| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08229692B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for facility integrity testing
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for facility integrity testing. According to embodiments, a method for populating a watch list with circuits of a communications network to be monitored for repeat failures is provided. According to the method, a trouble ticket associated with one of the circuits and a trouble code and analysis code (TC/AC) combination associated with the trouble ticket is retrieved. Whether the trouble ticket meets a watch list criterion is determined. In response to determining that the trouble ticket meets the watch list criterion, the trouble ticket and the TC/AC combination are added to the watch list. |
| US08229687B2 |
System and method for measuring a level of a liquid in a container
An embodiment of the present invention may incorporate a physics based approach (hereinafter “model”) to determine the level of the liquid. The model may incorporate the physical properties of the fluids within the container, and measurements of the fluid under consideration. The model may also incorporate data from measuring devices, such as, but not limiting of, a delta-pressure (DP) transmitter. The model may then calculate, within a reasonable level of accuracy, the level of the fluid within the container. |
| US08229683B2 |
Test circuit for bias temperature instability recovery measurements
A method, test circuit and test system provide measurements to accurately characterize threshold voltage changes due to negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and positive bias temperature instability (PBTI). Both the bias temperature instability recovery profile and/or the bias temperature shifts due to rapid repetitions of stress application can be studied. In order to provide accurate measurements when stresses are applied at intervals on the order of tens of nanoseconds while avoiding unwanted recovery, and/or to achieve recovery profile sampling resolutions in the nanosecond range, multiple delay or ring oscillator frequency measurements are made using a delay line that is formed from delay elements that have delay variation substantially caused only by NBTI or PBTI effects. Devices in the delay elements are stressed, and then the delay line/ring oscillator is operated to measure a threshold voltage change for one or more measurement periods on the order of nanoseconds. |
| US08229680B2 |
Method and apparatus for loosening of fasteners on structures
Methods and apparatuses for detecting fastener loosening. Sensors query a structure at a baseline value of an environment variable, such as temperature, and this baseline signal is stored for later use. Subsequently, users can query the structure remotely and at any time, and the signals from these queries are compared to the stored baseline signal. In some embodiments, an index is calculated, and the system determines that one or more fasteners have come loose if the calculated index exceeds a predetermined threshold value. It is desirable to select a time window within which the query signal is most sensitive to fastener loosening but least sensitive to variations in the environment variable. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatuses for determining an optimal time window for use in calculating the above described index. |
| US08229675B2 |
Patient information bar and method for tracking and displaying blood products
A method and system for managing blood products and tracking their movement in which a database is provided for entering and storing information pertaining to each patient, and a patient toolbar is provided for selectively displaying patient information and condition including but not limited to each patient's special needs, prior transfusion reaction history, directed blood components, and blood type with a manual control button to selectively display each item or category of information on a screen. |
| US08229672B2 |
Percolation test apparatus
The present invention includes a method and apparatus for determining the percolation rate of soil. The method includes providing a test assembly configured to be placed over the top of a test hole, the test assembly containing a remote sensor (such as an ultrasound sensor) positioned proximate the top of the hole. The depth to the bottom of the hole, as well as the elevation of water within the hole during the test process, is measured using the remote sensor and used to determine perc rate of the soil within which the hole is dug. |
| US08229671B2 |
Method and system for riserless casing seat optimization
A system and method for optimal placement of a riserless casing in a subsea drilling environment having the steps of: receiving input of pore pressure data for a well site; receiving input of fracture gradient for said well site; receiving input of the anticipated true vertical depth of said well site; integrating pore pressure data, fracture gradient data with said true vertical depth values; computing a pore pressure and fracture gradient verses true vertical depth graph; determining the true vertical depth at which the pore pressure begins to exceed the normal gradient of salt water; and determining the placement of a conductor casing string by corresponding the gradient true vertical depth to the true vertical depth of where the pore pressure beings to exceed the normal gradient of salt water. The method improves upon conventional placement of the riserless casing by optimizing the placement to achieve larger diameters in the wellbore, increased well depth, and mitigation of shallow hazards. Furthermore, the method of the present invention transforms readily available data to calculate optimal placement of a structural casing string to serve a dual purpose by providing not only structural integrity for the wellbore, but also ensuring leak-off integrity by taking advantage of the early growth of the fracture gradient of the natural subsea environment. Also, the suggestion that casing drilling will assist in mitigating shallow drilling hazards to allow casing seats to be placed as prescribed by this present invention. The method of the present invention may be implemented by a computer based apparatus or implemented using executable computer code on a computer based system. |
| US08229670B2 |
Fluids lifting tool
A fluids lifting tool and analysis system. The present invention comprises a fluid lifting system for a gas well. The system comprises a lifting tool positioned in the well and a docking station at the well surface. The tool includes a processor, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, an accelerometer, and a proximity sensor. A battery in the tool is adapted to be charged by inductive coupling using coils in the docking station and the tool. The tool is released from the docking station and descends the well. During descent the tool measures elapsed time, velocity of the tool, calculates distance traveled, measures pressure and temperature, determines volumes or oil and water in the well, and senses when the tool reaches the bottom of the well. The FLT chooses to ascend the well when appropriate and transfers measured and calculated data to the docking station. |
| US08229667B2 |
Method for displaying background sky in navigation system and apparatus thereof
A method of displaying a background sky in a navigation system, the method including: storing and maintaining map data and background sky image data with respect to one or more directions of the map data in a database; detecting a driving direction angle of a vehicle; computing a position of a background sky image corresponding to the detected driving direction angle; extracting background sky image data corresponding to the computed position of the background sky image from the database; and displaying the extracted background sky image data as a background sky with respect to the map data. |
| US08229666B2 |
Generating and using pattern keys in navigation systems to predict user destinations
Systems and methods for automatically generating pattern keys based on models of user travel patterns and behavior, wherein the pattern keys may be used in automated navigation systems for fast and efficient prediction of user destinations. |
| US08229663B2 |
Combined vehicle-to-vehicle communication and object detection sensing
A vehicle awareness system for monitoring remote vehicles relative to a host vehicle. The vehicle awareness system includes at least one object sensing device and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device. A data collection module is provided for obtaining a sensor object data map and vehicle-to-vehicle object data map. A fusion module merges the sensor object data map and vehicle-to-vehicle object data map for generating a cumulative object data map. A tracking module estimates the relative position of the remote vehicles to the host vehicle. |
| US08229659B2 |
Method and system to automatically generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan
A method to generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan is provided. The method includes receiving at one or more processors in an airborne vehicle input from at least one automatic flight-plan-relevant source, at least one of the one or more processors independently determining a revised flight route based on the received input, at least one of the one or more processors independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message to deviate from the flight plan for a flight crew user based on the determining. The method further includes providing an audible prompt to the flight crew user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan. When an approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan is received from the flight crew user, the preconfigured clearance request message is downlinked. |
| US08229657B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing and using public transportation information
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for providing traffic information of public transportation means, such as a bus, and utilizing the provided information. A method of encoding public traffic information according to the present invention creates an identifier of bus information system, an ID of bus route, and travel time on each section wherein the section is link between neighboring two stops among bus stops pertaining to the bus route. The created information is organized to status information that is in turn incorporated into a transfer message. A sequence of transfer messages, each being constructed as described above, is wirelessly transmitted. |
| US08229641B2 |
Aircraft braking control
An aircraft braking control system for an aircraft braking system that comprises at least one first side braking unit (30L) for braking a respective wheel (22L) positioned on a first side of a longitudinal axis of an aircraft and at least one second side braking unit (30R) for braking a respective wheel (22R) positioned on a second side of said longitudinal axis, said braking control system comprising a brake control unit (40) operable to process respective measurements of performance of the braking units (30L, 30R) and according to the process results to provide command signals for controlling respective braking forces applied by said first and second braking units (30L, 30R) to reduce any difference between a first side braking force applied on the first side of the longitudinal axis by said at least one first side braking unit (30L) and a second side braking force applied on said second side by said at least one second side braking unit (30R). |
| US08229637B2 |
Shift controller
A shift controller for a motor vehicle includes an electric motor configured to rotate a shift drum associated with a transmission. An oil temperature sensor is configured to detect temperature of lubricating oil for the transmission. A controller is configured to control the electric motor. The controller controls the electric motor to operate in a preset first motor duty until a first predetermined time elapses after operation of the electric motor is started when the shift drum is turned from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position. The controller is also configured to operate the electric motor in a second motor duty calculated based upon oil temperature after the first predetermined time elapses. |
| US08229633B2 |
Method for operating a powertrain system to control engine stabilization
An engine is selectively operative in one of a plurality of engine states to transfer torque to an input member of a hybrid transmission. The hybrid transmission is operative to transfer torque between the input member and a torque machine and an output member to generate an output torque in response to an operator torque request. A method for controlling the engine includes monitoring the operator torque request, determining operating power costs associated with a plurality of candidate engine states in response to the operator torque request, determining transition costs for transitioning the engine from a present engine state to each of the candidate engine states, determining stabilization costs for operating the engine in the present engine state and subsequently operating the engine in each of the candidate engine states, and selecting a preferred engine state based upon the operating power costs, the transition costs, and the stabilization costs for the plurality of engine states. |
| US08229622B2 |
Data recorder and storage system for line replaceable unit
A data recorder is configured to be mounted to a line replaceable unit (LRU) and utilized in conjunction with a service monitor. The data recorder includes a memory, a processor coupled to the memory and configured to store operational data pertaining to the LRU in the memory, and a monitor interface coupled to the memory. The monitor interface is configured to be coupled to the service monitor to permit access to the operational data stored in the memory. |
| US08229621B2 |
Method of storing accident data for a vehicle
Provided is a method of storing accident data for a vehicle, in which image data taken by a camera during driving is stored in real time, a weight value is set according to a measured impulse value to calculate a priority index and data is stored in a memory based on the priority index, thereby preventing initial accident-cause data from being deleted over time. The method includes acquiring driving data including image data, setting a weight value corresponding to an average impulse value and calculating a priority index, selecting a block having a lowest priority index and storing the driving data in the selected block if the capacity of the volatile memory is full, determining whether a timer starts, and reading out all data stored in the volatile memory and storing the read data in the non-volatile memory if the predetermined amount of time has elapsed. |
| US08229620B2 |
Method for model-based diagnosis of a mechatronic system
A method for model-based diagnosis of a mechatronic system. A control unit within the mechatronic system performs error detection and an arithmetic unit outside of the mechatronic system performs error identification. |
| US08229618B2 |
Leader-follower fully autonomous vehicle with operator on side
The illustrative embodiments provide a method and apparatus for controlling movement of a vehicle. Movement of an operator located at a side of the vehicle is identified with a plurality of sensors located in the vehicle and the vehicle is moved in a path that maintains the operator at the side of the vehicle while the operator is moving. |
| US08229616B2 |
Charging/discharging control system for hybrid vehicle and method for controlling same
In a traveling mode for controlling traveling of a hybrid vehicle to maintain a charge amount of a power storage device of the hybrid vehicle to fall within a predetermined control range, when a malfunction associated with the power storage device takes place, a control center value defining the control range is set higher than a control center value employed in a normal state and set at a value near a management lower limit value of the charge amount. Then, it is permitted to charge/discharge the power storage device. In this way, upon occurrence of a malfunction of a level that does not require immediate interruption of the charging/discharging of the power storage device, a vehicle operation can be continued using the power storage device while protecting the power storage device. |
| US08229612B2 |
Vehicle and control method thereof
A hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a planetary gear mechanism linked to the output shaft of the engine and to a driveshaft, a first motor linked to the planetary gear, a second motor inputting and outputting power to and from the driveshaft, and a battery inputting and outputting electric power to and from the motors. When a cooling water temperature Tw of the engine is lower than a threshold Twref, the intermittent operation of the engine is prohibited, and a controller performs a warm-up control on a condition that a battery temperature Tb is a preset reference temperature Tα, while performing a low state of charge control on condition that a battery temperature Tb is higher than or equal to a preset reference temperature Tα and lower than a preset reference temperature Tβ. |
| US08229611B2 |
Charge/discharge control apparatus for hybrid vehicle and control program device therefor
A navigation ECU records a charge-possible point through charging position record processing and records the history of traveling conditions near the charge-possible point through learning control processing. If a destination point on an optimum route is the charge-possible point, the navigation ECU determines a continuous section where the EV traveling is possible up to the charge-possible point based on the history through SOC management plan preparation processing, and changes over the HV traveling and the EV traveling according to the determination through in-travel processing. |
| US08229610B2 |
Deceleration-running evaluating device
A total distance calculating unit calculates a total running distance and an energy-cut-off distance calculating unit calculates a deceleration running distance of a vehicle. The deceleration running distance is a distance for which the vehicle runs while the vehicle is in a deacceleration state and no energy is supplied to a motor of the vehicle. A deceleration-running evaluating unit evaluates deceleration running of the vehicle based on a ratio of the deceleration running distance to the total running distance. The result of the evaluation is displayed for the driver of the vehicle. |
| US08229607B2 |
System and method for determining a mismatch between a model for a powered system and the actual behavior of the powered system
A system is provided for determining a mismatch between a model for a powered system and the actual behavior of the powered system. The system includes a coupler positioned between adjacent cars of the powered system. The coupler is positioned in a stretched slack state or a bunched slack state based upon the separation of the adjacent cars. The system further includes a controller positioned within the powered system. The controller is configured to determine a mismatch of the model. A method is also provided for determining a mismatch between a model for a powered system and the actual behavior of the powered system. |
| US08229602B2 |
Electrical power distribution system
An electrical power distribution system for distributing electrical power from a source. The system includes one or more network circuits electrically connected to the source and one or more load devices electrically connectable to the network circuit. The system also includes one or more controllers for monitoring one or more preselected parameters of the electrical power. Each controller includes means for determining actual values of the preselected parameter, means for comparing the actual value to a preselected threshold value of the preselected parameter to determine a difference, and means for disconnecting the load device if the difference is equal to or exceeds a predetermined difference amount. |
| US08229599B2 |
Air conditioning control device and air conditioning control method
An air conditioning control device includes an operating-unit specifying unit, an adjacent-unit specifying unit and an adjacent-unit control unit, and collectively controls the operation of an indoor unit group. The operating-unit specifying unit specifies an operating unit to perform an air conditioning operation from the indoor units included in the indoor unit group. The adjacent-unit specifying unit specifies an adjacent unit adjacent to the operating unit from the indoor units included in the indoor unit group. The adjacent-unit control unit causes the adjacent unit to perform an air flow generating operation. This air flow inhibits air conditioned by the air conditioning operation of the operating unit from diffusing from an air conditioning target space. |
| US08229596B2 |
Systems and methods to interface diverse climate controllers and cooling devices
A method includes storing information regarding protocols required by a plurality of climate controllers and a plurality of cooling devices. A request message is received from a first of the climate controllers, the request message being addressed to a specific cooling device. A protocol required by the specific cooling device is determined using the stored information regarding protocols required by the cooling devices. The request message is converted to the protocol required by the specific cooling device. A response message is queued from the specific cooling device if the time period allowed for responding to the first climate controller has expired. The queued response message is sent to the first climate controller when a subsequent request message is received from the first climate controller. |
| US08229589B2 |
Method and apparatus for fabricating a foam container with a computer controlled laser cutting device
A method and apparatus for fabricating a foam container by using a laser cutting apparatus to precisely cut and remove portions of foam in order to form custom and predetermined text, indentations and protective compartments in the foam, and more particularly a method of controlling the laser relative to high density foam to create precise cuts completely through the foam without subsequently adjusting the focal point of the laser, the cuts being made according to exterior dimensions of an object to be supported and protected in the high density foam. |
| US08229587B2 |
Semiconductor fabrication facility visualization system with performance optimization
A semiconductor fabrication facility (fab) configuration module is defined to virtually model physical systems and attributes of a fab. A data acquisition module is defined to interface with the physical systems of the fab and gather operational data from the physical systems. A visualizer module is defined to collect and aggregate the operational data gathered from the physical systems. The visualizer module is further defined to process the operational data into a format suitable for visual rendering. The processed operational data is displayed within a visual context of the fab in a graphical user interface controlled by the visualizer module. An analyzer module is defined to analyze data collected by the visualizer module and to resolve queries regarding fab performance. An optimizer module is defined to control systems within the fab in response to data collected by the visualizer module, data generated by the analyzer module, or a combination thereof. |
| US08229580B2 |
Electronic apparatus, control method of electronic apparatus and power saving control device
According to one embodiment of the invention, an operation control module 107p controls an operation status of an electronic apparatus in response to an operation signal from an operation module. A power saving status setting module 107a sets the electronic apparatus into the power saving status when a sensing module 108 does not acquire a preset detection output (user detection). A first power saving status releasing module 107b releases the power saving status of electronic apparatus when the sensing module has acquired the preset detection output (user detection). A second power saving status releasing module 107c releases the power saving status when the operation signal is input from the operation module in the power saving status. |
| US08229578B2 |
Methods and apparatus to manage module run sequences in a process control environment
Example methods and apparatus to manage module run sequences in a process control environment are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a module including a plurality of function blocks, receiving an indication of a subset of the plurality of function blocks, and receiving an indication of a first sequence of execution for the subset, wherein the first sequence of execution is different than a second sequence of execution associated with the module. The example method also includes associating the subset with a run sequence identifier, and associating the run sequence identifier with a trigger condition. |
| US08229573B2 |
Spring passive lead anchor and methods and devices using the anchor
A lead anchor includes a body defining at least one first portion of a lead lumen, the body having a first opening and a second opening. An obstructing member is disposed within the body. The obstructing member defines a second portion of the lead lumen. A spring is disposed in the body and configured and arranged to operate on the obstructing member so that the second portion of the lead lumen is coterminous with the at least one first portion of the lead lumen and forms a continuous lead path when the spring is compressed and the second portion of the lead lumen is offset from the at least one first portion of the lead lumen when the spring is not compressed. |
| US08229568B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing safe long-range telemetry with implantable medical devices
An implantable medical device (IMD) communication system and associated method for controlling the telemetry link status between an IMD and associated programmer during a telemetry session are provided. The system includes control circuitry for detecting conditions during predetermined time intervals for determining if a telemetry session is active or inactive. If a telemetry session is determined to be inactive for a specified interval of time, the telemetry link may be terminated or converted to a low-output, stand-by mode. Patient or device identity verification may be required prior to allowing programmer-IMD communication. A patient alert signal may be generated in response to programmer-IMD communication occurring after a predetermined time of telemetry session inactivity. |
| US08229566B2 |
Method and apparatus of breathing-controlled electrical stimulation for skeletal muscles
Methods and devices are provided such that electrical stimulation can be delivered to a patient's skeletal muscles in response to certain respiratory signals, such as when voluntary breathing is detected. |
| US08229561B2 |
Atrial retrograde management
Methods and systems for classifying cardiac responses to pacing stimulation and/or preventing retrograde cardiac conduction are described. Following delivery of a pacing pulse to an atrium of the patient's heart during a cardiac cycle, the system senses in the atrium for a retrograde P-wave. The system classifies the atrial response to the pacing pulse based on detection of the retrograde P-wave. The system may also sense for an atrial evoked response and utilize the atrial evoked response in classifying the cardiac pacing response. If capture is not detected, the system may deliver additional atrial pacing pulses to reduce atrial retrograde conduction. A backup pace may be delivered to prevent the atrial retrograde conduction if an atrial evoked response is not detected during a cardiac cycle. Alternatively, retrograde management may involve delaying a next scheduled pace may be until expiration of an atrial effective refractory period. |
| US08229558B2 |
System and method for conditional biventricular pacing
An implantable pacing system with single, double and triple chamber pacing capabilities, provided individually or in concert on a conditional or continuous basis depending upon ongoing analyses of atrial rhythm status, atrioventricular conduction status and ventricular rate. A mode is selected to reduce the occurrence of any ventricular pacing in favor of intrinsic atrioventricular and ventricular conduction. If excessively long PR intervals are occurring too frequently or atrioventricular conduction is unreliable or absent, the implantable pulse generator is operated in a conditional triple chamber pacing mode that provides atrial-synchronous biventricular pacing in every cardiac cycle for a period of time as necessary to restore and maintain AV synchrony, while minimizing ventricular asynchrony otherwise associated with monochamber RV pacing as in conventional dual chamber pacing systems. Similarly, biventricular pacing is provided in every cardiac cycle when ventricular rates are undesirably slow during atrial fibrillation, where AV synchronization is excluded. |
| US08229557B2 |
Estimating acute response to cardiac resynchronization therapy
Systolic timing intervals are measured in response to delivering pacing energy to a pacing site of a patient's heart. An estimate of a patient's acute response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for the pacing site is determined using the measured systolic timing intervals. The estimate is compared to a threshold. The threshold preferably distinguishes between acute responsiveness and non-responsiveness to CRT for a patient population. An indication of acute responsiveness to CRT for the pacing site may be produced in response to the comparison. |
| US08229554B2 |
Method and apparatus for solid state pulse therapy capacitor
One embodiment includes an apparatus that includes an implantable device housing, a capacitor disposed in the implantable device housing, the capacitor including a dielectric comprising CaCu3Ti4O12 and BaTiO3, the dielectric insulating an anode from a cathode and pulse control electronics disposed in the implantable device housing and connected to the capacitor. |
| US08229553B2 |
Methods and apparatus for securing medical instruments to desired locations in a patient's body
Devices and methods are provided for securely affixing a medical instrument to desired tissue in a patient's body, using a fixation agent. Such medical instruments may comprise localization wires or tissue acquisition instruments, such as biopsy instruments, for example. In the case of tissue acquisition instruments, the inventors have discovered significant advantages for securely affixing the distal end of the tissue acquisition instrument to a particular tissue target area. For example, such an approach permits the imaging environment to be uncoupled from the procedural environment so that expensive and often unavailable imaging equipment, such as stereotactic imaging equipment, need not be used. In a preferred embodiment, a bonding agent, such as adhesive, surgical glue, or a solvent, is used as the fixation agent. |
| US08229552B2 |
Discrimination of supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia events
A method and system for discrimination of supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia events. Morphological features points are extracted from normal sinus rhythm (NSR) complexes and used to generate a NSR template. A numerical convolution is performed using the NSR template and the feature points for each sensed NSR to give a NSR filter output. Using a plurality of NSR complexes, a median NSR filter output template is determined, where the median NSR filter output template has a median value for each value in the NSR filter output. The median NSR filter output template is then used during a tachycardia event to distinguish tachycardia events as either ventricular tachycardia events or supraventricular tachycardia events. |
| US08229545B2 |
System and method for mapping complex fractionated electrogram information
A system for presenting information representative of patient electrophysiological activity, such as complex fractionated electrogram information, includes at least one electrode to measure electrogram information from the heart surface, at least one processor coupled to the at least one electrode to receive the electrogram information and measure a location of the at least one electrode within the heart, and a presentation device to present the electrogram information as associated with the location at which it was measured on a model of the patient's heart. A memory may also be provided in which to store the associated electrogram information and measured location. Data may be analyzed using both time-domain and frequency-domain information to create a three-dimensional map. The map displays the data as colors, shades of color, and/or grayscales, and may further utilize contour lines, such as isochrones, to present the information. |
| US08229536B2 |
Systems and methods for replacing signal artifacts in a glucose sensor data stream
Systems and methods for minimizing or eliminating transient non-glucose related signal noise due to non-glucose rate limiting phenomenon such as ischemia, pH changes, temperatures changes, and the like. The system monitors a data stream from a glucose sensor and detects signal artifacts that have higher amplitude than electronic or diffusion-related system noise. The system replaces some or the entire data stream continually or intermittently including signal estimation methods that particularly address transient signal artifacts. The system is also capable of detecting the severity of the signal artifacts and selectively applying one or more signal estimation algorithm factors responsive to the severity of the signal artifacts, which includes selectively applying distinct sets of parameters to a signal estimation algorithm or selectively applying distinct signal estimation algorithms. |
| US08229535B2 |
Systems and methods for blood glucose monitoring and alert delivery
Systems and methods for continuous measurement of an analyte in a host are provided. The system generally includes a continuous analyte sensor configured to continuously measure a concentration of analyte in a host and a sensor electronics module physically connected to the continuous analyte sensor during sensor use, wherein the sensor electronics module is further configured to directly wirelessly communicate displayable sensor information to a plurality of different types of display devices. |
| US08229534B2 |
Transcutaneous analyte sensor
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host. |
| US08229532B2 |
External ear-placed non-invasive physiological sensor
In one embodiment, a non-invasive physiological sensor assembly is capable of attachment to a tissue site of the ear comprising of cartilaginous structures of the ear, providing low latency of physiological measurements as well as a secure attachment. |
| US08229530B2 |
System and method for detection of venous pulsation
In accordance with an embodiment of the present technique, there is provided methods and systems for detecting the presence of venous pulsation by adjusting the sensitivity of a detection algorithm based on a sensor characteristic and/or notifying a caregiver of the presence of venous pulsation by ceasing display of physiological parameters. An exemplary embodiment includes receiving one or more signals from a sensor, the one or more signals corresponding to absorption of light in a patient's tissue; calculating one or more physiological parameters of the patient based on the one or more signals; displaying the patient's physiological parameters; enabling detection of venous pulsation with variable sensitivity based on a location of the sensor; and suspending or terminating the display of the one or more of the patient's physiological parameters when venous pulsation is detected. |
| US08229528B2 |
Superconducting coil having a granular superconducting junction
A superconducting coil comprises a plurality of windings. Each winding comprises at least one superconducting segment having an exposed area containing a granular superconducting substance. A junction electrically connects at least one superconducting segment of one winding to at least one superconducting segment of another winding. The junction is formed by coupling the granular superconducting substance of the exposed area of the at least one superconducting segment of the one winding to the granular superconducting substance of the exposed area of the at least one superconducting segment of the other winding. In an embodiment, the exposed areas are positioned to face each other. |
| US08229526B2 |
Portable device with sliding housing
A portable device includes: a first housing; a second housing slidably coupled to the first housing, the second housing being slidable from one end of the predetermined slidable range to the other end thereof via the middle position thereof; a first and second spring members; a first and second arms; a connecting arm connecting the first spring member with the second spring member; wherein when the second housing is slid from the one end to the middle position, the first and second spring members generate a reaction force while the second spring member stays in the initial position, and when the second housing is slid from the middle position to the other end, the first and second spring members move along the sliding of the second housing. |
| US08229525B2 |
Semi-automatic sliding device for a portable terminal and portable terminal having the same
A sliding-type portable communication terminal and a semi-automatic sliding device for the portable communication terminal are provided. The portable terminal has a body housing, a sliding housing sliding on the body housing, and a sliding device for semi-automatically moving the sliding housing with respect to the body housing. The sliding device includes a first member, a second member moving in a desired direction with respect to the first member while facing the first member, and an elastic body coupled between the first and second members. The elastic member functions as a semi-automatic driving source for driving the second member in the desired direction. |
| US08229516B2 |
System and method for providing switching service between telematics terminal and mobile terminal
The present invention relates to method and system for providing a terminal switching service between a telematics terminal and a mobile terminal, and the method according to the present invention comprises a switching step for receiving a terminal switching request from the telematics terminal mounted in a vehicle on a mobile communication network and providing the telematics terminal with a mobile communication service to be provided to the mobile terminal; a restoration request receiving step for receiving a terminal switching restoration request from the telematics terminal that sensed another passenger in the vehicle on the mobile communication network; and a restoring step for restoring information of each terminal to a state before terminal switching on the mobile communication network according to the restoration request. |
| US08229514B2 |
DECT wireless hands-free communication apparatus
The present invention provides a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication) wireless hands-free communication apparatus which includes a DECT host and a DECT earphone, wherein the DECT host is coupled with the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and configures an earphone receiving recess, which configures with a magnetic device mounted on the DECT host. The DECT earphone wirelessly communicates with the DECT host via the digital enhanced cordless telecommunication technique and the DECT earphone is detachable while it is attached to the earphone receiving recess The DECT earphone configures a magnetic conductive device, wherein the magnetic conductive device magnetically attracts to the magnetic device while the DECT earphone is close to the earphone receiving recess, whereby the DECT earphone electrically connects with the DECT host. |
| US08229513B2 |
IT terminal and audio equipment identification method therefor
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for identifying audio equipment plugs to be connected to a jack interface of an IT terminal including a common jack interface for a headphone, an earphone microphone and a stereo microphone and for automatically providing appropriate setup. An audio CODEC 50 is connected by way of an input/output selector circuit 42 to a jack interface 10 to which an audio equipment plug 70 is to be connected. Also connected to the LEFT and RIGHT signal terminals of the jack interface 10 is an R-V conversion circuit 20. The output voltages V-LEFT 201 and V-RIGHT 202 from the R-V conversion circuit 20 are compared with a reference voltage by comparator circuits 31, 32 for controlling controllers 41, 51 of an input/output selector circuit 42 and an audio CODEC 50 by the comparison outputs. |
| US08229507B2 |
Method for setting voice tag
A method for setting a voice tag is provided, which comprises the following steps. First, counting a number of phone calls performed between a user and a contact person. If the number of phone calls exceeds a predetermined times or the user fails to perform a voice dialing before calling to the contact person within a predetermined duration, the user is inquired whether or not to set a voice tag corresponding to the contact person after the phone call is complete. If the user decides to set the voice tag, a voice training procedure is executed for setting the voice tag corresponding to the contact person. |
| US08229504B1 |
Communication device
The communication device which includes a voice communicating implementer, a video game implementer, an auto time adjusting implementer, a moving picture displaying implementer, a calculating implementer, a bold formatting implementer, an italic formatting implementer, a font formatting implementer, a stereo audio output implementer, a device vibration implementer, a photo quality setting implementer, a multiple language implementer, and a caller's information displaying implementer. |
| US08229503B1 |
Scanner for a mobile device
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a scanning device for use with a mobile device are described herein. The scanning device may include an image capture module to capture surface images of a medium to be scanned and a positioning module to determine positioning information based at least in part on navigational images and the captured surface images. A mobile device may include one or more features of the scanning device including the image capture module and the positioning module. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08229502B2 |
Mobile communications device, controller, and method for controlling a mobile communications device
A mobile communications device. includes a communication unit for communicating with another device. The mobile communications device further has a communication unit for communicating with another device and at least one other component. A controller is connected to the communication unit and the component. The controller can control the component, during at least a part of time the communication unit is in a communicating mode, based on an operation of the communication unit. |
| US08229499B2 |
Enhancements for multi-mode system selection (MMSS) and MMSS system priority lists (MSPLS)
A mobile device or access terminal of a wireless wide area network (WWAN) communication system is provisioned for Multi-Mode System Selection (MMSS) wherein an MMSS System Priority List (MSPL) is used with respect to the underlying system selection priority list (e.g., Private Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list). Relating a current location to one or more entries in an MMSS Location Associated Priority List (MLPLs) enables scaling a range of entries in the PLMN list, indicating whether the MSPL apply to the entire list of PLMNs stored in an access terminal or to some subset of the PLMN List. Similarly, the present innovation addresses whether the MSPL applies to the entire Preferred Roaming List (PRL) or some subset of a geo-spatial location (GEO) area. |
| US08229496B2 |
Mobile phone terminal
A mobile telephone terminal has a configuration in which it is possible to prevent a wrong operation of the mobile phone terminal due to an unconscious touch with a touch panel during a telephone call without restricting available function during the telephone call.That is, the mobile telephone terminal includes a touch panel unit 104 for inputting information and a telephone call determining means 201 which judges whether the mobile telephone terminal is in a telephone call mode. Furthermore, the mobile phone terminal includes an approach detecting means 202 which outputs a wave and detects receiving of the wave as approaching of an object. Furthermore, the mobile phone terminal includes an input controlling means 203 which carries out a control to make information, which is inputted from the touch panel unit 104, ineffective in the case that the telephone call determining means 201 judges that the mobile phone terminal is in the telephone call mode and the approach detecting means 202 detects approaching of the object. |
| US08229494B1 |
Uplink transmission power control mechanism
There is provided a mechanism for uplink transmission power control in a communication network. An uplink transmission power for a transmission from a communication network element to a communication network control element is calculated. When a transmission power control command from the communication network control element is received instructing an increase or a decrease of the uplink transmission power, it is checked whether the calculated uplink transmission power is above a maximum transmission power or below a minimum transmission power of the communication network element. If so, and the transmission power control command instructs a change in the opposite direction, power control adjustment is conducted by determining and conducting a correction for immediately compensating for a difference between the calculated uplink transmission power and the maximum/minimum transmission power, wherein an actual transmission power is set based on the correction parameter considering the received transmission power control command. |
| US08229491B2 |
Picocell base station and method of adjusting transmission power of pilot signals therefrom
A method is provided of adjusting transmission power of pilot signals from a picocell base station for radio communications to a user terminal in radio connection with the picocell base station. The method comprises: the base station sending a signal at a first signal power; the user terminal measuring received signal level and sending an information signal indicating received signal level; and the base station adjusting its pilot signal power dependent upon said received signal level indicated in the information signal. |
| US08229489B1 |
Method, mobile station and base station for establishing connections in a radiocommunications system
A radio communication system, for example a TDMA/CDMA radio communication system, has at least one base station recurringly offering frequency channels for a random access for mobile stations in an upstream direction. The mobile station that requests a connection setup measures a reception power of a signal sent in a downstream direction by the base station and sets a transmission power for sending an access radio block to the base station dependent on the measured reception power. A variable transmission power control can thus be implemented at the mobile station side with the assistance of the measured reception power of the signal transmitted on the part of the base station, being also capable of being implemented for random access of the mobile stations, this having previously always occurred with maximum transmission power. |
| US08229488B2 |
Methods, apparatuses and computer programs for media content distribution
Methods for distributing media content between portable electronic devices enabled for media acquisition and wireless communication are disclosed. The methods comprises forming of a group of the portable electronic devices being present at a common context, providing a piece of media content to other members of the group, and collecting a piece of media content from other members of the group, respectively. Apparatuses, i.e. portable electronic devices, suitable for such media content distribution, as computer programs for implementing the media content distribution on such apparatuses, are also disclosed. |
| US08229487B2 |
PTT server, gate apparatus, communication system, program and communication method
A PoC communication system suitable for a broadcast use or the like is provided. In a communication system including a PoC server 30 and terminals 10 and terminals MS1 to MSn connectable to the PoC server 30, the PoC server 30 classifies the terminals into a terminal of first kind 10 having authority to assign a transmission right and terminals of second kind MS1 to MSn not having the authority to assign the transmission right and registers and manages each terminal joining in a group. The PoC server 30 assigns the transmission right to another terminal belonging to the group on the basis of designation from the terminal of first kind 10, and transmission data from the terminal assigned the transmission right is broadcast at a time via a packet communication network. |
