packaging with thermal contact to device backside
An integrated circuit assembly includes a panel including an semiconductor device at least partially surrounded by an encapsulant. A panel upper surface and a device active surface are substantially coplanar. The assembly further includes one or more interconnect layers overlying the panel upper surface. Each of the interconnect layers includes an insulating film having contacts formed therein an interconnect metallization formed thereon. A lower surface of the panel is substantially coplanar with either a backside of the device or a lower surface of a thermally and electrically conductive slab that has an upper surface in thermal contact with the device backside. The assembly may also include a set of panel vias. The panel vias are thermally and electrically conductive conduits extending through the panel between the interconnect layer and suitable for bonding with a land grid array (LGA) or other contact structure of an underlying circuit board. |
| US08217506B2 |
Semiconductor packaging structure having conductive gel to package semiconductor device
The present application provides a method and semiconductor packaging structure comprising a conductive substrate having a first surface, a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface adjacent to the first surface. A first electrode line with two ends are provided on the first surface and the first lateral surface, and a second electrode line with two ends are provided on the first surface and a second lateral surface respectively. A semiconductor device is provided on the first surface of the conductive substrate which electrically connected to the first electrode line and the second electrode line, a protective plate with through holes covers the first surface, and a sheathing overlays the semiconductor device. |
| US08217503B2 |
Package structure for DC-DC converter
A package structure for DC-DC converter disclosed herein can reduce the number of encapsulated elements as a low-side MOSFET chip can be stacked above the high-side MOSFET chip of a first die pad, through die pads of different thicknesses or interposers with joint parts of different thicknesses; moreover, it further reduces the size of the entire semiconductor package as a number of bond wires are contained in the space between the controller and the low-side MOSFET chip. Moreover, electrical connection between the top source electrode pin and the bottom source electrode pin of the low-side MOSFET chip is realized with a metal joint plate, such that when the DC-DC converter is sealed with plastic, the metal joint plate can be exposed outside to improve the thermal performance and effectively reduce the thickness of the semiconductor package. |
| US08217500B1 |
Semiconductor device package
A semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted on the package substrate so that its sides are at approximately a 45 degree angle to the sides of the substrate. As a result, the sides of the die face the corners of the substrate rather than the sides of the substrate. In this orientation, substantially all the space available in the corners of the substrate becomes readily available for use in reducing congestion along the sides of the die and/or routing connections to the die and/or in mounting coupling capacitors. It also becomes possible to mount a larger die on the substrate while still meeting manufacturing and reliability rules. Larger stiffener/lid structures may also be used for enhanced adhesion to the substrate. |
| US08217499B2 |
Structure to reduce etching residue
A structure for reducing partially etched materials is described. The structure includes a layout of an intersection area between two trenches. First, a large intersection area having a trapezoidal corner may be replaced with an orthogonal intersection between two trenches. The layout reduces the intersection area as well as the possibility of having partially etched materials left at the intersection area. The structure also includes an alternative way to fill the intersection area with either an un-etched small trapezoidal area or multiple un-etched square areas, so that the opening area at the intersection point is reduced and the possibility of having partially etched materials is reduced too. |
| US08217498B2 |
Gallium nitride semiconductor device on SOI and process for making same
Methods and apparatus for producing a gallium nitride semiconductor on insulator structure include: bonding a single crystal silicon layer to a transparent substrate; and growing a single crystal gallium nitride layer on the single crystal silicon layer. |
| US08217492B2 |
Inductively coupled integrated circuit with magnetic communication path and methods for use therewith
An integrated circuit includes a first integrated circuit die having a first circuit and a first inductive interface and a second integrated circuit die having a second circuit and a second inductive interface. A substrate is coupled to support the first integrated circuit die and the second integrated circuit die, the substrate including a magnetic communication path aligned with the first inductive interface and the second inductive interface, to magnetically communicate signals between the first circuit and the second circuit. |
| US08217489B2 |
Nonvolatile memory element having a tantalum oxide variable resistance layer
A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a variable resistance layer, a resistance value of the variable resistance layer reversibly varying between a plurality of resistance states based on an electric signal applied between the electrodes. The variable resistance layer includes at least a tantalum oxide, and is configured to satisfy 0 |
| US08217483B2 |
Photosensitive semiconductor component
A semiconductor component that includes a photosensitive doped semiconductor layer, in which electrical charge carriers are released during absorption of electromagnetic radiation is disclosed. The photosensitive semiconductor layer has a structured interface and at least one layer which generates an electric field for separating the released charge carriers disposed downstream of the structured interface. The electric field extends over the structured interface. The photosensitive semiconductor component is distinguished by a high efficiency of the charge carrier separation, in particular, for generating an electric current. |
| US08217479B2 |
Solid-state image pickup element, method of manufacturing the same, and image pickup apparatus including the same
An embodiment of the invention provides a solid-state image pickup element, including: a semiconductor layer having a photodiode, photoelectric conversion being carried out in the photodiode; a silicon oxide film formed on the semiconductor layer in a region having at least the photodiode by using plasma; and a film formed on the silicon oxide film and having negative fixed charges. |
| US08217477B2 |
Magnetic memory cell and magnetic random access memory
Provided is a reliable nonvolatile memory with a lower power consumption. A ferromagnetic interconnection which is magnetized antiparallel or parallel to a magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic pinned layer in a giant magnetoresistive device or a tunnel magnetoresistive device constituting the magnetic memory cell, is connected to a ferromagnetic free layer with a non-magnetic layer being interposed in between, the ferromagnetic free layer serving as a recording layer. Thereby, the magnetization of the recording layer is switched by use of a spin transfer torque. |
| US08217476B2 |
Micromechanical component and method for the manufacture thereof
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component and the micromechanical component produced thereby. This component is preferably a diaphragm or a diaphragm layer which is independently produced for the purpose of subsequent assembly with other components. |
| US08217475B2 |
Backside controlled MEMS capacitive sensor and interface and method
Described herein is the sense element assembly for a capacitive pressure sensor and method for creating same that has increased sensitivity despite the parasitic capacitance that is created. The capacitive sensor element assembly, comprises a first semiconductive layer, and a first conductive layer, a first dielectric layer into which a cavity has been formed, the dielectric layer lying between the first semiconductive layer and the first conductive layer, wherein an electrical connection is made to the second conductive layer. A preferred method for fabricating a capacitive sensor assembly of the present invention comprises the steps of forming a dielectric layer on top of a conductive handle wafer; creating at least one cavity in the dielectric layer, bonding a thin semiconductive layer to the dielectric layer and connecting an operational amplifier to the input of the capacitive sensor assembly to overcome the parasitic capacitance formed during fabrication. |
| US08217473B2 |
Micro electro-mechanical system packaging and interconnect
A micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device includes an electrical wafer, a mechanical wafer, a plasma treated oxide seal bonding the electrical wafer to the mechanical wafer, and an electrical interconnect between the electrical wafer and the mechanical wafer. |
| US08217467B2 |
Semiconductor memory devices
In some embodiments, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate that includes a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region. The semiconductor memory device further includes a device isolation pattern on the substrate. The device isolation pattern defines a first active region and a second active region within the cell array region and a third active region in the peripheral circuit region. The semiconductor memory device further includes a first common source region, a plurality of first source/drain regions, and a first drain region in the first active region. The semiconductor memory device further includes a second common source region, a plurality of second source/drain regions, and a second drain region in the second active region. The semiconductor memory device further includes a third source/drain region in the third active region. The semiconductor memory device further includes a common source line contacting the first and second common source regions. |
| US08217463B2 |
Methods for protecting gate stacks during fabrication of semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices fabricated from such methods
Methods for protecting gate stacks during fabrication of semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices fabricated from such methods are provided. Methods for fabricating a semiconductor device include providing a semiconductor substrate having an active region and a shallow trench isolation (STI) region. Epitaxial layer is formed on the active region to define a lateral overhang portion in a divot at the active region/STI region interface. A gate stack is formed having a first gate stack-forming layer overlying the semiconductor substrate. First gate stack-forming layer includes a non-conformal layer of metal gate-forming material which is directionally deposited to form a thinned break portion just below the lateral overhang portion. After the step of forming the gate stack, a first portion of the non-conformal layer is in the gate stack and a second portion is exposed. The thinned break portion at least partially isolates the first and second portions during subsequent etch chemistries. |
