| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08255265B2 |
System and method of model forecasting based on supply and demand
A computer-implemented method transforms transactional data and supply data into a forecast of demand for controlling a commerce system. Goods move between members of a commerce system. Transactional data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system is recorded. The transactional data includes customer store, product, time, price, promotion, and merchandizing. Supply data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system is recorded. The supply data includes inventory, product, store, and merchandising readily available for purchase. Model parameters are estimated based on the transactional data and supply data using a model to generate a forecast of demand for the goods. The forecast of demand for the goods is provided to a member of the commerce system to control the movement of goods in the commerce system. The forecasts of demand takes into account an out-of-stock condition, price promotion, and promotional lift of the product. |
| US08255263B2 |
Bayesian product recommendation engine
The invention provides a method of generating a recommendation for a product type. A plurality of product attributes associated with the product type is provided. A sampled set of consumer values is received. At least one user preference corresponding to the product attributes is received. A plurality of consumer values based on the at least one user preference and the sample set of consumer values is calculated, and at least one product recommendation is determined based on the calculated consumer values. |
| US08255254B2 |
Program management systems and method thereof
A framework for managing a lifecycle of a program in an organization is provided. The framework includes a process module, a guiding module, a program lifecycle mapping module, and a matrix module. The process module provides a plurality of process guidelines for the one or more stages of the project management lifecycle. Further, the process module includes a strategic planning module, a financial management module, a risk management module, an organization change management module, a stake holder management module, a knowledge management module, a contractual compliance module, a governance module and a program setup module. The guiding module integrates a plurality of organizational attributes with the process guidelines of the process module. The program lifecycle mapping module maps the plurality of process guidelines with the one or more stages of the life cycle. The matrix module provides assignment of program management roles to one or more participants. |
| US08255252B2 |
System and method for facilitating strategic contract audit, resolution and recovery
A system and method for facilitating consistent management of a repeatable contract audit, resolution and recovery process is disclosed. A methodology that tightly defines the contract audit, resolution and recovery events enables an audit team to evaluate supplier performance against a contract, ascertain the existing health of a contract, and identify opportunities to improve and/or re-engineer a contracting process. The method begins with a meeting with a client, followed by a meeting with the supplier, and progresses to a process review, data collection, and a data analysis, which results in recommendations that are presented to the supplier based on the findings of the audit team. The audit team then works with the supplier to resolve any issues identified by the data analysis. |
| US08255245B2 |
Determining a value for an indicator
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for determining a value for an indicator includes identifying an indicator for which a value is to be determined. The method includes identifying parameters to be used in determining a specific time interval for determining the value, the identified parameters including at least: (i) a first offset parameter; (ii) a second offset parameter; and (iii) a third offset parameter. The method includes determining the specific time interval using at least the identified parameters and the reference time point. The method includes determining the value for the indicator using at least the determined specific time interval. The method includes recording the determined value. |
| US08255242B2 |
System and process for dispensing value in response to an authorization over an electric data network
An insurance payment distribution system is disclosed for distributing data representative of money from a central station to selected individuals to be used at selected locations. The system includes a plurality of distribution payment cards and a remote card processing unit. The distribution payment cards are useable at the selected locations. Each payment card is capable of receiving information representative of a certain amount of money, and is capable of receiving information representative of permitted locations at which the each card may be used. The remote card processing unit is in communication with a computer network including a central computer system. The remote card processing unit is for modifying the information receivable on the cards responsive to information received via the computer network. |
| US08255241B2 |
Iconic graphical method for displaying complex information
The present invention is directed to a method of providing information regarding a patient's use of medications, the method including the step of providing a graphical icon relating to the medication, the graphical icon including at least one indicator relating to the patient's use of the medication. The least one indicator preferably provides information such as dosage information, duration information, compliance information, and impression information. |
| US08255240B2 |
Method and apparatus for online health monitoring
Presented are apparatus and methods for providing online health monitoring and accumulating data from patients applicable in both diagnosing and prescribing preventive medical treatment. Methods and devices include using a sensitive acoustic device to analyze a patient's health function from a location such as a public computer kiosk, a doctor's office or a patient's computer. The data may be downloaded to a central database, for example, via the Internet. The data may be retrieved by the patient, or accessed by doctors for purposes of diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. The data may include demographic data that can be stored while maintaining patient anonymity. The data may be accessible to researchers providing medical statistics on a wide variety of patients from various age groups, ethnic backgrounds, medical histories and the like. |
| US08255237B2 |
Source user based provision of one or more templates
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: receiving one or more requests for one or more particular templates that are associated with one or more source users, the one or more particular templates designed to facilitate one or more end users to achieve one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects included in the one or more particular templates are emulated; and providing from a plurality of templates the one or more particular templates, the providing being based at least on the association of the one or more particular templates with the one or more source users, the one or more particular templates developed based on one or more reported aspects associated with the one or more source users In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US08255234B2 |
Quantization and inverse quantization for audio
An audio encoder and decoder use architectures and techniques that improve the efficiency of quantization (e.g., weighting) and inverse quantization (e.g., inverse weighting) in audio coding and decoding. The described strategies include various techniques and tools, which can be used in combination or independently. For example, an audio encoder quantizes audio data in multiple channels, applying multiple channel-specific quantizer step modifiers, which give the encoder more control over balancing reconstruction quality between channels. The encoder also applies multiple quantization matrices and varies the resolution of the quantization matrices, which allows the encoder to use more resolution if overall quality is good and use less resolution if overall quality is poor. Finally, the encoder compresses one or more quantization matrices using temporal prediction to reduce the bitrate associated with the quantization matrices. An audio decoder performs corresponding inverse processing and decoding. |
| US08255232B2 |
Audio encoding method with function of accelerating a quantization iterative loop process
An audio encoding method previously estimates better initial iterative values of global-gain and scalefactor for avoiding heavy calculation. The estimating process of the encoding method includes calculating the bit allocation of one frequency sample based on a sampling rate, a bit rate, and the number of audio channels according to an input frame, and the psychoacoustic model, searching one frequency sample having the greatest sample energy in each of a plurality of scalefactor bands, quantizing the frequency sample to comply with the bit allocation and to generate a corresponding scalefactor, searching a maximum scalefactor of all scalefactor bands corresponding to the input frame, and setting initial values of scalefactors and an initial value of global-gain for the quantization iterative loop process according to the corresponding scalefactor and the maximum scalefactor. |
| US08255231B2 |
Encoding and decoding of audio signals using complex-valued filter banks
An encoder (109) comprises a receiver (201) which receives a time domain audio signal. A filter bank (203) generates a first subband signal from the time domain audio signal where the first subband signal corresponds to a non-critically sampled complex subband domain representation of the time domain signal. A conversion processor (205) generates a second subband signal from the first subband signal by subband processing. The second subband signal corresponds to a critically sampled complex subband domain representation of the time domain audio signals. An encode processor (207) then generates a waveform encoded data stream by encoding data values of the second subband signal. The conversion processor (205) generates the second subband signal by direct subband conversion without converting back to the time domain. The invention allows an oversampled subband signal typically generated in parametric encoding to be waveform encoded with reduced complexity. A decoder performs the inverse operation. |
| US08255230B2 |
Multi-channel audio encoding and decoding
An audio encoder and decoder use architectures and techniques that improve the efficiency of multi-channel audio coding and decoding. The described strategies include various techniques and tools, which can be used in combination or independently. For example, an audio encoder performs a pre-processing multi-channel transform on multi-channel audio data, varying the transform so as to control quality. The encoder groups multiple windows from different channels into one or more tiles and outputs tile configuration information, which allows the encoder to isolate transients that appear in a particular channel with small windows, but use large windows in other channels. Using a variety of techniques, the encoder performs flexible multi-channel transforms that effectively take advantage of inter-channel correlation. An audio decoder performs corresponding processing and decoding. In addition, the decoder performs a post-processing multi-channel transform for any of multiple different purposes. |
| US08255228B2 |
Efficient use of phase information in audio encoding and decoding
An efficient encoded representation of a first and a second input audio signal can be derived using correlation information indicating a correlation between the first and the second input audio signals, when a signal characterization information, indicating at least a first or a second, different characteristic of the input audio signal is additionally considered. Phase information indicating a phase relation between the first and the second input audio signals is derived, when the input audio signals have the first characteristic. The phase information and a correlation measure are included into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the first characteristic, and only the correlation information is included into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the second characteristic. |
| US08255225B2 |
Voice assistant system
Methods and apparatuses to assist a user in the performance of a plurality of tasks are provided. The method may comprise storing at least one care plan in a voice assistant, the care plan defining a plurality of tasks to be performed, capturing speech input from the user, determining, from the speech input, a selected interaction with a care plan, and in response to the selected interaction, providing a speech dialog with the user reflective of the care plan. Alternatively, the method may comprise capturing speech input from a user, determining from the speech input, a first weight associated with a resident, associating the first weight with a care plan in turn associated with the resident, comparing the first weight to a second weight associated with the resident and the care plan, and providing a speech dialog regarding reweighting the resident based on the comparison. |
| US08255223B2 |
User authentication by combining speaker verification and reverse turing test
Methods and system for authenticating a user are disclosed. The present invention includes accessing a collection of personal information related to the user. The present invention also includes performing an authentication operation that is based on the collection of personal information. The authentication operation incorporates at least one dynamic component and prompts the user to give an audible utterance. The audible utterance is compared to a stored voiceprint. |
| US08255221B2 |
Generating a web podcast interview by selecting interview voices through text-to-speech synthesis
Disclosed is a system and method for generating a web podcast interview that allows a single user to create his own multi-voices interview from his computer. The method allows the user to enter a set of questions from a text file using a text editor. (Answers may also be entered from a text file although this is not the more preferred embodiment.) For each question, the user may select one particular interviewer voice among a plurality of predefined interviewer voices, and by using a text-to-speech module in a text-to-speech server, each question is converted into an audio question having the selected interviewer voice. Then, the user preferably records answers to each audio question using a telephone. And a questions/answers sequence in a podcast compliant format is generated. |
| US08255217B2 |
Systems and methods for creating and using geo-centric language models
Systems and methods for creating and using geo-centric language models are provided herein. An exemplary method includes assigning each of a plurality of listings to a local service area, determining a geographic center for the local service area, computing a listing density for the local service area, and selecting a desired number of listings for a geo-centric listing set. The geo-centric listing set includes a subset of the plurality of listings. The exemplary method further includes dividing the local service area into regions based upon the listing density and the number of listings in the geo-centric listing set, and building a language model for the geo-centric listing set. |
| US08255215B2 |
Method and apparatus for locating speech keyword and speech recognition system
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for locating a keyword of a speech and a speech recognition system. The method includes the steps of: by extracting feature parameters from frames constituting the recognition target speech, forming a feature parameter vector sequence that represents the recognition target speech; by normalizing of the feature parameter vector sequence with use of a codebook containing a plurality of codebook vectors, obtaining a feature trace of the recognition target speech in a vector space; and specifying the position of a keyword by matching prestored keyword template traces with the feature trace. According to the present invention, a keyword template trace and a feature space trace of a recognition target speech are drawn in accordance with an identical codebook. This causes resampling to be unnecessary in performing linear movement matching of speech wave frames having similar phonological feature structures. This makes it possible to improve the speed of location and recognition while ensuring the precision of recognition. |
| US08255208B2 |
Codebook segment merging
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for merging entropy codebook application ranges within an audio signal. According to one embodiment, an audio signal is obtained, the audio signal including quantization indexes, identification of segments of said quantization indexes, and indexes of entropy codebooks that have been assigned to such segments, with a single entropy codebook index having been assigned to each said segment; potential merging operations in which specified segments potentially would be merged with each other are identified; bit penalties are estimated for the potential merging operations; then, the potential merging operation having the lowest estimated the penalty is performed. |
| US08255198B2 |
Method and structure to develop a test program for semiconductor integrated circuits
Test program development for a semiconductor test system, such as automated test equipment (ATE), using object-oriented constructs is described. The invention provides a method for describing test system resources, test system configuration, module configuration, test sequence, test plan, test condition, test pattern, and timing information in general-purpose object-oriented constructs, e.g., C++ objects and classes. In particular, the modularity of program development is suitable for developing test programs for an open architecture semiconductor test system. |
| US08255197B2 |
Simulation of tuning effects for a servo driven mechatronic system
A servo driven mechatronic system simulator and analyzer utilizing preconfigured motion equipment profile databases to predict the behavior of a motion system based on a user selected configuration. The user can adjust the parameters and rerun the simulation and analysis many times in an efficient manner until the optimum operating conditions of the desired system are reached. The user can then archive the system design and implement the system with a greater level of confidence in the ability of the design to meet the requirements of the application. |
| US08255188B2 |
Fast low frequency jitter rejection methodology
Disclosed is a system and related methodology for providing fast low frequency jitter rejection in the measurement of signals under test. A signal under test may be sampled alternately with a reference signal under similar conditions. The resulting sampled signal blocks may then be processed to subtract the known calibrated value of the reference signal from the average signal under test. |
| US08255187B2 |
Remote monitoring diagnostic system
Disclosed is a remote monitoring diagnostic system in which a center and monitoring diagnostic units of a number of objects to be monitored are connected by a network. The center includes an algorithm forming unit for forming algorithms for monitoring, diagnosing, and operating each object to be monitored, a program group formation unit for forming monitoring, diagnostic, and operational programs from these algorithms, a transmitter for transmitting the programs in response to a request from the monitoring diagnostic unit, and a unit for forming information concerning prevention/maintenance form a diagnostic result and monitoring data from the monitoring diagnostic unit of each object to be monitored. The monitoring diagnostic unit of each object to be monitored includes a mobile program execution processor for executing the corresponding object to be monitored, and a transmitter for transmitting monitoring data to the center. |
| US08255181B2 |
Correcting tilt-induced cyclic variations in signals from radially arrayed spectrophotometer sensors
A correction algorithm may be applied for correcting misalignment of a radially-aligned array of sensors. Due to the tilt, signals from sensors that are further away from the media, may become slightly attenuated, while signals from sensors that are closer to the media are slightly increased. The error appears periodic and largely sinusoidal in nature around the array given the circular nature of the array of sensor elements. The algorithm determines the magnitude and phase of a sinusoidal function that best fits the wavelength data. In one embodiment, a discrete Fourier transform may be performed at the ‘frequency’ equivalent to one period around the array to determine the magnitude and phase estimate thereof. Then, a sinusoidal correction function may be generated using the magnitude and the phase in order to correct the reflectance data. |
| US08255179B2 |
Time qualified frequency mask trigger
A time qualified frequency mask trigger triggers on signals that violate a frequency mask for at least a specified time duration. A frame of digital data representing an input signal is transformed into a frequency spectrum having at least one frequency bin, with each frequency bin having a power amplitude value. A trigger signal is generated when any of the power amplitude values violates an associated reference power level for at least a specified time duration. |
| US08255178B2 |
Method for detecting statuses of components of semiconductor equipment and associated apparatus
An apparatus for detecting an operational status of a semiconductor equipment includes an audio frequency signal receiving unit and an analysis and determination unit. The audio frequency signal receiving unit is used for receiving an audio frequency signal from the semiconductor equipment while the semiconductor equipment is working. The analysis and determination unit is used for analyzing the audio frequency signal to determine statuses of components of the semiconductor equipment. |
| US08255177B2 |
System and method for calibrating oscillograph channels
A system and method for calibrating oscillograph channels assigns the same value to a drawing parameter of each channel. Each channel receives a signal sent by a signal generator. The oscillograph calculates a voltage difference between a standard signal voltage of a standard channel defined by a user and a signal voltage of each of the other channels. A sequence relationship between each of the other channels and the standard channel is determined. The oscillograph adjusts a deskew value of each of the other channels until each voltage difference is in an allowable range according to the sequence relationship. |
| US08255176B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring deterioration of a rechargeable battery
Systems and methods are provided for monitoring the deterioration of a rechargeable battery. A battery monitoring system may be used to store charging information, discharge information and storage information for a rechargeable battery to a data store. The charging information may include a number of charge cycles incurred by the rechargeable battery. The discharge information may include a number discharge cycles incurred by the rechargeable battery. The storage information may include information relating to periods when the rechargeable battery is not being actively charged or discharged. The battery monitoring system may be further used to determine an amount of deterioration of a battery performance characteristic based on the stored charging information, discharge information and storage information. |
| US08255171B2 |
Method and systems for estimating remaining service life of a component subject to stress
A method for determining when a ceramic component on a platform should be replaced. The method includes determining parameters for the ceramic component, the parameters include empirically determined a critical stress intensity factor, and a geometry factor for the ceramic component. The method also includes determining a relationship between platform operational parameters to the generation of stress at the surface of interest of the ceramic component, determining an initial crack size of a crack within the ceramic component at installation, tracking operational parameters of the platform throughout a course of usage of the ceramic component, calculating the corresponding stress at the crack location due to the tracked operational parameters, and calculating a numerical solution that illustrates a crack growth rate velocity and tracks a size of the crack over time. The ceramic component is replaced based on the crack growth rate velocity and the size of the crack. |
| US08255169B2 |
Binning and tomography for high spatial resolution temperature and species concentration measurements
A method of absorption spectroscopy including obtaining absorption data at multiple wavelengths along more than one line-of-sight path through a quantity of gas of interest. The method further includes identifying more than one temperature and gas species concentration bin along the multiple line-of-sight paths and creating a map of temperature and gas species concentration. The map thus created will have at least two-dimensional information derived from select temperature and gas species concentration bins identified along more than one line-of-sight path. Apparatus for implementing the above method is also disclosed. |
| US08255161B2 |
System and method of auto-calibration of inertial sensors
A system comprises at least one inertial sensor operable to provide inertial sensor data during a trip; a processing unit coupled to the at least one inertial sensor, the processing unit operable to calculate navigation data based on the inertial sensor data and to estimate error in the inertial sensor data, wherein the processing unit is further operable to adjust subsequent inertial sensor data received during the trip from the at least one inertial sensor in order to compensate for the estimated error; and a memory coupled to the navigation unit and operable to store data between power cycles; wherein the processing unit is further operable to calculate a current trip error estimate from a plurality of error estimates during the trip and to estimate a repeatability error component based on the current trip error estimate and previous trip error estimates stored in the memory; wherein the repeatability error component is stored in the memory, the processing unit being further operable to update inertial sensor data during a subsequent trip based on the repeatability error component. |
| US08255160B2 |
Integrated mobile terminal navigation
A navigation system is described which includes a mobile terminal 100 which has a transmission source receiver 204 for receiving the signals from one or more unsynchronised terrestrial transmission sources 102-105 and a satellite positioning receiver 200 for receiving signals from the satellite or satellites 107-110 of a satellite positioning system. The terminal also has a clock 208. A processor 209 is arranged to acquire a measurement vector having a list of values, each value representing a measurement made by a receiver 200,204, and the terminal clock's bias. It computes a state vector representing the current state of the system, using a previously-determined state vector, the measurement vector, and a dynamic model in order to derive a dynamic navigation solution. The elements of the state vector include (a) in one or more dimensions at least position information of the terminal 100; (b) representations of the bias of the clocks associated with the unsynchronised terrestrial transmission sources 102-105 relative to a given time; (c) the bias of the terminal clock 208; (d) quality indicators indicating the error associated with elements of (a) to (c); and (e) linking indicators indicating the dependency of elements in (a) to (c) on others of those elements. |
| US08255159B1 |
Transit payment and handset navigation integration
A mobile electronic device is disclosed. The mobile electronic device comprises a near-field-communications receiver and an application. The near-field-communication transceiver receives identification information from at least one of a transit vehicle and a transit platform. The application, when executed on the mobile electronic device, receives a transit destination as entered into the mobile electronic device. Based on the identification information and a transit system route map, the application presents a notification on the mobile electronic device that the identification information does not agree with the transit destination. |
| US08255157B2 |
Navigation device and method of controlling navigation device
A navigation device that can easily select information matched with user's favorite or intention from information on many stores and facilities is provided. In a car navigation device 1 for performing a route guidance of a moving object, plural symbols featured by individualities are displayed on a display panel 2, and when any one of the plural displayed symbols is selected, sightseeing information relevant to the individuality of the selected symbol is selected from the sightseeing facilities data base 31, and the selected sightseeing information is displayed on the display panel 2. |
| US08255153B2 |
Automatic alerting method and system for aerial vehicle target tracking
This invention provides a system and method for automatically inferring when a target that is being tracked by an aerial vehicle is doing something significant (e.g. stopping suddenly, changing direction quickly or getting out of track view), and consequently alerting an operator. The alerting system also provides a classification of what the target is doing. It frees the operator from continuously monitoring the imagery stream so the operator can perform other tasks. |
| US08255151B2 |
Method and system for providing environmentally-optimized navigation routes
A method (500) and navigation system (100) are provided that generate a navigation route that is environmentally optimized between an origin and destination. Upon receiving an origination location and destination from a user or other source, such as a GPS satellite (104), a route determination module (302) determines multiple routes between the origination location and destination. An environmental analysis module (301) then processes each route to determine an environmental impact value. An evaluation module (303) then can selects a proposed route for presentation to the user via a presentation module (304). Alternatively, the evaluation module (303) may select two or more routes, which the presentation module (304) may present with corresponding environmental impact data such that the user may select a particular route. Additionally, a green coach module (306) may provide instructions to the user for more environmentally beneficial operation of a vehicle (102). |
| US08255149B2 |
System and method for dual-mode location determination
A geographic tracking system with minimal power and size required at the mobile terminal collects observation data at the mobile terminal, forwards the data to a processor, which calculates the position. The mobile terminal needs only to gather a few milliseconds of observation data, and to relay this observation data to the processor. In one embodiment, the observation data is communicated to the processor using either a satellite communication network or through a mobile telephone network. |
| US08255148B2 |
Method and device for optimizing the flight of an aircraft
The invention relates to a method for optimizing the flight of an aircraft comprising a flight management system, the said flight management system using a first cost index (CI1) and calculating a first speed setpoint (V1) on the basis of the first cost index (CI1), the said flight management system calculating (11), furthermore, a first prediction of remaining flight time (T1) and a first prediction of fuel consumption (EFOB1) on the basis of the first speed, the said method being characterized in that it comprises, furthermore, the following steps: the selection of a second cost index (CI2), the calculation (12) by the flight management system of a second speed setpoint (V2) on the basis of the second cost index (CI2), of a second prediction of remaining flight time (T2) and of a second prediction of consumption (EFOB2) on the basis of the second speed (V2), the calculation (13) of a discrepancy (ΔV) between the first and the second speed, of a discrepancy (ΔT) between the first prediction of remaining flight time and the second prediction of remaining flight time and of a discrepancy (ΔEFOB) between the first and the second prediction of consumption, the displaying (14) of the discrepancies (ΔV,ΔT,ΔEFOB) calculated in the previous step. The invention allows vice versa the calculation and the consideration of a CI on the basis of the speed entered. |
| US08255147B2 |
Air traffic control
An air traffic control system includes a trajectory prediction module for calculating a trajectory for each aircraft, for inputting aircraft detected position data, and for recalculating the trajectories based on said position data, and a conflict detector for detecting, based on the trajectories, future circumstances under which pairs of aircraft violate predetermined proximity tests, and for causing a display on the display device indicating said circumstances. The systems uses a first proximity test and a second, more restrictive, proximity test; and displays a symbol representing pairs of aircraft which violate the second test in a first mode, and those which violate the first set but not the second set in a second mode. |
| US08255145B2 |
Travel time calculation server, a travel time calculating apparatus used for a vehicle and a travel time calculation system
A travel time calculation server is provided which comprises: a probe data reception part 31 configured to receive travel time data of an intersection node 6 through which a vehicle 3 passes as well as a traffic event of each of links 1-4 connecting to the intersection node; and a right and left turn cost generating part 33 configured to store a table, which stores the travel time data of the intersection node 6 associated with combinations of traffic events of the links 1-4, in storage means 35. |
| US08255143B2 |
Diagnostic systems and methods for sensors in homogenous charge compression ignition engine systems
An engine control system for a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine includes an airflow determination module and a sensor diagnostic module. The airflow determination module generates a first plurality of estimates of airflow into the HCCI engine when the HCCI engine is operating in a first combustion mode, wherein the first plurality of estimates are based on an intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP), a mass air flow (MAF) rate, and a camshaft position. The sensor diagnostic module determines a state of at least one of a first plurality of sensors based on a predetermined threshold and differences between one of the first plurality of estimates and others of the first plurality of estimates, wherein the first plurality of sensors includes a MAP sensor, a MAF sensor, and a camshaft sensor. |
| US08255140B2 |
Thermal-protection based engine performance enhancement
An engine control module includes a power module and a turbine temperature module. The power module controls engine power output based on a turbine temperature. The turbine temperature module determines the turbine temperature based on a turbine inlet temperature. The power module decreases the engine power output when the turbine temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold temperature. |
| US08255139B2 |
Method to include fast torque actuators in the driver pedal scaling for conventional powertrains
An engine control system comprises a pedal torque determination module, a driver interpretation module, and an actuation module. The pedal torque determination module determines a zero pedal torque based on a desired engine torque at a zero accelerator pedal position and a minimum torque limit for an engine system. The driver interpretation module determines a driver pedal torque based on the zero pedal torque and an accelerator pedal position. The actuation module controls at least one of a throttle area, spark timing, and a fuel command based on the driver pedal torque. |
| US08255138B2 |
Method for starting a motor vehicle on an inclined route
A method for starting a motor vehicle, which is held at a standstill on an inclined route by a brake force which is maintained independently of the driver, after a predetermined holding time has elapsed gradually reduces the brake force which is generated independently of the driver, to put the motor vehicle into motion, and then controls the movement of the motor vehicle, corresponding to a preset course. |
| US08255136B2 |
Method and arrangement for running in and calibrating an electromechanical parking brake system
A method and arrangement for running in and calibrating an electromechanical parking brake system (EPB) has at least one brake mechanism unit (BME) and at least one control device (SG), the actuation of the brake mechanism unit (BME) being controlled by a control routine (SR) provided in the control device (SG). The electromechanical parking brake system (EPB) is advantageously run in by at least one running-in routine (EFR) and/or calibrated by at least one calibration routine (KRR), the running-in routine (EFR) and/or the calibration routine (KRR) checking for the existence of at least one safety-critical condition (SB) and/or the existence of at least one system error (SF) before and/or during the running-in operation and/or calibration operation and in dependence thereon the running-in operation and/or calibration operation is continued or terminated. |
| US08255134B2 |
Adaptive cruise control downshift request systems for manual transmission vehicles
An adaptive cruise control system for a vehicle includes a deceleration module, a downshift trigger module, and a shift module. The deceleration module determines a deceleration rate based on a speed of at least one of the vehicle and an engine of the vehicle. The downshift trigger module generates a threshold signal based on the deceleration rate. The shift module generates a downshift signal when the speed is less than the threshold signal and while the vehicle is operating in a manual transmission mode. |
| US08255133B2 |
Shift timing indicator system for vehicular manual transmission
An improper gear shift timing indicator system for a manual transmission vehicle. The system includes a gear position detector for detecting gear position information and a control unit in communication with the gear position detector. The control unit is configured to detect a gear shift event based on a change in the gear position information. The control unit measures elapsed time during the gear shift event and compares the elapsed time with a threshold value, which is based on various vehicle operating parameters and the given gear shift event. A signal system is in communication with the control unit and the control unit causes the signal system to provide a signal to a driver of the vehicle when the elapsed time of the gear shift event is less than the threshold value. |
| US08255125B2 |
Control unit for earth moving equipment and the similar
Earth moving equipment and other heavy machinery for environmentally harsh conditions are controlled by a control panel supplied with a lock, and such panels are frequently removable to prevent theft or unauthorized operation. The interface is in the form of a plug-and-socket, the parts of which have to be sealed against dust and humidity when not interfacing. In order to prevent wear and to assure reliable control, according to the invention, no part of the connection between the control panel and a receptable is galvanic, the power supply for the control panel is wireless, such as inductive or optical, while communications may occur by means of a two-way radio protocol or by optical means. |
| US08255123B2 |
Apparatus and method for positioning a movable component of a motor actuated device
An apparatus and method are disclosed for positioning a movable component of a motor actuated device. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a speech sensor for receiving speech input provided by a user of the device, and a force sensor for measuring a force input provided by the device user. The apparatus further includes a controller coupled to the speech sensor, the force sensor, and the motor actuated vehicle accessory, where the controller is operable to position the movable component in accordance with the received speech input and the measured force input. Exemplary embodiments are presented where the principles of the disclosure are applied to adjust the positioning of movable components of an adjustable pedal assembly and a vehicle power seat. |
| US08255117B2 |
Vehicle control system with advanced tire monitoring
A control system (11) for a vehicle (10) includes vehicle dynamics sensors (35-47) providing a vehicle dynamics signal. Tire monitoring system sensors (20) in each wheel generate tire signals including temperature, pressure and acceleration data. A controller (26) communicates with the tire monitoring system sensors (20) and at least one vehicle dynamics sensor, and generates a suspension value as a function of the multi-axis acceleration data of the tire signals. The suspension value is transmitted to a suspension control system (33) to adjust the vehicle suspension characteristics in response to the suspension value. |
| US08255114B2 |
Method and measuring system for determining a wheel load
A method and a measuring system determine a wheel load. These involve measuring a deformation of a tire and using a set of equations and equation parameters to calculate from the deformation the wheel load acting on the tire. In addition, a wheel load or a variable dependent on the load, which is used to calculate the wheel load, is received from an external system. Finally, the two wheel loads determined in different ways are compared, and the equations and/or equation parameters are adapted on the basis of the comparison. |
| US08255107B2 |
Traveling control method, medium, and apparatus for autonomous navigation
A traveling control method, medium, and apparatus for autonomous navigation. The traveling control method of controlling an autonomous navigation machine, having at least on the right and left sides thereof at least first and second receivers that receive a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter disposed at a specific position in a traveling area, the method includes allowing at least one of the first and second receivers to receive the radio signal, recognizing a command included in the received radio signal, acquiring data indicating a size of a recognizable area reached by the radio signal and a position of the transmitter while the autonomous navigation machine moves along the border of the recognizable area, and executing the recognized command in the recognizable area. |
| US08255102B2 |
Steering unit for a steer-by-wire ship's control system and method for operating the steering unit
A steering unit (1), for a steer-by-wire ship control system, comprises a steering wheel (3), a controller (11) that is connected to the electronic controller of the ship control system (ECU) via a CAN bus, a sensor (10) for detecting an angular position of the steering wheel (3), and a unit for generating mechanical resistance in the steering wheel (3), in which the unit for generating mechanical resistance in the steering wheel (3) is an electric motor (8) and the shaft (2) of the steering wheel (3), that is rotationally fixed to the steering wheel (3), is rotationally fixed to the rotor (7) of the electric motor (6), and the stator (8) of the electric motor (6) is rotationally fixed to the housing (5) of the electric motor (6). |
| US08255100B2 |
Data-driven anomaly detection to anticipate flight deck effects
A method for data-driven anomaly detection may include monitoring a plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of subsystems of a system. The method may also include collecting data corresponding to each of the plurality of parameters from the plurality of subsystems and generating monitoring quantities based on the data. The method may also include determining if any quantities in the monitoring quantities exceed a predetermined limit. A contribution plot may be generated corresponding to each of the parameters in response to any of the quantities exceeding the predetermined limit. The method may further include determining which parameter is likely to cause an effect based on the contribution plot. |
| US08255097B1 |
System and method for managing maintenance activities
A system and method for managing maintenance activities such as, for example, aircraft maintenance activities, according to which, in several exemplary embodiments, aircraft maintenance requirements are monitored and/or aircraft maintenance resources are assigned. |
| US08255093B2 |
Kit to adapt an automotive vehicle for remote operation, automotive remote control conversion pedestal, and system
Embodiments of a kit, automotive control pedestal and system to adapt an automotive vehicle for remote operation are disclosed. The pedestal mounts in place of a driver's seat of the vehicle to allow both human and remote operation of the vehicle. The kit includes the pedestal with a steering servo, a hydraulic brake servo, a throttle control servo, and a gear-selection linear actuator mounted thereon. The kit may also include a control system and a video transmission system for remote operation. |
| US08255091B2 |
Temperature control circuit
A temperature control circuit includes a microprocessor, a temperature detecting module, and a heating module. The temperature detecting module includes a thermistor and a first switch. The thermistor is operable to sense a temperature to turn on or off the first switch for outputting a detection signal to the microprocessor. The heating module includes a heater and a second switch. The microprocessor controls the second switch to turn on or off for making the heater works or stop working according to the detection signal. |
| US08255089B2 |
Multiple volatile material dispensing device and operating methodologies therefore
A dispensing device includes a controller and first and second actuators coupled to the controller and adapted to actuate first and second containers, respectively, to dispense volatile material therefrom. The device further includes a sensor coupled to the controller for detecting an environmental condition. The controller is configured to operate in a first period during which the first and second actuators are inactive, in a second period during which the first actuator is controlled to periodically actuate the first container at a first frequency to dispense volatile material therefrom, and in a third period during which the second actuator is controlled to periodically actuate the second container at a second frequency to dispense volatile material therefrom. If the sensor has detected the environmental condition, the controller is configured to control the first and/or second actuators to periodically actuate the first and/or second containers, respectively, during a fourth period at a third frequency different than the first and second frequencies to dispense volatile material therefrom. |
| US08255082B2 |
Method for teaching carrier means, storage medium and substrate processing apparatus
The present invention is intended to achieve more accurate and facilitated positioning of a carrier onto a table, in a substrate processing apparatus configured for placing the carrier storing multiple sheets of wafers therein, on the table, by using a carrier arm. Before the carrier is actually carried by the carrier arm, a carrier jig having the same shape as the carrier is held by a holding part provided to the carrier arm. The carrier jig is provided with a camera, such that a central position of a region of an image taken by the camera will be coincident with a central position of an opening formed in the table, if the carrier jig is accurately located in an ideal position above the table. First, the carrier arm is actuated to move the holding part of the carrier arm to a preset lowering start position. Then, the image of the region including the opening is taken by the camera. Thereafter, a distance between the central position of the opening and the central position of the region of the image taken by the camera is calculated, so as to obtain an amount of a positional shift, in a horizontal direction, between the preset lowering start position and the ideal position. Consequently, the lowering start position of the holding part is corrected, by using the so-obtained amount of the positional shift as a correction value. Finally, the carrier is placed on the table, based on the so-corrected lowering start position. |
| US08255081B2 |
Apparatus and method for calculating position of robot
Provided are an apparatus and method of calculating the position of a robot, which determine the position of a robot and create a map of the surroundings of the robot which account for the travel state of the robot. The apparatus includes a state variable calculation module which calculates a plurality of state variables regarding a travel state of the robot by using a plurality of Kalman filters; a travel state determination module which determines the travel state of the robot based on the results of the calculation performed by the state variable calculation module; and a state variable update module which updates the state variables according to the result of the determination performed by the travel state determination module. |
| US08255076B2 |
CAM system and method
To provide a CAM system and method which can facilitate change of a machining posture and a machining procedure, and can aid an operation of forming an optimum machining path. Machining features capable of being integrated into one are obtained and a machining procedure for the integrated machining feature is obtained. Based on the machining procedure, design data is converted to manufacturing data. The manufacturing data capable of machining the integrated machining feature together can be therefore obtained in contrast with the case of separately machining the individual machining features which constitute the integrated machining feature. |