| US08229484B2 |
System and methods for integrating short message service messaging with contact center applications
A system for routing short message service (SMS) messages to endpoints in a contact center includes a first node for receiving SMS message streams from multiple sources operating variant protocols and for multiplexing the multiple streams into a single message stream following a universal protocol, a media gateway server connected to the first node for receiving the single message stream and for forwarding individual ones of the messages therein to individual ones of a plurality of connected servers, and a router connected to at least one of the connected servers for routing individual messages represented therein to individual ones of a plurality of network-supported endpoint devices. |
| US08229482B2 |
Method for coding and transmitting transport format combination indicator
A method and matrixes for transmitting an transport format combination indicator is disclosed. The matrixes according to the invention comprising five column vectors of 32 elements of binary code derived from OVSF codes which are to be multiplied to the lower bits of a TFCI and one column vector of 32 elements of 1 when (32,6) codes are used. |
| US08229481B2 |
Method and related device for making memorandum in mobile communications device
A method for making a memorandum in a mobile communications device includes displaying a label on a screen of the mobile communications device, displaying a note in the label according to a first user instruction, and attaching a multimedia data corresponding to the note according to a second user instruction. |
| US08229477B1 |
Multiple paging channels in wireless communication systems
What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless access node in a communication system. The method includes, in the wireless access node, exchanging first wireless communications with a first set of user devices using a first communication mode that has a first paging channel, and exchanging second wireless communication with a second set of user devices using a second communication mode that has a second paging channel. The method also includes, in the wireless access node, transmitting a first bit sequence to indicate the presence of first pages on the first paging channel, and transmitting a second bit sequence to indicate the presence of second pages on the second paging channel. |
| US08229472B2 |
System and method for enabling determination of a position of a transponder
There is provided a method and system for positioning a transponder, the system comprising an antenna array of at least two spaced-apart antennas coupled to a common generating and switching unit. The generating and switching unit is configured for generating a periodic signal and switching the signal between said at least two antennas, constituting a positioning signal transmitted to the transponder. The system comprises a receiver for receiving a returned signal and a phase difference estimator coupled to the receiver and operable to measure phase differences between portions of the returned signal. The system further comprises a positioning utility coupled to said phase difference estimator and configured to determine the position of the transponder relative to the positioning system. |
| US08229464B1 |
System and method for identifying correlations between geographic locations
A system and method identifies correlations between locations. A server may receive information identifying an action and a location from a plurality of users. The server may assign a weighted value to each action and store the weighted value and location in a database. The database may be used to generate vector data for each location identifying the weighted values for a number of users. In response to receiving a location from a particular user device, the server may identify a vector associated with the received location. The location vector may be compared to other location vectors to determine if there is any correlation between the vectors. Where the server identifies a correlated vector, the server may send the identification of the corresponding location or information associated with the corresponding location to the particular user device. |
| US08229461B1 |
System and method for operating a location server
A method and a system for providing location information are provided. A location server receives a request for location information for the mobile station. The request includes an identifier for the mobile station. The location server determines whether the mobile station is at an enclosing location object by searching a location server database in response to the request. When the location server determines that the mobile station is at the enclosing location object, the location server obtains the enclosing location object from the location server database independent of a location request being sent to the mobile station, and provides the enclosing location object as the location of the mobile station. A sensor can be used to determine whether the mobile station is at the enclosing location object, and the location server database can be updated based on the sensor information. |
| US08229456B2 |
System and method of wireless proximity awareness
The present application provides a system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising a client application on an electronic communication device communicating across a wireless network, and an awareness server that includes a plurality of server objects that monitor multiple devices on a wireless communication network. In addition, the client application on the electronic communication device comprises a plurality of software objects. The client application periodically broadcasts the current wireless tower that the device is communicating on to the awareness server. The awareness server tracks the location of other Tower IDs of other users in the individual's contact list. If there is a match in Tower IDs, an alert is sent to both users that they are in proximity to each other. |
| US08229455B2 |
System and method of gathering and caching WLAN packet information to improve position estimates of a WLAN positioning device
Methods and systems of gathering and caching WLAN packet information to improve position estimates of a WLAN positioning device. A device estimates the position of itself. The device includes a WLAN radio module for receiving WLAN signals transmitted by WLAN APs in range of said device, extraction logic for extracting information from said received WLAN signals to identify the WLAN APs, and logic to cooperate with a WLAN-based positioning system to estimate the position of the device based at least in part on the extracted information identifying the WLAN APs in the range of said device. The extraction logic includes logic for caching the extracted identities and logic for caching information indicating the time of reception of the signals transmitted by the corresponding WLAN AP. And, the logic to cooperate considers the cached time information when providing extracted and cached information to said WLAN-based positioning system. |
| US08229449B2 |
Method and system for allocating subcarrier frequency resources for a relay enhanced cellular communication system
A method and system for allocating subcarrier frequency resources for a relay enhanced cellular communication system is provided. The relay enhanced cellular communication system includes a base station, one or more mobile stations and one or more relay stations. Subcarrier allocation involves assigning a set of subcarriers by allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links between mobile stations and their serving stations, to meet minimum data rate requirements of the access links, and allocating subcarriers to one or more relay communication links between the base station and relay stations to accommodate the data rates achieved on the corresponding access links. The serving stations may include one or more relay stations and the base station. Link balancing, multi-user diversity and minimum data rate constraint are jointly considered to achieve an optimal solution. |
| US08229445B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining fractional frequency reuse region by using broadcast reference signal in broadband wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for operating a Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) scheme in a broadband wireless communication system is provided. The method includes broadcasting a reference value for determining an FFR region, receiving region information determined by using the reference value from at least one Mobile Station (MS), and determining a communication band of at least one MS by using the region information received from the at least one MS. |
| US08229444B2 |
Cellular system, carrier allocation method thereof, base station, and mobile station
In a method of allocating carriers of a cellular system comprising mobile stations and a wireless network of multiple base stations, multiple carriers being available for communication between base and mobile stations, the wireless network performs the following. Carriers are divided into first and second carriers, and allocated the same for each cell formed by the base stations. Each mobile station is classified as an intracell-inner-area or an intracell-outer-area mobile station. Communication is performed with the intracell-inner-area and intracell-outer-area mobile stations by the first and second carriers, respectively. A status of use of the first carriers in a first cell is measured based on communicated data, as is that of the second carriers in a second cell. The number of second carriers in the second cell is changed based on at least the status of use of the first carriers and the status of use of the second carriers. |
| US08229442B1 |
Derivation of minimum coverage of cellular sectors with cellular-site spatial density and application specific data
Systems and methods for estimating the minimum geographic coverage of a wireless base station. In an embodiment, the present invention estimates coverage by (1) receiving real-time wireless base station information from the mobile device; (2) extracting a set of location points and system specific information based on the real-time wireless base station information; (3) determining a coverage area based on the set of location points and the system specific information; (4) adjusting for errors based on various factors (5) storing the determined coverage area. |
| US08229441B2 |
Graduated single frequency network
The signals from adjacent transmitters reinforce one another. As a result of this over-the-air combining, signal quality is improved in the network and especially at or near cell boundaries. The present invention provides a graduated single frequency network (GSFN) wherein transmitters in cells throughout a geographic area cooperate to broadcast data to user terminals throughout the geographic area, and adjacent transmitters transmit signals that substantially reinforce one another. When transmitting the data, transmitters in certain adjacent cells throughout the geographic area may employ slightly different transmit parameters to provide slightly different transmission signals. The transmission signals used to transmit the data may be varied in a graduated fashion throughout the geographic area, wherein even when there is a difference in the transmission signals of transmitters in adjacent cells, the transmission signals reinforce one another despite being different. |
| US08229440B2 |
Systems, methods and apparatus to facilitate identification and acquisition of access points
Systems, apparatus and methods for facilitating identification and/or acquisition of an access point are provided. Methods can include transmitting or receiving access point information (“API”) indicative of an identification of the access point (“AP”). The API can be provided at the AP through hardwiring or receipt of configuration information input by a user or transmitted to the AP by a network operator through Over-The-Air (“OTA”) signaling. The API can be computer-readable and, in some embodiments, the API can also be human-readable. The API can be transmitted on a paging channel from which user equipment (“UE”) can receive information. The frequency at which the API is transmitted can be fixed, dynamic and/or configurable. Upon receipt of the API, acquisition of the AP is attempted if the AP is determined to be a permitted AP. |
| US08229436B2 |
Methods and apparatus for managing mobile handover
Methods and apparatus to manage mobile handover are disclosed. An example mobile station includes hardware and software stored on a tangible computer readable medium that, during operation, cause the mobile station to receive from a network controller a response to a network registration request, wherein the response includes an indicator to indicate a type of cell that may be reported by the mobile station during a handover procedure and send a handover message indicating cells permitted by the indicator. |
| US08229435B2 |
Apparatus and method for scheduling in wireless communication system
A base station is capable of performing a method for scheduling in a wireless communication system. In the method, a downlink channel measurement value received from a terminal is compared with a threshold. When the downlink channel measurement value is smaller than the threshold, an activation set for a handover of the terminal is determined. When the number of base stations inside the activation set is two or more, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) level is allocated to the terminal with consideration of the downlink channel measurement value. A wireless resource is allocated to the terminal with consideration of the allocated MCS level and a headroom of the terminal. |
| US08229433B2 |
Inter-frequency handoff
Embodiments are described in connection with seamless inter-frequency handoff in a wireless network. Provided is a method that includes reporting to an access network sector pilot strength information for at least one frequency member in a message specified in an active set management protocol. Information regarding at least another frequency member is received in a message specified in the active set management protocol. The method further includes ascertaining whether to handoff from one frequency member to another frequency member and can further include seamlessly handing off to the other frequency member. |
| US08229432B2 |
Controlling reselection in a telecommunications network
A base station reselection method for a mobile terminal camped on a base station, which mobile terminal performs a cell reselection function in accordance with reselection parameters. The method characterized by according a different priority to respective radio resource types and varying the reselection parameters in dependence upon the radio resource type of the base station on which the mobile terminal is camped to cause the mobile terminal to preferentially reselect to a higher priority radio resource type when available. A further base station reselection method includes determining radio characteristics of at least one neighboring base station at a frequency, characterized by varying the frequency at which said radio characteristics are determined in dependence upon the rate of movement of the mobile terminal. |
| US08229430B1 |
Power adjustment based upon distribution of devices
Embodiments disclosed herein provide methods and systems for adjusting the signal strength of a pilot signal based on the distribution of wireless communication devices. In an embodiment, a method of operating a wireless communication system to control a pilot signal is disclosed. The method comprises receiving registration information transmitted from a plurality of wireless communication devices, processing the registration information to determine device type information for the wireless communication devices, processing the device type information to determine a power level to transmit the pilot signal, transferring an instruction indicating the power level for the pilot signal for delivery to a base station, and transmitting the pilot signal from the base station at the indicated power level. |
| US08229427B2 |
Status validation for terminals in a wireless communication system
A terminal is assigned an active identifier for use while in an active state of a connection with a base station. The base station periodically broadcasts the status of the active identifiers for that base station, e.g., via status validation bits that indicate whether each active identifier is currently assigned to a terminal or not assigned to any terminal. The base station may also broadcast the identity (e.g., a scrambling mask) of the terminal assigned with each active identifier that is currently in use. If a terminal believes that it is assigned a particular active identifier, then the terminal checks the status validation bit for this active identifier. If this status validation bit indicates that the active identifier is currently in use, then the terminal may further check the scrambling mask sent for the active identifier in order to determine whether the terminal is actually assigned the active identifier. |
| US08229426B2 |
Mobile communication terminal, method, and radio communication system
A mobile communications terminal divides a plurality of multipath signals associated with radio signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations using an S-CCPCH into groups by base station, i.e., by transmit source, maximum-ratio-combines a plurality of multipath signals associated with each same base station which is a transmit source into a composite signal, decodes the composite signal, and selects a composite signal having a good decoded result from among decoded composite signals. |
| US08229423B2 |
Broadcast and multicast services in wireless communication systems
Methods and apparatus for assigning, identifying and controlling broadcast transmissions are disclosed. A broadcast flow is assigned to a broadcast logical channel of the physical resources of a wireless communication channel. A broadcast channel control message indicative of parameters of the broadcast logical channel is generated. Upon receipt, the broadcast channel control message is processed and used to accordingly process the received broadcast transmission. |
| US08229421B2 |
System and method for determining mobile device location
A computer-implemented mobile device locating method is provided. The method includes determining a current cell sector of a mobile device and comparing the current cell sector with a cell sector list of previously determined cell sectors. A current location of the mobile device is determined if the current cell sector is not listed in the cell sector list. The current location is compared with a last determined location. The current cell sector is added to the cell sector list if the current location is substantially the same as the last determined location. The cell sector list is cleared if the current location is not substantially the same as the last determined location. |
| US08229417B2 |
Method and arrangement for locating areas having poor radio coverage
A method for determining tentative locations for areas with poor radio coverage in a cellular communication system comprises the step of keeping position-related data of connected user equipment's updated in a network part of the communications system. The method further comprises detection of an accidental loss of connection to a user equipment. The position-related data of such a dropped user equipment is logged as a response to a detection of such accidental loss of connection. The logged position-related data for a multitude of accidental loss events are compiled as a quantity based on the number of accidental losses of connection as a function of the position-related parameter. The method further comprises identification of a tentative location for an area with poor radio coverage by statistical evaluation of that quantity. An arrangement for determining tentative locations for areas with poor radio coverage is also presented. |
| US08229415B1 |
Wireless communication data store construction and analysis
A system for automatically generating a recommendation to migrate a wireless communication service account from a first wireless communication protocol to a second wireless communication protocol is provided. The system comprises a computer system, a data store comprising call metrics for a first plurality of base transceiver stations, wherein the base transceiver stations promote wireless communication according to the second wireless communication protocol, and an application stored in a memory of the computer system. The application identifies base transceiver stations associated with the first protocol most frequently used by the wireless account, identifies base transceiver stations associated with the second protocol that are proximate to the most frequently used base transceiver stations, and based on comparing call metrics between the two sets of base transceiver stations transmits a suggestion to migrate the wireless communication service account from the first wireless communication protocol to the second wireless communication protocol. |
| US08229414B1 |
Release of temporarily allocated number triggered by voice disconnect at mobile switching center
A method of managing a pool of telephone numbers is provided. The method comprises a mobile switching center identifying an incoming voice call as a customer care call based on a dialing code sequence, establishing a memory entry associated with the voice call, and coupling the voice call to an over-the-air service provisioning server. The method further comprises the over-the-air service provisioning server allocating a telephone number from a pool of telephone numbers to the terminal and establishing a communication session with a customer service user interface. The method further comprises the mobile switching center detecting termination of the voice call and transmitting a notification of the termination of the voice call. The method further comprises the over-the-air service provisioning server, in response to the notification of the termination of the voice call, returning the telephone number to the pool of telephone numbers. |
| US08229413B2 |
Message filter program for a communication device
A communication device is configured to receive messages. The communication device may comprise a display screen upon which messages are displayed. A microprocessor configured to execute at least one message management program on the communication device, filters incoming messages. The message management program comprising a message filter application filters messages based on a comparison of sender identification data associated with a message to approved sender identification data. |
| US08229407B2 |
Handheld electronic device having improved phone call log and associated method
An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide an improved call list that presents information relating to logged phone calls in a collapsed manner. A single entry is displayed on the call list to represent a call log of phone calls from the same phone number. |
| US08229404B2 |
Method and system for call gating
A system and method for gating calls. A list of one or more callers that may contact a user at any time is received. A selection to activate call gating is received. A determination is made whether an identifier associated with a caller is on the list in response receiving a call. The call is connected to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is on the list. |
| US08229402B2 |
Generic parser for electronic devices
Electronic device, comprising a memory for storing data files, and means for accessing information in a data file stored in the memory, including a computer system and computer program code means which, when loaded, makes the computer system execute the steps of: —determining file format for the data file; —accessing a meta descriptor language file adapted to the file format of the data file; —parsing the data file by means of a generic parser using said meta descriptor language file; —extracting meta data from the data file; —presenting information related to the data file from the extracted meta data. |
| US08229397B2 |
Access terminal authorization at private access points in wireless networks
This description relates to access terminal authorization methods in wireless networks. |
| US08229396B2 |
Wireless service purchasing system
The present invention provides a wireless service purchasing system used for getting a service provided by a service provider. In one embodiment, the system comprises a mobile device including a SIM card, wherein a RFID tag is integrated, the user being identified by the same identification number in both SIM card and RFID tag. The RFID tag is adapted to communicate with a service controller booth so that the user of the mobile device be authorized to get the service. The system comprises a service provider server adapted to receive a request when it has received the identification number from the RFID tag to verify whether an account associated with the user has enough credit to gain access to the requested service and to send back a reply to the service controller booth authorizing or denying the user access to the service according to whether there is enough credit in the account. |
| US08229391B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for managing emergency services of mobility-restricted mobile station
A method, an apparatus, and a system for managing emergency services of a mobility-restricted Mobile Station (MS) are disclosed. The method includes: an Anchor-Service Flow Authorization entity (A-SFA) obtains emergency service information or an Emergency Service Flag (ES_Flag), where the emergency service information or the ES_Flag serves as an indication of providing emergency services for the mobility-restricted Mobile Station (MS); constructs, according to the emergency service information or the ES_Flag, an emergency service indicator in an MS context maintained by the A-SFA; and sends a Path Registration Request (Path_Reg_Req) to a Base Station (BS), where the Path_Reg_Req carries the ES_Flag if what is obtained is the ES_Flag; or, if what is obtained is the emergency service information, generates the ES_Flag according to the emergency service indicator or emergency service information, and adds the generated ES_Flag into the Path_Reg_Req. |
| US08229389B2 |
Method for obtaining location information for emergency services in wireless multimedia networks
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method and apparatus for obtaining end-user location information for emergency services within a multimedia network is presented. The multimedia network may include a network implementing the Session Initiation Protocol, H.323, etc. In one embodiment, a Location Application Server (LAS) in the multimedia network and an interface between the LAS and a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) is defined. |
| US08229387B2 |
Even harmonic mixer
Provided is an even harmonic mixer which is reduced in cost and size. The even harmonic mixer includes: a transducer in which a conductor of a microstrip line is connected to a ground plane of a waveguide, for transducing an RF signal transmitted in a waveguide mode into a transmission mode of the microstrip line; an anti-parallel diode pair which is cascade-connected to a microstrip line side of the transducer, and formed on a semiconductor substrate; a branching circuit for branching an LO signal and an IF signal; an open-end stub which is disposed between the transducer and the anti-parallel diode pair, and has a line length of about ½ wavelength at an RF signal frequency; and an open-end stub which is disposed between the anti-parallel diode pair and the branching circuit, and has a line length of about ¼ wavelength at the RF signal frequency. |
| US08229384B2 |
Filter circuit and receiving apparatus
A filter circuit includes first capacitors, second capacitors capable of altering a cutoff frequency by being connected in parallel with the first capacitors, first switches for connecting the second capacitors in parallel with the first capacitors, and charging circuits for the second capacitors. The charging circuits include second switches, and resistances for attenuating the amplitudes of input voltages to be fed to the second capacitors, by being connected in series with the second capacitors. The second capacitors are charged through the resistances in a state where the first switches are turned OFF and where the second switches are turned ON. Thus, a DC offset which is ascribable to the cutoff frequency switching of a filter is reduced. |
| US08229382B2 |
Switched current resistor programmable gain array for low-voltage wireless LAN and method using the same
A switched current resistor (SCR) PGA for constant-bandwidth gain control includes an inverting amplifier, a feedback resistor forming a feedback loop between an output side and an input side of the inverting amplifier, and a switched current resistor (SCR) array connected in parallel to the feedback resistor, and configured to tune a gain range between a maximum and a minimum. The SCR array includes a plurality of switched resistors, each comprising a switch in series with a resistor. When the plurality of switched resistors are switched by a gain-control logic, a plurality of switched current sources and a plurality of grounded resistors are switched correspondingly to deliver a transient current, an equivalent of which flows through the plurality of grounded resistors out from the input side of the inverting amplifier, leading to a feedback factor of the PGA being constant. |
| US08229374B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling transmit power in human body communication system
An apparatus and method for controlling Transmit (Tx) power when a portable terminal performs human body communication with a counterpart portable device are provided. The apparatus includes a voltage manager for determining whether the Tx power needs to be changed based on an output voltage that is based on a current that varies according to a distance between an electrode of a portable terminal and an electrode of a counterpart portable terminal, and changes the Tx power according to a result of the determination. |
| US08229373B2 |
High frequency power amplifier, transmitter and mobile communication terminal using the power amplifier
A high frequency power amplifier maintains an excellent linearity regardless of a fluctuation of a load impedance and is downsized. The high frequency power amplifier detects an AC voltage amplitude at an output terminal of a final amplification stage transistor, and suppresses an input signal amplitude of a power amplifier when the voltage amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold value. |
| US08229370B2 |
Automated power control to optimize power consumption and improved wireless connection
A method for automatically adjusting signal output power of a ZigBee wireless module. The method includes sending a signal with an output power from a transmitter of a ZigBee module to a receiver. The ZigBee module includes a power amplifier/low noise amplifier (PA/LNA) circuit. The output power can be adjusted between a minimum level and a maximum level. Additionally, the method includes generating a Link Quality Indicator (LQI) by the receiver based on the signal strength and returning the LQI to the ZigBee module. If the LQI is not within a predetermined range between a maximum value and a minimum value, the method includes adjusting the output power for sending next signal. If the output power from the transmitter has reached to the minimum level or the maximum level, the method further includes adjusting the PA/LNA circuit of the ZigBee module for maintaining the LQI within the predetermined range. |
| US08229368B1 |
Systems for detecting and locating interference sources
A data communications system includes a controller device and multiple client devices in data communications with each other over a data communications network. The controller device is configured to issue an instruction to a portion of the client devices that instructs them to acquire an interference characteristic associated with one or more external interference source. The interference characteristic may be measured interference magnitudes associated with a frequency of data communications over the data communications link. The portion of client devices transmits the measured interference magnitudes to the controller device. The controller device then determines a location of one or more interference sources based on the transmitted data. |
| US08229364B2 |
Method and apparatus for co-location of two radio frequency devices
A method for avoiding signal interference between a first RF device and a second RF device is provided. The first and second RF devices are co-located and the first RF device is configured to operate in a first frequency range. The second RF device is configured to operate in a second frequency range, where the first frequency range overlaps, at least in part, the first frequency range. The method initiates with a communication interface being provided between the first RF device and the second RF device. Then, the second RF device is configured to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the first RF device is active. An apparatus where two RF devices are co-located without causing interference for each other is also provided. |
| US08229363B1 |
Interferer detection for a wireless communications network
An apparatus, method and program detect interference in cell sites of a wireless communications network. A cell site from the cell sites of the wireless communications network is selected and signal code power measurements from mobile devices in the cell site are received so that the sources of signals being transmitted to the mobile devices can be determined. Interfering sources are determined based on the signal code power measurements and the active set of sources for the mobile devices. The signal code power measurements are summed and ranked, and transmitters associated with the ranked signal code power measurements for the interfering sources are determined. The same procedure is repeated for all cell sites of the wireless communications network, and the transmitter that is an interfering source for the highest number of cell sites is selected as a problem transmitter. |
| US08229360B2 |
Portable dialer device and method
An innovative portable dialer device and method for automatically initiating a telephone call of a pre-programmed telephone number stored as data representing tones, when the portable dialer device is brought near a telephone handset or a cellular telephone. The proposed portable dialer device enables a manual or automatic activation of the sequence of tones required for initiating the telephone call. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portable dialer device is a refrigerator magnet dialer. |
| US08229359B2 |
Center device
To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates between a plurality of controller devices, receives an instructing operation carried out by the user of each controller device, and executes processing according to the instructing operation. The center device selects at least one of the controller devices as a controller device to be authenticated from among the plurality of controller devices by utilizing communication with each of the plurality of controller devices, and conducts authentication processing relative to each of the controller devices while communicating with each of the selected controller device. |
| US08229358B2 |
Identification, authentication and coverage control method
Identification, authentication, and coverage control method implemented in a system including a central entity, a network of beacons, and a set of terminals, where each terminal is a device adhered to a beacon. The method includes defining a profile for each terminal, the profile including a coverage control service and a service connection authentication service, each service having an exclusive identifier. The coverage control service is connected when a beacon detects a device and the device is indentified as a terminal of the system. A service connection of the device is authenticated based on messages exchanged between the device and the beacon. If the authentication is positive, the device is allowed to adhere to the beacon and if the authentication is negative, the device is indentified as belonging to the system by not adhered to the beacon. |
| US08229357B2 |
Method and system for a portable wireless range
A method or system including managing one or more network connections of a first device, receiving a request for network access at the first device from one or more secondary devices, transmitting one or more network access requests to a network for the one or more secondary devices and enabling concurrent network access by the first device and the one or more secondary devices. |
| US08229353B2 |
Wireless communication system, and portable terminal apparatus
Provided is a handset comprising a transceiver transmitting and receiving data to and from a base, a data error detector determining whether or not there is an error in the data received by the transceiver, and a reception duration controller changing a specific reception duration. If the data error detector determines that there is an error, then the reception duration controller extends a reception duration of the transceiver so as to receive the data newly sent from the base and to reduce unnecessary calling repetitions between the base and the handset and reduce wasted waiting time. |
| US08229352B2 |
Wireless architecture for 60GHZ
A device has an RF mixer, an IF mixer module, a single synthesizer, a frequency divider, a single side band mixer and a frequency quadrupler. The single synthesizer generates a signal to the IF mixer module, the frequency divider, and the single side band mixer. The single side band mixer mixes signals from the single synthesizer and the frequency divider. The frequency quadrupler receives the output of the single side band mixer. The RF mixer is coupled to the frequency quadrupler and the IF mixer module. |
| US08229350B2 |
Method and apparatus related to on-board message repeating for vehicle consist communications system
A communications method for a vehicle consist (10) comprising a lead vehicle (14) having a first (29A) and second (29B) antenna associated with a respective first (28A) and second (28B) transceiver and a remote vehicle (12A/12B/12C) having a third (29A) and fourth (29B) antenna associated with a respective third (28A) and fourth (28B) transceiver. The method further comprises transmitting an outbound message from the first transceiver (28A) via the first antenna (29A) or from the second transceiver (28B) via the second antenna (29B), the outbound message comprising a plurality of message bytes, receiving the outbound message at the third (29A) and fourth (29B) antennas and associated third (28A) and fourth (28B) transceivers, determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the third transceiver (28A), determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the fourth transceiver (28B), and assembling a reconstructed message using correct bytes from the message received at the third transceiver (28A) and the fourth transceiver (28B). |
| US08229348B2 |
Data transmitting apparatus and method
A ground station multiplexes audio digital data of a plurality of audio broadcasts, GUI data, and download audio data and transmits the multiplexed signal to a receiving side through a satellite. The receiving side displays a GUI screen corresponding to an audio broadcast. When a music information selection command is input on the display screen, an audio broadcast of a music program corresponding to the music information is selected. When a music information download command is input on the display screen, download audio data corresponding to the music information is output. The download audio data is stored to a storage device so as to download audio data corresponding to a desired music title. |
| US08229342B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a reversing roller having a non-arc-shaped surface
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section for transferring a toner image onto a sheet; a fixing section for fixing the toner image on the sheet; and a reversing section for reversing the sheet front and back. A first pair of rollers conveys a sheet to which a fix processing is applied to the reversing section; a second pair of rollers feeds the sheet from the reversing section by reverse rotation; and a third pair of rollers transfers the sheet back to the image forming section so that an image forming is performed with respect to the back side of the sheet. One roller of the second pair of rollers has on its outer peripheral surface an arc-shaped surface and a non-arc-shaped surface receding inwardly from a circle drawn continuously from the arc-shaped surface. |
| US08229341B2 |
Waste cyclone dispense system with a controlled gate
This is a waste cyclone toner dispense system with a controlled gate and a collection bag below the gate. The controlled gate is configured to be opened and closed at a predetermined time thereby permitting the use of relatively inexpensive bags for collection of toner debris. The gate is hinged to permit easy opening by a controller and motor. The controller turns off any pressure while the gate is open. The drop gate conveys when open waste toner from an upper waste collection funnel to the collection bag. |
| US08229338B2 |
Image fixing apparatus
The image fixing apparatus forms a cleaning nip portion by pressing a web roll-up portion on a fixing rotation member with a feeding roller, a used portion for cleaning of the web is fed from a cleaning nip portion formation area, and during non-cleaning, a roller is at a waiting position at which the roller is farther from the fixing rotation member than its position during cleaning so as to separate the web roll-up portion from the fixing rotation member. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce degradation of a cleaning ability due to a toner component held by the used portion of the cleaning web. |
| US08229337B2 |
Image forming apparatus including a transfer-material guide section with suction
An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier that carries an image; a transfer roller having a transfer material-gripping member that grips a transfer material, the transfer roller transferring the image carried by the image carrier to the transfer material; a transfer material-transporting belt that transports the transfer material onto which the image has been transferred while subjecting the transfer material to suction; a fixing section that fixes the transferred image on the transported transfer material; and a transfer material-guiding section having a guiding surface that guides the transported transfer material to the fixing section, the guiding surface being disposed in a direction in which the transfer material is sucked onto the transfer material-transporting belt relative to a transfer material-transporting surface of the transfer material-transporting belt. |
| US08229336B2 |
Endless belt, cartridge, and image forming apparatus
The invention provides an annular body having a resin layer. The resin layer has a resin and particles. The particles are at least one of conductive or magnetic. A surface of the resin layer has a first region and a second region. The first region is different from the second region in at least one of the surface resistivity or the magnetic flux density. The second region has a resin region and a high density region. The resin region is provided at an outer side with respect to the high density region in the thickness direction of the resin layer and is substantially free of the particle. The high density region has a higher content of the particles comparing to the resin region and the first region. The invention further provides a cartridge having the annular body. The invention further provides an image forming apparatus having the annular body. |
| US08229333B2 |
Developer system and method for providing a stable flow rate of developer in an electrographic printer
A developer system and method for an electrographic printer is provided. The system includes a magnetic brush having a magnetic core surrounded by a toning shell that rotatably conveys a layer of developer to the photoconductor element; a sump containing a reservoir of developer, and a self-metering conveyor roller having a maximum magnetic field strength on its outer surface of between about 100 and 1000 gauss, and a minimum magnetic field strength of no less than about 30% of the maximum field strength. A driving assembly rotates the conveyor roller at a saturation speed that saturates the capacity of the conveyor roller to deliver developer to the toning shell. The self-metering conveyor roller obviates the need for a metering skive to provide a stable flow rate of developer, and increases the printing speed of the printer by providing a higher flow rate of developer to a photoconductor drum of the printer. |
| US08229331B2 |
Image forming agent storage unit, method for filling image forming agent storage unit with image forming agent, and image forming apparatus
An image forming agent storage unit includes a body portion, grip portion, a movement preventing member. The body portion exists to extend in a direction in which the image forming agent storage unit is mounted in an image forming apparatus. The grip portion is disposed on an operator's side of the body portion in the direction in which the image forming agent storage unit is mounted in the image forming apparatus, so that the grip portion can be gripped by a hand. The movement preventing member is disposed in a top portion of the grip portion. The movement preventing member is caught on the image forming apparatus. And, the movement preventing member prevents the image forming agent storage unit mounted in the image forming apparatus from moving in a direction in which the image forming agent storage unit is pulled out. |
| US08229326B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of synchronizing image carrier rotations
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image carriers that are rotated in the same direction in synchronization with one another. The apparatus includes a detector that detects a rotational position on the each image carrier of the plurality of image carriers, a memory that stores a phase difference between a predetermined position and an eccentric position on each image carrier within the plurality of image carriers, and a controller that controls the eccentric positions on the circumferences of the image carriers to coincide with one another by using the phase differences stored in the memory. |
| US08229319B2 |
Image forming apparatus including detachable supporting member
An apparatus includes: a main body; a supporting member having a first side wall and a second side wall, the supporting member configured to be movable between an accommodation position and a withdrawn position, the supporting member configured to be removable from the apparatus main body by being withdrawn further from the withdrawn position; a first frame facing the first side wall and a second frame facing the second side wall; a lock member configured to be movable between a lock position and a release position; and a restriction unit provided on the second side wall and the second frame, the restriction unit configured to restrict a rotation of the supporting member by coming contact with the supporting member when the supporting member, which is locked into the withdrawn position, rotates to the first frame side of the apparatus main body. |
| US08229317B2 |
Developing unit and side seal member
A developing unit is provided, which includes: a developer carrier; a housing; and a side sealing member disposed between an end part of the developer carrier and a portion of the housing adjacent to a supply port. The side sealing member includes an elastic member having an integral base part attached to the portion of the housing and plural integral projections protruding from the base part toward the developer carrier in a protruding direction. A distal end part of each of the projection has an inclination face inclined so that a part of the inclination face is closer to the supply port as the part of the inclination face is farther from the base part in the protruding direction. |
| US08229316B2 |
Image forming apparatus and belt cleaning unit thereof
An image forming apparatus includes a first belt roller which has a first roller shaft, a second belt roller which is disposed parallel with the first roller shaft and slidingly approaches and departs from the first roller shaft, and has a second roller shaft, a belt which is driven in circulation by the first belt roller and the second belt roller, an elastic tension member which elastically pushes the second belt roller to be separated from the first belt roller and a belt cleaning unit which is supported by the second roller shaft and is movable between a cleaning position contacting a surface of the belt and a stand-by position departed from the surface of the belt. |
