| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08275834B2 |
Multi-modal, geo-tempo communications systems
Disclosed is a flexible, multi-modal system useful in communications among users, capable of synchronizing real world and augmented reality, wherein the system is deployed in centralized and distributed computational platforms. The system comprises a plurality of input devices designed and configured to generate signals representing speech, gestures, pointing direction, and location of a user, and transmit the same to a multi-modal interface. Some of the signals generated represent a message from the user intended for dissemination to other users. A plurality of agents and one or more databases (defined by matrices which include input commands or information from the input devices, and meanings for some input commands or combinations thereof) are integrated into the system, where at least some of the agents are designed and configured to receive signals from the multi-modal interface, translate the signals into data, compare the same to a database, generate signals representing meanings as defined by the database, and transmit the signals to the multi-modal interface. In some embodiments, at least one agent resides on a computational device located on a user, and at least one other agent resides on a computation device remote from the user. Finally, a plurality of output devices are associated with the system and designed and configured to receive and process signals from the multi-modal interface, some of said signals representing messages to the user to be communicated by means of an output device in visual, auditory, or tactile modes. |
| US08275829B2 |
Systems and methods of prefetching objects for caching using QoS
The present solution provides a variety of techniques for accelerating and optimizing network traffic, such as HTTP based network traffic. The solution described herein provides techniques in the areas of proxy caching, protocol acceleration, domain name resolution acceleration as well as compression improvements. In some cases, the present solution provides various prefetching and/or prefreshening techniques to improve intermediary or proxy caching, such as HTTP proxy caching. In other cases, the present solution provides techniques for accelerating a protocol by improving the efficiency of obtaining and servicing data from an originating server to server to clients. In another cases, the present solution accelerates domain name resolution more quickly. As every HTTP access starts with a URL that includes a hostname that must be resolved via domain name resolution into an IP address, the present solution helps accelerate HTTP access. In some cases, the present solution improves compression techniques by prefetching non-cacheable and cacheable content to use for compressing network traffic, such as HTTP. The acceleration and optimization techniques described herein may be deployed on the client as a client agent or as part of a browser, as well as on any type and form of intermediary device, such as an appliance, proxying device or any type of interception caching and/or proxying device. |
| US08275823B2 |
Analog filter with passive components for discrete time signals
A filter intended to receive a discrete time signal at a sampling clock frequency, comprising a determined number, greater than 2, of filtering units, each filtering unit comprising head capacitors in a number equal to the determined number, assembled in parallel between an input terminal and the terminal of an integration capacitor, and means for connecting, in successive clock cycles in a number equal to the determined number, successively each head capacitor to the input terminal, and for then simultaneously connecting the head capacitors to the integration capacitor, and in which the successive clock cycles during which the head capacitors of a filtering unit are connected to the input terminal are offset by one clock cycle from one filtering unit to the next one. |
| US08275819B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing calculations using reduced-width data
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for performing calculations using reduced-width data are disclosed. In particular, an example method determines reduced-width data values associated with generating and evaluating functions. Some of the reduced-width data values are stored within instructions in an instruction memory during a compile phase and retrieved from instruction memory during a runtime phase. |
| US08275817B2 |
Broadband low noise complex frequency multipliers
A frequency multiplier device including a plurality of multipliers, each of which has a first input port, a second input port and an output port; a first combiner coupled to the plurality of multipliers so as to receive an output signal from at least two of the plurality of multipliers, the first combiner outputting a first output signal; and a second combiner coupled to the plurality of multipliers so as to receive an output signal from at least two of the plurality of multipliers, the second combiner outputting a second output signal. The plurality of multipliers includes a first multiplier, a second multiplier, a third multiplier and a fourth multiplier, where the first multiplier has a first input port and a second input port and receives a first input signal at the first input port and the second input port; the second multiplier has a first input port and a second input port and receives a second input signal at the first input port and the second input port; the third multiplier has a first input port and a second input port and receives the second input signal at the first input port and the first input signal at the second input port; and the fourth multiplier has a first input port and a second input port and receives the first input signal at the first input port and the second input signal at the second input port. |
| US08275811B2 |
Communicating solution information in a knowledge management system
A contact center system features: testing comprehension of informational messages with a quiz; capturing insight of users having a KPI score above a threshold by having them describe why they perform so well; dynamically ordering issue solutions by re-ranking the solutions periodically based on recency and frequency; integrating information used by a contact center representative while online with a customer and information for use when not online; storing content in a telecommunications industry taxonomy; directing feedback on a content item to the proper owner/manager of that content; communicating solution information using a solutions taxonomy; displaying a dual information system having a CRM application and reference material that is context-appropriate; enforcing completion of templates when creating a content item to be published; ensuring a group of templates are complete before publishing them; and searching within a contact center system portal using a continuum of search functions. |
| US08275807B2 |
Device and process for remote management of a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems
Management device for a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems or jukeboxes, including a database with a plurality of sets of arrays, each array containing grouped information either about the composition of a jukebox, or the use of the jukebox, or the payment of fees. The database is managed by a computer server connected with the audiovisual information reproduction systems to receive messages sent by each audiovisual information reproduction device and containing information necessary to update determined sets of arrays in the database, and update data or the program for each audiovisual information reproduction device with information stored in at least one set of arrays in the database and transmitted in this message. |
| US08275805B2 |
Method of decreasing a total computation time for a visual simulation loop in a virtual world application
A method of decreasing a total computation time for a visual simulation loop includes sharing a common data structure across each phase of the visual simulation loop by adapting the common data structure to a requirement for each particular phase prior to performing a computation for that particular phase. |
| US08275800B1 |
Splitting polygons with interior rings
A spatial feature is considered for storage in a database system running on a computer. The spatial feature includes a polygon, P. The polygon includes an outer ring, OR, and the area within the outer ring. The polygon includes an interior ring contained within the polygon. The computer removes the interior ring from the polygon. The computer determines a line along which to split the polygon without regard for the location of the inner ring within the polygon. The computer splits the polygon into two polygons, SP1 and SP2, along the line. The computer applies the interior ring to the two split polygons by invoking a point set difference between the interior ring and the two split polygons. The computer stores the split polygons in the database system on the computer. |
| US08275795B2 |
Model extension framework
Techniques for implicitly extending an object model, even those that do not provide an extension mechanism, in a manner that is transparent, independent, and non-disruptive to the model itself. An “extension” is preferably created for each object to be extended, and comprises a reference to the object and contains an “extension object” that specifies the particular extensions. |
| US08275794B2 |
Lightweight self-contained self-expanding product data package
One or more embodiments of the invention provide a data structure, method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for representing data in a self-expanding data package. The package comprises one or more basic table data having zero, one or more table rows, a set of one or more constant lists having one or more values, and one or more row validation calculations. Use of the set of constant lists and row validation calculations provides a mechanism for compact data storage, wherein the self-expanding data package may be expanded. To expand the package, each list member of a constant list is combined with all other basic table rows and additional list members to produce every possible combination of table rows. Row validation calculations are applied to test validity of each tow, and only those expanded table tows that are valid appear in the expanded table. |
| US08275778B2 |
Method and system for adaptive prefetching
A cache server (18) may prefetch one or more web pages (30) from an origin server (16) prior to those web pages being requested by a user (13). The cache server determines which web pages to prefetch based on a graph (42) associated with a prefetch module (40) associated with the cache server. The graph represents all or a portion of the web pages at the origin server using one or more nodes (130) and one or more links (100) connecting the nodes. Each link has an associated transaction weight (102) and user weight (104). The transaction weight represents the importance of the link and associated web page to the origin server and may be used to control the prefetching of web pages by the cache server. The user weight may be used to change a priority (46) associated with a request (22) for a web page. The user weight and transaction weight may change based on criteria (50) associated with the origin server. |
| US08275776B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing electronic reading by identifying relationships between sections of electronic text
An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention detects the presence of references to the same concept in separate sections of text, and, with no input required from the reader, presents the reader with information concerning the detected references to the concept. The information provided may comprise information related to the location of the reference to the concept in other sections of text, and the reader also is provided the ability to move from one reference to a concept directly to another reference to the same concept. |
| US08275767B2 |
Kiosk-based automatic update of online social networking sites
Systems and methods identify a current location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device including kiosk, beacon, or location-aware camera when the user interacts with the electronic device. The systems and methods automatically create a user status data file based on the known location. The user status data file contains data identifying that the user is currently at the known location and other data captured about the event or venue at that location. The systems and methods automatically upload the user status data file to a personal storage account which can then be used to post to a social networking web site associated with the user as an activity post associated with the user. |
| US08275766B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting network resource interaction and improved search result reporting
Systems and methods are described for intercepting user interactions without network-provided content. The intercepted information can be used for prioritizing search results by statistical and other analyses of user interactions with a network resource and/or network content. A server connected to a network can receive captured information from an agent that is installed in a device connected to the network. The captured information can be related to an interaction of a user with a network resource. An aggregator may be provided to aggregate the captured information with other captured information related to a plurality of network resources and maintains a repository of aggregated captured information. A prioritizer can determine the relevance of network content based on characteristics of the aggregated captured information. The prioritizer determines relevance for a plurality of search results based on frequency of prior user interactions with the content of the search results. |
| US08275765B2 |
Method and system for automatic objects classification
The present invention provides a method and system for automatic objects classification. The method comprises: acquiring a set of objects; classifying the objects based on query log to generate a first classification result; classifying the objects based on ontological information to generate a second classification result; and semantically fusing the first and second classification results to generate a final classification result. According to the present invention, compared with the prior arts, by semantically fusing the query log-based classification result and the ontology-based classification result, the accuracy and user-friendness of the object classification can be improved. |
| US08275760B2 |
Dynamic headline switcher