| US08255074B2 |
Adaptation of a controller in a rolling mill based on the variation of an actual value of a rolling product
During operation of a rolling mill, a rolling product running through the mill is machined by a machining device which is controlled by a controller, to which a target and an actual value of the roll product are fed after machining. The controller determines based on the target and the actual value, in conjunction with controller characteristic, a controlled variable for the machining device and outputs the controlled variable to the machining device which machines the roll product according to the output controlled variable. A detection device receives the actual value after machining and a corresponding actual value of the mill product before machining. Based on the temporal profiles of the actual values, the device dynamically determines the controller characteristic such that the variance of the actual value at least tends to be minimized after machining. The device also parameterizes the controller according to the determined control characteristic. |
| US08255071B2 |
Method and system for forming a dental prosthesis
A system and method for use in constructing a prosthesis/complete restoration that obtains a digital dentition model, such as a 3D geometric surface model or a 3D volumetric image model, processes the digital dentition model to form a virtual model, forms a virtual mold including a digital prosthesis and/or complete restoration, and uses the virtual model to construct the prosthesis/complete restoration. Processing circuitry, such as a programmed server, can be used to obtain the digital dentition model and form the virtual mold. A rapid manufacturing device can be used to construct the prosthesis/complete restoration. |
| US08255069B2 |
Digital audio processor
A digital audio processor is described, wherein a graphical user interface is presented on the monitor of the processor to display user actionable control elements in a scene of a real world environment for creating and processing music; the graphical user interface is adapted to activate pre-set functions for generating and processing digital audio data in the digital audio processor for each of the user actionable control elements. |
| US08255065B2 |
Mobile function block for a PLC based distributed control system
Methods and architectures are described that provide function block mobility between PLCs. Each PLC configured with Mobile Function Blocks (MFBs) may forward and execute MFBs from each other. To enable MFB mobility over a communication bus, each PLC having one or more configured MFBs requires a Communication Function Block (CFB) and an MFB directory data block. Each PLC maintains an MFB directory data block to store its MFB directory which is used when other PLCs send requests to check the availability of MFBs they need to run new tasks. |
| US08255063B2 |
Intracardial electrode line and cardiac stimulator
The invention relates to an intracardial implantable electrode line for connection to an implantable medical device, in particular a cardiac pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator or the like, which has an acceleration sensor in the area of its distal end, which is implemented to record and differentiate acceleration values in at least two different directions. The invention additionally relates to a cardiac stimulation configuration which also has a cardiac stimulator in addition to such an electrode line. |
| US08255062B2 |
Left chamber pressure sensor lead delivery system
An apparatus for and method of measuring pressure through a septum in a patient's heart. A lead inserted into the right side of a heart is routed through the septum to gain access to the left side of the heart. The lead includes a mounting mechanism that secures the lead to one or both sides of the septal walls. The lead also includes one or more sensors for measuring cardiac pressure on the left side of the heart and, as necessary, the right side of the heart. |
| US08255053B2 |
Method and apparatus for question-based programming of cardiac rhythm management devices
A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system includes a programming device that identifies the device type of an implantable medical device, selects a predetermined questioning sequence based on the device type, and interacts with a user through a user interface screen by conducting a question-and-answer session according to the predetermined questioning sequence. After displaying a question and receiving an answer to the question, the programming device sets one or more programmable parameter values and/or displays a follow-up question in response to the answer. The programming device also allows the user to enter one or more programmable parameter values directly during or after the question-and-answer session. The implantable medical device is programmed to operate in one or more operational modes based on at least the answers received from the user during the question-and-answer session and the parameter values entered by the user, if any. |
| US08255050B2 |
Catheter to assist the performance of a heart
In a catheter (2) to assist the performance of a heart (1) with at least one pump (7), the pump is formed as a rotary pump at the distal end of the catheter (2), the rotor (6) lying distally on the outer side being coupled via a magneto coupling with a drive wheel (21), formed as a hydraulically or pneumatically operated paddle wheel, arranged inside the catheter (2). The driving fluid is supplied to the paddle wheel via a lumen (22) of the catheter (2) and is carried off via a further lumen (23) of the catheter. |
| US08255049B2 |
Method and device for providing anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy
Various system embodiments comprise at least one sensor input adapted to receive at least one sensed signal associated with a tachyarrhythmia, a feature set extractor adapted to extract at least two features from the at least one sensed signal associated with the tachyarrhythmia, a feature set generator adapted to form a feature set using the at least two features extracted by the feature set extractor, at least one generator adapted for use to selectively apply an anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) therapy and a neural stimulation (NS) therapy, and a controller adapted to respond to the feature set. The controller is adapted to initiate the NS therapy when the feature set corresponds to criteria for applying the NS therapy to modify the tachyarrhythmia, and initiate the ATP therapy to terminate the modified tachyarrhythmia. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. |
| US08255048B2 |
Circuit for controlled commutation of multiplexed electrodes for an active implantable medical device
A circuit for controlled commutation of multiplexed electrodes, for an active implantable medical device. This circuit is located in a lead equipped with multiplexed sensing/pacing electrodes. This circuit decodes a signal generated by a generator, commanding a series of switches, which ensures selective coupling of the various electrodes to the proximal and distal terminals of the generator. This signal is a modulated signal comprising a coded series of logic pulses defining a particular configuration for coupling the lead electrodes to the proximal or distal terminal of the generator. The signal comprises a micropulse, that precedes the coded series of logic pulses and has an amplitude and duration lower than the amplitude and duration of each of the logic pulses. The detection of this micropulse activates, in response, all the circuit switches to an open position over a duration (PHASE 1) at least equal to the duration of reception of the coded series of logic pulses. |
| US08255047B1 |
Cardiac pacing system with improved physiological event classification and heart monitoring based on DSP
There is provided an implantable cardiac pacing system or other cardiac monitoring system having an enhanced capability to classify intracardiac signals through a combination of DSP techniques and software algorithms. The implantable device has one or more DSP channels corresponding to different signals which are being monitored. Each DSP channel most preferably amplifies the incoming signal, converts the signal from analog to digital form, digitally filters the converted signals to provide a filtered signal, operates on the filtered signal to provide a slope signal, determines from the filtered and slope signals when an intracardiac event has been detected, signal processes the filtered and slope signals for a predetermined analysis interval after threshold crossing, and generates a plurality of wave parameters corresponding to the signal. The generated wave parameters are further operated on by a programmable algorithm to classify the detected event based upon DSP-generated parameters, and then monitor or detect the onset, development or presence of an undesired heart condition in a patient. The system may further provide for the delivery of treatment, storage of intracardiac data, or provision of a warning to a patient or physician in response to the detection of such a heart condition. |
| US08255045B2 |
Neurophysiologic monitoring system
The present invention relates to a system and methods generally aimed at surgery. More particularly, the present invention is directed at a system and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments involving the use of neurophysiology. |
| US08255044B2 |
System and methods for performing dynamic pedicle integrity assessments
The present invention involves systems and related methods for performing dynamic pedicle integrity assessments involving the use of neurophysiology. |
| US08255043B2 |
Methods and systems for analyzing T-wave alternans
Embodiments of the present invention relate to implantable systems, and methods for use therein, that can detect T-wave alternans and analyze the detected alternans to provide information regarding cardiac instabilities and predict impending arrhythmias. |
| US08255031B2 |
Analyte monitoring device and methods of use
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor. |
| US08255029B2 |
Method of analyzing and processing signals
A physiological measurement system is disclosed which can take a pulse oximetry signal such as a photoplethysmogram from a patient and then analyse the signal to measure physiological parameters including respiration, pulse, oxygen saturation and movement. The system can be used as a general monitor, or more specifically, to for infant or adult apnea, and to guard against sudden infant death syndrome. The system comprises a pulse oximeter which includes a light emitting device and a photodetector attachable to a subject to obtain a pulse oximetry signal; analogue to digital converter means arranged to convert said pulse oximetry signal into a digital pulse oximetry signal; signal processing means suitable to receive said digital pulse oximetry signal and arranged to decompose that signal by wavelet transform means; feature extraction means arranged to derive physiological information from the decomposed signal; an analyser component arranged to collect information from the feature extraction means; and data output means arranged in communication with the analyser component. |
| US08255028B2 |
Physiological monitor
A patient monitor has multiple sensors adapted to attach to tissue sites of a living subject. The sensors generate sensor signals that are responsive to at least two wavelengths of optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood within the tissue sites. A patient monitor uses the plurality of signals to reduce the effects of noise. |
| US08255025B2 |
Bronchial or tracheal tissular water content sensor and system
The disclosure provides a sensor system for detecting bronchial tissular water content including at least a sensor, a connector, and a monitor. The sensor generates a signal, which may be carried by the connector to the monitor, which generates an output corresponding to the signal. The disclosure additionally provides a sensor for detecting bronchial or tracheal tissular water content including at least a signal generator. The sensor may also include at least a segment of a connector. The disclosure also provides a method of measuring bronchial or tracheal tissular water content by inserting a sensor into an airway of a subject, such as a human, until it becomes lodged in a bronchus or the trachea, then measuring bronchial or tracheal tissular water content using the sensor. |
| US08255023B2 |
Cryostat having a magnet coil system, which comprises an LTS section and an encapsulated HTS section
A cryostat (1) with a magnet coil system including superconductors for the production of a magnet field B0 in a measuring volume (3) has a plurality of radially nested solenoid-shaped coil sections (4, 5, 6) and which are electrically connected in series, at least one of which being an LTS section (5, 6) with a conventional low temperature superconductor (LTS) and at least one of which being an HTS section (4) including a high temperature superconductor (HTS), wherein the magnet coil system is located in a helium tank (9) of the cryostat (1) along with liquid helium at a helium temperature TL. The apparatus is characterized in that a chamber (11) is provided within which the HTS sections (4) are held having an internal portion with a sufficiently low pressure such that helium located therein at a temperature of TL is gaseous. The cryostat in accordance with the invention can be utilized to maintain HTS coil sections over a long period of time in a reliable fashion. |
| US08255020B2 |
Rotatable cell phone
A rotatable cell phone includes a display unit, a main unit, a connecting unit, and a signal transmitting unit. The display unit includes a top housing defining a top recess. The main unit includes a bottom housing defining a bottom recess. The connecting unit includes a top assembly module detachably mounted in the top recess, a bottom assembly module detachably mounted in the bottom recess, and a pivot shaft rotatably connecting the top assembly module to the bottom assembly module. The pivot shaft defines an axial hole. The signal transmitting unit is received in the axial hole of the pivot shaft, and is configured for transmitting signals from the main unit to the display unit. |
| US08255019B2 |
Slidable portable electronic device
A slidable portable electronic device comprising a first cabinet and a second cabinet slidably coupled on a surface of the first cabinet, the first cabinet comprising at least one of an operating unit and a display unit provided on a surface of the first cabinet to be exposed when the second cabinet is slidingly moved in the opening direction, a through-hole formed extending to an inner space from a surface of the first cabinet that remains unexposed when the second cabinet is slidingly moved in the opening direction, a microphone having a sound collecting face and provided on the inner space side of the first cabinet, with the sound collecting face facing the through-hole, and a gap formed between the first cabinet and the second cabinet and communicating with the through-hole. |
| US08255013B1 |
Audio receiver design for a mobile computing device
Various embodiments of an audio receiver design for a mobile computing device are described. The mobile computing device may comprise an audio receiver structured and arranged to port to the rear of the mobile computing device. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device may be implemented as a dual-mode Global System for Mobile Communications/Universal Mobile Telephone System (GSM/UMTS) quad-band device. The mobile computing device also may comprise a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna for providing positioning determination capabilities and location-based services. In various implementations, the audio receiver may be ported to an in-vehicle system, such as an onboard entertainment system, navigation system, and/or communications system. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08255012B2 |
Mobile phone and status control method thereof
A mobile phone and a status control method adapted for the mobile phone are provided. The mobile phone communicates with a wireless network, such as GPRS. The mobile phone includes a data reception unit, a processing unit, and a storage unit. The processing unit records a start time and a stop time of each event which defines the running of an application program when data reception unit transfers data packet of the application program, and calculates an average interval time of the application program, and stores the average interval time. When a waiting time reaches the average interval time of the application program in the ready state, the mobile phone enters the standby state in advance, and thus the mobile phone does not need send updated location information to the SGSN and saves a lot of power. |
| US08255011B2 |
Mobile communication device and communication method
A mobile communication device includes a processor; a data acquisition device for acquiring data and providing it to the processor; a transceiver for transmitting at least some of the acquired data to an external device; and a low-power clock. The low-power clock counts down a random delay time period and temporarily shifts the processor and the transceiver from low-power sleep modes to active wake modes so that the processor and transceiver can transmit at least some of the acquired data to the external device while in their active wake modes. |
| US08255009B2 |
Radio frequency communications circuitry with power supply voltage and gain control
Portable electronic devices are provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more sets of radio-frequency power amplifiers. The radio-frequency power amplifiers are used to amplify radio-frequency signals that are transmitted by the portable electronic devices. Each power amplifier may have multiple gain mode settings. Gain stages within the power amplifiers may be selectively enabled in accordance with the gain mode settings. When a higher level of gain is required, all of the gain stages may be enabled. When a lower level of gain is required, some of the gain stages may be disabled to conserve power. An adjustable power supply may be used to provide an adjustable power supply voltage to the power amplifiers. The adjustable power supply voltage can be reduced when it is desired to minimize power consumption at a particular gain mode setting. Gain mode and power supply settings may be adjusted simultaneously. |
| US08255007B2 |
In-vehicle handsfree apparatus
An in-vehicle handsfree apparatus connects a handsfree profile (HFP) with a cellular phone, and then connects a service discovery profile (SDF) with the cellular phone to thereby designate a compliance state of the cellular phone with respect to a phone book access profile (PBAP) as a PBAP compliance flag. Then, when a user performs an operation to require an all item transfer to transfer all items of phone book data registered in the cellular phone, the handsfree apparatus refers to the PBAP compliance flag to thereby select and connect either the PBAP or an object push profile (OPP) with the cellular phone. |
| US08255004B2 |
Methods and systems for communicating using variable temperature control
Information can be communicated by a temperature change of a communication device equipped with one or more temperature modifying elements. A processor configured by software determines when a temperature change should be generated and accomplishes such a change by controlling the application of power to the temperature modifying element(s). The temperature modifying elements may be electric resistance heating elements, thermoelectric elements, or other elements. Users perceive the temperature change produced by the temperature modifying element(s) when they touch the device. Depending on user settings, the temperature change may communicate specific information to the user. For example, a temperature change may convey information regarding the importance of an incoming telephone call, e-mail message or SMS message, or the importance of an impending calendar event. Using temperature as a communication medium allows the communication device to convey information to a user being notice by others. |
| US08255003B2 |
Missed telephone call management for a portable multifunction device
In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device with a touch screen display. A list of items comprising missed telephone calls is displayed. Upon detecting user selection of an item in the list, contact information is displayed for a respective caller corresponding to the user selected item. The displayed contact information includes a plurality of contact objects that include a first contact object, comprising a telephone number object having a first telephone number associated with the missed telephone call, and a second contact object. Upon detecting user selection of the second contact object, a communication with the respective caller is initiated via a modality corresponding to the second contact object. |
| US08255001B2 |
Expedited communication key system and method
A method of performing expedited communication functions on a mobile device includes monitoring the duration-of key press on a keyboard of the mobile device and determining if the monitored duration of the key press is greater than a threshold duration. If the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be less than a threshold duration, then a primary key function associated with the pressed key is activated. If the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be greater than a threshold duration, then an expedited communication function associated with the pressed key is activated. |
| US08255000B2 |
Process for computing a frequency offset for a UMTS communication system based on the CPICH pilot signals
Process for computing an estimation of the frequency offset in a receiver for a UMTS communication network said receiver receives the signal transmitted by two antennas and including two Common Pilot CHannels (CPICH), said process involving the steps of separating the two signals by means of computation and computing the frequency offset on the base of the two separated signals |
| US08254999B2 |
Space-time precoding and associated feedback generation methods in multiple antenna systems
A quantized multi-rank beamforming scheme for multiple-antenna systems such as a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless downlink. User equipment (UE) estimates downlink channel and transmit power and determines rank and power allocations. A quantized beamforming matrix is then determined by the UE using successive beamforming. The UE also determines channel quality indices (CQI) which it feeds-back to the wireless downlink base station along with the index of the quantized beamforming matrix. The base station uses the CQI information to select a UE for scheduling of downlink transmission and the quantized beamforming matrix index received from the selected UE to beamform the downlink transmission to the UE. Base station overhead and is minimized while providing near-optimal performance given the constraints of a limited feed-back channel and computational complexity of the UE. |
| US08254997B2 |
Apparatus and method for 4-beamforming using radio units having two paths in wireless communication system
A base station is capable of performing 4-beamforming using Radio Units (RU), each having two paths in a wireless communication system. The base station includes a Digital Unit (DU), a first RU, and a second RU. The DU performs a mutual conversion function between an information bit line and a digital signal, calculates beamforming coefficients for 4-beamforming, and performs the 4-beamforming using the beamforming coefficients. The first RU has two Radio Frequency (RF) paths, extracts a clock signal from a digital signal from the DU, and provides the clock signal to the second RU. The second RU has two RF paths and operates according to the clock signal provided from the first RU. |
| US08254990B2 |
Hearing aid compatibility in a wireless communications device
A wireless communications device and method for providing an output signal. The device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device; a selection element connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection of several modes of output coupling for generating the output signal of the device; and, a processor connected to the control unit for processing a received signal with parameters selected according to a selected mode of output coupling. The several modes of output coupling correspond to several modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid. |
| US08254984B2 |
Speaker activation for mobile communication device
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a mobile communication device configured for operation in a first operating mode wherein a speaker function is off and a second operating mode wherein a speaker function is on. The mobile communication device includes a position sensor for detecting placement of the mobile communication device in a specified position and a controller for switching the mobile communication device between the first and second operating modes based on input from the position sensor. A method for speaker activation at a mobile communication device is also disclosed. |
| US08254981B2 |
Identifying radio access technology characteristics to mobile stations system and method
A method for granting a mobile station permission to attempt to identify a cell of a first radio access technology (RAT) while being served by a cell of a second RAT. The mobile station receives a list of neighbor cells of the second RAT. The list contains at least one identifying characteristic associated with at least one cell of the first RAT. The mobile station identifies at least one cell of the first RAT associated with the at least one identifying characteristic. |
| US08254978B2 |
Methods and systems for fast power control(FPC) message broadcasting in WiMAX systems
Methods and systems or broadcasting the fast power control message in wireless communications systems are provided. In certain embodiments, the methods and systems can include receiving Carrier to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (CINR) values from multiple mobile stations, determining a power adjustment value for each mobile station based on the CINR values, grouping the mobile stations based at least on the CINR values, and transmitting a fast power control message for each group with a different number of repetitions. |
| US08254976B2 |
Ranging collision elimination for group calls in a communication network
A network entity and method for eliminating ranging collisions for a group call in a communication network includes a step 300 of provisioning a pre-established rule for all members of a group, the rule including a common random number generator seed. A next step 302 includes initiating a group communication to subscriber units belonging to a group. A next step 304 includes generating a list of unique ranging codes for the members of the group using the common seed. A next step 306 includes each member of the group transmitting on its unique ranging code. |
| US08254971B1 |
System and method for determining an SMS message retransmission schedule
A system and method for determining an SMS retransmission schedule is provided. When a special error code is received by an SMSC, the SMSC can calculate the response time. The response time is the time that lapsed between forwarding the SMS message for delivery and receiving an error code. If the response time exceeds a response time threshold, the error code can be considered as falsely generated. A special retransmission schedule can be assigned to the SMS message. If the response time does not exceed a response time threshold, a different retransmission schedule can be assigned to the SMS message. |
| US08254967B1 |
Method and apparatus for differentiated paging channel selection
Disclosed is a method and apparatus to manage selection of a paging channel in a wireless communication system. When a mobile station powers on in a coverage area having multiple paging channels, the mobile station may apply a hashing algorithm keyed to the mobile station's identifier, to select a paging channel on which to idle. On the other hand, when the mobile station moves from a coverage area having a number of paging channels into a neighboring coverage area having a different number of paging channels, the mobile station may by rote idle on a default paging channel in the neighboring coverage area. In this way, the mobile station can help to avoid an access handoff failure that may arise from the mobile station being busy hashing onto a paging channel when the network transmits an access response message to the mobile station. |
| US08254966B2 |
System and method to modify wireless network calibration data
A system and method to re-calibrate an area of a wireless communications network that has been exposed to one or more network configuration changes is disclosed. When one or more attributes of the wireless network undergo a change which impairs the geo-location capability to locate a mobile station, it can be detrimental to the safety and well being of the network users. Geo-location calculations rely on accurate and updated calibration data to correctly locate a mobile station. In some instances, it may be necessary to update the calibration data for areas of the network that have been exposed to network configuration changes. Modifying previously collected calibration data to account for changes that have occurred in the network may increase the accuracy of mobile station location estimation. |
| US08254964B2 |
Method and arrangement relating to location based services for a communication device
A system and method may include receiving information about a movement of a device from a motion detector of the device, receiving information about ambient sound of the device from a sound receiving portion of the device, receiving information about position of the device, corresponding the movement to a particular type of movement that is distinguished from any and/or all other types of possible movements, corresponding the ambient sound to a specific sound, relating the specific movement and the specific sound to a particular event, and providing a location of the event to a user. |
| US08254958B2 |
Audible key locator system
A locating system for locating objects, such as, but not limited to, keys is disclosed. The locating system may include a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone. The locating system may also include a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device. The locator device may include a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal. In alternative configurations, the locating system may send an audible sound that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear. In another configuration, the locating system may send a sequence of audible tones to activate the audible tone generator, thereby enabling a set of keys on a key ring to be located. |
| US08254956B2 |
Method, device arrangement, terminal and computer software product for distributing telematic data of moving object
A positioning method, a tracker's terminal (13), a positioning arrangement and a computer software product for tracking an object (11a), such as a dog. The method uses GPS positioning. The GPS position information of the object (11a) is transmitted through either a circuit switched digital radio network (10b) or an analogue radio link to the tracker's terminal (13). The tracker's terminal includes a software application via which the received position information can, when desired, be transmitted though a packet switched network (10a) to at least one other tracker's terminal (22, 23). |
| US08254953B2 |
System and method for providing location-based data on a wireless portable device
There is provided a wireless portable device for providing location-based data to a user in a defined geographical area including a plurality of points of interest, the wireless portable device comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and an expansion bay with an attached expansion cartridge. The wireless transmitter can transmit location information to a wireless server over a wireless network. The wireless receiver can receive location-based data relating to a point of interest from the wireless server periodically and automatically, based on the location of the wireless portable device. The expansion cartridge can receive location-based data while the wireless portable device is in a low power sleep state. There is also provided a method for a wireless server to provide location-based data to a wireless portable device after a pre-determined period of time, including an interactive game relating to a point of interest. |
| US08254952B2 |
Method and system for emitting in a destination area of a moving conveyance, signals emitted by a telecommunication device in an area located in the moving conveyance
A wireless telecommunication system includes a telecommunication device emitting signals in an area located in a moving conveyance while the moving conveyance is moving. Information is obtained representative of a destination area of the moving conveyance in which the signals emitted by the telecommunication device in the area located in a moving conveyance are not received. The signals emitted by the telecommunication device are obtained in the area located in a moving conveyance. The obtained signals are emitted in the destination area of the moving conveyance prior to the arrival of the moving conveyance in the destination area. |
| US08254950B2 |
Method and network controller for switching between network sharing architectures
In RAN sharing scenarios wherein radio spectrum allocated to multiple mobile network operators is split into at least one carrier, the steps for switching the configurations of carriers for RAN sharing are proposed here, defining: a pooled configuration by which all the operators share at least one carrier; and a dedicated configuration by which each operator has at least one carrier assigned for allocation of its traffic. The start point for switching is single carrier in the pooled configuration. Traffic load in the shared single carrier is constantly measured to compare it with a threshold, so that, when the measured load exceeds the threshold and if spectrum pre-emption is possible to create additional carriers, the switching from the single carrier in the pooled configuration to the plurality of carriers is performed, selecting the configuration for each carrier from three possible options: pooled, dedicated or a combination of both. |
| US08254949B2 |
Active set modification to release backhaul capacity
System(s), method(s), and device(s) that enable release of backhaul capacity associated with base stations are presented. During soft handover, a communication device can have its connection maintained with more than one base station. A link controller component can identify a radio link having the highest quality and can determine the relative backhaul load of each base station communicating with the communication device. The link controller component determines whether the base station having the highest radio link quality is experiencing the heaviest backhaul load relative to the other base stations. If the base station with the highest link quality does not also have the heaviest backhaul load, the link controller component identifies the base station having the heaviest backhaul load and the identified base station can have its status modified with respect to the communication device for a desired period of time, in accordance with predefined status modification criteria. |
| US08254943B1 |
Method for backhaul transport recovery
In various embodiments, methods and systems are provided for backhaul transport recovery. In an embodiment, a method for backhaul transport recovery is provided. The method includes broadcasting a backhaul recovery request, and receiving backhaul recovery responses from at least one wireless device. The method also includes selecting at least one wireless recovery device from the at least one wireless device based upon the backhaul recovery responses, and establishing at least one backhaul recovery channel through the at least one wireless recovery device. |
| US08254941B2 |
Apparatus and method for renewal-based resource allocation in a broadband wireless access communication system
An apparatus and method for renewal-based resource allocation in a Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) system are provided. A Base Station (BS) allocates resources to a Mobile Station (MS) by resource allocation information. It is determined whether the MS requires continuous resource allocation or whether the MS does not have transmission data temporarily, when a resource allocation duration for downlink resources allocated to the MS has expired. One of resource allocation termination, resource allocation renewal, and temporary resource lending to another MS is performed according to the determination. Information for updating the resource allocation information is transmitted to the MS. |
| US08254940B2 |
Handling of services for a called subscriber
A method and control node and computer program are disclosed for handling Intelligent Network services associated with a call to a subscriber of a mobile telecommunications network, the network comprising said control node, a HLR and one or more SCPs. Said control node a) sends to said HLR one or more requests for routing information associated with said call; b) receives from said HLR service trigger elements associated with said services; c) uses said trigger elements for invoking said services in said one ore more SCPs; and d) receives from said one or more SCPs information related to said services associated with said trigger elements. |
| US08254937B2 |
Radio network environment, reducing interference among overlapping cells
Disclosed is a method for a femtocell to reduce interference with an overlapping macrocell. The femtocell determines soft-frequency-reuse (“SFR”) information of the macrocell. From that information, the femtocell determines which frequency sub-channels are assigned by the macrocell for its cell-center users and which frequency sub-channels are assigned for cell-edge users. (Cell-edge users are given a higher transmission power profile in order to overcome potential interference with neighboring macrocells.) Then, the femtocell selects from the cell-center user frequency sub-channels for transmission to the femtocell's users. By transmitting on the cell-center user frequency sub-channels, the femtocell reduces interference with the overlapping macrocell. The femtocell continues to update its knowledge of the macrocell's SFR information and re-assigns frequency sub-channels as the SFR changes. If the macrocell detects that one of its cell-center users is “close enough” to the femtocell, then the macrocell re-assigns the cell-center user as a cell-edge user to overcome interference. |
| US08254934B2 |
Paging method and apparatus thereof in broadband wireless communication system
Provided are a paging method and an apparatus thereof for User Equipment (UE) in a broadband wireless communication system. In the method, a paging message is received from a macro base station. Whether there exists an accessible femto base station inside a service area of the macro base station is determined. When there does not exist the accessible femto base station inside the service area of the macro base station, the UE responds to the paging message of the macro base station. When there exists the accessible femto base station inside the service area of the macro base station, the UE waits for a paging message to be received from the femto base station. |
| US08254933B2 |
Apparatus and method for handover between a heterogeneous communication system and a broadband wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for handover between a broadband wireless communication system and a heterogeneous communication system are provided. An operating method of a base station for the handover between a broadband wireless communication system and a and a heterogeneous communication system includes when a terminal enters a border cell, sending a message requesting to measure a signal level of a downlink, to the terminal, when a signal level measured by the terminal falls below a preset threshold, requesting a handover, to a corresponding heterogeneous communication system, over a core network, receiving a message, including channel allocation information for the handover, from the corresponding heterogeneous communication system, and forwarding the message, including the channel allocation information, to the terminal. Hence, when the terminal gets out of the service coverage area of the broadband wireless communication system, it can be handed over to the heterogeneous communication system seamlessly. |
| US08254932B2 |
Method of handling mobility in multimedia broadcast multicast service single frequency network in a wireless communication system and related communication device
A method of handling mobility in multimedia broadcast multicast service single frequency network (MBSFN) for a user equipment of a wireless communication system includes when the user equipment proceeds with an MBMS service and performs handover from a source cell to a target cell, checking whether a target MBSFN area which the target cell belongs to is the same as a source MBSFN area which the source cell belongs to, when the target MBSFN area is different from the source MBSFN area, receiving a multicast control channel (MCCH) corresponding to the target MBSFN area, checking whether the MBMS service is provided in the target MBSFN area, and when the MBMS service is provided in the target MBSFN area, sending a service join request to a target network of the wireless communication system, for continuing to receive the MBMS service. |
| US08254927B2 |
SFN and signaling mechanisms for softer handoff groups
Softer handoff groups are provided utilizing fractional frequency reuse set, which can be managed by a single master sector that is part of the group. The group can based on handoff rules that can include a group indication by an access point or a group request by an access terminal. A terminal is provided functionality to select a softer handoff group, which can be indicated by an active set update. An access point can discontinue serving terminals by groups by reducing an active set size to one. Diversity can be provided such that if a transmission from one sector fades, the other sector can provide the transmission, mitigating loss of data. Thus, robustness against inadequate channel conditions can be obtained. |
| US08254926B2 |
Mobile switchboard, mobile unit, mobile communication system, and position-registration extending method
A mobile unit transmits a request for position registration to a network when moving from a first area to a second area. When the number of incoming calls does not exceed a threshold and the number of movements between the first area and the second area exceeds a threshold, a mobile switchboard combines the first area and the second area into an extended area, and informs the mobile unit of the extended area. |
| US08254922B2 |
Zero delay frequency switching with dynamic frequency hopping for cognitive radio based dynamic spectrum access network systems
This invention relates to cognitive radio based wireless communications of dynamic spectrum access networks, and in particular to a method of addressing zero-delay frequency switching for cognitive dynamic frequency hopping. The method combines regular (periodic) channel maintenance with dynamic frequency hopping over a cluster of vacated channels that are initially setup such that the switching delays for channel setup and channel availability check are eliminated. |
| US08254920B1 |
Reducing the usage of non-preferred wireless coverage areas
Methods and systems for reducing the usage of non-preferred wireless coverage areas are presented. In particular, a RAN may determine that a WCD is likely to begin roaming. The WCD may be served by a preferred wireless coverage area and may be likely to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area. In an effort to avoid drawbacks associated with letting the WCD roam, the RAN may grant the WCD one or more forms of increased service quality. Doing so may prevent the WCD from roaming. |
| US08254912B2 |
System and method for speeding call originations to a variety of devices using intelligent predictive techniques for half-call routing
A mobile application gateway configured to interconnect mobile communication devices on a cellular network with an enterprise network is provided. The mobile application gateway includes a voice and data signaling gateway configured to provide routing functionalities, service functionalities and admission control. A gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) is configured to establish a secure data session between one or more of the mobile communication devices and the enterprise network by establishing a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between a carrier-hosted serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and the GGSN. |
| US08254911B1 |
Estimation of direct channel and interference channel
A mobile station (MS) includes an input, and a channel estimation module. The input receives signals from N base stations (BSs), where N is an integer greater than 1. The N BSs include a serving BS of the MS and (N−1) neighboring BSs. Each of the N BSs uses at least N pilot values to transmit the signals. One of the signals having a direct channel gain (direct channel) is transmitted by the serving BS. Others of the signals having (N−1) interference channel gains (interference channels) are transmitted by the (N−1) neighboring BSs. The channel estimation module generates channel estimates of the direct channel and the (N−1) interference channels based on the N pilot values when the MS is associated with the serving BS. |
| US08254909B1 |
Computational syndrome detector
Methods and apparatus provide for analysis of wireless signal session data records in order to detect a selectively defined relationship. The relationship involves one or more wireless signal performance metrics and a geographical area. The relationships can be correlated with at least one syndrome of real-world circumstances. Detection of one or more relationships can be reported and leveraged to improve wireless signal service within an area or throughout a wireless system or infrastructure. Such detection and syndrome reporting can also be used to provide valuable and time-saving information to wireless system users. |
| US08254908B2 |
Server and method for remotely testing electronic devices
An agent server for remotely testing an electronic device is connected to the electronic device via a control interface. The control interface includes a direct power supply and a keyboard test device. The agent server receives test requirements sent from a client via a network, supplies power to a dummy of the electronic device using the direct power supply, so as to start up the electronic device. Furthermore, the agent server operates a keyboard of the electronic device according to the test requirements using the keyboard test device, so as to establish a communication between the electronic device and another electronic device. A video camera captures video and audio information of the electronic device during the communication, and transmits the video and audio information to the client. The client analyzes the video and audio information to determine a test result of the electronic device. |
| US08254907B2 |
Method for activating a trace session in a wireless communication system
A method (200) of activating or deactivating a trace session using an international mobile subscriber identifier in a long term evolution communication networks (100). The method includes receiving a trace session activation or deactivation request with an IMSI identifier by the eNodeB (104) to activate or deactivate a trace session for subscriber and forwarding the trace session activation or deactivation request and IMSI identifier to a wireless communication network entity (108). The trace session activation request including IMSI (204) and trace session activation request (304) can be forwarded over an S1 interface between network entities. |
| US08254906B2 |
Mobile radio communication system
A mobile radio communication system having a mobile radio communication network and a mobile radio subscriber appliance, wherein a unit in the network layer of the core network of the mobile radio communication network is configured to transmit to the mobile radio subscriber appliance a first message, based on an occurrence of a predetermined event, with a request for a statement which describes at least one radio characteristic of the mobile radio subscriber appliance. |
| US08254905B2 |
Service monitoring and disconnection notification in a wireless gateway device
A gateway apparatus configured to wirelessly communicate with and provide a service to a wireless client device includes a wireless access point module, a network interface and a controller. The wireless access point module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless client device. The network interface module is configured to interface with a network in order to provide the service for the wireless client device. The controller is responsive to detecting degradation in the service or to receiving a command to generate a signal, for transmission to the wireless client device by the wireless access point module. The signal notifies the wireless client device to disconnect from the gateway apparatus. |
| US08254904B1 |
Method for disabling the audible and visual notifications that are played and displayed upon receiving an incoming message
Upon receiving a message, a recipient communication-device usually plays an audible notification (ringtone), which may disturb the receiving user. The purpose of the method is to prevent, by the sender of the message, the possible disturb. The method enables the sender of the message to disable the notification that is played by the recipient communication-device. The method comprises embedding, by the sending user, a predetermined code in a predetermined location in the message and/or in the number of the recipient communication-device (‘predetermined locations’), before sending the message to the recipient communication-device. Then, while delivering the message or upon receiving the message, checking whether the message and/or the number contain the ‘predetermined code’ in the ‘predetermined locations’. In response to finding a presence of the ‘predetermined codes’ in the ‘predetermined locations’, disabling the audible notification. |