| US08229309B2 |
Image forming device, computer readable medium and photoreceptor deterioration condition estimation method
An image forming device includes an image holding member and a charging unit. In a case in which an AC current, while being increased, is supplied to the charging unit in a state in which a DC voltage value and an AC voltage value applied to the charging unit are maintained, or a case in which a DC voltage, while being increased, is supplied to the charging unit in a state in which the AC voltage value applied to the charging unit is maintained, a current detection unit detects DC current values. An inflection point derivation unit derives an inflection point of a correlation line representing an correlation between the detected DC current values and the supply amounts. An execution unit executes pre-specified processing when a characteristic value of the derived inflection point reaches a pre-specified value. |
| US08229303B1 |
Reducing pulse narrowing in the transmitter signal that drives a limiting E/O converter for optical fiber channels
A transmitter reduces or minimizes pulse narrowing. In one approach, an optical transmitter is designed to transmit data over an optical fiber at a specified data rate using on-off keying. The transmitter includes a pre-converter electrical channel and a limiting E/O converter. The pre-converter electrical channel produces a pre-converter signal that drives the limiting E/O converter. The pre-converter electrical channel is designed to reduce pulse narrowing in the pre-converter signal. In one implementation, the pre-converter electrical channel includes a pre-emphasis filter that is designed to minimize pulse width shrinkage. |
| US08229299B2 |
Method and device for detecting dispersion, optical signal transmission system
The present invention discloses a method for detecting dispersion, overcoming disadvantages of complex configuration and insensitivity to a tiny dispersion of the method and device for detecting dispersion in the prior art. The inventive method includes: obtaining a signal within a predetermined bandwidth range from an optical signal received; obtaining an operated value of power via an operation on the signal within the predetermined bandwidth range; and obtaining amount of system dispersion according to a corresponding relation between the operated value of power and the amount of system dispersion. A device for detecting dispersion is disclosed, including a photoelectric filter operational unit and a processing unit, where an output of the photoelectric filter operational unit is connected to an input of the processing unit. The device for detecting dispersion of the present invention is applicable to an adaptive dispersion compensation system. An optical signal transmission system is further disclosed. |
| US08229298B2 |
Method and device for detecting dispersion, optical signal transmission system
The present invention discloses a method for detecting dispersion, overcoming disadvantages of complex configuration and insensitivity to a tiny dispersion of the method and device for detecting dispersion in the prior art. The inventive method includes: obtaining a signal within a predetermined bandwidth range from an optical signal received; obtaining an operated value of power via an operation on the signal within the predetermined bandwidth range; and obtaining amount of system dispersion according to a corresponding relation between the operated value of power and the amount of system dispersion. A device for detecting dispersion is disclosed, including a photoelectric filter operational unit and a processing unit, where an output of the photoelectric filter operational unit is connected to an input of the processing unit. The device for detecting dispersion of the present invention is applicable to an adaptive dispersion compensation system. An optical signal transmission system is further disclosed. |
| US08229295B2 |
Portable electronic device
A portable electronic device includes a case, a camera lens module, and a support. The case has a lens hole. The camera lens is received in the case and corresponding to the lens hole. The lens hole has a first connection portion. The first connection portion is engaged with a second connection portion of an external device accessory. Therefore, the external device accessory can be configured on the case and work with the camera lens module. The support is connected to the case, and positioned on the periphery of the lens hole. The support is configured for supporting the external device accessory on the case. |
| US08229293B2 |
Imaging apparatus and imaging method
An apparatus suitably detects a recording trigger even in a low-brightness or low-light-intensity environment, and acquires, from a recorded image, a high-quality image from which a person or the like can be easily recognized. When a recording trigger is to be detected, this apparatus disables an infrared reduction filter, so a recording trigger can be suitably detected even in an environment in which the brightness or light intensity is low. When an image is to be recorded, this apparatus records a color image by enabling the infrared reduction filter. |
| US08229289B2 |
Condensate discharge by means of condensate evaporation in a cooling device
A condensate evaporator with an electrically heatable accommodation chamber for water of condensation which is produced in a cooling device and is to be evaporated. A design which is as compact and simple is achieved because the accommodation chamber is formed by a tube section on whose outer face at least one heating element which is in thermal contact with the tube section is arranged and at one end of which an inlet for the supplied water of condensation is arranged and at an other end of which an outlet for the steam which is produced from the water of condensation by the heating element is arranged. This invention also relates to a cooling device, in particular for a switchgear cabinet, having a condensate evaporator according to this invention. |
| US08229283B2 |
System and method for quality marking of a recording
Systems and methods for identifying a recorded video program are provided. The method may include recording a video and identifying the video as lacking desirable recording attributes. A future occurrence of a transmission of the video may be automatically selected in response to the identification of the video as lacking desirable recording properties. The future occurrence of the transmission of the video may be automatically re-recorded. |
| US08229282B2 |
Video-recording reservation management apparatus, method, program and system
A plurality of video-recording devices are connected via a network. A video-recording reservation processing unit registers video-recording reservation information in a video-recording reservation management table of a storage unit and notifies the other devices of the video-recording reservation registration via the network when a video-recording reservation is made with respect to the video-recording function thereof. When a registration notification of a video-recording reservation of the other devices is received from the network, the substitutional video-recording reservation processing unit acquires registered video-recording reservation information from the other device so as to register substitutional video-recording reservation information in the substitutional video-recording reservation management table of the storage unit, and executes a substitutional video-recording reservation by using the video-recording function of the apparatus per se when a video-recording reservation execution notification of the other devices corresponding to the substitutional video-recording reservation information is not received. |
| US08229274B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal
A method of decoding a video signal is disclosed. The method includes decoding a bit stream of a base layer, obtaining flag information, obtaining information indicating an obtaining position of parameters. The parameters includes at least one of information on a phase shift of a chrominance signal and offset information. The method further includes obtaining the information on the phase shift of the chrominance signal based on the flag information and the information indicating the obtaining position of the parameters, and obtaining the offset information based on the flag information and the information indicating the obtaining position of the parameters. The method further includes up-sampling the picture of the base layer, and decoding a bit stream of an enhanced layer based on the reference picture up-sampled from the picture of the base layer, the information on the phase shift of the chrominance signal and the offset information. |
| US08229269B2 |
Apparatus and methods for attenuating and measuring light passed through a launch multimode fiber
An exemplary apparatus includes ferrule offset assemblies each having opposing ferrules with respective ends and respective fiber channels maintained in general relative and adjustable alignment. Offset adjusting devices adjust the relative alignment of the fiber channels to create at least one select fiber channel alignment offset. Respective multimode fibers are disposed in the fiber channels and have a fiber alignment corresponding to the fiber channel alignment. One of the multimode fibers has an end configured to optically couple to a launch multimode fiber, which is connected to a device having a light source. The multimode fiber receives light from the launch multimode fiber so that at least some of the light passes through to the other multimode fiber and then to a power meter. Power measurements for different fiber offsets are then compared to established attenuation values. |
| US08229265B2 |
Fiber distribution hub with multiple configurations
A fiber distribution hub (FDH) includes an enclosure and brackets with provisions to be mountable in multiple configurations. More particularly, the FDH is mountable in multiple configurations to a pole. The FDH includes provisions to be reconfigurable within the enclosure. More particularly, a hinged storage panel is reconfigurable between a horizontal hinging configuration and a vertical hinging configuration. A door is provided on the enclosure with features to stop and hold the door in one or more open positions. A ladder bracket is provided that is configurable as a ladder support or as an FDH mounting bracket. |
| US08229264B2 |
Light guide for endoscopes
The amount of heat generated at a light input portion of a light guide for endoscopes constituted by a plurality of bundled optical fibers is suppressed. The light guide for endoscopes is constituted by a plurality of bundled optical fibers, for propagating an illuminating light beam, which is focused and caused to enter a light input end facet thereof, to a light output end facet thereof, to emit the illuminating light beam onto a portion to be observed. A transparent member having a sectional shape which is at least as large as the focused spot of the illuminating light beam is provided in close contact with the light input end facets of the optical fibers. The optical fibers are connected to the transparent member in a maximally densely packed state. |
| US08229263B2 |
Optical fiber cable having a deformable coupling element
Disclosed is an optical fiber cable that includes optical fibers and a deformable coupling element enclosed within a buffer tube. The coupling element is formed from a deformable yet substantially incompressible material that is capable of releasably and intermittently coupling the optical fibers to the buffer tube in various orientations. The design of the coupling element layer permits coupling of the optical fibers to the buffer tube without the use of a compressive cushioning layer and yet permits localized movement the optical fibers relative to the buffer tube to account for disparate thermal expansion and to accommodate optical fiber placement. |
| US08229262B2 |
Method and system for packaging a high power fiber-optic coupler
A fiber-optic coupler packaging including an internal encapsulation for encapsulating a fiber-optic coupler, the refraction index of the internal encapsulation is smaller than the refraction index of the fiber-optic coupler, and an external encapsulation, for encapsulating the internal encapsulation, the refraction index of the external encapsulation is greater than the refraction index of the internal encapsulation, the internal encapsulation and the external encapsulation are substantially transparent to the range of wavelengths of the light traveling inside the fiber-optic coupler. |
| US08229259B1 |
Tamper sensing device
A device having a case, an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber and a light path extending between the input and output optical fiber. A light path interrupting element is disposed within the case and is movable from a first position at which it interrupts a portion of the light path so that a first amount of light can reach the output optical fiber to a second position at which a second amount of light can reach the output optical fiber. A retainer is moveable relative to the case from a retaining position to a disengaged position. At the retaining position the retainer is engaged with the light path interrupting element to retain the light path interrupting element at the first position, and at the disengaged position the retainer is disengaged from the light path interrupting element and the light path interrupting element is at the second position. |
| US08229256B2 |
Opto-electric hybrid module and method of manufacturing the same
An opto-electric hybrid module capable of achieving the reduction in distance between an optical element and a core end portion to improve the efficiency of light coupling therebetween, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The opto-electric hybrid module includes an optical waveguide section, an electric circuit section, and a light-emitting element (7) and a light-receiving element (8) both mounted on the electric circuit section. The optical waveguide section includes an under cladding layer (1), a linear core (2) for an optical path, the core being formed on a surface of the under cladding layer (1), and an over cladding layer (3) formed on the surface of the under cladding layer (1) and covering the core (2). An electric circuit (4) is formed on a surface portion of the under cladding layer (1) except where the core (2) is formed. |
| US08229255B2 |
Optical waveguides in image sensors
An embodiment relates to an image sensor comprising (a) a optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, and (b) a pair of photosensitive elements comprising a central photosensitive element and a peripheral photosensitive element, wherein the central photosensitive element is operably coupled to the core and the peripheral photosensitive element is operably coupled to the cladding, and methods of fabricating and using the same. The image sensor could further comprise a lens structure or an optical coupler or an optical coupler over the optical pipe, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler or the optical coupler is operably coupled to the optical pipe. |
| US08229254B2 |
Systems and methods for polarization mode dispersion mitigation
In one exemplary embodiment, a method comprises transmitting an optical signal via the optical line, measuring a relative change in spectral intensity of the optical signal near a clock frequency (or half of that frequency) while varying a polarization of the optical signal between a first state of polarization and a second state of polarization, and using the relative change in spectral intensity of the optical signal to determine and correct the DGD of the optical line. Another method comprises splitting an optical signal traveling through the optical line into a first and second portions having a first and second principal states of polarization of the optical line, converting the first and second portions into a first and second electrical signals, delaying the second electrical signal to create a delayed electrical signal that compensates for a DGD of the optical line, and combining the delayed electrical signal with the first electrical signal to produce a fixed output electrical signal. |
| US08229252B2 |
Electronic association of a user expression and a context of the expression
Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes receiving an annotation environment signal that includes a context information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item. The method also includes receiving an expression signal that includes an annotation information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item. The method further includes electronically associating the context information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the annotation information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item. |
| US08229251B2 |
Pre-processing optimization of an image processing system
The present approach increases bandwidth by performing at least two functions at the pre-processing level. Specifically, under the present approach, program code is structured so that the segmentation and binarization functions/modules (and optionally a blob analysis function/module) are merged into a single module to reduce memory bandwidth. In addition, each image frame is segmented into a plurality of partitions (e.g., vertical strips) to enhance the reusability of the image data in LS already fetched from main memory. Each partition is then processed by a separate one of a plurality of processing engines, thereby increasing the utilization of all processing engines and allowing the processing engines to maintain good bandwidth. |
| US08229249B2 |
Spatial motion calculation apparatus and method for the same
A spatial motion calculation apparatus includes an image position relation calculation unit that calculates first similarities based on an image position relation between an inputted groups of feature points 1 and 2, a spatial position relation calculation unit that calculates second similarities based on an spatial position relation between said inputted groups, a feature descriptor relation calculation unit that calculates third similarities based on a feature descriptor relation between said inputted groups, and a spatial motion calculation unit that estimates the spatial motion based on the result that integrates the first to third similarities. |
| US08229242B2 |
Method for reconstructing surfaces of specular object from sparse reflection correspondences
A point correspondence procedure is applied to a set of images of a specular object to produce sparse reflection correspondences. The set of images is subject to rotation while acquired by a camera. That is, either the camera, the environment or the object rotates. Either a linear system AΘ=0 is solved or a related second order cone program (SOCP) is solved, where Θ is a vector of local surface parameters. Gradients of the surface are obtained from the local quadric surface parameters, and the gradients are integrated to obtain normals, wherein the normals define a shape of the surface. |
| US08229240B1 |
Transferring the look of an image
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for changing the look of an image. In some implementations a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes decomposing a first image using a first plurality of wavelet transforms, each first wavelet transform creating a first transformation resolution, each first transformation resolution having respective first data, and decomposing a second image using a second plurality of wavelet transforms, each second wavelet transform creating a second transformation resolution, each second transformation resolution having respective second data. The method also includes determining a first measure of texture for each first transformation resolution's respective data, applying each first transformation resolution's first measure of texture to each corresponding second transformation resolution's data, and recomposing the second image based on the modified second transformation resolutions. |
| US08229239B2 |
Image processor
An image processor includes a quantization unit receiving first data before quantization and outputting second data after quantization, a prediction unit obtaining a difference value between the second data and third data being prediction data and outputting the difference value as fourth data, and an encoding unit encoding the fourth data. The quantization unit includes a first processing unit dividing the first data by a quantization coefficient, so as to obtain fifth data including a fraction as a result of division and a second processing unit rounding up or rounding off the fraction such that a value of the fourth data becomes smaller based on comparison between the third data and the fifth data, so as to obtain the second data. |
| US08229237B2 |
Icosahedral modified generalized balanced ternary and aperture 3 hexagon tree
A method for assigning path address-form location codes to objects represented using aperture 3 hexagon discrete global grid systems in both vector systems and bucket and raster systems in which hexagons in a first resolution are given a linear code and hexagons in subsequent finer resolutions have identifiers added to the linear code, the method iteratively applying the assigning step to further finer resolutions to a maximum resolution. In vector systems each hexagon has seven hexagons in a finer resolution and in raster and bucket systems each hexagon is assigned to be an open or closed generator class, an open generator creating a closed generator in a finer resolution, and a closed generator generating six open generator hexagons and a seventh closed generator hexagon. |
| US08229234B2 |
Coding and decoding device, coding and decoding method and program
A coding device is comprised of an initial resolution coding unit for coding an initial resolution image sub-sampled from an image at every interval of predetermined pixels, and a high resolution coding unit for coding images at sub-sampling intervals sequentially halved, wherein said high resolution coding unit comprises a pixel value predicting means for, out of the pixels that should be coded in present resolution, predicting a value of a pixel being positioned at a center of its adjacent four pixels already coded in previous resolution from said adjacent four pixels with a linear interpolation, and predicting a value of a remaining pixel from its adjacent four pixels having the above pixel at a center thereof with the linear interpolation, said adjacent four pixels being positioned in an upper, lower, left and right sides of the above pixel, a prediction error calculating means for obtaining a residual between the pixel value of the to-be-coded pixel and the predicted value, and a variable length coding means for coding the residual. |
| US08229230B2 |
Method of digital image comparison for imaging software development
A method which uses digital image comparison for imaging software development is described. The software under development is used to generate a set of test digital images from print data. The images are stored. The software of a reference system is used to generate a set of reference digital images based on the same print data. The test and reference images are tiled, and image comparison is carried out on a tile-by-tile basis. A difference tile is generated for each test image tile and corresponding reference image tile, and the tiles are stored together in an image file to be displayed to the human user. The test images and reference images are compared using an image comparison program. The result of the comparison is presented to the human software developer for further comparison and evaluation. |
| US08229228B2 |
Image analysis using a pre-calibrated pattern of radiation
A system and method of image content analysis using a pattern generator that emits a regular and pre-calibrated pattern of non-visible electromagnetic radiation from a surface in range of a camera adapted to perceive the pattern. The camera captures images of the perceived pattern and other objects within the camera's range, and outputs image data. The image data is analyzed to determine attributes of the objects and area within the camera's range. The pattern provides a known background, which enables an improved and simplified image analysis. |
| US08229224B2 |
Hardware management based on image recognition
Embodiments of the disclosed technology allow for the control, monitoring, and/or configuration of specialized hardware devices with proprietary interfaces from a central interface capable of interacting with one or a plurality of specialized hardware devices via respective proprietary interfaces. Such embodiments are especially useful in controlling medical equipment, such as radiology equipment at a central and/or remote location, where otherwise, only a proprietary interface at a proximate location could be used to do same. |
| US08229222B1 |
Method for fast, robust, multi-dimensional pattern recognition
Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image. |
| US08229219B1 |
Full-length video fingerprinting
A full-length fingerprint is generated for a video that represents characteristics of the entire duration of the video in a small amount of data. A plurality of subfingerprints for the video, each subfingerprint encoding features of a corresponding segment of the video, is accessed. A plurality of subhistograms is generated for the video, each subhistogram encoding a frequency of subfingerprint features for subfingerprints included in a subset of the plurality of accessed subfingerprints. A master histogram for the video is generated that encodes a frequency of subhistogram features for the plurality of generated subhistograms for the video. A hashing procedure is applied to the master histogram to produce the full-length fingerprint. Clustering can be performed on full-length video fingerprints for videos in a database to detect near-duplicate videos. |
| US08229217B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus, image processing program and medium storing this program
Whether purple fringing (PF) has occurred is determined for every pixel of interest P(i,j) (step 41). The RGB ratio of a purple-fringed pixel P(i,j) at which PF has been determined and the RGB ratio of a PF convergence pixel P(m,n) spaced N pixels away from the purple-fringed pixel P(i,j) within a zone in the proximity of the purple-fringed pixel P(i,j) are calculated (steps 42, 43). A correction coefficient Rev (i,j) that causes the RGB ratio of the purple-fringed pixel P(i,j) to approach the RGB ratio of the PF convergence pixel P(m,n) is calculated (step 44). The purple-fringed pixel P(i,j) is color-corrected using the correction coefficient Rev (i,j) calculated.Purple fringing is made inconspicuous by changing the color of image portions at which purple fringing has occurred. |
| US08229211B2 |
Differential image enhancement
Techniques for differentially enhancing selected areas within a digital image are disclosed. In certain embodiments, one or more attributes of a selected pixel or a group of pixels is determined. Examples of such attributes include color properties, grayscale properties, and/or multi-pixel properties, such as texture. In certain embodiments, the attribute may be used in conjunction with the properties of a modification tool, such as a brush, to selectively modify pixels having the attribute value or a similar attribute value. |
| US08229206B2 |
Photomask inspection method
A photomask inspection method that identifies a foreign particle such as dirt on a photomask with high sensitivity by suppressing erroneous identification due to an influence of noise is provided. The photomask inspection method includes acquiring image data of a photomask having regions with different layer structures on a surface thereof, creating inverted image data by subtracting the image data from pixel value data of the regions, creating offset inverted image data by raising pixel values of the inverted image data by a fixed amount, creating normalized correlation image data by computing a normalized correlation of the offset inverted image data and an offset Gaussian distribution-type kernel, and identifying foreign particles by comparing the normalized correlation image data and a predetermined threshold. |
| US08229202B2 |
Radiation imaging apparatus
A radiation imaging apparatus reads out image signals from a radiation detecting section that detects radiation which has passed through a subject, and outputs the read out image signals as wireless signals. The signal strength of communications of a cassette transmitter/receiver is set to be lower during readout of the image signals than the signal strength of communications of the cassette transmitter/receiver at times other than during readout of image signals. |
| US08229198B2 |
Method for creating image recordings relating to the blood vessel system of a patient using a variable-position detector of a digital subtraction angiography facility and associated facility
Method for creating image recordings of blood vessel system of a patient, comprising: after administering contrast agent an image recording is created in a first image recording region of a first position of a detector, the diffusion of the contrast agent is observed to determine a current diffusion position; the position of the detector is changed to a second position as a function of the current diffusion position; an image recording of a second image recording region of the second position of the detector is created; and a part of an image recording in the first position extending in the region between the current diffusion position and the end of the first image recording region and recorded without contrast agent is used as a mask to evaluate a locationally correlated part, recorded with contrast agent, of the image recording in the second position for digital subtraction angiography. |
| US08229197B2 |
Method for planning an angiographic measurement
In a method for planning of an angiography measurement of a body region in a magnetic resonance system, the body region being larger than the maximum field of view of the magnetic resonance system, and wherein the MR system has a control unit for controlling the workflow of the angiographic measurement, an upper boundary and a lower boundary of the body region are established. The control unit divides the body region into sub-measurement regions and sub-measurements dependent on the established boundaries. The sub-measurement regions and sub-measurements are measured in succession. The arrival of an injected test bolus of a contrast agent into the various sub-measurement regions is detected using MR measurements. The transit time of the test bolus through the body region for the angiographic measurement is determined, and the control unit also determines the workflow of the angiography measurement, including determining the sequence of the measurements of the sub-measurement regions and the time duration of the individual sub-measurements for the sub-measurement regions. |
| US08229196B2 |
Method of detecting specific polymer crystal
In a specific macromolecule crystal detecting method according to the present invention, ultraviolet light is irradiated to sample solution, and a fluorescent image emitted from a sample in the sample solution is detected to detect specific macromolecules in the sample solution. Furthermore, by detecting the outline of the sample from the visible light image of the sample contained in the sample solution, the crystal is discriminated from other materials on the basis of the outline. By integrating the detection results of the fluorescent image and the visible light image, the specific macromolecule crystal is detected from the sample solution. |
| US08229193B2 |
System and methods for applying image presentation context functions to image sub-regions
System and methods for applying image presentation context functions to image sub-regions are disclosed. An example method includes displaying a first medical image in a user interface, receiving a selection of a first image sub-region within the first medical image, receiving a selection of a first image presentation context function and a selection of an amount of a parameter of the first image presentation context function for the selected first image sub-region, applying the received first image presentation context function by the amount of the received parameter of the first image presentation context function to the received first image sub-region, and displaying the first sub-region with the applied first image presentation context function within the first medical image. |
| US08229190B2 |
Visual enhancement of interval changes using temporal subtraction and pattern detector
A workflow method for temporal nodule review by registering a reference image R with a floating image F, convolving the reference image R and the floating image with the same window function Hw to generate Rw and Fw, generating a subtraction image by performing subtraction Rw−Fw (g(r)) wherein r represents a voxel (x, y, z) in reference image R, applying a pattern detector to said subtraction image to detect corresponding nodules in reference image R and floating image F and displaying corresponding nodules. |
| US08229185B2 |
Hygienic biometric sensors
Methods and systems for performing a biometric measurement on an individual are disclosed. A containment film is disposed between a skin site of the individual and a platen. Light is directed through the containment film to the skin site to illuminate the skin site under multiple distinct optical conditions. Light scattered from the skin site is received for the multiple optical conditions. A multispectral image of the skin site is derived from the received light. A biometric function is performed with the derived multispectral image. |
| US08229183B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus includes at least two living-body detecting units, a imaging unit, and a drive unit. The living-body detecting units are provided at a imaging position where a part of a living body is laid, in conformity with the shape of the part of the living body. The imaging unit images the part of the living body, which is laid at the imaging position. The drive unit drives the imaging unit when all of the at least two living-body detecting units detect the living body. |
| US08229181B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method and image processing program
An image processing device includes a face region extracting unit that extracts a face region of a person included in an image to be corrected. A correction region specifying unit specifies a region including the extracted face region as a reduction region and specifies a region excluding the reduction region as an enlargement region. A correction execution unit generates a correction image in which an image in the reduction region is reduced based on a predetermined reduction ratio and an image in the enlargement region is enlarged according to a ratio of the reduction region to the enlargement region. |
| US08229178B2 |
Method and apparatus for personal identification using palmprint and palm vein
A method of personal identification includes switching between visible and near infrared light, acquiring palmprint image and palm vein image from a person under the visible and the near infrared light, extracting sub-images from the palmprint image and the palm vein image based on a region of interest, extracting multiple features from the sub-images, and matching the extracted multiple features with stored information in a database to authenticate the person. |
| US08229177B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method
There is decribed an apparatus for generating a number from data originating from an analogue source, the apparatus comprising means for performing a set of the data and then processing, in accordance with stored processing instructions predetermined by a training process, the data to generate the number. During the training process, the sensitivity of the value of the generated number to variation in each of the measurement values is analyzed, and the process instructions are generated so that the processing of individual measurement values is modified to reduce this sensitivity. In this way, the repeatability of the generated number is improved. |
| US08229175B2 |
System and method for quality checking of anisotropic conductive film
An exemplary system for calculating the number of conductive particles dispersed in an anisotropic conductive film includes an image capturing device and an image processing device. The image capturing device captures a color image of the anisotropic conductive film. The image processing device processes the color image to generate a first binary image. The second binary image includes a plurality of first objects. The first objects occupy a first area in the first binary image. The image processing device processes the first binary image to generate a second binary image having different size with respect to the first binary image by a predetermined value. The second binary image includes a plurality of second objects. The second objects occupy a second area in the second binary image. The image processing device calculates a number of the conductive particles according to the first area, the second area, and the predetermined value. |
| US08229170B2 |
Method and system for detecting a signal structure from a moving video platform
The present invention aims at providing a method for detecting a signal structure from a moving vehicle. The method for detecting signal structure includes capturing an image from a camera mounted on the moving vehicle. The method further includes restricting a search space by predefining candidate regions in the image, extracting a set of features of the image within each candidate region and detecting the signal structure accordingly. |
| US08229168B2 |
Fast license plate verifier
A method for identifying vehicles, including capturing a first image of a first vehicle using a first camera at a first position and a second image of the first vehicle using a second camera at a second position different from the first position. The method further includes determining a transformation between the first image and the second image. A third image of a second vehicle using the first camera is captured, and the transformation is applied to the third image to generate a fourth image of the second vehicle. The fourth image is analyzed, using a database of identified vehicles, to determine an identity of the second vehicle. |
| US08229166B2 |
Image-based tracking
A method of image-tracking by using an image capturing device. The method comprises: performing an image-capture of a scene by using an image capturing device; and tracking movement of the image capturing device by analyzing a set of images by using an image processing algorithm. |
| US08229161B2 |
Vision-enabled household appliances
The invention is generally related to the systems and methods through which household appliances can provide intuitive and enhanced interactivity through visual inputs. In particular, the disclosure presents methods relating to control of a household appliance, such as a microwave or a refrigerator, via recognition of visual indicia, such as graphics, text, and the like, using a visual sensor such as a camera. |
| US08229159B2 |
Multimedia coding and decoding with additional information capability
A multimedia coding and decoding system and method is presented that uses the specific prediction mode to signal supplemental information, e.g., metadata, while considering and providing trade offs between coding performance and metadata capacity. The prediction mode can be encoded according to a mode table that relates mode to bits and by considering coding impact. Start and stop codes can be used to signal the message, while various techniques of how to properly design the mode to bits tables are presented. |
| US08229155B2 |
Speaker assembly with directional adjustability
An improved audio speaker assembly is provided for directional adjustability of the woofer or driver. The assembly includes a housing comprising a baffle, a swivel, a swivel cup, and a retainer. The driver is mounted in the swivel. The swivel and swivel cup are mounted between the baffle and the retainer. The swivel is pivotal approximately 60° relative to the swivel cup, and is rotatable 360° relative to the baffle, thereby selectively positioning the driver in a desired direction. A pair of screws extend through the baffle and into the retainer, and can be tightened so as to lock or clamp the swivel and driver in the selected position, and preclude directional movement due to vibrations, temperature, and humidity. |
| US08229149B2 |
Hearing apparatus with visually active housing
A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear is provided, which includes a housing. The housing is here formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer. Since electrochrome polymers represent a homogeneous material, this means that they can be printed onto the housing in very thin layers. According to a second aspect the present invention relates to a hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, including a housing, which has an organic light-emitting diode. Because organic light-emitting diodes are able to separate out light in a wide variety of colors, this permits a high contrast to the environment and the colors appear stronger. Unlike conventional light-emitting diodes this is however performed in a printing process, so that it is possible to provide any surfaces with organic light-emitting diodes. |
| US08229148B2 |
Hearing instrument with linearized output stage
This invention relates to a hearing instrument, which comprises a first microphone converting ambient sound to an ambient sound signal, a signal processor generating a processed sound signal based on the ambient sound signal, a controllable output stage generating a driving signal based on the processed sound signal and in accordance with a control signal, a speaker unit generating a sound in the ear canal based on said driving signal, a second microphone located in the ear canal of the user and converting the sound in the ear canal to the monitor sound signal, and a linearization stage comparing the processed sound signal and the monitor sound signal and generating the control signal based thereon. |
| US08229147B2 |
Hearing assistance devices with echo cancellation
According to various embodiment of a method of operating a hearing instrument, an acoustic signal pathway is provided from a microphone through a signal processor to a hearing instrument (HI) receiver in an acoustic mode of operation. An RF transmit signal pathway is provided from the microphone to an RF transmitter, and an RF receive signal pathway is provided from the RF receiver through the signal processor to the HI receiver in an RF mode of operation. An input signal representative of sound detected by the microphone is adaptively filtered. A first adaptation rate is used for the acoustic mode of operation and a second adaptation rate is used for the RF mode of operation. The second adaptation rate is faster than the first adaptation rate. |
| US08229144B2 |
Method and system for switched battery charging and loading in a stereo headset
Methods and systems for wireless communication are disclosed and may include controlling a loading and/or a charging of a battery source in each earpiece of the wireless stereo headset. The loading control may include switching between the battery sources powering the headset. A remaining power level may be monitored for each of the battery sources. Both earpieces in the headset may be powered utilizing one or both of the battery sources. One of the earpieces in the headset may be powered utilizing one of the battery sources. A total usage time may be stored for each of the battery sources. The loading and charging of the battery sources may be controlled by equalizing the total usage time for each of the battery sources. The earpieces in the headset may be coupled via a tether line, or may be coupled wirelessly. |
| US08229139B2 |
MEMS microphone, production method and method for installing
A microphone in a miniaturized form is described herein. The microphone includes a flat carrier substrate having a first recess extending through the carrier substrate. The microphone includes a first electro-acoustic transducer on a first surface of the carrier substrate and at least partially overlapping the first recess. The microphone also includes a cap on a second surface opposite the first surface having a tight seal with the second surface and spanning the first recess. The cap includes at least one metallic layer for electromagnetic shielding. |
| US08229133B2 |
Portable sound recorder
A portable sound recorder has a body case, a left microphone and a right microphone held rotatably by the body case. An inwardly arcuate microphone receiving cavity is formed at each upper corner of the body case. The microphone receiving cavity is configured to elevate a rear side end of its arcuate bottom surface, and surrounds the under side and a part of the rear side of the microphone. Formed on the bottom surface of the microphone receiving cavity is a hollow portion that creates a gap between the microphone receiving cavity and the microphone, so as to prevent the reflected sound off the microphone receiving cavity from reaching the microphone. The gap is maintained by the hollow portion even when the microphone is rotated. |
| US08229122B2 |
Shared key transmission apparatus, automatic teller machine, automatic teller system and method of controlling the automatic teller machine
Provided are a shared key transmission apparatus, an automatic teller machine (ATM), and a controlling method thereof. The shared key transmission apparatus may include: a reception unit receiving, from the ATM, a first cryptogram where a random number is encrypted; a decryption unit restoring the random number from the first cryptogram; an encryption unit encrypting the shared key using the restored random number; and a transmission unit transmitting the encrypted shared key to the ATM. The ATM may include: an encryption unit generating a random number and encrypting the random number to generate a first cryptogram; a transmission unit transmitting the first cryptogram to the shared key transmission apparatus; a reception unit receiving, from the shared key transmission apparatus, a shared key that is encrypted using the restored random number; and a decryption unit restoring the shared key from the encrypted shared key using the generated random number. |
| US08229121B2 |
Method of tracing device keys for broadcast encryption
Provided are a method of tracing a device key in a user key management system using a hierarchical hash chain broadcast encryption scheme (HBES) algorithm, a user key management system for executing the method of tracing a device key, and a computer program for executing the method of tracing a device key. The method of tracing a device key of an illegal decoder in a user key management system for broadcast encryption includes: tracing a device key using a binary search; and revoking the traced device key. The technology according to the present invention can be applied to prevent exposure of the device keys to hacking. The present invention provides a method of tracing which can be applied to an HBES algorithm structure. |
| US08229115B2 |
Use of copyright text in key derivation function
Consistent with embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods are disclosed for deriving a secure key. In some embodiments, a method for deriving a key may be provided comprising: generating a first input value; loading a first register with the first input value; generating a second input value; loading a second register with the second input value; updating the first register and the second register at the same time, where the step of updating comprises: applying a first update function to the current value of the second register to determine a third input value; applying an XOR function to the third input value and a fixed string to determine a fourth input value, wherein the fixed string contains a legal notice; incrementing an offset to the fixed string; storing the fourth input value in the first register; applying a second update function to the current values of the first register and the second register to determine a fifth input value; storing the fifth input value in the second register; repeating the step of updating the first register and the second register a predetermined number of times; and outputting the value of the second register as the key. |
| US08229114B2 |
Identity-based key generating methods and devices
The present invention discloses a method and device of generating asymmetrical key pair (public key and private key) based on user identity. Key Management Center (KMC) generates public/private key calculating base, and publish the public key calculating base. Based on identity provided by a user, a private key is calculated and provided to the user. Any user can calculate other user's public key based on other user's identity and the published public key calculating base. Thus, when obtaining the public key of the communicating party, no third party CA certificate is needed, and no maintenance of mass parameters associated with users are needed. |