A system for dynamic headline switching. The system includes a database, a display module, an interface module, and a search engine. The database contains entry data for accessing content such as stories, pictures, or videos. The display engine generates a display including a current headline. The interface module indexes through each headline, for example, at a predetermined time interval, to provide new and updated information to the user. The search engine queries the database and generates a list of entries allowing the user to access content related to the current headline. |
| US08275758B2 |
Search system of communications device
A communications system is provided which can search for information about a communications device that is not registered in a network by designating time. The search system, which includes a plurality of communications devices, gateways and an entity management server, can execute a search method. The entity management server stores in a storage device the identification information of the communications device sent from the gateways with establishing correspondence with notification time. The entity management server receives from a mobile terminal the identification information of the communications device and designated time. The entity management server searches for the identification information stored in the storage device at the designated time, and identifies the location information of the gateways corresponding to the identification information included in the search request. |
| US08275749B2 |
Enterprise server version migration through identity preservation
Systems and methods are described for service availability that provides automated recovery of server service in a timely and application intelligent manner, maintaining application consistency and integrity, while preserving server identity. The systems and methods, referred to herein as a Service Preservation System (SPS), manage complete recovery of server data and preserve continuity of server service, reestablishing user access to server(s) after an event or disaster in which in which primary or other server(s) fail. The failures, disasters, and losses referred to herein can be at many levels and include, but are not limited to, accidental deletion of an item, loss of an entire mailbox, loss of an entire disk drive, loss of an entire server, and/or loss of an entire server site. |
| US08275743B1 |
Method and apparatus for securing data volumes to a remote computer using journal volumes
A method and apparatus for securing data volumes to a remote computer using journal volumes is provided. In one embodiment, a method for securing data volumes in memory to a remote computer using at least one processor includes accessing at least one data volume and at least one journal volume, replicating the at least one journal volume after each operation of a plurality of file system operations associated with the at least one data volume and creating at least one data volume copy at a remote computer using the at least one replicated journal volume. |
| US08275739B2 |
User interface display for monitoring a database load engine
The invention described herein provides a load engine and method for efficiently accomplishing mass conversions of customer data into an existing customer database. In particular, the method incorporates existing business rules for validating new customer data and for creating tables for the new customer data, creates load files for the new customer data, and provides a means for running multi-threaded data loads of the new customer data tables onto an existing customer database. The disclosure further provides a method for gathering data regarding the status of a data load or conversion and creating a user interface for tracking the progress of a specific data load. |
| US08275738B2 |
Radio frequency microscope for amplifying and analyzing electromagnetic signals by positioning the monitored system at a locus of an ellipsoidal surface
One embodiment provides a technique for analyzing a target electromagnetic signal radiating from a monitored system. During the technique, the monitored system is positioned at a first locus of an ellipsoidal surface to amplify the target electromagnetic signal received at a second locus of the ellipsoidal surface. Next, the amplified target electromagnetic signal is monitored using an antenna positioned at the second locus of the ellipsoidal surface. Finally, the integrity of the monitored system is assessed by analyzing the amplified target electromagnetic signal monitored by the antenna. |
| US08275735B2 |
Diagnostic system
The present invention provides a diagnostic system that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule to data measured on the diagnostic object wherein an object of the present invention is to allow the diagnostic rule to be updated based on a variety of diagnostic case data. Each of multiple diagnostic devices 101 makes a diagnosis by applying a diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on a diagnostic object 104 and sends diagnostic case data, which includes diagnostic object data and its diagnostic result, to a diagnostic rule generation device 102 via a network 103. The diagnostic rule generation device 102 generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from the multiple diagnostic devices 101 and sends the generated diagnostic rule to the diagnostic devices 101 via the network 103. The diagnostic devices 101 update a diagnostic rule in their devices with the diagnostic rule received from the diagnostic rule generation device 102. |
| US08275734B1 |
Systems and methods for returned mail
A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for providing automated processing of returned mailpieces. Recipient data and mailpiece data are processed to generate a mailpiece operation rule, all of which are then encoded to generate a unique identifier. The unique identifier is then indexed to its corresponding recipient data, mailpiece data, and mailpiece operation rule and thereafter associated with a corresponding mailpiece, which is then sent to an intended recipient. If the sent mailpiece is undeliverable to its intended recipient, it is returned and its unique identifier is scanned and then decoded to extract its corresponding recipient data, mailpiece data, and mailpiece operation rule. The extracted mailpiece operation rule is then processed to initiate a corresponding returned mailpiece operation. |
| US08275733B2 |
Creating an album
A system for creating an album is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an image input configured to receive related images, an image memory coupled to image input, an image processor coupled to image memory, and an album output coupled to image processor. The image processor is configured to use game play with users to assign metadata labels to the related images and assign album layout rules based upon the story schema and metadata labels. |
| US08275732B2 |
High definition multimedia interface transcoding system
According to one embodiment, a system including a decoder and a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) whose copy protection protocol has been modified to allow the received uncompressed digital audio-video content from the decoder to be re-encoded and recorded. |
| US08275731B2 |
Anonymous types for statically typed queries
Anonymous types for a programming language. Non-denotable anonymous types are types that a compiler generates on behalf of a programmer and can then be used as nominal types. Insofar as anonymous types do not have a name, they can be used only inside a method in which they are created. Additionally, an anonymous type cannot be exposed in any way outside of the method. Syntax to create an anonymous type is useful when employed with a Select operator to generate a result with a particular shape, without the need of having a regular type for it. Anonymous types are expressible such that an expression of that type can be written. Translation of an anonymous type by a compiler generates a nominal class that implements Equals and GetHashCode methods. There is equivalence of anonymous types within the same method, and conversion of an unrealized structural type into structurally compatible nominal type. |
| US08275722B2 |
System and method for determining semantically related terms using an active learning framework
Systems and methods for determining semantically related terms using an active learning framework such as Transductive Experimental Design are disclosed. Generally, to enhance a keyword suggestion tool, an active learning module trains a model to predict whether a term is relevant to a user. The model is then used to present the user with terms that have been determined to be relevant based on the model so that an online advertisement service provider may more efficiently provide a user with terms that are semantically related to a seed set. |
| US08275717B2 |
Source- and venue-specific inventory data processing and identification system
A system processes product data including values for a product data record corresponding to a product style. A network interface receives a product data record over a network from a source. A memory has stored thereon computer readable instruction code, including, a rule set having rules associated with the product data record, and a processing manager to apply the rules to the product data record and determine availability of values to a venue. The processing manager includes a style identification manager to determine from among the available values a product style associated with the available values, and to make the product style available to the venue based on the rules. |
| US08275716B2 |
Method and system for subscription digital rights management
A system and method for managing use of items having usage rights associated therewith. The system includes an activation device adapted to issue a software package having a public and private key pair, the public key being associated with a user, a license device adapted to issue a license, a usage device adapted to receive the software package, receive the license and allow the user to access the item in accordance with the license, and a subscription managing device adapted to maintain a subscription list including the public key associated with the user. License's is issued by the license device upon verifying presence of the public key in the subscription list corresponding to requested content. |
| US08275712B2 |
Prepaid transaction card activation system and method
Reloadable or non-reloadable prepaid transaction card activation systems are disclosed. More specifically, the system provides a platform for activation of prepaid or stored value transaction cards and capture of customer demographic information, and verification of that information, after the customer has obtained or has been issued a prepaid transaction card. The data capture is performed at activation rather than at point of sale. |
| US08275711B2 |
Enforcement of network service level agreements
A service level agreement may be imposed by a service provider, such as an Internet service provider, that may include, e.g., a volume limitation and a bandwidth limitation. One or more limitations of the service level agreement may be enforced or modified in response to a triggering event. For example, a bandwidth limitation on a network subscriber may be enforced or modified based on how much data is consumed by the subscriber. |
| US08275709B2 |
Digital rights management of content when content is a future live event
A system for managing use of digital content within a trusted community. An access list defines the trusted community. License requests for use of content made from outside the trusted community are handled in accordance with a license request policy process. |
| US08275704B2 |
Systems and methods for authorizing an allocation of an amount between transaction accounts
A financial account issuer facilitating transactions between accounts is disclosed. The invention provides sellers with an irrevocable method of receiving funds from a purchaser and for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party. The invention also enables the allocation of a portion or all of a charge or loyalty points to different transaction accounts issued by different issuers, or to sub-accounts. |
| US08275701B2 |
Method and system for mortgage exchange
A method and system for electronically facilitating real estate transactions by providing accurate representations of the loans a borrower is qualified to receive, which are based on actual data, rather than estimates. All actions required for completing the real estate transaction, from entry of the borrower information to the closing and funding of the loan, are seamlessly integrated. An automated underwriting engine is provided for generating a decision matrix based on user input and/or existing data. An appropriate loan is selected based on the decision matrix, and is communicated to a potential borrower. After a loan is selected, fulfillment processing is performed, and the loan is funded and closed. |
| US08275695B2 |
Enhanced parimutuel wagering
Methods and systems for engaging in enhanced parimutuel wagering and gaming. In one embodiment, different types of bets can be offered and processed in the same betting pool on an underlying event, such as a horse or dog race, a sporting event or a lottery, and the premiums and payouts of these different types of bets can be determined in the same betting pool, by configuring an equivalent combination of fundamental bets for each type of bet, and performing a demand-based valuation of each of the fundamental bets in the equivalent combination. In another embodiment, bettors can place bets in the betting pool with limit odds on the selected outcome of the underlying event. The bets with limit odds are not filled in whole or in part, unless the final odds on the selected outcome of the underlying event are equal to or greater than the limit odds. |
| US08275692B2 |
System and method for automatic trading of foreign exchange currencies
A method for automatic trading of foreign exchange currencies including the steps of: receiving first signals at an order receiver based on one or more orders for foreign exchange currency trades; sending second signals from an order configuration tool that provides for selection of a preferred execution method for each of the foreign exchange trades using an algorithm; and executing each of the foreign exchange trades based on received third signals relating to a respective determined preferred execution method. |
| US08275691B2 |
Issuing machine and issuing system
An issuing system for issuing unmodifiable and/or unforgeable hardcopy documents or securities includes a server and a plurality of issuing machines connected to the server via a network. Each of the issuing machines receives an ID recording medium provided by a potential purchaser, retrieves an identification recoded in the received ID recording medium, requests the potential purchaser to input request for a transaction of the security or fixed rate financing instrument, processes the requested transaction by retrieving information via a network from the server, and prints out on demand a hardcopy of the security or fixed rate financing instrument as purchased by the potential purchaser and a checksum thereon. A method for forming a new market with the issuing system. |