| US08217462B2 |
Transient voltage suppressors
The present invention relates a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) for directional ESD protection. The TVS includes: a conductivity type substrate; a first type lightly doped region, having a first type heavily doped region arranged therein; a second type lightly doped region, having a second type heavily doped region and a third type heavily doped region arranged therein; a third type lightly doped region, having a fourth type heavily doped region arranged therein; a plurality of closed isolation trenches, arranged on the conductivity type substrate, wherein at least one of the plurality of closed isolation trenches is neighbored one of the type lightly doped regions; and a first pin. Accordingly, the TVS of present invention may adaptively provide effective ESD protection under positive and negative ESD stresses, improve the efficiency of ESD protection within the limited layout area. |
| US08217460B2 |
Semiconductor device with electrostatic protection device
A semiconductor device has an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) structure and comprising a P-channel FET and an N-channel FET which are formed on an insulating film. The semiconductor device includes: at least two of first, second, third and fourth PN-junction elements. The first PN-junction element is formed from a P-type semiconductor layer and an N-type semiconductor layer having the same impurity concentrations as those of source/drain regions of the P-channel FET and the N-channel FET, respectively. The second PN-junction element is formed from a P-type semiconductor layer and an N-type semiconductor layer having the same impurity concentrations as those of the source/drain region and a channel region in the P-channel FET, respectively. The third PN-junction element is formed from a P-type semiconductor layer and an N-type semiconductor layer having the same impurity concentrations as those of a channel region and the source/drain region in the N-channel FET, respectively. The fourth PN-junction element is formed from a P-type semiconductor layer and an N-type semiconductor layer having the same impurity concentrations as those of the channel regions of the N-channel FET and the P-channel FET, respectively. At least two PN-junction elements are connected in series in a forward bias between two different terminals to form an electrostatic protection device. |
| US08217454B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes an epitaxial layer having a first conductive type, and at least one first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductive type. The first semiconductor layer is disposed in the epitaxial layer of a peripheral region, and has an arc portion, and a first strip portion and a second strip portion extended from two ends of the arc portion. The first strip portion points to an active device region, and the second strip portion is perpendicular to the first strip portion The second semiconductor layer is disposed in the epitaxial layer of the peripheral region between the active device region and the second strip portion, and the second semiconductor has a sidewall facing and parallel to the first semiconductor layer. |
| US08217453B2 |
Bi-directional DMOS with common drain
A three terminal bi-directional laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor which includes two uni-directional LDMOS transistors in series sharing a common drain node, and configured such that source nodes of the uni-directional LDMOS transistors serve as source and drain terminals of the bi-directional LDMOS transistor. The source is shorted to the backgate of each LDMOS transistor. The gate node of each LDMOS transistor is clamped to its respective source node to prevent source-gate breakdown, and the gate terminal of the bi-directional LDMOS transistor is connected to the gate nodes of the constituent uni-directional LDMOS transistors through blocking diodes. The common drain is a deep n-well which isolates the two p-type backgate regions. The gate node clamp can be a pair of back-to-back zener diodes, or a pair of self biased MOS transistors connected source-to-source in series. |
| US08217449B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for forming the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including an active area defined by an device isolation region, a buried gate formed on both side walls of a trench formed in the semiconductor substrate, and a storage node contact which is buried between the buried gates, and is connected to the active region of a middle portion of the trench and the device isolation region. |
| US08217448B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming a semiconductor device
A method of forming a semiconductor device comprises providing a semiconductor substrate, providing a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type over the semiconductor substrate, forming a first region of the first conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, and forming a control region over the semiconductor layer and over part of the first region. A mask layer is formed over the semiconductor layer and outlines a first portion of a surface of the semiconductor layer over part of the first region. Semiconductor material of a second conductivity type is provided to the outlined first portion to provide a second region in the semiconductor layer. The first region and second region are driven into the semiconductor layer so as to form a pre-control region of the first conductivity type extending into the semiconductor layer from the surface and under a portion of the control region and a graded body region of the second conductivity type extending into the semiconductor layer under the pre-control region. A body region is formed by providing semiconductor material of the second conductivity type to the outlined first portion. The body region extends into the pre-control region. A current electrode region is formed in the body region. |
| US08217447B2 |
Flash memory device with a plurality of source plates
A flash memory device and a method of manufacturing a flash memory device. A flash memory device may include an isolation layer and/or an active area over a semiconductor substrate, a memory gate formed over an active area, a control gate formed over a semiconductor substrate including a memory gate, and/or a common source line contact formed over a semiconductor substrate including a control gate. A flash memory device may include a source plate having substantially the same interval as an interval of an active area of a bit line. A source plate may include an active area in which a common source line contact may be formed. A common source line contact may include a long butting contact extending in a direction traversing an active area. |
| US08217445B2 |
SONOS memory device using an amorphous memory node material
A SONOS memory device, and a method of manufacturing the same, includes a substrate and a multifunctional device formed on the substrate. The multifunctional device performs both switching and data storing functions. The multifunctional device includes first and second impurities areas, a channel formed between the first and second impurities areas, and a stacked material formed on the channel for data storage. The stacked material for data storage is formed by sequentially stacking a tunneling oxide layer, a memory node layer in which data is stored, a blocking layer, and an electrode layer. |
| US08217442B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of first conductive patterns, a second conductive pattern having a top surface of which stepwisely or gradually decreases in height in a direction from a side facing the first conductive pattern toward an opposite side, a first insulation film formed over the plurality of first conductive patterns and the second conductive pattern, and a third conductive pattern formed over the first insulation film. |
| US08217440B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
MOSFETs and methods of making MOSFETs are provided. According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate and a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistor that includes a semiconductor region formed on the substrate, a source region and drain region formed in the semiconductor region that are separated from each other, a channel region formed in the semiconductor region that separates the source region and the drain region, an interfacial oxide layer (IL) formed on the channel region into which at least one element disparate from Si, O, or N is incorporated at a peak concentration greater than 1×1019 atoms/cm2, and a high-k dielectric layer formed on the interfacial oxide layer having a high-k/IL interface at a depth substantially adjacent to the IL. In addition, at least one depth of peak density of the incorporated element(s) is located substantially below the high-k/IL interface. |
| US08217436B2 |
Single photon avalanche diodes
A CMOS single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) design uses conventional, or at least known, CMOS processes to produce a device having a breakdown region in which the main p-n junction is formed of a deep n-well layer, and optionally on the other side, a p-add layer. The SPAD may also have a guard ring region which comprises the p-epi layer without any implant. The SPAD may have curved or circular perimeters. A CMOS chip comprises SPADs as described and other NMOS devices all sharing the same deep n-well. |
| US08217434B2 |
Semiconductor package having through-electrodes which are electrically connected with internal circuit patterns formed in a semiconductor chip and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor package capable of being efficiently stacked and a method of manufacturing the same is presented. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip, an insulation layer, and a through-electrode. The semiconductor chip has a first surface and a second surface, a circuit section in the semiconductor chip, an internal circuit pattern electrically connected to the circuit section, and a through-hole that passes through the internal circuit pattern and through the first and second surfaces. The insulation layer is on a through-hole of the semiconductor chip and has an opening which exposes the internal circuit pattern which was exposed by the through-hole. The through-electrode is in the through-hole and electrically coupled to the internal circuit pattern which is exposed through the opening of the insulation layer. |
| US08217430B2 |
Power line layout techniques for integrated circuits having modular cells
An integrated circuit (IC) chip includes a first memory cell array block having a first metal layer containing at least two power lines, and a second memory cell array block containing at least two power lines independent of each other, wherein all the power lines on the first metal layer serving the first memory cell array block do not extend into the second memory cell array block, and all the power lines on the first metal layer serving the second memory cell array block do not extend into the first memory cell array block. |
| US08217428B2 |