| US08229112B2 |
Decipherable searchable encryption method, system for such an encryption
A method for encrypting/decrypting a message includes the initial step of generating keys by the sub-steps of generating a public key; generating a decryption key; and generating a derivation key. For a first entity, the message is encrypted using the public key and a cipher. For a second entity, the cipher is decrypted to find the message. A trapdoor associated with said message is generated. The trapdoor corresponds to a derivative of the derivation key specific to the message. A test cipher is tested, using the trapdoor associated with the message, to determine if the test cipher is an encryption of the message using the public key. |
| US08229108B2 |
Pseudo-random number generation based on periodic sampling of one or more linear feedback shift registers
One or more methods and systems of generating pseudo-random numbers that are used as encryption keys in cryptographic applications are presented. In one embodiment, a method of generating pseudo-random numbers is performed by sampling output sequences of a linear feedback shift register with a specified periodicity. In one embodiment, the generating of pseudo-random numbers using linear feedback shift registers is accomplished by periodically switching between iterative outputs generated by multiple linear feedback shift registers. In one embodiment, a method of encrypting a pseudo-random number generated by a linear feedback shift register comprises using a nonlinear operator. In one embodiment, a method of further encrypting a pseudo-random number is accomplished by using a hashing function whose initial value varies over time by way of a function operating on one or more variables. In one embodiment, an apparatus for generating pseudo-random numbers using linear feedback shift registers comprises a digital hardware. |
| US08229105B2 |
Purposeful degradation of sidetone audio for providing feedback about transmit-path signal quality
An enhanced sidetone system is disclosed which provides the user of a telecommunications terminal, while speaking, with immediate audio feedback that corresponds to what the far-end party is probably hearing. The sidetone system continuously samples the input speech signal from the user and also obtains signal quality statistics of the transmission path. These statistics can include descriptions of network quality-of-service characteristics (e.g., packet loss rate, etc.) and/or media quality characteristics (e.g., audio distortion due to echo cancellation, etc.). These statistics enable the disclosed technique to determine whether the transmitted signal quality is acceptable. When an unacceptable condition in transmit-path signal quality is detected, the technique modifies the traditional (main) sidetone signal. For example, a delayed sidetone signal can be transmitted back to the user's terminal, in addition to the main sidetone signal generated, so that the user perceives the combination of sidetone signals as a hollow-sounding, objectionable sound. |
| US08229099B2 |
Method and system for routing and recording call information
A method comprises receiving a plurality of voice sessions and creating a unique identifier for each of the plurality of voice sessions, wherein each identifier is unique for the duration of its associated voice session. The method also includes assigning the unique identifiers to the associated voice session, and creating a unique data session for each voice session. The method further includes assigning the unique identifier of each voice session to the data session associated with its voice session. The method also includes receiving a plurality of voice sessions and a plurality of data sessions at a manager, and matching one of the plurality of received voice sessions with its associated data session based at least in part on the unique identifier. The method further includes communicating the matched voice session and data session to one of a plurality of agents. |
| US08229096B1 |
Optimizing on-premise conferencing solutions
A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for optimizing on-premise conferencing are provided. The method comprises receiving at least one call from at least one caller, identifying at least one on-premise call from at least one caller on the premise, collecting the at least one on-premise call from the at least one call, and connecting the at least one on-premise call to a conference call bridge via a single connection. |
| US08229093B2 |
Method for marketing to audience members based upon votes cast by audience members
A new and improved method for marketing to customers based upon incoming telephone calls is herein disclosed. A marketing method for use with a broadcast featuring multiple performers for whom at least one audience member may vote, the vote being based upon a performer's performance, the vote being communicated by an electronic device includes receiving the vote from at least one audience member, the vote being cast for at least one of the performers, capturing contact information for the audience member who cast the vote, identifying the contact information with the performer, and communicating a marketing offer to the audience member, the marketing offer related to the performer. |
| US08229089B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling output level of voice signal during video telephony
A method and apparatus controls an output level of a voice signal for video telephony by considering the distance between a user and a terminal and surrounding noises. An input image signal and an input voice signal of the user to be used for the video telephony are received at the user's terminal. A received image signal and a received voice signal received from the other party's terminal to which the video telephony is connected, are output on the user's terminal. The user's face region included in the input image signal is extracted. A size information of the extracted face region is checked. A distance information about a distance from the user is checked using the size information. And an output level of the received voice signal is controlled based on the distance information. |
| US08229087B2 |
Relay apparatus, relay method, relay program, and communication system
A relay apparatus for relaying communication between a plurality of wireless terminals and a wired network includes a priority data recording part for recording communication identification data and required bandwidth data, a priority control part for relaying, by priority, the communication recorded in the priority data recording part, a request receiving part for receiving communication identification data and multimedia type data, a selecting part for selecting a multimedia type to be relayed by priority, an updating part for additionally recording data that represents a bandwidth required for relaying a stream of the selected multimedia type and the communication identification data, and a responding part for transmitting a response. The selecting part selects the multimedia type so that a sum of bandwidths represented by the required bandwidth data does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value. With the above configuration, the relay apparatus can perform bandwidth control of communication to be relayed, considering the multimedia type included in the communication by a wireless terminal. |
| US08229084B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for park call messages
A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising sending a park data signal for placing a call to park and receiving a park reminder message. A method of operating a communication server operable to maintain communication between at least two devices, the method comprising placing a call to park and sending a park reminder message. A telecommunication server comprising a processor configured to place a telephone call to park and send a park message. A telecommunication device comprising a processor configured to send a park data signal for placing a call to park and receive a park reminder message. |
| US08229083B2 |
Method and system for automatically connecting to conference calls
The invention enhances mobile device software such that upon receipt of a specially formatted SMS message, the software can automatically dial a telephone number that was specified in the message after a configurable timed interval. A further enhancement comprises improvements to the integration between collaboration software (such as Lotus Notes) and mobile device software to enable employees to utilize this invention for connecting to conference calls. An additional enhancement comprises interfacing with a travel reservation system to detect when the user may want such an enhanced SMS message. |
| US08229081B2 |
Dynamically publishing directory information for a plurality of interactive voice response systems
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for dynamically publishing directory information for a plurality of interactive voice response (‘IVR’) systems through an IVR directory service that include: providing a description of a web services publication interface for the IVR directory service; receiving, on behalf of one or more IVR systems, web services publication requests through the publication interface; determining, in response to the web services publication requests, directory information for each IVR system requesting publication; adding the directory information for each IVR system to an IVR system directory; generating a voice mode user interface to reflect the directory information for each IVR system added to the IVR system directory; and interacting, using the voice mode user interface, with a caller to identify a particular IVR system in dependence upon the IVR system directory and query information provided by the caller and to connect the caller with the identified IVR system. |
| US08229080B2 |
Testing and quality assurance of multimodal applications
A system receives a condition for a multimodal application, automatically tests the multimodal application based on the received condition, and generates a test result based on the automatic testing of the multimodal application. |
| US08229075B2 |
Targets and processes for fabricating same
In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides targets including a metal layer and defining a hollow inner surface. The hollow inner surface has an internal apex. The distance between at least two opposing points of the internal apex is less than about 15 μm. In particular examples, the distance is less than about 1 μm. Particular implementations of the targets are free standing. The targets have a number of disclosed shaped, including cones, pyramids, hemispheres, and capped structures. The present disclosure also provides arrays of such targets. Also provided are methods of forming targets, such as the disclosed targets, using lithographic techniques, such as photolithographic techniques. In particular examples, a target mold is formed from a silicon wafer and then one or more sides of the mold are coated with a target material, such as one or more metals. |
| US08229074B2 |
Carbon nanotube array for focused field emission
Systems and methods are provided for field emission device. An array of carbon nanotubes is arranged in a variable height distribution over a cathode substrate. An anode is provided to accelerate the emitted electrons toward an x-ray plate. Voltage is supplied across the array of carbon nanotubes to cause emission of electrons. The pointed height distribution may be linear or parabolic, and a peak height of the variable height distribution may occur in a center of the array. A side gate may also be provided adjacent the array of carbon nanotubes to provide improved electron emission and focusing control. |
| US08229072B2 |
Elongated lifetime X-ray method and apparatus used in conjunction with a charged particle cancer therapy system
The system uses an X-ray imaging system having an elongated lifetime. Further, the system uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a charged particle beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system. The system creates an electron beam that strikes an X-ray generation source located proximate to the charged particle beam path. By generating the X-rays near the charged particle beam path, an X-ray path running collinear, in parallel with, and/or substantially in contact with the charged particle beam path is created. The system then collects X-ray images of localized body tissue region about a cancerous tumor. Since, the X-ray path is essentially the charged particle beam path, the generated image is usable for precisely target the tumor with a charged particle beam. |
| US08229071B2 |
Gated burst mode radiation treatment of moving targets
Some aspects include a system, apparatus, and method for obtaining a burst mode treatment plan to be administered by a radiotherapy device, the burst mode treatment plan prescribing parameters for one or more dynamic axes, parameters for one or more static axes, and position parameters for the one or more dynamic axes corresponding to a prescribed delivery period of burst mode irradiation; receiving an indication of occurrences of a substantially periodic treatment opportunity for a target volume of a patient from a gating device, the treatment opportunity being a period of time the target volume is in a position to be irradiated according to the burst mode treatment plan; synchronizing the treatment opportunity and the prescribed delivery period of burst mode irradiation; and irradiating the target volume during the synchronization of the treatment opportunity and the prescribed delivery period of burst mode irradiation. |
| US08229064B2 |
Localization of an element of interest by XRF analysis of different inspection volumes
An apparatus and method are disclosed for localizing an element of interest in a sample by comparing XRF spectra acquired from at least two distinct but overlapping inspection volumes. The inspection volumes are varied by changing the geometry of the exciting x-ray and/or fluoresced x-ray beam(s), which may be accomplished by repositioning multi-apertured collimators. Comparison of the XRF spectra acquired from different inspection volumes provides an indication as to whether the element of interest (e.g., lead) is present in a coating layer, in the underlying bulk material, or in both. |
| US08229063B2 |
X-ray image reception system
When a reception unit in an X-ray image reception system receives an image and additional information for the image from an X-ray image transmission system, the received additional information is sent to a resend setting determination unit. The resend setting determination unit determines a resend setting based on the received additional information and information acquired from a database and transmits the result to a reception completion determination unit. A packet loss determination unit determines packet loss in data received from the reception unit and transmits the result to the reception completion determination unit. The reception determination completion unit sends the results to the resent setting determination unit and the packet loss determination unit to the resend request unit. The resend request unit sends a resend request to the X-ray image transmission system based on the information from the reception unit and the result determined by the reception completion determination unit. |
| US08229058B2 |
Shift register of LCD devices
A shift register includes a plurality of shift register units coupled in series. Each shift register unit, receiving an input voltage at an input end and an output voltage at an output end, includes a node, a pull-up driving circuit, a pull-up circuit and first through third pull-down circuits. The pull-up driving circuit can transmit the input voltage to the node, and the pull-up circuit can provide the output voltage based on a high-frequency clock signal and the input signal. The first pull-down circuit can provide a bias voltage at the node or at the output end based on a first low-frequency clock signal. The second pull-down circuit can provide a bias voltage at the node or at the output end based on a second low-frequency clock signal. The third pull-down circuit can provide a bias voltage at the node or at the output end based on a feedback voltage. |
| US08229055B2 |
Top nozzle for nuclear fuel assembly
The present invention relates to a top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly that has a two-stage elastic section such that a pushing force against the axial movement of the nuclear fuel assembly under normal conditions is optimized and at the same time a suppressing force against a drastic uplifting force of the nuclear fuel assembly under transient conditions is strengthened, and that lowers the elastic coefficients of the springs operating under normal conditions more than those of existing coil springs, thereby providing an optimal pushing force against the nuclear fuel assembly. |
| US08229051B2 |
Transmission signaling techniques to enhance receiver interference mitigation performance
Techniques are described that can be used to maximize the interference suppression capability of space-time coded systems by managing synchronous transmission signaling. To enhance the probability of the occurrence synchronous interference and accordingly increase interference cancellation capability at a receiver, a network of at least two transmitters in a network may utilize similar structured coding schemes and coordinate transmission so that the receiver receives co-channel signals synchronously. |
| US08229046B2 |
Frequency error estimator using second-order loop filter and operating method of the frequency error estimator
A frequency error estimator and an operating method of the frequency error estimator are provided. In the frequency error estimator and the operating method of the frequency error estimator, a frequency error between a transmitter and a receiver of a mobile communication system using a reference code is calculated, thereby improving the precision of estimation while reflecting variations in frequency over time. |
| US08229043B2 |
Stepped gain mixer
An amplified stepped gain mixer portion improves the signal-to-noise ratio of a receiver by using multiple gain states to improve linearity. The mixer portion includes an amplifier, a switch and two transistors. The amplifier output is coupled to the sources of the two transistors. An oscillating signal is present on the transistor gates. The transistor drains are coupled to one another through the switch when the switch is closed. The mixer portion operates in two modes. In a 1/2 mode, the mixer portion output current flows only through the first transistor and not through the second transistor because the switch is open. In a 2/2 mode, the mixer portion output current flows through both transistors. The mixer portion is configured such that the switch is closed when a switching signal is asserted. The switching signal is asserted when a bit of a mixer control register is written to. |
| US08229039B2 |
Flexible rate matching
Flexible rate matching. No constraints or restrictions are placed on a sending communication device when effectuating rate matching. The receiving communication device is able to accommodate received transmissions of essentially any size (e.g., up to an entire turbo codeword that includes all systematic bits and all parity bits). The receiving communication device employs a relatively small-sized memory to ensure a lower cost, smaller sized communication device (e.g., handset or user equipment such as a personal wireless communication device). Moreover, incremental redundancy is achieved in which successive transmissions need not include repeated information therein (e.g., a second transmission need not include any repeated information from a first transmission). Only when reaching an end of a block of bits or codeword to be transmitted, and when wrap around at the end of such block of bits or codeword occurs, would any repeat of bits be incurred within a later transmission. |
| US08229037B2 |
Dual-rate single band communication system
A system, method, and apparatus for a multiple data rate communication system is presented herein. The communication system receives data samples that are either sampled at a narrowband rate or a wideband rate and provides various functions and services, such as echo cancellation, DTMF detection and generation, and call discrimination. For wideband signals, a down-sampled signal is provided for each of the foregoing function and service. The output of the function or services is then recombined with the wideband signal. |
| US08229036B2 |
Characterizing channel response using data tone decision feedback
Characterizing channel response using data tone decision feedback. In addition, to pilot tones which may be existent within an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, one or more data tones within that same signal may be employed to assist with channel estimation (alternatively, detection). Once a data tone qualifies as a pseudo-pilot tone, it may be used with the pilot tones for channel estimation. A qualifier considers slicer error associated with hard decisions for a data tone to determine if it is a candidate for assistance within channel estimation. A frame within an OFDM signal may, in one situation, include no pilot tones at all, and a previously calculated channel estimate may be used to process that frame. In addition, fewer pilot tones than needed to perform accurate channel estimation (based on the channel delay spread) may be employed by using one or more pseudo-pilot tones (e.g., qualified data tones). |
| US08229035B2 |
Apparatus for, and method of, processing signals transmitted over a local area network
Systems for recovering communicated information in a communication system are disclosed and may include at least one digitizer for digitizing an analog received signal comprising the communicated information, thereby creating a digital received signal. The system may include at least one filter for bandwidth-limiting at least a portion of the digital received signal. At least one feed forward equalizer may be used for equalizing at least a portion of the bandwidth-limited signal to create an equalized signal. At least one converter for creating a data signal according to at least the equalized signal. At least one soft decision circuit for creating a soft decision signal according to the data signal. The soft decision circuit may cancel at least a portion of the equalized signal. |
| US08229027B2 |
Pre-distortion and memory compensation apparatus
Pre-distortion and memory compensation apparatuses and methods for a non-linear component are provided. The apparatus comprises an adaptive block for generating a plurality of correlation coefficients, which are used to weight a plurality of synthesis work functions to pre-distort a given signal. The adaptive block can be driven by an error signal generated from a feedback signal from the non-linear component output signal and a delayed version of the input signal. The apparatus is capable of being operated directly at radio frequency. Also provided are apparatuses and methods for generation of quadrature signals, transconductance amplification employing negative resistance, variable-gain amplification, and envelope detection. |
| US08229018B2 |
Multiple input, multiple output communications systems
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for optimizing the transmitter and receiver weights of a MIMO system. In one embodiment, the weights are optimized to create and steer beam nulls, such that each transmitted signal is substantially decoupled from all other signals between a MIMO transmitter a MIMO receiver. In another embodiment, the weights are selected such that, the signal strength of each weighted signal transmitted through a communications channel along a respective signal path is substantially equivalent, but for which the weighting vectors are not necessarily orthogonal. In a further embodiment, each transmitted signal is coupled only between its own transmitter and receiver antennas with a gain, or eigenvalue, that is a consequence of the weights, and which is bounded to within a desired range of values while at the same time the weighing vectors are orthogonal. Embodiments employing various decomposition techniques are also provided. |
| US08229016B2 |
MIMO receiver and MIMO communication system
An MIMO receiver and MIMO communication system which can have a small hardware scale even if the number of antennas used for MIMO communication. In a radio communication device (200), a receiving section (220) receives a spatially multiplexed signal generated by mutually-different and spatially multiplexing transmission signals, a first signal demultiplexing section (230) subjects a linear operation to the received spatial multiplexed signal to demultiplex the spatial multiplexed signal, and a second signal demultiplexing section (240) demultiplexer the demultiplexed spatially multiplexed signal into the transmission signals. When the received signal is demultiplexed by a single demultiplexing, as the number of multiplexed spatial multiplexed signal increases, the demultiplexer becomes complicated, and the hardware scale increases. When the received signal is demultiplexed by a plurality of demultiplexings, the hardware scale is relatively small. |
| US08229014B2 |
Fast fourier transform processing in an OFDM system
An FFT processor for an OFDM receiver includes multiple interrelated operational blocks. The FFT processor is configured to perform data demodulation, channel estimation, and fine timing acquisition on received OFDM symbols. The FFT processor incorporates a pipelined FFT engine using a memory architecture shared with channel estimation and demodulation blocks. The combination of the shared memory structure and the pipelined FFT operation enable the channel estimation and demodulation processing to be completed during the time used to capture the next received symbol. |
| US08229013B2 |
Methods and systems for maximum-likelihood detection using post-squaring compensation
A “post-squaring” detection algorithm, and related devices, that may reduce the complexity of maximum likelihood detection (MLD) schemes while preserving their performance is provided. Rather than search for optimum metrics (such as minimum distance metrics) based on squared norm values, a search may be based on un-squared norm metrics, and the squaring may be postponed, for example, until subsequent log-likelihood ratio (LLR) computation. For certain embodiments, approximations of un-squared norm values may significantly reduce computation complexity. |
| US08229012B2 |
Structured codebook for 4TX multiple antenna systems
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for applying successive multi-rank beamforming strategies (e.g., successive precoding strategies) for the design of precoders over a set of parallel channels. Successive beamforming is applied to a narrow band channel model and is also applied for finer quantization of a single beamforming vector (e.g., recursive beamforming). A first embodiment provides the optimal approach with high complexity. An alternative embodiment provides successive beamforming for near optimal precoding selection with medium complexity. A low complexity method for precoder selection is also provided wherein a channel representative matrix for the set of parallel channels is determined and successive beamforming on the calculated channel representative is applied. |
| US08229011B2 |
Fine symbol timing synchronization method and apparatus in OFDM system
A fine symbol timing synchronization method and apparatus in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system are provided. The fine symbol timing synchronization method finds a path with a minimum mean square error (MMSE) as a first path among a plurality of paths, and a formula of the mean square error (MSE) used by the method is a simplified formula of the original MSE formula with low calculation complexity. Therefore, the time required by the fine symbol timing synchronization method is short, and a correct first path can be found, so as to lock a starting position of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) window on a starting position of a symbol signal of the correct first path. |
| US08229009B2 |
System and method for communicating data using efficient fast fourier transform (FFT) for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation
A communications device includes at least one memory device for storing complex exponential functions as approximations of sine and cosine basis waveforms. A logic circuit adds and subtracts the complex exponential functions to generate an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) communications signal as a plurality of N data subcarriers that carry communications data. The logic circuit provides efficient and accurate implementation of the IFFT for use as an OFDM modulator using additions of stored complex exponentials and modulation of the integer-valued QAM data symbols using logic shifts and sign changes (2's complement). |
| US08229004B2 |
Image signal processing apparatus with code amount control for inter-frame and intra-frame encoding
An object of this invention is to effectively reduce a luminance flicker caused by noise while suppressing an adverse effect such as an afterimage and a decrease in the resolution upon smoothing as much as possible even when the S/N ratio of an image photographed at an increased gain is low. An image signal processing apparatus includes a smoothing circuit (124) to execute smoothing processing of an image signal, a compression encoding circuit (112, 113) to compression-encode the image signal, a setting circuit (126) capable of setting, for the compression encoding circuit, the code amount for each picture type, and a control circuit (116) that controls in accordance with a gain setting value acquired from a camera (102) to change the intensity of smoothing processing and the assignment ratio of code amount for each picture type. |
| US08229002B2 |
Video decoding system supporting multiple standards
System and method for decoding digital video data. The decoding system employs hardware accelerators that assist a core processor in performing selected decoding tasks. The hardware accelerators are configurable to support a plurality of existing and future encoding/decoding formats. The accelerators are configurable to support substantially any existing or future encoding/decoding formats that fall into the general class of DCT-based, entropy decoded, block-motion-compensated compression algorithms. The hardware accelerators illustratively comprise a programmable entropy decoder, an inverse quantization module, a inverse discrete cosine transform module, a pixel filter, a motion compensation module and a de-blocking filter. The hardware accelerators function in a decoding pipeline wherein at any given stage in the pipeline, while a given function is being performed on a given macroblock, the next macroblock in the data stream is being worked on by the previous function in the pipeline. |
| US08229000B2 |
Moving image conversion method, moving image conversion apparatus, moving image conversion system, and server apparatus, and program
An apparatus and method are provided for enabling inhibition or reduction in the amount of processing to decode and to re-encode image data to be compatible with a transmission capacity upon delivery of converted images. Image data converter 205 converts and transfers an image of a conversion start frame in an intra-mode. Switch 206 transfers the image in the intra-mode, which was transferred by image data converter 205, as the conversion start frame, and transfers image data 103 demultiplexed from received data 100 for the remaining frames. Data synchronization/output unit 208 establishes the synchronization of image with audio by temporally adjusting audio data backward when the converted image data increases in size. |
| US08228996B2 |
Apparatus for removing a blocking phenomenon
One embodiment of the apparatus includes a decoder configured to obtain a coded block pattern of first and second blocks. The coded block pattern is one of a plurality of coded block patterns, the plurality of coded block patterns includes an intra-coded block, and the second block is adjacent to the first block. The decoder is configured to determine a non-zero filter strength value based on the obtained coded block pattern of the first and second block, a determination of whether the first block has non-zero transform coefficient information, and an obtained motion vector difference. The decoder is configured to remove the blocking phenomenon according to the filter strength value. |
| US08228991B2 |
System and method for adaptive video compression motion compensation
Methods and systems for video coding are provided. A method includes receiving a digital video stream. The digital video stream includes multiple sequential independent frames. The method further includes storing a first frame of the digital video stream. The method also includes encoding a second frame of the digital video stream using motion compensation with the stored first frame as a reference. |
| US08228990B2 |
Template matching scheme using multiple predictors as candidates for intra-prediction
An apparatus and method for spatial encoding of intra-predictions for a current block of a video sequence without the need to average across a number of best template matches. The encoder identifies and sorts the best template matches for the current block within previously coded and reconstructed blocks which neighbor the current block of video. In response to determining actual predictive error for the sorted list of matches, a selector is generated identifying which of the sorted templates is optimal. The selector is then communicated for receipt by the decoder, which is adapted for performing the same template matching and sorting, which is followed by selection of the optimum candidate in response to using the selector. In response to the selector information the decoder can provide optimum template matching without the compromise or overhead of taking averages across the best template candidates. |
| US08228984B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding/decoding video signal using block prediction information
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding video signals based on prediction information of an intra mode block of a sub-layer and decoding the encoded video data accordingly. The method encodes a video signal in a scalable MCTF scheme to output a bit stream of an enhanced layer, and simultaneously encodes the video signal using a pre-determined method to output a bit stream of a base layer. When the video signal is encoded in the MCTF scheme, an image block included in an arbitrary frame of the video signal is coded to be an error value using the uncoded value of pixels adjacent to the image block, on the basis of prediction information of the corresponding block coded as an intra mode, the corresponding block being included in a bit stream of the base layer and corresponding to the image block, and a bit stream including the coded image block is transmitted while constraint information being released. |
| US08228982B2 |
Adaptive video streaming system and method
A method of transmitting a video stream over an IP network. The method includes encoding a source video into a plurality of packets. The method also includes measuring a real-time transmission status of a current set of the plurality of packets. The method also includes mapping a utility curve for the video which reflects utilities of the video at corresponding sending rates. The method also includes calculating a target sending rate for a next set of the plurality of packets according to the real-time transmission status of the current set of the plurality of packets and the utility curve. The method also includes determining a proper strategy to meet the target sending rate for the next set of the plurality of packets. |
| US08228980B2 |
Media gateway with overlay channels
A network media gateway is disclosed with a processor configured to include a plurality of decoder channels, a plurality of overlay channels, an overlay renderer, a video mixer, and an encoder channel. A digital signal processor embedded in a network media gateway is also disclosed, and a mixing method implemented on a digital signal processor is also disclosed. |
| US08228979B2 |
Wide-band multi-format audio/video production system with frame-rate conversion
A multi-format digital video production system enables a user to process an input video program to produce an output version of the program in a final format which may have a different frame rate, pixel dimensions, or both. An internal production format of 24 fps is preferably chosen to provide the greatest compatibility with existing and planned formats associated with HDTV standard 4:3 or widescreen 16:9 high-definition television, and film. Images are re-sized horizontally and vertically by pixel interpolation, thereby producing larger or smaller image dimensions so as to fill the particular needs of individual applications. Frame rates are adapted by inter-frame interpolation or by traditional schemes, including “3:2 pull-down” for 24-to-30 fps conversions. Simple speed-up (for 24-to-25 conversions) or slow-down (for 25-to-24 conversions) for playback, or by manipulating the frame rate itself using a program storage facility with asynchronous reading and writing capabilities. The step of converting the signal to a HDTV format is preferably performed using a modified upconversion process for wideband signals (utilizing a higher sampling clock frequency) and a resizing to HDTV format frame dimensions in pixels. |
| US08228976B2 |
Dual-port input equalizer
A dual-port input equalizer includes a control unit for generating a first control signal and a second control signal according to a selection signal, a first equalizer for receiving a first and second differential voltage for equalization according to the first control signal and the second control signal, which the first equalizer includes a first transistor, a second transistor, an passive loading portion, and a first zero-point generation circuit, a second equalizer for receiving a third and fourth differential voltage for equalization according to the first control signal and the second control signal, which the second equalizer includes a third transistor and a fourth transistor, which the drain of the first transistor, the second transistor, third transistor, and the fourth transistor coupled to the passive loading portion, and the source of the first transistor, the second transistor, third transistor, and the fourth transistor coupled to the first zero-point generation circuit. |
| US08228975B2 |
System and method for pre and post-tap zeroing
A system and method are provided for zeroing pre and post-tap settings in a link partner using a plurality of voltage gain taps. The method provides a link partner (LP) transmitter. A network-connected local device (LD) selects an LP pre-tap or post-tap. The LD also chooses a zero gain setting for the selected LP tap. In a first iteration, the LD directs the LP to decrease the difference between the selected tap gain setting and the zero setting by 1 step. If a limit signal is not received by the LD, the LP is directed to maximally increase the center tap gain setting until a limit signal is received. The iterations are continued until a limit signal is returned in response to the LD directing the LP to decrease the difference between the selected tap gain setting and the zero setting. |
| US08228973B2 |
Communication system, communication method for the same and mobile station and base station used for the same
When a downlink communication channel quality is informed of in the downlink packet communication using a shared channel, the communication channel quality for each RB that is obtained by dividing a downlink into a plurality of small bands (RBs) is informed of via the uplink. As the downlink band is getting wider, the number of RBs increases and the bands required to inform via the uplink also increases. Then, in the mobile station, RBs whose the communication channel quality is at a predetermined threshold or more are selected as a selected group, with the others considered as in the non-selected group, the information indicating which groups do they belong to is generated as a bitmap, and then the average value, the minimum value and the maximum value of the communication channel quality of the RBs are also obtained. Then the minimum or the maximum value is transmitted as a represented value of the selected group, the average value is transmitted as a representative value of the non-selected group, and also the bitmap is transmitted to the base station. At the base station, the communication channel quality for each RB is restored by replacing the communication channel quality belonging to the selected group by the minimum or the maximum value, and the communication channel quality belonging to the non-selected group by the average value. |
| US08228971B2 |
Technique for searching for a preamble signal in a spread spectrum signal using a fast Hadamard transform
In one embodiment, a method for demodulating and searching for a preamble signal containing a complex phasor signal is disclosed. The complex phasor is demodulated using a phasor-rotated fast transformer. A received signal is correlated with a spreading code to produce a correlated signal. The correlated signal is coherently accumulated to produce a coherently accumulated signal. A first phasor-rotated signal transformation is performed on a real component of the coherently accumulated signal, and a second phasor-rotated signal transformation is performed on an imaginary component of the coherently accumulated signal. Finally, the signal power of the transformed real and imaginary components of the coherently accumulated signal is determined. |
| US08228970B2 |
Signal processing device and wireless apparatus
There is provided a signal processing device and a wireless apparatus capable of not erroneously determining polarity, appropriately performing a spread modulation process, a carrier modulation process, and reception data demodulation process, improving reception accuracy, and miniaturizing a circuit, even when IF carrier frequency shift occurs. The signal processing device and the wireless apparatus includes a spread modulation unit which includes a first differential encoding process section for performing a differential encoding process on a reception data, a differential encoding process section for performing a second differential encoding process on the output, and a spread modulation process section for performing a spread modulation process on the output using a spread code; a carrier modulation unit which quadrature-modulates a transmission data spread modulation signal and a continuous wave; and a reception data decoding unit which performs a correlation process twice and a delay detection process twice. |
| US08228969B2 |
Pseudo-echo cancellation processing apparatus, pseudo-echo cancellation method and digital-broadcast receiving apparatus
Disclosed herein is a pseudo-echo cancellation processing apparatus including: a correlator for computing a complex mutual-correlation value, that is, the value of a mutual correlation between the real part of a complex baseband signal of a received input-signal sequence and a reference-signal sequence included in the input-signal sequence as well as the value of a mutual correlation between the imaginary part of the complex baseband signal and the reference-signal sequence; and a processing section configured to carry out processes of: pre-storing complex vectors each representing pseudo-echo components; detecting a complex mutual-correlation value having a peak of powers of the complex mutual-correlation values; delaying the detected complex mutual-correlation value by a delay time corresponding to successive symbols; carrying out a complex multiplication operation; and adding a complex mutual-correlation value to an original complex mutual-correlation value. |
| US08228968B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating RF waveforms having aggregate energy with desired spectral characteristics
The present invention relates to a method and system that emulates a desired waveform by producing a time profile of the desired waveform, which is characterized by a plurality of sample values, and generating a plurality of RF waveforms, each RF waveform of the plurality of RF waveforms having a polarity and scaled energy based on a corresponding one of the plurality of sample values, to produce an aggregate RF energy having spectral characteristics that approximate the spectral characteristics of the desired waveform. |
| US08228963B2 |
Gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device, method of fabricating gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device, and epitaxial wafer
A gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device is provided that includes an indium-containing gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer that exhibit low piezoelectric effect and high crystal quality. The gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device 11a includes a GaN support base 13, a GaN-based semiconductor region 15, and well layers 19. A primary surface 13a tilts from a surface orthogonal to a reference axis that extends in a direction from one crystal axis of the m-axis and the a-axis of GaN toward the other crystal axis. The tilt angle AOFF is 0.05 degree or more to less than 15 degrees. The angle AOFF is equal to the angle defined by a vector VM and a vector VN. The inclination of the primary surface is shown by a typical m-plane SM and m-axis vector VM. The GaN-based semiconductor region 15 is provided on the primary surface 13a. In the well layers 19 in an active layer 17, both the m-plane and the a-plane of the well layers 19 tilt from a normal axis AN of the primary surface 13a. The indium content of the well layers 19 is 0.1 or more. |
| US08228962B2 |
Low power drive circuit
The invention relates to an integrated driver circuit suitable for driving a light emitter with a signal current I(time) based on a received signal said circuit comprising a differential pair of transistors having a first transistor and a second transistor each respectively forming part of a first branch and a second branch, said first branch comprises a node suitable for connecting to said light emitter and/or said first branch comprises said light emitter, wherein said second branch comprise at least one charge storage device. This charge storage device may be arranged to collect current otherwise wasted in the process of driving the light emitter. This current may be utilized to drive circuitry thereby reduce current consumption. |
| US08228959B2 |
Free electron laser, and associated components and methods
A system generates FIR laser radiation. An electron source generates an electron beam. A grating horn interacts with the electron beam to produce the FIR laser radiation. The grating horn may comprise a flat base and a pair of grating elements attached to the base, each of the grating elements being ruled with a grating period, the grating elements oriented in phase and in substantial symmetry about a normal to the flat base. |
| US08228956B2 |
Time stamp offset in data packet bundling
A system, method, and computer readable medium for time stamp offset in data packet bundling including filling a globally distributed time stamp based upon a globally distributed time, receiving a signal unit, resolving a difference in time between the globally distributed time stamp and the reception of the signal unit and assigning a time offset based upon the resolved time difference. |
| US08228955B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station and transmission timing control method
A wireless communication system includes first and second transmitting stations cooperating with each other to transmit data signals in parallel to the same receiving station. The first transmitting station transmits data at a slot reference timing of each TDMA slot within a data transmission period. The second transmitting station calculates the adjustment amount of data transmission timing for the receiving station within a propagation delay time measurement period, and transmits data at a transmission timing determined by a slot reference timing and the adjustment amount in each TDMA slot within the data transmission period. |
| US08228951B2 |
Method and system for preventing data loss in a real-time computer system
A method and system are provided for preventing data loss in a VoIP system. In particular, during a VoIP call, it is determined whether incoming ringing on a POTS line causes an unacceptable level of signal loss or errors. If so, for subsequent VoIP calls, the CO handling calls to the POTS line is instructed to either answer each call with a busy signal or automatically forward calls to the POTS line to the VoIP line or other selected telephone. Calling returns to normal upon ending of the VoIP call. In this manner, incoming ringing on the POTS line does not result in call dropping or lengthy retraining processes. |
| US08228950B2 |