| US08275685B2 |
Determining a payment strategy
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for determining, recommending, and/or executing a payment strategy. For example, in some embodiments, a method is provided for determining a payment strategy for using at least some funds from a first account to make two or more payments on a second account during a single pay period. In such embodiments, the method includes: (1) determining that the second account includes a payment due date and a minimum payment due; (2) determining a number of payments to make on the second account; (3) determining a payment amount for each payment, such that the total payment amount for all of the payments is sufficient to at least offset the minimum payment due; and (4) determining a triggering event for each payment, such that each of the payments is made on or before the payment due date. |
| US08275684B2 |
Program for alternative funding of employee and retiree benefits
An investment program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the investment program that includes an employer owned trust account and at least one life, disability, health or annuity contract (including a terminal annuity) obtained directly or indirectly from a partially or wholly owned or non-owned captive insurance company. The insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the partially or wholly owned or non-owned captive insurance company is a least partially, wholly or non-owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer. |
| US08275680B2 |
Enabling transactional mechanisms in an automated controller system
The claimed subject matter provides a controller that facilitates implementing a transaction between a controller and a business system within an industrial automation environment. An interface component can facilitate receipt of data associated with a business system at the programmable logic controller. The controller can incorporate a transaction component that executes a transaction related to the business system. |
| US08275678B2 |
Devices for wirelessly routing a vehicle
The present invention automates the process of receiving transportation documentation and producing advance loading manifests therefrom to optimize load planning and dynamic product shipment and delivery control. Methods provide for receipt of the transportation documentation, initial preparation, and transmission of the documentation from on board a vehicle or while the vehicle is in transit. |
| US08275672B1 |
Coordinating multiple devices in a product purchasing system
In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A server system receives a request to purchase a product from a first computing device. The first computing device is one of multiple computing devices assigned to a user account. The server system requests to charge an account associated with a user of the first computing device for a price. The server system receives an indication that the account has been charged. The server system sends for receipt by each of the computing devices a notification that a purchasing event has occurred. The server system receives, as sent by each of at least a subset of the multiple computing devices, a request for details. The server system sends, for receipt by each of the at least subset of the multiple computing devices, an indication that the product has been purchased. |
| US08275671B2 |
Validating E-commerce transactions
Methods of the present invention allow for validating eCommerce transactions. An exemplary method for validating an eCommerce transaction may comprise the steps of validating a Hosting Provider, validating a Merchant using the Hosting Provider to host an eCommerce website, and validating a Customer who may purchase goods or services from the Merchant via the eCommerce website. If the Hosting Provider, Merchant, and Customer are validated, an eCommerce transaction may be approved. |
| US08275669B2 |
Auction method and apparatus
An automatic system for determining outcomes to an auction process represents the auction by a directed graph and uses a K best solutions algorithm to determine the K best solutions. The system uses a particular graphical representation. Constraints may be included directly into the graph. |
| US08275666B2 |
User supplied and refined tags
Managing online content via user supplied and/or refined tagging is disclosed. In some embodiments, a selection of an item available from an online store is received, and one or more tags to be associated with the item are received from a member of an online community comprising users of the online store. In some embodiments, an indication of a degree of usefulness of a tag is received from a member of an online community, and an attribute of the tag is updated to reflect the indication. |
| US08275662B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating geo-targeted message with search results
Method and apparatus for generating a geo-targeted message with search results are disclosed. The method and apparatus allow client entities to present target messages to computer user recipients by providing geo-targeted messaging that provides search results to computer users along with a geo-targeted message. Client entities lease words based on specified geo-target criteria on specified platforms. Users initialize the apparatus and can perform word searches utilizing the method and apparatus where the word may be a client's leased word that is associated to the user's geographic profile. Thus, the user is provided a geo-targeted message along with search results and the client is able to effectively communicate a message to targeted recipients. |
| US08275659B2 |
Method and system for collecting and communicating dynamically incorporated advertising information
Methods and systems for dynamically incorporating advertising content into multimedia environments, such as games, are provided. Example embodiments include a dynamic inserter, which selects content, based upon a set of criteria, to deliver to a receiving client system, such as a game client. The receiving client system typically dynamically determines locations within the game where advertisements are desirably inserted. Associated with these locations are ad tags that specify criteria for the ads including, for example ad type, ad genre, and scheduling information, which are sent by the client system to the dynamic inserter to select appropriate ads. The dynamic inserter selects ads based upon the criteria and sends them to the client system, which selects them for ad tags with conforming criteria. The client system then renders the selected ad in the appropriate location. |
| US08275656B2 |
Maximum likelihood estimation under a covariance constraint for predictive modeling
Embodiments employ a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) under a covariance matrix floor constraint to predict missing data from observed data. An MLE solution is obtained for approximately Gaussian distributions under the constraint that the covariance matrix is greater than or equal to a positive-definite matrix. In one embodiment, an offline model estimation is performed using an expectation-maximization (EM) approach to estimate various statistical parameters based on observed data. Then, in an online approach, parameters for various missing CTR data may be predicted based on the offline estimated statistical parameters. A non-limiting, non-exhaustive example using the constrained MLE approach is described for predicting missing click-through rate data useable in selecting an advertisement to display with a search query result. |
| US08275654B2 |
Computer implemented method for scoring change proposals
A method for scoring changes of components of a concept by a group of evaluators in a collective decision process is presented. First, the level of disagreement with the components is collected together with comments indicating desired changes. The expected incremental decrease of the overall disagreement level achievable by a component change is computed for a given probability that a formulation can be found that is acceptable by both agreeing and disagreeing evaluators. Performing this computation for different values of the compromise probability yields a score indicating the expected incremental decrease in overall disagreement achievable by a component change. Additionally, the minimum compromise probability where an improvement is possible and the expected relative improvements are provided. Next, alternative formulations for the selected components are drafted and subjected to a second round of voting. For each component the alternative yielding the maximum incremental improvement of overall consent is selected, where the sequence in which the components are scrutinized is determined by the score computed in the first step. In this way, an optimal new version of the concept is produced. |
| US08275653B2 |
Industrial status viewer system and method
A method of providing industrial status views reflecting a schedule for industrial project plan generated by a project schedule planning and management application includes uploading the industrial project plan schedule, uploading CAD drawing files comprising a physical layout of resources, structural elements and equipment units included in the project plan schedule, extracting project data from the uploaded project schedule and CAD drawing files and generating Plan progress views that reflect expected completion percentages of intended project tasks and operations over a fixed industrial project timeline, according to the plan schedule, as well as Comparison progress views depicting a difference between the expected and actual project progress. |
| US08275652B2 |
Method for establishing a person as a user in a system
Dependents of benefit plan participants can be given access to personal information of a plan participant. The dependents, who are not existing users or members of the plan, can be allowed access to some or all of the personal information associated with the plan participant. |
| US08275651B2 |
System for managing member self-checking of set goal achievement in an organization
A behavior improvement system for ascertaining behavior reform by helping a person take notice of his/her behavior in regard to behavior modification from various sides. The behavior improvement system is executed using terminals connected to a LAN. The behavior improvement system is characterized by setting a goal for a behavior improvement, setting an action plan realizing the goal, a member periodically carrying out a self-check of the action plan to take notice of growth of a behavior within him/herself or comparing a diagnosis interview result replied by the member and a diagnostician using the same diagnosis interview sheet to take notice of a difference of evaluations between him/herself and another person, the member taking notice of his/her behavior improvement with each other member using a bulletin board function, and enabling the member to obtain an idea to be done by him/herself using advice from an advisor who is an expert. |
| US08275650B1 |
Capacity planning for user wait time
Systems and methods are disclosed for determining when installation of additional self-service financial transaction devices (SSFTDs) may be desired at a site to improve end-to-end user experience. The system may collect and store transaction-level data, session-level data, user wait time data, and/or other data, and use an enhanced SSFTD user wait time model to identify recommendations and other statistical outputs. The SSFTD may include hardware and software to assist in measuring and collecting various useful readings. |
| US08275648B2 |
System and method for managing a survey for a community development asset
A system and method to manage a survey for a community development asset. The system includes a response repository, a sampler, a respondent profile filter, and an inference generator. The response repository stores a plurality of survey responses from survey respondents about a community development asset. The sampler selects a sample response of the plurality of survey responses. The sample response corresponds to an identified respondent. The respondent profile filter identifies a community with which the identified respondent is associated. The inference generator infers a similar response from the community associated with the identified respondent based on the sample response of the identified respondent. |
| US08275646B2 |
Intellectual property assessments based on component business models
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for IP assessment based on a component business model (CBM). The method assesses components in the CBM via a component assessment module, which interrogates an entity (e.g., a user, a third party consultant, and an information database) with questions. Output (including answers to the questions) from the component assessment module is sent to a component detection module. Scores (e.g., numerical scores and/or low, medium, or high scores) are assigned to the components via the component detection module based on the output from the component assessment module. The output from the component assessment module and/or the scores are analyzed to determine whether a gap, a duplication, a conflict, and/or an over-investment exists in at least one of the components. |
| US08275643B2 |
Defining service ownership for a service oriented architecture
Defining service ownership for an SOA including defining, in response to an event requiring a change in service ownership and in dependence upon data describing business functions within a business, a service domain; reviewing, by a service domain ownership review board, the defined service domain for approval; upon approval of the defined service domain, identifying potential impact upon currently existing service domains caused by implementation of the defined service domain; identifying a potential owner of the defined service domain in dependence upon a service type of the defined service domain and funding requirements of the service domain; presenting, to relevant stakeholders in the business, the potential owner of the defined service domain for approval; and upon approval of the potential owner of the defined service domain, assigning the potential owner of the defined service domain responsibility for managing the defined service domain. |
| US08275638B1 |
Apparatus and method for creating a retirement medical program through a profit sharing plan and a pension plan retiree health account