Integrated circuit including gate electrode level region including at least three linear-shaped conductive structures of equal length having aligned ends and positioned at equal pitch and forming multiple gate electrodes of transistors of different type
A cell of a semiconductor device is disclosed to include a diffusion level including a plurality of diffusion regions separated by inactive regions. The cell also includes a gate electrode level including a number of conductive features defined to extend in only a first parallel direction. Each of the conductive features within the gate electrode level is fabricated from a respective originating rectangular-shaped layout feature. The gate electrode level includes conductive features defined along at least four different virtual lines of extent in the first parallel direction. A width of the conductive features within the gate electrode level is measured perpendicular to the first parallel direction and is less than a wavelength of light used in a photolithography process to fabricate the conductive features. The cell also includes a number of interconnect levels formed above the gate electrode level. |
| US08217427B2 |
High density stable static random access memory
A memory circuit includes a plurality of bit line structures, a plurality of word line structures intersecting the plurality of bit line structures to form a plurality of cell locations; and a plurality of cells located at the plurality of cell locations. Each of the cells is selectively coupled to a corresponding one of the bit line structures under control of a corresponding one of the word line structures, and each of the cells in turn includes a logical storage element having at least a first n-type field effect transistor and at least a first p-type field effect transistor. The at least first n-type field effect transistor is formed with a relatively thick buried oxide layer sized to reduce capacitance of the bit line structures, and the at least first p-type field effect transistor is formed with a relatively thin buried oxide layer. |
| US08217426B2 |
Bipolar transistors with resistors
Complementary MOS (CMOS) integrated circuits include MOS transistors, resistors and bipolar transistors formed on a common substrate. An emitter region of a bipolar transistor is implanted with a first dopant in an implantation process that implants source/drain regions of an MOS transistor, and is also implanted with a second dopant of same conductivity type in another implantation process that implants a body region of a resistor. The first and second dopants may optionally be the same dopant. The source/drain regions are implanted with the resistor body region covered by a first patterned mask; and the resistor body region is implanted with the MOS transistor source/drain regions covered by a second patterned mask. The implantations of the MOS transistor source/drain regions and of the resistor body region the source/drain regions can occur in any order, with the emitter region implanted during both implantations. |
| US08217419B2 |
Semiconductor device
Provided is a semiconductor device in which on-resistance is largely reduced. In a region (2a) of an N type epitaxial layer (2) of the semiconductor device 20, each region between neighboring trenches (3) is blocked with a depletion layer (14) formed around a trench (3) so that a current passage (12) is interrupted, while a part of the depletion layer (14) formed around the trench (3) is deleted so that the current passage (12) is opened. In a region (2b), a junction portion (8) between the N type epitaxial layer (2) and a P+ type diffusion region (7) makes a Zener diode (8). |
| US08217418B1 |
Semi-polar semiconductor light emission devices
A light emitting device includes a silicon substrate comprising a (111) surface and a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate. The GaN crystal structure includes a first surface along a semi-polar plane of the GaN crystal structure and a second surface along a polar plane of the GaN crystal structure. The light emitting device also includes light emission layers over the first surface of the GaN crystal structure. The light emission layers include at least one quantum well comprising GaN. |
| US08217417B2 |
Antistatic gallium nitride based light emitting device and method for fabricating the same
The invention provides an antistatic gallium nitride based light emitting device and a method for fabricating the same. The method includes: growing an n-type GaN-based epitaxial layer, an active layer, a p-type GaN-based epitaxial layer and an undoped GaN-based epitaxial layer sequentially on a substrate; etching to remove parts of the layers above, to expose a part of the n-type GaN-based epitaxial layer, with the unetched part defined as an emitting area; etching to remove a part of the undoped GaN-based epitaxial layer; forming an ohmic contact electrode on an exposed part of p-type GaN-based epitaxial layer, and forming a Schottky contact electrode on another part; forming a p-electrode on a transparent conducting layer such that the p-electrode is electrically connected with the ohmic contact electrode; forming an n-electrode on the exposed n-type GaN-based epitaxial layer; and forming a connecting conductor on an insulation layer such that the connecting conductor is electrically connected with the n-electrode and the Schottky contact electrode. By forming a GaN Schottky diode directly on a p-type GaN-based epitaxial layer, the fabrication process is simplified while providing antistatic ability at the same time, and the emitting area is made the maximum use of so as to avoid the drop in the luminous efficiency of the GaN-based LED. |
| US08217416B2 |
Light emitting device package and method for fabricating the same
Provided are a light emitting device package and a method for fabricating the same. The light emitting device package comprises a substrate; a light emitting device on the substrate; a zener diode comprising a first conductive type impurity region and two second conductive type impurity regions, the first conductive type impurity region being disposed in the substrate, the two second conductive type impurity regions being separately disposed in two areas of the first conductive type impurity region; and a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, each of them being electrically connected to the second conductive type impurity regions and the light emitting device. |
| US08217415B2 |
Electronic device contact structures
Electronic device contact structures are disclosed. |
| US08217411B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device, having a first area and a second area adjacent to the first area, includes a substrate formed in the first and second areas, a first cladding layer formed above the substrate in the first area, an active layer, having first and second side surfaces, formed above the first cladding layer, a gain area having first and second end surfaces, the first end surface being provided along the second side surface, a second cladding layer formed above the active layer, a guide layer formed above the substrate in the second area, and a core layer, having third and fourth side surfaces, formed above the guide layer. The gain area is angled relative to a first normal direction to the first side surface. The first and second end surfaces are not overlapped each other in the first normal direction. |
| US08217406B2 |
Solid state light emitter with pumped nanophosphors for producing high CRI white light
A solid state white light emitting device includes a semiconductor chip producing near ultraviolet (UV) electromagnetic energy in a range of 380-420 nm, e.g. 405 nm. The device may include a reflector forming and optical integrating cavity. Phosphors, such as doped semiconductor nanophosphors, within the chip packaging of the semiconductor device itself, are excitable by the near UV energy. However the re-emitted light from the phosphors have different spectral characteristics outside the absorption ranges of the phosphors, which reduces or eliminates re-absorption. The emitter produces output light that is at least substantially white and has a color rendering index (CRI) of 75 or higher. The white light output of the emitter may exhibit color temperature in one of the following specific ranges along the black body curve: 2,725±145° Kelvin; 3,045±175° Kelvin; 3,465±245° Kelvin; 3,985±275° Kelvin; 4,503±243° Kelvin; 5,028±283° Kelvin; 5,665±355° Kelvin; and 6,530±510° Kelvin. |
| US08217405B2 |
Light-emitting diode and method for fabrication thereof
A light-emitting diode includes a substrate, a compound semiconductor layer including a p-n junction-type light-emitting part formed on the substrate, an electric conductor disposed on the compound semiconductor layer and formed of an electrically conductive material optically transparent to the light emitted from the light-emitting part and a high resistance layer possessing higher resistance than the electric conductor and provided in the middle between the compound semiconductor layer and the electric conductor. In the configuration of a light-emitting diode lamp, the electric conductor and the electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer on the side opposite to the electric conductor across the light-emitting layer are made to assume an equal electric potential by means of wire bonding. The light-emitting diode abounds in luminance and excels in electrostatic breakdown voltage. |
| US08217404B2 |
Light-mixing type LED package structure for increasing color render index
A light-mixing type LED package structure for increasing color render index includes a substrate unit, a light-emitting unit, a frame unit and a package unit. The light-emitting unit has a first light-emitting module for generating a first color temperature and a second light-emitting module for generating a second color temperature. The frame unit has two annular resin frames surroundingly formed on the top surface of the substrate unit by coating. The two annular resin frames respectively surround the first light-emitting module and the second light-emitting module in order to form two resin position limiting spaces above the substrate unit. The package unit has a first translucent package resin body and a second translucent package resin body both disposed on the substrate unit and respective covering the first light-emitting module and the second light-emitting module. |
| US08217402B2 |
Light emitting devices including wavelength converting material
Light-emitting devices and associated methods are provided. The light emitting devices can have a wavelength converting material-coated emission surface. |
| US08217400B2 |
Polychromatic light emitting diode device having wavelength conversion layer made of semiconductor and method for manufacturing the same
A wavelength conversion layer is formed on a surface of a light emitting device for transforming a portion of light emitted from the light emitting device into light of a different wavelength. The transformed light is mixed with the untransformed light, and thus the light emitting device can emit light having preferred CIE coordinates. |
| US08217396B2 |
Display device comprising electrode layer contacting wiring in the connection region and extending to pixel region