| US08254903B2 |
System and method for remotely operating a wireless device using a server and client architecture
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for remotely operating one or more peripheral devices of a wireless device using a server and client architecture. In one aspect, the system may comprise a wireless device that includes a processor, a memory, a peripheral device, and a server adapted to communicate with the peripheral device; and a removable media device that includes a memory, a processor, and a client adapted to communicate with the server of the wireless device. In another aspect, the method may comprise the steps of emulating a hardware interface on a removable media device; mapping a peripheral device of a wireless device to the interface; mapping a processor of the media device to the peripheral device; wrapping and sending hardware commands from a client of the media device to a server of the wireless device; and executing the commands on the peripheral device. |
| US08254901B2 |
Remote control system
A method includes the steps of selecting an appliance to be controlled from a list of appliances stored in the cellular device, selecting an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from a list of instructions stored in the cellular device, and transmitting the instruction to a cellular interface associated with the selected appliance via a public cellular telephone infrastructure by dialing a telephone number stored in the cellular device. |
| US08254900B2 |
In-vehicle apparatus, cellular phone device, and method for controlling communication therebetween
A communication unit communicates with a cellular phone device simultaneously using a handsfree communication protocol for handsfree communication and a mail transfer protocol for mail transfer. The cellular phone device is selectively in one of: i) a handsfree communication state where voice is transmitted via voice units of the in-vehicle apparatus when opening a voice path with the in-vehicle apparatus using the handsfree communication protocol; and ii) a handset communication state where voice is transmitted via voice units of the cellular phone when closing the voice path. The control unit notifies an incoming mail in a normal manner when the cellular phone device is in the handsfree communication state. Alternatively, the control unit notifies an incoming mail such that an occupant other than a user hardly notices an incoming mail when the cellular phone device is in the handset communication state. |
| US08254899B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing call and message-related events in a wireless terminal
A character agent function is added to a wireless terminal and an avatar user interface (UI) for generating and processing an event is expressed when an event occurs in the wireless terminal, such that call and message-related events occurring in the wireless terminal can be expressed through the character agent function. |
| US08254898B2 |
Message handling based on the state of a telecommunications terminal
A method and apparatus are disclosed that enable: (i) applications that are external to a telecommunications terminal, rather than the user, to initiate the delivery of content to the terminal, and (ii) the terminal to determine, based on the state of the terminal, whether or not to provide the content to a user. The “state” of the terminal is determined by one or more of (i) user-driven states, (ii) data states, and (iii) call states. When the terminal's state is considered, as in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the readiness of the user and terminal to accept and process the content are accounted for, and as a result the content does not interfere. |
| US08254892B2 |
Methods and apparatus for anonymous user identification and content personalization in wireless communication
Methods and apparatus for providing personalized content to a user of a wireless network include establishing an anonymous user identifier and delivering the user identifier to a content provider. Based on the user identifier, communication with a predetermined data source is established or predetermined data content is selected. In some embodiments, a device identifier is provided in addition to the user identifier and device specific, personalized content is delivered to the user. In one example, a device identifier and a user identifier are based on a mobile station serial number and a subscriber identity module, respectively, and are used in an HTTP header. The anonymous user identifier can be based on a subscriber identity module (SIM) serial number, or a hash of the SIM serial number so that user information such as a user phone numbers is not available to content providers. |
| US08254890B2 |
System and method for managing items in a list shared by a group of mobile devices
A method and system are provided for sharing data amongst a group of a plurality of mobile devices without requiring a database or server to centrally store the shared data. The shared data is instead stored by each group member individually while controlling the manner in which the shared data is updated. The shared data can be used to manage tasks in a group project. To manage updates, the shared data is atomized such that individual databases in the shared data are separated or otherwise delineated into one or more records, each record having associated therewith, a value. To maintain a common copy of the shared data at each device, any update is sent to all group members using an intermediate message exchange service that is capable of transmitting a sent message to more than one recipient if necessary. In this way, the updates are multicast to the group. To manage the content of the shared data, each update comprises one or more changes to a current copy of a corresponding record. |
| US08254889B2 |
Mobile device panic function with recordability
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to recording a conversation on a portable communications device. This allows the user to press a panic button or a series of buttons on their portable communications device to begin recording the conversation. This conversation may be stored on a memory of the portable communications device or in a network in communication with the portable communications device. With the conversation recorded, there is a record of what was said during the call. This record may later be used if necessary. |
| US08254884B2 |
System and method for application program operation on a wireless device
Embodiments described herein address mobile devices with non-secure operating systems that do not provide a sufficient security framework. More particularly, the embodiments described herein provide a set of applications to the device for providing security features to the non-secure operating system. |
| US08254883B2 |
Confidential information management by mobile terminal
To provide a communication system including a mobile terminal which can prevent leak of information even if the mobile terminal is lost and reproduce previously accumulated confidential data without losing newly created and updated confidential data. A mobile terminal includes connection state judging device which detects a line connection state with a server. When the line connection state is a broadband connection, the data is read directly from and written directly into a data storing device of the server. When the line connection state is a narrowband connection, the data is temporarily read out and written into a data storing device of the terminal. When the operation of the mobile terminal is completed or a security operation starting instruction is issued by a user, the updated confidential data is written into the data storing device of the server and then the confidential data is erased from the mobile terminal. |
| US08254882B2 |
Intrusion prevention system for wireless networks
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving security context information relevant to a connection between a wireless network infrastructure component and a wireless client, wherein the security context information comprises at least, an identification of the wireless client, and wherein the security context information identifies any security protocols associated with the connection; validating the connection based on the security context information; and transmitting the security context information to one or more detector wireless access points. |
| US08254879B2 |
Methods and apparatus for use in processing disconnected emergency calls and other communications involving mobile communication devices and the remote monitoring thereof
A communication device receives an incoming call message for an incoming call. The incoming call message has data indications indicating whether the incoming call is an emergency call from a public safety answering point entity. If the data indications do not indicate that the incoming call is an emergency call from the public safety answering point, then the communication device performs non-emergency call processing for the incoming call. On the other hand, if the data indications indicate that the incoming call is an emergency call, then the communication device causes the emergency call to be answered automatically. |
| US08254878B2 |
Methods for use in conjunction with a handheld wireless communication device having an adjunct device coupled thereto
A method includes executing a homing application of the handheld wireless communication device for finding at least one personal object coupled to at least one remote wireless device. The homing application includes generating data to present for display on the handheld wireless communication device a graphical user interface that receives an indication of a user to locate the at least one personal object and that generates a location signal in response thereto. The location signal is communicated to an adjunct device via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device to cause the adjunct device to transmit an RF paging signal to at least one remote wireless device via a short-range wireless transceiver of the adjunct device. |
| US08254876B1 |
Systems and methods for supporting dispatch communications
Systems and methods for a wireless communication network to support dispatch communications with a dispatch communication client located outside of the wireless communication network are provided. The dispatch communication network includes one or more application services gateways (ASGs) for supporting dispatch communication clients located outside of the wireless communication network. Systems and methods for registering, and tracking the location of, dispatch communication clients, located outside of a wireless communication network, with the wireless communication network are provided. Additionally, systems and methods for selecting a dispatch communication gateway, and for allowing a dispatch communication client, located in a private network, to perform voice dispatch communication with a wireless communication network are also provided. |
| US08254875B2 |
Vehicle emergency call system for transmitting additional or modified data
An emergency call device, system and method for a vehicle is specified in which, on occurrence of a certain event, a data record is generated which thereupon is transmitted during an emergency call. The event may be an external request by an operator or a trigger signal inside a vehicle. In this way, the operator may obtain the most recent information at any time during the emergency call. |
| US08254874B1 |
Variable persistence delay for mobile stations receiving concatenated pages
A method and system is disclosed for variable persistence delay in access terminals receiving a concatenate page message. When an access terminal (e.g., a mobile station or wireless communication device) receives a page message that it determines is part of a concatenated page message, the access terminal will compute a backoff delay and a persistence delay according to delay parameters selected based upon the determination. According to an example embodiment, the access terminal will use the place-order of the received page record in the concatenation of page records in the page message to select values of the delay parameters. Other access terminals receiving the same concatenated page message will similarly select delay parameters. By associating the delay parameter values with place-order in the concatenated page message, each access terminal may used different values, and thereby compute different delays. |
| US08254873B2 |
Mobile communication system, mobile communication method, radio network controller, radio base station and mobile station
In a mobile communication system, the radio device RNC, Node B includes: a creation unit 11 configured to create, on the basis of the notification information received from the distribution server, simplified information indicating content of the notification information, and detailed information indicating content of the notification information with a greater amount of information than that of the simplified information; a simplified information transmitter unit 12, 34 configured to transmit the simplified information to the mobile station by use of a control channel for starting the broadcast communication; and a detailed information transmitter unit 15, 35 configured to transmit the detailed information to the mobile station by use of a traffic channel for broadcast communication, and the mobile station UE includes: a display unit 55, 58 configured to display the received detailed information, after displaying the received simplified information. |
| US08254871B2 |
Method and system for playing ring back tone, home location register and mobile switching center
A ring back tone playing method and system, a home location register and a mobile switching center, the method comprises the calling side mobile switching center transmitting a route request message to the called side home location register when the calling side mobile switching center has received the call request transmitted from the calling terminal to the called terminal; the calling side mobile switching center receiving the ring back tone service identifier returned from the called side home location register which instructs that the called side home location register has got the called terminal's absence response message and the called terminal has customized a ring back tone service; the calling side mobile switching center instructing the playing device to play the ring back tone to the calling terminal according to the ring back tone service identifier. |
| US08254863B2 |
Broadcast receiver and method for setting broadcast receivers
A broadcast receiver and a method for setting the broadcast receiver, comprising receiving a primary broadcast sent by a broadcast station and retrieving program associated data made available by said broadcast station. The method comprises a first channel, a primary broadcast channel BC, and a second channel, an interaction channel, for retrieving the program associated data (PAD) from the broadcast station, whereby a browser sends an HTTP or a WAP request using an Internet connection. The method comprises retrieving a uniform resource locator of the program associated data (PAD) as station associated data (SAD) from a station associated data site (SADS) the station associated data comprising program associated data relating to the primary broadcast, coverage information and frequency information of included broadcast stations and the broadcast receiver being capable of setting the browser and the broadcast receiver unit by suing this SAD information. |
| US08254862B2 |
Configurable radio front end
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a single chip radio tuner, which may be adapted within an integrated circuit (IC). The tuner may be provided with a configurable front end to receive and process a radio frequency (RF) signal via a signal path. This configurable front end may be differently controlled depending on a particular radio implementation in which the tuner is adapted. |
| US08254854B2 |
Pulsed load modulation amplifier and method
Improved power amplifiers and related methods using a pulsed load modulation technique that controls the load modulation characteristics in a digital pulsed fashion. |
| US08254853B2 |
Bio-medical unit having storage location information
A bio-medical unit includes a power harvesting module, a processing module, memory, and a transceiver. The power harvesting module converts an electromagnetic signal into a supply voltage, which powers the processing module, the memory, and the transceiver. The processing module communicates, via the transceiver, with an external device regarding a medical matter to obtain storage location information regarding the medical matter, wherein the storage location information indicates where data associated with the medical matter is at least partially stored. The processing module then aggregates the storage location information with patient data storage location information to produce updated patient data storage location information, wherein the patient data storage location information contains storage location information regarding previous medical matters associated with the host body. The memory stores the patient data storage location information and the updated patient data storage location information. |
| US08254851B2 |
Integrated orthomode transducer
A method and system for an integrated transceiver is presented. The integrated transceiver includes a transceiver housing, where a waveguide is formed inside the transceiver housing using a housing base and a sub-floor component. Neither the housing base nor the sub-floor component alone is configured to operate as a waveguide. In an exemplary embodiment, a portion of the waveguide is cast into the housing base and is part of the transceiver housing. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, an antenna system includes a feed horn, a polarizer, the integrated transceiver, and a transceiver circuit that communicates with the waveguide to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The integrated transceiver, in the exemplary embodiment, includes a transceiver housing base that forms a portion of an integrated waveguide assembly, and another portion of the integrated waveguide assembly aligns with the transceiver housing base to form the integrated waveguide assembly. |
| US08254850B2 |
Communication module component assemblies
A communication module is provided. The module includes at least one transceiver, a filter, a power amplifier, an enclosure, an internal interface and an external interface. The power amplifier is in communication with the at least one transceiver and filter. Moreover, the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier are tuned and calibrated to work with each other. The enclosure is configured to physically retain the at least one transceiver, filter and power amplifier. The internal interface is configured to interface connections between the at least one transceiver and the power amplifier and the external interface configured to provided external connections to the module. In addition, the external interface is coupled to the internal interface. |
| US08254849B2 |
FM radio frequency plan using programmable output counter
An FM radio with a wide frequency range operates in a cell phone without interfering with the VCO of the RF transceiver. The FM transceiver generates a VCO signal whose frequency varies by less than ±7% from the midpoint of a narrow first range. A synthesizer signal is generated by dividing the VCO frequency by a first divisor such that the synthesizer frequency varies over a lower frequency second range. The VCO frequency is also divided by a second divisor such that the synthesizer frequency varies over a third range. The upper limit of the second range falls at the lower limit of the third range. The lower limit of the second range is 85.5 MHz and the upper limit of the third range is 108.0 MHz. By also using a third divisor, a synthesizer signal with a range of 76-108 MHz is generated from the narrow first frequency range. |
| US08254844B2 |
Method and apparatus for utilizing a transmission polarization to reduce interference with a primary incumbent signal
A mobile station (104) operates in a region where an incumbent operator (110) is transmitting. The secondary station transmits at a frequency similar to that of the incumbent operator's signal. The incumbent operator transmits using a particular polarization (113). To reduce interference, the secondary station selects one of a plurality of antennas of the secondary station which has a low matching polarization with that of the incumbent signal. |
| US08254843B2 |
Method for pointing high-gain antennas to reduce interference in mobile networks
A method for reducing interference in a mobile network is provided. The method includes determining locations of a plurality of nodes in the mobile network; steering at least one antenna at a node in the plurality of nodes in the mobile network; estimating intensity of signals from the at least one antenna at each of the plurality of nodes; determining optimal direction to steer the at least one antenna to reduce interference; and steering the at least one antenna in the optimal direction. |
| US08254842B2 |
Frequency division multiple access communications within a device
A radio transceiver device includes circuitry for radiating electromagnetic signals at a very high radio frequency both through space, as well as through wave guides that are formed within a substrate material. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric substrate formed within a board, for example, a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, the wave guide is formed within a die of an integrated circuit radio transceiver. A plurality of transceivers with different functionality is defined. Substrate transceivers are operable to transmit through the wave guides, while local transceivers are operable to produce very short range wireless transmissions through space. A third and final transceiver is a typical wireless transceiver for communication with remote (non-local to the device) transceivers. |
| US08254840B2 |
Auto configuration for a dial-up networking system
A system and method of a Dial-Up Networking (DUN) approach is disclosed. The DUN system authenticates a wireless network between a portable electronic device and a control module. The DUN system includes the portable electronic device, a transceiver, and the control module. A wireless service carrier is associated with the portable electronic device. The control module includes control logic for determining the wireless service carrier associated with the portable electronic device. The control module further includes control logic for establishing the wireless network connection between the control module and the portable electronic device. |
| US08254837B2 |
Establishing full-duplex audio over an asynchronous bluetooth link
A method to establish a full-duplex audio connection over an asynchronous Bluetooth link between an audio terminal and a wireless audio device exchanges supported service classes and codecs between the audio terminal and the wireless audio device, negotiates a service class and a codec that are common to the audio terminal and the wireless audio device, and establishes an asynchronous audio connection between the audio terminal and the wireless audio device using the common service class and the codec. The audio connection established can depend on the software application desiring the audio connection plus the available service classes and codecs at the audio terminal and wireless audio device. For non-internet protocol (non-IP) audio applications, an ACL using AVDTP may be selected; for IP audio applications, an ACL using BNEP may be selected. Both AVDTP and BNEP can use codecs that support wide bandwidth audio. |
| US08254835B2 |
Mobile terminal with NFC function
Disclosed herein is a mobile terminal with a Near Field Communication (NFC) function, the mobile terminal wirelessly connecting to a reader using NFC. An NFC controller wirelessly connects to the reader through an NFC antenna, and receives an Applet Identification (AID) signal and a function control signal used to control operational states of a plurality of functions provided to the mobile terminal from the reader. A base band unit receives the function control signal, and controls the operational states of functions selected from among the plurality of functions provided to and operated in the mobile terminal. A Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) unit connects to the NFC controller, and records information about the subscriber of the mobile terminal. A Secure Element (SE) encodes and decodes the signal, which is transmitted and received between the mobile terminal and the reader, using a security algorithm. |
| US08254832B2 |
Frequency re-use for service and gateway beams
A method is presented for communicating data in a multibeam satellite system utilizing frequency re-use. The method comprises establishing uplink service beams and downlink service beams between a satellite and a plurality of subscriber terminals. A plurality of the uplink service beams are transmitted to the satellite by re-using at least one common uplink frequency channel, and a plurality of the downlink service beams are transmitted from the satellite by re-using at least one common downlink frequency channel. The method further comprises establishing at least one uplink service beam and at least one downlink service beam between the satellite and a gateway terminal. The at least one uplink service beam is transmitted to the satellite by further re-using the at least one common uplink frequency channel, and the at least one downlink service beam is transmitted from the satellite by further re-using the at least one common downlink frequency channel. |
| US08254827B2 |
Method of multicasting
A method for multicasting data includes obtaining a set of minimum utility preferences and a utility preference for each user in a multicast group, computing a corresponding probability distπbution of different multicasting data the users are requesting, running a lottery of operating points of the set according to the corresponding probability distπbution, and multicasting the operating point determined from the lottery. For scalable layered data the method includes determining initial utility and payoff parameter for each user for a lowest data layer accommodating all group users, running a lottery for the layer using an initialized probability vector to assign the lowest layer, multicasting the lowest layer, determining new initial utility and corresponding payoff parameter for each remaining group user for a plurality of layers of data, running another lottery according to a determined mixed set probability vector to select a particular layer, and multicasting the particular layer. |
| US08254821B2 |
Cleaning apparatus, image forming apparatus including the same, and process cartridge including the same
A cleaning apparatus includes a blade to remove one or more toner particles remaining on a photosensitive body of an electrophotographic type image forming apparatus. The toner particles have a mean particle diameter D and a standard deviation σ of a particle size distribution. The blade is arranged on the photosensitive body to satisfy a following condition. μ ≤ sin θ 1 + cos θ , When an imaginary sphere having a diameter of (D−σ) contacts the photosensitive body and the blade, θ is an angle defined by a tangent line at a contact point between the sphere and the photosensitive body and a tangent line at a contact point between the sphere and the blade, sandwiching the sphere therebetween. μ is a smaller friction coefficient of a friction coefficient between the toner particle and the photosensitive body and a friction coefficient between the toner particle and the blade. |
| US08254820B2 |
Cleaning device that cleans a surface of an image bearing member by removing substances remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after a toner image is transferred onto a sheet and image forming apparatus including the same
A cleaning device may include a polishing roller, an ejection member, and a conveying member. In some embodiments, the polishing roller may be configured to remove and collect a residual substance adhering to a surface of an image bearing member while rotating in contact with the image bearing member. In an embodiment, the ejection member may be configured to eject the substance collected by the polishing roller to the outside of the cleaning device. An embodiment may include a conveying member configured to follow the rotation of the polishing roller by being in contact with the polishing roller and to convey toner in the cleaning device on a surface of the polishing roller in an axial direction of the polishing roller. When an image is not formed, the polishing roller rotates in a direction opposite a rotating direction in which the polishing roller rotates when an image is formed. |
| US08254819B2 |
Image heating apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a belt member, contactable to the rotatable member, for forming a nip in which an image on a recording material is heated; a pressing member, disposed inside the belt member, for pressing the belt member against the rotatable member; a lubricant application member for applying a lubricant onto an inner surface of the belt member; a contact-and-separation device for moving the belt member toward and away from the rotatable member; and a switching mechanism for switching a contact pressure of the lubricant application member on the belt member, when the belt member is separated from the rotatable member, so as to be smaller than that when the belt member contacts the rotatable member. |
| US08254815B2 |
Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus for mounting the same
A toner cartridge in a bottle shape for storing toner is composed of a first cylindrical portion having a blocked bottom wall at one end and an opening at the other end and a second cylindrical portion in which one end thereof is connected to the opening, and an opening for ejecting toner is formed at the other end, and the outside diameter thereof is smaller than the first cylindrical portion. |
| US08254813B2 |
Multicolor imaging system
A multicolor imaging system includes a controller which adjusts a phase difference in rotations of photoreceptors based on information detected by a rotary position detector, and drive elements for photoreceptors which generate a velocity fluctuation in the same cycle as that of a transfer unit. The controller is configured to concurrently adjust the phases of the photoreceptors and those of the drive elements so that a registration error in four color toner image on an intermediate transfer belt is reduced to a minimum. |
| US08254811B2 |
Image forming apparatus for controlling movement of a moving member
An image-carrier driving unit drives an image carrier. An image forming unit forms an image on the image carrier. A moving-member driving unit drives a moving member that is movable towards and away from the image carrier. A detecting unit detects a position of the moving member at predetermined sampling times while the moving member is moving. A movement control unit performs a feedback control on the moving-member driving unit such that a detection result of the detecting unit follows a target value corresponding to each of the predetermined sampling times when the moving member moves while the image forming unit is forming the image on the image carrier. |
| US08254810B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus, comprises an image forming section; a pair of fixing members coming in pressure contact with each other so as to form a nip portion and to fix a toner image on a sheet conveyed from the image forming section with the nip portion; an oscillating section to oscillate the fixing members in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; an inclining section to incline the fixing members to the width direction in parallel to a conveyance surface; and a control section to control the oscillating section and the inclining section such that when a sheet is passing through the nip portion, a direction of a one-sided oscillation shift of the sheet due to the oscillation of the fixing members is made opposite to that of a one-sided inclination shift of the sheet due to the inclination of the fixing members. |
| US08254803B2 |
Image forming apparatus including a cooling device
An image forming apparatus including a target part to be cooled detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus, a cooling device including a heat receiving part provided to contact the target part to be cooled to receive heat from the target part to be cooled with a cooling medium provided within the heat receiving part, and a contact/separation mechanism to cause the heat receiving part to contact and separate from the target part to be cooled. The contact/separation mechanism includes a pressing unit to press the heat receiving part against the target part to be cooled. A reaction of a pressing force of the heat receiving part applied to the pressing unit when the heat receiving part is pressed against the target part to be cooled is directed onto a predetermined portion of the target part to be cooled. |
| US08254799B2 |
Image forming apparatus including a control section to control the application of a current
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section forming a charged toner image on an image holding body; a transfer accepting body moving circularly on a circulation path; a transfer section which includes a current supplied member arranged opposite to the image holding body with respect to the transfer accepting body and applied with a current with polarity opposite to that of the toner image, and transfers the toner image to the transfer accepting body by applying a current to the current applied member; an unevenness detection section detecting an unevenness portion where unevenness occurs on the transfer accepting body; and a current control section controlling the applied current to the current applied member such that the current is larger while the unevenness portion detected by the unevenness detection section passes through the position than a current applied while another portion except the unevenness portion passes through the position. |
| US08254796B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus controls a sheet to be conveyed to a fixing unit with a first conveyance speed in case a charged amount of a recording agent in a developing unit is larger than a predetermined charged amount, and controls the sheet to be conveyed to the fixing unit with a second conveyance speed, which is slower than the first conveyance speed, when the charged amount of the recording agent in the developing unit is smaller than the predetermined charged amount. |
| US08254795B2 |
Supply control unit and image forming apparatus
A supply control unit is configured to, in a successive image-forming operation, perform a process of successively generating a driving control pattern for a toner supply device based on image information of each page, and synthesizing an unused portion of the driving control pattern which is obtained by eliminating a portion of the driving control pattern already reflected on a driving control of the toner supply device from the driving control pattern generated based on image information of a previous page with a driving control pattern generated based on a subsequent page. |
| US08254793B2 |
Tuning select fiber optic channels for channel monitoring
A tunable element of a tuning module is receptive to optical data channels of a multiplexed optical data signal, each optical data channel having a different respective wavelength. The tunable element is responsive to different stimuli such that multiple passbands of the tunable element are defined, each passband corresponding to a respective stimulus and including no more than one wavelength of the optical data channels. An optical detector communicates with the tunable element and is receptive to no more than one optical data channel from the tunable element at any given time, an output of the optical detector is an electrical data signal that corresponds to the optical data channel received by the optical detector from the tunable element. A controller communicates with the tunable element and tunes the tunable element from one optical data channel to the other by causing application of a corresponding stimulus to the tunable element. |
| US08254792B2 |
Burst mode optical receiver
A system and computer readable medium for a burst mode optical receiver that enables an optical receiver to receive signals from a plurality of optical network units at different optical power levels. In an exemplary embodiment, the system may include a memory that stores a received signal strength indication, and a media access controller communicably coupled to the memory. The media access controller receives a received signal strength indication of an upcoming data stream to an optical network unit, and asserts a signal control voltage during a guard time to an optical receiver to optimize reception of incoming data streams of the optical network unit based upon the received signal strength indication received from the upcoming data stream. |
| US08254788B2 |
High speed in-service optical network testing
A method may include generating a signal at an initiating device. A channel in an optical path may be identified, with the optical path including at least two spans. Simulated polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is injected into the signal to generate a test signal. The test signal is transmitted on the channel and received at a destination device. PMD effects in the test signal are compensated, and a measurement of PMD for the test signal is determined based on the compensation, the PMD for the test signal including PMD for the channel and the injected PMD. A measurement of the PMD for the channel is determined based on the PMD for the test signal and the injected PMD. |
| US08254784B2 |
Light source distributor for use in wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network
The present disclosure is directed to a light source distributor for use in an injection-locked WDM-PON (wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network). The light source distributor receives an A band and a B band injection optical signals through a single optical terminal from an injection light source for outputting both the A band and the B band injection optical signals; transmits the A band injection optical signal to a first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer of a central office and the B band injection signal to a second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer of a remote node; transmits a wavelength-locked A band optical signal received from the first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer to the second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer; and transmits a wavelength-locked B band optical signal received from the second optical multiplexer/demultiplexer to the first optical multiplexer/demultiplexer. |
| US08254783B2 |
Point-to-multipoint optical communication system
Provided is a point-to-multipoint optical communication system capable of extending a transmission distance between a subscriber apparatus and a station apparatus without changing wavelengths of an upstream optical signal and a downstream optical signal, which are used in both of the apparatuses. The point-to-multipoint optical communication system includes, as a basic configuration thereof, an optical network for connecting one station apparatus (1) to a plurality of (n) subscriber apparatuses (4). Among m basic configurations, one station-side wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (22), one optical fiber transmission line (30), and one subscriber-side wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (12) are shared. The point-to-multipoint optical communication system further includes a station-side repeating unit (20) and a subscriber-side repeating unit (10) each including the one wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer (22 or 12) and m wavelength converters (21 or 11). An optical signal having a conventionally-used wavelength is used between the station apparatus (1) and the station-side repeating unit (20) and between the subscriber apparatus (4) and the subscriber-side repeating unit (10), and an extensible optical signal, on which wavelength division multiplexing has been performed, is used between the wavelength multiplexers/demultiplexers (12 and 22) via the optical fiber transmission line (30). |
| US08254781B2 |
Testing of receivers with separate linear O/E module and host used in communication links
A receiver for a communications link includes a receiver module and a host receiver. These two components can be tested independently. In one embodiment, the receiver module is characterized with respect to noise and distortion. The noise performance can be determined by comparing input and output signals of the receiver module, to determine the relative noise of the receiver module. The distortion performance can be determined by comparing the distortion of input and output signals of the receiver module, using a reference host receiver that includes an equalizer. The host receiver can be tested by using a reference receiver module. |
| US08254779B2 |
Field-configurable optical network terminal device
Described herein are systems and methods for a field-configurable optical network terminal (ONT) device at a subscriber to provide one or more communication services to the subscriber. The field-configurable ONT device is of a modular design operable for the insertion of additional communication modules or removal of existing communication modules from the ONT device for scaling the device to increased or decreased communication capacity as desired. |
| US08254777B2 |
Image capturing device and activation method therefor
An image capturing device includes a first controller operable to control image capturing; an operation section including a switch; a detector operable to detect a change to an image capturing mode and to send a signal representing the change; a second controller operable to monitor and process the sent signal, the second controller having a power consumption less than that of the first controller; and a power supply operable to supply power to the first controller, the second controller, and a functional section of the device. When the second controller receives the signal sent from the detecting section in a power saving state in which power is supplied from the power supply to the second controller, the power saving state is changed to a power supplying state capable of image capturing by supplying power from the power supply to portions of the device including the first controller. |
| US08254773B2 |
Image tracking apparatus and tracking evaluation method
An image apparatus includes a screen, a detecting unit, a determining unit, an acquiring unit and a control unit. The screen is configured to display an image formed by an optical system and at least one detection position superimposed onto the image. The detecting unit is configured to detect information regarding focus of the optical system at the detection position. The determining unit is connected to the detecting unit and configured to determine whether the information regarding the focus is within a predetermined range. The acquiring unit is connected to the determining unit and configured to acquire first image information at the detection position when the determining unit determines that the information regarding the focus is within the predetermined range. The control unit is connected to the acquiring unit and configured to evaluate arbitrary second image information in the screen using the first image information. |
| US08254769B2 |
Anti-shake structure for auto-focus modular
An anti-shake structure for auto-focus module includes an auto-focus module for driving a lens to move forward and rearward in a light entering path, i.e. in z-axis direction, so that the lens focuses light on an image sensor; a frame for holding the auto-focus module therein; a lens suspender with a compensation lens arranged thereon being connected to a plurality of suspension wires while the latter are connected at respective another end to the top cover plate of the frame, so that the compensation lens is correspondingly suspended in the frame in the light entering path and located behind the lens; and a shake compensation driving unit for driving the lens suspender to move horizontally in x-axis or y-axis direction, so as to compensate any image shift caused by hand shaking. |
| US08254767B2 |
Method and apparatus for extended temperature pyrometry
Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of a substrate over an extended temperature range, including low temperatures. Systems and methods for using an extended temperature pyrometry system employing a transmitted radiation detector system are disclosed. Systems combining transmitted radiation detector systems and emitted radiation detector systems are also described. |
| US08254766B2 |
Method and apparatus for media playback
In one embodiment of the invention, a memory may receive digital video data containing a first I frame and a second I frame with a plurality of P frames located between the I frames. The I frames each include a first timestamp. A processor may determine a subset of the P frames to be played in a trick mode along with the first I frame and the second I frame based on the number of P frames included in the plurality of P frames and the desired playback speed. |
| US08254765B2 |
Optical disc player system and method of controlling a decoding unit in the optical disc player system to read encoded bitstream data from a buffer memory
In a method of controlling multiple decoders in an optical disc player system to read encoded bitstream data divided into multiple sectors from a buffer memory, one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory is read according to a reading pointer associated with one of the decoders that sent out a bitstream request. When a header portion of the sector that is being read from the buffer memory indicates a bitstream type corresponding to that of the bitstream request, a data portion of the sector is transferred to the decoder that sent out the bitstream request, and the reading pointer is adjusted to point to a next one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory. An optical disc player system for implementing the method and an optical disc player system capable of saving the memory bandwidth between a bitstream demultiplexer and a memory are also disclosed. |
| US08254762B2 |
Management of dynamic program changes in DVB systems
A method for managing dynamic program changes in a digital video broadcasting (DVB) system, the method including detecting a dynamic program change in a DVB transmission received at a set-top box (STB), and changing a digital video recorder (DVR) recording instruction associated with the program to record the program in accordance with a parameter of the change. |
| US08254754B2 |
Reproducing device
A reproducing device for playing back data from a recording medium, including: playback circuits for playing back at least two stream data in a time division multiplexing manner from a recording medium that records: first stream data which includes first video data, first audio data, and first sub-picture data, and second stream data which includes second video data, second audio data, and second sub-picture data; and selection circuits for conducting at least one of: switching from the first video data to the second video data, switching from the first audio data to the second audio data, and switching from the first sub-picture data to the second sub-picture data; wherein data which is newly switched by the selection circuits and the data which is not switched by the selection circuits, are synchronously superimposed and outputted. |
| US08254753B2 |
Subtitle generating apparatus and method
For generation of a subtitle in a digital movie screening system, it is essential to reduce the burden of processing the subtitle when screening a movie. There is provided a subtitle generating apparatus destined for use in a digital movie screening system, the subtitle generating apparatus, which includes a storage unit having a movie subtitle file stored therein, a controller to generate an internal file on the basis of the subtitle file, and a subtitle processor to decode the internal file for generating a subtitle and combine the subtitle and a movie picture with each other, the subtitle file consisting of a main file in which there are described information identifying a file of text data representing characters to be displayed as a subtitle of a movie and a file of image data representing the content of an image displayed as the movie subtitle along with control data for displaying the subtitle, one or more font files including font data on the text data, and one or more image files including the image data, the internal file being an integration of the main, font and image files, made by combining the described content of the main file with the substantive data of the font and image files, and the controller generating the internal file from the subtitle file prior to displaying the movie. |
| US08254751B2 |
Recording medium capable of interactive reproducing and reproduction system for the same
On an optical disk, video object sets (VTST_VOBS) to be reproduced and video title set information (VTSI) serving as management information on the video object sets have been stored. In each video object set (VTST_VOBS), many data cells, each containing video, audio, and sub-picture data, are arranged. Management information on programs chains, which are combinations of programs to be reproduced one after another, has been written in a video title set PGC table (VTS_PGCIT). By referring to the program chain table (VTS_PGCIT) according to the user's input, the playback order of program chains can be changed, enabling the program chains to be reproduced one after another in various modes. |