An apparatus and method of using the apparatuse. The method includes: controlling a computer system comprising a digital computer processor to process input data into output data, the processor in communication with an input device, to receive the input data, and to an output device, to output the output data, the processor programmed so as to facilitate managing a dual purpose profit sharing plan cooperating with a pension plan such that money in an incidental account of the dual purpose profit sharing plan funds a retiree health account of an employee of an employer, and money in another account of the dual purpose profit sharing plan funds pension plan retirement income benefits of the employee. |
| US08275636B2 |
Identity insurance transaction method
The instant invention relates to a system and method for ensuring and verifying the identity of all parties involved in an online marketplace transaction involving buyers, sellers, and third parties, such as a marketplace. Anonymous transactions are supported by the present invention. Verification is provided and insurance may be purchased in accordance with the instant invention guaranteeing that the parties are who they represent themselves to be and are capable of entering into the transaction, thereby facilitating completion of the online transaction. Both the verification provided and insurance purchased take into account numerous factors including, but not limited to, the credit score of a user trading counterpart, the amount and type of a user's or trading counterpart's past trading activity, the monetary amount, size, and type of transaction for which verification and/or insurance is sought, and the nature of the goods and/or services involved in the transaction for which verification and/or insurance is sought. |
| US08275634B2 |
Method and system for aligning a plurality of prescription refills to multiple alignment dates
The method, system and user-interface allows alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions to a plurality of alignment dates, such that a plurality of selected prescriptions require refills on each of the plurality of alignment dates, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the recommended medication regimen. |
| US08275631B2 |
Executing clinical practice guidelines
A clinical practice guideline can be implemented using a guideline execution engine. The engine can interpret the clinical practice guideline, obtain medical data stored in a clinical information system (CIS), and implement an action in response to execution of the clinical practice guideline based on medical data for a patient obtained from the CIS. The use of the CIS medical data in guideline execution beneficially allows the guideline to be tightly integrated into the real-time workflow of a clinician in a clinical setting and to provide patient-specific guideline recommendations. A VMR/actions interface facilitates communications between a guideline execution system and a CIS by processing a request for medical data from the guideline execution engine and implementing actions on the CIS requested by the guideline execution engine. |
| US08275630B2 |
Performance reporting for products and services using web-based portals
A method includes obtaining performance information from sources, where the performance information relates to products and/or services, enabling the performance information to be reviewed to thereby produce vetted and categorized performance information, receiving the vetted and categorized performance information, where the vetted and categorized performance information includes the performance information that has been vetted for reliability and that has been categorized according to reliability, and using the vetted and categorized performance information to generate reports, where the reports indicate a performance impact of the products and/or services. |
| US08275629B2 |
Template development based on reported aspects of a plurality of source users
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: providing a plurality of relevant reported aspects associated with a plurality of source users that are relevant to achieving one or more target outcomes, the providing of the plurality of relevant reported aspects being based, at least in part, on relevancy of the plurality of relevant reported aspects with respect to the one or more target outcomes; and developing a template designed to facilitate one or more end users to achieve the one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects included in the template are emulated, the development of the template being based, at least in part, on the providing of the plurality of relevant reported aspects associated with the plurality of 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. |
| US08275628B2 |
Personalized plan development based on one or more reported aspects' association with one or more source users
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: providing one or more relevant reported aspects associated with one or more source users that are relevant to achieving one or more target outcomes, the providing of the one or more relevant reported aspects being based, at least in part, on the one or more relevant reported aspects' association with the one or more source users; and developing one or more personalized plans designed to facilitate an end user to achieve the one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects indicated by the one or more personalized plans are emulated, the development of the one or more personalized plans being based, at least in part, on the providing In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US08275627B2 |
Wave planter method and device
A method of seed planting in a “serpentine” pattern called the wave planter is demonstrated. It consists of a manner of placing the seeds that essentially results in equally spaced rows of seeds placed in a serpentine-like layout or wave instead of a straight row. The preferred method creates a wave pattern equidistant from the next, yet creates a substantial increase over the density of straight row planting devices and drills (eg parallel, essentially straight rows). The use of the wave pattern provide concrete and substantial benefits to the business and economics of farming through labor, energy, and maintenance savings over current planting methods which results in a new farming business method. The method may be accomplished by several devices. Some of the devices include an oscillating draw Bar planter; oscillating tongue planter; elliptical row opener; steerable undercarriage for the planter and castor row openers under undercarriage. |
| US08275616B2 |
System for detecting speech interval and recognizing continuous speech in a noisy environment through real-time recognition of call commands
The present invention relates to a continuous speech recognition system that is very robust in a noisy environment. In order to recognize continuous speech smoothly in a noisy environment, the system selects call commands, configures a minimum recognition network in token, which consists of the call commands and mute intervals including noises, recognizes the inputted speech continuously in real time, analyzes the reliability of speech recognition continuously and recognizes the continuous speech from a speaker. When a speaker delivers a call command, the system for detecting the speech interval and recognizing continuous speech in a noisy environment through the real-time recognition of call commands measures the reliability of the speech after recognizing the call command, and recognizes the speech from the speaker by transferring the speech interval following the call command to a continuous speech-recognition engine at the moment when the system recognizes the call command. |
| US08275614B2 |
Support device, program and support method
A support device, program and support method for supporting generation of text from speech data. The support device includes a confirmed rate calculator, a candidate obtaining unit and a selector. The confirmed rate calculator calculates a confirmed utterance rate which is an utterance rate of a confirmed part having already-confirmed text in the speech data. The candidate obtaining unit obtains multiple candidate character strings resulting from a speech recognition of an unconfirmed part having unconfirmed text in the speech data. The selector preferentially selects, from among the plurality of candidate character strings, a candidate character string whose utterance time consumed in uttering the candidate character string at the confirmed utterance rate is closest to an utterance time of the unconfirmed part of the speech data. |
| US08275613B2 |
All voice transaction data capture—dictation system
A method of dictation in which authors may assign their own words or phrases (UnifiedWords) to introduce various subjects/document elements for a dictated document to be terminated with an ending word such as “end-it”. After transcription the UnifiedWords, with associated dictated text, are submitted and automatically recognized as introducing data that may then be processed by the invention backend database program. Each UnifiedWord allows technical subject identifiers and the author's assigned familiar words for their dictation captions. All dictation applications are associated with the author. Dictation applications can be created for one document, a plurality of documents including integration with respective file access methods to update specific information such as electronic medical records, legal case files, law enforcement investigative reports, and other resource databases. The invention does not transcribe the voice files however; all methods of transcription are supported. |
| US08275612B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting noise
A method of and apparatus for detecting noise are provided. The method of detecting noise includes: receiving an input of a voice frame and converting the voice frame into a filter bank vector; converting the converted filter bank vector into band data; calculating a weight Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for each band by using the converted band data; and detecting noise in the voice frame based on the calculation result. |
| US08275611B2 |
Adaptive noise suppression for digital speech signals
An apparatus for adaptively suppressing noise in an input signal frequency spectrum derived from overlapping input frames is provided. The system includes a psychoacoustic power computation module configured to compute a noisy signal power in psychoacoustic bands, a voice activity scoring module configured to compute a probabilistic score for a presence of a speech, and a noise estimation module configured to estimate a noise power in the psychoacoustic bands based on information of past frames, the probabilistic score, and the computed noisy signal power. The system also includes a gain computation module configured to compute a gain for each frequency, based on a probabilistic heuristic, the probabilistic score and the information on the past frames, and a gain post-processing module configured to perform a gain time smoothing, a gain frequency smoothing, and a gain regulation for the computed gain. |
| US08275608B2 |
Clique based clustering for named entity recognition system
A soft clustering method comprises (i) grouping items into non-exclusive cliques based on features associated with the items, and (ii) clustering the non-exclusive cliques using a hard clustering algorithm to generate item groups on the basis of mutual similarity of the features of the items constituting the cliques. In some named entity recognition embodiments illustrated herein as examples, named entities together with contexts are grouped into cliques based on mutual context similarity. Each clique includes a plurality of different named entities having mutual context similarity. The cliques are clustered to generate named entity groups on the basis of mutual similarity of the contexts of the named entities constituting the cliques. |
| US08275606B2 |
System and method for localizing assets using flexible metadata
A system and method for managing localization workflow for video game development is disclosed. The method includes determining that a string is to be translated. The method further includes associating a translator with the string. The method further includes providing video metadata to the translator, wherein the video metadata includes at least video information from game play of the video game being developed such that the translator is provided with context for the translation. |
| US08275605B2 |
Machine language translation with transfer mappings having varying context
A computer-implemented machine translation system translates text from a first language to a second language. The system includes a plurality of mappings, each mapping indicative of associating a dependency structure of the first language with a dependency structure of the second language, wherein at least some of the mappings correspond to dependency structures of the first language having varying context with some common elements, and associated dependency structures of the second language to the dependency structures of the first language. A module receives input text in a first language and outputs output text in a second language based on accessing the plurality of mappings. |
| US08275602B2 |
Interactive conversational speech communicator method and system
The compact and portable interactive system allows person-to-person communication in a typed language format between individuals experiencing language barriers such as the hearing impaired and the language impaired. The communication system includes a custom configuration having a display screen and a keyboard, a data translation module for translating the original data from a first language type to a second language type. The display screen shows a split configuration with multiple dialogue boxes to facilitate simultaneous display of each user's input. The system supports multilingual text-based conversations as well as conversion from audio-to-text and text-to-audio conversations. Translation from one communication format to a second communication format is performed as messages are transmitted between users. |
| US08275601B2 |
Mobile electronic device and associated method enabling transliteration of a text input
An improved mobile electronic device enables the inputting of text in one alphabet, Traditional Chinese in the present example, by transliteration of inputs in another alphabet, BoPoMoFo in the present example. Since some of the inputs can be ambiguous, transliteration of an ambiguous input is delayed until a detection of a finalization event, thus avoiding the outputting of unnecessary transliteration results, and thus advantageously avoiding a distraction to the user. |
| US08275596B2 |
Method for robust statistical semiconductor device modeling