Method and device for handling ranging signals in a wireless communications network
A method for detecting and/or estimating a ranging signal in a wireless communications network, wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of tiles. The method includes (i) for two or more of the plurality of tiles, carrying out a plurality of mathematical correlations for one or more of the plurality of tiles but less than all of the plurality of tiles products between subcarriers, wherein at least one of the plurality of products is carried out between non-adjacent subcarriers associated with one of the two or more of the plurality of tiles; (ii) summing the results of the correlations products, thereby obtaining mathematical correlations that make up summed results; and (iii) based on the summed results, detecting a code characterizing the ranging signal and/or estimating the timing offset of the ranging signal. |
| US08228938B2 |
Method and apparatus for preventing a miss-detection of duplicated packets and an out-of-sequence delivery to the higher layer in unacknowledged mode operation
A terminal is configured to perform a method capable of preventing the miss detection of duplicated unacknowledged mode data (UMD) protocol data units (PDU) and out-of-sequence delivery in unacknowledged mode (UM) operations. The terminal includes a receiver configured to not make a slot with a sequence number (SN) of k available to receive in new UMD PDU unless a time has passed such that no more retransmissions of a previous UMD PDU with the SN of k is possible. The terminal also includes a transmitter configured to determine a transmission window size for transmitting UMD PDUs. |
| US08228930B1 |
Interconnection network router arrangements and methods therefor
Interconnection router arrangements are implemented using a variety of arrangements and methods. Using one such arrangement, an interconnection network router arrangement sends data units between a set of router inputs and a set of router outputs. The interconnection network router arrangement includes a sub-switch that is capable of selectively transferring a data unit from an array of sub-switch inputs to an array of sub-switch outputs. The sub-switch has a memory circuit for storing the data unit before the data unit is transferred to a sub-switch output and a memory circuit for storing the data unit after the data unit is transferred from the sub-switch inputs and before the data unit is sent to a router output. |
| US08228922B2 |
Multiradio synchronization and scheduling control
A method, device, component and computer program product are described for controlling radios/modems in a multiradio device so as not to interfere with one another. A first set of timeslots for a first modem of the device is mapped to a master clock. A second set of timeslots for a second modem of the device is mapped to the master clock. Specific transmit and receive schedules for the modems are assembled into scheduling tables and potential instances of interference are found. Transmission, reception, or both for one of the modems (the first modem) is inhibited during an authorized timeslot of the first set that overlaps with an authorized timeslot of the second set. The authorized timeslots are determined from the transmit and receive schedules. |
| US08228918B2 |
Method, communications system and communications terminal for establishing communication
In one aspect, a method for establishing communication in a packet-oriented communications network between a calling (EG1) and a called terminal is provided. In the method, before a call-accepted signal by the called terminal, triggered by a message within the framework of call set-up signaling, a direct, first payload connection is established and maintained between the calling and the called terminal. As a direct result of the call-accepted signal of the called terminal communication is triggered between the calling and called terminal by means of the established first payload connection. |
| US08228915B2 |
Technique for handling residual space in packet data transmissions
The invention relates to techniques for handling residual space occurring in packet-based data transmissions, wherein according to one embodiment of a method for controlling a packet-based data transmission, in case an amount of residual space in the packet (300) is below a predefined threshold value, a last one of one or more sub-headers (304) in the header (302) of the packet (300) is constructed by setting a length indicator (LF) to a value indicating to a receiver that no further sub-header follows. |
| US08228912B2 |
Selecting wireless mesh node locations
Locations for deploying mesh nodes in a wireless network are determined based on a Terminal Steiner tree (TST). The TST that is formulated from an input graph and client locations in the wireless network is determined. The input graph includes signal strength values for pairs of mesh node-to-client location and mesh node-to-mesh node links and mesh node locations for deploying the mesh nodes are selected from the Steiner nodes in the TST. |
| US08228911B2 |
Enhanced data link communication over iridium
A method to reduce latency in a data link communication is provided. The method includes compressing a data packet to be uplinked from a ground station to an aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) in an aircraft and determining a packet size of the data packet. The aircraft communications addressing and reporting system is configured to receive packets having a packet size less than or equal to a first threshold packet size. An Iridium router based unrestricted digital inter-working connectivity solution data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size exceeds a second threshold packet size. A short burst data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size is less than or equal to the second threshold packet size. |
| US08228910B2 |
Aggregating network packets for transmission to a destination node
A node for transmitting digital data over a network receives a plurality of packet data units and identifies at least two of the packet data units that have the same aggregation identifier. The node then forms an aggregate packet from the packet data units that have the same aggregation identifier and transmits the aggregate packet to a common destination node or nodes. |
| US08228905B2 |
CTI control system
When a telephone a belonging to an office a calls up a telephone b belonging to an office b, a subscriber of the telephone a operates a WS a connected to a computer network and edits camp-on request information when the telephone b is busy. The camp-on request information is transferred from the WS a to a CTI server b belonging to the office b connected to the computer network. The CTI server unit b performs camp-on control between the telephone b belonging to the office b and the telephone a belonging to the office a by controlling a private branch exchange b based on a schedule corresponding to the received camp-on request information. |
| US08228896B2 |
Method and apparatus for verification of at least a portion of a datagram's header information
At least part of the information in a packet's header may be verified so that a network element may rely on the information, e.g. to provide enhanced QoS and/or to identify the source. The information may be verified by a verifying agent (VA) or a transmitting network element. Where a VA is used, the VA may sign the header information issuing its private key of a private/public key pair. The signature may take the form of a digest, certificate, or other form. Once the header information has been signed, the client may transmit packets using headers that include the signed information and may include the VA's signature as an option in the header or in another area of the packet. The VA may also transmit packets directly. The signature may be decrypted by other NEs to extract the signed information, which can then be compared with the normal header information. |
| US08228895B2 |
Radio communication device and radio communication system
A radio communication device is provided, including a radio control unit for achieving timing synchronization using frames having a fixed period, assigning a transmission and reception interval during which a report signal for informing state management information about each communication device and a control signal for controlling each radio communication device are transmitted and received to a fixed time interval at the head of each frame, for transmitting and receiving application data to and from a partner radio communication device during another time interval, and for reserving and securing some of communication band units, each of which has a fixed width and into which each frame is divided according to a difference between the transmission rate of the application data and that of a signal in a wireless section, on a unit-by-unit basis by using the report signal and the control signal. |
| US08228892B2 |
Synchronous delivery method
An aggregation device performs a synchronous processing so that a synchronous delivery may be made from a plurality of base stations through a broadcasting channel. A BSN (104) gives, when it sends broadcasting data for the synchronous delivery to an AN (102) and an AN (103), a period number and a sequence number are added to the broadcasting data so that the data to be sent from the AN (102) and the AN (103 can be synchronously delivered. |
| US08228891B2 |
Traffic load balancing
In one embodiment, an enterprise network is provided that includes a mobility module 150 associated with a first or second switch/server 100 or 104, respectively. On the second switch/server, the mobility agent manages a pool of mobility user station records 168a-j and creates visitor application records 172a-i associated with a external subscriber communication devices 136a-n. Each visitor application record is associated with a subscriber whose communication device is controlled by the first switch/server 100. In response to a selected stimulus, outgoing call processing for selected communication devices on the first switch/server is moved to the second switch/server 104 by associating, for each such device, a selected record 168 with a corresponding record 172. |
| US08228889B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication system and communication control program
A communication apparatus which generates a single physical frame including a plurality of MAC frames, and which transmits the physical frame. The physical frame has variable-length bitmap information which includes bits corresponding to the plurality of MAC frames, respectively, and length information of the bitmap information. The communication apparatus can include a transmission scheme selecting device configured to select a transmission scheme of the physical frame to be transmitted as a response to the polling frame from a plurality of candidates in such a manner as to adapt to a channel estimate result estimated by the channel estimating device. The transmission scheme in this arrangement includes at least one of a modulation scheme and a coding ratio. |
| US08228883B2 |
Method and network for transmitting data in a wireless network with fixed transmission intervals
A wireless network master node periodically broadcasts beacons that specify a structure of a following fixed length superframe. Slave nodes determine a channel condition between each slave and the master. Then, the set of slaves is partitioned into subsets of slaves according to the channel conditions. The master assigns, to each slave, a transmission rate in a low to high order according to the channel conditions, and the slaves transmit data to the master in the low to high order between two consecutive beacons, wherein the subsets of slaves with a higher transmission rate also receive the data from the subsets of slaves with a lower transmission rate, and wherein a slave with a higher transmission rate includes a part of or all the data from a slave with a lower transmission rate. |
| US08228881B2 |
System and method for providing location information
Disclosed is a method for providing location information of a terminal by using an Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). To this end, a location request and a location estimate are transferred between terminals by using messages used in the SIP. In particular, it is possible to receive location information of a counterpart during communication, or transfer the location information of its own to a counterpart, in consideration of the fact that real-time voice service mainly uses the SIP. Moreover, it is possible to request and transmit location information on using multimedia services. Therefore, a terminal or a server using the SIP easily uses location information, so that it is possible to provide new services inter-working with location services. |
| US08228880B2 |
Wireless LAN terminal, a wireless LAN system, a MAC address learning method and a computer program product
A wireless LAN terminal includes a wired LAN interface, a wireless LAN interface and a bridge unit. The bridge unit detects that a terminal apparatus connected with the wired LAN interface moves to a position under different wireless LAN equipment and learns a MAC address of the terminal apparatus which moves. |
| US08228873B2 |
Method of configuring and updating connection identifier in a broadband wireless access communication system
In a method of configuring connection identifier (CID) update information in a broadband wireless access (BWA) communication system where each service between an mobile station (MS) and a base station (BS) has a unique CID, a registration request message is received from the MS, requesting updating of at least one old CID used for the MS. The CID update information is configured to include a bitmap area indicating whether a service corresponding to the at least one old CID is available, and a new CID area including at least one new CID in correspondence with a predetermined bit value in the bitmap area. |
| US08228872B2 |
Method for performing zone switching in broadband wireless access system
A device, system and method for performing zone switch based handover in a legacy serving base station by an advanced mobile station (AMS), the method including receiving a ranging response (RNG-RSP) message including a zone switching TLV parameter necessary to perform zone switching to an advanced mobile station support zone (MZone) from a legacy zone (LZone) of a target advanced base station (ABS), and requesting a bandwidth for transmitting an advanced air interface ranging request (AAI_RNG-REQ) message to the MZone using the zone switching TLV parameter. |
| US08228868B2 |
Method of supporting handover in a mobile communication system
A method of supporting handover at a user equipment in a mobile communication system is disclosed according to the present invention. The method comprises receiving, from a source network node, first identification information identifying at least one data block transferred from the source network node to a target network node during handover, transmitting, to a target network node, second identification information identifying at least one data block to be received from the target network node during the handover, and receiving a data block from the target network node, the data block being transmitted by the target network node based on the second identification information. |
| US08228867B2 |
Handover in a wireless network back to a restricted local access point from an unrestricted global access point
The invention concerns methods, a device and computer program products for simplifying handover back to a restricted local access point from an unrestricted global access point as well as to a device implementing a restricted local access point for provision in a wireless network and a wireless network. In the network a restricted local access point hands over a mobile station to an unrestricted global access point and provides data enabling the restricted local access point to be identified as a candidate access point. A device for simplifying handover back determines that the restricted local access point is a candidate for further handover based on this data and informs the mobile station about the restricted local access point via the unrestricted glob access point. Thereby hand over may be considered also to the restricted local access point in addition to other surrounding access points. |
| US08228866B2 |
High-speed downlink packet access system, base station, mobile station, and communication control method during a soft handover
Immediately before transmitting a packet signal, a packet transmission base station (BS1) increases a target ISR of UL DPCH (S12), increases the TPC transmission power transmitted by the DPCH (S13), increases a power balancing reference power, and increases a DL DPCH transmission power (S14). In a mobile station (MS3), during packet reception, only a packet transmission base station (1) controls the UL DPCH transmission power (S15). This improves the reception quality at the base station (1) of HS-DPCCH including ACK/NACK and reduces the error ratio of the ACK/NACK signal. |
| US08228862B2 |
Method and system for reference signal pattern design
A base station comprising an allocator configured to allocate a plurality of dedicated reference (DR) signals to selected resource elements. In the even-numbered time slot in a first resource block, a first group of DR signals are: i) allocated to a first group of adjacent resource elements; and ii) allocated to a second group of adjacent resource elements. In the contiguous odd-numbered time slot in the first resource block, the first group of DR signals are allocated to a third group of adjacent resource elements. In the even-numbered time slot in a second resource block, the first group of adjacent DR signals are allocated to a fourth group of resource elements. In the contiguous odd-numbered time slot in the second resource block, the first group of DR signals are: i) allocated to a fifth group of adjacent resource elements; and ii) allocated to a sixth group of adjacent resource elements. |
| US08228861B1 |
Efficient handover of media communications in heterogeneous IP networks using handover procedure rules and media handover relays
Methods and systems are provided for efficient handover of a media session between heterogeneous Internet Protocol (IP) networks. A mobile device with Internet access can operate a software program to communicate with a corresponding node. The corresponding node may access the Internet through a firewall which may include Network Address Translation (NAT)-routing functionality. The mobile device establishes a media session with a corresponding node via the transmission of a first media stream and receipt of a second media stream, and a media-control channel can optionally be implemented. The mobile device can acquire Internet access through a second IP address, and packets routed between the second IP address and the Internet may traverse a firewall. The mobile device can evaluate a set of network parameters at the second IP address from a stored Local Area Network (LAN) profile. A software routine can (i) evaluate that handover of the media session from the first IP address to the second IP address is preferred and (ii) select an efficient handover procedure according to handover procedure rules. |
| US08228858B2 |
Method and system for generating antenna selection signals in wireless networks
Embodiments of the invention describe a method for antenna selection (AS) in a wireless communication network, the network comprising user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a plurality of subsets of antennas including a selected subset of antennas and an unselected subset of antennas, wherein only the selected subset of antennas is used for transmitting user data, and wherein the UE is configured to transmit only from a subset of antennas at a time. The method transmits the user data from the selected subset of antennas within a set of subframes, and transmits a sounding reference signal (SRS) from the unselected subset of antennas within at least one subframe in the set of subframes to enable antenna selection for user data transmission. |
| US08228850B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting control information in a system with new and legacy mobile stations
A method of transmitting control information to new and legacy mobile stations in a wireless communications system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method and apparatus for the base station to transmit control information in a system with new and legacy mobile stations is disclosed. In another embodiment, a method and apparatus for the mobile station to transmit control information is disclosed. |
| US08228840B2 |
Antenna diversity arrangement and method
An antenna diversity arrangement and a radio base station in a frequency divided mobile cellular system with sectorized cells are described. Space diversity or polarization diversity is provided by providing at least two branches. In accordance with the invention an operator frequency band is divided into a plurality of bands for transmitting and receiving. All sectors are branch wise combined in a respective tower mounted amplifier. TX signals within the TX bands belonging to a TMA are diplexed and simultaneously transmitted on the sectors. RF signals received on one branch of a sector are combined with RF signals received on the corresponding sector in the other branches. The RX signals so combined are fed to the radio base station on a single feeder together with the TX signals fed in the opposite direction from transceivers of the base station to the same TMA. A sector may be assigned two or more TX frequencies. Frequency hopping within each TX band may optionally be provided (synth hopping). If two or more TX frequencies are assigned to a sector synth hopping may be combined with frequency hopping between the TX bands assigned to the sector in the A branch as well as the TX bands assigned to the corresponding sector in the B branch. |
| US08228838B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for determining position by use of a low power wireless link
A system, comprising: a first low power wireless transceiver; a second low power wireless transceiver configured to transmit a first positioning request to the first low power wireless transceiver over a low power wireless link; a cellular radio transceiver configured, in response to the first low power wireless transceiver receiving the first positioning request, to transmit a second positioning request to a base station of a cellular network, and configured to receive, as a reply to the second positioning request, first positioning data from the base station of the cellular network; wherein the first low power wireless transceiver is configured to transmit second positioning data, determined by the first positioning data, to the second low power wireless transceiver over the low power wireless link as a reply to the first positioning request. |
| US08228835B2 |
MIMO based network coding network
A wireless communication system includes an intermediate node, a first node and a second node. There is described a method for implementing MIMO based network coding, comprising the first node transmitting first data to the intermediate node, and the second node transmitting second data to the intermediate node. The intermediate node receives the transmissions from the first node and second node, and performs network coding on the first data and second data using a predefined network coding scheme to produce network coded information. The intermediate node transmits the network coded information to the first node and second node using multi-user MIMO; and; each first or second node receives the MIMO transmissions from the intermediate node and applies network decoding procedures to recover the first data and second data. A method for scheduling MIMO-based network coded transmissions is also described. |
| US08228831B2 |
Channel dependent gating
Network element (400, 500), method and computer program for communication in a wireless communication network comprising: receiving at least one measured parameter value indicative of the channel quality on a radio channel at the processing unit (420, 520) of the network element (400, 500), calculating a deviation from a nominal parameter value indicative of the expected quality of the radio channel in the processing unit (420, 520), comparing the deviation from the nominal parameter value with at least a lower threshold value indicative of the lower threshold for the deviation from the nominal parameter value and/or an upper threshold value indicative of the upper threshold of deviation from the nominal parameter value and altering the gating scheme for the power control channel in the processing unit (420, 520) and using a control unit (450, 540) in the network element (400, 500) to signal the change of the gating scheme on control channel via the transceiver (410, 510). |
| US08228830B2 |
Using a transmission control protocol (TCP) channel to save power for virtual private networks (VPNs) that use user datagram protocol (UDP)
Provided is a method for maintaining a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between a mobile device and a server over a wireless network in a manner that conserves the power supply of the mobile device and is suitable for connections that employ server-initiated traffic. After a successful login to a VPN server, a VPN client establishes a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection and a UDP connection with the server. After a power timeout, the server calculates the elapsed time between the current transmission and the last tunnel traffic. If the elapsed time exceeds a power timeout value, the VPN server transmits a simple control message to the client via the TCP channel. The client then reestablishes the UDP connection to the client and the server resumes transmission on the reestablished UDP channel. |
| US08228828B2 |
Communication method and device
A communication method and device are applicable in a mobile communication system of LTE Type2 wideband TDD. The method includes transmitting, by a first communication device, to a second communication device a radio frame, where each half-frame of the radio frame including a data timeslot for transmitting data, an uplink special timeslot and a Downlink special timeslot for carrying synchronizing information, and the data timeslot is shorter than an original data timeslot by a first timeslot and/or the uplink special timeslot is shorter than an original uplink special timeslot by a second timeslot; and a part of the first timeslot or the second timeslot or the combination of the first timeslot and the second timeslot, having the length of one orthogonal frequency division multiplex symbol, carries a secondary synchronous channel. |
| US08228827B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting contention during random access procedure in a mobile communication system
A method and apparatus for detecting contention in an RA procedure in a mobile communication system is provided in which an L2/L3 message is received from a UE in uplink resources allocated to the UE by an RA preamble response message that was transmitted for an RA procedure initiated by the UE, a CR message associated the RA procedure is transmitted to the UE, if the L2/L3 message is an initial access message, and predetermined control information is transmitted to the UE on a downlink control channel without transmitting the CR message, if the L2/L3 message is not an initial access message. |
| US08228825B2 |
Delivering unified user experience by automatically teaming up information appliances with general purpose PC through internet
An embodiment of the present invention is a method for server side integration of communication devices and the general purpose PC of the same user through a computer network wherein no physical connection is required between the PC and the communication device. The user registers with PnC (phone and computer) server for subscribing to one or more PnC services such as drop-to-call, conference-call-dropping service, webpage sharing, caller kaleidoscope etc., via user interface of communications device and/or PC. Various features for subscribing and unsubscribing to services are provided along with authenticating the user using the name and the phone number of the user while registering with the server. |
| US08228819B1 |
Network design by hub and remote selection
Site location information is received for a first list of sites. Eligible remote information is received for the first list of sites. Hub scores are generated for the sites. A first hub is selected based the hub scores. Remote sites are assigned the first hub. A system for generating a backhaul design is disclosed. A hub score generator that generates hub scores for a list of sites. A hub selector selects hubs based on the hub scores. A remote selector assigns remotes to the hubs. |
| US08228812B2 |
Method and system for providing multicast service in next-generation network
Provided are a method and system for providing a multicast service in a next-generation network (NGN), which can improve the quality-of-service (QoS) of broadcast services by separating a routing path calculation function and a resource allocation function during the setting of a multicast broadcast channel and enabling a resource control server to perform centralized resource control. In the method and system for providing a multicast service in an NGN, a multicast router calculates a routing path, and a number of multicast routers on the calculated routing path issue a request for resources for a desired multimedia broadcast channel, and a resource control server allocates resources to the multicast routers on the calculated routing path. |
| US08228809B1 |
Intelligent mode switching in communication networks
Systems and methods for intelligently switching between communication modes. An optimum communication mode is selected based upon determining the mobility of the subscriber station, the location of the subscriber station, and orthogonality of signals received from the subscriber station with respect to a signal of another subscriber station. Each determination may be continually or incrementally performed according to the passage of a time interval or upon observation of changes in relevant conditions. |
| US08228808B2 |
Information communication device and method for selecting protocol
An information communication device has a storage medium that stores information to determine a target information communication device on a network. A selection unit selects at least one protocol from plural protocols for obtaining information on other information communication devices on the basis of the stored information. A generating unit generates a list of information communication devices that have the at least one selected protocol as target information communication devices which a user can select on the network. |
| US08228806B2 |
Method and system to detect packets of different formats in a receiver
A method and system of communicating packets and detecting packets are disclosed. In a first aspect, the method and system comprise enabling the detection of a very high throughput (VHT) signal field. The VHT signal field is distinguishable from other signal fields, wherein the VHT signal field allows for a backward compatibility with other devices. In a second aspect, the method and system comprise initializing the device to be in receive mode and receiving at least one signal field symbol and detecting the presence of additional signal field symbols. The method and system further include distinguishing a very high throughput (VHT) signal field from other signal field symbols and decoding the VHT signal field parameters uniquely describing the VHT packet format. |
| US08228794B2 |
Minimizing pathological flooding of a network
In a method for minimizing pathological flooding of a network using a destination node, a packet is received from a source node at the destination node. The packet is transmitted from the source node to the destination node along a path. A determination is made by a node whether the packet indicates a possibility of pathological flooding. In response to a determination that the packet indicates a possibility of pathological flooding, a dummy packet is forwarded along the path to the source node. |
| US08228793B2 |
Method for adaptive delay threshold-based priority queueing scheme for packet scheduling in mobile broadband wireless access system
Disclosed is a method for adaptive delay threshold-based priority queueing for packet scheduling in a mobile broadband wireless access system, which corresponds to a resource allocation method capable of satisfying Quality of Service (QoS) requested by realtime and non-realtime users in a mobile communication environment, and simultaneously maximizing the capacity of the mobile broadband wireless access system. |
| US08228792B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing message flow control between applications in a telecommunications signaling message routing platform having a distributed internal processing architecture
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing message flow control in a signal transfer point are described. One method includes receiving, at a source card in a signaling message routing platform having a distributed internal processing architecture, a message requiring a service. The method also includes maintaining, on the source card, a local memory table containing a list of service cards and corresponding flow control status of each service card. The local memory table on the source card is also queried to select a service card capable of performing the service. The message is transmitted to one of the service cards with an available flow control status. |
| US08228791B2 |
System and method for routing communications between packet networks based on intercarrier agreements
A system and method for communicating data packets over packet network owned by different communications carriers. Rate information may be stored in a first packet network for communicating data packets over at least two other packet networks. A determination over which of the at least two other packet networks to communicate data packets based on a lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets may be made. The data packets may be communicated over a packet network determined to have the lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets. |
| US08228783B2 |
Base station transmitter for use with an OFDM communications system, a method of dynamically allocating OFDM symbols for PDCCH in the system and a user equipment receiver for use with the system
A base station transmitter for use with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communications system, a method of dynamically allocating OFDM symbols needed for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a downlink sub-frame from a base station and a user equipment (UE) receiver for use with the OFDM communications system. In one embodiment, the UE receiver includes: (1) a receive unit configured to receive a downlink signal, the signal having groups of control information and (2) a processing unit configured to extract from the groups of control information a number of OFDM symbols needed for PDCCH in a sub-frame of the downlink signal. |
| US08228780B2 |
Optical disk device
Proposed is an optical disk device capable of optimally adjusting a current value of a direct current and a high frequency superimposed current for driving a laser diode. This optical disk device includes a laser driver for superimposing a high frequency current on a direct current to obtain a drive current and supplying the drive current to the laser beam source and driving the laser beam source, and a control unit for adjusting a current value of the direct current and/or the high frequency superimposed current supplied by the laser driver to the laser beam source based on the servo signal or the reproduction signal. The control unit adjusts the current value of the direct current and/or the high frequency superimposed current so that a value representing a waveform fluctuation of the servo signal or the reproduction signal satisfies a specified value of the waveform fluctuation, a value representing a reproduction performance of the reproduction signal satisfies a specified value of the reproduction performance, and a value representing a durability performance of the optical disk in relation to the laser beam satisfies a specified value of the durability performance. |
| US08228773B2 |
Laser driving device and optical apparatus
A laser driving device includes a storage unit that stores signal patterns for recording-waveform control representing level information of each divided driving signal to drive a laser device on a space and a mark based on the divided driving signals. Also, it includes a pulse generator that generates the reference pulse and the switching pulse based on a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal. The first transmission signal contains timing information for acquiring a reference pulse that represents a timing of repetitively switching between the space and the mark. The second transmission signal contains timing information for acquiring a switch pulse that represents a timing of switching the signals. Among level information for each of the signals in the storage, reference level information is read together with the reference pulse. Other level information after the reference level information is sequentially read for each switching pulse. |
| US08228769B2 |
Write strategy determining method, optical disc recording method, optical disc and optical disc apparatus
An optical disc recording method of suppressing variations in the record quality due to variations in an initial strategy of a write strategy using many parameters corresponding to a next-generation large-capacity optical disc. Modulation conditions for recorded data on the optical disc are determined based on a real measurement thereof; an initial strategy that meets the modulation conditions is determined; an optical strategy is determined in which the record quality is best in the vicinity of the initial strategy; and data is recorded on the optical disc, using the optimal strategy. |
| US08228766B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling data access rate of an optical disc driver
A method and an apparatus for controlling data access rate of an optical disc player are disclosed. The method includes steps of (1) utilizing a micro-controller to decide whether an action of an instruction of a predetermined data processing is an extraction operation or a play operation; (2) driving the spindle motor and a pick-up head to retrieve data from an optical disc at a first data access rate by the micro-controller while the action of the instruction of the predetermined data processing is an extraction operation; and (3) driving the spindle speed and the pick-up head to retrieve data from the optical disc at a second data access rate which is less than the first data access rate by the micro-controller while the action of the instruction of the predetermined data processing is a play operation. |
| US08228764B2 |
Recording/reproducing apparatus and recording/reproducing system
A recording/reproducing apparatus includes an optical source and a near-field light generating unit. The near-field light generating unit includes two conductors facing to each other at a predetermined distance and generating near-field light between the two conductors by irradiation of light from the optical source. These two conductors are arranged so that a direction along which the two conductors face to each other is substantially in parallel with the longitudinal direction of a recording mark region. Here, the recording mark region is prepared from a predetermined recording material and having shape anisotropy when information is recorded on a recording medium on which the recording mark is independently formed. |
| US08228762B2 |
Magnetic mass-lift impulsive seismic energy source including attracting and repulsing electromagnets
A seismic energy source includes a base plate and a block fixedly coupled in a frame. The base plate is configured for contact with a part of the Earth's subsurface to be seismically energized. The frame has a first electromagnet associated therewith. A second electromagnet is disposed in a travelling reaction mass, which is movably disposed in the frame between the first electromagnet assembly and the top block. The reaction mass includes at least a third electromagnet associated therewith. The source has circuits for selectively energizing the first, second and at least a third electromagnets, and which are configured to energize the first and second electromagnets to repel each other such that the traveling reaction mass is lifted from the first electromagnet, and configured to energize the at least a third electromagnet after a selected delay time to cause attraction between the traveling reaction mass and the top block. |
| US08228757B2 |
Synchronization of modules in a wireless array
Presented are systems and methods for wireless data acquisition. The wireless data acquisition may involve synchronizing modules within a data acquisition array. The synchronized data acquisition array may be used to facilitate a seismic survey. Synchronization may be facilitated by receipt of a reference time event such that a clock is synchronized based on the reference time event. |
| US08228750B2 |
Low cost comparator design for memory BIST
A comparator determines the fidelity of a response vector received from a memory under test. The comparator includes a first logic gate configured to output a first value that is the logical OR of a first proper subset of bits of the response vector. A second logic gate is configured to output a second value that is the logical NAND of the proper subset of bits. A first multiplexer is configured to select between the first and second values based on the value of a first bit of a check vector corresponding to the response vector. |
| US08228748B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having reduced power consumption during latency
A semiconductor memory device comprises a latency delay unit that toggles a delay clock signal on during a first interval between a time point where read burst signal is activated and a time point where a latency signal is activated, and subsequently toggling the delay clock signal on during a second interval between a time point where the read burst signal is inactivated and a time point where the latency signal is inactivated. |
| US08228745B2 |
Two stage voltage level shifting
A voltage level shifter for shifting an output signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level and then to a further boosted second voltage level is disclosed. The voltage level shifter comprises: an input for receiving an input signal; an output for outputting an output signal; a first power supply input for connecting to a first voltage source supplying said first voltage level; a second power supply input for connecting to a second voltage source supplying said second voltage level; and a third power supply input for connecting to a third voltage source supplying said boosted second voltage level; said voltage level shifter being responsive to a predetermined change in said input signal to isolate said first power supply input from said output and to connect said second power supply input to said output and being responsive to said output signal attaining a predetermined value to connect said third power supply input to said output and to isolate said second power supply input from said output. |
| US08228744B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having sense amplifier
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a page buffer, a data line pair, a differential amplifier and a precharger. The memory cell array includes a plurality of pages in which a plurality of memory cells are arranged. The page buffer is formed adjacent to the memory cell array, and includes a plurality of sense amplifiers configured to temporarily hold page data read from the memory cells in the page. The data line pair is arranged in the page buffer and is connected to the sense amplifiers. The differential amplifier is configured to amplify a potential difference between lines of the data line pair. The precharger is configured to precharge the data line pair to a predetermined potential. At least one of the differential amplifier and the precharger is formed in the page buffer, and the at least one circuit is electrically connected to the data line pair. |
| US08228738B2 |
NAND flash memory device having dummy memory cells and methods of operating same
A NAND flash memory device includes a control circuit configured to apply, during a program operation, a first word line voltage to non-selected ones of a plurality of serially-connected memory cells, a second word line voltage greater than the first word line voltage to a selected one of the plurality of memory cells, and a third word line voltage lower than the first word line voltage to a dummy memory cell connected in series with the plurality of memory cells. In other embodiments, a control circuit is configured to program a dummy memory cell before and/or after each erase operation on a plurality of memory cells connected in series therewith. In still other embodiments, a control circuit is configured to forego erasure of a dummy memory cell while erasing a plurality of memory cells connected in series therewith. |
| US08228735B2 |
Memory array having memory cells coupled between a programmable drain select gate and a non-programmable source select gate
Memories and their memory arrays are disclosed. One such memory array has a string of series-coupled memory cells, a non-programmable select gate coupled in series to a first end of the string of series-coupled memory cells, and a programmable select gate coupled in series to a second end of the string of series-coupled memory cells. |
| US08228731B2 |
Random access memory with CMOS-compatible nonvolatile storage element and parallel storage capacitor
Systems, methods, and memory device with row lines and column lines arranged in a matrix configuration with a memory cell coupled to one of the column lines and one of the row lines. The memory cell includes a storage capacitor with a first plate coupled to a storage node, a CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element having a node coupled to the storage node and configured to hold a charge corresponding to a binary value, and an access transistor coupled to the storage node. The access transistor includes a word line gate, a first node, and a second node, the word line gate being coupled to the one of the plurality of row lines, the first node being coupled to the one of the plurality of column lines, the second node being coupled to the storage node and to said node of the CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element. |
| US08228726B2 |
N-channel SONOS non-volatile memory for embedded in logic
A system and method of an electrically programmable and erasable non-volatile memory cell fabricated using a single-poly, logic process with the addition of ONO deposition and etching is disclosed. In one embodiment, a non-volatile memory system includes at least one non-volatile memory cell consists of a SONOS transistor fabricated on a P substrate, with a deep N-well located in the P substrate, with a P-well located in the deep N-well. The memory cell further includes an access NMOS transistor, coupled to the SONOS transistor and located in the same P-well that includes an oxide only gate-dielectric. The cell can be fabricated in a modified logic process with other transistors and with their physical characteristics preserved. |
| US08228723B2 |
Adaptive wordline programming bias of a phase change memory
The leakage current and power consumption of phase change memories may be reduced using adaptive word line biasing. Depending on the particular voltage applied to the bitline of a programmed cell, the word lines of unselected cells may vary correspondingly. In some embodiments, the word line voltage may be caused to match the bitline voltage of the programmed cell. |
| US08228722B2 |
Reducing temporal changes in phase change memories
A phase change memory in the reset state may be heated to reduce or eliminate electrical drift. |
| US08228719B2 |
Thin film input/output
Input/Output circuitry employs thin-film switching devices to drive output signals from an integrated circuit to an external device and to receive input signals from an external device. Three terminal ovonic threshold switches (3T OTS) may be employed to drive input and output signals. |
| US08228717B2 |
Spin current generator for STT-MRAM or other spintronics applications
Spin current generators and systems and methods for employing spin current generators. A spin current generator may be configured to generate a spin current polarized in one direction, or a spin current selectively polarized in two directions. The spin current generator may by employed in spintronics applications, wherein a spin current is desired. |
| US08228716B2 |
Magnetic element with thermally assisted writing