| US08254745B2 |
Optical device, optical integrated device, and method of manufacturing the same
At least part of an optical device comprises an optical waveguide of a magneto-optical material. The magneto-optical material comprises a polycrystalline material having no lattice matching with an underlayer material. The optical waveguide exhibits no magnetic anisotropy due to an inverse magnetostriction effect caused by thermal strain. The magnetization direction of the optical waveguide is aligned with a traveling direction of light passing through the waveguide by shape magnetic anisotropy. |
| US08254742B2 |
Splice holder
A splice holder includes a base member and a plurality of high wall pairs on top of the base member each having first and second wall members spaced by a first distance, and adjacent ones of the high wall pairs are spaced by a distance less than the first distance. A first plurality of low wall pairs project from the base member on one side of the high wall pairs, and a second plurality of low wall pairs project from the base member on the other side. The first and second plurality of low wall pairs are shorter than the high wall pairs. The splice holder is configured to support a first level of splices running through the low wall pairs and high wall pairs in between and a second level of splices running through the high wall pair and supported on top of two low wall pairs. |
| US08254741B2 |
Optical cable connecting closure and optical interconnection system
[Problem] To provide an optical cable connecting closure and optical interconnection system which can easily respond to changes in required connection functions if any.[Solving Means] An optical cable connecting closure 118 has a case 121, while a plurality of connecting modules 123 are arranged (stored) so as to be erected with respect to the bottom face of a closure main body 119 along the width direction in a module storing section 122 of the case 121. The connecting module 123 has a rectangular parallelepiped board-like module main body 127, while a plurality of MT connectors 128, 129 are attached in a vertical row to one end face of the module main body 127. In the module main body 127, an optical connecting section 130 for connecting the MT connectors 128, 129 to each other is arranged. The module storing section 122 can store a different kind of connecting module having a connecting configuration (function) different from that of the connecting module 123. |
| US08254740B2 |
Methods and systems for distributing fiber optic telecommunications services to local area
A fiber optic drop terminal assembly includes a housing, a spool and a fiber optic distribution cable. The housing has a first exterior surface and an oppositely disposed second exterior surface. A plurality of ruggedized adapters is mounted on the first exterior surface of the housing. The ruggedized adapters include a first port accessible from outside the housing and a second port accessible from inside the housing. The spool is engaged with the second exterior surface and includes a drum portion. The fiber distribution cable is coiled around the drum portion. The distribution cable includes a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The second end is disposed inside the housing. |
| US08254739B2 |
Bladeless optical fiber cleaver and method
A bladeless optical fiber cleaver is provided for cleaving an optical fiber connector in a straightforward manner. The bladeless optical fiber cleaver includes a generally planar body that includes a first body portion and a second body portion pivotably coupled to each other, where the second body portion is movable with respect to the first body portion. The fiber cleaver includes a mechanism to create a strain force in a stripped portion of the optical fiber, where the stripped portion under strain is exposed to receive contact from a flexible abrasive material, the flexible abrasive material introducing a flaw in the optical fiber where the cleave takes place. |
| US08254738B2 |
Methods and systems for efficient installation of cables in watercraft
The present application is directed towards systems and methods for efficient installation of optical and electrical cable in watercraft. A manufacturer may terminate one end of a cable in a location removed from the watercraft, allowing use of automated cable termination machines for efficiency and consistency of terminations. The single-terminated cable may then be brought to the watercraft and installed by pulling or routing the unterminated end through ductwork and pipes, watertight bulkhead throughways, and cable trays and ladders as necessary, prior to termination. Accordingly, more difficult and expensive on-site labor is reduced, and reliability is greatly increased. Furthermore, many cable tests that require termination but cannot be executed post-installation can be performed prior to installation, to ensure that at least the first termination, performed off-site, is error-free, reducing later troubleshooting and further increasing installation efficiency. |
| US08254724B2 |
Method and apparatus for making and processing aberration measurements
A method for determining a centroid coordinate of an image spot, comprising a) determining a search region having a border, b) identifying a first pixel in the search region, the pixel having a first intensity value, c) determining an upper threshold intensity value greater than the first intensity value, d) searching for a second pixel within the search region having an intensity value that is greater than the upper threshold intensity value, and e) upon finding the second pixel, designating the first pixel an integration region center. |
| US08254722B2 |
Masking tool
A system for controlling effects performed on an image includes a digital camera having a display that displays the image. Masking tools position graphical representations on the display to define a portion of the image that is altered when the effects are subsequently applied to the image. The several masking tools may be combined to form a single masking tool. |
| US08254712B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image managing apparatus, image managing method, computer program product, and image order sheet
An image processing apparatus is provided that can quickly provide an image in which a main portion has a high image quality. The image processing apparatus includes an original image acquiring section that acquires an original image; a characteristic region judging section that makes a judgment as to whether a characteristic region is present in the original image captured by the original image acquiring section; an image adjusting section that, in a case where the characteristic region judging section makes a judgment that the characteristic region is present, adjusts an image of the characteristic region in the original image acquired by the original image acquiring section based on optical characteristics of an image capturing apparatus that captured the original image; and an image output section that, in a case where the characteristic region judging section makes a judgment that the characteristic region is present, outputs an image obtained through the adjustment by the image adjusting section and, in a case where the characteristic region judging section makes a judgment that the characteristic region is not present, outputs the original image acquired by the original image acquiring section. |
| US08254711B2 |
System and method for processing digital noise in a digital image
A processing digital noise method generates a matrix according to pixel values of pixels of a digital image, and selects a sub-matrix from the matrix. The sub-matrix has the same dimensions as a digital noise sample and includes a pixel value of a pixel selected from the digital image. The digital noise sample is represented as a matrix composed of 0 and 1. The method compares the sub-matrix with the digital noise sample to determine whether or not all values in the sub-matrix and the digital noise sample are the same. If all values are the same, the method further searches 1 from the sub-matrix for locating digital noise of the digital image, and removes the digital noise of the digital image by changing the pixel values of the digital noise from 1 to 0. |
| US08254702B2 |
Image compression method and image processing apparatus
When a motion image is to be compressed, the present invention divides a high-resolution still image into image segments to perform a motion image encoding process on each image segment. In this instance, the importance of each image segment and the relativity of each image segment with another image segment are computed. The image segments are then aligned in the order of importance to determine a picture type for motion image encoding in accordance with the computed relativity. Encoding is performed in accordance with a determined encoding sequence and picture type. Further, the rate control bit allocation amount for motion image encoding is increased for highly important image segments. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to exhibit a high overall image compression efficiency while avoiding image quality deterioration in an important portion of a still image by using a motion image compression technology for still image compression. |
| US08254699B1 |
Automatic large scale video object recognition
An object recognition system performs a number of rounds of dimensionality reduction and consistency learning on visual content items such as videos and still images, resulting in a set of feature vectors that accurately predict the presence of a visual object represented by a given object name within an visual content item. The feature vectors are stored in association with the object name which they represent and with an indication of the number of rounds of dimensionality reduction and consistency learning that produced them. The feature vectors and the indication can be used for various purposes, such as quickly determining a visual content item containing a visual representation of a given object name. |
| US08254684B2 |
Method and system for managing digital photos
Methods and systems for managing digital photos are disclosed. In one implementation, a method for organizing digital photos includes receiving a set of digital photos, analyzing the set of digital photos to create tags that identify content information in the set of digital photos, tagging the set of digital photos in accordance with their corresponding content information, categorizing the set of digital photos in accordance with their corresponding tags, and displaying the digital photos and their corresponding tags with a display device. |
| US08254682B2 |
Pattern detecting method and related image processing apparatus
The present invention discloses an image processing apparatus for processing an image. The image processing apparatus includes a line-pattern detecting module and an image processing module. The line-pattern detecting module examines how a first plurality of pixels of a first pixel line change and how a second plurality of pixels of a second pixel line change so as to determine which pattern an area of the image corresponds to. The image processing module selectively performs at least one of a plurality of image processing operations according to the pattern the image area corresponds to. The first and the second pixel lines correspond to the image area. |
| US08254679B2 |
Content-based image harmonization
A harmonization system and method are disclosed which allow harmonization of a set of digital images. The images are automatically segmented into foreground and background regions and the foreground and background regions are separately harmonized. This allows region-appropriate harmonization techniques to be applied. The segmenting and harmonizing may be category dependent, allowing object-specific techniques to be applied. |
| US08254678B2 |
Image segmentation
Techniques for segmenting images are disclosed. |
| US08254677B2 |
Detection apparatus, detection method, and computer program
An apparatus for detecting a cut change based on a similarity between a first image and a second image, includes a unit for generating one of a luminance histogram and a color histogram of each of the first image and the second image, a unit for generating a spatial correlation image representing a correlation between spatial layouts of the first image and the second image, a unit for calculating a histogram similarity representing a similarity between the histogram of the first image and the histogram of the second image, a unit for calculating a spatial correlation image similarity representing a similarity between the spatial correlation image of the first image and the spatial correlation image of the second image, and a unit for determining whether a border between the first image and the second image is a cut change based on the histogram similarity and the spatial correlation image similarity. |
| US08254672B2 |
Image compressing method, image compressing apparatus and image forming apparatus
When priority is placed on a small file size, the number N of kinds foreground identifiers used for identifying color information of respective pixels of a foreground of a color image is reduced to M, which is smaller than N. For this purpose, a foreground identifier corresponding to pixels in number not more than a prescribed number K of pixels is replaced with a background identifier. When M is not more than a prescribed number P, M binary images respectively corresponding to the M kinds of identifiers are generated on the basis of a foreground layer including the M kinds of foreground identifiers, the respective binary images are subjected to lossless compression, and a background layer generated on the basis of the foreground layer is subjected to lossy compression. |
| US08254671B1 |
System and method for shot boundary detection in video clips
A system and method for detecting shot boundaries in video clips may generate a color frequency histogram for each tile of each frame of the video clip, according to a regular grid. The method may include comparing histograms of a given frame to corresponding histograms of an adjacent frame and computing a divergence descriptor for the given frame dependent on the average difference between the histograms. Various heuristics may be applied to the descriptor for each frame and the computed average descriptor of two or more leading or trailing frames to detect a shot boundary or another type of divergence between frames. A GUI may provide tools usable to identify clips on which to apply shot boundary detection and mechanisms to specify parameter values of the operation. The method may be implemented by program instructions stored on a computer readable medium and executable by one or more CPUs and/or GPUs. |
| US08254670B2 |
Self-learning object detection and classification systems and methods
A method of object classification based upon fusion of a remote sensing system and a natural imaging system is provided. The method includes detecting an object using the remote sensing system. An angle of view of a video camera of the natural imaging system is varied. An image including the object is generated using the natural imaging system. The natural imaging system may zoom in on the object. The image represented in either pixel or transformed space is compared to a plurality of templates via a competition based neural network learning algorithm. Each template has an associated label determined statistically. The template with a closest match to the image is determined. The image may be assigned the label associated with the relative location of the object, the relative speed of the object, and the label of the template determined statistically to be the closest match to the image. |
| US08254669B2 |
Data processing apparatus, computer program product, and data processing method for predicting an optimum function based on a case database and image feature values calculated by a feature-value calculating unit
A data processing apparatus includes a feature-value calculating unit that calculates an image feature value indicating a feature of image data, a case database including a case set including a correspondence of image feature values and functions, and an optimum-function predicting unit that predicts an optimum function based on the case database and the image feature value calculated by the feature-value calculating unit. Due to the optimum-function predicting unit, work efficiency of a user can be improved. |
| US08254666B2 |
Method for the determination of the wheel geometry and/or axle geometry of motor vehicles
The invention relates to a method for determining the wheel geometry and/or axle geometry of motor vehicles by means of an optical measuring apparatus. According to said method, at least two recording points are assigned to each other and are referenced in relation to the measuring space with the aid of an image recording system, optionally taking into account reference characteristics and vehicle body characteristics, an object segment (6) comprising the wheel (5) that is to be measured is detected from different perspectives, and the position of wheel characteristics in the measuring space is evaluated during the measurement. In order to create an advantageous procedure regarding the operation and the accuracy of the measurement, a plurality of individual 3D pixels representing the three-dimensional surface of the object segment that is detected by the at least two image recording devices (2) are determined from the object segment using image processing methods by correlating images, and the wheel characteristics and/or reference characteristics and/or vehicle body characteristics are obtained therefrom. |
| US08254663B2 |
Ultrafine lithography pattern inspection using multi-stage TDI image sensors with false image removability
A workpiece inspection apparatus includes a measured image generator unit configured to measure a pattern of a workpiece and generate a measured image; and a comparator unit configured to compare the measured image to a fiducial image, wherein said measured image generator unit includes a light-receiving device having an interconnection of two or more time delay integration (TDI) sensors each being arranged by two or more line sensors each being arranged by two or more pixels, for generating as the measured image an average value of pixel values excluding an abnormal pixel value from pixels of each TDI sensor with respect to a position of the pattern of the workpiece. |
| US08254660B2 |
Method and device for inspecting a traveling wire cable
In a first embodiment, a picture is taken of the traveling wire cable in a stationary position at intervals that are equal to the ratio produced from the lay length or a multiple of the lay length and the travel speed of the wire cable, at least op one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length, and the successive images are compared on at least one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length and are monitored for changes in the image which are indicative of damages. In a second embodiment, the wire cable is instead of taking pictures exposed to flashes and the exposed image is detected on at least one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length and monitored for changes in the image. Preferably, the respective repetition of the same outer stranded wire of the traveling wire cable is detected in the same location and every repetition or every other repetition or every third repetition is used for triggering the taking of a picture or for triggering the flash. In a third embodiment, a picture is taken of a large portion of the wire cable using a specialized camera and the image is split up into recurring units of length that correspond to the size of a lay length or a multiple of the lay length and the successive units of length are compared and inspected for changes in the image. |
| US08254652B2 |
Apparatus, method and system for computer tomography image processing
The present invention discloses apparatus, method, and system for CT image processing; said apparatus comprises: an interface unit for obtaining CT images; a target region separation unit for separating said target region from the CT images by means of judging the CT values of voxel points in said CT images, wherein points with CT values greater than or equal to the threshold for target region separation constitute the target region, and said target region comprises at least one separate region; a false positive region removing unit for removing false positive regions from said target region and obtaining the accurate target region. The present invention can be used to quickly and conveniently determine the target region to be detected, measure the characteristic data of the target region, and display the physical and relative positions of the target region in a three-dimensional manner; with a lower threshold for target region separation, the present invention can reduce the omission rate of detection; in addition, on that base, the present invention can remove possible false positive regions, thereby describing the target region accurately and improve accuracy of target information. |
| US08254648B2 |
Method for providing adaptive hanging protocols for image reading
Embodiments of the presently described technology provide a method for adapting a hanging protocol based on an efficiency of use. The method includes monitoring usage information for a hanging protocol, determining a productivity factor based on an efficiency of a first user during a reading of an imaging study, and recommending at least one of a hanging protocol selection and a hanging protocol change to a second user based on the productivity factor. The usage information includes at least one of a selection of a hanging protocol and a change to the hanging protocol by a first user during the reading of the imaging study. |
| US08254643B2 |
Image processing method and device for object recognition
An object image detection device is disclosed that is able to rapidly detect an object image from an input image. The object image detection device includes an image block generation unit to generate plural image blocks from the input image for detecting the object images, an image classification unit to determine whether each of the image blocks includes one or more of the object images by using one or more features of the object images, and acquire the image blocks including the object images to be object image candidates; and a detection unit to sequentially detect the object images from the object image candidates. The image classification unit acquires the object image candidates based on a relative positional relationship between the image blocks and already-acquired object image candidates. |
| US08254639B2 |
Image storage device, imaging device, image storage method, and program
An image storage device includes a facial-expression-correlation estimator configured to estimate a facial expression correlation representing a degree of correlation between a facial expression in a face image and a predetermined reference facial expression, the face image being included in time-varying image data; a facial-expression estimator configured to detect, through estimation based on transition of the facial expression correlation, a situation where the facial expression in the face image and the predetermined reference facial expression are expected to come to have a predetermined correlative relationship within a predetermined period; and an image-storage controller configured to exercise control so that the image data in the predetermined period from the detection is maintained in an image-data storage unit. |
| US08254638B2 |
Ranging apparatus and ranging method
A first ranging apparatus includes a light-emitting unit for emitting a series of first through fourth modulated lights which have respective different time lengths from a reference time to respective time points at which the first through fourth modulated lights start being emitted, a light-detecting unit for detecting reflected lights from an object that is irradiated with the first through fourth modulated lights, and a calculating unit for calculating the distance up to the object based on the phase difference between the first through fourth modulated lights and the reflected lights. The light-emitting unit comprises a start time controller for controlling the time lengths. The light-detecting units samples the amounts of the reflected lights in exposure periods established at a constant cycle length from the reference time. |
| US08254629B1 |
Methods and apparatus for measuring image stability in a video
A system identifies a change in a position of an object from a first frame to a second frame from a plurality of frames. The video is comprised of a plurality of frames. In one embodiment, the plurality is at least three frames. The image stability measuring process identifies a change in direction of the change in the position of the object. The change in direction is determined by utilizing a plurality of adjacent frames located near the first frame and the second frame. The image stability measuring process determines an image stability value for a subset of the plurality of frames. The image stability value is calculated based on the change in direction. The image stability measuring process renders a portion of the video within an automatic editing script. The portion of the video is selected based on a preferred image stability value identified within the automatic editing script. |
| US08254622B2 |
Portable electronic device with detachable speaker
A portable electronic device includes a audio player, a speaker, a fixing member and an engaging opening. The audio player is configured for playing audio files and videos. The speaker is detachably couple to the audio player. The fixing member is connected to one of the audio player and the speaker. The engaging opening is defined in the other of the audio player and the speaker. The engaging portion is detachably engaged in the engaging opening. |
| US08254620B2 |
Earphone assembly and portable electronic device using the same
An earphone assembly includes a casing, at least one secondary cable, at least one earphone, and at least one reel mechanism. The casing includes an assembly chamber. The earphone electrically connects to the casing by the secondary wire. The reel mechanism is received in the assembly chamber, and controls a length of the secondary cable extending from the assembly chamber. A portable electronic device using the earphone assembly is also provided. |
| US08254619B2 |
Microelectromechanical microphone carrier module
An MEM microphone carrier module is composed of a substrate and a cover plate. The substrate includes a space layer, a bottom layer, a recession recessed from a top side of the space layer, and a groove formed in the recession. The bottom layer has a metallic plate defining a predetermined pattern and exposed outside a surface thereof. The bottom layer is a single-layer structure formed by the molding of the metallic plate and the insulating glue, such that the substrate is thinner to need lower production cost and take less assembly time than the prior art. |
| US08254614B2 |
Horn speaker with hyperbolic paraboloid lens
The present invention is a new horn loudspeaker comprising multiple sound radiators mounted to the sidewalls of the horn. At least two sound radiators mounted to the sidewalls of the horn with a “Hyperbolic Paraboloid” (saddle point) shaped lens placed medially between the sound radiators creating an improved horn characteristics for more uniform directivity, improved power response, reduced beaming as a function of frequency and twice the power the power handling. |
| US08254613B2 |
Speaker apparatus
A speaker apparatus includes a speaker, a tubular duct extended in order to make the sound generated in the inside of the cabinet of the speaker get to the vicinity of the listener's ears and a support mechanism that rotatably supports the tubular duct in order to bring the front end aperture of the tubular duct to the vicinity of the ears of the listener. |
| US08254607B2 |
Hearing aid with acoustic damper
A hearing aid is provided. The hearing aid has a one- or multi-part carrying hook. The one- or multi-part carrying hook has a tip for connection to a sound tube, the tip being connected integrally to a damper extending across the internal cross-section of the tip, the damper preferably being designed as a membrane. |
| US08254606B2 |
Remote control of hearing assistance devices
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus of communicating instructions to a hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid. In various embodiments instructions are formed using tones sent to the hearing assistance device. The instructions can be used to control the operation of the hearing assistance device. The signals may include dual tone multifunction signals or other nonstandard signals. Various detection processes are provided which include but are not limited to using a modified complex Goertzel algorithm to detect tones. The remote device can be a standard device or can be modified to provide the proper signals. The following techniques can be applied to hearing assistance devices including, but not limited to completely-in-the-canal devices, in-the-canal devices, behind-the-ear devices, receiver-in-canal devices, and implanted devices, such as cochlear implants. |
| US08254600B2 |
Method and an apparatus for decoding an audio signal
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof. The present invention includes receiving a downmix signal comprising plural objects, and a bitstream including object information and downmix gain information, obtaining level guide flag information for all frames indicating whether level guide information is present in the bitstream, obtaining the level guide information representing a limitation of object level applied to at least one object of the plural objects, from the bitstream, based on the level guide flag information, receiving mix information, generating modified mix information by modifying the mix information based on the level guide information and the downmix gain information, and generating at least one of downmix processing information and multi-channel information based on the modified mix information and the object information, wherein the mix information is estimated using object level for at least one object of the plural objects, and wherein the object information and the downmix gain information are determined when the downmix signal is generated.Accordingly, the present invention is able to prevent distortion of a sound quality according to panning and/or gain adjustment in a manner of providing a limited rage for the panning and/or gain adjustment. |
| US08254597B2 |
Audio signal processing circuit
Plural variable gain amplifiers amplify audio signals of plural channels for each channel. An interface receives, from outside, plural gain control data individually designating gain of each channel. Plural gain controllers respectively switch the gain of the plural variable gain amplifiers, based on the plural gain control data. The plural gain controllers arrange timing to change gain of a variable gain amplifier corresponding to gain control data received in a predetermined data entry period, among the plural gain control data that are inputted at different timing. |
| US08254596B2 |
Method and apparatus for mute control
System and method for muting an output terminal of an electronic device. In one embodiment, the process for can include receiving one or more signals received by the controller over the first terminal, detecting a mute control signal from the controller and controlling the state of a switch coupled to the output terminal to ground the output terminal based on detecting the mute control signal. |
| US08254588B2 |
System and method for providing step size control for subband affine projection filters for echo cancellation applications
A system and method for Acoustic Echo Cancellation. The system and method include a subband affine projection filter and a variable step size controller configured to cancel an estimated echo from a near-end signal. The system and method also include a divergence detector adapted to reset the subband affine projection filter in response to determining a divergence is occurring. Additionally, the system and method include a double talk detector adapted to transmit a signal to mask an output signal when double talk is detected. |
| US08254586B2 |
Method and apparatus for objective assessment of in-ear device acoustical performance
A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests. |
| US08254572B2 |
Secure provisioning of a portable device using a representation of a key
A portable device initially accesses a secure server and requests a certificate. The secure server generates a random key and encodes the generated key to generate a representation of the key, such as a two-dimensional bar code or an audio signal, and communicated to a local device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, using a web interface. The local device is used to present the representation of the key to a mobile device. The mobile device then captures the representation of the key from the local device, for example using an image capture device or audio capture device, and extracts the key by decoding the representation of the key. The key is then stored by the mobile device and used to securely communicate with the secure server without manually entering the key. |
| US08254561B1 |
Headset adapter with host phone detection and characterization
Systems and methods for a headset adapter circuit are disclosed. The headset adapter circuit generally includes a maximal length sequence generator circuit coupled to the adapter transmit signal line for injecting a maximal length sequence signal. A maximal length sequence cross-correlator circuit is coupled to the adapter receive signal line for capturing a receive signal sample and convolving the receive signal sample with the maximal length sequence signal to generate a host phone sidetone path impulse response. |
| US08254558B2 |
Contact handling systems including automated return contact response reminders
Many of the improvements in contact handling systems which may result from the teachings disclosed herein relate to accessing and tracking real-time data concerning company representative performance, proficiency, training, scheduling, current workflow, response to contacts, and estimated workflow. Moreover, many of the improvements in contact handling systems disclosed herein relate to automatically improving company representative performance proficiency, training, incentives, scheduling, ensuring timely customer response, and workflow. Thus, as a result of the teachings disclosed herein, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and revenue may be improved in the contact handling industry. |
| US08254551B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing quality of service using E.164 number mapping (ENUM) data in a communications network
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a quality of service (QoS) using E.164 number mapping (ENUM) data in a communications network. According to one method, a query message including an E.164 number can be received. Next, at least one uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the E.164 number can be located. Afterwards, QoS data corresponding to the at least one URI is subsequently obtained. Further, the query message can be responded to with the URI and the corresponding QoS data. |
| US08254549B2 |
Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls
A method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous calls. The method and system includes an intercept system that intercepts erroneous calls and automatically routes them to a directory assistance service. The directory assistance service provides a least one advertisement and a variety of other services to the callers using a business subscriber information service, a white page database service; a yellow pages database service; a business intelligence database service; rule-based expert system service; and/or an Internet search service. The directory assistance service accepts fees from advertisers, businesses and providers of the variety of services to refer information to callers. |
| US08254548B2 |
Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls
A method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous calls. The method and system includes an intercept system that intercepts erroneous calls and automatically routes them to a directory assistance service. The directory assistance service provides a least one advertisement and a variety of other services to the callers using a rule-based expert system service. |
| US08254546B2 |
Method and system to proxy phone directories
A method (300) and system (100) are disclosed to proxy mobile and network originated call sessions. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method having the steps of simulating (302-314) a seamless phone directory, and simulating (318-344) a mobile originated call as a network originated call according to a selected identifier of the phone directory proxy. |
| US08254545B2 |
System and methods for enhanced multimedia in VoIP networks
Calls placed to a call recipient bypass the terminating messaging system, creating an enhanced message in the call originator's messaging system and delivering the enhanced message using alternate routing information. A caller creates enhanced messages for a call recipient even when the call recipient's messaging system does not support such functionality. The caller also embeds stored content and/or use links in the enhanced messages to allow the message to be modified and/or deleted before it is accessed by the call recipient. |
| US08254542B2 |
Phone key authentication
A phone key registration process between a user and an institution directed to establishing an audible sound or a collection of audible sounds recognizable to a user and stored with the institution. Subsequent to establishing the phone key, when the institution calls the user, the registered phone key may be played back to the user allowing the user to authenticate that the calling party is, indeed, the institution which the user registered the phone key with. Such a process may prevent an unauthorized party without knowledge of the phone key to call a user acting as the institution to illegally obtain private or sensitive information. |
| US08254538B1 |
Scalable and flexible internet fax architecture for processing outbound fax messages
Methods and systems for processing outbound fax messages in an efficient and scalable manner are provided. According to one embodiment, an Internet fax system receives a request to deliver a fax message. Source files representing content to be included as part of the fax message are stored to a shared storage area accessible by imaging systems and fax processing resources. An imaging system is selected to convert the source files into a digital representation suitable for faxing. A work request identifying the selected imaging system is stored on a centralized work queue within a database. The imaging systems poll the centralized work queue to retrieve pending work requests. Responsive to identifying the work request, the selected imaging system converts the source files, associates the resulting digital representation with an outbound fax job and causes the fax message to be delivered by submitting the outbound fax job to a fax modem. |
| US08254536B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for providing communications services
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a communication from an originating party, with the communication intended for a receiving party. A database of pre-created messages is accessed, with the database storing a pre-created message having a common association between the receiving party and the originating party. The pre-created message is then communicated. |
| US08254533B2 |
System and apparatus for processing a communications session
A system and apparatus for processing a communications session is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device can have a controller element to establish a voice communication session with a second communication device, and initiate an action to record the voice communication session for translation into a text memo that is analyzed to identify one or more actionable fields. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08254530B2 |
Authenticating personal identification number (PIN) users
In systems which support oral entry of Personal Identification Number (PIN) values in order to establish access to user accounts, a user is prompted to enter the PIN value for a particular account. The entered PIN value is analyzed by a speech recognition engine to extract both a multi-digit number and the user's expression of that number. The extracted multi-digit number is compared to a multi-digit number stored in a user record associated with the account. If the user previously specified that expression matching is required, the extracted expression of the multi-digit number is compared to a preferred expression stored in the user record. Matches must be found for both the numbers and the form in which those numbers are expressed in order for the user to be authenticated. The user may elect to dispense with the expression matching requirement. |
| US08254523B2 |
Imaging apparatus and control method thereof
An imaging apparatus having an X-ray detector and an image display unit comprises first and second display magnification calculation units and a selection unit. The first display magnification calculation unit receives information of the detected image size, a binning condition and a display frame size, and thereby calculating a first display magnification so as to maximize a display area of the detected image. The second display magnification calculation unit temporarily changes the received binning condition, and by using the temporarily changed binning condition and the received detected image size, and calculates a second display magnification so as to maximize a display area. The selection unit selects the first display magnifications and the temporarily change binning condition if the first display magnification is closer to one and the second display magnification with one. |
| US08254519B2 |
X-ray inspection apparatus and X-ray inspection method
An X-ray inspection apparatus includes a scanning X-ray source for emitting an X-ray, an X-ray detector drive unit having a plurality of X-ray detectors mounted thereon and being capable of independently driving the plurality of X-ray detectors, and an image acquisition control mechanism for controlling the X-ray detector drive unit and acquisition of image data from the X-ray detectors. The scanning X-ray source emits an X-ray by moving an X-ray focal point position of the X-ray source to each of originating point positions of X-ray emission, which are set for the X-ray detectors such that X-rays are transmitted through a plurality of prescribed inspection areas of an inspection object and enter the X-ray detectors. Image pickup by the X-ray detector and movement of another X-ray detector are concurrently performed in an alternate manner. The image acquisition control mechanism acquires image data, and an operation unit reconstructs an image. |
| US08254517B2 |
CT scanning and contraband detection
CT scanning of transportation containers is performed by generating X-rays at various points at the opposite sides of the containers, detecting the X-rays passing through the containers, and analyzing the data received to determine the presence of contraband. The X-rays are generated by modulating a magnetic field through which a high-energy electron beam passes to deflect the beam successively to different targets positioned around the sides of the container, while the electron beam source remains stationary. The X-rays are detected by an array of cells using X-ray responsive storage phosphor material to emit light which is sent to analyzing and comparing equipment. The targets and detectors and the cargo container are moved relative to one another to scan a selected volume of the container. |
| US08254516B2 |
Control rod drive outer filter removal tool
An outer filter removal tool for a boiling water reactor control rod drive that uses a mechanical advantage obtained through the use of lead screw threads to pull the outer filter off of the control rod drive. Fingers on the tool are closed around the upper flange of the outer filter by sliding a collar over the outwardly biased fingers. A shaft extending through the tool is rotated which in turn extends a push plate against the control rod drive index tube causing the fingers to pull against the upper flange on the outer filter until the filter is freed from the control rod drive. The tool will hold the filter in place until affirmatively released for proper disposal. |
| US08254515B2 |
Method for measuring phase locked loop bandwidth parameters for high-speed serial links
A method for measuring a phase locked loop bandwidth parameter for a high-speed serial link includes the steps of initiating a jitter frequency of a clock input of a phase locked loop equal to a reference frequency with a frequency generator; determining a reference jitter amplitude value of a clock output of the phase locked loop with a waveform analyzer at the reference frequency, the reference jitter amplitude value being a function of a time interval error jitter trend of the clock output at the reference frequency; and adjusting the jitter frequency of the clock input with the frequency generator until an adjusted jitter amplitude value of the clock output reaches a goal value as determined by the waveform analyzer, the adjusted jitter amplitude being a function of a time interval error trend of the clock output at the adjusted frequency. |
| US08254514B1 |
Early-late gate timing recovery
An early-late gate based ADC timing approach is described for performing early-late gate timing recovery despite the presence of multipath signal distortion. Multipath conditions may severely distort Barker correlator magnitudes generated for taps within two taps of a determined bit synchronization time. Exemplary embodiments of the described approach may combine Barker correlator magnitudes for several receive chains to calculate the timing error correction corresponding to a difference of early and late taps. The approach may be used to increase the size and stability of Barker correlator magnitudes generated for taps far away from a determined bit synchronization time. Such embodiments allow early-late differences to be generated using combined Barker correlator magnitudes generated at taps that are two or more chips from a determined bit synchronization time, thereby avoiding multipath distortion that may distort Barker correlator magnitudes generated within two or more chips from the determined bit synchronization time. |
| US08254513B2 |
Inter-device adaptable interfacing clock skewing
Inter-device adaptable interfacing clock skewing. The invention is operable in either one of both of a transmit mode and a receive mode to perform skewing of a transmitted and/or a received signal. The operational parameters including frequency and phase may be determined during auto detect/auto negotiation, they may be programmed externally, or they may be user selected in various embodiments. A device may include a clock generator, one or more divider, and one or more delay cells internally to the device. If desired, a high frequency clock is generated within the device and then divided down to generate the appropriate clock signal that supports the communication and interaction between multiple devices. Registers and/or pins may be used to select the clock frequency and phase of output clock signals. The present invention supports multiple Ethernet protocols between multiple devices including 10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT. |
| US08254511B2 |
Method and apparatus for equalization in clustered channels
This invention relates to an equalization apparatus and an equalization method. A plurality of equalizers is applied to the equalization apparatus to eliminate interferences of multiple clusters in a channel. The weights of the equalizers are calculated under minimum mean square error criterion by gains of delay paths of multiple clusters in the whole channel. Therefore, the interference of different clusters in the whole channel can be greatly eliminated. |
| US08254510B2 |
Apparatus and method for inter-carrier interference cancellation
A method for inter-carrier interference cancellation is provided. A time-domain received signal is detected to obtain information of an inter-symbol interference free region. Multiple cyclic useful symbols are obtained from the time-domain received signal according to the information of the inter-symbol interference free region and a set of multi-step windowing coefficients is generated. Adjusted cyclic useful symbols are obtained by multiplying the cyclic useful symbols by the set of multi-step windowing coefficients, respectively, and then combined in a time domain to obtain a time-domain combination signal. The inter-carrier interference of each of sub-carriers of the time-domain combination signal is centralized on neighboring D sub-carriers. The time-domain combination signal is transformed into a frequency-domain received signal. The frequency-domain received signal and its corresponding channel response matrix are divided into overlapped signal blocks according to D. Successive inter-carrier interference cancellation is performed on each signal block in parallel to obtain estimation data. |
| US08254504B2 |
Decision directed flicker noise cancellation
A decision directed flicker noise canceller for reducing flicker noise in a modulated input signal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a decision circuit, a conversion circuit, first and second adders and a filter. The decision circuit provides signal decisions based on the input signal. The conversion circuit provides selected signal values based on the signal decisions. The first adder subtracts the selected signal values from signals based on the input signal to provide a flicker noise estimate. The filter receives and filters the flicker noise estimate and the second adder subtracts the filtered flicker noise estimate from the input signal and provides a corrected input signal. In a feedback configuration, the second adder is located in a feedback position before the decision circuit in the signal processing path. In a feed-forward configuration, the second adder is located in a feed-forward position after the decision circuit. |