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for robust statistical semiconductor device modeling includes building a semiconductor device model using at least one new device parameter variation, constructing a variation library for the semiconductor device model, and verifying the variation library against measured data from physical semiconductor devices. The variation library is constructed by determining variations of the at least one new device parameter variation and standard device parameters as functions of, for example. sizes and locations of semiconductor devices on semiconductor dies. |
| US08275590B2 |
Providing a simulation of wearing items such as garments and/or accessories
A user may simulate wearing real-wearable items, such as virtual garments and accessories. A virtual-outfitting interface may be provided for presentation to the user. An item-search/selection portion within the virtual-outfitting interface may be provided. The item-search/selection portion may depict one or more virtual-wearable items corresponding to one or more real-wearable items. The user may be allowed to select at least one virtual-wearable item from the item-search/selection portion. A main display portion within the virtual-outfitting interface may be provided. The main display portion may include a composite video feed that incorporates a video feed of the user and the selected at least one virtual-wearable item such that the user appears to be wearing the selected at least one virtual-wearable item in the main display portion. |
| US08275576B2 |
System and method for distributed reporting of machine performance
Certain exemplary embodiments can include obtaining and analyzing data from at least one discrete machine, automatically determining relationships related to the data, taking corrective action to improve machine operation and/or maintenance, automatically and heuristically predicting a failure associated with the machine and/or recommending preventative maintenance in advance of the failure, and/or automating and analyzing mining shovels, etc. |
| US08275574B2 |
Corona phenomena detection
A system for automatically detecting corona effects in operating dynamic electromechanical equipment may include: at least one sensor connected to operating dynamic electromechanical equipment, a controller connected to the at least one sensor and to the operating dynamic electromechanical equipment; and a corona phenomena detection device. The at least one sensor may be adapted to measure behavior of emitted signals of the operating dynamic electromechanical equipment. The controller may be adapted to adjust emitted signals of the operating dynamic electromechanical equipment to correct for errors detected by the sensor in the emitted signals The corona phenomena detection device may be adapted to automatically detect corona effects of the dynamic electromechanical equipment. The corona phenomena detection device may be connected to, or embedded in, the dynamic electromechanical equipment during manufacture of the dynamic electromechanical equipment, or retro-fitted to the dynamic electromechanical equipment. |
| US08275571B2 |
Method and system for correlating weapon firing events with scoring events
An exemplary embodiment, the present invention sets forth a method for correlating at least one weapon firing event to at least one scoring event. The method comprising: receiving information relating to a first scoring event; receiving information relating to a first weapon firing event; calculating an angle between a reference line, extending from location of the first weapon event to the location of the first scoring event, and the reference direction at the first computing device; comparing the time of the first scoring event to the time of the weapon firing event at the first computing device; comparing the angle of incidence for the projectile to the calculated angle at the first computing device; and identifying whether the weapon firing event and the scoring event are an unambiguous, one-to-one pairings at the first computing device. |
| US08275569B2 |
Test apparatus and diagnosis method
Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising: a plurality of modules that each include an output circuit that outputs a prescribed output signal to the device under test and a measurement circuit that measures a prescribed characteristic of the device under test; and a control section that, for each module, causes the measurement circuit to measure output of the output circuit and diagnoses the module based on a measurement result of the measurement circuit. Each measurement circuit measures the output of the corresponding output circuit in parallel, and the control section is provided in common to the plurality of modules and sequentially reads the measurement result of the measurement circuit of each module. |
| US08275568B2 |
Semiconductor test system with self-inspection of electrical channel
A semiconductor test system with self-inspection of an electrical channel is disclosed, which includes a tester head, a plurality of parameter detection units and a self-inspection controller. The tester head includes a plurality of pin electronics cards inserted therein, in which the plurality of pin electronics cards contain a plurality of power channels, a plurality of I/O channels and a plurality of drive channels. The self-inspection controller outputs different inspection signals respectively to each power channel, each I/O channel and each drive channel. Then, the plurality of parameter detection units detect response signals respectively produced by each power channel, each I/O channel and each drive channel in response to the inspection signals respectively received thereby, and the response signals are judged by the self-inspection controller. Thus, the invention is capable of self-inspecting each electrical channel if it is in a normal condition, either in an open or short circuit, or if there exists a leakage condition. |
| US08275565B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method used in mobile communication system
A disclosed radio communication apparatus includes a unit receiving a broadcast channel including a system frame number (SFN), a control channel including a process number (Proc) and a new data identification, and a user data channel including a sequence number; a unit detecting whether a received first packet includes an error and reporting the detection result indicating ACK or NACK to a transmitter side; a unit detecting whether the control channel has not been correctly received in the past based on the process number and the new packet identification information of a second packet transmitted after the first packet; and a unit reporting an indicator including the SFN at which the second packet is transmitted to the transmitter side, so that a packet is re-transmitted, the packet being transmitted to the radio communication apparatus by a preceding SFN that precedes an SFN at which the second packet is transmitted. |
| US08275564B2 |
Patterned wafer inspection system using a non-vibrating contact potential difference sensor
A method and system for inspecting a surface of a material having a repeating pattern of relative work function. The method and system processes sensor data to identify data characteristic of the repeating pattern, and the sensor data is then further processed to remove the data characteristic of the repeating data, leading to a characteristic of non-uniformities of the material surface. |
| US08275563B2 |
Nonparametric method for determination of anomalous event states in complex systems exhibiting non-stationarity
According to a feature of the present disclosure, a method is provided for the determination of anomalous events in complex systems, such as problems, inefficiencies, and failures, and a tool is provided for the detection of these events. Many complex systems are non-stationary or experience periodic fluctuations or spikes in values that are outside of normal ranges, but constitute normal behavior nevertheless. The method accounts for both non-stationarity, as well as fluctuations and spikes. Additional novel features include both a threshold setting initialization method and a regression method for the determination of the start points and end points of events. |
| US08275561B2 |
Power monitoring and analysis system for identifying individual electrical devices
Techniques and mechanisms for evaluating a plurality of electrical devices variously powered by a common alternating current service. In an embodiment, a set of transition reports are processed to determine a cluster of transition reports including on-transition reports for an electrical device. In another embodiment, a data structure is created based on such an identified cluster, the data structure characterizing a first device of the plurality of electrical devices. The data structure is provided in one embodiment for an automatic determining of whether a first transition report subsequent to the set of transition reports corresponds to the first device. |
| US08275559B2 |
Fault detector for a tip and ring circuit, a method of protecting such a circuit and a power supply including the fault detector
A fault detector for use with a telephone wire-pair having a return conductor and an output conductor, a method of protecting a telecommunications network including the telephone wire-pair and a power supply for the telecommunications network. In one embodiment, the fault detector includes (1) a passive sensor coupled between Earth and the wire-pair to detect a ground fault thereon, (2) an amplifier having inputs coupled across the passive sensor and configured to characterize the ground fault in terms of a value and (3) a controller configured to receive the value via an output of the amplifier and compare the value to a threshold to determine if the ground fault exceeds a safety limit. |
| US08275557B2 |
Computer-implemented method and computer-based system for validating DNA sequencing data
To validate DNA sequencing data from sequence data of one or more DNA fragments, a server (3) obtains a target specification from a user via a telecommunications network (2). From a set of one or more possible reference sequences (42), related to the target specification and stored in a database (4), the server (3) selects the reference sequence having the highest correlation with the fragment sequence data. For example, if the target specification identifies a gene sequence, then the reference sequence is selected from a set of variants of the gene sequence. Automatically, the server (3) aligns the fragment sequence data with the selected reference sequence and identifies any sequence positions where nucleotide codes of aligned fragment sequence data and selected reference sequence do not correspond. For validating DNA sequencing data, selection of reference sequence and identification of ambiguous nucleotide codes can be performed without human intervention, thus, the speed and reliability of the validation process is improved. |
| US08275556B2 |
Method of quantifying polynucleotides using a stored calibration curve
Method for quantifying analyte polynucleotide in a test sample using real-time amplification and adjustment of a stored calibration curve. The method may be practiced using as few as a single adjustment calibrator to adjust the stored curve. This simplifies the quantitative analysis procedure, while still providing the advantages of internal calibration adjustment to account for variation in amplification reaction efficiency. |
| US08275554B2 |
System for differentiating the lengths of nucleic acids of interest in a sample
Systems for differentiating the lengths of nucleic acids of interest in a sample are provided. The system includes a microfluidic device, a detector, and a software system. The microfluidic device includes an amplification microchannel or microchamber containing a reaction mixture under conditions that provide one or more amplicons of the nucleic acid of interest. The detector is integral with or proximal to the microfluidic device and is configured to detect the amplicons as one or more signals from a homogenous mixture. The software system interprets one or more coincidentally detected signals to indicate lengths of one or more individual nucleic acid molecules of interest, thereby differentiating the lengths of the nucleic acids of interest. |
| US08275553B2 |
System and method for evaluating physiological parameter data
Embodiments disclosed herein may include systems and methods for evaluating physiological parameter data. Embodiments of methods may include monitoring a patient to produce a signal comprising a sequence of numerical values for a physiological parameter over a time period, calculating an index from the signal, comparing the index to a reported index, and if the index is greater than the reported index, setting the reported index to the value of the index. Embodiments of methods may include calculating a modulation of the signal, comparing the modulation to a previous value of the modulation to identify a trend in the modulation and if the trend corresponds to an undesirable condition, using a first function to increase the reported index. Embodiments of methods may include providing an indication of a physiological status based on the reported index. |
| US08275552B1 |
Toxicity reporting system
The present invention is a method for communicating and forecasting the extent of toxicity of a given treatment program by deploying a uniform multi-modality grading system, and capturing significant high-grade events within defined risk periods to create a treatment-specific summary rating or classification of the toxicity experience. |
| US08275550B2 |
Method for target-oriented reverse time migration for prestack depth imaging
A method and system for target-oriented reverse time migration for prestack depth imaging. One embodiment of the present invention includes determining an acquisition area within an earth model and also determining a reference surface near a target in the subsurface region of interest. The embodiment includes exciting wavefields from the reference surface and propagating the excited wavefields through the earth model. The embodiment additionally includes recording the wavefields at receiver locations in the acquisition area and at the target and synthesizing wavefields along the reference surface to reconstruct Green's functions which relate the receiver locations in the acquisition area to the target. The embodiment includes utilizing the Green's functions and prestack seismic data to determine subsurface characteristics of the subsurface region. |
| US08275548B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting lightning activity
Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for detecting lightning activity. Waveform data indicative of lightning activity is received by a waveform sensor from one or more signal converters. The waveform data comprises a group of electromagnetic waveforms. The waveform data is filtered by a processor to remove noise frequencies. One or more uncompressed portions of the waveform data are transmitted to a processing server. Digital filter data based on the one or more uncompressed portions of waveform data are received from the processing server. One or more frequencies are removed from the waveform data based on the digital filter data. The waveform data is compressed. The compressing includes selecting one or more points on a waveform, wherein the one or more points are above a predetermined threshold. The compressing includes determining an inflection of the selected points based on a predefined algorithm. |