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a highly reliable display device at a low cost with high yield. According to the present invention, a step due to an opening in a contact is covered with an insulating layer to reduce the step, and is processed into a gentle shape. A wiring or the like is formed to be in contact with the insulating layer and thus the coverage of the wiring or the like is enhanced. In addition, deterioration of a light-emitting element due to contaminants such as water can be prevented by sealing a layer including an organic material that has water permeability in a display device with a sealing material. Since the sealing material is formed in a portion of a driver circuit region in the display device, the frame margin of the display device can be narrowed. |
| US08217393B2 |
Test device, SRAM test device, semiconductor integrated circuit device and methods of fabricating the same
A test device, SRAM test device, semiconductor integrated circuit, and methods of fabricating the same are provided. The test device may include a first test active region extending in one direction on a semiconductor substrate, a second test active, apart from the first test active region, extending in one direction on a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of test gate lines crossing the test active regions, a plurality of test contacts on at least one of the test active regions and test gate lines, a plurality of conducting regions electrically connecting the test contacts, and a plurality of conductive wiring lines interconnecting the plurality of test contacts, wherein an open contact chain, which electrically connects the plurality of test contacts, is formed. |
| US08217392B2 |
Organic electroluminescence element
To provide an organic electroluminescence element, containing: at least one pair of electrodes; at least one organic light-emitting layer disposed between the electrodes, the organic light-emitting layer comprising two phosphorescent light-emitting materials and a charge-transporting material, wherein the organic light-emitting element is a white organic light-emitting element, and the charge-transporting material is a hole-transporting material, and wherein one of the two phosphorescent light-emitting materials is a platinum complex expressed by the following general formula 1, and the other is an iridium complex expressed by any one of the following general formulae 2A to 2C: |
| US08217389B2 |
Organic thin film transistor device and organic thin film light-emitting transistor
An organic thin film transistor including a substrate having thereon at least three terminals of a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode, an insulator layer and an organic semiconductor layer, with a current between a source and a drain being controlled upon application of a voltage to the gate electrode, wherein the organic semiconductor layer includes a compound having a specified structure; and an organic thin film light emitting transistor utilizing an organic thin film transistor, wherein the organic thin film transistor is one in which light emission is obtained utilizing a current flowing between the source and the drain, and the light emission is controlled upon application of a voltage to the gate electrode, and is made high with respect to the response speed (driving speed) and has a large ON/OFF ratio, are provided. |
| US08217388B2 |
Curable organopolysiloxane composition and semiconductor device
A curable organopolysiloxane composition comprising at least the following components: (A) a linear diorganopolysiloxane with a mass average molecular weight of at least 3,000, (B) a branched organopolysiloxane, (C) an organopolysiloxane having, on average, at least two silicon-bonded aryl groups and, on average, at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in one molecule, and (D) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst; has excellent curability and, when cured, forms a flexible cured product of high refractive index, optical transmissivity, excellent adherence to various substrates, high hardness and slight surface tack. |
| US08217381B2 |
Controlled buckling structures in semiconductor interconnects and nanomembranes for stretchable electronics
In an aspect, the present invention provides stretchable, and optionally printable, components such as semiconductors and electronic circuits capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed, and related methods of making or tuning such stretchable components. Stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits preferred for some applications are flexible, in addition to being stretchable, and thus are capable of significant elongation, flexing, bending or other deformation along one or more axes. Further, stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits of the present invention are adapted to a wide range of device configurations to provide fully flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices. |
| US08217379B2 |
Arsenic-containing variable resistance materials
A variable resistance material for memory applications. The material includes a base Ge—Sb—Te composition and further includes As-doping. The materials were included in variable resistance memory devices. Incorporation of As in the variable resistance composition led to a significant increase in the operational life of the device and, unexpectedly, did not reduce the programming speed of the device. In one embodiment, the composition includes at atomic concentration of Ge in the range from 7%-13%, an atomic concentration of Sb in the range from 50%-70%, an atomic concentration of Te in the range from 20%-30%, and an atomic concentration of As in the range from 2%-15%. |
| US08217378B2 |
Luminescent image reading device and image forming apparatus
The present invention aims at providing an image reading device and an image forming apparatus including a light guiding body having a first emission surface and a second emission surface. A color copy machine includes a luminescence portion including: LEDs composed of a plurality of dot-shaped luminescence members disposed at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction and/or an elongated luminescence member that is formed to extend in the main scanning direction; and a light guiding body that is disposed between the LEDs and an original, and has a light incidence portion disposed on a side to the LEDs and an emission portion disposed on a side to the original. The emission portion has a first emission surface and a second emission surface that is formed on a different plane from a plane including the first emission surface. |
| US08217377B2 |
Device with movable sensor for measuring the width and/or the position of a metal strip or slab
The invention relates to a device (1) for measuring the width (B) and/or the position of a metal strip (2) or a slab, which has at least two measuring systems (3, 4), with each located on a side (5, 6) of the metal strip (2) or the slab, wherein each measuring system (3, 4) has a sensor (7) designed to detect the lateral end (8, 9) of the metal strip (2). To make the measuring device robust and to enable dynamic measurement, according to the invention the sensor (7) is located on a moving element (10) with which it can be moved in a straight line in a direction (Q) at right angles to the longitudinal direction (L) of the metal strip (2). |
| US08217374B2 |
Projection optical system and projection-type image display apparatus
There is a need for providing a projection optical system that is appropriate for maintaining high resolution with low distortion, miniaturizing a reflector, decreasing the number of reflectors, and decreasing the depth and the bottom (or top) of a display used for a rear projection television, for example. The projection optical system according to the invention enlarges and projects images from a primary image surface existing at a reducing side to a secondary image surface existing at an enlarging side. The projection optical system has a first optical system L11 and a second optical system L12. The first optical system L11 forms an intermediate image (position II) of the primary image surface. The second optical system L12 has a concave reflector AM1 that forms the secondary image surface resulting from the intermediate image. A light beam travels from the center of the primary image surface and to the center of the secondary image surface and crosses an optical axis. The light beam is reflected on the concave reflector, crosses the optical axis again, and reaches the secondary image surface. |
| US08217371B2 |
Luminescent system
A luminescent system includes a layer of donor material, an acceptor material and a barrier layer therebetween. The energy transfer between the donor and acceptor is biased to the acceptor layer, by an asymmetric energy transfer efficiency created by the barrier layer. Energy from the donor material is converted into photo-luminescence in the acceptor layer by discouraging photo-luminescence quenching caused by energy backflow. |
| US08217370B2 |
Luminescent glass element, producing method thereof and luminescing method thereof
The present invention relates to a luminescent glass element comprising a luminescent glass substrate, which a metal layer is positioned on a surface thereof. The metal layer is provided with a metal microstructure. The luminescent glass substrate has composite oxides represented as the following formula: aM2O.bY2O3.cSiO2.dTm2O3, wherein M represents alkali metal element, a, b, c and d are, by mol part, 25-60, 1-30, 20-70 and 0.001-10 respectively. The present invention also provides a producing method of the luminescent glass element and a luminescing method thereof. The metal layer is positioned on the luminescent glass substrate, thereby improving luminescence efficiency of the luminescent glass substrate. The luminescent glass element can be used in luminescent devices with ultrahigh brightness or high-speed operation. |
| US08217367B2 |
Scanner device for scanning probe microscope
A scanner device is provided which enables high-frequency scanning and can increase the speed of a scanning probe microscope. A scanner device (1) used for a scanning probe microscope includes a Z actuator (7) which scans an object to be scanned in a scanning direction, and a Z actuator holder (11) which holds the Z actuator (7). The Z actuator holder (11) holds the Z actuator (7) at a plurality of holding line parts which extend in the scanning direction and are separated from each other. For example, the Z actuator (7) has a rectangular cross-section, and the four edges of the Z actuator (7) are held by the Z actuator holder (11). The Z actuator (7) is pressed into a holding hole (29) of the Z actuator holder (11). |
| US08217361B2 |
Ultraviolet sensor
An ultraviolet sensor has an ultraviolet detection diode having a depletion region 18 formed in an Si layer 16 on an insulating layer 14, an interlayer insulating film 20 formed on the ultraviolet detection diode, and a wiring 24 formed on the interlayer insulating film 20. An incident angle θ (°) of an incident light entering into the depletion region 18 and a film thickness Tsi (nm) of the depletion region 18 satisfy the following formula (1), which is also shown in FIG. 14. TSi≦TSi/sin θ≦100 (Formula 1) |
| US08217360B2 |
Neutron moderator, neutron irradiation method, and hazardous substance detection apparatus