Magnetic element with thermally-assisted magnetic-field writing or thermally-assisted spin-transfer writing, comprising: a reference magnetic layer having a fixed direction magnetization; a storage magnetic layer exchange-pinned with an antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the magnetization direction of the storage layer can vary when said element can be heated to a temperature at least higher than a critical temperature of the antiferromagnetic layer; a tunnel barrier, provided between the reference layer and the storage layer; wherein the magnetic reference layer, and/or the magnetic storage layer includes at least one electrically-resistive thin layer for heating the magnetic element. The magnetic element disclosed herein has a voltage gain of typically 10 to 50% compared to conventional magnetic elements and shows a reduction of the stress induced during a writing operation as well as a reduction of the aging. |
| US08228714B2 |
Memory device for resistance-based memory applications
In a particular embodiment, a memory device is disclosed that includes a memory cell including a resistance-based memory element coupled to an access transistor. The access transistor has a first oxide thickness to enable operation of the memory cell at an operating voltage. The memory device also includes a first amplifier configured to couple the memory cell to a supply voltage that is greater than a voltage limit to generate a data signal based on a current through the memory cell. The first amplifier includes a clamp transistor that has a second oxide thickness that is greater than the first oxide thickness. The clamp transistor is configured to prevent the operating voltage at the memory cell from exceeding the voltage limit. |
| US08228711B2 |
Bi-directional resistive memory devices and related memory systems and methods of writing data
A bi-directional resistive memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells and an input/output (I/O) circuit. The I/O circuit is configured to generate a first voltage having a positive polarity and a second voltage having a negative polarity, provide one of the first voltage and the second voltage to the memory cell array through a bitline responsive to a logic state of input data, and adjust magnitudes of the first and second voltage when data written in the memory cell array has an offset. Related memory systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08228697B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for operating a power converter
Embodiments of the invention can provide systems, methods, and apparatus for operating a power converter. According to one embodiment, a system for operating a power converter can be provided. The system can include a direct current (DC) power source with an output electrically coupled to an input of the power converter. The system can also include a controller operable to modify the performance of the DC power source through the power converter. As part of this modification, the controller can determine whether a low voltage ride (LVRT) event exists in a load and can adjust the DC power source when a LVRT event occurs. |
| US08228696B2 |
Power factor correction converter
A PFC converter that rapidly and highly accurately detects current passing through an inductor so as to properly improve harmonics and the power factor as well as to correctly detect the operation state. In the PFC converter, a first current value is obtained by performing sampling at the middle portion of the on-period of a switching element, and a second current value is obtained by performing sampling at the middle portion of the off-period thereof. If the first current value and the second current value are equal or substantially equal to each other, then it is determined that the operation state is a continuous current mode, and if the first current value and the second current value are not equal or substantially equal to each other, then it is determined that the operation state is a discontinuous current mode. |
| US08228688B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for combined superconducting magnetic shielding and radiation shielding
A device is at least partially contained within a shielded enclosure formed by a first material that has a high thermal conductivity and plated with a second material that is superconductive below a critical temperature. An exterior of the shielded enclosure is at least partially wound by a compensation coil that is coupled to a current source. One or more measurement devices are responsive to magnetic fields in close proximity to the device, allowing compensation by controlling current to the compensation coil. Thus, magnetic shielding may be provided by compensation fields that may be trapped within the shielded enclosure when the system is cooled below the critical temperature of the second material. Radiation shielding may be provided by cooling the shielded enclosure to a temperature that is approximately equal to the temperature of the device. |
| US08228686B2 |
Substrate for high frequency and package using this substrate
A substrate for high frequency includes: a dielectric substrate; a transmission line which is formed on a front surface of the dielectric substrate and includes land portions opposite to each other with a gap therebetween; a grounded conductor which is formed on a rear surface of the dielectric substrate and includes an opening portion in a region corresponding to the land portions; and a metal substrate on which the dielectric substrate is disposed in a state where the grounded conductor is in contact with the metal substrate, and also, a through hole is formed at a portion corresponding to the opening portion. |
| US08228684B2 |
Multi chip electronic system
An electronic system adapted to perform a corresponding function and including at least a first subsystem and a second subsystem, the first subsystem and the second subsystem being operatively couplable to each other through a plurality of electric connections to perform the function of the system, in which the first subsystem and the second subsystem are respectively integrated on a first material chip and on a second material chip, the plurality of electric connections including a plurality of conductive through holes formed in at least one of the first and second chips and adapted to form a corresponding plurality of inter-chip electric connections when the first and the second chips are superimposed. |
| US08228682B1 |
Electronic assembly with trenches for underfill material
An electronic assembly includes a substrate having bond pads on a surface of the substrate. A solder mask covers the surface of the substrate, and a solder connection is disposed on each of the bond pads. At least one trench is formed in the solder mask, and is located between adjacent ones of the bond pads. At least one component has contact pads, and each contact pad is connected to one of the bond pads via one of the solder connections. The trench is located beneath the device and extends at least from one edge of the device to a location underneath the device. Underfill material fills the trench and space between the solder mask and the device. |
| US08228679B2 |
Connections for electronic devices on double-sided circuit board
In the present electronic structure, a substrate is provided in the form of a circuit board. First and second electronic devices are positioned on opposite sides of the circuit board, each having a plurality of contacts connected to the circuit board. Each of the contacts of the first device is connected to a contact of the second device by a connector though the circuit board. At least one of the contacts of the first device is connected to the contact of the second device which is most adjacent to that contact of the first device across the circuit board. |
| US08228678B2 |
Portable electronic apparatus
A portable electronic apparatus having a first case, a second case, and a two-axis hinge mechanism. Positional misalignment between both cases can be easily prevented without relying only on dimensional precision of the components of the two-axis hinge mechanism. The portable electronic apparatus has a hinge (4) for interconnecting the first and second cases so that they can be opened and closed about a first rotation axis (X) and at the same time interconnecting the first and second cases so that they can pivot about a second rotation axis (Y). The hinge (4) has a first case fixing component (122) fixed to the first case, a first connection component (452) connected to the first case fixing component (122) so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis (Y), and a second connection component (461) connected to the second case so as to be rotatable about the first rotation axis (X). The first connection component (452) and the second connection component (461) are connected to each other with a screw. The degree of tightening of the screw for connecting the first connection component (452) and the second connection component (461) together can be changed when the first and second cases are closed by folding them about the first rotation axis (X). |
| US08228674B2 |
Electronic device and switching assembly thereof
An electronic device includes a housing and a switching assembly. The housing is configured for receiving a battery. The switching assembly is configured for detachedly assembling the battery with the housing. The switching assembly defines at least one locking portion and comprises a linkage mechanism, at least one restriction portion, and an actuator. The at least one locking portion is disposed in the battery. The linkage mechanism is secured to the housing. The at least one restriction portion is disposed on the linkage mechanism correspondingly to the at least one locking portion. The actuator is secured to the linkage mechanism and drives the at least one restriction portion to lock or unlock with the linkage mechanism when the actuator is pressed. |
| US08228672B2 |
Computer enclosure including air guide members
An exemplary computer enclosure includes a chassis, a mounting frame, two air-guiding members, and a fan. The chassis includes a first side panel, a second side panel, and a ventilation area defining ventilation through holes. The mounting frame is fixed to the chassis and faces the ventilation through holes. The mounting frame is configured for receiving electronic components. The two air-guiding members respectively connect two opposite sides of the mounting frame to the chassis. The two air-guiding members incline relative to the mounting frame and the chassis to form an air passage. The fan is configured for exhausting air passing through the ventilation through holes and the mounting frame. The two air-guiding members and the first and second side panels cooperatively surround the ventilation area to allow the air to enter the chassis from the ventilation area and allow all of the air to pass through the mounting frame. |
| US08228668B2 |
Balanced moment lift system and method
A lift system having a first pulley and a biasing member having a first portion operatively coupled to the first pulley. A first tension member can be operatively coupled to the first pulley. The lift system may be configured to provide a constant force to the first tension member during a defined angle of rotation of the first pulley. Such a constant force can be used to counterbalance the weight of a display supported by a stand. |
| US08228666B2 |
Retrofit control system and power supply for a tattoo gun
A battery powered portable system of operating a tattoo gun that can be worn on the user's arm or clipped to the user's belt. The system directly connects to conventional tattoo guns, and offers the options of utilizing a fingertip control of the machine's speed and ON/OFF functions or the conventional control module and foot pedal controls. |
| US08228665B2 |
Gas insulated switchgear
The object is to provide ring-bus-type gas insulated switchgear that ensures maintenance and inspection performance, reduces the installation space, and further reduces costs. Each of a plurality of breaker units is formed by connecting an instrument current transformer and a disconnector to each of the upper and lower branch ports drawn horizontally from the side surface of a vertical breaker in the same direction, and the breaker units are arranged in parallel. Adjacent disconnectors are connected to each other by a connection bus, so that the bus route runs alternately at upper and lower levels. Furthermore, the breaker units positioned at the two ends are connected linearly to each other by a communication bus. In addition, the line-side devices are arranged to face the corresponding breaker units across the disconnectors. |
| US08228664B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing thereof
A solid electrolytic capacitor with suppressed occurrence of short circuit is provided. The solid electrolytic capacitor includes an anode body having a surface on which a dielectric film is formed, and a conductive polymer layer formed on the dielectric film. The conductive polymer layer includes at least a first conductive polymer layer formed on the dielectric film and a second conductive polymer layer formed on the first conductive polymer layer. A silane compound in the first conductive polymer layer and the silane compound in the second conductive polymer layer have respective concentrations different from each other. |
| US08228663B2 |
Laminated ceramic electronic component
In a laminated ceramic electronic component, external terminal electrodes include plating films directly covering exposed portions of internal electrodes on end surfaces of a ceramic element assembly. On the boundaries between the end surfaces and principal surfaces of the ceramic element assembly, substantially rounded corners are provided, and the plating films are arranged such that the ends of the plating films stop at the corners and do not project from the principal surfaces. |
| US08228660B2 |
Case-molded capacitor and method for using the same
In a case-molded capacitor, an electrode of a capacitor element is connected with a busbar having an electrode terminal for external connection. The capacitor element and the busbar are placed in a metal case having an upper surface opening and are resin molded. A thermally-conductive insulator layer is provided between the capacitor element and a bottom surface of the metal case, hence providing the case-molded capacitor with a heat resistance. |
| US08228659B2 |
Glow plug electrification control apparatus and glow plug electrification control system
An electrification control apparatus (101) for glow plugs GP1 to GPn includes temperature-raising-period electrification control units S3 to S7, S31, S32 for raising the temperature of a heater section (2) of each glow plug. The control units perform electrification control in such manner that, even when a first glow plug GP1 and a second glow plug GP1e, which are of the same industrial part number but differ in resistance due to a characteristic variation therebetween, are selectively connected to the electrification control apparatus (101) and electrification control is performed therefor, at sampled timings t during the temperature rise, electric power of the same magnitude P(t) as that of electric power supplied to the first glow plug GP1 is supplied to the second glow plug GP1e. |
| US08228649B2 |
Impedance-based current sensor
Arc fault detection method and apparatus employ an impedance-based current sensor to provide a sensing signal indicative of current through a conductor. The impedance-based current sensor diverts high frequency components of current through the conductor and converts the high frequency components into an arc fault signal. |
| US08228648B2 |
Compressor protection and grid fault detection device
A compressor monitoring system includes current and voltage monitors, current and voltage averaging modules, a control module, and a switch. The current monitor measures a current drawn by a motor of a compressor. The current averaging module generates first and second average current values based on the current measured by the current monitor. The voltage monitor measures a utility power voltage. The voltage averaging module generates first and second average voltage values based on the voltage measured by the voltage monitor. The control module selectively generates a fault signal when a first ratio is greater than a first predetermined threshold and a second ratio is less than a second predetermined threshold. The first ratio is based on the first and second average current values. The second ratio is based on the first and second average voltage values. The switch deactivates the motor when the fault signal is generated. |
| US08228647B2 |
Electrical power diagnostic system
An electrical power diagnostic system includes a system housing, a power saw management system, and a user interface. The system housing is electrically connected with the power unit of the power saw, wherein the system housing includes a control panel provided thereon for allowing a user to adjust an operational parameter through the control panel. The power saw management system includes a control processor mounted within the system housing to electrically communicate with the power saw, wherein the control processor is pre-programmed to manage operational parameters of the power saw and supervise actual operation of the power saw machine and the saw blade in such a manner that when abnormal operating condition of the power saw machine is detected, the control processor is adapted to selectively adjust the operational parameters of the power saw machine for stopping the abnormal operating condition from continuously happening. |
| US08228645B2 |
Systems and methods for protecting a series capacitor bank
Systems and methods for protecting a series capacitor bank are provided. According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a capacitor protection circuit. The capacitor protection circuit may include a capacitor bank, a pilot circuit and a main commutation gap. The pilot circuit and the main commutation gap may be provided in parallel electrical communication with the capacitor bank. Additionally, one or more plasma injectors may be provided in series electrical communication with the pilot circuit. The plasma injectors may be operable to provide partially or completely ionized plasma across the main commutation gap to make conductive the main commutation gap. |
| US08228636B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for magnetic recording
An apparatus, system and method for magnetic recording are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first portion of a first magnetic medium having a first cross-sectional area, and a second portion of a second magnetic medium having a second cross-sectional area. The first and second portions are joined by way of a junction that allows for at least some ferromagnetic coupling therebetween. Additionally, the first and second cross-sectional areas are of differing extent in a first dimension so that a first ledge portion of one of the first and second portions extends past a first edge of the other of the first and second portions. |
| US08228633B1 |
Method and system for providing a magnetic recording transducer having a hybrid moment pole
A method and system provide a magnetic transducer that includes an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes an underlayer and a main pole residing on the underlayer. The main pole includes a front and a rear. The front resides at the ABS, while the rear is distal from the ABS. The main pole also includes a first portion having a first magnetic moment and a second portion having a second magnetic moment. The first portion has a front face at the ABS and terminates between the ABS and the rear of the main pole. A part of the second portion resides on the first portion, while another part of the second portion resides between the first portion of the main pole and the rear of the main pole. The first magnetic moment is less than the second magnetic moment. |
| US08228630B2 |
Conductive paths in a hard disk drive enclosure
A hard disk drive enclosure with conductive paths. A base plate comprising an electrically conductive material with at least one contact surface that allows for an electrically conductive path, wherein the at least one contact surface has a substantially flat surface. A cover comprising an electrically conductive material comprising at least one tab with a substantially flat surface for contacting the at least one contact surface of the base plate, wherein the at least one tab contacts the at least one contact surface of the base plate with a force and forms an electrically conductive path between the cover and the based plate, and wherein the at least one tab deforms upon the contact with the at least one contact surface of the base plate with the force. |
| US08228629B2 |
Reaction control charge pump, capacitor, and transistor to power lead
The objective of this invention is to provide a motor control device, and a disk drive device using the same, in which during emergency operation it is possible to supply necessary power to the motor while limiting enlargement of the circuit area. During the retraction operation, control is performed to alternate between a short-circuit mode in which each terminal U, V, W of the spindle motor M1 is short-circuited to the terminal ICOM, and a rectifying mode in which the back electromotive force of the spindle motor M1 is rectifies and output to the power supply line ISO3V, VGND while the input of power from the power supply line ISO3V, VGND to the spindle motor M1 is blocked. |
| US08228628B2 |
Data storage disk having variable location signal and disk drive using the data storage disk
A hard disk drive includes a magnetic head, at least one disk and a controller. A location signal is recorded on the at least one disk for determining a location of the magnetic head in relation to the at least one disk. The controller controls the location of the magnetic head based on the location signal decoded through the magnetic head. At least one of frequency and amplitude of the location signal is variable. |
| US08228624B2 |
Drive unit, lens barrel, and camera
A drive unit includes an ultrasonic actuator, which has an actuator body formed using a piezoelectric element and outputs a driving force by vibration of the actuator body, and a control section which induces vibration in the actuator body by supplying a plurality of AC voltages to the piezoelectric element. The control section provides, in combination, phase control, which controls the driving force by adjusting a phase difference between a first and a second AC voltages, and wave-number control, which controls the driving force by adjusting the wave number included in a predetermined burst period in each AC voltage. |
| US08228623B2 |
Imaging device
In order to obtain stable lens positions to have an object imaged in focus when the temperature of lenses changes, an imaging device of the present invention comprises a system control section 60 having a imaging mode and a correction mode, the imaging mode in which a group of lenses 10 are controlled and moved to focusing positions for a predetermined distance at first and are further moved to correct the focusing positions for the predetermined distance to the object during imaging according to the temperature compensation data, the correction mode in which the group of lenses 10 are controlled and moved to have the temperature compensation data corrected when the temperature change is larger than or equal to a predetermined temperature difference, a correction coefficient calculation section 50 for calculating the correction coefficient to correct the temperature compensation data based on first focusing positions of the group of lenses to which the group of lenses are moved according to the temperature compensation data before corrected and second focusing positions of the group of the lenses to which the group of the lenses are automatically moved from the first focusing positions to have the object the predetermined distance away imaged in focus based on the focus evaluation value under a condition under which a moving range of the group of lenses is restricted, when the system control section is on the correction mode, a temperature compensation data correction section 51 for correcting the temperature compensation data to be used for the imaging mode based on the correction coefficient calculated by the correction coefficient calculation section. |
| US08228622B2 |
Optical lens system for taking image
An optical lens system for taking image comprises: in order from the object side to the image side: an aperture stop; a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface, a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element with positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a plastic fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface, the object-side and the image-side surfaces of the fourth lens element being aspheric. A focal length of the optical lens system for taking image is f, a focal length of the first lens element and the second lens element combined is f12, and they satisfy the relations: 0.45 |
| US08228619B2 |
Lens barrel and optical apparatus including the same
A lens barrel includes lens units movable in an optical axis direction, a driving unit including an annular actuator in which an optical axis serves as a rotation center, a first cam cylinder disposed inwardly of the annular actuator and including a circular cylindrical base portion and a large-diameter portion, a second cam cylinder configured to drive at least one of the lens units by rotating at an outer-peripheral side of the large-diameter portion, and a rotation transmitting portion provided at the large-diameter portion and transmitting rotation of the first cam cylinder to the second cam cylinder, wherein, in a state in which the length of the lens barrel is shortest, a portion of the second cam cylinder and the rotation transmitting portion overlap in the optical axis direction a lens unit holding frame that is closest to an object side. |
| US08228618B2 |
Drive mechanism, drive device, and lens drive device
Provided is a drive mechanism comprising a stationary support member, a lever member having a displacement input portion for receiving a moving force from the outside and a bearing portion for abutting against the support member, so that the lever member engages with a driven member and swings on the bearing portion relative to the support member in response to the input of the moving force to the displacement input portion, thereby moving the driven member in a predetermined first axis direction, and a shape-memory alloy actuator for applying the moving force to the displacement input portion. The drive mechanism is characterized in that a displacement input member having the displacement input portion and a bearing member having the bearing portion are formed, in the lever member, of a material different from that of the lever member. |
| US08228615B2 |
Zoom lens and camera having the same
A zoom lens including four lens units having positive, negative, positive, and positive refractive power in order from an object side to an image side thereof, wherein the distance between the adjacent lens units changes when zooming: wherein the third lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens subunit having negative refractive power and a second lens subunit having positive refractive power. The zoom lens is configured to displace an image formed by the zoom lens in a direction perpendicular to its optical axis by moving the second lens subunit so as to have a component perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the curvature radius of a surface, closest to the object, of the first lens subunit and the curvature radius of a surface second closest to the object, of the first lens subunit are set at appropriate values. |
| US08228601B2 |
Scanning microscopy using inhomogeneous polarization
Apparatus for imaging a surface, including an acousto-optic (AO) system. The AO system includes an AO element having a radiation input surface and a radiation output surface. The element is configured to receive radio-frequency (RF) pulses and a radiation input at the radiation input surface and to generate traveling beams from the radiation output surface. The AO system also includes an inhomogeneous polarization generator, positioned relative to the AO element so that the AO system outputs traveling inhomogeneously polarized beams. The apparatus includes objective optics which are configured to focus the inhomogeneously polarized beams onto the surface so as to form respective traveling spots thereon; collection optics, which are configured to collect scattered radiation from the traveling spots and to focus the scattered radiation to form respective image spots; and a detector which is arranged to receive the respective image spots and to generate a signal in response thereto. |
| US08228595B2 |
Sequence and timing control of writing and rewriting pixel memories with substantially lower data rate
A spatial light modulator driven with binary pulse-width-modulation requires very high data transfer rate to achieve high grayscale. This invention enables to reduce substantially the data transfer rate using non-sequential order of binary bits, wherein the combination of the sequences of binary bits is selected from the combinations which avoid simultaneous writing of multiple rows. The possible number of such combinations is astronomically large and mathematical programs were developed to find right combinations. These results were proposed. |
| US08228592B2 |
Electrochromic devices
Conventional electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Improvements are made using entirely solid and inorganic materials. Electrochromic devices are fabricated by forming an ion conducting electronically insulating interfacial region that serves as an IC layer. In some methods, the interfacial region is formed after formation of an electrochromic and a counter electrode layer. The interfacial region contains an ion conducting electronically insulating material along with components of the electrochromic and/or the counter electrode layer. Materials and microstructure of the electrochromic devices provide improvements in performance and reliability over conventional devices. |
| US08228588B2 |
Interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle
An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A display device is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes supported by a circuit board disposed rearward of the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The light emitting diodes of the circuit board are disposed to the rear of the display screen to provide backlighting of the display screen when activated. Information displayed by the display device is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. When the plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and the display device is displaying information, light emitted by the plurality of light emitting diodes passes through the display screen and through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. |
| US08228585B2 |
Substrate for electro-optical devices, electro-optical device and electronic apparatus
A electro-optical device is provide with a substrate, a pixel electrode provide for each pixel, a pixel transistor which is provided for each pixel more to a lower layer side through an interlayer insulating film than the pixel electrode and is connected to the pixel electrode, a periphery transistor provided in a periphery region, and a connection wire formed in the same film as the pixel electrode in a region where the interlayer insulating film and a gate insulating film included in the pixel transistor and the periphery transistor are not formed, and electrically connected to the periphery transistor. |
| US08228584B2 |
Passive optical limiter having nonlinear material
The invention relates to a passive optical limiter having a nonlinear material capable of switching in a predetermined optical band from a transparent state to an opaque state as a function of the power of an incident laser beam. The nonlinear material is an organic dye which comprises molecules derived from 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene into which a nitrogen atom is inserted at the meso position, referred to as aza-bodipy molecules, and which have conjugated π chains functionalized so as to exhibit absorption for two photons around an incident beam wavelength lying between 1.45 μm and 1.6 μm. |
| US08228573B2 |
System and method for interactively acquiring optical color measurements for device color profiling
The subject application is directed to a system and method for iteratively acquiring optical color measurements for device color profiling. A first color measurement data set, in a first color space, is received of a measured value for each of L discrete printed color patches in an M row by N column planar array, where L, M and N are positive integers greater than 2, and L is less than M×N. A visual rendering on a display of color patches arranged in M rows and N columns is generated from second color space measurement data. Profile data is generated of the transition between color data and color measurement data based upon the relationship between available printed patches and displayed patches. When L is less than M×N, a visual indicator is generated for the displayed row of the current L value. A second color measurement data set is received uniquely defined from the first set, which second set includes patches not found in the first set. Profile data is then generated based upon the second data set. |
| US08228569B2 |
Image acquiring apparatus and image acquiring method for detecting and recognizing size of scan target without using sensors
An image acquiring apparatus and image acquiring method are provided. The image acquiring apparatus includes an image sensor for outputting a plurality of first analog image signals corresponding to a plurality of pixels; an ADC for converting the plurality of first analog image signals to a plurality of digital image signals; a DAC for converting the plurality of digital image signals to a plurality of second analog image signals, wherein each of which has an actual voltage value; a comparing unit for respectively comparing the actual voltage values of the plurality of second analog image signals with a reference voltage value so as to generate a plurality of corresponding comparing results; a counting unit for adjusting a counting value according to each of the comparing results; and a control unit for determining whether to stop a scanning operation of the image acquiring apparatus or not according to the counting value. |
| US08228568B2 |
Document read apparatus and image forming apparatus
The document read apparatus according to the present invention has a light source unit that includes a linear first light and second light sources, both light sources aligned parallel to the sub scanning direction (moving direction). When the light source unit is scanning a book document in a second region shifted toward a side of the first light source from a center position for emitting light to the center of the document, a light quantity of the second light source becomes larger than a light quantity of the first light source. When the light source unit is scanning the book document in a third region shifted toward a side of the second light source from the center position, the light quantity of the first light source becomes larger than the light quantity of the second light source. A sum of both light quantities is controlled to be constant. |
| US08228566B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a light source, an imaging optics system, an image pickup device unit, a memory, and a processor. The imaging optics system condenses scattered light reflected on an object to be imaged to form condensed light as an image. The imaging optics system includes plural cells arranged in a main scanning direction and each of which is an independent imaging optics system. Each of the cells includes a telecentric optics system at the document side. Two rows of cells are arranged in a sub-scanning direction. The cells in the rows are arranged zigzag in the main scanning direction to complement a formed image by the cells in the sub-scanning direction. The image pickup device unit is arranged to correspond to each cell. The processor can form a document image by reconstructing and combining image information stored in the memory into an image. |
| US08228561B2 |
Method and system for selective bitmap edge smoothing
An image processing system utilizes an image type classification circuit to identify inputted image data as picture image data or text/graphics image data. A halftone circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, converts the inputted image data, identified as picture image data, to halftone image data. Moreover, a tile pattern circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, to replace the inputted image data, identified as text/graphics image data, with tile patterns. The tile patterns are encoded with a predetermined pattern. A bitmap rendering circuit combines the halftone image data with the encoded tile patterns to render a bitmap, wherein the bitmap can be used by a print engine to reproduce the image. |
| US08228560B2 |
Image contrast enhancement
A method for contrast enhancement for digital images, including filtering an original image having original color values, to generate a filtered image, receiving parameters for a response curve, the response curve being a function of color value that is user-adjustable, deriving local multipliers by applying the response curve to the filtered image, multiplying the original color values by the local multipliers, thereby generating a contrast-enhanced image from the original image. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described. |
| US08228551B2 |
Image processing method and image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus processes image data that contains a confidential image portion. The image processing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives designation of the confidential image portion; a generating unit that generates specification information that specifies the confidential image portion; an adding unit that adds the specification information to the image data thereby generating first processed image data; and an output unit that outputs the first processed image data. |
| US08228550B2 |
Image processing device and image processing program for producing layout image including plural selected images
When an image processing program runs on a PC to produce a layout image in which plural selected images are inserted separately into image display frames, a CPU functions as a browser controller, a face image counter, an average number calculator, a pattern selector, a table, and an image layout section. The face image counter counts face images in each selected image. The average number calculator calculates an average number of the face images in a single selected image. Plural layout patterns of the image display frames are established in the table, which also defines the number of the image display frames and a threshold number of the face images for each layout pattern. Comparing the average number with the threshold number, the pattern selector selects the layout pattern. The image layout section inserts the selected images into the image display frames in the selected layout pattern. |
| US08228543B2 |
Printing system and printing apparatus
In a printing system, a first apparatus transmits, to a printing apparatus, a printing instruction containing location information indicating the location of printing content on a network. When receiving the printing instruction, the printing apparatus updates the location information contained in the received printing instruction in accordance with a medium setting indicating a recording medium on which printing is to be performed, and issues a request for printing content corresponding to the updated location information through the network. In response to the request from the printing apparatus, a second apparatus transmits the printing content corresponding to the updated location information to the printing apparatus through the network, and the printing apparatus receives the printing content and performs printing of the printing content on the recording medium. Accordingly, printing content suitable for a printable region of a medium on which printing is to be performed can be easily acquired and printed. |
| US08228540B2 |
Rasterizing variable and non-variable data for printing
A method, an apparatus, and computer-readable medium with instructions to carry out a method. The method is to rasterize variable and non-variable content for multiple instances of a page and includes dividing a page is into a plurality of non-overlapping parts including variable content. The method includes rasterizing the page with no variable content present into a rasterized fixed page that includes for at least any part that has no variable content a rasterized fixed image. The method further includes identifying one or more parts of the plurality of parts of the page that have variable content, and rasterizing each instance of the page with the variable elements of the page instance into a rasterized instance that includes, for each part that has variable content, a rasterized variable image that includes the variable content and any non-variable content of the instance. The generated rasterized fixed images and rasterized variable images for each instance are combinable. |
| US08228534B2 |
Communication system, image formation apparatus, controller, computer readable medium and data signal
An image formation apparatus includes a reception section, a function section, an image formation section and a power output device. The reception section is configured to be connected to a communication line over which image information and power are transmitted. The reception section receives the image information and the power transmitted over the communication line. The function section receives supply of the power received by the reception section, to function. The image formation section forms an image on a medium based on the image information received by the reception section or the function section. The power output device receives power supply from a commercial power supply. The power output device outputs power of a predetermined voltage to the image formation section. |
| US08228533B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method, computer readable medium, and computer data signal
There is provided is an image processing system including an image processing device, which receives an image formation instruction containing information on a formation target image and output destination designation information designating an output destination of the image formation instruction, which are output by an image forming device control program, transmits the image formation instruction to an image forming device associated with the output destination designation information, and produces, when the image formation instruction is transmitted to the image forming device, a log image corresponding to the formation target image based on the image formation instruction. |
| US08228528B2 |
Printing apparatus performing bidirectional communication with a server and an information terminal
A printing apparatus is connected to a WAN and a LAN and can perform a bidirectional communication with each terminal in those networks. In the printing apparatus, a CPU sends a Web server a request signal, which received from a LAN terminal, and receives content data sent from the web server as a response to the request signal. On the basis of a predetermined determination condition, the CPU determines whether to cause a printing unit to print the content data sent from the web server. If determining that the content data is to be printed, the CPU causes the printing unit to print the content data. |
| US08228523B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus in which multiple image forming units for forming a developer image arranged along a prescribed medium feeding path are disposed in a manner to contact and face a belt component, the image forming apparatus includes an image formation driving unit for driving said multiple image forming units; a belt component driving unit for driving said belt component; and a drive control unit for supplying a drive command to said belt component driving unit and said image formation driving unit, said drive control unit sequentially initiating the driving of said image forming units from said image forming unit located downstream in the medium feeding path, after initiating the driving of said belt component drive unit. |
| US08228522B2 |
Document data management apparatus to manage document data read and digitized by an image reading apparatus and a technique to improve reliability of various processing using document data
In a document data management apparatus to manage document data read and digitized by an image reading apparatus, management of the document data is performed in view of the reliability of an image reading processing of the image reading apparatus, so that the reliability of various processings using the document data is improved. There are included a document data acquisition unit to acquire document data read and digitized by an image reading apparatus, a reliability determination unit to determine reliability of an image reading processing of the image reading apparatus for the document data based on the document data acquired by the document data acquisition unit, and a storage prohibition unit to prohibit, with respect to the document data for which the reliability determined by the reliability determination unit is lower than a specified threshold value, storage of the document data. |
| US08228521B2 |
Data processing apparatus, printing system, job execution system, and job execution method
An image forming apparatus includes an authentication unit that authenticates an authorized user; a ticket generating unit that generates a job execution ticket including conditions for allowing execution of a job, a data acquiring unit that outputs the job execution ticket and an acquirement request for data selected by the authorized user who logs in through authentication, to a server device that is connected to a network; and a controller that allows processing of the data under the conditions even after the authorized user logs out, when the data having the job execution ticket attached thereto is received within a predetermined period of time since the log-out. |
| US08228519B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method and object name generation program
There is described an image processing system, which makes it possible not only to prevent the system from generating printing errors, but also to increase the reuse ratio of the object. The system includes a first apparatus that generates first data for designating a first job and a second apparatus that rasterizes a plurality of objects based on the first data generated by the first apparatus so as to synthesize the plurality of objects. The first apparatus generates an object name of each of the plurality of objects by utilizing information pertaining to the concerned object. The second apparatus stores a plurality of rasterized objects into a cache memory, and registers object names into a table. The first apparatus inquires whether object names of rasterized objects to be used in the next job are registered in the table from the second apparatus, to add an unregistered object to data. |
| US08228516B2 |
Image formation device and computer-readable record medium
An image formation device capable of forming a plurality of reduced images on an output medium comprises an input data acquisition unit which acquires input data, a recognizability judgment unit which judges whether each reduced image to be formed corresponding to each piece of input data acquired by the input data acquisition unit is recognizable to a user or not based on the input data and size of the reduced image to be formed, and a reduced image formation unit which forms the reduced images that are judged to be recognizable by the recognizability judgment unit on the output medium while prohibiting the formation of the reduced images that are judged to be unrecognizable by the recognizability judgment unit. |
| US08228514B2 |
Information processing apparatus, data processing method, and computer readable medium storing print control program for performing data processing method for transmitting bitmap data to an image forming apparatus
An information processing apparatus includes: a storage unit storing a maximum acceptable number of sheets of recording paper that can be processed by a post processing apparatus; a post process setting unit setting a predetermined post process to be performed by using the post processing apparatus; a generating unit generating bitmap data in units of physical pages based on logical page data; a transmitting unit transmitting the generated bitmap data to an image forming apparatus; a determining unit determining whether the post process can be performed based on the number of physical pages generated from the logical page data and the maximum acceptable number if setting has been done so as to perform the predetermined post process on the logical page data; and a control unit controlling a bitmap data generating process performed by the generating unit and a bitmap data transmitting process performed by the transmitting unit based on the determination made by the determining unit. |