| US08275543B2 |
Path guidance apparatus and method of inputting execution command thereof
A method of controlling a navigation apparatus, and which includes displaying map information on a touch screen display unit of the navigation apparatus, receiving at least a first touch input signal corresponding to a touching of a first position on the display unit and a second touch input signal corresponding to a touching of a second position on the display unit while the first position is continuously touched, calculating, via a controller, a traveling route including the touched first and second positions, and displaying the calculated traveling route on the displayed map information to inform a driver of a vehicle including the navigation apparatus about the calculated traveling route including the first and second positions. |
| US08275542B2 |
Navigation device, navigation method, and navigation program
Information is acquired that indicates a current road on which a vehicle is traveling. Information is acquired that relates to a plurality of branching roads that branch off from the current road at a branching point that lies ahead in the direction of movement of the vehicle. In a situation where route guidance is not being used, a determination is made as to whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will proceed on one of the branching roads that is of a different type from the current road, instead of on one of the branching roads that is of the same type as the current road and has an attribute that is of the same type as an attribute of the current road. If it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will proceed on one of the branching roads that is of a different type, guidance is performed that informs the driver that the possibility exists. |
| US08275541B2 |
Automatic determination of aircraft holding locations and holding durations from aircraft surveillance data
A method using airport surveillance data to output a location of a delay and an amount of time a vehicle is subjected to the delay during a movement of the vehicle between two locations, the delays being observed in the surveillance data as a knot of several data points. A first method is used to identify proposed knots based on distances between individual data points within the data. A second method is used to identify proposed knots based on the speed of the vehicle. Another method can be used to separate proposed knots have been incorrectly joined together. This method performs the separation by arranging the data points into a two-dimensional grid to form clusters of grid cells having data points. The location of the individual cells is then analyzed to determine whether clusters should be separated. Each of the remaining clusters defines a hold where the vehicle is delayed. |
| US08275540B2 |
Dynamic time series prediction of traffic conditions
Techniques are described for generating predictions of future traffic conditions at multiple future times, such as by using probabilistic techniques to assess various input data while repeatedly producing future time series predictions for each of numerous road segments (e.g., in a real-time manner based on changing current conditions for a network of roads in a given geographic area). In some situations, one or more predictive Bayesian models and corresponding decision trees are automatically created for use in generating the future traffic condition predictions for each geographic area of interest, such as based on observed historical traffic conditions for those geographic areas. Predicted future traffic condition information may then be used in a variety of ways to assist in travel and for other purposes, such as to plan optimal routes through a network of roads based on predictions about traffic conditions for the roads at multiple future times. |
| US08275538B2 |
Multi-fuel engine starting control system and method
Various example approaches are described, one of which includes a method for controlling injection of gaseous and liquid fuel to a cylinder during engine starting. Specifically, gaseous fuel is injected during or before an intake stroke of the cycle to form a well-mixed overall lean air-fuel mixture, and then liquid fuel is directly injected to the cylinder at least during one of a compression and expansion stroke of the engine cycle to form a rich air-fuel cloud near the spark plug, where a spark initiates combustion of the injected fuels. In one example, the rich cloud enables additional spark retard, and thus faster catalyst light-off, while maintain acceptable combustion stability of the gaseous fuel. |
| US08275533B2 |
Late lean injection with adjustable air splits
A gas turbine engine is provided and includes a combustor having a first interior in which a first fuel is combustible, a turbine into which products of at least the combustion of the first fuel are receivable, a transition zone, including a second interior in which a second fuel and the products of the combustion of the first fuel are combustible, a plurality of fuel injectors which are configured to supply the second fuel to the second interior in any one of a single axial stage, multiple axial stages, a single axial circumferential stage and multiple axial circumferential stages, a compressor, by which air is supplied to the first and second interiors for the combustion therein, and a control system configured to control relative amounts of the air to the first and second interiors and relative amounts of the first and second fuels supplied to the first and second interiors. |
| US08275531B2 |
Target turning vehicle speed setting apparatus and braking/driving force control apparatus
A target turn vehicle speed setting device for setting a target turn vehicle speed according to the corner radii obtained from external information. A reference radius used for setting the target turn vehicle speed is set to a minimum value of the corner radii of points included in a corner successively obtained from the external information. When the values of the corner radii of the points decrease, the update of the reference radii is started. When the values of the corner radii increase, the update of the reference radii is ended. The target turn vehicle speed can be more appropriately determined. |
| US08275529B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle
A control unit 13 moves an engine throttle 15 to the wide open position whenever the driver wishes to decelerate. This maximizes the transfer of rotational energy from the vehicle wheels 6 to a flywheel 12 which is coupled to a drivetrain 7,8,9 because pumping losses in the engine 2 are much reduced due to the open throttle. The energy stored in the flywheel 12 can be used at a later time to supplement the engine's motive power. The control unit 13 also controls an electro hydraulic clutch 11 which couples and decouples the flywheel to and from the drivetrain through a continuous variable transmission (CVT) 10. The gear ratio of the CVT 10 is set by the ECU 13. |
| US08275528B2 |
Transmission turbine acceleration control for managing vehicle acceleration
Methods and systems for managing acceleration of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission by controlling transmission turbine acceleration are provided. A desired transmission turbine acceleration is determined based on vehicle speed, turbine speed, and other information obtained from the vehicle transmission. One or more torque limits are determined as a function of the turbine acceleration. The torque limits are applied to manage acceleration of the vehicle. |
| US08275527B2 |
Method of modeling transmissions for real-time simulation
A transmission modeling system includes an in-gear module that determines an in-gear acceleration when a vehicle is in gear. A shift module determines a shift acceleration based on a clutch torque when the vehicle is shifting between gears. A shaft acceleration determination module determines a shaft acceleration based on at least one of the in-gear acceleration and the shift acceleration. |
| US08275526B2 |
Planter assembly with selectively actuated output
An actuating system for a planting device. The actuating system has an electric motor that provides an actuating force for a seed shaft. A pneumatic acting member is connected to a source of compressed air through a valve and positioned to engage the electric motor to actuate the electric motor. The source of compressed air and electric motor can thus be connected to a controller that operates the source of compressed air and the electric motor in order to provide selective actuation to control planting of the planting device. |
| US08275521B2 |
System and method for controlling air gap between a tractor and a trailer
A highway tractor (12) has a fifth wheel (28) to which a trailer (14) that is to be towed by the tractor can be coupled. A positioning system sets fore-aft position of the fifth wheel on the tractor. The positioning system (FIG. 2; FIG. 3) has a positioning mechanism for moving the fifth wheel fore and aft on the tractor and a controller for processing certain data that is used to cause the positioning mechanism to move the fifth wheel to a fore-aft target position on the tractor. |
| US08275517B2 |
Control assisting system for a motor vehicle
The inventive control-assisting system for a motor vehicle comprises a power steering (1) associated with a steering wheel (2) and a power steering actuator (3) whose operation is controlled by a data processing unit (4) for applying power torque to the vehicle steering and is characterized in that said data processing unit (4) is connected to means (5) for controlling the power steering (1) return to at least one predetermined position by computing a return torque according to a disturbance rejection torque corresponding to a resistance torque applied to the steering system and to a reference torque corresponding to a torque required for controlling the steering wheel rotation. |
| US08275515B2 |
Shock absorber health and condition monitoring device
Apparatus and method for determining shock-absorber wear are presented. The device includes a shock absorber, a temperature sensor, and an electronics assembly. The temperature sensor may generate temperature data for the shock absorber. The electronics assembly may determine a condition of the shock absorber based on the temperature data. The temperature sensor may be inside, on the surface, or nearby the shock absorber. A condition of the shock absorber, such as a shock-wear value or a remaining useful life (RUL) is determined, based on the temperature data. A shock-wear state may be determined by comparing the shock-wear value to one or more thresholds. A shock-wear indicator and/or a combined indicator may indicate the shock-wear value, RUL, and/or the shock-wear state. |
| US08275510B2 |
Failure determining device and failure determining method of continuously variable transmission
An ECU executes a program including the steps of determining that a change speed solenoid is abnormal when a target speed ratio falls within a predetermined range, an upshift is recognized and the change speed solenoid is abnormal; determining that the change speed solenoid is normal when the change speed solenoid is not abnormal; determining that a belt pinch pressure solenoid is abnormal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to a speed ratio γmin on a maximum speed-increase side and the target speed ratio is not substantially equal to an actual speed ratio; and determining that the belt pinch pressure solenoid is normal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to the actual speed ratio. |
| US08275508B1 |
History timeline display for vehicle fleet management
A vehicle management system can generate a vehicle management user interface that depicts vehicle history information in timelines or graphical timelines. These history timelines can include information regarding vehicle location, speed, and idling, among other useful information. The graphical nature of the history timelines can quickly convey vehicle tracking details and potential problems, such as idling and congregation, to an administrator. Further, history timelines for multiple vehicles can be displayed in parallel, allowing comparison between histories for different vehicles. |
| US08275507B2 |
Method of monitoring a thrust reverser
The method of the invention for monitoring a thrust reverser of a turbojet having an actuator controlled by an electric motor consists in determining a maintenance notice from a weighted combination of provisional notices, each provisional notice relating to a category of parameters associated with at least one phase of an operating cycle of the reverser, the category being selected from a category of parameters representative of a duration of said phase, of an energy seen by the motor during said phase, of a torque seen by the motor at a predefined instant of said phase, and of a duration during which the setpoint speed of rotation and the measured speed of rotation of the motor differ during said phase, each provisional notice being generated by analyzing values obtained during at least one cycle for at least one parameter of said category relative to a degradation threshold. |
| US08275505B2 |
Method and control system for controlling an auxiliary device of a vehicle
The invention relates to a method and a control system for controlling an auxiliary device of a vehicle, wherein the auxiliary device is automatically started at a starting time which is determined based on an estimated departure time of the vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to an air-conditioning device which is automatically started for pre-air-conditioning (PAC) based on an estimate departure time of an electric or hybrid vehicle. The invention enables a precise and flexible automatic determination of an activation time of the auxiliary device, wherein determining a time of usage of at least one home appliance of a user of the vehicle; determining a departure time of the vehicle based on the time of usage of the at least one home appliance; and determining a starting time of said auxiliary device based on the determined departure time of the vehicle are determined. |
| US08275502B2 |
Braking regeneration energy shunt system