A neutron moderator includes a neutron generator; a neutron moderating material arranged on one side of the neutron generator; a gamma ray shielding material covering an external surface of the neutron moderating material; and a thermal neutron absorbing material covering the external surface of the neutron moderating material except a side where the neutron generator is arranged. |
| US08217358B2 |
System and method of eliminating image artifacts
A system and method for eliminating image artifacts caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) on a digital x-ray detector. The system and method includes a digital x-ray detector panel having an array of pixels in rows and columns, with a plurality of data lines coupled to the columns of pixels and a plurality of scan lines coupled to the rows of pixels. The system and method uses certain photodiodes in a row of the pixel array for measuring EMI with corresponding scan line and FETs deactivated and eliminating the EMI and image artifacts with the remaining photodiodes in the row with corresponding scan line and FETs activated. |
| US08217349B2 |
Method for inspecting EUV reticle and apparatus thereof
A method of inspecting an EUV reticle is proposed, which uses an electron beam (EB) with low density and high energy to scan the surface of an EUV reticle for inspecting the EUV reticle. A step of conditioning surface charge is followed by a step of inspecting surface of the EUV reticle. The step of conditioning surface can neutralize the surface charge and the step of inspecting can obtain an image of the EUV reticle. The present invention uses a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to provide a primary electron beam for conditioning the surface charge and a focused primary electron beam for scanning the surface. |
| US08217347B2 |
System and method for detecting at least one contamination species in a lithographic apparatus
A system for detecting at least one contamination species in an interior space of a lithographic apparatus, including: at least one monitoring surface configured to be in contact with the interior space, a thermal controller configured to control the temperature of the monitoring surface to at least one detection temperature, and at least one detector configured to detect condensation of the at least one contamination species onto the monitoring surface. |
| US08217345B2 |
Interface between differential mobility analyzer and mass spectrometer
Various embodiments are described herein for an apparatus that can be used to interface a Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) with a Mass Spectrometer (MS). The apparatus includes first and second plates with first and second apertures respectively, and an interface region in between the first and second plates. During use, the first aperture receives mobility separated ions from the DMA, the interface region receives a gas flow to prevent gas outflow from the DMA toward the MS, and the first and second plates are configured to receive voltages to generate an electric field there between to guide the mobility separated ions from the first aperture to the second aperture, which then provides the mobility separated ions to the MS. |
| US08217344B2 |
Differential mobility spectrometer pre-filter assembly for a mass spectrometer
A pre-filter assembly including a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS) that is configured to be in-line with a mass spectrometer (MS) such that the MS continuously receives carrier flow from the DMS when the DMS filtering fields are removed. |
| US08217342B2 |
Ionizer for vapor analysis decoupling the ionization region from the analyzer
A method and apparatus are described to increase the efficiency with which a sample vapor is ionized prior to being introduced into an analyzer. Excellent contact between the vapor and the charging agent is achieved in the ionization chamber by separating it from the analyzer by means of a perforated impaction plate. As a result, some desired fraction of the gas going into the analyzer or coming out of the analyzer can be controlled independently from the flow of sample through the ionization chamber. Furthermore, penetration into said ionization chamber of said desired fraction of the gas going into or out of the analyzer is minimized by controlling the dimensions of said perforated impaction plate. Ions formed in the ionization chamber are driven partly by electric fields through said hole in said perforated impaction plate into the inlet to the analyzer. As a result, most of the gas sampled into the analyzer carries ionized vapors, even when the sample flow of vapor is very small, and even when the analyzer uses counterflow gas. |
| US08217337B2 |
Evaluating a reservoir formation
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method for evaluating a volcanic reservoir formation having volcanic rock forming elements and a borehole penetrating the volcanic reservoir formation. The method includes controlling chlorine concentration in an environment of the borehole and a tool operation to enable neutron capture spectroscopy measurements of the volcanic rock forming elements, obtaining neutron capture spectroscopy data relating to the volcanic rock forming elements from borehole logging tools, determining a lithology of the volcanic reservoir formation based on at least the neutron capture spectroscopy data, and generating an evaluation of the volcanic reservoir formation based on at least the lithology. |
| US08217336B2 |
Light sensing device having a color sensor and a clear sensor for infrared rejection
A light sensing device has a first filter to block visible light in a light path. The light sensing device also has a first color sensor and a clear sensor, to detect light in the light path after the first filter. A light intensity calculator computes a measure of the intensity of visible light in the light path, based on a difference between (a) an output signal of the first color sensor, and (b) an output signal of the clear sensor. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08217335B2 |
Optical modulation-type detection device and electronic device
An optical modulation-type detection device has a noise detection mode having (i) an offset canceling (hereinafter referred to as “OC”) period in which (a) the light-reception signal pathway of a pulse signal converting section is cut off so that an offset of the pulse signal converting section is suppressed and (b) the light-reception signal pathway of the pulse signal converting section is reconnected while a state in which the offset is suppressed is being maintained, at an end of the OC period, and (ii) an asynchronous reception period in which whether or not asynchronous reception occurs is detected after the first period, and an object detection mode having a synchronous reception period in which whether or not synchronous reception occurs is detected after the asynchronous reception is not detected in the noise detection mode. |
| US08217329B2 |
Microminiaturized projection module having an image processing unit for transforming each of image signals into a modulating signal and a direction signal for projecting image onto object
A microminiaturized projection module for projecting an image onto an object is disclosed in the present invention. The module includes a number of light units each for providing red, green, and blue beams; an image processing unit for receiving the image, dividing the image into n×m image signals, and transforming each of the image signals into a modulating signal and a direction signal, where n and in are integrals not less than 2, respectively; a number of modulation units for modulating the beams from one light unit according to the modulating signal received from the image processing unit and sending out the modulated beams simultaneously; and an array of n×m mirrors for projecting the modulated beams to form the image onto the object according to the direction signal received from the image processing unit. The invention has advantages that can reduce modulation speed, undergo slight shock and be free from raster pinch effect. |
| US08217328B2 |
Low noise pixel readout circuit with high conversion gain
A pixel circuit of a CMOS image sensor is disclosed. At least two transfer transistors are configured to transfer integrated light signals of corresponding photodetectors to a first node. A reset transistor is configured to reset the first node to a predetermined reset voltage of a second node, and a source follower is configured to buffer the integrated light signals. In one embodiment, a capacitor is further connected between the first node and the second node to minimize influence of the effective capacitance including capacitance of a floating diffusion region and parasitic capacitance due to the photodetector and the transfer transistor. |
| US08217326B1 |
Method of calibrating earth, lunar and solar spectrometers
A method for calibrating a spectrometer, while orbiting a celestial body, includes the steps of: (a) obtaining an estimate of radiance emanating from the celestial body; (b) raster scanning the celestial body using the spectrometer; (c) measuring filtered radiance of the celestial body based on step (b); and (d) determining gain of the spectrometer using steps (a) and (c). A calibrated spectrometer of the present invention is based on the determined gain of step (d). The method includes the step of: (e) raster scanning another celestial body to determine the albedo radiance of the other celestial body, after determining gain of the spectrometer in step (d). The celestial body may be the moon and the other celestial body may be the Earth. |
| US08217323B2 |
High-frequency heating device
An object of the present invention is to provide an inverter circuit in which soft start can be implemented by a simple circuit added thereto. In high-frequency heating apparatus for driving a magnetron, a DC power supply is chopped by two semiconductor switching devices, and this is output as an AC current through a resonance circuit. The high-frequency heating apparatus includes a dead time generation circuit for turning off the semiconductor switching devices concurrently. In the high-frequency heating apparatus, a drive unit for driving the aforementioned semiconductor switching devices has a function of limiting the lowest frequency of a frequency with which the semiconductor switching devices are driven. The aforementioned lowest frequency is set to be high at the beginning of operation of the high-frequency heating apparatus, and the aforementioned lowest frequency is set to be lower gradually thereafter. |
| US08217321B2 |
Method for generating, processing and analysing a signal correlated to temperature and corresponding device
According to the invention, an improved analysis method for temperature monitoring of a hotplate (11) as a cooker with a temperature sensor (S) may be achieved by means of differentiating once over time and inverting the electronically interrogated temperature signal (T). The result of the inversion is raised to the power of ⅔ to give an output value (A). This output value is used in further processing wherein, in the second processing, the output value is compared with stored values for an output value for defined events. The recording of the output value (A) occurs for a maximum time of up to 300 seconds after starting a cooking process, advantageously 60 to 120 seconds, and then said recording and analysis is terminated. |
| US08217317B2 |