| US08228501B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting embedded material within an interaction region of a structure
A system and method processes a structure comprising embedded material. The system includes a laser adapted to generate light and to irradiate an interaction region of the structure. The system further includes an optical system adapted to receive light from the interaction region and to generate a detection signal indicative of the presence of embedded material in the interaction region. The system further includes a controller operatively coupled to the laser and the optical system. The controller is adapted to receive the detection signal and to be responsive to the detection signal by selectively adjusting the laser. |
| US08228500B2 |
Reflex sight
A reflex sight is provided, including a first lens module, a first light source, and a second light source. The first light source projects a first reticle image to the first lens module, and the first lens module reflects the first reticle image to a viewer. When the first light source is inactive, the second light source projects a second reticle image to the first lens module, and the first lens module reflects the second reticle image to the viewer. |
| US08228497B2 |
Method and system for evaluating an object that has a repetitive pattern
A method and system for evaluating an object that has a repetitive pattern. Illumination optics of an optical unit are adapted to scan a spot of radiation over a repetitive pattern that includes multiple regularly repeating structural elements that are optically distinguishable from their background, generating a diffraction pattern that includes multiple diffraction lobes. Collection optics are adapted to focus radiation from the repetitive pattern onto a detector. The focused radiation includes a single diffraction lobe while not including other diffraction lobes. A grey field detector generates detection signals, responsive to the focused collected radiation. The optical unit is adapted to maintain, at a detection surface of the grew field detector, a radiation pattern that includes a first radiation pattern component resulting from the repetitive pattern and a second radiation pattern component resulting from a defect; wherein the first radiation pattern component is stronger than the second radiation component. |
| US08228495B2 |
Defects inspecting apparatus and defects inspecting method
An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units. |
| US08228487B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A lithographic apparatus is configured to transfer a pattern from a patterning structure, held by a patterning structure holder, onto a substrate that is held by a substrate holder. The apparatus includes a first object holder configured to hold an object, and an object temperature conditioner configured to condition a temperature of the object prior to and/or during transfer of the object to the first object holder. The object temperature conditioner includes a second object holder having a fluid duct system and an electrical temperature conditioner. |
| US08228478B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device is provided which can enhance a numerical aperture. The display has a pixel transparent conductive film electrode and a transparent conductive film counter electrode formed on an insulation film, which in turn is formed on a first substrate to cover the pixel electrode. A plurality of linear portions of the counter electrode are arranged on the pixel electrode. A gate-signal-line side of the pixel electrode of the first pixel is formed on a first-pixel side of the gate signal line and a gate-signal-line side of the pixel electrode of the second pixel is formed on a second-pixel side of the gate signal line. The gate-signal-line-side frame portion of the counter electrode of the first pixel and the gate-signal-line-side frame portion of the counter electrode of the second pixel are formed in common on the gate signal line in a striding manner. |
| US08228475B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a gate line and first and second data lines disposed on the first substrate, a first thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the first data line, a second thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the second data line, a color filter disposed on the first substrate, a protrusion disposed on the color filter, a first pixel electrode including a first linear electrode disposed on the protrusion and connected to the first thin film transistor, a second pixel electrode including a second linear electrode disposed on the protrusion and connected to the second thin film transistor, a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate, and blue phase liquid crystal disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. |
| US08228473B2 |
Substrate for liquid crystal display, liquid crystal display having the same and method of manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer, a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of drain bus lines. A plurality of pixel regions are defined by the gate bus lines and the drain bus lines. Pixel electrodes are divided into at least four regions such that at least four domains of different liquid crystal orientation directions are defined within the pixel regions. The first and second regions each include a micro-cutout pattern including a plurality of cutouts extending in a slanted direction with respect to an edge of the first or second region, respectively, and the cutouts of the first region and the cutouts of the second region are generally parallel to each other both within each of the regions as well as across the first and second regions. |
| US08228462B2 |
Optical element laminate, backlight, and liquid crystal display apparatus
An optical element laminate is provided and includes a first optical element and a second optical element superimposed with the first optical element. The first optical element and the second optical element are each a rectangular film or sheet. The first optical element has at least two side walls at two opposing sides among four sides of the first optical element and the second optical element has at least two side walls at two opposing sides among four sides of the second optical element. |
| US08228459B2 |
Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device having the same
A backlight unit and liquid crystal display device comprising the backlight unit is disclosed. A backlight unit comprises a light source, an optical sheet where light from the light source is incident, a frame surrounding an edge portion of the optical sheet; and at least one sheet holder disposed at a bottom part of the frame facing the optical sheet. |
| US08228457B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight including a light source for irradiating the liquid crystal display panel, in which the backlight includes at least a plurality of linear fluorescent lamps arranged in parallel in a plane facing the liquid crystal display panel, fluorescent lamp supporting bases supporting the linear fluorescent lamps, and a frame to which the fluorescent lamp supporting bases are fixed, the fluorescent lamp supporting bases each include a fluorescent lamp supporting member directly supporting the linear fluorescent lamp and a fixing portion fixed to the frame, and a recess is formed in the frame at a portion just behind the fluorescent lamp supporting member. |
| US08228450B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a thin film transistor, a liquid crystal capacitor, which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor and includes a liquid crystal layer, and a storage capacitor, which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor in parallel to the liquid crystal capacitor, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a positive dielectric anisotropy and is disposed in a twisted nematic mode, and a capacitance ratio of a capacitance of the storage capacitor to a capacitance of the liquid crystal capacitor is approximately 0.4 or more. |
| US08228443B2 |
Video projection device
A video projection device includes: a video display element, a projection lens, a converter lens, and a video processing part. The video display element displays a video by an electrical video signal. The projection lens projects on a screen the video displayed on the video display element. The converter lens is attachably and detachably provided for the projection lens. The video processing part outputs different video signals to the video display element in accordance with whether or not the converter lens is attached. |
| US08228440B2 |
Receiver
This receiver includes a control portion detecting whether or not an antenna is connected and whether or not the connected antenna is an active antenna and a power supply portion supplying power to the antenna, while the control portion controls the power supply portion to supply power to the antenna when detecting that the connected antenna is an active antenna and controls the power supply portion not to supply power to the antenna when at least detecting that the antenna is not connected. |
| US08228437B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing video data of liquid crystal display device
A video processing method and apparatus for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device is disclosed. The video processing method for the LCD device includes detecting noise by comparing data of a previous frame with data of a current frame, if the noise is detected, removing the noise from the current frame data, and outputting the resultant current frame data having no noise together with the previous frame data, and comparing the previous frame data with the resultant current frame data having no noise in a lookup table, selecting overdriving data corresponding to the comparison result, and outputting the selected overdriving data. |
| US08228435B2 |
Enhanced metadata presented in a pop-up window on cross-media bar user interface when a user hovers a screen cursor over a TV channel icon
When a user hovers a screen cursor over a TV channel icon on a cross-media bar (XMB) user interface (UI) for a threshold period, enhanced metadata from PSIP/XDS/EPG that pertains to the program currently available on the associated TV channel is presented in a pop-up window on the XMB UI. |
| US08228434B2 |
Method and apparatus for adjusting a display in an extinguished state
A method (300) for controlling a display function of an apparatus such as a television signal receiver is capable of remedying a display locked in an extinguished state to thereby ensure that a usable display is provided. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method (300) includes steps of detecting a power on condition of the apparatus (330), determining whether at least one predetermined display parameter associated with the display function exhibits at least one predetermined value responsive to the power on condition (340), and adjusting the at least one predetermined display parameter if the at least one predetermined display parameter exhibits the at least one predetermined value (360). |
| US08228432B2 |
Picture processing device, method therefor, and program
A picture processing device is capable of performing a process of superposing a sub picture image on a moving picture image which forms a base. The device includes a detection unit for detecting a region in which a movement amount is small, out of a plurality of regions in which the sub picture image may be superposed on the moving picture image which forms a base, and a picture image superposing unit for superposing the sub picture image on the region in which the movement amount is small, the region being detected by the detection unit. |
| US08228430B2 |
Image processing device and deinterlacing method thereof
An image processing device and a deinterlacing process thereof are provided. The deinterlacing process reads a memory to retrieve ten pixels of an image field that are temporarily stored in the memory, wherein the ten pixels are located on a first column, a second column, a third column, a fourth column and a fifth column of a first row and a second row of the image filed. Then, the deinterlacing process estimates the data of an interpolated pixel according to the data of the ten pixels. The interpolated pixel is inserted between the first and second rows of the image field on the third column to form a deinterlaced image frame. |
| US08228428B2 |
Video signal processing method for outputting video signal with a resolution of P×Q and video signal processing apparatus for receiving picture datum
The present invention relates to a video signal processing method and a video signal processing apparatus. The video signal processing apparatus receives a picture datum, which includes M×N pixel data, wherein a scan orientation of the pixel data includes M pixel data. The video signal processing apparatus includes a horizontal scaling unit and a timing control unit. The horizontal scaling unit scales the pixel data of the scan orientation of the picture datum to obtain P pixel data. The timing control unit transfers the P pixel data to a scan-line signal of the video signal, determines the number of times of outputting the scan-line signal according to a ratio of Q to N, sequentially outputs the scan-line signal according to the number of times of outputting the scan-line signal and thus outputs the video signal with a resolution of P×Q. |
| US08228425B2 |
Image sensor having bond pads arranged relative to read-out circuit
The invention relates to an image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising a plurality of light-sensitive pixels for the generation of signals proportional to exposure and at least one read-out circuit coupled to the pixels and having a first section and a second section disposed downstream of the first section in a signal read-out direction, wherein the first section and the second section of the read-out circuit are each connected to at least one bond pad provided for the supply of an operating voltage and/or to at least one bond pad provided for the supply of a reference potential. At least some of the bond pads provided for the supply of the operating voltage and/or of the reference potential to the read-out circuit are arranged between the first section and the second sections of the read-out circuit. |
| US08228423B2 |
Imaging apparatus and method for controlling flash emission
An imaging apparatus includes: flash driving means for driving a flash during a set preliminary emission period and a set main emission period; and an image sensor constituted by a plurality of photoelectric converting elements which are arranged in a matrix and capable of being accessed randomly. The charge accumulation initiation timing and the charge accumulation cessation timing of the photoelectric converting elements line are controlled line by line or pixel by pixel. The imaging apparatus forms images employing pixel signals output from the photoelectric converting elements, and determines main regions within the images. The preliminary emission period is set such that charge accumulation in photoelectric converting elements corresponding to pixels that constitute the main region is initiated prior to the preliminary emission period and ceased after the preliminary emission period. The flash driving means drives the flash during the set preliminary emission period. |
| US08228422B2 |
System and method for automatic exposure
Disclosed are an auto exposure system and a method thereof. The auto exposure system may check whether an exposure target value is correct using brightness information of an input image. When the exposure target value is not proper, the auto exposure system may readjust the exposure target value through analyzing the brightness information of the input image. Also, the auto exposure system may correct exposure of the input image based on an exposure correction value according to the adjusted exposure target value, thereby adjusting the exposure of the input image to be proper. Also, exposure information of the input image may be easily obtained from a final exposure target value. |
| US08228420B2 |
Lens driver, camera module, imaging apparatus, and camera-equipped mobile terminal
A lens driver includes: an imaging lens; a housing accommodating the lens; a spring member provided between the lens and the housing and holding the lens in the housing movably in the optical axis direction; a coil moving the lens in the optical axis direction; a magnet spaced apart from the coil and moving the lens in the optical axis direction; and a yoke fixed to the magnet and having an L-shaped cross-section when taken along a plane including the optical axis, wherein the yoke is disposed in such a way that an L-shaped corner side is located on the opposite side to the position of the lens where the reaction force of the spring member resulting from the movement of the lens is maximized. |
| US08228419B2 |
Method of controlling digital photographing apparatus for out-focusing operation and digital photographing apparatus adopting the method
Provided is a method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus that displays an image of a photograph region on a display panel, generates an image signal of the photograph region in response to signals generated by a shutter release button, and stores image data of the image signal in a storage medium. In an out-focusing mode, the method includes amplifying the blurriness of an out-focusing region by low-pass-filtering image data of regions excluding a setting region within the photograph region. |
| US08228418B2 |
Anti-aliasing spatial filter system
A sensor module for an image capture device including an image sensor and a filter system, the image capture device having a high resolution mode of operation and one or more lower resolution modes of operation; the filter system includes an adjustable spatial filter associated with the optical path of the image capture device having an adjustable optical structure which in response to a first signal causes the adjustable spatial filter to be effective in a high resolution mode of operation and in response to a second signal causes the adjustable spatial filter to be effective in a lower resolution mode of operation. |
| US08228411B2 |
Circuit and photo sensor overlap for backside illumination image sensor
A method of operation of a backside illuminated (BSI) pixel array includes acquiring an image signal with a first photosensitive region of a first pixel within the BSI pixel array. The image signal is generated in response to light incident upon a backside of the first pixel. The image signal acquired by the first photosensitive region is transferred to pixel circuitry of the first pixel disposed on a frontside of the first pixel opposite the backside. The pixel circuitry at least partially overlaps the first photosensitive region of the first pixel and extends over die real estate above a second photosensitive region of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel such that the second pixel donates die real estate unused by the second pixel to the first pixel to accommodate larger pixel circuitry than would fit within the first pixel. |
| US08228410B2 |
Image sensors including a shielded photosensitive portion for noise cancellation and associated methods
A pixel structure includes two different photosensitive portions. One portion is shielded from incident light and the signals from both are fed into an op amp so that the differential signal is output as the pixel output, thereby cancelling dark current. |
| US08228405B2 |
Real-time pixel substitution for thermal imaging systems
A non-uniformity correction (NUC) process for imaging engines is augmented with real-time pixel substitution capability. This feature checks for pixels that have significantly degraded from their factory performance. Degraded pixels found are then substituted in real time. This process eliminates distractions to the camera system operator and prevents these degraded pixels from degrading the subjective image quality. |
| US08228403B2 |
Generating column offset corrections for image sensors
An image sensor includes multiple photoactive pixels and multiple dark reference pixels arranged in rows and columns to form a pixel array. A dark signal is read out of one or more dark reference pixels in each column and used to determine a column offset for one or more columns in the pixel array. Each time an image or frame of an image is read out, the column offset for the one or more columns is updated using dark signals read out from a given number of dark reference pixels. The column offset for the one or more columns is scaled when a gain level is changed for a captured image. |
| US08228399B2 |
Camera and method and apparatus for providing photographing guide information
A camera, and a method and apparatus for providing photographing guide information are provided. The camera extracts first scene information expressing features of a first scene that a user intends to photograph when a user input requesting scene setup is received. The camera extracts second scene information expressing features of a second scene that is captured in a photographing standby state. The camera uses the first scene information and the second scene information to generate guide information for guiding a photographer capturing the second scene to photograph the first scene, and providing the guide information to the display. |
| US08228386B2 |
Video signal loss detection
Faults resulting in reception of a still, but unknown, frame are recognized by comparing each received frame of the video signal with its predecessor, incrementing a counter in the event that the difference between the frames falls below a threshold; and generating an alarm signal in the event that the count of the counter exceeds a predetermined count. Other types of fault such as loss of signal (i.e. reception of just noise) are recognized by incrementing the counter whenever the difference exceeds a threshold. Similar results may be obtained by instead the monitoring quantization step size and/or number of transmitted bits of a digitally coded signal, and noting that it falls below, or exceeds, a threshold. A preferred option is to compute a complexity measure, being a monotonically increasing function (e.g the product) of the quantization step size and of the number of coded bits and compare this with the threshold value. Faults occasioned by receipt of a particular fixed image instead of the wanted picture are recognized by comparing each frame of the video signal with the fixed image, and generating an alarm signal in the event that the difference between the frames consistently falls below a threshold. |
| US08228384B2 |
Circuit testing apparatus
The invention discloses a circuit testing apparatus for testing a device under test. The circuit testing apparatus includes a filtering circuit, an amplifying circuit, a comparing module, and a result-examining module. The filtering circuit filters an analog output signal generated from the device under test to generate a filtered signal. The amplifying circuit amplifies the filtered signal to generate an amplified signal. The comparing module compares the amplified signal with at least one reference level to generate at least one result signal accordingly. The result-examining module examines the result signal to determine a test result for the device under test. |
| US08228383B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and method for controlling ranging area based on detected object
An image pickup apparatus includes a motion amount detecting unit that detects an amount of motion of an object on the basis of an image signal of the object, a type information storage unit that stores a plurality of type information items used for detecting the type of the object, a type detecting unit that detects a type of the object on the basis of the stored type information items and the image signal of the object, a moving distance estimating unit that estimates a distance through which the object moves in an imaging screen on the basis of the detected amount of motion of the object and the object type detected by the type detecting unit, and a ranging area control unit that controls the size of a ranging area on the basis of the estimated distance through which the object moves in the imaging screen. |
| US08228381B2 |
Video and data capturing system and method
A video and data capturing system and method includes a mobile unit having an image sensor and motion sensing equipment connected to a microprocessor. The mobile unit is installed in an object for detecting visual images and motion data associated with the object. The mobile unit communicates with a base unit capable of analyzing the image and motion data and correcting the image data so it is level with the horizon. A foot unit may be used in conjunction with the mobile unit for detection of an athlete's foot acceleration for determining when the athlete's foot comes in contact with the ground. A field unit may be used in conjunction with the mobile unit and foot unit to determine the location of the foot unit on a playing surface to assist in determining whether an athlete is in or out of bounds, or their location on the playing surface. |
| US08228378B2 |
Real-time composite image comparator
An apparatus and method for preparing a composite image from a video data stream and for identifying changed features in two composite images. Frames from the video data stream are transformed to a projected 2D image, aligned with adjacent frames and overlapping areas are averaged to provide a higher apparent resolution. The composite image can be stored in real-time. As a second composite image is prepared of the same location at a later time, portions of the second image can be compared to corresponding portions of the stored image after the intensities of the images are equalized. Image areas whose absolute difference exceeds a threshold are again intensity equalized. Areas that are again above threshold can be flagged for further scrutiny, either by a human or by a machine that performs object recognition. In this way, composite video images of a scene can be prepared and compared in real-time. |
| US08228371B2 |
Projection screen and camera array
One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a video system that can include a display screen and a plurality of video capturing devices located behind the display screen. It is noted that each of the plurality of video capturing devices is for capturing a video stream through the display screen. |
| US08228367B2 |
Three-dimensional reconstruction of scenes and objects
A radio transceiver included in or attached to an imaging camera is used to facilitate the automatic determination of a scale factor in a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. The radio transceiver transmits a radio signal from each of one or more camera positions and measures a reflection profile for the transmitted signal. The measured reflection profile is compared to a simulated reflection profile, generated from a 3D model of the subject/scene of interest, to determine an estimate of an unknown scale for the 3D model. In various embodiments, the radio transceiver may be adapted from a radio device that already exists in or on the imaging camera (e.g., a cellular radio, Bluetooth® radio, or the like) or may be added to an imaging camera. |
| US08228364B2 |
Omnidirectional camera for use in police car event recording
A system and method for an omnidirectional camera for use in recording events around a police vehicle is disclosed. The system and method include an omnidirectional camera and a digital processor for processing the omnidirectional images captured by the omnidirectional camera. The digital processor may be operable to locate one or more regions of interests disposed within the omnidirectional images. A recordable medium is also disclosed for storing at least some of the captured images. |
| US08228362B2 |
Image capturing device and image delivery method
The invention discloses an image capturing device and an image delivery method which is suitably applied to a video conference. The video conference is held between a local terminal and a remote terminal through a network. The device comprises a processor, a video encoder, an encryption engine and a data transmitting interface. The processor is used to process an original video signal for generating a first video signal and a second video signal. The video encoder is for receiving and compressing the first video signal. The encryption engine is for encrypting the compressed first video signal. The data transfer interface is for transmitting the compressed and encrypted first video signal and the second video signal to the local terminal. Wherein, the first video signal is transmitted to the remote terminal by the local terminal through the network and recovered by the remote terminal, and the second video signal is presented at the local terminal. |
| US08228361B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, information processing program, and portable terminal device
An information processing device includes a communication unit conducting a videophone call, a memory storing a telephone directory which registers at least each individual telephone number and which is capable of registering a portrait image associated with each individual telephone number, a portrait image registration determination unit determining whether or not a portrait image of a calling party is registered in the telephone directory by referring to the telephone directory based on the telephone number of the calling party when sending and receiving data according to the videophone call, a portrait image capturing unit capturing a portrait image received from the calling party as a calling party portrait image if the portrait image registration determination unit determines that the portrait image of the calling party is not registered in the telephone directory, and a portrait image automatic registration unit registering automatically the portrait image captured in the portrait image capturing unit as the calling party portrait image in the memory. |
| US08228357B2 |
Generation of subpixel values and light source control values for digital image processing
A display system (110) has a subpixel array (120) and a light source (140). In normal mode, image data (164) are processed by the display system to generate subpixel values (174) for the subpixels (130) and to generate a light source control value (BL) for the light source (140). In bypass mode suitable for testing new types of image-data processing, the subpixel values and the light source control value are generated by an external system (210) and are provided to the display system which is operated in bypass mode. The light source control value is not provided separately from the subpixel values but is encoded into some bits of the subpixel values for compatibility with older interfaces. The light source control value is encoded into the subpixel values' MSBs in case the subpixel values could be truncated. Other features are also provided. |
| US08228349B2 |
Data dependent drive scheme and display
A method for writing data to a display includes the steps of receiving a plurality of data bits, where each bit is associated with a different pixel of the display, reading the value of each data bit, determining whether each data bits has an off-state value, and generating a disable signal if each data bit has an off-state value. Responsive to a disable signal, the method further includes suspending the transfer of data to the pixels of the display, turning off a light source (e.g., an LED, laser, etc.) for a time period dependent on the significance of at least one of the data bits, and/or forcing each pixel of the display into an off state for a time period dependent on the significance of at least one of the data bits. A display driver circuit for performing the methods of the present invention is also disclosed. |
| US08228346B1 |
Systems and methods for displaying fixed-scale content on mobile devices
A system and method for maintaining certain content items at a fixed size and resolution and/or position relative to a device display are described herein. Fixed-scale content items are maintained at a given size, resolution, and/or, in some cases, position relative to a display regardless of changes in size and/or resolution of other displayed content. |
| US08228344B2 |
Method for setting basic display screen in mobile terminal
A method and apparatus for setting a display screen is provided. The method includes displaying an indicator; receiving a first input selecting the indicator; displaying at least one indicator image in relation to the indicator; receiving a second input selecting one of the at least one indicator image; setting the selected image as a display image of the indicator; setting a location of the indicator on the display screen; and displaying the display screen according to the set location of the indicator. |
| US08228340B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
A display apparatus includes: an image processor which processes image data; a display unit which displays an image based on the image data processed by the image processor; and a controller which controls the image processor to adjust at least one of a hue saturation and R, G and B gains of the image according to a color effect mode selected by a user among a plurality of preset color effect modes. |
| US08228337B1 |
System and method for temporal load balancing across GPUs
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for dynamically load balancing rendering operations across an IGPU and a DGPU. For each frame, the graphics driver configures the IGPU to pre-compute Z-values for a portion of the display surface and to write feedback data to the system memory indicating the time that the IGPU used to process the frame. The graphics driver then configures the DGPU to use the pre-computed Z-values while rendering to the complete display surface and to write feedback data to the system memory indicating the time that the DGPU used to process the frame. The graphics driver uses the feedback data from the IGPU and DGPU in conjunction with the percentage of the display surface that the IGPU Z-rendered for the frame to scale the portion of the display surface that the IGPU Z-renders for one or more subsequent frames. In this fashion, overall processing within the graphics pipeline is optimized across the IGPU and DGPU. |
| US08228336B1 |
Integrating a motion synthesis system into a video game system
The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for integrating a motion synthesis system into a video game system. |
| US08228326B2 |
Three dimensional surface and solid query processing
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with determining whether geometries represented by geometry objects intersect are described. One example method recursively decomposes a higher order geometry (e.g., solid) into a set of lower order geometries (e.g., surfaces) and examines the lower order geometries, continuing the recursion until an intersection decision is reached. The example method includes accessing geometry objects and accessing a spatial index that stores MBVs associated with the geometry objects. The method includes extracting candidate pairs of intersecting features upon determining MBVs associated with the geometry objects intersect and providing the candidate features to a feature-feature logic. The method includes providing an intersection signal based on a features intersection signal provided by the feature-feature logic. |
| US08228322B2 |
Method and system of controlling halt and resume of scanning an LCD
A method and system of controlling halt and resumption of scanning actions of an LCD is disclosed. An incoming video source is monitored, and current scan line position and corresponding polarity are recorded. When an abnormal video source is detected, the LCD scanning is stopped at a halt scan line of a halt frame with a halt polarity. After a normal video source has been detected again, determination is made of a proper resumptive scan line and/or a resumptive polarity. The panel scanning is resumed at the resumptive scan line equal to the halt scan line and/or with the resumptive polarity matching the halt polarity. |
| US08228315B1 |
Methods and systems for a virtual input device
The present application discloses systems and methods for a virtual input device. In one example, the virtual input device includes a projector and a camera. The projector projects a pattern onto a surface. The camera captures images that can be interpreted by a processor to determine actions. The projector may be mounted on an arm of a pair of eyeglasses and the camera may be mounted on an opposite arm of the eyeglasses. A pattern for a virtual input device can be projected onto a “display hand” of a user, and the camera may be able to detect when the user uses an opposite hand to select items of the virtual input device. In another example, the camera may detect when the display hand is moving and interpret display hand movements as inputs to the virtual input device, and/or realign the projection onto the moving display hand. |
| US08228311B2 |
Touch detection for a digitizer
A detector for detecting touches of at least one object on a transparent sensor located over a display screen, the detector comprising. a display screen; a patterned arrangement of conductors extending into said sensor situated over said display screen; and detection circuitry adapted to detect capacitive coupling of said at least one object with said at least one conductor. |
| US08228305B2 |
Method for providing human input to a computer
The invention provides a method for providing human input to a computer which allows a user to interact with a display connected to the computer. The method includes the steps of placing a first target on a first portion of the user's body, using an electro-optical sensing means, sensing data related to the location of the first target and data related to the location of a second portion of the user's body, the first and second portions of the user's body being movable relative to each other, providing an output of the electro-optical sensing means to the input of the computer, determining the location of the first target and the location of the second portion of the user's body, and varying the output of the computer to the display based upon the determined locations for contemporaneous viewing by the user. |
| US08228299B1 |
Transaction automation and archival system using electronic contract and disclosure units
A transaction automation and archival system is provided for controlling, real-time logging, and archiving complex commercial transactions such as the purchase and financing of an automobile. The heart of the system is an electronic contract disclosure unit, or ECDU. The ECDU includes a digitizing display that includes a video display for imaging to participants the various documents involved in the transaction and a digitizer for allowing participants to sign, indicate choices, and otherwise interact directly on documents and images presented on the display. A computer controls the entire progress of the transaction, and thus controls the collaborative space occupied by the participants to the transaction. The computer, for instance, controls the order of presentation of documents to a vehicle purchaser, receives the purchaser's signature on the displayed documents when required, offers choices of various packages that can be accepted or declined by the purchaser, and insures that the entire transaction is carried out properly. The ECDU further logs the transaction for future review and preferably includes a video camera and microphone for logging images and sounds of the participants during the transaction. One or more fingerprint readers are associated with the digitizing display for allowing participants to select between options by pressing their thumb or finger on the reader, which simultaneously verifies the identity of the individual making the selection through the fingerprint. |
| US08228298B2 |
Method and devices of transmitting tactile information description
Method of transmitting tactile information to a tactile display with a touch plate containing pads, the touch plate being controlled by a server, in which, (a) tactile information is defined as being a sequence of a predefined number of images together forming a pattern, each image having a rank in the pattern, each pattern being defined by: a design of successive images a duration for each image, a duration between consecutive images, a duration between consecutive patterns; (b) said word is transmitted to a tactile display server, preceded by a beacon indicating that data following the beacon must be directed to the touch plate control server; (c) a series of instructions is activated when the server receives the word, this series having a start address that depends on said word, said series of instructions being used to display the successive images together forming the pattern corresponding to the word to be displayed, said series of instructions being repeated to display the same pattern a predefined number of times or for a predetermined duration. |
| US08228294B2 |
System, method and computer program for controlling a cursor
A cursor control device is shown for enabling a user to input directional commands; a display for displaying a plurality of discrete areas and a cursor; a cursor controller for controlling the movement of the cursor in the display in response to the directional input commands, having: a first operational state in which a cursor is moved, in response to input directional commands from the cursor control device, within a first discrete area in a free-roaming manner and a second operational state in which a cursor is moved, in response to input directional commands from the cursor control device, in a discrete-roaming manner from discrete area to discrete area; and a user operable switching means for controlling the operational state of the cursor controller. |
| US08228291B2 |
Image display medium, image display device, and image display method
An image display medium comprises a display member, a back substrate, spacers having a cell structure held between the substrates, and first particles and second particles, whose colors and charging polarities are different from one another, enclosed between the display member and back substrate. The display member includes a transparent support base, a transparent electrode formed thereon, a transparent dielectric layer formed on the transparent electrode, filters formed on the opposite side from the transparent electrodes side of the support base, and a protective layer formed thereon. |
| US08228290B2 |
Electrophoretic display device with overlapping first and second row and column electrodes
An electrophoretic display device comprises an array of rows and columns of display pixels. Each pixel comprises first and second row electrodes (12a, 12b) and first and second column electrodes (14a, 14b). Each row and column electrode has a branch (12a′, 12b′, 14a′, 14b′) so that four overlaps are defined between an electrode and an electrode branch. Between each of the four branch/electrode overlaps, a respective particle reservoir (40a,40b,40c,40d) is located, the respective branch/electrode pair being for controlling movement of particles associated with the respective particle reservoir (40a,40b,40c,40d). This provides a display design which can be implemented as a passive matrix, requiring only two column electrodes and two row electrodes per pixel with four particles. |
| US08228289B2 |
Display device and timepiece
A display device having an electrophoretic display panel that has two types of electrophoretic elements of different color and polarity disposed between electrodes, and changes display state according to an applied voltage, and a drive means for driving the electrophoretic display panel by applying a voltage between the electrodes. The drive means has a storage means for storing color transition information correlating the color levels displayed by the electrophoretic elements to the color level that is displayed when a positive pulse is applied and the color level that is displayed when a negative pulse is applied to the electrode connected to the electrophoretic elements displaying a particular color level; a target value setting means for setting as a target value the color level to be displayed by the electrophoretic elements; and a pulse applying means for applying a pulse of a specific voltage level to the electrode at least until a current value denoting the current color level of the electrophoretic elements matches the target value. The pulse applying means has a value determination unit for determining if the current value and the target value match, a pulse application unit for applying either a positive pulse or a negative pulse to the electrode so that the current value approaches the target value if the value determination unit determines the current value and the target value do not match, a transition value acquisition unit for getting from the color transition information a transition value denoting the color level after the pulse is applied, and a current value updating unit for updating the current value to the transition value. |
| US08228287B2 |
Liquid crystal display device for removing ripple voltage and method of driving the same
A LCD includes a liquid crystal panel having a first common voltage supply line and a second common voltage supply line, a common voltage generator, and a first common voltage compensator and a second common voltage compensator. The common voltage generator generates a first common voltage and a second common voltage. The first common voltage compensator and the second common voltage compensator generate a first compensated common voltage and a second compensated common voltage, respectively. The first compensated common voltage and the second compensated common voltage compensate for a first ripple voltage and a second ripple voltage in a first common voltage and a second common voltage generated at the first common voltage supply line and the second common voltage supply line, respectively. |
| US08228284B2 |
Lighting apparatus including LEDS and programmable controller for controlling the same
The present invention describes a lighting apparatus which includes a regulator configured to receive power, LEDs of at least two different colors, and a programmable controller. The programmable controller includes software that is configured to provide a digital pulse width signal to the LEDs in response to a data signal. Also included is according to an embodiment of the present invention is a programmable controller with non-volatile memory for storing the software, which may be upgradeable. |
| US08228283B2 |
Liquid crystal panel driving apparatus, liquid crystal display apparatus, method for driving liquid crystal display apparatus, drive condition setting program, and television receiver
In one embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal panel driving apparatus is disclosed which sequentially receives pieces of video data for one data signal line, (i) prepares a data string by sorting, in order of outputting, a plurality of pieces of video data inputted in a predetermined period while adding a piece of dummy data to a predetermined position, (ii) assigns one horizontal scanning period to an output of a piece of video data while assigning a dummy scanning period to an output of a piece of dummy data, and (iii) sets one horizontal scanning period shorter than an interval of inputting of pieces of video data. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in vertical display period even though a piece of dummy data is added to inputted video data while a dummy scanning period is assigned thereto. |
| US08228282B2 |
Gate driving circuit, display apparatus having the same, and method thereof
In a gate driving circuit and a display apparatus having the gate driving circuit, a pull-up transistor of a present stage among plural stages, which are connected one after another to each other and sequentially output a gate signal, pulls up a present gate signal output through an output terminal to a gate-on voltage. A buffer transistor is connected to a control terminal of the pull-up transistor to receive a previous output signal from a previous stage and to turn on the pull-up transistor. The buffer transistor has a chargeability that is about two times or greater than the chargeability of the pull-up transistor. Thus, the size of the pull-up transistor may be reduced, thereby preventing a malfunction of the gate driving circuit when the gate driving circuit is operated under conditions of high temperature or low temperature. |
| US08228281B2 |
Gate driving circuit and repair method thereof, and liquid crystal display using the same
A gate drive device includes first, second and third stages, each of which for shifting a signal from an input thereof to an output thereof; and a dummy stage having a substantially similar circuit configuration as one of the first, second and third stages, the dummy stage for shifting a signal from an input thereof to an output thereof, wherein the first stage shifts a first start signal from the input thereof for outputting a second start signal to the output thereof, the dummy stage shifts the second start signal from the input thereof for outputting a third start signal to the output thereof, and the third stage shifts the third start signal from the input thereof to the output thereof. |