A regeneration energy shunt system utilizes a module to monitor the power bus voltage and can divert excess regeneration energy to a resistor array to dissipate the excess regeneration energy. The module can monitor the state of charge of a rechargeable power source to ascertain when excess regeneration energy condition exists. The resistor array can include a plurality of resistors. The module can ascertain the number of resistors needed dissipate the excess regeneration energy and selectively direct the excess regeneration energy to the required number of resistors. The module can dynamically switch which resistors are used to dissipate the excess regeneration energy and can thereby even out the loading across the resistors. The module can ascertain a state of health of the individual resistors and remove unhealthy resistors from service, report the state of health of the resistors, and initiate changes in operation based thereon. |
| US08275501B2 |
Method and device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft during a landing
Disclosed is a method and device for aiding the piloting on an aircraft during a landing phase. One of the landing runways of an airport onto which the aircraft is to land is determined by a runway determination device. A position determining unit is used to determine a current position of the aircraft in a reference frame. A minimum breaking distance is estimated by an estimation unit, upon the aircraft passing above tje determined landing runway. The minimum braking distance is compared by a distance comparison unit with a length of the determined landing runway, and an alert is emitted by an alert unit, when said minimum braking distance is greater than the length of said determined landing runway. |
| US08275499B2 |
Device for calculating a flight plan of an aircraft
The invention relates to a device for formulating a flight plan ensuring sufficient safety margins for a duration of a few minutes in relation to the set of flight constraints that could arise and comprising means for: detecting the surrounding moving objects (aircraft or meteorological phenomena), evaluating their type and the danger that they represent, formulating a reconfiguration flight plan ensuring a separation with these phenomena and taking best account of the constraints of the initially followed flight plan, avoiding prohibited or regulated airspaces and avoiding the surrounding relief with ad hoc operational margins. |
| US08275497B2 |
Method and device for assisting in driving a vehicle
A method and device for assisting in driving a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, having a surroundings detector for detecting at least a partial area of the surroundings of the vehicle, an output device for the output of information concerning the vehicle surroundings obtained from the surroundings detection to a driver, and an evaluation unit for determining a risk level based on the vehicle-surroundings information. To facilitate driving of the vehicle, it is provided that at least a portion of the vehicle-surroundings information provided for determining the risk level, and the risk level determined by the evaluation unit are output continuously by the output device to the driver during operation of the vehicle. |
| US08275495B2 |
Method and device for monitoring the ability to navigate of an aircraft during a phase of flight close to the ground
Disclosed is a method and device, which provide an enhanced ability to monitor the navigation of an aircraft during a phase of flight in which the aircraft is close to the ground in which the aircraft uses positional information supplied by a satellite positioning system for the navigation. A display screen is used to display a first characteristic sign representing a selected setpoint value for a height parameter of the aircraft. The display screen also displays a second characteristic sign representing a current auxiliary value expressed in the form of an achievable height parameter. An alert is emitted when the second characteristic sign is determined to be within a predetermined height value of the first characteristic sign, and the alert is shown in visual format on the display screen. An alarm is also emitted following a predetermined time after the alert is emitted, if the setpoint value is not replaced by a new setpoint value. |
| US08275494B1 |
System, apparatus and method for controlling an aircraft
Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for controlling an aircraft. |
| US08275493B2 |
Bow riding unmanned water-borne vehicle
A system and method are provided for launching and recovering an unmanned, water-born vehicle (UWBV) from a mother ship. The UWBV mimics the behavior of dolphins and is positioned ahead of the ship in preparation for bow riding. The UWBV uses a guidance system to position and keep in the bow wave. A high-frequency (HF) sonar transceiver array aboard the ship computes and sends course corrections to maintain the UWBV within the bow wave. The frequency range of the HF array can be 100 kHz or higher due to the short distance between the ship and the UWBV. Accordingly, the HF array can have a small aperture allowing for accurate bearing resolution. Course corrections can be sent on a near-continuous basis such that changes in thrust and rudder angle can be minimized to allow for accurate control of the UWBV. |
| US08275488B2 |
Digital excitation control system utilizing swarm intelligence and an associated method of use
A system and method of use for self-tuning a PID controller utilized with an exciter and generator is disclosed. The system includes a power source, an exciter electrically connected to the power source, a generator that is electrically energized by the exciter, and a processor that provides a PID controller that calculates an estimated exciter time constant and an estimated generator time constant using particle swarm optimization (“PSO”) to control exciter field voltage. The particle swarm optimization (“PSO”) technique includes increasing the voltage reference by a predetermined percentage over a predetermined time period, initializing each particle position of exciter time constant and generator time constant, calculating generator voltage, performing a fitness evaluation and then obtaining and updating best values. This is followed by repeating the steps of determining the generator voltage, the fitness evaluation, and the best values over a predetermined number of iterations. |
| US08275487B2 |
Electric power system automation using time coordinated instructions
A system for controlling and automating an electric power delivery system by executing time coordinated instruction sets to achieve a desired result. A communication master may implement the execution of time coordinated instruction sets in a variety of circumstances. The communication may be embodied as an automation controller in communication with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). The communication master may also be embodied as an IED that is configured to coordinate the actions of other IEDs. The time coordinated instruction sets may include steps for checking status of power system equipment before executing. The time coordinated instruction sets may include reactionary steps to execute if one of the steps fails. The time coordinated instruction sets may also be implemented based on a condition detected in the electric power delivery system, or may be implemented through high level systems, such as a SCADA system or a wide area control and situational awareness system. |
| US08275486B2 |
Electric power system automation using time coordinated instructions
A system for controlling and automating an electric power delivery system by executing time coordinated instruction sets to achieve a desired result. A communication master may implement the execution of time coordinated instruction sets in a variety of circumstances. The communication may be embodied as an automation controller in communication with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). The communication master may also be embodied as an IED that is configured to coordinate the actions of other IEDs. The time coordinated instruction sets may include steps for checking status of power system equipment before executing. The time coordinated instruction sets may include reactionary steps to execute if one of the steps fails. The time coordinated instruction sets may also be implemented based on a condition detected in the electric power delivery system, or may be implemented through high level systems, such as a SCADA system or a wide area control and situational awareness system. |
| US08275485B2 |
Electric power system automation using time coordinated instructions
A system for controlling and automating an electric power delivery system by executing time coordinated instruction sets to achieve a desired result. A communication master may implement the execution of time coordinated instruction sets in a variety of circumstances. The communication may be embodied as an automation controller in communication with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). The communication master may also be embodied as an IED that is configured to coordinate the actions of other IEDs. The time coordinated instruction sets may include steps for checking status of power system equipment before executing. The time coordinated instruction sets may include reactionary steps to execute if one of the steps fails. The time coordinated instruction sets may also be implemented based on a condition detected in the electric power delivery system, or may be implemented through high level systems, such as a SCADA system or a wide area control and situational awareness system. |
| US08275484B2 |
Stepper motor gas valve and method of control
A controller for a variable heating system is operable to control a stepper motor operated gas valve to adjust gas flow to vary the heating level. The controller includes a first terminal for receiving a thermostat signal requesting heating, an electronic memory, and a microprocessor in communication with the electronic memory and first terminal. The microprocessor detects a thermostat signal requesting heating, and generates a control signal for the stepper motor to operate the gas valve. The microprocessor includes a programmable read-only-memory encoded with an instruction to store a time duration during which the microprocessor detects a thermostat signal requesting heating, and further encoded with an instruction operable to determine a predetermined heating level based on the stored time duration. The microprocessor responds to a thermostat signal requesting heating by determining the number of steps the motor must move to vary the gas flow corresponding to the predetermined heating level. |
| US08275477B2 |
Method and apparatus for distortion of audio signals and emulation of vacuum tube amplifiers
A method for digitally processing audio signals to emulate the effects of vacuum tube amplifiers and preamplifiers, musical instrument amplification systems, and distortion effects. By use of an implicit numerical method to estimate the response of a parametrically-controlled non-linear transfer function, non-linear filters, and feedback elements, the dynamic behavior and distortion effects of tube amplification stages are simulated. This provides the capability to reproduce the desired sounds of vintage and modern tube amplifier systems and effects with the conveniences and control associated with digital signal processing systems and software. |
| US08275475B2 |
Method and system for estimating frequency and amplitude change of spectral peaks
Methods, digital systems, and computer readable media are provided for estimating change of amplitude and frequency in a digital audio signal by transforming a frame of the digital audio signal to the frequency domain, locating a frequency peak in the transformed frame, determining an interpolated peak of the located frequency peak, computing inner products of a portion of the transformed frame about the interpolated peak with a plurality of test signals, and estimating change of amplitude and change of frequency for the frequency peak from results of the inner products. |
| US08275474B2 |
Flexible multichannel outputs for dual audio decode
A system and method for flexibly outputting audio from a plurality of programs to the particular outputs that are desired for each audio stream. This routing flexibility enables the audio system to operate in a variety of configured usage modes, wherein each usage mode identifies the routing of each audio stream to one or more outputs such as SPDIF, HDMI, I2S, and DAC. |
| US08275473B2 |
Data recording and reproducing apparatus, method of recording and reproducing data, and program therefor
A data recording and reproducing apparatus is adapted to receive audio data created by encoding an original sound signal and to decode the audio data into the original sound signal to thereby reproduce the original sound signal. The data recording and reproducing apparatus includes a data storage unit operable to store the audio data; a feature point information creation unit operable to create information about feature points by extracting information about characteristics of sound indicated by the original sound signal from the stored audio data and to create feature point information based on the extracted information; and an altered-speed reproduction unit operable to reproduce the original sound signal at an altered speed by decoding the audio data and thinning out the decoded audio data based on the feature point information. |
| US08275466B2 |
Band stop filter employing a capacitor and an inductor tank circuit to enhance MRI compatibility of active medical devices
A band stop filter is provided for a lead wire of an active medical device (AMD). The band stop filter includes a capacitor in parallel with an inductor. The parallel capacitor and inductor are placed in series with the lead wire of the AMD, wherein values of capacitance and inductance are selected such that the band stop filter has a Q with the resultant 3 dB bandwidth being in the megahertz range. The Q of the inductor may be relatively maximized and the Q of the capacitor may be relatively minimized to reduce the overall Q of the band stop filter to attenuate current flow through the lead wire along a range of selected frequencies. In a preferred form, the band stop filter is integrated into a TIP and/or RING electrode for an active implantable medical device. |
| US08275465B2 |
Stimulation lead for application of electrical pulses to tissue of a patient and method for fabricating a stimulation lead
A method of fabricating a stimulation lead by supplying a lead body with a plurality wire conductors extending the length of the lead body and being within insulative material therein; providing a plurality of terminals and electrodes on the ends of the lead body, wherein the plurality of terminals and electrodes are electrically coupled, wherein the providing comprises: (i) positioning a conductive band about the lead body that is adapted to be clasped about the lead body; (ii) positioning a conductor wire between an exterior surface of the first end and an interior surface of the second end of the conductive band; (iii) closing overlapping ends of the conductive band about the conductor wire; and (iv) welding the ends to seal the conductive band about the lead body. |