Apparatus with strain release feature for high temperature processes
A method and apparatus for thermally treating a substrate is provided. A thermal treatment chamber has a substrate support and a magnetically permeable rotor housed in a rotor well. An annular cover shields the rotor from the processing environment. The annular cover has a thermal stress relief joint formed therein that provides one or more mechanical degrees of freedom to allow portions of the cover to shift with thermal stresses. In one embodiment, a gap is formed in the annular cover at the point of maximum thermal stress. |
| US08217315B2 |
Pull-out heat cooking device
A packing is arranged in a manner blocking a gap between with a handle in an edge of an opening of a cooking device body. In a close state of the door, steam generated from an object to be heated in a heating chamber at the time of cooking the object to be heated is prevented by the packing from flowing between an edge and the handle. Hence, it is possible to prevent dews from arising on the handle due to dewing. The packing is equipped with a fixing part installed in a deep end edge of the opening, and a sealing part extending downward from the fixing part and being contactable with a back part of the handle. |
| US08217312B2 |
Method and device for heating a fluid
Method for heating a fluid, in particular a fluid which is not electrical conductive, where a rotor body (10) which is arranged in a chamber for absorption of the fluid, is rotated with a generally vertical shaft (11). A voltage is applied to a rod shaped electrode (16) which is arranged centrally in a rotor chamber (12) and to an electrode at the bottom (13) of the rotor chamber, for creation of a flame arc, so that a flow of the fluid passing the flame arc is created. The length (L) of the flame arc is held generally stable, preferably constant by controlling the position of the rod shaped electrode (16). The fluid is made enter the rotor chamber (12) so that it is kept outside the flame arc, and that the fluid is provided to flow through the rotor chamber (12). |
| US08217311B2 |
Method for laser induced fusion pigtailing of optical fiber to optical waveguide
A method for instant splicing of an optical fiber to an optical waveguide or bulk material comprises forming a nanometric conductive layer at the interface between the optical fiber and the optical waveguide or bulk material to be spliced, and applying laser radiation to the interface through the fiber optical internally or through the bulk material externally, to produce an arc discharge due to the laser light electric field. The arc discharge melts and diffuses the conductive layer to produce a permanent splice having a low optical loss. |
| US08217306B2 |
Vehicle lighting device
A conventional vehicle lighting device entails a problem on appearance. A vehicle lighting device of the present invention is provided with a wire heater, an extension portion, and a power-feeding portion. An adhesive part is provided at a part of one face of an extension film of the extension portion. Of such one face of the extension film of the extension portion, a letterpress printed-film pattern of a rough portion is provided in a range excluding the adhesive part. As a result, the vehicle lighting device of the present invention provides an ability to reliably prevent an extension film of the extension portion from sticking to a lamp lens by means of the letterpress printed-film pattern of the rough portion; prevent an appearance failure or abnormality exerted by the sticking of the extension film of the extension portion to the lamp lens; and improve its appearance. |
| US08217304B2 |
Methods and systems for thermal-based laser processing a multi-material device
A method and system for locally processing a predetermined microstructure formed on a substrate without causing undesirable changes in electrical or physical characteristics of the substrate or other structures formed on the substrate are provided. The method includes providing information based on a model of laser pulse interactions with the predetermined microstructure, the substrate and the other structures. At least one characteristic of at least one pulse is determined based on the information. A pulsed laser beam is generated including the at least one pulse. The method further includes irradiating the at least one pulse having the at least one determined characteristic into a spot on the predetermined microstructure. The at least one determined characteristic and other characteristics of the at least one pulse are sufficient to locally process the predetermined microstructure without causing the undesirable changes. |
| US08217301B2 |
Laser processing machines and methods of processing workpieces
A laser processing machine for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, includes a workpiece support and a beam receiver for the laser beam used as a processing tool. The distance between a workpiece lying on the workpiece support and the beam receiver is variable, owing to the fact that the workpiece support and the beam receiver are positionable relative to one another along the beam axis of the laser beam by means of an adjusting drive of an adjusting device with a positioning movement of a variably definable magnitude. A method for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, is also provided. |
| US08217299B2 |
Arc recovery without over-voltage for plasma chamber power supplies using a shunt switch
A system and method for over-voltage protection is described. In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus includes an output port configured to deliver power to a plasma chamber to ignite a plasma. The apparatus also includes a shunt switch in parallel with the output port and a processor configured to receive an indicator of an arc in the plasma. The processor is configured to close the shunt switch for a period of time to divert current away from the arc. The processor is also configured to trigger a pulse of the shunt switch to limit a voltage of an increasing voltage condition associated with the arc. |
| US08217298B2 |
Method and system for fabricating an aspherical orthopaedic prosthetic component
A method and apparatus for fabricating an aspherical orthopaedic prosthetic component includes rotating the orthopaedic prosthetic component and operating an electrical discharge machining cutting tool (EDM) to move a wire electrode of the EDM along a number of arcuate cutting paths. A spark is generated between the wire electrode and the orthopaedic prosthetic component to remove a portion of the orthopaedic prosthetic component. |
| US08217296B2 |
Fluid-quality control method, fluid-quality control apparatus, and electric-discharge machining apparatus employing the same
Target fluid is made into electrolyte solution when measured fluid-quality value is lower than a first condition value, by substituting an impurity anion contained in the target fluid with a predetermined anion and substituting an impurity cation contained in the target fluid with a predetermined cation, and purified when the fluid-quality value is higher than a second condition value. The above procedures are repeated, so that the fluid-quality value of the target fluid falls within a predetermined range, to make the target fluid into electrolyte solution with a correlation between pH and conductivity. |
| US08217294B2 |
Method and device for sorting flat mail items
A method is specified for sorting flat mail items, which allows sorting according to delivery order to be carried out swiftly and reliably. With the method a first sorting pass is carried out in a first segment with at least N storage modules of a sorting device and a second sorting pass is then carried out in a second segment with at least N storage modules of the sorting device. The overflow items, which are assigned to a storage module that has been closed because it is full, are deposited into one of the other storage modules in the first sorting pass and are included in the sorting process of the second sorting pass. |
| US08217292B2 |
Operating device for an electrical appliance
An operating device for an electrical appliance comprises a control panel and an operating element arranged in the control panel for operation by rotary actuation. The operating element is mounted in a cup-like receptacle, at least one additional touch-sensitive switch being arranged in a region of the control panel adjacent to or around the operating element. Advantageously, this is a capacitive touch-sensitive switch with a capacitive sensor element. |
| US08217291B2 |
Electrical switching apparatus and status indicating assembly therefor
A status indicating assembly is provided for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, and an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts. The operating mechanism comprises a stored energy mechanism and a primary latch. The primary latch is pivotable between a latched position corresponding to the stored energy mechanism being chargeable, and an unlatched position corresponding to the stored energy mechanism being discharged. The status indicating assembly includes a first indicator for indicating whether the separable contacts are open or closed, a second indicator for indicating whether the stored energy mechanism is charged or discharged, and a third indicator for indicating whether or not the circuit breaker is ready to close the separable contacts. |
| US08217287B2 |
Switching mechanism for motor protection circuit breaker
A switch for a motor protection circuit breaker capable of reducing a force required to adjust a handle and capable of enhancing the reliability to break a circuit. The switch includes a push link having an outer circumferential curved surface of a varying cam profile, so as to enhance a function to break the circuit by pressing movable contact plates. |
| US08217283B2 |
Trigger switch
A trigger switch has a trigger arranged projected and biased to a front side in a housing, and a lock member projecting from a side of the trigger towards the housing, and being engaged with a lock button projecting to the side from the housing to fix the trigger in a pulled-in state. The lock member is swingably attached to the trigger. |
| US08217282B2 |
Combination switch
A rotary switch section R includes a brush unit 60 rotatably operated by a lever 72 and a plurality of fixed contacts. The brush unit 60 includes a pair of main contact shoes 62, 63 and a single auxiliary contact shoe 64. The fixed contacts include a main contact 24 with which the main contact shoes 62, 63 come into contact with the lever 72 is at its neutral posture N, a pair of contacts 25L, 25R with which the auxiliary contact shoe 64 comes into contact first when the lever 72 is rotatably operated, and second contacts 26L, 26R with which one of the main contact shoes 62, 63 comes into contact subsequently. |
| US08217281B2 |
Package, method of manufacturing a package and frame
The package comprises a chip and a plurality of frame contact pads. The chip is attached to the frame contact pads in a die attach area with a die attach adhesive. The chips is coupled to frame contact pads outside the die attach area with connecting elements. The chip, the connecting elements and the frame contact pads outside the die attach area are anchored in an electrically insulating encapsulation. The frame contact pads each comprise a first patterned layer and a second patterned layer, which second layer has the surface that is exposed outside the encapsulation. At least a portion of the frame contact pads in the die attach area has a first patterned layer with a first pattern that comprises at least one flange/lead that is outside the second patterned layer when seen in perpendicular projection of the first layer on the second layer. |