| US08228274B2 |
Liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal display, and driving method thereof
A liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal display, and a driving method thereof are disclosed. The liquid crystal panel comprises scanning lines, data lines, and a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a TFT, a pixel electrode, a first common electrode, and a second common electrode. The first common electrodes of first pixels of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected via a first common line, the first common electrodes of second pixels of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected via a second common line, and the second common electrodes of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected. |
| US08228268B2 |
Display device, method of driving display device, and computer program
There is provided a display device including a display unit having pixels, each of which includes a luminescence element for individually emitting light depending on a current amount and a pixel circuit for controlling a current applied to the luminescence element according to a picture signal, scan lines which supply a selection signal for selecting the pixels to emit light to the pixels in a predetermined scanning cycle, and data lines which supply the picture signal to the pixels, the pixels, the scan lines, and the data lines arranged in a matrix pattern, the display device including: a luminescence amount detector for inputting a picture signal with a linear characteristic to detect a luminescence amount from the picture signal; a luminescence time calculator for calculating a luminescence time for the luminescence element based on the luminescence amount detected by the luminescence amount detector; a luminescence time recorder for recording the calculated luminescence time; a luminance acquirer for acquiring luminance information of the luminescence element by use of the luminescence time recorded in the luminescence time recorder; a coefficient calculator for calculating a coefficient by which the picture signal is multiplied, based on the luminance information acquired by the luminance acquirer; and a coefficient multiplier for multiplying the picture signal by the coefficient calculated by the coefficient calculator. |
| US08228263B2 |
Stacked LCD unit
A LCD unit includes a plurality of LC panels stacked one on another. If a picture to be displayed on the LCD unit is a still picture, one of the LC panels consecutively scans plurality of rows of pixels in a direction opposite to the scanning direction of the rows of pixels in the rest of LC panels. If the picture is a moving picture, all the LC panels consecutively scans in the same direction. |
| US08228257B2 |
Broadband antenna system allowing multiple stacked collinear devices
A broadband antenna system is disclosed. The antenna system relates to a modified conical structure, wherein the feed region of the cone is cut away to form a hollow “coneless” cylinder, and the distribution of one or more tapered feed points around the circumference of the cylinder allows a plurality of feed lines, cables, piping, or other structures to be run through the center of the antenna without interfering with the performance of the antenna system. The invention further relates to a stacked broadband antenna system wherein additional coneless elements, as well as other types of antennas or devices, may be stacked collinearly on, or disposed coaxially to, the cylindrical antenna structure, and fed, powered or operated via the plurality of feed lines, cables, piping or other structures. The overall system may thus provide a wide range of transmitting, receiving, sensing and other capabilities. By stacking a plurality of coneless elements with other antennas, the antenna system of the present invention may provide a virtually infinite bandwidth. |
| US08228253B2 |
Vehicle mounted antenna and methods for transmitting and/or receiving signals
An antenna for communicating with a satellite from a moving vehicle. The antenna comprises a transmitter for generating a transmission signal, main and sub reflectors, and a waveguide associated with the transmitter for conducting the transmission signal toward the sub reflector. The sub reflector is configured for redirecting the transmission signal toward the main reflector; the main reflector is configured for projecting the redirected transmission signal as an antenna beam toward the satellite. |
| US08228252B2 |
Data coupler
A data coupler includes an antenna substrate that is not electrically connected in a DC arrangement to an electric power line, is arranged adjacent to the electric power line, and is connected to a modem. A resonant circuit including an inductance element and a capacitance element is provided in the antenna substrate. In the resonant circuit, the inductance element is magnetically coupled to the electric power line. The resonant circuit transmits a radio-frequency signal superimposed on the electric power line to the modem. The resonant circuit also transmits a transmission signal from the modem to the electric power line. |
| US08228236B2 |
Inverted F antenna with coplanar feed and RFID device having same
An RFID device according to one embodiment includes an inverted F antenna having an active portion, a ground plane spaced from the active portion, and a feed coupled to and coplanar with the active portion; and an RFID controller coupled to the feed. An inverted F antenna according to another embodiment includes a substrate for an RFID device; an active portion coupled to the substrate; a ground plane spaced from the active portion; and a feed coupled to and coplanar with the active portion. An inverted F antenna according to yet another embodiment includes an active portion coupled to the substrate; a ground plane spaced from the active portion; a feed coupled to and coplanar with the active portion; and an extension portion being selectively coupleable to the active portion for altering a wavelength of the inverted F antenna. |
| US08228235B2 |
High gain antenna for microwave frequencies
The present invention provides for an antenna and a method for providing an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves of at least one predefined frequency and a circular polarization, the antenna comprising at least a first support having upper and lower faces and at least one pair of substantially identical upper and lower radiating elements disposed on the upper and lower faces, respectively, each radiating element being capable of transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves of circular polarization with a phase center located at a predefined position. |
| US08228220B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for operation of a converter
Methods, systems and apparatuses for operating a converter or other circuits are disclosed. More particularly, in one embodiment a converter or other circuit can be operated in two modes which may include the count-to-time and time-to count modes to determine an output value corresponding to an input signal. During operation in the count-to-time mode a converter may be operated using a reference signal to determine a number of clock cycles needed until an output corresponds to a scaling factor is reached. During operation of the circuit in the time-to-count mode then, the converter may be operated for this number of clock cycles using the input signal to determine an output. This output may be proportional to the level on the input signal. |
| US08228218B2 |
Method and apparatus for reconstructing digitized distorted signals
A method of reproducing an original analog signal modified by a distortion and sampled. The distortion may be linear or nonlinear, and the samples may be either ideal or non-ideal. The method determines a stationary point of a cost function based on an error vector. The method iteratively computes approximated analog signals until the approximated analog signals converge to the original analog signal. The method may utilize Fr?chet derivatives and Moore-Penrose pseudo inverse transformations in order to iteratively compute the original analog signal. An apparatus performing said method is also disclosed. |
| US08228216B2 |
Systems and methods for data compression
In one embodiment, an initial series of bytes are scanned to determine a frequency of occurrence within the initial series of bytes for a plurality of byte strings. A data structure is generated containing the plurality of byte strings and count values representing a frequency of occurrence for the plurality of byte strings in the initial series of bytes. A most common byte string of the plurality of byte strings in the initial series of bytes is determined from the count values. Each instance of the most common byte string in the initial series of bytes is replaced with a first substitute byte string to form a revised series of bytes. A most common byte string in the revised series of bytes is determined from the data structure without resetting the count values associated with at least some of the plurality of byte strings. |
| US08228215B1 |
Identifying misrepresented characters in strings of text
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying misrepresented characters in strings of text. A computer system receives text that includes characters identified as being encoded in UTF-8. The characters are represented as code point values, each code point value representing one character in the text. The computer system makes a determination that the text likely includes characters incorrectly converted from Win-1252 to UTF-8 by comparing the code point values that represent the text with test values. Based on the comparison, the computer system identifies sequences of characters in the text that was likely incorrectly converted. |
| US08228213B2 |
Data compression system and associated methods
A system to compress an inter-system channel data stream may include a data compression application executing via a computer processor. The system may additionally include a transmit dictionary used by said data compression application to compress an inter-system channel data stream. The system may also include a data decompression application executing via a second computer processor to decompress the inter-system channel data stream. The system may further include a receive dictionary used by said data decompression application to decompress the inter-system channel data stream. |
| US08228211B2 |
Adaptable keyboard system
A system for adapting a keyboard display to a definable input language is provided. The system includes an adaptable keyboard comprising keys; a software application, operatively associated with the adaptable keyboard; and a computerized system enabling to receive data from the adaptable keyboard, process and present data and operate the application. Some of the keys of the adaptable keyboard may be language adaptable, where each adaptable key includes a screen enabling to present characters associated with various languages and other data, and a touch-sensing mechanism enabling to identify a typing movement applied onto each the screen, where each screen is operatively connected to the touch sensing mechanism. The software application enables defining a language and adapting the presentation of each character in each of the screens according to the defined language, by controlling the display in the screens. |
| US08228203B2 |
Interaction analyzer
A method of analyzing participant activity includes providing an identification unit to a participant, receiving signals from the identification unit, determining location of the participant based on the received signals, storing the location information and the associated timestamp and analyzing the stored information. |
| US08228202B2 |
Transmitting information to a user's body
A method for transmitting information to a body includes providing a set of standardized codes. Each code of the standardized codes is associated with a predefined activation pattern for at least one actuator designed to transmit the information to the body using skin as an interface. A code or a combination of a plurality of codes is selected and transmitted to a wearable accessory having integrated therein the at least one actuator. The at least one actuator is outside a user's body. The at least one actuator is controlled according to the predefined activation pattern associated with the code or the combination of the plurality of codes transmitted. Features about emotional states or states of mind are extracted from biometric and/or environmental signals of biometric and/or environmental sensors. The features are mapped to stored meta information. The meta information is wirelessly transmitted to a receiver. |
| US08228201B2 |
Placard having embedded RFID device for tracking objects
A method of embedding an RFID device in a reusable object includes the steps of providing a placard including a plurality of layers, and providing an RFID device including an integrated circuit coupled to an antenna. In one example, the placard includes a top layer, upper intermediate layer, lower intermediate layer, bottom layer, and a plurality of adhesive layers. The method further includes the steps of embedding said RFID device in the placard between an adjacent two of said layers, and encoding the RFID device with information. The method further includes the steps of providing a pallet having a cavity extending into an interior of the pallet, inserting the RFID device into the cavity so that the RFID device is located entirely within the interior of said pallet, and non-removably securing the RFID device within the cavity. In one example, the pallet includes a support base and a top surface. |
| US08228200B2 |
Electronic tag holder for bottle neck
A device supports an electronic tag to extending neck of a bottle where the extending neck includes a perimetrical undercut thereabout. The device includes a housing formed of a pair of matable housing portions for attachment about the neck of the bottle. At least one of the housing portions supports an electronic tag. A rim is formed on each housing portion. The rim portions are mutually engageable and align to form a perimetrical rim. The perimetrical rim of the housing is seatable in the undercut of the neck to prevent longitudinal movement of the mated housing portions along the neck. |
| US08228191B2 |
Anti-tamper assembly for surface mounted security switch
An anti-tamper assembly (40, 40a) is provided in order to sense the attempted removal of a body attached to a surface (17) by a fastener (36, 36a). The assembly (40, 40a) includes an anti-tamper access-blocking element (42, 42a) positioned in an anti-tamper position proximal to the fastener (36, 36a), along with an anti-tamper switch (44, 102) operably coupled with the element (42, 42a) in order to bias the switch (44, 102) to one switch condition. In the event that the element (42, 42a) is moved from its anti-tamper position, the switch (44, 102) moves to another switch condition, which generates an alarm signal. The assembly (40, 40a) may be used to protect an alarm section (16, 16a) forming a part of an alarm assembly (10, 10a). The section (16, 16a) includes a sensor or switch (64) operable to detect relative movement between first and second members such as a door (12) and doorframe (14). In one embodiment, a magnetically actuatable switch (42) is employed with a mating access-blocking element (42) in the form of a magnet. Alternately, a mechanically actuatable switch (102) having an actuating arm (104) may be used where the arm (104) engages access-blocking element (42a). |
| US08228190B2 |
Valve malfunctioning detection system for a vacuum sewer an associated methods
A valve malfunctioning detection system for use in a vacuum sewer system including a vacuum pit in fluid communication with a vacuum station is provided. The vacuum pit includes a vacuum sewer valve that is moveable between an opened position and a closed position. The valve malfunctioning detection system may include a radio unit adapted to be carried by the vacuum pit, a gateway radio in communication with the radio unit, a hub radio in communication with the gateway radio to receive a signal transmitted by the gateway radio, and a server in communication with the hub radio. The signal transmitted by the radio unit may include an indication of a status of the vacuum sewer valve. |
| US08228188B2 |
Monitoring and tracking of wireless sensor devices
A healthcare monitoring system includes a plurality of patient wearable sensor devices for the purpose of monitoring physiological data, each sensor device including a radio frequency transceiver. A plurality of base stations are provided at respective fixed locations within a healthcare facility, each base station including a radio frequency transceiver for communicating with one or more of the sensor devices for the purpose of receiving monitored physiological data. A central server is coupled to the base stations for the purpose of receiving and recording monitored physiological data. Each sensor device is arranged in use to attach to a first base station that is within range, and to attach to a second, different base station that is within range when contact with the first base station is lost, attachment of the sensor device to a base station being registered with the central server. |
| US08228186B2 |
Locking device, method and system to determine the relative position of an edge-lock to a container or of a group of container edge-locks in relation to other container locs
The invention relates to a method to determine the relative position of a container corner lock and/or a group of container corner locks in relation to other container corner locks. The method comprises the steps of: requesting information regarding identification from those locks (1) that are within a certain area; transferring said information to each lock (1) within said area; storing, in each lock (1) within said area, said requested information from other locks within the area; determining, based on said stored information, the relative position of the lock and/or of the group of locks. The invention also relates to a system and a container corner lock. |
| US08228183B2 |
Monitoring remote environmental conditions
A server system for remote monitoring includes a wireless communication interface, a processor, and a storage device. The wireless communication interface receives at least one data packet over wireless communications from a remote monitoring system. The processor processes the data packet including sensor information from a sensor coupled to the remote monitoring system. The storage device stores the sensor information. |
| US08228181B2 |
Physiological trend monitor
A physiological trend monitor has a sensor signal responsive to multiple wavelengths of light transmitted into a tissue site. The transmitted light is detected after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site. A processor has an input responsive to the sensor signal and a physiological parameter output. Features are extracted from the physiological parameter output. Criteria are applied to the features. An alarm output is generated when the criteria are satisfied. |
| US08228180B2 |
Vehicle fuel efficiency display
A fuel efficiency display for a vehicle includes a scale extending vertically on a screen with a bar superimposed over the scale to represent the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle. A numerical representation of the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle is displayed above the scale and the bar. A first marker indicating and a numerical representation of the average fuel efficiency of the vehicle over a pre-selected range is displayed on a left side of the scale and the bar. A second marker indicating a numerical representation of the greatest fuel efficiency achieved by the vehicle over the pre-selected range is displayed on a right side of the scale and the bar. |
| US08228176B2 |
Electronic guides, incident response methods, incident response systems, and incident monitoring methods
Incident response methods include receiving notification that an incident has occurred, determining a source of the notification, the source being near the incident, and establishing at least one guided path configured to direct a first person, a first animal, or a first movable device positioned near the source away from the incident and/or to direct a second person, a second animal, or a second movable device toward the incident. Electronic guides include an indicator, and processing circuitry configured to receive a request to configure the indicator from an inactive state to an active state in which the indicator encourages a first person positioned near a first side of the electronic guide to move toward the electronic guide and encourages a second person positioned near a second side of the electronic guide to move away from the electronic guide and configure the indicator according to the request. |
| US08228175B1 |
RFID tag chips and tags with alternative behaviors and methods
RFID tags, ICs for RFID tags, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, an RFID tag includes a memory with multiple sections, and a processing block. The processing block may map one of these sections, or another of these sections, for purposes of responding to a first command from an RFID reader. As such, an RFID tag can operate according to the data stored in the section mapped at the time. In some embodiments, a tag can even transition from mapping one of the sections to mapping another of the sections. This can amount to the tag exhibiting alternative behaviors, and permits hiding data on the tag. |
| US08228172B2 |
RFID tag device with temperature sensitive antenna
An apparatus system, and techniques for detecting temperature change are disclosed. The system includes a temperature sensitive antenna that can be included in an RFID tag device. The antenna is associated with a temperature sensitive material that, upon being exposed to a particular temperature level over a time interval, causes at least one of a change in the resonance frequency of the antenna and change in antenna signal strength (e.g., antenna gain). An RFID reader is also provided that sends commands to the tag device and determines the existence of a temperature change based on a comparison of signal strengths received on different frequencies from the antenna. |
| US08228166B2 |
Vehicle having an automatically opening flap
A vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, has a flap, which automatically opens as a result of an opening command. The opening command takes place without a manual operation of an unlocking/locking mechanism. A proximity sensor and a control device coupled therewith are present, the control device being constructed such that it recognizes the presence of a valid access authorization device within a surrounding area and, if a valid access authorization device is recognized, as a function of the presence of an unlocking signal of the proximity sensor, activates the unlocking/locking mechanism for releasing the automatically opening flap. |
| US08228164B2 |
Remote control system for car-mounted device
A remote control system for a car-mounted device capable of realizing communication performance required for a keyless function and communication performance required for a smart function while suppressing increase in circuit scale. The remote control system includes a portable unit and an in-car unit. The portable unit includes: a function judgment mechanism judging whether the keyless function or the smart function is used; an amplification mechanism controlling transmission power in response to a result of judgment obtained at the function judgment mechanism; and a system clock generator controlling a transmission band in response to a result of judgment obtained at the function judgment part. The in-car unit includes: an in-car function judgment mechanism judging whether the keyless function or the smart function is used; and in-car system clock generator controlling a receiving band in response to a result of judgment obtained at the in-car function judgment mechanism. |
| US08228160B2 |
Sensor element and process for assembling a sensor element
A high-temperature sensor element includes at least one thermistor element having at least two contact areas and one contacting element including an isolating ceramic base body and at least two conductor lines. The contact areas of the thermistor element are connected to the conductor lines of the contacting element by an electro conductive bridge. A process for assembling a sensor element is also described in which an thermistor element is connected by a temperature resistant junction to a contacting element, and in which the thermistor element and part of the contacting element adjacent to the thermistor element are sealed by a encapsulation compound. |
| US08228151B2 |
Electromagnetic energy transducer
An electromagnetic energy transducer configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy comprises two magnetic elements including a permanent magnetic element and a soft-magnetic element and an electrical coil. The permanent magnetic element and the soft-magnetic element are arranged to form a magnetic circuit and one of the two magnetic elements is movable in relation to the other of the two magnetic elements. The electrical coil surrounds a part of the soft magnetic element. The movable magnetic element is held in a first position by a spring force and moved into a second position by applying an external mechanical force exceeding the spring force, and at the first position the magnetic flux within the soft magnetic element is different than the flux at the second position. |
| US08228150B2 |
Electromagnetic actuating apparatus
An electromagnetic actuating apparatus having an elongated actuating element (3) which forms an engagement area (11) at the end, can be moved by the force of a coil device (13), (which is provided in a stationary manner) and has a permanent magnet (4), in places, which are designed to interact with a stationary core area (7), with a stationary bearing element (8) which acts as a yoke, being provided axially opposite the core area (7) for the actuating element (3), which is in the form of a piston at least in places, and with the coil device (13) having at least one coil winding (17) which is arranged on a mount (15) and whose winding wires (22, 23) are passed to contact elements (20, 21) and are electrically conductively connected to them, with the connections (24, 25) between the winding wires (22, 23) and the contact elements (20, 21) being arranged with vibration or oscillation damping with respect to the mount (15). |
| US08228145B2 |
Integrated magnetic switch assembly for a vehicle starter solenoid and method of forming an integrated magnetic switch assembly
An integrated magnetic switch assembly includes a winding assembly portion having a housing, and a cover assembly mounted to the housing. The cover assembly includes at least one rivet terminal and at least one power terminal The at least one rivet terminal includes a body that extends through the cover assembly. The body has a first end that extends to a second end, and an opening that includes a first diameter that extends from the first end to the second end. A sealing member is positioned at the first end of the body about the opening of the at least one rivet terminal. The sealing member includes an opening having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. A sealing element is positioned between the at least one power terminal and the cover assembly. |
| US08228143B2 |
Assembly of electromagnetic relay and circuit board
An assembly including an electromagnetic relay and a circuit board. The electromagnetic relay includes a body having a lateral surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of terminals protruding outward from the lateral surface of the body. The terminals respectively have distal portions extending beyond the bottom surface of the body. The circuit board is provided with a relay-mount surface. The electromagnetic relay is mounted on the relay-mount surface in an orientation such that the bottom surface of the body is opposed to the relay-mount surface, and the distal portions of the terminals being fixed to the circuit board. Each terminal is formed from a flat plate element and has a shape angled in a width direction of the flat plate element. The body has a height defined in a direction orthogonal to the relay-mount surface of the circuit board and corresponding to a length of a shortest edge of the lateral surface, the shortest edge being shorter than any of edges of the bottom surface. |
| US08228141B2 |
Q enhancement in micromachined lateral-extensional resonators
A high Q resonator device is disclosed. The device includes a substrate, a resonator tethered to the substrate by a tether, and an acoustic reflector etched into the substrate and positioned proximate the tether so as to reflect a substantial portion of planar acoustic energy received from the tether back into the tether. |
| US08228140B2 |
Method and device for optimising the adjustment time of an adjustable filter
A device associated with the control of a tractable filter, including: an induction coil having an inductance Ls, and a resistance Rs; a series resistance rseries having a value determined from a parallel resistance of the induction coil, Lo, the inductance at the resonance frequency, ω0 the resonance frequency, and by taking the lowest resistance value and by deducing rseries from R=rseries+Rs. |
| US08228134B2 |
Method and system for processing signals via directional couplers embedded in an integrated circuit package
Methods and systems for processing signals via directional couplers embedded in a package are disclosed and may include generating via a directional coupler, one or more output RF signals that may be proportional to a received RF signal. The directional coupler may be integrated in a multi-layer package. The generated RF signal may be processed by an integrated circuit electrically coupled to the multi-layer package. The directional coupler may include quarter wavelength transmission lines, which may include microstrip or coplanar structures. The directional coupler may be electrically coupled to one or more variable capacitances in the integrated circuit. The variable capacitance may include CMOS devices in the integrated circuit. The directional coupler may include discrete devices, which may be surface mount devices coupled to the multi-layer package or may be devices integrated in the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may be flip-chip bonded to the multi-layer package. |
| US08228133B2 |
Unbalanced-balanced converter
A first balance electrode unit electrically connected to a pair of balance terminals (a first balance terminal and a second balance terminal) is formed on a main surface of a fourth dielectric layer sandwiched by an upper grounding electrode and a lower grounding electrode in a dielectric substrate. A second balance electrode unit electrically connected to a pair of balance terminals on the main surface of a seventh dielectric layer. An unbalance electrode unit electrically connected to an unbalance terminal is formed on the main surface of a fifth dielectric layer. |
| US08228132B2 |
Voltage-controlled oscillator robust against power noise and communication apparatus using the same
A voltage-controlled oscillator robust against power supply includes: a regulating unit configured to maintain a virtual power supply of a VCO core circuit in a stable condition with regard to a reference voltage; and a power supply removal unit including second transistors configured to correspond to respective first transistors of the regulating unit, the power supply removal unit being configured to remove power noise of the virtual power supply by using negative feedback through a closed-circuit loop formed by each of the first and second transistors. |
| US08228128B2 |
All-digital phase-locked loop, loop bandwidth calibration method, and loop gain calibration method for the same
For decreasing errors within an analog phase-locked loop, an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) with digital components and digital operations is used. The ADPLL may also be used for direct frequency modulation (DFM). By defining a proportional path gain of an ADPLL by a bandwidth and a reference frequency of the ADPLL, by a TDC gain, a DCO gain, a dividing ratio of a frequency divider, a gain of an amplifier or a combination thereof, the gain of the amplifier may be adjusted so that an optimal loop bandwidth of the ADPLL may be well calibrated. For achieving the aim of entirely digital of the ADPLL, the gains of the TDC and the DCO may be further adjusted in a digital manner. |
| US08228124B2 |
Headphone amplifier circuit
A class G headphone amplifier circuit with improved power efficiency and low EMI. It may use an automatic signal level detector to detect the signal level of incoming signals and determine positive and negative power supplies for headphone amplifiers accordingly. A voltage generator may generate pairs of differential output voltages at a plurality of amplitude steps, and supply to headphone amplifiers the pair with the amplitude determined by the automatic signal level detector. As a result, headphone amplifiers are biased according to the input signal level, and the multiple voltage rails may improve power efficiency and avoid clipping. |
| US08228123B2 |
Integrated Doherty amplifier
The invention relates to an integrated Doherty amplifier with an input network connecting the input to the main stage and to the peak stage, and with an output network connecting the main stage and the peak stage to the output. The output network has a shunt capacitor to signal-ground in parallel to a parasitic capacitance of the main stage, and has a shunt inductor between the main stage and signal ground. The shunt configuration enables to use the MMIC Doherty amplifier in a wide frequency range. At least some of the inductors of the input network and/or output network are implemented using bond wires. Their orientations and locations provide minimal mutual electromagnetic coupling between the wires and the return RF current paths. |
| US08228118B1 |
Switching amplifier using capacitor for transmitting energy
A switching amplifying method or a switching amplifier for obtaining a linearly amplified replica of an input signal, is highly efficient, and does not have the disadvantage of “dead time” problem related to class D amplifiers. Another aspect of the present invention provides a switching amplifier that is completely off when there is no input signal. Yet another aspect of the present invention further comprises an act of comparing an input signal with an output feedback signal for detection and correction of overall system signal processes therefore does not require a power supply regulator and is substantially immune to power supply and load perturbations. |
| US08228116B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and power supply voltage control method
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a selector to selectively output and supply to a monitoring target voltage terminal one of a power supply voltage from an outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit and a predetermined reference voltage depending on an adjusting mode signal, a voltage monitoring circuit to monitor a voltage fluctuation at the monitoring target voltage terminal and converting the voltage fluctuation that is monitored into a control signal, and an input and output circuit to output the control signal to the outside. |
| US08228109B2 |
Transmission gate circuitry for high voltage terminal
A transmission gate circuit includes a first transmission gate, having a first switching device, coupled in series with a second transmission gate, having a second switching device, and control circuitry which places the first transmission gate and the second transmission gate into a conductive state to provide a conductive path through the first transmission gate and the second transmission gate. When the voltage of the first terminal is above a first voltage level and outside a safe operating voltage area of at least one of the first and second switching device, the first switching device remains within its safe operating voltage area and the second switching device remains within its safe operating voltage area. |
| US08228107B2 |
Clock signal balancing circuit and method for balancing clock signal in IC layout
A method for balancing clock signals in an IC layout includes obtaining a data-flow information of the IC, selecting a first data-flow according to the dataflow information, and synchronizing a first clock signal from a first register and a second clock signal from a second register involved in the first data-flow. The data processed by the first register is directly transmitted to the second register or transmitted through a combinational logic circuit to the second register. The first data-flow is not related to other data-flows included in the data-flow information. |
| US08228099B2 |
System for detecting a reset condition in an electronic circuit
A system for detecting the assertion of a reset signal. A plurality of circuit elements is configurable by a reset signal to output a string of data values in a predetermined pattern. A comparator receives the string of data values and determines whether the string of data values matches the predetermined pattern. If so, the comparator generates an output signal indicative of a reset. In one embodiment, the output signal of the comparator can be used to automatically trigger a reset if the reset signal has not been asserted. |
| US08228098B2 |
Pulse width modulation frequency conversion
A pulse width modulation (PWM) frequency converter converts an input PWM signal to an output PWM signal having a different frequency while maintaining a substantially equal duty ratio. The PWM frequency converter samples the input PWM signal for a PWM cycle using a sampling clock. A filter module filters the resulting set of one or more PWM parameters to compensate for noise introduced by potential clock mismatch, clock jitter, ambient variations, and other non-deterministic issues, thereby generating filtered PWM parameters. The sampling employed by the filter module compares a difference between the one or more current PWM parameters and previous (or historical) PWM parameters from an earlier sampled PWM cycle to a predetermined change threshold in determining a filtered set of one or more PWM parameters. The filtered set of one or more PWM parameters then is used to generate one or more corresponding PWM cycles of the output signal. |
| US08228097B2 |
Circuit for driving a display panel using a driving capacitor
The present invention provides a circuit for driving a display panel using a driving capacitor, comprising an analog-to-digital converter receiving an analog input signal to generate a digital signal, a driving capacitor receiving the digital signal to generate a driving signal for the display panel, and a switching circuit in response to a switching signal, selectively coupling the analog-to-digital converter to the driving capacitor for transmission of the digital signal and coupling the driving capacitor to the display panel for transmission of the driving signal. Thus, the circuit area needed for a source driver processing images of large bit number is reduced, which decreases the cost. Further, the power system of the display having a large dynamic range of voltage can be also simplified. |
| US08228093B2 |
Data communication circuit, transmission apparatus, reception apparatus, and transmission/reception system
A driver supplies data signal via a supply node. A voltage-relaxing transistor has a source connected to the supply node of the driver, a drain connected to a signal node connected to a signal line, and a gate to which the voltage at the signal node is applied. |
| US08228092B2 |
High voltage latching and DC restoration isolation and level shifting method and apparatus
A device and method for dc isolation and level shifting includes a driver circuit powered by a first voltage range, a capacitor connected to the driver circuit, and a latching circuit connected to the capacitor. The latching circuit is powered by a second voltage range and is configured to restore and/or minimize charge loss of the capacitor during a voltage transition at the capacitor. A device and method for analog isolation and measurement configured to measure an analog voltage at a second potential without requiring analog circuits at the second potential. |
| US08228090B2 |
Dielectric film and layer testing
A system for testing and a method for making a semiconductor device is disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes a conductor overlying a dielectric layer. The conductor is coupled to a first test pad via a first conducting line and to a second test pad via a second conducting line. |
| US08228089B2 |
Wafer test method and wafer test apparatus
The inventive concept provides a wafer test method and a wafer test apparatus. The wafer test method can recognize the amount of residuals generated in a sidewall of the metal-containing layer pattern and the extent of corrosion of a sidewall of the metal-containing layer pattern using the measured electric resistance by supplying an electrolyte so that the electrolyte is in contact with a portion of the metal-containing layer pattern in a predetermined chip region and measuring an electric resistance between a first electrode which is electrically in contact with the other portion of the metal-containing layer pattern and a second electrode which is in contact with the electrolyte in the predetermined region. Thus, a wafer test method and a wafer test apparatus can be embodied by an in-line method without dividing a wafer into each chip. |
| US08228077B2 |
Anti-pinch sensor
An Anti-pinch sensor, in particular for detecting an obstacle in the path of an actuator of a motor vehicle is provided. The anti-pinch sensor includes a first measurement electrode and a second electrically isolated measurement electrode spaced a distance from the first measurement electrode, wherein the first measurement electrode is designed to generate an external electric field with respect to the second measurement electrode, and wherein the first and second measurement electrodes are elastically supported relative to an electrically isolated ground electrode. In addition, a sensor device having such an anti-pinch sensor is disclosed. The anti-pinch sensor is suitable as both a contactless and a tactile sensor. Detection of surface deposits of contaminants or water is easily possible. |
| US08228074B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating cable length
A method for estimating cable length includes steps of generating a detection signal to a cable, wherein the detection signal includes a first pulse and a second pulse with opposite voltages in sequence; receiving a refection signal of the detection signal from the cable; and determining length of the cable according to a superposed waveform of the detection signal and the refection signal. |
| US08228068B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting wire breaks
A circuit is provided that includes a power source and a sensor circuit electrically coupled by a switch to the power source. The circuit further includes an A/D converter electrically coupled to the sensor circuit and adapted to read a voltage difference across a resistive element to determine an impedance of the sensor circuit. A method is provided that includes closing a switch electrically coupling a power source to a sensor circuit and measuring a voltage difference across a resistive element at an A/D converter electrically coupled to the sensor circuit. The method further includes determining an impedance of the sensor circuit based on the voltage difference. |
| US08228067B2 |
Load bank
A load bank that is used to test electrical connections. The connections are attached to the load bank, so that the switches are loaded during the testing. The overheating or underheating, of either switches or loads can be tested, evaluated, and used to determine faults and errors. |
| US08228066B2 |
Instrument for measuring electromagnetic signals
A device and method for measuring electromagnetic signals that can be used to take measurements at or near the sea floor. The device comprises a central housing, a data management system located within the housing and at least two arms extending outwards from the housing. Each arm comprises a flexible elongate sheath attached to the housing, a sensor head, a flexible electrical cable attached to the sheath and connecting the sensor head to the data management system and a rod which is removeably locatable within the sheath. The rod is connectable relative to the housing at one end and connectable relative to the sensor head at the end remote from the housing. |
| US08228061B2 |
Mitigating off-resonance angle in steady-state coherent imaging
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with mitigating off-resonance angle in steady-state coherent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are described. One example method includes accessing a B0 map and a coil sensitivity profile associated with an MRI apparatus configured to produce a steady-state coherent MRI sequence to image an object. The MRI apparatus is configured with a multi-channel transmission array having individually controllable transmission channels. The method includes computing transmission control parameters for individual transmission channels as a function of the B0 map and the coil sensitivity profile. The transmission control parameters are configured to facilitate controlling the transmission array to create a spatially varying phase profile using a single dimensional radio frequency (RF) pulse. |
| US08228060B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a flip angle schedule for a spin echo train pulse sequence
A method for calculating a flip angle schedule for a train of refocusing radio frequency (RF) pulses with reduced flip angles allows control of RF power deposition and use of a longer echo train. A target signal is defined for each echo in the echo train, and flip angles are then calculated from the target signals. The target signal schedule includes two phases. In the first phase, the target signals drop asymptotically to efficiently establish a pseudo-steady state at a pre-defined minimum signal level, Smin. In the second phase, the target signal is increased monotonically for the remainder of the train to a pre-defined maximum signal level, Smax. By increasing the target signal, the effect of relaxation may be reduced, decreasing blurring and ringing artifacts. Flip angles are then calculated from the target signal schedule, using a simplified method that requires no information about the tissues' relaxation properties. |
| US08228059B2 |
Ferrite material having composition gradient for measuring magneto-optical-effect properties and method for evaluating properties of ferrite
Provided is a method of evaluating properties of ferrite which can continuously measure change in magnetic properties accompanying change in composition of the ferrite merely by preparing one specimen.A composition gradient ferrite thin film constituted of a plurality of composition gradient ferrite layers which are formed by inclining component composition in the horizontal direction is formed on a single crystal substrate having light transmitting property using a thin film forming method, and a magneto-optical effect is continuously measured along the composition gradient direction of the ferrite thin film whereby change in magnetic properties accompanying a change in composition of the ferrite is continuously measured also provided is a method of evaluating properties of ferrite which can continuously measure change in magnetic properties accompanying change in composition of the ferrite merely by preparing one specimen. |
| US08228057B2 |
Swivel portable terminal
Provided is a swivel portable terminal. The swivel portable terminal is configured to allow first and second magnet detecting units installed at one body of a main body and a swivel body at a predetermined interval therebetween to detect first and second magnets installed at the other body and corresponding to the first and second magnet detecting units. A rotation direction in which the swivel body rotates is determined according to a time difference of a change in a magnet detecting state of the first and second magnet detecting units when the swivel body rotates. |
| US08228054B2 |
Method and apparatus for amplifying a signal and test device using same
An amplifier circuit is used in a multimeter to amplify signals applied between a pair of test terminals. A voltage applied to one of the test terminals is amplified by a first operational amplifier configured as a voltage follower. An output of the first operational amplifier is applied to an inverting input of a second operational amplifier configured as an integrator. An output of the second operational amplifier is connected to the other of the test terminals. A voltage generated at the output of the second operational amplifier provides an indication of the magnitude and polarity of the voltage applied to the first and second test terminals. |