| US08254503B1 |
Tracking automatic gain control of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing systems
An automatic gain control tracking system including a variable gain amplifier and an automatic gain control module. The variable gain amplifier is configured to amplify an input signal in accordance with a first gain, in which i) the input signal comprises a plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and ii) each of the plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the input signal is preceded by a respective cyclic prefix. The automatic gain control module configured to vary the first gain of the variable gain amplifier during the respective cyclic prefix preceding each of the plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the input signal. |
| US08254502B2 |
Post decoding soft interference cancellation
The present patent application discloses a method and apparatus for decoding, comprising decoding signals iteratively, mutually exchanging extrinsic information, calculating APP LLRs for both systematic and parity bits and making a hard decision after a plurality of iterations is completed based on accumulated soft information. The present patent application also discloses a method and apparatus for post decoding soft interference canceling, comprising generating updated a posteriori probabilities for systematic and parity bits from a turbo decoder, mapping the posteriori probabilities to soft symbols, quantizing the soft symbols, re-encoding a data packet, filtering a chip sequence, reconstructing an interference waveform, and scaling reconstruction filter coefficients using the symbols. |
| US08254499B2 |
Digital satellite broadcasting receiving tuner and satellite broadcasting receiving device including the same
When a satellite broadcasting receiving device 5 is initially set up, a receivable channel is searched for each satellite. In this search, a wider frequency acquisition range than a frequency acquisition range which is generally used is set for a QPSK demodulation IC 15, while the frequency of a PLL 9 is fixed. Then, in the wider frequency acquisition range, an offset is shifted by a frequency step Fstep′ by using a function for setting a frequency offset, the function being included in the QPSK demodulation IC 15. Thus, a signal search is carried out throughout a reception frequency range. |
| US08254494B2 |
Method and device for implementing data transmission
A method of implementing data transmission is provided, which comprises: A) comparing bit by bit data to be transmitted currently with previous transmitted data, and counting to obtain total number of different bits; and B) when it is determined that the total number of different bits is more than a half of number of bits of the data to be transmitted currently, inverting the data to be transmitted currently and then converting the inverted data into a differential signal for transmission. A device of implementing data transmission is also provided. The method and device provided by embodiments of the present invention can minimize electromagnetic interference during data transmission. |
| US08254490B2 |
Reducing transmit signal components of a receive signal of a transceiver using a shared DAC architecture
Embodiments of a method and apparatus of reducing transmit signal components of a receive signal of a transceiver are disclosed. One embodiment of an apparatus includes a transceiver that simultaneously transmits a transmit signal and receives a receive signal. The transceiver includes a transmit DAC that generates the transmit signal based on a transmit digital signal stream. The transmit DAC includes a plurality of transmit DAC circuit elements, and a plurality of transmit DAC switches that control which of the plurality of transmit DAC circuit elements contribute to generating the transmit signal. The transceiver additionally includes an echo cancellation DAC that generates an echo cancellation signal based on the transmit digital signal stream. The echo cancellation DAC includes a plurality of echo cancellation DAC circuit elements, and a plurality of echo cancellation DAC switches that control which of the plurality of echo cancellation DAC circuit elements contribute to generating the echo cancellation signal. A data controller receives the transmit digital signal stream, and controls both the plurality of transmit DAC switches and the plurality of echo cancellation DAC switches. A canceller (summer) cancels at least a portion of the receive signal by summing the echo cancellation signal with the receive signal. |
| US08254479B2 |
Method of detecting transmission channel and related wireless communication system
A method and related system of transmission channel detection condition in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The method includes receiving a symbol, performing a channel estimation operation to generate a channel estimation result according to the symbol, performing a cross correlation operation on the channel estimation result and an initial channel estimation result to generate an operation result, and determining whether the condition of the transmission channel have changed or not. |
| US08254477B2 |
OFDM communication device and guard interval length determining method
An OFDM communication device (10) includes: an REF/IF/BR unit (11) for receiving a series of symbols; a frequency fluctuation amount information acquisition unit (21) for acquiring frequency fluctuation amount information that indicates a frequency fluctuation amount of the received series of symbols; and a GI length determination/instruction unit (23) for determining a GI length in accordance with the frequency fluctuation amount information acquired by the frequency fluctuation amount information acquisition unit (21), and instructing a transmission device to transmit symbols with the determined GI length. |
| US08254470B2 |
Encoding and decoding of embedded data stream in analog video using copy protection pulses
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a stream of digital (binary) data on AGC (automatic gain control) pulses or back porch pulses of the type conventionally used for copy protection in the analog television or video realm. The data is encoded onto the tips of the AGC or back porch pulses added to blanking intervals of an analog video signal. Each pulse tip may define, for instance, 10 to 15 digital bits (1 or 0) in the form of square waves or rectangular waves with two states, high and low, representing respectively 1 and 0. In another version, the digital data is similarly encoded onto the pulse tip of back porch pulses present at the end of video fields for copy protection. This digital data conveyed in an analog signal may be read by an associated decoder in a consumer device and the resulting data decoded, for instance, for copy control, storage permission, network access, user identification, or carrying additional data, such as commentary or text relevant to the accompanying video. The data bandwidth here is substantial since each AGC or back porch pulse may carry, for instance, 15 bits of digital data and the AGC or back porch pulses may be present in each of the horizontal and vertical blanking intervals of a video signal. |
| US08254469B2 |
Error concealment for frame loss in multiple description coding
Systems and methodologies for concealing frame loss in a video transmission environment are provided herein. Multiple Description Coding (MDC) can be used as an Error Resilience technique for video coding. In case of transmission errors, Error Concealment can be combined with MDC to reconstruct a lost frame, such that the propagated error to following frames can be reduced. Further, multi-hypothesis decoding can be employed to enhance reconstructed video quality of MDC over packet loss networks. For instance, one or more frames after the lost frame in the same stream can be reconstructed using multi-hypothesis decoding, which combines directly decoding and temporally interpolating these frames. Moreover, output obtained from directly decoding and temporally interpolating each frame can be combined by generating a weighted sum of these hypotheses. Constant weights and/or adaptive weights (e.g., determined based on the minimum mean square error criterion) can be used for yielding the weighted sum. |
| US08254467B2 |
Method and system for scaling compressed image frames
A method and system for scaling frames of a compressed image stream, each frame including a mosaic of pixels. For each frame of the encoded image stream, the even-numbered lines of the frame are scaled as a first grouping of lines, while the odd-numbered lines of the frame are scaled as a second grouping of lines. This grouping of the lines of the frame may occur within the frame itself or by dividing the frame into sub-frames, in which case the even-numbered lines of the frame are scaled independently from the odd-numbered lines of the frame and a scaled version of the frame is then generated by merging the scaled even-numbered lines of the frame with the scaled odd-numbered lines of the frame. |
| US08254466B2 |
Method and device for texture based coding
For reducing the false contour effect the gravity center coding is utilized. However, a GCC with a few number of levels introduces noise in a picture. Therefore, each picture is divided into segments and such GCC is performed only in regions, where the false contour effect is critical. This is the case for skin areas of a picture. Such areas are detected by the color analysis and texture analysis. If this analysis leads to a skin area, a specific false contour mode for data processing is used. Otherwise, a standard mode is employed. |
| US08254465B2 |
Apparatus for encoding and decoding header data in picture signal transmission
A picture decoding method and apparatus for decoding a bit stream, the bit stream being compatible with MPEG 1 moving picture video standard. The method includes, receiving, via an input terminal, from a bit stream that includes extension data added in a header of a picture layer of the bit stream when the header includes control data that is newly added, in MPEG 2 standard format, the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer. The method also includes decoding the bit stream in the picture layer using the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer when an extension start code indicating the beginning of the extension data of the current header is not received from the bit stream. |
| US08254458B2 |
Moving picture encoding apparatus and method, moving picture decoding apparatus and method
A prediction mode is selected in accordance with a type of a moving picture. When an interframe prediction mode is selected as the prediction mode, a motion vector for the moving picture is detected. Motion compensation for the moving picture is performed based on the type of the moving picture, the prediction mode, and the motion vector. A spatial prediction section performs a spatial prediction for the moving picture based on the type of the moving picture and the prediction mode. An orthogonal transformation for a predictive residue signal obtained as a difference between the picture signal obtained by the motion compensation or the spatial prediction and the input picture signal is performed, based on the type of the moving picture and the prediction mode. Variable length encoding for the picture data after the orthogonal transformation is performed, based on the type of the moving picture and the prediction mode. |
| US08254455B2 |
Computing collocated macroblock information for direct mode macroblocks
Video decoding innovations for multithreading implementations and graphics processor unit (“GPU”) implementations are described. For example, for multithreaded decoding, a decoder uses innovations in the areas of layered data structures, picture extent discovery, a picture command queue, and/or task scheduling for multithreading. Or, for a GPU implementation, a decoder uses innovations in the areas of inverse transforms, inverse quantization, fractional interpolation, intra prediction using waves, loop filtering using waves, memory usage and/or performance-adaptive loop filtering. Innovations are also described in the areas of error handling and recovery, determination of neighbor availability for operations such as context modeling and intra prediction, CABAC decoding, computation of collocated information for direct mode macroblocks in B slices, reduction of memory consumption, implementation of trick play modes, and picture dropping for quality adjustment. |
| US08254454B2 |
Apparatus and method for reducing temporal noise
Disclosed is a method for reducing temporal noise, comprising: performing motion detection on frames of a video data stream; calculating a pixel difference between pixels of frames in the video data stream to generate at least a pixel difference value; determining a set of weighting value for temporal filtering according to a result of the motion detection and a result of the pixel difference value calculation; and performing temporal filtering on frames in the video data stream according to the weighting values. |
| US08254452B2 |
Method of decoding a macroblock based on a macroblock level of the macroblock
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a first reference frame picture list and a second reference frame picture list including multiple reference frame pictures respectively and determining a reference frame picture index based on display order information for the multiple reference frame pictures. A first reference field picture having a different parity from the macroblock is selected if the first reference field picture index is an odd number, and a second reference field picture having a same parity as the macroblock is selected if the second reference field picture index is an even number. The macroblock is decoded based on the first and second motion vector information and the selected first and second reference field pictures. |
| US08254445B2 |
Video transmission using video quality metrics
Video traffic transmission using video quality metrics may be provided. A video stream comprising a plurality of frames may be received. For each frame, a determination may be made whether or not to drop the frame rather than saving and/or transmitting it to an end user, thereby conserving network bandwidth. This determination may be made on the basis of a threshold metric, such as a size ratio between frames, an average frame size, an average quality metric. |
| US08254444B2 |
System and method for phase adaptive occlusion detection based on motion vector field in digital video
Systems and methods for efficiently reformatting video data in regions of video including occlusions are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes determining multiple motion vectors that link/relate matching blocks of two reference frames and calculating a measure related to overlap area of the matching blocks in one or both of the reference frames with a block to be constructed in an intermediate frame. The measure related to overlap area takes into account a particular interpolation phase of the frame being constructed in relation to the two reference frames. In one embodiment, a ranking of the measure related to overlap areas is used to classify the block to be constructed according to a degree of occlusion. In another aspect the location of the matching blocks in one or both of the reference frames is used in the classification of the block to be constructed. |
| US08254443B2 |
Latency rate distortion optimisation
There is provided an improved latency rate distortion optimization apparatus comprising a forward quantize unit (1200) for processing input coefficients (Wij), an inverse quantize unit (1300) coupled to the forward quantize unit (1200), and at least one look-up-table (150) of quantize values for use by the forward (1200) and inverse (1300) quantize units, wherein the at least one look-up-table (150) of quantize values further includes any one or more of the following modified quantize multiplication factors: negative forward quantize multiplication factors (−MF); pre-shifted forward quantize multiplication factors (MFps); negative pre-shifted forward quantize multiplication factors (−MFps); negative inverse quantize multiplication factors (−V); pre-shifted inverse quantize multiplication factors (Vps); or negative pre-shifted inverse quantize multiplication factors (−Vps), and the forward quantize unit (1200) is arranged to operate on the input coefficients (Wij) using one of the modified forward quantize multiplication factors, and the inverse quantize unit (1300) is arranged to operate on the output of the forward quantize unit (1200) using one of the modified inverse quantize multiplication factors. |
| US08254442B2 |
Real time encoder with time and bit rate constraint, method, computer program product and corresponding storage means
A real time encoder with bit rate constraint, of the type including: a capture buffer memory storing frames waiting to be processed; an encoding module receiving frames issued from the capture buffer memory and delivering compressed frames; an intermediate buffer memory, storing the compressed frames issued from the encoding module; and an emission buffer memory, storing data packets, resulting from the division of the compressed frames issued from the intermediate buffer memory, and emitting, with a controlled bit rate, the data packets on a communication channel. The encoder includes a control module, which dynamically adjusts the maximum size of the capture buffer memory, permitting the maximum size of the capture buffer memory to be temporarily increased as long as the emission buffer memory is not empty. |
| US08254438B2 |
Video quality measurement
This application is concerned with a non-intrusive video quality measurement method, in particular where the video signal having: an original form; encoded form in which video signal has been encoded using a compression algorithm utilizing a variable quantiser step size such that the encoded signal includes a quantiser step size parameter; and, a decoded form in which the encoded video signal has been at least in part reconverted to the original form. The method comprises the steps of: a) generating a first quality measure which is a function of said quantiser step size parameter; b) generating a second quality measure which is a function of the spatial complexity of the frames represented by the video signal in the decoded form; and, c) combining the first and second measures in order to obtain an estimate for the subjective visual quality of the decoded video. |
| US08254437B2 |
Transmitting apparatus, receiving apparatus and communication system
A transmitting apparatus, receiving apparatus and communication system are disclosed, and great improvement in an S/N ratio, preventing an actual throughput from decreasing, and preventing the number of circuits for synchronizing spread spectrum signals from increasing can be expected at the receiving apparatus side. The transmitting apparatus includes a pulse generating circuit, pulse repetition cycle determining circuit, peak power determining circuit, and modulator. The pulse generating circuit generates pulse strings, pulse repetition cycle determining circuit determines, based on a clock signal, a pulse repetition cycle of the pulse string generated by the pulse generating circuit. The peak power determining circuit determines a pulse peak power of the pulse string. The modulator modulates the pulse string with transmission data, and then generates a transmission signal. |
| US08254432B2 |
Method and system for single antenna receiver system for W-CDMA
A receiver receives chip-level data items via a plurality of individual distinct path signals in a signal cluster that is wirelessly received. Channel estimates and timing reference signals, and lock indications of valid components values in the channel estimates are generated utilizing the received chip-level data items. Rake receiver fingers are assigned to the received individual distinct path signals based on the generated channel estimates and timing reference signals, and/or the lock indications. Each of the received chip-level data items corresponds to one of the assigned rake receiver fingers. At least a portion of the received chip-level data items may be combined utilizing the assigned rake receiver fingers. The generated one or more combined chip-level data items may be despreaded to generate corresponding symbol-level data. |
| US08254431B2 |
Wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for carrier offset recovery
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for carrier offset recovery. An adaptive matched filter produces a filtered signal. A rake receiver provides relative path values of multipath components. A mixer generates channel impulse response estimates. A channel despreader despreads the filtered signal using the pseudo-noise signal generated to produce a despread channel signal of the selected channel. A pilot channel despreader despreads the filtered signal using a pseudo-noise signal generator to produce a despread pilot signal of the pilot channel. A hard decision processor determines a symbol value of the despread channel signal. A complex conjugate processor generates a complex conjugate of the symbol value as a correction signal. A phase-locked loop produces a phase correction signal to recover carrier offset. |
| US08254430B1 |
Method and apparatus for detection and control of spread spectrum EMI reduction
A method and apparatus for enabling the operative association of electronic devices that each employ spread spectrum EMI noise reduction. The method includes the detection of frequency modulation and the generation of a modulation detection signal that conveys the modulation extent and type. The modulation detection signal is then used to accommodate the modulation technique and make it compatible with the receiving electronic device. The apparatus of the invention includes an FM modulator that creates an FM signal from an input signal, an FM detector that detects the FM content of the incoming signal and represent this information by means of either voltage or current signals, and a circuit to process this FM information and perform functions such as modification of the FM content and generating a new signal with this new content, complete removal of the content, and “no-action,” whereby the signal is passed on with no alteration to the content. |
| US08254416B2 |
Superfluorescent fiber source with enhanced mean wavelength stability
A doped superfluorescent fiber source (SFS) has an enhanced mean wavelength stability. A method stabilizes the mean wavelength of a SFS. The method includes pumping the SFS with pump light from a pump source having a wavelength dependent on the temperature of the pump source and dependent on the power of the pump light. The length of the fiber is selected to compromise between reduction of the dependence of the mean wavelength on the pump light power and reduction of the contribution of the forward amplified spantaneous emission light produced by the fiber to the output light. |
| US08254414B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method, communication system, and computer program
A communication system includes a plurality of communication stations arranged to respectively transmit a beacon on which beacon time information related to a beacon received from a peripheral communication station is placed at a predetermined transmission interval and control a beacon transmission timing of its own station while a collision with the beacon transmitted from the peripheral communication station is avoided on the basis of beacon information placed on the received beacon, in which at least a part of the communication stations includes means configured to decide a priority with respect to beacons received from at least one peripheral communication station and means configured to place beacon time information of a beacon having a high priority among the received beacons on a beacon of its own station, and transmits the beacon at a predetermined transmission interval. |
| US08254411B2 |
Data processing system, method and interconnect fabric having a flow governor
A data processing system includes a plurality of local hubs each coupled to a remote hub by a respective one a plurality of point-to-point communication links. Each of the plurality of local hubs queues requests for access to memory blocks for transmission on a respective one of the point-to-point communication links to a shared resource in the remote hub. Each of the plurality of local hubs transmits requests to the remote hub utilizing only a fractional portion of a bandwidth of its respective point-to-point communication link. The fractional portion that is utilized is determined by an allocation policy based at least in part upon a number of the plurality of local hubs and a number of processing units represented by each of the plurality of local hubs. The allocation policy prevents overruns of the shared resource. |
| US08254405B2 |
Method and transmitter for transmitting a signal in a time slot of a channel comprising a plurality of time slots employing a reference ramp pattern
A method, program and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a time slot of a channel comprising a plurality of time slots. Using a transmitter having a processor and a power amplifier, the method comprises: retrieving a reference ramp pattern from a memory; determining an output power level for the slot from a plurality of possible output power levels, each requiring a respective corresponding ramp pattern; executing software on the processor to apply a scaling function to the reference ramp pattern in dependence on the determined output power level, thus generating a scaled ramp pattern corresponding to the pattern required for that determined level; supplying the scaled ramp pattern to a control input of the power amplifier, to control the gain of the power amplifier during the time slot; and using the power amplifier, controlled according to the scaled ramp pattern, to transmit the signal in the time slot. |
| US08254404B2 |
Gateway with voice
In one aspect of the present invention, a network gateway is configured to facilitate on line and off line bi-directional communication between a number of near end data and telephony devices with far end data termination devices via a hybrid fiber coaxial network and a cable modem termination system. The described network gateway combines a QAM receiver, a transmitter, a DOCSIS MAC, a CPU, a voice and audio processor, an Ethernet MAC, and a USB controller to provide high performance and robust operation. |
| US08254403B2 |
Packet forwarding apparatus and controlling method
A packet forwarding apparatus identifies the class of the received packet, determines whether there is a capacity for storing the received packet, spending a dedicated free capacity corresponding to the identified class, stores the packet in the buffer, spending the corresponding dedicated free capacity if there is the capacity for storing the packet, determines whether the packet may be stored spending a jointly owned free capacity if the packet may not be stored spending the dedicated free capacity, stores the packet in the buffer, spending the corresponding jointly owned free capacity if there is the capacity for storing the packet, discards the packet if the packet may not be stored spending the jointly owned free capacity, and selects a predetermined class according to a priority control and reads out the packet from the buffer for transmission. |
| US08254392B2 |
Link layer control protocol implementation
The present invention relates to a link layer control protocol implementation in a communication system. To improve operative efficiency of the link layer control protocol implementation it is suggested to delay issuance of a retransmission request for a missing data unit during a retransmission delay time period. Therefore, according to the present invention a retransmission request is not issued immediately upon detection of a missing data unit. Therefore, the present invention avoids issuance of false alarm for the missing data unit when it is received during the retransmission delay period. |
| US08254390B2 |
Compact load balanced switching structures for packet based communication networks
A switching node is disclosed for the routing of packetized data employing a multi-stage packet based routing fabric combined with a plurality of memory switches employing memory queues. The switching node allowing reduced throughput delays, dynamic provisioning of bandwidth and packet prioritization. |
| US08254387B2 |
Method and apparatus for establishing and maintaining a spectrally efficient multicast group call
A method, device, and system for establishing and maintaining a multicast group call. The method includes monitoring one or more link parameters for each of a plurality of communication devices associated with the multicast group call. The method further includes selecting, for each of the plurality of communication devices, a sector from a plurality of permitted sectors, the selected sector providing an associated highest signal strength for the communication device and forming a multicast communication zone based on the selected sectors. The method further proceeds with calculating a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for each communication device based on the formed multicast communication zone, identifying a communication device with a lowest SINR, updating a spectral efficiency metric relative to the formed multicast communication zone based on the lowest SINR, and establishing the multicast group call when the updated spectral efficiency metric meets a minimum expected spectral efficiency metric. |
| US08254382B1 |
Location preference indicator in network access identifier
Wireless communication systems and methods based on network-based IP mobility that use an anchor point location preference indicator in the Network Access Identifier (NAI) used during network entry process in a wireless network to provide an indication of a preference for a mobile subscriber station to obtain an IP address; and operate the wireless network based on Proxy Mobil IP to support the preference in the point location preference indicator in the NAI. |
| US08254381B2 |
Message processing engine with a virtual network interface
A message processing engine may intercept outgoing and incoming messages by bridging an interface between a virtual network interface and a physical network interface. The message processing engine may have a raw packet analyzer that may determine if a packet is to be processed based on a policy, and then may decode the packet using a first set of protocols, perform a translation in the decoded state, then encode the packet using the same or a different set of protocols. The message processing engine may be used to perform translations to enable two otherwise incompatible devices to communicate as well as apply various protocols including security protocols to communications with another device similarly configured. In many embodiments, the raw packet analyzer may be a service with administrative privileges, but the decoder, encoder, and translator may be operated with user privileges. |
| US08254376B2 |
Simple adaptive jitter buffering algorithm for network nodes
A method of dynamically adjusting the buffer delay of an adaptive jitter buffer of a network node receiving packets of a media stream from a packet switched network. The method comprises inserting packets arriving to the network node into the jitter buffer and executing a jitter buffering procedure once every Trepin, wherein Trepin is equal to the jitter buffer play-out interval. Executing the jitter buffer procedure involves updating a jitter protection time, Tjit, wherein Tjit defines a current target value for the maximum buffering delay, on the basis of the variation of the number of pending packets, N in the jitter buffer. |
| US08254368B2 |
Femtocell architecture for information management
A system and methodology that significantly reduces traffic in a backhaul pipe of a femto access point (AP) and organizes content delivery is provided. Specifically, an aggregator/routing platform is employed to connect multiple femto APs in a femto enterprise to a single backhaul network. The aggregator/routing platform collects and analyzes information from the multiple femtos and directly route communication packets to between femto APs within the enterprise when possible, without employing the backhaul network. Content and/or tasks can be internally organized between devices connected to the multiple femtos, without accessing the core network. During internal communication, a control link can preserved and sent to the core network to facilitate billing. |
| US08254367B2 |
Method and system for synchronization in communication system
A method for uplink synchronization of a first transceiver and a second transceiver in a multi-user cellular communication system having communication resources divided into communication channels. The method includes the following steps. A first signature sequence is transmitted from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, where the signature sequence is selected from a first set of signature sequences. In the first transceiver, the received signal is correlated with at least one signature sequence from a second set of signature sequences to estimate the time of arrival of the signature sequence to synchronize transmission between the second transceiver and the first transceiver. In transmitting the first signature sequence from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, the first signature sequence constitutes at least part of a zero-correlation zone sequence. |
| US08254366B2 |
Wireless MAC layer throughput improvements
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel involving sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets from a transmitter over the multi-access channel, using a physical layer protocol based on a standard physical layer protocol having a short interframe spacing (SIFS), wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS, attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets at a receiver using the physical layer protocol, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing, and sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets. |
| US08254359B2 |
Recursive reduction of channel state feedback
A method and a system that multiplies a beamforming matrix by a unitary matrix that does not change the subspace of the beamforming matrix for form a converted matrix having a lower left triangle of zeros. A first column vector having a fewest number of elements of the converted matrix is quantized using a codebook and represented by a first codebook index. A Householder matrix is determined from the quantized first column vector and the converted matrix is multiplied by the Householder matrix. Quantizing, determining a Householder matrix from further column vectors of the converted matrix using a codebook and representing each respective column vector by further corresponding codebook index, and multiplying the converted matrix on the left by the determined Householder matrix for each respective column vector are recursively repeated. The first codebook index and further codebook indices are transmitted to a remote station for use in beamforming. |
| US08254358B2 |
Communicating a broadcast message to change data rates of mobile stations
A wireless communications network includes a base station to communicate with plural mobile stations over a wireless link. A broadcast message is sent to the plural mobile stations, with the broadcast message containing an indication for indicating to the plural mobile stations that the mobile stations are to change data rates for transmissions over a reverse wireless link. |
| US08254353B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus, load dispersing method thereof, load dispersing program thereof, and wireless communication system
With respect to wireless communication apparatuses to which a plurality of clients are connected by wireless, uneven distribution of load is prevented, without monitoring the situation of the uneven distribution of the load among wireless communication apparatuses. The wireless communication apparatuses (access points) connected by wireless to the plurality of clients have a responding unit (wireless LAN unit and CPU) that responds to a connection request from a client at different response timing depending on the number of clients connected. Since the responding unit responds at different response timing depending on the number of clients connected and the wireless communication apparatus that has a small number of clients responds quickly, dispersion of the load can be achieved. |
| US08254351B2 |
Communication network and operating method for agricultural working machines
A communication network contains several nodes, which are equipped with transmitter/receiver units for wireless communication, including nodes referred to as mobile nodes that are installed on mobile machines. So that decentralized decisions can be made regarding the use of the mobile machines at the sites where the machines are located, a memory for storing the operating parameter profiles of several of the mobile machines is assigned to each node; every node is designed to transmit profiles stored in its assigned memory via its transmitter/receiver unit, and to update the profile of a particular mobile machine stored in its assigned memory based on a profile of this mobile machine that is received from another node. |
| US08254346B2 |
Communication system and method for discovering end-points that utilize a link layer connection in a wired/wireless local area network
Aspects of the invention provide a communication system and method in a hybrid wired/wireless local area network. At least one discovery message may be broadcasted to at least one of a plurality of access points. A response may be received from one or more of the access points. The response may report a presence of at least one access device located within a coverage area of one or more of the access points. A status of at least one access device located within a coverage area of one or more of the access points may be requested from the access points. |
| US08254343B2 |
Multi-radio platform and method for mitigating interference between co-located radios
Embodiments of a multi-radio platform and method for mitigating the effects of interference are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the multi-radio platform includes co-located radios including a Bluetooth transceiver and a wireless network transceiver. The wireless network transceiver may apply a transmit-active noise-cancellation matrix to signals received by the wireless network transceiver when the Bluetooth transceiver is transmitting and may apply a transmit-inactive noise-cancellation matrix to signals received when the Bluetooth transceiver is not transmitting. The transmit-active noise-cancellation matrix may mitigate effects of emissions generated by the Bluetooth transceiver when the Bluetooth transceiver is transmitting. The transmit-inactive noise-cancellation matrix is to mitigate effects of platform noise generated by platform elements of the multi-radio platform. |
| US08254342B2 |
Method for determining superframe for beacon scheduling
Provided is a method for determining superframe to efficiently perform beacon scheduling by allocating superframe lengths which are different according to a routing depth of sensor nodes in a ZigBee based wireless sensor network. The method for determining a superframe for beacon scheduling, includes the steps of: receiving a beacon from a neighboring node and grasping information on a superframe used by the neighboring nodes; and determining a transmission time and a length of own superframe based on superframe information of the grasped neighboring node. |
| US08254340B2 |
Code division multiplex communication system
A code division multiplex (CDM) communication system transmits frames including a preamble and its end bit pattern followed by a CDM signal and its end bit pattern in respective time slots. A clock recovery device at the receiving end recovers a clock signal from the preamble during the preamble time slot and continues to output the clock signal in free run mode during the CDM signal time slot. The clock signal is used to gate the output of a decoder that decodes the received signal, so that the decoded CDM signal is output as a received data signal. The preamble is a bi-level signal, so an ordinary clock recovery device can be used. |
| US08254336B1 |
Multiple distinct physical channels for mesh control
A method and apparatus for interference avoidance from independent systems in a mesh in presented. A first Mesh Point (MP) operating on a same channel as an independent Access Point (AP) avoids mesh traffic channels serving the independent AP by switching the mesh traffic channel used by the first MP, and may also request a change of control channel for the first MP. The mesh network may include a plurality of sub-meshes operating on different control channels, wherein one mesh point is common to any two sub-meshes, the common mesh point having at least two radios and uses one of its radios for control traffic exchanged one sub-mesh, and another radio for control traffic exchanged with another sub-mesh and wherein mesh traffic to or from the mesh point common to any two sub-meshes can use either of the two channels. |
| US08254334B2 |
Optimization method of multiple service flows operation for WiMAX system
An optimization method of multiple service flows operation for a WiMAX system includes: adding a resource combination indication to a hand-off request message, a path pre-registration request message and a path registration request message; hand-off request processing: when multiple service flows are handed off by a mobile station from a current serving network to a target network, determining whether the mobile station is allowed to hand off to a target network according to the resource combination indication in the hand-off request message and whether the handoff of the multiple service flows is accepted by the target network; path pre-establishment processing and path establishment processing: when the mobile station is allowed to hand off multiple service flows from the current serving network to the target network, determining whether data paths between the target network and the network where a data management unit is located can be pre-established/established according to the resource combination indication in the path pre-registration request message and the path registration request message and whether the data path pre-registration/registration of the multiple service flows can be established. |
| US08254333B2 |
Method for improving buffer status triggering mechanism in wireless communications system and related communication device
A method for improving a buffer status triggering mechanism for a mobile device of a wireless communication system comprises triggering a buffer status report when uplink data becomes data available for transmission and a logical channel corresponding to data of the uplink data has higher priority than logical channels corresponding to data available for transmission already existed in a transmission buffer if there is already data available for transmission other than the uplink data included in the UE transmission buffer. |
| US08254329B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting reference signal, setting reference signal transmission pattern, and setting and allocating resource block
A method for transmitting a reference signal, a method for establishing a reference-signal transmission pattern, and a method for establishing a block are disclosed. The reference-signal density is adjusted according to the request degree of the channel estimation performance, and then the reference signal is transmitted to a destination. As a result, the apparatus prevents prevent resources from being unnecessarily wasted, and acquires a high channel estimation performance as necessary, resulting in an increased production yield of a system. |
| US08254328B2 |
Scheduling method for multi-user MIMO in which resource blocks are allocated based on priorities
A priority computation process computes a priority of each user for each RB (Resource Brock) using a reception SINR. A maximum priority user selection/RB allocation process selects a user with the maximum priority for an unallocated RB and allocates the RB to the user. A frequency axis/space axis unallocated RB presence determination process proceeds to scheduling for a next user if there is an unallocated RB on the frequency or space axis. A projected channel vector update process updates a projected channel vector of an unselected user by GS orthogonalization. An orthogonal coefficient computation process computes an orthogonal coefficient. A corrected SINR computation process computes a corrected SINR. A next MIMO layer priority computation process computes priorities of unselected users for a corresponding RB in the next multiple MIMO layer. The priorities of the unselected users are used in the next user scheduling processing. |
| US08254325B2 |
Multi-path timing tracking and impairment modeling for improved grake receiver performance in mobility scenarios
Methods and wireless receivers (5) are disclosed for estimating a propagation channel response that includes two closely spaced delays. An exemplary method comprises selecting (720) a plurality of receiver processing delays for sampling the received signal so that that the receiver processing delays span two closely spaced channel response delays, and calculating (730) an average channel coefficient magnitude over at least a first number of time slots of the received signal, for each of the receiver processing delays. The exemplary method further comprises estimating (740) delay timing for each of the two channel response delays, based on the average channel coefficient magnitudes and a multi-delay superposition model for the channel response, and calculating (750) complex channel gains for each of the two channel response delays, based on the estimated delay timings and channel response measurements taken over a second number of time slots that is less than the first number of time slots. |
| US08254322B2 |
Method and apparatus for channel management in cognitive radio system supporting multiple channels
A method and apparatus for channel management in a Cognitive Radio (CR) system supporting multiple channels are provided. The method includes generating a candidate channel set from an available channel list, configuring a backup channel set by combining at least one candidate channel, and updating the backup channel set when a channel change event occurs. Accordingly, the multiple channels can be effectively used in CR communication. |
| US08254319B2 |
Wireless programmable logic device
A programmable logic device includes a control module, a plurality of input/output modules, and a plurality of configurable logic and millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver modules (CXM). The control module is operable to: receive a programming instruction; identify a set of the plurality of CXMs based on the programming instruction; identify at least one of the plurality of input/output modules based on the programming instruction; determine configuration of the set of the plurality of CXMs and the at least one of input/output modules in accordance with the programming instruction; and allocate wireless communication resources of the programmable logic device to support the configuration of the set of the plurality of CXMs and the at least one of the plurality of input/output modules. |
| US08254315B2 |
Method and apparatus for resegmentation of packet data for retransmission on HARQ transmission failure
A method for packet data retransmission on Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Transmission failure having the steps of: checking whether changes to HARQ transmission error performance characteristics are greater than a threshold and/or a deterioration of channel conditions is indicated or less than threshold; if yes, re-segmenting an RLC-SDU or RLC-PDU data into smaller PDU data sizes; and transmitting said re-segmented RLC-PDU data; and if not yes, transmitting previous RLC-PDU data. |
| US08254313B2 |
Method and arrangement for selecting a public land mobile network using unlicensed access networks
When a mobile station (MS) seeks access to a public land mobile network (PLMN) via an unlicensed or generic access networks (GAN) it first registers with a default GAN. If the default GAN is unable to serve the MS at its current location, it redirects the MS to other GANs serving the same of different PLMNs. However, when using the existing registration and redirection process, an MS has no means of knowing what services are provided by a specific combination of GAN and PLMN. In accordance with the present invention this is achieved by indicating for each PLMN and serving GANC an operation mode supported by the GANC. This operation mode being indicative of the interface used for communication between the GANC and PLMN it serves. |
| US08254312B2 |
Increasing reliability of hybrid automatic repeat request protocol
In a communication system using HARQ, the problem of false ACK detection when no ACK/NACK feedback is transmitted is solved sent by varying the reliability of the scheduling information transmitted to the user terminal on a downlink control channel depending on whether the user terminal is expected to use a first or second uplink channel for sending ACK/NACK feedback. When the user terminal is expected to use the first channel to send ACK/NACK feedback, the base station transmits scheduling information to the user terminal with normal reliability. When the user terminal is expected to send ACK/NACK feedback on the second uplink channel, the base station transmits the signaling information to the user terminal with enhanced reliability. The reliability of the signaling information can be increased, for example, by increasing the transmit power on the downlink control channel, increasing the aggregation level, or a combination thereof. |
| US08254310B2 |
Audience response system and method with multiple base unit capability