| US08217272B2 |
Apparatus and method for embedding components in small-form-factor, system-on-packages
According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a small form factor mobile platform including a system-on-package architecture, the system-on-package architecture arranged as a stack of layers including: a first layer having a first conformable material; a second layer having a second conformable material; a third layer having a third material; and one or more electronic components embedded within the stack of layers, wherein the first conformable material, the second conformable material, or both are configured to allow high frequency signal routing. |
| US08217270B2 |
Multilayer circuit board and electronic device
A multilayered circuit board which is provided with a low-permittivity interlayer insulating film, and which can significantly improve the performance such as signal transmission characteristics of the multilayered circuit board such as a package and a printed board, because the surface in contact with the interlayer insulating film of the circuit board has no unevenness to eliminate the lowering of production yield and the deterioration of high-frequency signal transmission characteristics; and electronic equipment using the circuit board. The multilayered circuit board comprises, mounted on a substrate, plural wiring layers and plural insulating layers positioned between the plural wiring layers, wherein at least part of the plural insulating layers are composed of a porous insulating layer containing at least any of materials selected from a porous material group consisting of porous material, aerogel, porous silica, porous polymer, hollow silica and hollow polymer, and a non-porous insulating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous insulating layer and not containing the porous material group. |
| US08217267B2 |
Communication cable with improved crosstalk attenuation
A communication cable with a barrier tape to improve crosstalk attenuation. The barrier tape is provided with one or more barrier layers of discontinuous conductive segments. |
| US08217266B2 |
Rail wiring duct
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a DIN rail wiring duct. The DIN rail wiring duct has a top, a bottom, and a side. The DIN rail wiring duct includes a base. The base has a top wall, a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a divider wall, which define a channel and a channel opening for accessing the channel. The DIN rail wiring duct also includes a cover for the channel opening. The cover has a top wall and a sidewall substantially perpendicular to the top wall. The top wall of the cover is removably connected to the top wall of the base and the sidewall of the cover is rotatably connected to the sidewall of the base such that the channels are accessible through the channel openings from the top and the side of the DIN rail wiring duct when the cover is rotated from a closed position to an open position. |
| US08217262B2 |
Decorative cover for wall mounted device
A decorative cover for a device mounted to a wall is provided. The cover has a face panel (that may or may not include artwork or a photo) and a support structure attached to the face panel. The support structure is adapted to attach to the wall. The face panel is pivotable relative to the wall between a closed position and an open position. The cover has a top portion, the top portion has a top opening to allow air flow from an inner side of the top portion to an outer side of the top portion. |
| US08217260B2 |
Organic photovoltaic devices comprising fullerenes and derivatives thereof
Photovoltaic cells comprising an active layer comprising, as p-type material, conjugated polymers such as polythiophene and regioregular polythiophene, and as n-type material at least one fullerene derivative. The fullerene derivative can be C60, C70, or C84. The fullerene also can be functionalized with indene groups. Improved efficiency can be achieved. |
| US08217259B2 |
Enhanced efficiency solar cells and method of manufacture
Enhanced efficiency solar cells and methods of manufacture of such cells are described herein. In an illustrative example, the solar cell includes at least one or more collector lens bars each of which extend on sides of front contacts and positioned over a respective active area of one or more active areas in such as position as to guide light onto the one or more active areas. A protective layer covers the at least one or more collector lens bars. |
| US08217256B2 |
Thermoelectric material, method for producing the same, and thermoelectric converter
The present invention provides a thermoelectric material useful for a thermoelectric converter having excellent energy conversion efficiency, and a method for producing the thermoelectric material. The thermoelectric material comprising an oxide containing Ti, M, and O and the oxide is represented by Formula (1). Ti1-xMxOy (1) M represents at least one selected from the group consisting of V, Nb, and Ta, x is not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.5, and y is not less than 1.90 and not more than 2.02. |
| US08217254B2 |
Digital instrument with physical resonator
In an implementation of this invention, a stringed musical instrument has a resonator comprised of a bridge and a soundboard. Vibrations from the strings are transmitted through the bridge to the soundboard. A plurality of sensors are attached to or embedded in the soundboard. The sensors measure primarily the vibrations of the soundboard, rather than primarily the vibrations of the strings. Preferably, three or more sensors are used. Piezoelectric sensors sample vibrations in the soundboard. The resonator includes a printed circuit board that amplifies the signal from each sensor separately. Also, a signal processing device that is “onboard” the musical instrument processes the separate input signals to create one output signal. The resonator may be easily removed, enabling resonators to be interchanged. Also, the physical characteristics of a particular resonator, such as its mass or its boundary condition, may be adjusted, thereby changing the acoustic qualities of the soundboard. |
| US08217251B2 |
Interactive display
An interactive assembly for displaying a sequence of words from a text comprising: a processor; at least one memory operatively connected to the processor; at least one speech recognizer operatively connected to the processor; at least one audio input operatively connected the speech recognizer; at least one display operatively connected to the speech recognizer for displaying words of a song based upon the words recognized by the speech recognizer; whereby based upon a word received by the audio input, the next words to be recited incrementally displayed onto the at least one display contemporaneously with the input received from the operator. A method for interactively display the words of a text sequentially on a display comprising: receiving an inputted vocal input in an audio input device; inputting the inputted vocal input into a speech recognizer; comparing the inputted vocal input with words stored in sequence in memory; outputting on a display screen only the next sequential words for display. |
| US08217249B2 |
Acoustic timber for musical instrument
An acoustic timber for use in an acoustic musical instrument is constituted of a plurality of woody members, such as woody fibers, woody veneers, blasted bamboo fibers, and defibrated bamboo fibers, whose fiber length is 50 mm or more. An epoxy resin is impregnated into the woody members with an impregnation factor of 5 weight-percent through 50 weight-percent. The woody members impregnated with the epoxy resin are joined together by way of heating and compressive molding so that the fibers thereof are uniformly aligned in the desired fiber-aligning direction. |
| US08217248B1 |
Ligature
A musical instrument ligature having at least one compression bed which act as the contact points between the ligature and the reed on the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. Said ligature is significantly juxtaposed to an opposite spar and support elements, positioned so as to optimize the fixation of the reed to the mouthpiece. |
| US08217247B2 |
Adjustable chromatic chord harmonica
An adjustable chromatic harmonica incorporating an adjustable mouthpiece where, for each mouth-hole, the player's breath may be selectively connected to one or more available reed cells. This is by means of a rotatable cup-shaped valve, with an opening or port in its side, being mounted in each mouth-hole such that the port can be registered by rotation with one of a group of surrounding air ducts, each of which is connected to one or more reed cells in the body of the harmonica. In some embodiments an apertured slide is interposed between the mouthpiece and the body. In some embodiments devices are provided for rotating the valves in independent groups while the harmonica is being played. In embodiments where each group of mouth-holes can be independently adjusted, a large number of physical states is possible. Consequently, some embodiments have the capability of playing chromatic melodies and several common chord types in all twelve musical keys. |
| US08217245B1 |
Guitar
A guitar including a sound box having a headward end and a tailward end, the sound box having a back, a sound board, and a side wall spanning between the back and the sound board, the back, the sound board, and the side wall each having inner and outer surfaces; a neck fixedly attached to and extending headwardly from the sound box's headward end, the neck having a distal end; a head stock fixedly attached to the neck's distal end; a bridge and saddle combination fixedly attached to the sound board; a channeled string anchoring block operatively positioned within the sound box and at the sound box's tailward end; and a sound hole opening the sound box, the sound hole being positioned between the bridge and saddle combination and the channeled string anchoring block. |
| US08217243B2 |
Plants and seeds of corn variety CV022631
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV022631. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV022631, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV022631 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV022631 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV022631. |
| US08217242B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH088433
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH088433. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH088433, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH088433 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 CH088433. |
| US08217241B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH406625
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH406625. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH406625, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH406625 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 CH406625. |