A wireless response system and method of retrieving user selections includes providing a plurality of response units, each having a wireless response transceiver and an input device and a plurality of base units, each having a wireless base transceiver. The wireless response transceiver is adapted to transmitting a response transmission in response to receipt of a base transmission. The base transceiver is adapted to transmitting base transmissions and receiving response transmissions from the response units. Each of the base units and each of the response units are assigned communication identification. Base transmissions include a unique base address of the base unit transmitting that base transmission. Response transmission includes the base address of the base transmission to which that response transmission is responding. Each of the base units processes response transmissions having its base address and does not process response transmissions not having its base address. |
| US08254306B2 |
Method and system for implementing a single weight spatial multiplexing (SM) MIMO system
Certain aspects of the method may comprise generating at least one control signal that may be utilized to control at least a first of a plurality of received spatially multiplexed communication signals. An amplitude and/or phase of the first received spatially multiplexed communication signal may be adjusted via the generated control signal so that the amplitude and/or phase of the first received spatially multiplexed communication signal may be equivalent to an amplitude and/or phase of a second received spatially multiplexed communication signal. The amplitude of the first received spatially multiplexed communication signal is adjusted within the processing path used to process the first received spatially multiplexed communication signal. |
| US08254304B2 |
Channel capacity adaptive repeater
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for increasing data rate in a signal. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a mobile broadcast signal including inner code and outer code information; generating an adjusted mobile broadcast signal by adjusting a bit rate of the mobile broadcast signal through modifying at least one of: a modulation scheme associated with the mobile broadcast signal, the inner code information, and the outer code information; and transmitting the adjusted mobile broadcast signal. |
| US08254303B2 |
Efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range
Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range. Some embodiments includes a gateway configured to encode and to transmit multiple physical layer headers, including a first physical layer header and a second physical layer header. The first physical layer header may span a first length and represent a first modcode; the second physical layer header may span a second length and represent a second modcode. The second length may be longer than the first length. Embodiments may include multiple terminals in wireless communication with the gateway via satellite, including a first terminal configured to decode the first physical layer header and to determine the first modcode. Embodiments may include a second terminal configured to decode the second physical layer header and determine the second modcode. |
| US08254299B2 |
Multimedia broadcast/multicast service cells reconfigurations
The invention proposes a method for indicating the validity of physical channels of a control cell and a neighboring cell carrying point-to-multipoint service data in a wireless communication system. The method includes the following steps: generating a message comprising configuration information for each of said channels; including validity information with the message for deriving the validity timing of the configuration information for each of said channels; and transmitting the message to a mobile terminal (10) through the control cell. The invention also proposes a mobile equipment (10) and a Radio Network Controller (111), respectively adapted to implement the above method. |
| US08254295B2 |
Method of transmitting scheduling information in TDD system
A method of transmitting scheduling information in time-division-duplex (TDD) system is provided. The method comprises configuring a radio frame, the radio frame comprising at least one downlink subframe and at least one uplink subframe, wherein a downlink subframe is reserved for downlink transmission and an uplink subframe is reserved for uplink transmission, and transmitting scheduling information on a downlink control channel in a downlink subframe, the scheduling information comprising an uplink indicator and uplink resource assignment, the uplink indicator indicating which at least one uplink subframe the uplink resource assignment is valid for. Data can be efficiently transmitted by using an uplink indicator which indicates a specific location of a subframe. |
| US08254293B2 |
Methods and systems for location estimation
A network operating center for a network comprising known-location and unknown-location nodes can be configured to receive from each unknown-location node estimates of the distances from that node to each of its neighbor nodes. The network controller can then choose an initial location estimate for each unknown-location node and compute distances from the initial location estimates to the corresponding neighbor nodes. The network operating center can then choose subsequent location estimates of the unknown-location nodes by minimizing an error criterion based on a comparison of the received neighbor node distance estimates with the computed neighbor node distances. |
| US08254291B2 |
Ethernet device and lane operating method
An Ethernet device having multiple lanes and a method of operating the lanes are provided. In one general aspect, it is possible to allocate a dummy block to each of one or more lanes such that the lanes do not selectively participate in communications. In addition, on a receiving side, the dummy block can be removed from among the genuine data blocks to enable data to be decoded. In this case, an Ethernet device on a transmission side and an Ethernet device on a receiving side can exchange information of a lane to which the dummy block is allocated by use of a lane status message, and the lane status message may be based on a link fault message specified by Ethernet standards. |
| US08254290B2 |
Method and apparatus for constructing synchronous sensor network
A method and apparatus using a synchronous sensor network medium access control (MAC) protocol, such as a ZigBee or IEEE 802.15.4 low-rate wireless personal area network (WPAN), is disclosed. A method and apparatus for constructing a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) of which a life is increased by using power beacons and reducing the number of unnecessary control packets (beacon packets), thereby reducing an initialization time between nodes and preventing beacon collision, is also disclosed. A beacon packet channel having a large output power and a data channel of which a transmission range is restricted by reducing an output power to be less than that of the beacon packet channel, may be simultaneously used. |
| US08254286B2 |
Method and system for detection of NAT devices in a network
Disclosed is a device, system and method for detecting a Network Address Translation (“NAT”) gateway on a network. According to some embodiments of the present invention a detector including a network communication module may transmit one or more interrogation packets to a suspected NAT gateway. |
| US08254284B2 |
Hybrid ARQ schemes with soft combining in variable rate packet data applications
A system and method for transmitting high speed data on fixed rate and for variable rate channels. The system and method provides the flexibility of adjusting the data rate, the coding rate, and the nature of individual retransmissions. Further, the system and method supports partial soft combining of retransmitted data with previously transmitted data, supports parity bit selection for successive retransmissions, and supports various combinations of data rate variations, coding rate variations, and partial data transmissions. |
| US08254280B2 |
Method and apparatus for composing a set of cells in a radio network
The invention proposes a method for enabling a composing of a set of cells within a coverage area of a radio access network within which the same information is transmitted time synchronously using a modulation and coding scheme common for the cells of the set. The proposed method comprises the following steps performed by a mobile station connectable to the radio access network: identifying one or more pilot signals from respective one or more cells monitored by the mobile station, determining signal and interference contributions from the one or more monitored cells with regard to a particular set of cells, reporting the determined signal and interference contributions towards a network node performing the composition of the set of cells. |
| US08254277B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for providing internet protocol television diagnostics
A method of providing internet protocol television (IPTV) diagnostics. The method includes receiving customer premise equipment (CPE) information from a diagnostic applications program interface (API) executing in a CPE. The CPE information is stored in a database. An issue is detected with the CPE and the CPE information in the database corresponding to the CPE experiencing the issue is accessed. The issue is resolved in response to the CPE information the database. |
| US08254275B2 |
Service management system for a telecommunications network
A communication line is installed in a network by automating a design phase and a configuration phase for the service and by automating failure recovery in either of the phases. In the design phase, an optimal route for the communication line is found, and the network components are provisioned and assigned. If the assigned network components are not available or can not be validated, the components causing the failure are marked, and the design phase is retried without the marked components. After the design phase, the configuration phase begins. The circuit design is tested against actual network components. If the test is passed, the actual network is configured according to the circuit design and the circuit is activated. If there is a network component failure during the configuration phase, the good route elements in the design are released while the failed network components are marked. The design phase is retried. |
| US08254274B2 |
Method for providing network information
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of providing network information, comprising determining one or more pseudowires between nodes in a network; grouping the pseudowires, according to information associated with each pseudowire and one or more predetermined criteria, into one or more groups each representing a virtual private network (VPN); providing a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying information associated with at least one pseudowire participating in the virtual private network. |
| US08254273B2 |
Tracing connection paths through transparent proxies
In one embodiment, a method for tracing a connection path from a source node to a destination node through a network having one or more transparent proxies includes generating a trace packet at the source node, transmitting the trace packet over the network towards the destination node, and receiving trace response packets in response to transmission of the trace packet. The trace response packets include a packet from the destination node and a packet from each of the transparent proxies in a data path from the source node to the destination node. Each of the packets from the transparent proxies includes an identifier of the transparent proxy transmitting the packet. The method further includes identifying the transparent proxies in the connection path based on information in the trace response packets. An apparatus for tracing a connection path is also disclosed. |
| US08254272B1 |
Operations administration management for path computation element chains
In one embodiment, an interested node (e.g., a path computation client or “PCC”, network management node, etc.) may send a path computation element (PCE) monitor request along a particular path computation chain to request performance information about one or more PCEs along the chain. In response, the interested node may receive a PCE monitor reply having performance information about the one or more PCEs along the chain. In another embodiment, one or more PCEs (along the chain) may receive the PCE monitor request and forward the request downstream along the chain. Upon the request reaching a final PCE, each PCE along the chain may insert the requested performance information into the PCE monitor reply and forward the reply with the performance information along the path computation chain toward the interested node. |
| US08254268B2 |
Methods and apparatus to perform quality testing in internet protocol multimedia subsystem based communication systems
Methods and apparatus to perform quality testing in Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia subsystem (IMS) based communication systems are disclosed. An example IMS-based system comprises a web portal to allow a user to configure quality testing for a user endpoint and to present results of the quality testing, a test server to exchange packets with the user endpoint to perform the testing, an IMS application server to implement a state machine to establish a test session between the test server and a test module of the user endpoint, the packets to be exchanged between the test server and the test module via the session, and a data analyzer to determine one or more parameters representative of performance of the session based on the exchanged packets, and to provide the same to the web portal, the web portal to present information representative of the one or more parameters to the user. |
| US08254264B1 |
Network latency estimation
A method includes sending signals from two nodes to a landmark, identifying common milestones along the routes, and determining distance information from the nodes to at least one of the common milestones. A system includes a program configured to send signals from two nodes to a landmark, identify common milestones along the routes, and provide distance information from each node to at least one of the common milestones, and a program configured to receive the distance information and provide a latency estimate based on the distance information. |
| US08254263B2 |
Method and apparatus for simplifying the computation of alternate network paths
An alternate path calculation process may be terminated after considering some of a source node's neighbors and without considering each of its neighbors, to reduce the amount of processing required to perform the alternate path calculations. The neighbors may be ranked according to the number of alternate paths that the neighbor has historically been able to provide on the network. The influence of historical success or failure may degrade over time so that the rankings may be adjusted to reflect changes in network topography. A given source node, when computing alternate paths through the network, may preferentially select neighbors to perform alternate path calculations on historically higher scoring nodes before performing calculations on historically lower scoring nodes. Several different criteria may be used to stop the alternate path calculation process before considering all neighbors. The neighbors may be loop free neighbors or U-turn neighbors. |
| US08254261B2 |
Method and system for intra-host communication
A system including first and second virtualized execution environments and a hypervisor for sending packets between virtualized execution environments. The first virtualized execution environment includes a first VNIC associated with a first hardware address (HA), a first proxy VNIC associated with a second HA, and a virtual switch. A Vswitch table for the virtual switch includes entries associating the first HA with the first VNIC and the second HA with the first proxy VNIC. The second virtualized execution environment includes a second proxy VNIC associated with the first HA. The virtual switch receives a first packet associated with the second HA. The virtual switch sends the first packet to the first proxy VNIC when Vswitch table entry associates the second HA with the first proxy VNIC. The first VNIC proxy sends the first packet from the first virtualized execution environment to the second virtualized execution environment using the hypervisor. |
| US08254260B1 |
Method and apparatus for managing packet congestion
A method and apparatus for addressing a congestion condition in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method receives an alert for at least one of: a trunk or a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC), where the trunk or the PVC is associated with a route. The method determines whether the alert is associated with a congestion condition by determining whether a trunk utilization has exceeded a first predetermined threshold for the trunk or for the at least one trunk supporting the PVC. The method then rebuilds the route if the first predetermined threshold is exceeded for the trunk or for the at least one trunk supporting said PVC. |
| US08254259B2 |
System and method for avoiding stall using timer for high-speed downlink packet access system
At least one timer is used to prevent a stall condition. If a timer is not active, the timer is started for a data block that is correctly received. The data block has a sequence number higher than a sequence number of another data block that was first expected to be received. When the timer is stopped or expires, all correctly received data blocks among data blocks up to and including a data block having a sequence number that is immediately before the sequence number of the data block for which the timer was started is delivered to a higher layer. Further, all correctly received data blocks up to a first missing data block, including the data block for which the timer was started, is delivered to the higher layer. |
| US08254254B2 |
Communication apparatus and method for controlling use of service
A communication apparatus, connected to a first network configured to control use of a service provided in the first network from a second network, sends a first signal to the second network for ending a data request from the second network issued to the service in the first network using a first protocol for connecting the first network with the second network if the type of the service is the data supply service when the service in the first network has ended. Furthermore, the communication apparatus sends a second signal for ending the service in the first network after sending the signal for ending the data request using a second protocol for controlling the service in the first network. |
| US08254252B2 |
Bandwidth control apparatus
A bandwidth calculation section calculates a usable bandwidth from a communication amount of each user or a session connection time stored in a statistic management memory and minimum bandwidth information and maximum bandwidth information recorded in a bandwidth setting memory. The bandwidth calculation section allocates a large usable bandwidth to a user with a small communication amount or a short session connection time. A transmission control section performs transmission scheduling of packet information stored in a packet buffer based on a transmission scheduled time calculated from the usable bandwidth stored in a transmission scheduled time memory. |
| US08254247B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting signal in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The signal transmission method includes grouping a plurality of subcarriers included in a first Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) symbol within distributed resources into a plurality of subcarrier groups, each subcarrier group having a predetermined number of subcarriers, distributing the plurality of subcarrier groups of the first OFDMA symbol according to a first permutation pattern, transmitting data in the distributed subcarrier groups of the first OFDMA symbol, grouping a plurality of subcarriers included in a second OFDMA symbol within the distributed resources into a plurality of subcarrier groups, each subcarrier group having a predetermined number of subcarriers, distributing the plurality of subcarrier groups of the second OFDMA symbol according to a second permutation pattern, and transmitting data in the distributed subcarrier groups of the second OFDMA symbol. |
| US08254245B2 |
Method for transmitting downlink control channel in a mobile communications system and a method for mapping the control channel to physical resource using block interleaver in a mobile communications system
A method for transmitting a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system and a method for mapping the control channel to physical resources using a block interleaver are provided. In order to transmit a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system, information bits are modulated to generate one or more modulation symbols according to a specific modulation scheme, the modulation symbols are interleaved using a block interleaver, and the interleaved modulated symbols are mapped to resource elements allocated for transmission of at least one control channel in a subframe, thereby transmitting the at least one control channel. |
| US08254244B2 |
Arrangement and method for transmitting control information in wireless communication systems
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate arrangement and transmission of control information in a wireless communication system. As described herein, a scheduled transmission of acknowledgement (ACK) signaling and channel quality information (CQI) signaling in a common subframe can be adapted for network implementations with limited link budget wherein ACK signaling is configured for repetition over multiple subframes to ensure a desired error rate level for the ACK signaling. To these ends, various aspects described herein facilitate modification of a coding rate applied to ACK signaling to be transmitted with data based on a repetition factor of the ACK signaling. Additionally and/or alternatively, various aspects described herein facilitate dropping of CQI signaling and transmission of only ACK signaling on subframes where CQI and ACK signaling are to be transmitted substantially simultaneously and ACK transmission is configured for repetition over multiple subframes. |
| US08254243B2 |
Method and application for generating interleaver or de-interleaver
A method and application for generating an interleaver or a de-interleaver are described. The method for generating interleaver includes: setting interleaving information of a base interleaver and/or de-interleaving information of a base de-interleaver, and respectively performing a cyclic shift transform on the interleaving information of the base interleaver so as to generate a plurality of different interleavers. Alternatively, the method for generating interleaver includes: deducing from the de-interleaving information to obtain the interleaving information of the base interleaver and performing the cyclic shift on the interleaving information obtained by deduction so as to generate a plurality of different interleavers. The method for realizing interleaving includes: inputting a data frame of each subscriber needed to be interleaved to the base interleaver and performing the cyclic shift on the data frame output by the base interleaver so as to realize interleaving, in which different subscribers correspond to different cyclic shifts. Alternatively, the method for realizing interleaving includes: performing the cyclic shift on the data frame of each subscriber to be interleaved and inputting the data frame after the cyclic shift to the base interleaver so as to realize interleaving, in which different subscribers correspond to different cyclic shifts. |
| US08254242B2 |
System and method for initial ranging in wireless communication systems
A system and method for initial ranging in wireless communication systems is provided. A plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) blocks are received by an OFDMA base station transceiver from a plurality of remote user devices in wireless communication with the base station. A ranging subchannel is extracted from the OFDM blocks. The number of active codes in the ranging subchannel is determined, active codes are identified, and carrier frequency offsets (CFOs) are estimated for each active code. Timing delays and power levels for each active code are then estimated. The estimated CFOs, timing delays, and power levels are broadcasted by the base station to the remote user devices, so that the user devices can utilize same to adjust transmission parameters to optimize power levels and synchronize communication with the base station. |
| US08254240B2 |
Optical disc and optical disc device
In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method. |
| US08254236B2 |
Optical information reproducing apparatus
A light beam emitted from a laser source is divided into a first light beam and a second light beam. An optical divider is further provided to separate a combined light beam of the first and second light beams into a first light bundle near the optical axis and a second light bundle in the edge portion and to diverge the first and second light bundles so that the first and second light bundles are individually detected by plural detectors. The first light beam is signal light focused on an optical information recording medium by an objective lens and reflected off the medium, and the second light beam is reference light not focused on the optical information recording medium. A focus error signal is then detected for the first light bundle for compensating focus error. |
| US08254230B2 |
Recording apparatus and method, and recording medium and program used therewith
A recording apparatus includes an acquiring unit for acquiring, from an optical disc, disc-state information including at least information of an optical disc type, information of a recording format, and information indicating whether the optical disc has already been finalized, a first determining unit for determining, based on the information of the optical disc type and the information of the recording format in the acquired information, whether the optical disc type and the recording format correspond to one of predetermined combinations, a second determining unit for determining, based on the result of determination by the first determining unit and the acquired information, whether the optical disc needs to be finalized, and a display control unit for controlling, when the second determining unit determines that the optical disc needs to be finalized, display of a message representing the need of the finalization. |
| US08254229B2 |
Optical information recording apparatus and method
In order to ensure a favorable recording characteristic for a write-once recording medium whose recording layer is made of an organic dye having an absorption spectrum at a wavelength λ=405 nm, this optical information recording apparatus includes a unit to set a write power to form recording marks, a space forming power to form spaces and a pulse width of a cooling pulse, and a unit to record information onto the recording medium according to the setting. The pulse width of the cooling pulse and a ratio of the space recording power to the write power are determined from a favorable region in a plane whose one coordinate axis represents the ratio and whose other coordinate axis represents the pulse width of the cooling pulse. |
| US08254222B1 |
Disk drive tuning dual stage actuator servo loop gains from open loop response at target frequency
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk surface, a head coupled to a distal end of an actuator arm, and a dual stage actuator (DSA) servo loop comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) servo loop and a microactuator servo loop operable to actuate the head over the disk surface. The microactuator servo loop is disabled, and after disabling the microactuator servo loop a sinusoid is injected into the VCM servo loop, wherein the sinusoid comprises a target frequency. A first open loop response of the VCM servo loop is computed. The microactuator servo loop is enabled, and after enabling the microactuator servo loop the sinusoid is injected into the DSA servo loop. A second open loop response of the DSA servo loop is computed. A microactuator servo loop gain and a VCM servo loop gain are tuned in response to the first and second open loop responses. |
| US08254217B2 |
System and method for judging presence/absence of loading spaces
Disclosed herewith is a library apparatus having plural loading cells, each of which can load at least two articles and using a pushing device that pushes the articles into the loading cell from its opening. And if the moving distance of any of the articles, which is pushed into the loading cell, is smaller than a first moving distance, the library apparatus judges that the loading cell has no loading space. |
| US08254214B2 |
Light source unit for thermally-assisted magnetic recording including dual electrode layers connected to a unit electrode
Provided is a light source unit the weight of which can be reduced while ensuring power supply to the light source. The light source is configured to form a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head by being joined with a slider including an optical system that propagates light for thermal assist. The light source unit comprises: a unit substrate including a joining surface that faces an power-supply electrode of the slider; a first electrode provided on the joining surface; a second electrode provided on a source-installation surface and electrically connected to the first electrode; and a light source that includes two electrode layers and a light-emission center located in a light-emitting surface. The first and second electrodes eliminate the provision of a terminal electrode for light source on the source-integration surface. As a result, the weight of the light source unit can be reduced. |
| US08254213B2 |
Near-field light generating device and optically-assisted magnetic recording device with absorbing waveguide
A near-field light generating device includes a substrate, a semiconductor laser device, a light absorbing device, and a near-field light generator. The semiconductor laser device is formed on the substrate and emits the laser light polarized in a first direction. The light absorbing device is formed on the substrate to be close to a light emission part of the semiconductor laser device and absorbs light polarized in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The near-field light generator is formed on the substrate to be close to a light emission part of the light absorbing device. |
| US08254212B2 |
Integrated heat assisted magnetic recording device
An integrated heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device comprises a slider that has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a trailing end. A waveguide is carried on the trailing end and a near field transducer is positioned to receive energy from the waveguide and produce plasmons for heating a region of a magnetic medium. A write pole is carried by the slider adjacent to the near field transducer. A laser is mounted on the top surface of the slider and produces a laser beam that passes through a beam shaper mounted on the top surface of the slider that collimates or focuses the laser beam. A mirror is mounted on the slider for directing the collimated or focused light beam into the waveguide. |
| US08254211B2 |
Electronic device and control method therefor
An electronic device that receives a radio signal according to specific conditions and displays specific information, including a reception unit that receives the radio signal; an electrophoretic display unit that displays the specific information; a display drive unit that supplies a drive signal corresponding to content of the specific information to be displayed to the electrophoretic display unit; and a control unit that instructs the reception unit to receive the radio signal and instructs the display drive unit to supply the drive signal to the electrophoretic display unit, instructs the display drive unit to supply a drive signal for displaying an indication that the reception unit is receiving the radio signal to the electrophoretic display unit before instructing the reception unit to receive the radio signal, and controls the display drive unit to stop supplying the drive signal while the reception unit is receiving the radio signal. |
| US08254209B2 |
Acoustic wave sensor
In an acoustic wave sensor for detecting a distance to an object and an orientation where the object is located with using acoustic waves, an acoustic wave generating device generating an acoustic wave by applying thermal impact to the air with no mechanical vibration is used as a wave transmitting device, and an electric capacitance microphone converting variation of pressure due to acoustic wave to variation of an electric signal is used as each wave receiving device. Therefore, dead zone caused by reverberation component included in the acoustic wave transmitted from the wave transmitting device and dead zone caused by reverberation component included in wave receiving signals outputted from the wave receiving devices can be shortened and angular sensitivity of the acoustic wave sensor can be increased, in comparison with a conventional acoustic wave sensor using piezoelectric devices as the wave transmitting device and the wave receiving devices. |
| US08254206B2 |
Wide tow enabled by multicomponent marine seismic cable
A technique for use in towed-array, marine seismic surveys includes a method and an apparatus. The method includes accessing a set of multicomponent seismic data acquired in a wide tow, marine seismic survey; and interpolating a set of seismic data from the acquired seismic data in the crossline direction such that the combined acquired and interpolated seismic data meet the discrete spatial sampling theory requirements for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise. In some aspects, the technique includes programmed storage media and/or programmed computers for use in executing such a method. The apparatus is a wide tow array, including a plurality of streamers spaced apart by a cable separation exceeding the maximum cable spacing for array detection of broadside seismic signal and the discrimination and suppression of broadside linear noise as determined by discrete spatial sampling theory. |
| US08254201B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having power-saving effect
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a controller, and a data input/output (I/O) unit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells and is configured to store data. The controller is configured to enable a write clock signal in response to an active command when a write latency of the semiconductor device is less than a reference write latency and disable the write clock signal during a disabling period in which read data is output from the semiconductor device. The data I/O unit is configured to receive data in response to the write clock signal and output the data to the memory cell array. |
| US08254199B1 |
Multi-channel memory and power supply-driven channel selection
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a memory device, and more particularly to a multi-channel memory device and methods of selecting one or more channels of same. |
| US08254196B2 |
Array operation using a schottky diode as a non ohmic selection device
A two-terminal memory cell including a Schottky metal-semiconductor contact as a selection device (SD) allows selection of two-terminal cross-point memory array operating voltages that eliminate “half-select leakage current” problems present when other types of non-ohmic devices are used. The SD structure can comprise a “metal/oxide semiconductor/metal” or a “metal/lightly-doped single layer polycrystalline silicon.” The memory cell can include a two-terminal memory element including at least one conductive oxide layer (e.g., a conductive metal oxide—CMO, such as a perovskite or a conductive binary oxide) and an electronically insulating layer (e.g., yttria-stabilized zirconia—YSZ) in contact with the CMO. The SD can be included in the memory cell and configured electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned in a two-terminal cross-point array between a pair of conductive array lines (e.g., a bit line and a word line) across which voltages for data operations are applied. |
| US08254195B2 |
High-speed sensing for resistive memories
Embodiments of the present disclosure use one or more gain stages to generate an output voltage representing whether a resistive memory element of a data cell stores a high data value or a low data value. In a particular embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensing circuit. The sensing circuit includes a first amplifier stage that is configured to convert a first current through a first resistive memory element of a memory cell into a first single-ended output voltage. A second amplifier stage is configured to amplify the first single-ended output voltage of the first amplifier stage to produce a second single-ended output voltage. |
| US08254194B2 |
Sense amplifier with reduced area occupation for semiconductor memories
A reading circuit for a semiconductor memory, comprising: a circuital branch adapted to be electrically coupled to a bit line which is connected to a memory cell to be read; an evaluation circuit adapted to sense a cell electric current flowing through the bit line during a sensing phase of a reading operation of the data stored into the memory cell, the evaluation circuit comprising a negative feedback control loop adapted to control the potential of the bit line during the sensing phase, the control loop comprising a differential amplifier having an inverting input terminal operatively connected to the bit line, a non-inverting input terminal fed by a first reference potential, and a feedback circuital path connected between an output of the differential amplifier and the inverting input, wherein the feedback circuital path is adapted to conduct a measure current corresponding to the cell electric current, and comprises current/voltage conversion means for converting the measure current into a corresponding voltage. The conversion means of the feedback circuital path comprises at least one first transistor arranged to conduct the measure current, and biasing means adapted to bias the at least one first transistor so as to emulate the behavior of a resistor. |
| US08254192B2 |
Resistance change memory
A resistance change memory of an aspect of the present invention including memory cells including resistance change memory element, word lines connected to the memory cells, a row decoder which activates the word lines, redundant cells used instead of defective cells, a redundant word line connected to redundant cells, a redundant row decoder which activates the redundant word line, a control circuit in which defect address information indicating the word line connected to the defective cell is stored and which remedies the defective cell, and regions provided in a memory cell array and a redundant cell array and identified based on column address information, wherein the control circuit replaces a part of the word line connected to the defective cell with a part of the redundant word line in accordance with each of the regions, and allows the redundant row decoder to activate the replaced redundant word line. |
| US08254188B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and delay locked loop control method thereof
A semiconductor memory device includes a mode control circuit configured to output a DLL on signal which is periodically activated during a specific mode; and a DLL circuit configured to delay and lock a clock to generate a DLL clock, and to be periodically turned on in response to the DLL on signal during the start of the specific mode. |
| US08254184B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having a latency controller
A semiconductor memory device includes a latency controller which provides a power-saving effect. The latency controller includes a first-in first-out (FIFO) register. After a read command is applied, when a precharge command or power-down command is applied, the latency controller outputs a latency signal corresponding to the applied read command and blocks application of sampling and transmission clock signals to the FIFO register. |
| US08254183B2 |
Method of programming nonvolatile memory device
The present invention relates to a method of programming a nonvolatile memory device. A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device in accordance with an aspect of the present invention can include performing an erase operation, counting an erase pulse application number once the erase operation is completed, comparing the counted erase pulse application number and a reference value, defining a post program start voltage based on the comparison result, performing a post program operation and a verify operation using the defined post program start voltage, and performing a program operation on cells on which the post program operation has been completed. |
| US08254179B2 |
Method of programming a flash memory device
A non-volatile memory device includes an array of flash memory cells therein and a voltage generator. The voltage generator is configured to generate a program voltage (Vpgm), a pass voltage (Vpass), a blocking voltage (Vblock) and a decoupling voltage (Vdcp) during a flash memory programming operation. The blocking voltage is generated at a level that inhibits inadvertent programming of an unselected memory cell(s). This voltage level of the blocking voltage is set so that Vdcp |
| US08254178B2 |
Self-timed integrating differential current
A reference current integrator and a sensed current integrator are coupled to form a differential sense amplifier. The differential sense amplifier is coupled to receive a bitline current signal from a flash memory, and the reference current integrator is coupled to receive a current signal from a reference memory cell. Integration continues until a desired voltage or time is reached, resulting in a sufficiently reliable output. The differential current integrating sense amplifier is also used for instrumentation, communication, data storage, sensing, biomedical device, and analog to digital conversion. |
| US08254175B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor region, a tunnel insulating film formed on the semiconductor region, a charge-storage insulating film formed on the tunnel insulating film, a block insulating film formed on the charge-storage insulating film, and a control gate electrode formed on the block insulating film, wherein the tunnel insulating film comprises a first region which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor region and contains silicon and oxygen, a second region which contains silicon and nitrogen, a third region which is formed on a back surface of the charge-storage insulating film and contains silicon and oxygen, and an insulating region which is formed at least between the first region and the second region or between the second region and the third region, and contains silicon and nitrogen and oxygen and the second region is formed between the first region and the third region. |
| US08254173B2 |
NAND memory constructions
Some embodiments include NAND memory constructions. The constructions may contain semiconductor material pillars extending upwardly between dielectric regions, with individual pillars having a pair of opposing vertically-extending sides along a cross-section. First conductivity type regions may be along first sides of the pillars, and second conductivity type regions may be along second sides of the individual pillars; with the second conductivity type regions contacting interconnect lines. Vertical NAND strings may be over the pillars, and select devices may selectively couple the NAND strings with the interconnect lines. The select devices may have vertical channels directly against the semiconductor material pillars and directly against upper regions of the first and second conductivity type regions. Some embodiments include methods of forming NAND memory constructions. |
| US08254169B2 |
Smart card capable of sensing light
A smart card is foamed of a memory having light-sensing cells to sense externally supplied light and generate a detection signal in response to the externally supplied light being sensed by the light-sensing cells, and a reset control circuit generating a reset signal in response to the detection signal, the reset signal operating to reset the smart card. |
| US08254160B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes: word lines; bit lines; an insulating film; an interlayer insulating film; and a resistance varying material. The word lines, the bit lines and the insulating film configure a field-effect transistor at each of the intersections of the word lines and the bit lines. The field-effect transistor has one of the word lines as a control electrode and one of the bit lines as a channel region. The field-effect transistor and the resistance varying material configure a memory cell having the field-effect transistor and the resistance varying material connected in parallel. Each of the bit lines includes a first surface opposing the word lines, and a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface. The resistance varying material is disposed in contact with the second surface and has a portion thereof in contact with the interlayer insulating film. |
| US08254156B2 |
Data holding device
A data holding device comprises a loop structure part (LOOP) that holds data by use of logic gates connected in a loop (e.g., inverters INV3 and INV4 of FIG. 1); a nonvolatile storage part (CL1a, CL1b, CL2a, CL2b, Q1a, Q1b, Q2a and Q2b) that utilizes the hysteresis characteristic of a ferroelectric element to store, in a nonvolatile manner, the data held in the loop structure part (LOOP); and a circuit isolating part (MUX1, MUX2, INV6, INV7, SW3 and SW4) that electrically isolates the loop structure part (LOOP) from the nonvolatile storage part. |
| US08254153B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having pad electrodes arranged in plural rows
To include a first memory cell array area and a second memory cell array area, a peripheral circuit area arranged between these memory cell array areas, a first pad row arranged between the first memory cell array area and the peripheral circuit area, and a second pad row arranged between the second memory cell array area and the peripheral circuit area. No peripheral circuit is arranged substantially between the first memory cell array area and the first pad row as well as between the second memory cell array area and the second pad row. With this arrangement, a memory cell array area and a predetermined pad can be connected within a shorter distance by using a wiring formed in an upper layer that has a lower electrical resistance, and a power potential can be stably supplied to the memory cell array area. |
| US08254152B2 |
High-voltage-resistant rectifier with standard CMOS transistors
A high-voltage-resistant rectifier with standard CMOS transistors is disclosed in present invention. In a bridge full-wave rectifier comprising four MOS transistors, extra transistors are connected in series between the transistors which endure high voltage and the input to decrease the voltage imposed on the gate of them; moreover, the present invention provides a way to divide voltage imposed between the gate and the source of the said transistors by connecting in series with extra transistors, so it is achieved to implement a high-voltage-resistant rectifier with standard low voltage CMOS transistors without additional process complexity, and decreases manufacture and process costs. |
| US08254150B2 |
Inverter with commutation circuit
An inverter provides alternating current (iout) to a load (130) containing a welding circuit. The inverter includes at least one commutation circuit (110) and a bridge circuit (120) connected to a bus forwarding power from a DC power source (100). The bus is also galvanically connected to the load (130) via the bridge circuit (120). The at least one commutation circuit (110) receives power from the DC power source (100); receives energy from inductive elements in the load (130) during a storage phase of a cyclic procedure, and controls energy feedback to the load (130) during a feedback phase of the cyclic procedure. The at least one commutation circuit (110) is a two-pole having a first pole (p1) connected to a first node (A) and a second pole (p2) connected to a second node (B). The at least one commutation circuit (110) is arranged to receive energy from the load (130) and feedback energy to the load (130) via the first and second nodes (A; B), either directly or via the bridge circuit (120). Energy-flow control means (DIN, SOUT) in each of the at least one commutation circuit (110) control energy to be stored in and taken out from a recovery capacitor (CR) in the commutation circuit (110) in question. The bridge circuit (120) delivers the alternating current (iout) to the load (130). |
| US08254148B2 |
System and mounting apparatus for electronic device with cable securing components
A system includes a mounting rack and an electronic device. The mounting rack includes a frame and a plurality of supports located at the back of the frame. A plurality of cable securing components is located in the frame. The electronic device is inserted in the mounting rack from front to back and includes a front wall. The front wall is adjacent to the frame and defines a port for receiving a cable. The cable is arranged in the cable securing components. |
| US08254142B2 |
Method of using conductive elastomer for electrical contacts in an assembly
A manufacturing method for manufacturing an electronic device is disclosed. Conductive elastomers comprising of various configurations and resistivity are coupled to contact pads of an electronic device. The conductive elastomers are also coupled to substrate contacts on a substrate, allowing the conductive elastomers to function as electrical connection from device to substrate as well as to embed one or more passive components at the contact pads of the electronic device. |
| US08254141B2 |
Circuit board capable of loading high electrical current
The present invention is to provide a circuit board capable of loading high electrical current, which comprises an insulation plate and a plurality of conductive plates each positioned on the insulation plate by riveting. A plurality of first insertion holes of the insulation plate are aligned with a plurality of second insertion holes of the conductive plates, respectively, so that the aligned first and second insertion holes of the circuit board can be welded with a plurality of electric components (such as resistors, capacitors, fuses, etc.). Therefore, the insulation plate and each of the conductive plates can be easily combined with each other by riveting to form a finished product of the circuit board without some complicated steps including exposure, development and etching, so that the manufacturing process of the circuit board capable of loading high electrical current can be efficiently simplified. |
| US08254136B2 |
Printed circuit board, display apparatus having a printed circuit board and method of manufacturing the printed circuit board
A printed circuit board (“PCB”) includes a first pattern structure, a second pattern structure, a third pattern structure, and a fourth pattern structure. The first pattern structure includes a first ground pattern. The second pattern structure includes a first line pattern overlapping the first ground pattern and a second ground pattern electrically insulated from the first line pattern. The third pattern structure includes a third ground pattern overlapping the first line pattern and a second line pattern overlapping the second ground pattern. The fourth pattern structure includes a fourth ground pattern overlapping the second line pattern. Therefore, the PCB may decrease noise. |
| US08254133B2 |
Power module
Provided is a power module capable of welding a snubber capacitor without causing melting damage to a resin housing by welding heat. When leads of a snubber capacitor are respectively welded to upper surfaces of the specific portions of a P-pole bus bar and an N-pole bus bar, the welding heat generated at the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar is respectively radiated from openings, through which the lower surfaces of the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar are exposed. As a result, the snubber capacitor can be later appended by welding without causing melting damage to the resin housing due to the welding heat. During welding, a separate cooling head is inserted into the openings to forcibly cool the lower surfaces of the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar respectively, so that the melting damage to a resin housing can be more reliably avoided. |
| US08254131B2 |
Carriage chassis with a tri-lobed torsion stop
Carriage chassis for installation of a component assembly in a support structure. The support structure includes a power connector in a connector housing. The carriage chassis includes: rails adapted to receive a component assembly and a safety cover. One of the rails includes a tri-lobed torsion stop that includes a first lobe configured to contact the connector housing when no safety cover is installed, preventing a component assembly from coupling with power; a second lobe configured to receive contact from a displacement member of a safety cover, rotating the tri-lobed torsion stop; and a third lobe configured to provide contact to the displacement member when the safety cover is installed and a component assembly is coupled with power. The third lobe and the first lobe prevent removal of the safety cover when a component assembly is coupled with the power connector. |
| US08254130B2 |
Computer system
A computer system is provided. The computer system includes a chassis, a motherboard secured in the chassis, and a mounting bracket. A connector is arranged on the motherboard, and a riser card is inserted in the connector. The mounting bracket is secured to the chassis and located above the motherboard. The computer system further includes a positioning member attached to the riser card. The positioning member has two opposite side plates. One of the side plates is secured to the second riser card, and the other side plate is secured to the mounting bracket. |
| US08254125B2 |
Machine tool with a heat conduction structure
A machine tool with a heat conduction structure comprises a machine tool and a heat dissipation seat installed on the machine tool. The machine tool has a handle. The handle has an accommodation space accommodating a circuit board and having an opening at one end. The heat dissipation seat has a heat dissipation member arranged on the opening and a carrying member connected with the heat dissipation member and extended to the accommodation space. The carrying member carries the circuit board, contacts heat sources of the circuit board, and conducts heat to the heat dissipation member. As the machine tool is exempted from forming heat dissipation holes on the handle, the present invention can effectively prevent dust from entering the handle and damaging the circuit board. Further, the present invention can dissipate heat generated by the circuit board and maintain normal operation of the circuit board and the machine tool. |
| US08254124B2 |
Space-saving high-density modular data pod systems and energy-efficient cooling systems
A space-saving, high-density modular data center and an energy-efficient cooling system for a modular data center are disclosed. The modular data center includes a first cooling circuit including a primary cooling device and a plurality of modular data pods. Each modular data pod includes a plurality of servers, a heat exchange member coupled to the first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit coupled to the heat exchange member and configured to cool the plurality of servers, the second cooling circuit including a secondary cooling device configured to cool fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit. Each modular data pod also includes an auxiliary enclosure containing at least a portion of a distributed mechanical cooling system, which is configured to trim the cooling performed by a central free-cooling system. |
| US08254120B2 |
Enclosure element
An enclosure for electronic assemblies is provided, with a first deck surface and a first side wall with a short side and a long side and a second deck surface, disposed such that it faces the first deck surface, and a second side wall, disposed such that it faces the first side wall, with a short side and a long side, as well as with a first venting element, which extends in the direction of the long side along one of both side walls, and a plurality of plug-in slots for electronic assemblies that are arranged in parallel to one another, whereby the electronic assemblies are disposed, in the plugged-in state, vertically to both long sides of both side walls, and the first deck surface includes, along the end oriented toward the first side wall, a first opening and the first venting element, on the enclosure's outer side of the first deck surface, is disposed at least partially above the first opening, and the first and/or the second deck surface includes a second opening, along the end that faces the second side wall, for entering or exiting air, so that the venting element generates in the interior of the enclosure an air current that preferably flows vertically to the surface of the side walls. |
| US08254117B2 |
Computer with security device for peripheral components
A computer includes a rear panel, a peripheral component, and a security device. The peripheral component includes a connector connected to the rear panel and a cable. The security device is attached to the rear panel and covers the connector. The security device defines a guiding slot. The cable extends through the guiding slot and the security device blocks the connector from moving out of the rear panel. |
| US08254114B2 |
Battery cover structure for portable electronic device
A battery cover structure includes a removable cover, a button and a main body. The removable cover includes a locking portion and defines a receiving hole. The button includes an operating portion. The main body includes a latching portion and a recessed portion. The button is attached to the recessed portion. A curved arm is integrally formed with the main body and includes a contacting portion abutting the button. The latching portion is engaged with the locking portion and the operating portion is engaged in the receiving hole to lock the removable cover in the main body. The button is pressed down to detach the removable cover from the main body and return back by a rebounding force of the curved arm. |
| US08254110B2 |
Fixing mechanism and electronic device having the same
A fixing mechanism mounts a peripheral component to an electronic device. The fixing mechanism includes a housing, a contact member, a sliding member, a first resilient member and a link bar assembly. The housing defines a holding portion to receive the peripheral component, positioning portions and a guiding portion located on sidewalls of the holding portion. The contact member is moveably disposed in the housing adjacent to the holding portion. The sliding member resists the contact member. The first resilient member resists between the contact member and the housing. The peripheral component includes a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion. The first engaging portion is received in the positioning portion. The latching portion slides along the guiding portion until the latching portion latches the second engaging portion. |
| US08254099B2 |
Housing of portable electronic device
A housing of a portable electronic device includes a main body, a cover assembled to the main body, and a protecting member positioned between the main body and the cover and integral with the main body. A part of the protecting member forms a protruding first protection surface and a sunken second protection surface, a transition surface between the first protection surface and the second protection surface defines a third protection surface, and a protection flange is formed on the second protection surface. The first protection surface and the third protection surface tightly contact the cover to form a protection structure that prevents outside contamination from entering the housing, and the protection flange prevents contamination that passes through the protection structure from further entering the housing. |
| US08254093B2 |
Sliding mechanism and electronic device having the same
A sliding mechanism comprises a retaining board, a sliding board, a connecting element, a driving assembly. The connecting element is connected between the retaining board and the sliding board, the connecting element is configured for move a portion of the sliding board away from the retaining board. The driving assembly is mounted on the retaining board and the sliding board, the driving assembly being configured to exert attractive force between the retaining board and the sliding board so as to selectively orient the sliding board relative to the retaining board in a close position or an open position. |
| US08254090B2 |
Mobile power system
A mobile power system comprises a plurality of energy sources, wherein at least one energy source is a solar powered generating device and at least one energy source is a wind powered generating device; a plurality of electronic and telecommunications components configured to receive the power generated by the plurality of energy sources and/or convert the power generated to direct current power; a plurality of batteries configured to store the direct current power; and at least one transportable housing configured to hold the plurality of energy sources, the plurality of electronic and telecommunications, and the plurality of batteries during transport of the housing, and wherein the housing is configured to remotely operate the at least one solar powered energy device and the at least one wind powered generating device when the mobile power system is in operation. |
| US08254084B2 |
Chip type electric double layer capacitor and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention provides a chip type electric double layer capacitor including: a lower case having an internal space of which an upper surface is opened and an external terminal of which portions exposed to a bottom of the internal space and the outside are connected to each other; an electric double layer capacitor cell disposed in the internal space of the lower case to be electrically connected to the portion of the external terminal, which is exposed to the bottom of the internal space; and an upper cap mounted on the lower case to cover the internal space, and a method for manufacturing the same. |
| US08254083B2 |
Ceramic electronic component and method for producing same
There are provided a ceramic electronic component and a method for producing the ceramic electronic component, where a ground electrode layer can be directly coated with lead-free solder without lowering reliabilities. Terminal electrode 3 is provided with a ground electrode layer 21 of Cu having been formed by firing, a solder layer 22 formed of a lead-free solder based on five elements of Sn—Ag—Cu—Ni—Ge, and a diffusion layer 23 having been formed by the diffusion of Ni between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22. Because the diffusion layer 23 of Ni is formed between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22, the diffusion layer 23, which functions as a barrier layer, suppresses the solder leach of Cu from the ground electrode layer 21. The diffusion layer 23 of Ni can also suppress the growth of fragile intermetallic compounds of Sn—Cu. Therefore, a decrease in the bonding strength between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22 can be prevented. |
| US08254079B2 |
EPR pair generation
The present invention relates to the formation of electron spin EPR pairs and manipulation of such entangled electrons. The invention comprises a static quantum dot located part way along a quantum wire with means for adjusting the confining potential of the quantum dot. The quantum wire may for instance be formed by gate electrode (4, 6) with the quantum dot formed by a further gate electrode (8). The invention also comprises means for generating a electrostatic wave propagating along the wire, such as a surface acoustic wave transducer (10). In use a pair of electrons may be loaded into the static quantum dot and allowed to relax to a singlet ground state, in which the electrons are spin entangled. The propagating electrostatic wave acts as a series of quantum dots moving along the quantum wire. The confining potential of the static quantum dot is adjusted in time with arrival of a moving quantum dot so that one of the spin entangled electrons will tunnel to the moving quantum dot with preserved entanglement. The same process can be used to separately eject the remaining electron. The process can also be applied in reverse transport electrons from a moving quantum dot into a static dot. |
| US08254078B2 |
Bonding lead
A joint on an aircraft, a bonding lead for use in such a joint, and a method of manufacturing such a joint. The bonding lead comprises an elongate conductive core with a pair of end faces at the extremities of its length. The conductive core is encapsulated along at least a majority of its length and at both end faces in a barrier layer typically formed from an elastomer. The lead is encapsulated along its length in the barrier layer apart from at a first contact region towards a first end of the bonding lead and a second contact region towards a second end of the bonding lead. A first electrical connector passes through a first hole in the barrier layer to engage the first contact region of the conductive core and provide an electrical connection between the conductive core and the first component; and a second electrical connector passes through a second hole in the barrier layer to engage the second contact region of the conductive core and provide an electrical connection between the conductive core and the second component. |
| US08254072B2 |
Electrical load center
A low voltage DC power supply is provided in a load center for distributing electrical power from electrical power utility lines to multiple branch circuits via a load center bus connected to the utility lines, each of the branch circuits having a circuit breaker coupled to a processor that is shared by multiple circuit breakers in the load center. The low voltage DC power supply includes a switch mode low voltage power supply connected to the processor for supplying the processor with a DC power input, and a line-derived power supply and a fault-derived power supply coupled between the utility and the switch mode power supply for supplying DC inputs to the switch mode power supply. The magnitude of electrical current supplied to the multiple branch circuits from the load center bus is determined by producing signals representing the current levels in the bus at successive locations on opposite sides of each connection of the bus to the multiple branch circuits, and determining the current supplied to each branch circuits from those signals. |
| US08254070B2 |
Vehicle on-board electric power system
A vehicle on-board electric power system is disclosed including at least one field-effect-controlled power transistor which applies a vehicle on-board electric power system supply voltage VBB to a load when actuated by a logic circuit. The power transistor has a drain-source breakdown voltage VDS with a positive temperature coefficient TKDS and is provided with a clamping means for protecting against overvoltages VO occurring in the vehicle on-board electric power system. The clamping means has a clamping voltage VCLAMP with a positive temperature coefficient TKCLAMP≈TKDS, the clamping voltage VCLAMP being lower than or equal to an anticipated maximum overvoltage VOmax in the vehicle on-board electric power system. |
| US08254064B2 |
Head gimbal assembly and disk drive with the same
According to one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a load beam, a metal plate mounted on the load beam and constituting a gimbal includes a limiter portion, a flexure includes a plurality of conductors formed over the metal plate with an insulating layer therebetween, a slider includes a head and mounted on the gimbal, and a positioning reference mark formed on the limiter portion by parts of the conductors and configured to position the slider. The plurality of conductors includes conductors which conduct to the positioning reference mark through the metal plate and constitute an interleaved structure. |
| US08254061B2 |
Head-slider with protrusion control structure and manufacturing method of the head-slider with protrusion control structure
A head-slider. The head-slider includes a slider and a magnetic-recording head formed on the slider. The magnetic-recording head includes a main pole, a return pole to which a recording magnetic field from the main pole returns, a sensor element, a shield provided between the sensor element and the main pole, and a heater element for adjusting a shape of a flying surface of the magnetic-recording head. The magnetic-recording head further includes a first recess provided at a tip end face of at least one element selected from the group consisting of the return pole and the shield, and a second recess provided on an exposed flying surface and corresponding to the first recess. |
| US08254054B2 |
Library apparatus
A library apparatus includes: a housing, a record medium storage shelf that stores information record media having a barcode for identification; an input-output device in which the information record medium is loaded and which inputs and outputs information to and from the loaded information record medium; a robot that transfers the information record medium between the record medium storage shelf and the input-output device; and a controller that controls operation of the robot; a read unit that is detachably attached to the robot and reads the barcode of the information record medium; and a read unit storage that stores the read unit detached from the robot. |
| US08254038B2 |
Optical element, optical system having the same and endoscope using the same
An optical element is made of a transparent medium that is rotationally symmetric relative to the central axis with a refractive index greater than 1. The transparent medium has a first transmissive surface at the outermost periphery relative to the central axis, a first reflective surface at the side of the central axis relative to the first transmissive surface, a second reflective surface at the side opposite to the image plane relative to the first reflective surface and a second transmissive surface at the side of the image plane relative to the second reflective surface. The flux of light enters and proceeds through the transparent medium via the first transmissive surface, the first reflective surface, the second reflective surface and the second transmissive surface to form an optical path. The optical path is formed only at a side relative to the central axis. |
| US08254037B2 |
Lens barrel and imaging apparatus
A lens barrel includes: a variable focal length lens system including at least three movable lens groups; and guiding means for moving the variable focal length lens system forward and backward in an optical axis direction. The variable focal length lens system includes at least first, second and third lens groups having positive, negative and positive refracting power, respectively, arranged in this order from an object side. When a lens position setting is changed from a wide angle end state to a telescopic end state, at least the first and third lens groups are moved toward the object side such that air separation between the first and second lens groups monotonically increases and air separation between the second and third lens groups monotonically decreases. The guiding means includes a fixed frame, a rotating frame, a rectilinear guiding frame, a first guide frame, and a second guide frame. |
| US08254036B2 |
Zoom lens and imaging apparatus
A zoom lens includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, and a positive fourth lens group, which are arranged in this order from the object side of the zoom lens. The focal length of the entire system of the zoom lens is changeable by changing a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group. The first lens group includes two cemented lenses, each composed of a negative meniscus lens and a positive lens cemented together in this order from the object side, and a positive lens, and the two cemented lenses and the positive lens being arranged in this order from the object side. Further, a predetermined formula related to the focal length of the first lens group and the focal length of the entire system is satisfied. |
| US08254034B1 |
Fluidic adaptive lens with a lens membrane having suppressed fluid permeability
Fluidic adaptive lens devices containing impermeable elastomer membrane, and systems employing such lens devices, along with methods of fabricating such lens devices, are disclosed. In the embodiments, processes and techniques of creating transparent, impermeable elastomer membranes are disclosed. The membranes thus produced display no or extremely slow permeation for at least one fluid suitable for the fluidic adaptive lenses. |
| US08254025B1 |
Screen unit
A screen unit includes a flexible screen, a pantograph mechanism which expands and stores the screen, a motor which shifts one end of the pantograph mechanism to stretch and contract the pantograph mechanism, and a wire. The screen unit further includes a housing which accommodates these components, and a cover which opens and closes at the time of expansion and storage of the screen. One end of the wire is held by the electric motor, and the other end of the wire is held by the cover, so that the cover can be closed in accordance with the contraction of the pantograph mechanism effected by the motor. |
| US08254022B2 |
Sample positioning stage and method of operation
A sample positioning stage for positioning a sample to be inspected relative to an optical inspection device. The stage includes a first generally planar body on which a sample to be inspected can be carried and a second body directly coupled to the first body via bearings extending between them which constrain movement of the first body relative to the second body to a first plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the first body. There is also provided a drive system being selectively operable in a first mode and a second mode. |
| US08254015B2 |
System and method for the spatial tailoring of laser light using temporal phase modulation
Laser systems and methods for providing an output light beam having a target spatial pattern are provided. A light generating module generates an input light beam, whose spectral profile is then tailored by imposing thereon a controllable phase modulation. The obtained spectrally tailored light beam is dispersed, using at least one spatially-dispersive element to provide an output light beam having a spatial profile which is a function of the spectral profile of the spectrally tailored light beam, The phase modulation is selected in view of the spectral profile of the input light beam and of the dispersion characteristics of the at least one spatially-dispersive element so that the spatial pattern of the output light beam matches the target spatial pattern therefor. |
| US08254013B2 |
Controlling transitions in optically switchable devices
A controller or control method may be designed or configured to operate without information about the current temperature of the device and/or the device's environment. Further, in some cases, the controller or control method is designed or configured to control transition of an optical device to an intermediated state between two end states. For example, the controller may be configured to control a transition to a state of transmissivity that is intermediate between two end states of transmissivity. In such case, the device has three or more stable states of transmissivity. |
| US08254010B2 |
Imaging of a plurality of types of images based on light of a plurality of wavelength bands
In an optical filter, a pair of polarization filters allows transmission of light therethrough when i) the light has a wavelength band equal to or more than a first wavelength regardless of a light oscillation direction, the wavelength band including a wavelength of infrared light and ii) the light has a wavelength band less than the first wavelength and is linearly polarized. An optical rotation control element, disposed between the paired polarization filters, allows the light to be transmitted therethrough during which optical rotation of the light is changed selectively depending on application or non-application of voltage to the optical rotation control element. The polarization filters have polarization planes, respectively, which are in parallel with each other or the polarization plane of one of the polarization filters is rotated from that of the other by an angular amount of rotation resulting from the polarization of the optical rotation control element. |
| US08254007B2 |
Scanner and image forming apparatus including the same
Disclosed are a scanner and an image forming apparatus employing the same. The scanner may produce bidirectional scanning of light by oscillating a deflecting mirror about a first axis substantially parallel to the mirror surface, and may compensate for skewing of the scan lines by rotating the mirror about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis so as to allow the light to be scanned at an angle. |
| US08254006B2 |
Oscillator device and optical deflector using the same
An oscillator device includes at least one movable element supported for oscillatory motion around a rotational axis, and a damper member for applying a damping function to the oscillatory motion of the movable element, the damper member being provided along at least a portion of a locus plane defined by an edge of the movable element during oscillatory motion thereof, so that, based on a viscosity of a fluid which is present between the edge of the movable element and a portion of the damper member opposed to the edge of the movable element, the damping function is applied to applied to the oscillatory motion of the movable element. |
| US08254005B2 |
Arrangement of micromechanical elements
The invention relates to arrangements of micromechanical elements, preferably microoptical elements, which are each held by means of spring elements. In this respect, they can be pivoted or also deflected in translation around a rotational axis by the effect of electrostatic forces. It is the object of the invention to provide an arrangement having micromechanical elements which can be operated over a long time period without drift without any frequent recalibration being necessary. The arrangement in accordance with the invention having micromechanical elements is made in this connection such that electrodes are likewise arranged beneath micromechanical elements, that is, on the side onto which no electromagnetic radiation can be directly incident. In this respect, a respective electrode is arranged and made such that it is associated with at least two micromechanical elements. It can in this connection effect a deflection of the micromechanical elements associated with it by electrostatic force effect. It is only necessary to set a suitable difference of the electrical voltage between the electrode and the respective micromechanical element for this purpose. Electrodes are arranged in the region of gaps of adjacent micromechanical elements for this purpose. |
| US08254003B2 |
Hologram recording medium, hologram recording apparatus and method, and computer program
A hologram recording apparatus (300) is provided with: a recording device (100) for recording record information into a hologram recording medium (1); a measuring device (325) for measuring a time elapsed from when the recording of the record information is stopped to when the recording of the record information is restarted; a first controlling device (354) for controlling the recording device to multiplex-record the record information, if the measured elapsed time is shorter than a time length in which the record information can be multiplex-recorded; and a second controlling device (354) for controlling the recording device not to multiplex-record the record information, if the measured elapsed time is longer than the time length in which the record information can be multiplex-recorded. |
| US08254000B2 |
Matching printer custom target colors using in-line spectrophotometer
A method and system scan an item having at least one color feature using an in-line spectrophotometer of a printing apparatus. The scanning identifies at least one “item color” within the color feature. The item color is stored as at least one custom target color in a computer-readable storage medium of the printing apparatus. The custom target color can be stored with the print job for future reference. At least one print job is processed through a printing engine of the printing apparatus to output at least one printed sheet. During the processing of the print job, the printed sheet is scanned with the in-line spectrophotometer to identify at least one printed color on the printed sheet and the printed color is compared to the custom target color to identify any color difference. The printing characteristics of the printing apparatus are adjusted to reduce the color difference. |
| US08253999B2 |
Scanning apparatus and method of determining quantity of reference light therefor
A scanning apparatus and a reference light quantity determining method includes scanning a patch that does not overlap previously established reference colors but displays each of the previously established reference colors in a plurality of regions that are spaced a portion from each other, and determining reference light quantities based on the scanning result. |
| US08253997B2 |
Correction information creation device, image formation device, correction information creation program storage medium and correction information creation method
A correction information creation device including: a recording head; a rotating body; a first detector that detects a period of a pulse signal generated in accordance with rotation of the rotating body; a first calculation section that calculates a period of a clock signal; a second detector that detects a space between corrective images that are formed synchronously with a period of the clock signal, while the rotating body is being rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, by two sets of image formation elements of the recording head; a second calculation section that calculates a distance between a measurement position of a peripheral surface of the rotating body and the axial center of the rotating body; and a memory that stores the calculated distance to serve as information for correcting the period of the clock signal. |
| US08253995B2 |
Image reading device
An image reading device is provided. The image reading device includes: a conveying section which includes a first tray for placing a document before reading and a second tray for placing a document after reading, and which conveys a document from the first tray to the second tray via a reading region; a reading section which reads the document passing through the reading region; a stopping section which stops a trailing end of the document conveyed by the conveying section within the reading region; and a determining section which determines whether the document remains within the reading region based on a signal from the reading section. |
| US08253992B2 |
Image copier and image copying method
An image copier according to the invention comprises a scanner for reading an image and a printer for forming an image on sheet, and the scanner includes a document table for positioning an original document from which an image is to be read; a document holding cover holding the original document on the original document table and having a light-emitting element for detecting the size of an original document which emits light when the size of the original document is detected, a light source for irradiating the original document with light when an image on the original document is read, a light-receiving element for image reading which receives reflected light from the original document, a controller for the light-emitting element for detecting the size of an original document which controls the light-emitting element for detecting the thickness of the original document, a specific region determination unit for identifying a specific region based on the numbers of pixels in a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction of image data, and a background correction unit for performing a process of correcting the background of an image which has been read. In the image copier according to the invention, see-through copying of the bottom side can be suppressed by performing a background correction process after an image is read without blocking a sensor hole of a sensor for detecting the size of the original document from light. |
| US08253991B2 |
Duplex scanning apparatus
A duplex scanning apparatus includes an automatic document feeder and a flatbed scanner. The automatic document feeder includes a first scanning module. The flatbed scanner includes a second scanning module and a first calibration plate. The first calibration plate is disposed on the second scanning module, and includes a calibration plate first end, a calibration plate second end and a calibration plate middle part. A first included angle is defined between the calibration plate first end and the calibration plate middle part, and a second included angle is defined between the calibration plate second end and the calibration plate middle part. As such, each of a distance between the calibration plate first end and the first scanning module and a distance between the calibration plate second end and the first scanning module is shorter than a distance between the calibration plate middle part and the first scanning module. |
| US08253990B2 |
System and method for demarcating media sheets during a scan operation
A scanner for demarcating each media sheet of a multiplicity of media sheets and a method thereof. The scanner includes a platen, a scanlid, an illuminating mechanism and a scanhead. The platen accommodates the multiplicity of media sheets. The scanlid is pivotally coupled to the platen and provides a background for scanning the multiplicity of media sheets. The illuminating mechanism is coupled to the scanlid and is activated for illuminating the background. The scanhead scans the multiplicity of media sheets. A single background image of the multiplicity of media sheets is captured by activating the illuminating mechanism during scanning. A single foreground image of the multiplicity of media sheets is captured by deactivating the illuminating mechanism during scanning. Edges of each media sheet are detected in the background image, and are combined with the foreground image to extract content thereof. |
| US08253987B2 |
Image reader and image forming apparatus including the image reader
In an image reader, an optical scanning unit reads an original image on an original document sheet. In the optical scanning unit, a lighting device is detachably attached to a housing to emit light toward the original document sheet. The housing houses a reading device to read the light reflected by the original document sheet. A shield member is detachably attached to the housing to shield the reading device from the lighting device to form a space for the reading device inside the housing. A slit is provided in the shield member to guide the light reflected by the original document sheet to the space for the reading device. A second positioner is provided on the shield member to engage a first positioner provided in the housing to position the reading device with respect to the lighting device. |
| US08253984B2 |
Facsimile machine, facsimile notification system, and communication terminal device
A facsimile machine receives image data, generates a password for received image data, assigns the generated password to the received image data, and stores the received image data. Information indicating a notification destination is extracted from the received image data, and the notification destination is notified of the password. The received image data are output responsive to subsequent input of the password at the facsimile machine. This scheme provides password protection without forcing users to register and remember passwords, and without the risk that a compromised password may be used for unauthorized output of facsimile data received later. |
| US08253972B2 |
Image processing system, image processing apparatus, authorized person information management apparatus, image processing method, and computer readable medium
An image processing system includes an authorized person information management apparatus and an image processing apparatus, the authorized person information management apparatus including: a first reception unit; an authorized person information storage unit; an authorized person information acquisition unit; and a first transmission unit; the image processing apparatus including: a reading unit; a second transmission unit; a second reception unit; and an output unit. |
| US08253967B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
According to this invention, information desired by the user can be properly printed when index printing is performed. An information processing method of printing image and additional information added to the image on one printing medium by a printing unit includes a first display step of displaying a window for allowing a user to select desired additional information to be printed on the printing medium from pieces of additional information, and an adjusting step of adjusting the character size of the additional information so as to print all pieces of additional information selected by the user within an area where the pieces of additional information are to be printed on the printing medium. |
| US08253966B2 |
Image forming apparatus to print scanned documents in a predetermined order and method thereof
An image forming apparatus having a page sorting function includes a scanning unit to scan a plurality of pages in order, a number recognizing unit to recognize a page number on each of the scanned pages, a control unit to determine whether a current scanned page whose page number is recognized is printable based on a predetermined page sorting order and pre-scanned page numbers, and a printing unit to print the scanned page. By sorting and printing simultaneously, a total amount of time required to perform a copying process can be substantially reduced, and user's convenience is improved. |
| US08253965B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an input unit which inputs a keyword; a preparation unit which prepares list data relating to a print file containing the keyword among a plurality of print files stored in a storage unit; and a printing unit that prints a list based on the list data. |
| US08253964B2 |
Image forming apparatus with superior print canceling
An UI device includes a display unit, a cancel button, an execution button, and print data selection buttons. Identification information of print data during printing is displayed on the display unit, and when the cancel button is pressed for a predetermined time, the print data during printing is canceled. Further, when the pressed time is less than the predetermined time, a list of identification information of the print data is shown so that one of print data can be selected with the print data selection buttons and the selection to cancel is determined with the execution button, thereby canceling the print data. |
| US08253960B2 |
Method for the operation of a data bus, and data bus system
In a method or system for operation of a data bus to which multiple bus participants each with a respective serial number specific to them are connected, a new bus participant is connected to the data bus. A request bus message is generated by the new bus participant, the message containing a preliminary participant identification number as an identifier derived from a serial number of the new bus participant. The request bus message is sent to a master processor system for assigning a final participant identification number for the new bus participant after a receipt of the request bus message with the preliminary participant identification number. The final participant identification number has fewer digits than the serial number of the new bus participant. The final participant identification number is used by the new bus participant as an identifier for further bus messages. Upon connection of said new bus participant, a time offset for said request bus message from said new bus participant to said master processor system is determined in addition to the preliminary participant identification number, said time offset being derived from the serial number of said new bus participant so that a simultaneous transmission of request bus messages from said new bus participant and any other new bus participants to said master processor system with the same preliminary participant identification numbers is avoided. |
| US08253956B2 |
Method of notifying print job information and printer and printing system using the same
A method of notifying a print job to safely and conveniently share the print job, a printer and a printing system using the same are provided. The print job information notifying system includes a printer driver transmitting a print job and a designated use information, a print job information storage unit receiving the print job and the designated user information from the printer driver and storing the same, and a print job management unit notifying the designated user that the print job is stored according to contact information if the designated user information includes the contact information of the designated user. |
| US08253955B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for setting security levels in accordance with a network environment
An MFP receives notification of a power state of a networked client apparatus or PC from the PC and updates user management information in accordance with the power state of the PC. The MFP determines a security level in real time in accordance with the state of the power supply of the networked client apparatus that is stored in the user management information, and sets the determined security level for the MFP. |
| US08253954B2 |
Image forming apparatus, print sheet selection method and recording medium
An image forming apparatus comprises at least one printer that prints inputted image data on a plurality of types of print sheets, an expiration time attribute detector that detects from the image data, data representing an expiration time attribute, and a controller that judges based on the detection result drawn by the expiration time attribute detector, on which type of print sheets the image data should be printed, among the plurality of types of print sheets, then controls the image forming apparatus itself based on the judgment. |
| US08253949B2 |
Document color and shades of gray optimization using dithered monochrome surfaces
Methods, apparatus, software, and systems of the present invention allow for optimization of color and shades of gray documents prior to their conversion to a monochrome format. If color/gray elements are identified in the document, the distance between them and their intensity is determined. If there are elements with the same or similar intensity in close proximity to each other, colors of some of the elements may be replaced with solid monochrome colors, and/or dithered surfaces, and/or monochrome patterns. Further, the elements may be outlined. These improvements make elements in the document more distinguishable after its conversion to a monochrome format. The described color optimization and outlining may have wide applicability in the Internet Fax technology. |
| US08253945B2 |
Optical sensor
An optical sensor having a sapphire body is disclosed. A hollow in the sapphire body defines a surface which is used as a surface of a Fabry-Perot cavity. Interferometry is used to detect changes in the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity, and hence changes in, for example, the temperature or pressure of an environment in which the sensor is placed. |
| US08253937B2 |
Optical evaluation method by means of laser pulses and corresponding apparatus
An optical evaluation method and an apparatus for performing said method are described. First laser pulses of a first type and second laser pulses of a second type that differs from the first type are sent onto a sample to be examined. The sample is hit with first incident light from the two laser pulses in at least one manner of simultaneously, within a very short time lag between the two laser pulses, and a time-correlated manner of the two laser pulses, thereby generating a first optical signal, and hit with second incident light from the two laser pulses, thereby generating a second optical signal. The generated first and second optical signals are detected with at least one detector; and an electronic difference between the first and second optical signals is generated. |
| US08253936B2 |
Raman characterization of transplant tissue
A system and method for determining a disease state and clinical outcome of a sample. A sample is illuminated to produce Raman scattered photons, the Raman scattered photons are assessed to generate a Raman spectroscopic data set representative of the sample, wherein said Raman spectroscopic data set comprises at least one of: a Raman spectra of the sample and a spatially accurate wavelength resolved Raman image of the sample; the Raman spectroscopic data set is evaluated using a chemometric technique to classify the disease state of the sample as: acute, chronic, incipient, or none. In one embodiment, the chemontric technique is principle component analysis. In another embodiment, the sample is obtained prior to transplantation and analysis can determine the likelihood of rejection by a host. |
| US08253934B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate
A pattern inspection method and apparatus in which a deep ultraviolet light or an ultraviolet light is irradiated onto a specimen on which a pattern is formed, an image of the specimen which is irradiated with the deep ultraviolet light or the ultraviolet light is formed and the formed image is detected with a rear-surface irradiation type image sensor, which is sensitive to wavelengths of no greater than 400 nmm. A signal outputted from the image sensor is processed so as to detect a defect of the specimen by converting an analog image signal outputted from the image sensor to a digital image signal with an A/D converter, and a display displays information of the defect detected. |
| US08253928B2 |
Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to radiant energy includes: a stage including a chuck, and configured to hold the substrate on the chuck with vacuum and to be moved; a recovery device configured to recover the substrate from the stage; a first detector configured to detect an error of holding of the substrate on the chuck; a measuring device configured to measure an amount of positional deviation of the substrate relative to the chuck; and a controller configured to cause the measuring device to measure the amount of positional deviation in a case where the first detector detects the error, and to control an operation of the stage such that the amount of positional deviation falls within a tolerance based on the measured amount. |
| US08253925B2 |
Catoptric illumination system for microlithography tool
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a system that includes an illumination system of a microlithography tool, the illumination system including a first component having a plurality of elements. During operation of the system, the elements direct radiation from a source along an optical path to an arc-shaped object field at an object plane of a projection objective, and at least one of the elements has a curved shape that is different from the arc-shape of the object field. |
| US08253918B2 |
Array substrate for in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device including pixel and common electrodes on the same layer and method of manufacturing the same