| US08217239B1 |
Soybean cultivar 09114187
A soybean cultivar designated 09114187 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 09114187, to the plants of soybean cultivar 09114187, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 09114187, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 09114187. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 09114187. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 09114187, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 09114187 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08217238B1 |
Soybean cultivar 01272932
A soybean cultivar designated 01272932 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 01272932, to the plants of soybean cultivar 01272932, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 01272932, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 01272932. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 01272932. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 01272932, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 01272932 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08217236B1 |
Soybean variety XBP39006
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP39006 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP39006, cells from soybean variety XBP39006, plants of soybean XBP39006, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP39006. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP39006 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XBP39006, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP39006. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP39006 are further provided. |
| US08217231B2 |
Soybean cultivar S090244
A soybean cultivar designated S090244 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S090244, to the plants of soybean S090244, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S090244, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S090244 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S090244, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S090244, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S090244 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US08217230B2 |
Soybean variety A1016122
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1016122. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1016122. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1016122 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1016122 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US08217228B2 |
Down-regulation and silencing of allergen genes in transgenic peanut seeds
An allergen-free transgenic peanut seed is produced by recombinant methods. Peanut plants are transformed with multiple copies of each of the allergen genes, or fragments thereof, to suppress gene expression and allergen protein production. Alternatively, peanut plants are transformed with peanut allergen antisense genes introduced into the peanut genome as antisense fragments, sense fragments, or combinations of both antisense and sense fragments. Peanut transgenes are under the control of the 35S promoter, or the promoter of the Ara h2 gene to produce antisense RNAs, sense RNAs, and double-stranded RNAs for suppressing allergen protein production in peanut plants. A full length genomic clone for allergen Ara h2 is isolated and sequenced. The ORF is 622 nucleotides long. The predicted encoded protein is 207 amino acids long and includes a putative transit peptide of 21 residues. One polyadenilation signal is identified at position 951. Six additional stop codons are observed. A promoter region was revealed containing a putative TATA box located at position −72. Homologous regions were identified between Ara h2, h6, and h7, and between Ara h3 and h4, and between Ara h1P41B and Ara h1P17. The homologous regions will be used for the screening of peanut genomic library to isolate all peanut allergen genes and for down-regulation and silencing of multiple peanut allergen genes. |
| US08217227B2 |
Recombinant DNA constructs and methods for controlling gene expression
The present invention provides molecular constructs and methods for use thereof, including constructs including heterologous miRNA recognition sites, constructs for gene suppression including a gene suppression element embedded within an intron flanked on one or on both sides by non-protein-coding sequence, constructs containing engineered miRNA or miRNA precursors, and constructs for suppression of production of mature microRNA in a cell. Also provided are transgenic plant cells, plants, and seeds containing such constructs, and methods for their use. The invention further provides transgenic plant cells, plants, and seeds containing recombinant DNA for the ligand-controlled expression of a target sequence, which may be endogenous or exogenous. Also disclosed are novel miRNAs and miRNA precursors from crop plants including maize and soy. |
| US08217225B2 |
Generation of plants with altered protein, fiber, or oil content
The present invention is directed to plants that display an improved oil quantity phenotype or an improved meal quality phenotype due to altered expression of an IMQ nucleic acid. The invention is further directed to methods of generating plants with an improved oil quantity phenotype or improved meal quality phenotype. |
| US08217224B2 |
Generation of plants with altered protein, fiber, or oil content
The present invention is directed to plants that display an improved oil quantity phenotype or an improved meal quality phenotype due to altered expression of an IMQ nucleic acid. The invention is further directed to methods of generating plants with an improved oil quantity phenotype or improved meal quality phenotype. |
| US08217214B2 |
Process for preparing ethylbenzene using vapor phase alkylation and liquid phase transalkylation
Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm. |
| US08217209B2 |
Process for production of gas hydrate
Disclosed is a process for production of a gas hydrate, wherein the process comprises a gas hydrate production step, a cooling step, a depressurizing step and a re-cooling step. In the cooling step, the temperature (T) required for the cooling of the gas hydrate is adjusted to a temperature equal to or higher than a cooling limit temperature (t1+t2) (which is a sum of an equilibrium temperature (t1) of the gas hydrate and a temperature for correction (t2)) and equal to or lower than the freezing point (0° C.). |
| US08217206B2 |
Process for the selective oxidation of methane
The present invention is a process for converting methane to methanol, comprising: feeding methane and gaseous air or oxygen or gaseous air enriched with oxygen to a reactor under an elevated pressure; said reactor having an internal surface, made of silica or coated with silica, surrounding a zone in which said gases react; and reacting said gases in said reaction zone at an elevated temperature at conditions effective to produce methanol and for valuable oxygenates. Advantageously the internal surface is made of quartz or coated with quartzAdvantageously the internal surface, made of silica (advantageously quartz) or coated with silica (advantageously quartz), is treated with HF before the conversion of methane to methanol.Advantageously the reaction is carried out in the absence in said reaction zone of any added material which measurably affects the rate of the reaction or the yield of the product.Advantageously the reactor is operated under a pressure from 1 to 7.5 MPa.Advantageously the reactor is operated at a temperature from 300° C. to 600° C.Advantageously the reactor is operated at a residence time from 0.1 to 100 s.Advantageously the reactor is operated at a methane to oxygen molar ratio from 1 to 50.The present invention also relates to a reactor having an internal surface made of silica (advantageously quartz) or coated with silica (advantageously quartz). |
| US08217199B2 |
Stable water soluble composition containing lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lecithin
The invention relates to a stable water soluble composition containing lithophosphatidylethanol amine (LPE) or lecithin including the LPE 3% or more. The composition comprises one or both of lysophosphatidylethanol amine and lecithin 0.1 to 50 wt %, fatty acid or salt thereof 0.1 to 60 wt % and solvent 10 to 99.8 wt %. According to the invention, it is possible to provide the stable water soluble composition of lithophosphatidylethanolamine and lecithin which does not cause the precipitation at the room temperature below 20° C. and can maintain the clear formulation even during the long term keeping. |
| US08217198B2 |
Process for purifying removal of a chemical target compound from a suspension of crystals thereof in mother liquor
A process for purifying removal of a chemical target compound from a suspension of crystals thereof in mother liquor in a wash column with forced transport of the crystal bed from the top downward, in which crystals are removed from the lower end of the crystal bed with a rotating removal device and melted, and a portion of the crystal melt is conducted back toward the crystal bed as wash melt, the removal device being secured with a drive shaft conducted into the wash column from the bottom through an inlet having a seal, said drive shaft being driven about its longitudinal axis by a drive unit for rotation and being mounted so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis in more than one bearing, such that the mounting in one of the bearings absorbs the downward force acting on the drive shaft, the mounting in two or more bearings absorbs forces acting radially outward from the drive shaft, and the mounting in one bearing is additionally capable of absorbing an upward force acting on the drive shaft. |
| US08217195B2 |
Photocurable compound
Disclosed is a compound having a photocurable urethane (meth)acrylate group, its manufacturing method, and a photocurable composition including the compound. The compound is represented by Chemical Formulae 1 to 6. Each of Chemical Formulae 1 to 6 includes a urethane (meth)acrylate group represented by Chemical Formula 1-1 or 1-2. |
| US08217194B2 |
Polyarylacetylenes containing siloxane, silane, and carborane moieties
Disclosed herein are the compounds shown below. Each R is an organic group, Cb is a carborane group, and —C6H4— is phenylene. The value of each m is a nonnegative integer, q is 0 or 1, with the proviso that if q is 0 then m is 0 or 1, p is a positive integer, r is a positive integer, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 10. Also disclosed are methods of making and crosslinking the compounds. —{SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m-[Cb-SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m]p—C≡C—C6H4—C≡C}— —{SiR2—(O—SiR2)m—C≡C—C6H4—C≡C}n—; —{SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m—[C≡C—C6H4—C≡C—SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m]p-Cb-[SiR2—([O]q—SiR2)m-Cb]r}- |
| US08217190B2 |
Processes for the production of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol
The invention provides a process for the production of ethylene oxide and, optionally, ethylene glycol. A base is added at various positions downstream of the quench section of an ethylene oxide absorber. This mitigates corrosion in the ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol plant. |