An array substrate for an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a gate line along a first direction on the substrate, a data line along a second direction and crossing the gate line to define a pixel region, a common line on the substrate, a thin film transistor connected to the gate and data lines, a pixel electrode in the pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor, the pixel electrode including horizontal parts along the first direction, and a common electrode in the pixel region and connected to the common line, the common electrode including horizontal portions along the first direction, wherein the pixel electrode and the common electrode are formed on a same layer. |
| US08253916B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An LCD device according to the present invention includes having first and second substrates facing each other gate and data lines crossing each other to define a pixel region, a thin film transistor including a gate electrode protruding from the gate line, a source electrode protruding from the data line and a drain electrode spaced from the source electrode at a predetermined interval, a metal pattern over a predetermined portion of the gate line, a passivation layer over the data line and the metal pattern to have a contact hole exposing the drain electrode and a storage hole exposing the metal pattern, a pixel electrode on the pixel region over the contact hole and the storage hole, a column spacer contacting with the pixel electrode through the storage hole and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates. |
| US08253914B2 |
Liquid crystal display (LCD)
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided that comprises a rearward LCD substrate sheet that has an array of vias formed, where the vias provide electrical conduction between both sides of the rearward LCD substrate sheet. The number of vias in the array is substantially equal to or at least equivalent to a combination of a number of column drive lines and a number of row drive lines. The respective drive lines are connected to a corresponding via, such as on one side of the rearward LCD substrate sheet, and respective patterned conductors are connected to a corresponding via, such as on the other side of the rearward LCD substrate sheet. The patterned conductors provide a connection between respective drive lines and one or more corresponding drivers. In one example, this allows a “full bleed” display to be generated. |
| US08253913B2 |
Liquid crystal display and thin film transistor array panel therefor
A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: a substrate; a plurality of first signal lines formed on the substrate; a plurality of second lines formed on the substrate, intersecting the first signal line, and including a plurality of curved portions having at least two curve points and a plurality of intermediate portions, the curved portions and the intermediate portions alternately connected; a plurality of pixel electrodes located substantially in areas defined by the first and the second signal lines; and a plurality of thin film transistors connected to the first and the second signal lines and the pixel electrodes. |
| US08253911B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
To improve viewing angle characteristics by varying voltage which is applied between liquid crystal elements. A liquid crystal display device in which one pixel is provided with three or more liquid crystal elements and the level of voltage which is applied is varied between the liquid crystal elements is varied. In order to vary the level of the voltage which is applied between the liquid crystal elements, an element which divides the applied voltage is provided. In order to vary the level of the applied voltage, a capacitor, a resistor, a transistor, or the like is used. Viewing angle characteristics can be improved by varying the level of the voltage which is applied between the liquid crystal elements. |
| US08253907B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for fabricating the same
A LCD device includes a plurality of color display pixels and a viewing angle control pixel on a first substrate; a backlight shielding pattern formed at a circumferential region of the viewing angle control pixel; a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of a TFT; a protective film formed on a gate line, a data line, the TFT, the first electrode and the second pixel electrode, wherein a first contact hole is formed to expose part of the backlight shielding pattern; a first common electrode connected to the backlight shielding pattern through the first contact hole of the protective film, which is formed to be overlapped with at least part of the first pixel electrode, part of the TFT, and part of the backlight shielding pattern, wherein a plurality of slits overlapped with the first pixel electrode are formed; and a second common electrode formed by corresponding to the first pixel electrode on a second substrate. |
| US08253906B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and substrate for liquid crystal display device
A TFT substrate (110) of a liquid crystal display device(100) includes a common electrode (112) and a drain electrode (114) facing the common electrode (112) via an insulating layer (113) and provided with an opening (114a) for making an electric field generated between the common electrode (112) and the drain electrode (114) supplied into a liquid crystal layer (130). Since the opening (114a) for making an electric field supplied into the liquid crystal layer (130) is provided in the drain electrode (114) made from metal, the opening (114a) can be formed more finely than before. Thus, a liquid crystal display which can more surely control spray-to-bend transition can be attained. |
| US08253905B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method of making the same
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device including a substrate, a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate, a gate insulating layer covering the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, wherein the first conductive layer including a first sub-data line and a gate line, the second conductive layer including a source electrode and a common electrode, and the common electrode is disposed opposite to the first conductive electrode, and a method of making the same with five photolithographic and etching processes. |
| US08253903B2 |
Liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal display device, and television device
A first sub-pixel area and a second sub-pixel area that are provided in each of pixel areas so as to sandwich a scanning signal line 2. A first sub-pixel is arranged to include the first sub-pixel area and a section of the counter substrate which section corresponds to the first sub-pixel, area and the second sub-pixel is arranged to include the second sub-pixel area and a section of the counter substrate which section corresponds to the second sub-pixel area. A first alignment control structure is provided in the first sub-pixel and a second alignment control structure is provided in the second sub-pixel. The first alignment control structure (L1 and S1 to S4) provided in one pixel (55x) of two adjacent pixels has a shape obtained by rotating by 180° the first alignment control structure (L11, S11 to S14) provided in the other one pixel (55y) of the two adjacent pixels. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration in viewing angle characteristics caused by disordered alignment along the scanning signal line (2) in a liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of alignment domains can be formed. |
| US08253902B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate, wherein a pixel region is defined by a gate line and a data line, an electric field guide window is formed within the pixel region, and a first alignment layer is formed on the first substrate, the first alignment layer having a predetermined number of domains aligned in different directions on the pixel region; a second substrate facing the first substrate, and having a dielectric rib spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the electric field guide window, and a second alignment layer having a predetermined number of domains aligned in different directions; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the second substrates. |
| US08253901B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having biased electrically controlled birefringence
A display device includes a light supplying unit generating light and a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules aligned substantially parallel to the plane of a pair of substrates by anti-parallel rubbing when no voltage is applied to the panel. Bias voltage corresponding to maximum gray level of the panel is determined between threshold voltage of the liquid crystal layer and 40% of maximum voltage. |
| US08253899B2 |
Birefringent film
A birefringent film of the present invention comprises at least one kind of polycyclic compound including a —COOM group (the M denotes a counter ion), wherein an index ellipsoid satisfies a relation of nz>nx=ny. The polycyclic compound includes, for example, acenaphtho[1,2-b]quinoxaline derivative represented by the following general formula (I). The birefringent film of the present invention can be formed thin-type and have a high birefringent index in the thickness direction, since the birefringent film comprises the polycyclic compound. |
| US08253897B2 |
Spread pixel design for multi domain LCD
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The polarities of the color dots are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dots causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots of a pixel are arranged so that each color dot of a first polarity has four neighboring pixels of a second polarity. Thus, a checkerboard pattern of polarities is formed. Furthermore, the checkerboard pattern is extended across multiple pixels in the MVA LCD. In addition, many display unit include multiple pixel designs to improve color distribution or electrical distribution. Furthermore, many display units interleave the pixels. |
| US08253893B2 |
Transflective liquid crystal display device having a color filter and method for fabricating thereof
A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a base substrate having a transmissive portion and a reflective portion. The transmissive portion has a groove, a color filter layer on the substrate, and a black matrix on the color filter layer. |
| US08253892B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method for manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display includes; a first substrate, a gate line and a data line disposed on the first substrate, a color filter including protrusions and depressions aligned with the data line, the color filter being disposed on the data line, a pixel electrode disposed on the color filter, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a common electrode disposed on the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. |
| US08253890B2 |
High aperture LCD with insulating color filters overlapping bus lines on active substrate
A high aperture active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) includes pixel electrodes in respective pixels which overlap adjacent address lines. The color filters are formed on the active substrate in a manner such that the filters also overlap the address lines and function as an insulating layer between the pixel electrodes and address lines in the areas of overlap. Accordingly, line-pixel capacitances are reduced and the resulting AMLCD is easier to manufacture. The total number of process step in manufacturing is reduced, and plate-to-plate (active to passive plate) alignment is much easier and less important. |
| US08253886B2 |
Backlight assembly and liquid crystal display apparatus having the same
A backlight assembly includes a first receiving container including a bottom plate, at least one sidewall extending from the bottom plate and an opening portion disposed in the sidewall, a printed circuit board disposed contacting an outer surface of the at least one sidewall and including a first side and a second side opposing the first side, a light source disposed on the first side of the printed circuit board and generating light emitted through the opening portion of the sidewall, and a light guide plate disposed on the bottom plate of the first receiving container, and guiding light emitted from the light source and incident to a light incident surface of the light guide plate. |
| US08253885B2 |
Liquid crystal display device, backlight source and optical film
A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel, a backlight source provided on a rear surface of the liquid crystal panel, for irradiating the liquid crystal panel with white light, and an optical film provided between the liquid crystal panel and the backlight source, in which the optical film includes a base material which passes the white light irradiated from the backlight source, a colored layer partially provided on one surface of the base material at the side of the liquid crystal, panel, and a reflective layer provided on another surface of the base material at the side of the backlight source opposite to the colored layer, for reflecting the white light. |
| US08253880B2 |
Container for a display device, method of manufacturing the same, and display device including the container
In a container for a display device, a method of manufacturing the same, and a display device including the container, the container includes an inner layer including carbon of about 0.001 wt % to about 0.1 wt %, silicon of about 0.002 wt % to about 0.05 wt %, manganese of about 0.3 wt % to about 2 wt %, impurities of about 0.08 wt % to about 0.29 wt % based on a total weight of the inner layer and a remainder of iron, a plating layer formed on the inner layer and including electric zinc, and a polymer chrome-free layer formed on the plating layer. Thus, a weight and a thickness of the container may be reduced so that the container may have a light weight and a thin thickness. |
| US08253876B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with enhanced stability
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel for displaying images, a lower receiving member for receiving the liquid crystal display panel, and a source PCB disposed on a side of the lower receiving member to supply a driving signal to the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display device includes a shield case arranged on rear surface of the lower receiving member. The shield case includes a body that protects a driving board, a fixing portion that fixes the source PCB to the lower receiving member, and a connection portion that connects the body to the fixing portion. The connection portion extends from an edge of the shield case. The liquid crystal display device includes an upper receiving member that combines with the lower receiving member to cover the liquid crystal display panel. |
| US08253875B2 |
Backlight assembly comprising a mold frame integrally connected to a light guide plate and liquid crystal display having the same
A backlight assembly and a liquid crystal device having the same. The backlight assembly includes a light guide plate, a first mold frame integrally formed with the light guide plate, a light source unit disposed on at least one side of the light guide plate and comprising a light source spaced apart from the at least one side of the light guide plate and a light reflector surrounding the light source and connected to the light guide plate, a light reflector surrounding the light source and connected to the light guide plate, and a second mold frame connected to the first mold frame and disposed on the light reflector. |
| US08253873B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having first, second, and third transparent electrodes that form first and second storage capacitors
To form a sufficiently large storage capacitor, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal held between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal display panel having multiple pixels arranged in matrix. The first substrate has, in a transmissive display area provided in each of the pixels, a laminated structure containing a first transparent electrode, a first insulating film, a second transparent electrode, a second insulating film, and a third transparent electrode which are laminated in this order. The first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a first storage capacitor through the first insulating film, and the second transparent electrode and the third transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a second storage capacitor through the second insulating film. |
| US08253872B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having source-drain parasitic capacitances of a delta arrangement
A shield electrode is provided in the vicinity of a pixel electrode and source bus lines. The shield electrode may be provided in the same layer as gate bus lines, or in the same layer as the source bus lines. The shield electrode may be surrounded by an insulating material, or may be connected to a line other than the source bus lines. By providing the shield electrode, it is possible to reduce a source-drain parasitic capacitance between a pixel electrode and a source bus line. |
| US08253868B2 |
Apparatus and method for using voice coils as screen motion sensors
In one embodiment, a display device includes a movably suspended diffuser screen, and a voice-coil mechanism coupled to the diffuser screen. A signal-processing device, such as a microprocessor, is coupled to a driver circuit to produce a drive signal at an output terminal for the voice coil in response to a voltage sensed across the voice coil. The driver circuit includes shutdown control to drive its output terminal to a high-impedance state to accommodate sensing voltage across the voice coil. Thus, the signal for the voice coil is produced by the signal-processing device in a closed-loop feedback arrangement without the need for separate position-sensing elements. In a preferred arrangement, a second voice coil is coupled to the diffuser screen and to the signal-processing circuitry to produce a second signal for the second voice coil to accommodate generating a circular motion for the diffuser screen without stationary points. |
| US08253866B1 |
TV remote control enables simplified channel-selection
A hand-held universal remote control enabling a user to jump directly to a desired channel and adjust sound level of a conventional remotely-controllable television receiver. A minimum number of key-buttons reduces operator confusion, particularly for elderly and physically challenged persons. A desired channel number is incrementally entered by actuation of a single key-button that advances a viewable display to any channel between 01 and 99. Once the desired channel number appears on the display a SEND button is pressed and the desired channel number change is commanded to the television receiver. A provision enabling entry of 3-digit channels between 001 and 999 is discussed. Inclusion of at least one additional key-button controls sound volume level and mute. The SEND key may also command power on/off. A complement of as few as three keybuttons may implement all of the essential features. |
| US08253864B2 |
Method of viewing a data broadcast and a receiver for implementing the same
A device for receiving broadcast signal is disclosed. More specifically, the device includes an user interface (132) configured to provide at least one command signal for selecting a data broadcast signal which has been selected by a user and for selecting an audio, a controller (100) configured to provide control signals according to the command signal inputted via the user interface (132), a tuner (102) configured to synchronize at least one transmit stream (TS) of the selected data broadcast channel according to the control signal, a TS unit (104) configured to convert the at least one TS into at least one of a plurality of audible signals for video, a plurality of audible audio signals for data, a plurality of displayable video signals, and a plurality of displayable data signals (200), an audio switch configured to output any one of the plurality of audible audio signals for video or the plurality of audible audio signals for data according to the control signal, a display module (138) configured to display at least one of the video and the data on a same screen, and at least one speaker (137) configured to output audible audio outputted from the audio switch. |
| US08253862B2 |
Method and device for image sharpness adjustment
The present invention discloses a method and a device for image sharpness adjustment. The device comprises a color analyzer, a color sharpness setting unit, a computing circuit, and a luminance adjusting unit. The color analyzer is for analyzing an input color signal to generate a plurality of color flags. The color sharpness setting unit is for generating a plurality of first sharpness gains according to the plurality of the color flags. The computing circuit is for generating a second sharpness gain according to the plurality of the first sharpness gains and the input color signal. The luminance adjusting unit is for adjusting a luminance signal according to the second sharpness gain. |
| US08253856B1 |
Method and/or architecture for interlaced video resampling and color format conversion using combined vertical-temporal resolution extensions
An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal, a second control signal and a third control signal in response to a first interlaced video signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate a second interlaced video signal in response to the first interlaced video signal, the first control signal, the second control signal and the third control signal. The second circuit may be further configured to vertically scale the first interlaced video signal in an extended vertical domain. |
| US08253851B2 |
Keyboard integrated with camera module
A keyboard includes a keyboard body, and a camera module. The camera module includes a support, a receiving portion and a camera unit. The support includes a first connecting end and a first receiving end. The receiving portion includes a rotating end and an opposite second receiving end. The support is rotatably coupled to the keyboard body by the first connecting end. The rotating end is rotatably received in the first receiving end and the camera unit is received in the second receiving end. |
| US08253850B2 |
Imaging apparatus and program thereof
In a digital camera, in an automatic shooting stand-by state, when it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has not been satisfied, it is judged whether or not to issue an AE re-processing command (that is, it is judged whether or not the current shooting condition is similar to a condition where the automatic shooting condition is satisfied). When it is judged to issue the AE re-processing command, exposure tracking in an aperture-priority mode is performed, and shooting exposure conditions excluding the aperture value for still-image shooting in the aperture-priority mode are determined. Then, storage is updated. When it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied, record processing for still-image shooting is performed with the updated shooting exposure conditions without changing the aperture value. |
| US08253849B2 |
Lighting control module, video camera comprising the same and control method of the same
The present invention provides a lighting control module, a video camera comprising the same and a control method of the same. The video camera of the invention includes a sensing module, a light-emitting module and a control module. The sensing module receives a reflected light beam from a recording direction of the video camera, and generates an image of a scene in the recording direction. The light-emitting module emits a light toward the recording direction. Additionally, the lighting control module is connected to the light-emitting module for controlling the light-emitting module to periodically emit the light from a first brightness to a second brightness. |
| US08253840B2 |
Electromagnetic shielding coating and lens module utilizing the same
An electromagnetic shielding coating covers a lens coated with an optical coating. A light shielding coating covers the optical coating. The electromagnetic shielding coating covers the light shielding coating. The electromagnetic shielding coating includes a first stainless steel layer and a second copper layer. The first stainless steel layer contains stainless steel, and is formed on the light shielding coating directly. The second copper layer is formed on the first metal layer. |
| US08253838B2 |
Vibrating device and image equipment having the same
A vibrating device includes a drive unit configured to drive a vibrating member to produce vibration Z (x, y) at a dust-screening member, the vibration being expressed as follows: Z(x,y)=Wmn(x,y)·cos(γ)+Wnm(x,y)·sin(γ) where Z (x, y) is vibration at a given point P (x, y) on the dust-screening member, m and n are positive integers including 0, indicating the order of natural vibration corresponding to a vibrational mode, W mn ( x , y ) = sin ( n π · x + π 2 ) · sin ( m π · y + π 2 ) , W nm ( x , y ) = sin ( m π · x + π 2 ) · sin ( n π · y + π 2 ) , and γ is +π/4 or ranges from −π/8 to −π/4. The dust-screening member is shaped such that the ratio of length of either short side to either long side of a virtual rectangle is 0.9 or more, but less than 1, the virtual rectangle having the same area as the dust-screening member and having sides including the one side which the dust-screening member has. |
| US08253835B2 |
Amplification-type CMOS image sensor
Pixels are two-dimensionally arranged into rows and columns in an image sensing region of a solid-state image sensing device, and divided into a plurality of vertical blocks. A vertical signal line is connected to each pixel column. A voltage read out from a pixel is A/D-converted and held in a holding circuit. A vertical block selection circuit outputs a vertical block selection signal in response to a horizontal sync pulse. An intra-block line selection circuit selects one pixel row in one block or simultaneously selects a plurality of pixel rows in one block, in accordance with the selection signal and a signal for setting the number of lines to be selected. A pulse selector circuit supplies a pixel driving pulse signal to a pixel row selected by the intra-block line selection circuit. |
| US08253833B2 |
Solid-state imaging device driving method
Photosensitive cells each includes a photodiode (1), a transfer gate (2), a floating diffusion layer portion (3), an amplifying transistor (4), and a reset transistor (5). Drains of the amplifying transistors (4) of the photosensitive cells are connected to a power supply line (10), and a pulsed power supply voltage (VddC) is applied to the power supply line (10). Here, a low-level potential (VddC_L) of the power supply voltage has a predetermined potential higher than zero potential. Specifically, by making the low-level potential (VddC_L) higher than channel potentials obtained when a low level is applied to the reset transistors (5), or channel potentials obtained when a low level is applied to the transfer gates (2), or channel potentials of the photodiodes (1), a reproduced image with low noise is read. |
| US08253829B2 |
Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes: a first interpolating portion calculating a first interpolation value for a pixel value of a pixel of interest using pixel values of the pixel of interest and pixels neighboring the pixel of interest; a second interpolating portion detecting the direction of a smallest jump amount to calculate a second interpolation value for the pixel value of the pixel of interest; a detecting portion determining whether any change is made by interpolation using the first interpolation value, and selecting the first or second interpolation value when there is change or not; and an isolated point detecting portion determining whether the pixel of interest is an isolated point, outputting the first or second interpolation value when the pixel of interest is an isolated point, and outputting the pixel value of the pixel of interest when the pixel of interest is not an isolated point. |
| US08253828B2 |
Image capture device including edge direction determination unit, and image processing method for the same
The image capture device includes pixel data acquisition unit for acquiring pixel data of a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels from an image capture element; an edge direction determination unit for determining whether a pattern such as an edge is defined by neighboring pixels centered on the pixel of interest; correction unit; and color interpolation unit. When a pixel of interest is determined by a defective pixel determination unit to be a defective pixel, and is moreover determined by the edge direction determination unit not to lie in an edge direction, the correction unit will correct the pixel of interest to a correction value derived from pixel data of neighboring pixels in a symmetrical array centered thereon. For a pixel of interest that has not been corrected, color interpolation according to the direction the edge will be carried out by the color interpolation unit, using the determination outcome of the edge direction determination unit. |
| US08253825B2 |
Image data processing method by reducing image noise, and camera integrating means for implementing said method
The invention concerns image data processing, through noise reduction comprising the following steps: associating a learning zone (ZA) with a reference point (Pref) of the image (IM); for each variable point (PC, PC′,) of the learning zone, evaluating a distance (d, d′,) between: values of points in a first window (f1) of the image, centered on the reference point, and values of points in a second window (f2, f′2,), of similar format as the format of the first window and centered on the variable point; repeating said distance calculation for all the points of the learning zone as successive variable points and estimating an average value to assign to the reference point, said average being weighted on the basis of the distances evaluated for each variable point. |
| US08253820B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a low-frequency-component storage unit that stores therein a low-frequency component generated from a frame in an input moving image composed of a plurality of frames, a low-frequency-component generating unit that generates a low-frequency component from an N-th frame of the input moving image, and stores the low-frequency component in the low-frequency-component storage unit, and a dynamic-range correcting unit that corrects a dynamic range by using an (N+1)-th or later frame of the input moving image and the low-frequency component of the N-th frame stored in the low-frequency-component storage unit. |
| US08253816B2 |
Video signal processing for generating a level mixed signal
An imaging device (1) includes an all-pixel readout imaging element (2) outputting a LONG signal and a SHORT signal in one field period for each pixel line, a mixing level calculator (7) calculating for each pixel line a mixing level at which the luminance level of the LONG signal is saturated, and an offset calculator (8) calculating for each pixel line an offset that raises the luminance level of the SHORT signal to the mixing level. Level mixing means (9) generates a level mixed signal for each pixel line so as to obtain a LONG signal when the luminance level is lower than the mixing level and obtain a SHORT signal with the offset added when the luminance level is higher than the mixing level. Consequently, an image having a wide dynamic range and a high resolution can be obtained and line-to-line luminance differences in the obtained image can be suppressed. |
| US08253809B2 |
Analog-digital converter, analog-digital conversion method, image pickup device, method of driving the same, and camera
An analog-digital converter includes: comparators disposed to correspond to analog signals which are converted into digital signals and configured to compare a voltage value of the analog signal, which is converted into the digital signal, with a voltage value of a predetermined reference signal; counters disposed to correspond to the comparators and configured to count a count value at the time point when the comparison process of the corresponding comparator is finished; and a determiner configured to determine a time point when all the comparators finish their comparison processes. |
| US08253808B2 |
Image processing system and electronic camera
The image processing system is an image processing system including an electronic camera and an image output device, in which the electronic camera includes an image pickup unit capturing an object image by an image sensor and outputting raw data of a digital format, a recording unit recording the raw data, a conversion unit reading the raw data from the recording unit to convert the raw data to a data format which can be handled by the image output device, and a transfer unit transferring the converted raw data, and in which the image output device includes a receiving unit receiving the raw data transferred by the transfer unit, an image processing unit performing image processing for output on the raw data, and an image output unit outputting the raw data as an image, thereby shortening the processing time and improving the operability. |
| US08253807B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method
An information processing apparatus includes a first obtaining unit, a second obtaining unit and a display control unit. The first obtaining unit obtains, from an electronic device connected to the information processing apparatus, image data stored in a memory medium connected to the electronic device. The second obtaining unit obtains in advance reduced image data corresponding to the image data before obtainment of the image data by the first obtaining unit. The display control unit updates reduced image data displayed on a display unit, obtained by the second obtaining unit, in accordance with a display condition designated by a user. When the display condition is changed while the first obtaining unit is executing obtainment of image data, the first obtaining unit changes an obtainment order of image data based on the changed display condition. |
| US08253804B2 |
Electronic device and method for measuring video signals
An electronic device includes a video signal detection system to measure video signals. A measurement method can measure the video signals by using the electronic device. The measurement method sets measurement parameters that are used to measure video signals. Furthermore, the measurement method generates measurement results that each corresponds to a video signal transmission channel between the electronic device and a video signal processing device. In addition, the measurement method generates a measurement report according to all the measurement results. |
| US08253803B2 |
Video quality assessing apparatus
A subjective quality estimating part (11) receives an undeteriorated reference video signal (RI) and a deteriorated video signal (PI) produced from the reference video signal, calculates video signal feature values for both the signals, and according to a difference between the calculated video signal feature values of the signals, estimates a subjective quality of the deteriorated video signal. A feature value calculating part (12) calculates the video signal feature values of the reference video signal. A correction information storing part (13) stores correction information that corresponds to video signal feature values and is used to correct the subjective quality. A correction calculating part (14) receives the video signal feature values of the reference video signal from the feature value calculating part (12), retrieves correction information corresponding to the received video signal feature values from the correction information storing part (13), and transfers the retrieved correction information to a correcting part (15). According to the transferred correction information, the correcting part (15) corrects the subjective quality estimated by the subjective quality estimating part (11). |
| US08253802B1 |
Technique for identifying, tracing, or tracking objects in image data
A technique for computer vision uses a polygon contour to trace an object. The technique includes rendering a polygon contour superimposed over a first frame of image data. The polygon contour is iteratively refined to more accurately trace the object within the first frame after each iteration. The refinement includes computing image energies along lengths of contour lines of the polygon contour and adjusting positions of the contour lines based at least in part on the image energies. |
| US08253800B2 |
Tracking device, automatic focusing device, and camera
A tracking device includes: a light measurement device for light measuring an object; a focus detection device for performing focus detection of the object by an optical system; and a tracking control device for tracking the object based on light measurement information from the light measurement device and focus detection information from the focus detection device corresponding to the light measurement information. |
| US08253798B2 |
Video surveillance device with infrared LED
The video surveillance device with infrared LEDs has a casing and utilizes a partition element within the casing to place a camera assembly behind the partition element and the infrared LEDs in indentations on a front side of the partition element. A protective lens is interfaced directly with a washer on the front side of the partition element. As such, the light interference by the lens is effectively improved, while the external impact is buffered and absorbed largely by the washer, not directly on the camera assembly. In addition, the camera assembly is mounted on a downwardly concaved platform so that the camera assembly is able to slide along the curvature of the platform to aim at a specific direction. On the other hand, the LEDs are mounted on slant aluminum bases so that they could be aimed at different directions from that of the camera assembly. |
| US08253794B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image display method
An image processing apparatus may include an input accepting unit configured to accept an operation input about an input image; a time-series section generating unit configured to accept information specifying a time-series section where frames including a face of a specified person appear in the input image and information specifying a representative frame of the time-series section and to draw display of the time-series section and the representative frame on the basis of the information; and an image control unit configured to allow the time-series section generating unit to draw display of the time-series section in accordance with the operation input. |
| US08253793B2 |
Lumber inspection method, device and program
An imaging means captures a color image of lumber. An image processing means obtains the color distribution of the color image captured by the imaging means, compares the obtained color distribution with a predetermined color distribution of normal lumber, judges the obtained color distribution as an abnormal one when it is deviated from the color distribution of normal lumber by a predetermined value or more, and detects a defect of the lumber having the abnormal color distribution deviated by a value larger than the predetermined value in an area on the surface of the lumber captured by the imaging means. |
| US08253792B2 |
Vision system for monitoring humans in dynamic environments
A safety monitoring system for a workspace area. The workspace area related to a region having automated moveable equipment. A plurality of vision-based imaging devices capturing time-synchronized image data of the workspace area. Each vision-based imaging device repeatedly capturing a time synchronized image of the workspace area from a respective viewpoint that is substantially different from the other respective vision-based imaging devices. A visual processing unit for analyzing the time-synchronized image data. The visual processing unit processes the captured image data for identifying a human from a non-human object within the workspace area. The visual processing unit further determining potential interactions between a human and the automated moveable equipment. The visual processing unit further generating control signals for enabling dynamic reconfiguration of the automated moveable equipment based on the potential interactions between the human and the automated moveable equipment in the workspace area. |
| US08253790B1 |
Cylinder stroke system with laser proximity detector
A cylinder stroke system with a laser proximity detector including a pressure containing tube. The pressure containing tube can include a first tube end and a second tube end. A cylinder rod can be movably disposed within the pressure containing tube. The system can also include a piston disposed on the cylinder rod first end; a first fluid port formed in the pressure containing tube; a second fluid disposed within the pressure containing tube; a blind end cap and mount; a laser secured to the pressure containing tube; at least one optic guide; a lens separating the at least one optic guide from the second fluid. The cylinder stroke system can also include a camera in communication with a main controller. The camera can receive the reflection from the piston and convert the reflection into a reflection signal. |
| US08253788B2 |
Method and apparatus for acquiring digital microscope images
A method and apparatus for acquiring digital microscope images is disclosed, in which a plurality of magnified images of a specimen are captured for tiling together to provide an overall composite image of the specimen. In accordance with the described method, the specimen is moved relative to an imaging system comprising a microscope and camera in a predetermined path while the plurality of magnified images are captured. In a preferred embodiment, the specimen, contained on a slide, is mounted on a movable microscope stage, and is moved beneath the microscope in the predetermined path. The velocity of the movement of the stage and the shutter speed of the camera is computer controlled to capture overlapping, clear images. |
| US08253784B2 |
Image capturing device assembly for use with test probe
An image capturing device assembly for use with a test probe and a testing system. The image capturing device assembly including an image capturing device module configured for coupling to an external surface of the test probe and having an image capturing device housed within. The image capturing device is configured to generate a digital output video signal or the analog output video signal of a testing site. A digital monitor is coupled to the image capturing device via a wired or wireless link and configured to receive the digital output signal and generate a display of the testing site on the display monitor. |
| US08253783B2 |
Electronic endoscope signal-processing device and electronic endoscope system
An electronic endoscope signal-processing device is provided that includes a gradation compensation processor. The gradation compensation processor compensates for R, G, and B gradations by controlling R, G, and B tone curves defining relationship between input values and output values of each of the R, G, and B signals. The R tone curve is shaped so as to squash the output values of the R Signal when the R signal input values are in a relatively low range and to expand the output values when the input values are in a relatively high range. |
| US08253781B2 |
Asymmetric viewing angles for a dual view display
The present invention is related to an asymmetric aligned display having asymmetric viewing angles. The present invention provides a dual-view or 3D display capable of displaying two images of unrelated or related content along different directions with asymmetric viewing angles. The asymmetric viewing angles of the display device of the present invention can be realized by the introduction of multiple sub-pixel pitches into a single display. To be more specific, the present invention provides an asymmetric aligned display by realizing the asymmetry design in the sub-pixel itself. Consequently, the angular extends of the respective viewing windows or images displayed along different directions can be different or asymmetrical. The asymmetric aligned display of the present invention is, therefore, capable of displaying images along different directions with asymmetric viewing angles and windows without affecting the outer boundaries of the viewing windows. |
| US08253779B2 |
System for remote guidance by expert for imaging device
Systems and methods for combining tomographic images with human vision. The systems preferably include a first assembly located proximal to an object to be imaged and a second assembly remote from the target. The first assembly is preferably able to collect a tomographic image from a target object and superimpose that tomographic image onto a direct view of the target object. The first assembly also includes components that allow the transmission of the tomographic image to the remote assembly. At the remote location, a highly trained expert may interact with the captured image by placing electronic markers on the image via an electronic interface. The captured image plus electronic marker are then preferably transmitted back to the local site via a second transmitter-receiver. The local user may use the electronic marker to guide his actions during the appropriate task. The systems have particular utility in the medical field where a trained clinician at a remote location may provide guidance to an untrained individual in performing a medical procedure on a patient. |
| US08253778B2 |
Three-dimensional digital magnifier operation supporting system
The simulation regarding the state change of the subject in a real space provides a system which represents impacts to three-dimensional computer graphics caused by changes of state of three-dimensional computer graphics composed and fixed to subject, and state of image taking space by simulation, surface polygon model and similar surface polygon model 1 is selected, according to shape pattern, from surface polygon model 2 measures, in a three-dimensional way, subject image existing in the same space, a tracking process is performed on the computer graphics, following to the relative position change of the position changes of the subject and the camera caused in real three-dimensional space, subjects in the visual field of the camera and virtual three-dimensional computer graphics image is unified and displayed by displaying computer graphics image having the same relative position change on the image. |
| US08253774B2 |
Ambulatory presence features
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates managing one or more devices utilized for communicating data within a telepresence session. A telepresence session can be initiated within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein. A device can be utilized by at least one virtually represented user that enables communication within the telepresence session, the device includes at least one of an input to transmit a portion of a communication to the telepresence session or an output to receive a portion of a communication from the telepresence session. A detection component can adjust at least one of the input related to the device or the output related to the device based upon the identification of a cue, the cue is at least one of a movement detected, an event detected, or an ambient variation. |
| US08253773B2 |
Video camera utilizing subscriber-based networks
The present invention includes a video camera system configured to provide real-time video streams over subscriber-based networks. The video camera system includes a network camera with a built-in web server, a cellular modem/Ethernet gateway, and a power supply. The video camera system can operate over any subscriber-based network, such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and the like. |
| US08253771B2 |
Video call management apparatus and associated methodology of controlling voice and video response
An video call management apparatus and associated methodology of controlling interactive voice and video responses is provided. A calling party is identified as an agent or a caller based on a set of agent identities. The calling party is then provided with an agent main menu, when an agent is identified, or a caller main menu when a caller is identified. An agent can be connected to the caller in a sub-queue entry, and a caller can be placed in an existing sub-queue or a new sub-queue can be created if it does not exist. Videomail from a caller for playback to an agent is also received, and the agent may call the caller during or after playback of the videomail. The agent is presented with a system video message containing information and statistics on a completed call. |
| US08253769B2 |
Semiconductor laser drive apparatus, optical write apparatus, imaging apparatus, and semiconductor laser drive method
An optical write apparatus. The apparatus has a semiconductor laser drive apparatus that modulates a semiconductor laser according to a modulation signal and induces the semiconductor laser to emit light. The drive apparatus has a control unit that is adapted to supply a fixed bias current during a light emission off time, and start supplying a predetermined current that is less than a light emission threshold current right before a light emission time. The apparatus has a write unit that is adapted to realize optical writing on an image sustaining element by scanning a laser beam that is emitted from the semiconductor laser driven by the semiconductor laser drive apparatus using a polygon mirror. |
| US08253768B2 |
Optical scanner and image forming apparatus
A disclosed optical scanner includes a light source unit and a control unit configured to control the light source unit. Light emitted from the light source unit is scanned to expose a scan object surface and form an image on the scan object surface. The light source unit includes plural light sources arranged at a density equal to N (N being an integer of two or more) times higher than a density of pixels on the scan object surface. The control unit controls the light source unit such that one pixel is formed by at least two of the light sources. |