| US08275462B1 |
Integrated phase-shift power control transmitter for use with implantable device and method for use of the same
Systems and methods for efficiently transmitting power using a high frequency (e.g., RF) telemetry transmitter are provided. The telemetry transmitter may include a fixed clock source (which may provide a fixed clock signal), telemetry phase shift circuitry (which may include switching circuitry and phase shifting circuitry), and a push-pull network. The telemetry phase shift circuitry generates a phase shifted clock signal that is phase shifted with respect to the fixed clock signal. The fixed and phase shifted clock signals may drive the switching circuitry to produce a high frequency signal that is passed through the push-pull network. The power or magnitude of the high frequency signal is based on the phase delay between the fixed clock signal and the phase shifted clock signal. |
| US08275456B2 |
Implantable device for delivering cardiac drug therapy
An implantable medical device in which an electrogram is recorded and analyzed in order to detect changes indicative of cardiac ischemia. Cardiac ischemia may be detected by recording an electrogram from a sensing channel of the device and comparing the recorded electrogram with a reference electrogram. If cardiac ischemia is detected, a cardiac drug such as a thrombolytic agent is delivered. |
| US08275455B2 |
Medical devices employing conductive polymers for delivery of therapeutic agents
In accordance with one aspect, the invention relates to medical devices which comprise at least one reservoir, a therapeutic-agent-containing region disposed within the reservoir and an electrode comprising a conductive polymer. The devices of the invention are configured such that a rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the reservoir changes upon a change in the oxidation state of the conductive polymer. |
| US08275452B2 |
Rapid 3D mapping using multielectrode position data
An electrophysiology (EP) system includes an interface for operator-interaction with the results of code executing therein. A template model can have channels positioned or repositioned thereupon by the user to define a set-up useful in rapid catheter positioning. Mapping operations can be performed without the requirement for precise catheter location determinations. A map module coordinates EP data associated with each selected channel and its associated position on the template model to provide this result, and can update the resulting map in the event that the channel or location is changed. Messaging and other dynamic features enable synchronized presentation of a myriad of EP data. Additional systems and methods are disclosed herein. |
| US08275449B2 |
Overlay image contrast enhancement
A method of creating an image difference overlay comprises identifying a loop of reference images of a subject and identifying a loop of data images of the subject. The loop of image data can be identified after an event, such as the administration of contrast agent to the subject. A reference loop image frame is compared to one or more data loop image frames and the reference loop frame is associated with a data loop image frame which closely resembles the data loop image frame. Each of the associated frames can then be processed and used to create an image difference overlay frame. |
| US08275448B2 |
Method for reconstructing a 3D presentation
The invention relates to a method for reconstructing a 3D presentation of a hollow organ based on two-dimensional catheter images, comprising: detecting at least two fluoroscopy images at two different angles of the hollow organ; determining a start position of the catheter from the fluoroscopy images in a three-dimensional model of the hollow organ or a catheter guide; determining a probable withdrawal path of the catheter based on the three-dimensional model; withdrawing the catheter while recording the catheter images and assigning a withdrawal length to each catheter image; determining the deviation of the position of the catheter from a central path running through the middle of the hollow organ and the orientation of the catheter for each catheter image based on the withdrawal path and the withdrawal length; and reconstructing the 3D presentation from the two-dimensional catheter images as well as the deviation of the position of the catheter. |
| US08275441B2 |
Electrodes possessing change indicator
The present disclosure provides electrodes that possess components capable of indicating to an end-user when the electrode is in need of replacement. The electrode includes a substrate and a conductive composition on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate. The conductive composition includes at least one hydrogel and at least one component that precipitates from the hydrogel after repeated use of the electrode, thereby providing an indication to replace the electrode. |
| US08275438B2 |
Analyte sensor
Systems and methods of use for continuous analyte measurement of a host's vascular system are provided. In some embodiments, a continuous glucose measurement system includes a vascular access device, a sensor and sensor electronics, the system being configured for insertion into communication with a host's circulatory system. |
| US08275436B2 |
Method and apparatus for non-invasive fetal oximetry
Method and apparatus to non-invasively measure fetal blood oxygen saturation levels. Optical sensors capable of producing and detecting multiple wavelengths of tissue penetrating light are placed on the surface of the maternal abdomen, and the light beams directed to pass through at least a portion of the uterus containing the fetus. The fetal heart rate is monitored by Doppler ultrasound, and pure maternal optical signal related to maternal arterial blood flow are also measured. The optical sensors collect composite signals containing both maternal and fetal hemoglobin absorption spectral data and modulated by their respective pulsatile blood flows. The composite signals processed in the time domain and frequency domain, the pure maternal pulsatile optical signal used to extract the maternal contribution to the composite signal, and the fetal pulsatile signal is used to lock onto and extract the fetal contribution to the composite signal, and a fetal blood oxygen level deduced. |
| US08275435B2 |
Co-location of emitters and detectors and method of operation
An implantable medical device having an optical sensor selects the function of modular opto-electronic assemblies included in the optical sensor. Each assembly is provided with at least one light emitting device and at least one light detecting device. A device controller coupled to the optical sensor controls the function of each the assemblies. The controller executes a sensor performance test and selects at least one of the plurality of assemblies to operate as a light emitting assembly in response to a result of the performance test. The controller selects at least one other of the plurality of optical sensor assemblies to operate as a light detecting assembly in response to a result of the performance test. |
| US08275434B2 |
Method for measuring blood oxygen content under low perfusion
A method for measuring blood oxygen content under low perfusion, which is used in a device for measuring blood oxygen content, includes the steps of: initializing the device that is applied with power; collecting and processing data with a driving circuit of light emitting device, a bias circuit, a gain circuit and an A/D sampling circuit, which are controlled under a cone control module; calculating blood oxygen saturation based on the collected data with a data processing module which integrates the collected data in a period of time with an area integration method; and outputting from a communication functional module results of the blood oxygen saturation or pulse rate calculated with the data processing module. The method further includes a decision step of deciding the two results acquired from the data processing module with the waveform method and the integration method respectively based on the intensity of the measured signal and generating the final measured result, performed by a decision unit included in the device. By adopting the above method, the disturbance to effective signal by noise can be eliminated. As a result, the measuring accuracy of blood oxygen content under low perfusion can be improved without increasing the production cost for the measuring device. |
| US08275433B2 |
Non-invasive blood constituent measuring instrument and measuring method
A non-invasive blood constituents measuring instrument measures blood constituent values including blood glucose concentration in a living body non-invasively. The instrument is composed of a light source 11 to irradiate a light containing plural wavelengths to a living body 13, a light receiver 14 to detect the light transmitted through a living body or reflected and scattered thereon, a spectrum analyzer 15 to analyze the light transmitted through the living body or reflected thereon at different times, a subtraction processor 18 to generate spectrum subtraction from the spectrum of the light at the different times measured by the spectrum analyzer 15, and a blood glucose concentration predictor 21 into which the output data of the subtraction processor 18 are input and which outputs a blood constituent value. |
| US08275430B2 |
Arrangement with a superconductive cable
An arrangement for an electrically conducting connection of a superconductive electric cable with a cable having normal conductivity at room temperature is provided, which includes a passage with an electric conductor surrounded by a thermal insulation. The conductor of the superconductive cable is connected to an end of the conductor of the passage, at whose other end a cable having normal conductivity can be connected. On the end of the superconductive cable intended to connect to the conductor of the passage an electrode is mounted serving the electric field control. At least in the area of the electrode a cryostat is present which surrounds it, which is constructed as a circumferentially closed sheath of electrically insulating material with a vacuum free, thermal insulation. The end of the sheath facing the passage is placed during the state of operation of the arrangement at high voltage potential, while the other end is connected to ground potential. |
| US08275429B1 |
High magnetic field gradient strength superconducting coil system
High magnetic field gradient strength superconducting coil systems for use in medical applications are provided. Systems capable of providing time-varying gradient magnetic field strength greater than 50 mT/m, over a spherical volume with a diameter greater than 20 centimeters include superconducting gradient coils and a heat conduction assemblage in physical contact with each coil. |
| US08275425B2 |
Portable terminal for multimedia
A portable device suitable for various multimedia environments includes: a main body; a folder; and a hinge unit mounted on the main body and rotatably connecting the folder to the main body. The hinge unit is slidable on the main body together with the folder. The mode-switching of the portable being provided according to the sliding position of the hinge unit. |
| US08275424B2 |
System and method for controlling a wireless device
A method is provided for controlling operation of a wireless device, including: receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal including information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device; determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a first power range; determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a second power range; and transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode. |
| US08275421B2 |
Wireless communication device
With respect to a mobile wireless device in which a first housing 101 and a second housing 102 are foldably connected via a hinge 104, and in which a third housing 103 comprising a substantially rectangular display portion 106 is connected to the second housing 102 with a rotation mechanism portion 105 that rotates in a plane that is parallel with respect to a surface of the second housing 102, an antenna 107 is placed at an end portion of the first housing 101 on the side of the hinge, and a passive element 108 is placed at an end portion of the third housing 103. As a user rotates the third housing 103 by 90° to view visual data in horizontally long display, the antenna 107 and the passive element 108 are electro-magnetically coupled with each other, and the antenna characteristics of the antenna 107 improve. Thus, it becomes possible to provide an antenna that is more efficient when viewing visual data with a mobile wireless device, which is capable of receiving terrestrial digital TV and other visual data, on a screen that displays in a horizontally long manner. |
| US08275420B2 |
Portable terminal having flexible display and screen controlling method thereof
Disclosed are a portable terminal having a flexible display, and a screen controlling method thereof. When detecting an entertainment key for a film, a game, a navigation and a DMB, a flexible display disposed inside a body is slid to a vertical direction of a main display to have an extended screen. On the other hand, when detecting an incoming call or dropping of the portable terminal in a state that the flexible display has been extended, the flexible display is restored to an initial state. This may allow a user to more conveniently appreciate various entertainments such as films, games, navigations, and DMB, and may effectively prevent damage of the portable terminal. |
| US08275416B2 |
Combined base transceiver station and base station controller
A combined base station controller (12) and base transceiver station (14) comprises a selector distribution unit (SDU, 20), a main call control (MCC, 22) coupled to the SDU, a radio call control (RCC, 18) coupled to the MCC, and a channel element control (CEC, 16) coupled to the RCC. |
| US08275413B1 |
Wireless communication device with integrated electromagnetic radiation sensors
A hand-held mobile communication device, such as smart telephone, incorporating sensors and signal conditioning modules for measuring signals from external sources of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in the low, radio, ultraviolet, and infrared spectral ranges. These include the detector for receiving and monitoring electromagnetic fields originating from various external sources of radiation that pose potential health hazards or may interfere with various electronic devices. The mobile phone equipped with such sensors could alternate between communication and monitoring functions. Other integrated EMR sensors are a photodiode for the ultraviolet detection to monitor the user's sun exposure and a thermopile for non-contact measurement of temperature of humans or inanimate objects. This infrared sensor in combination with a photographic digital camera and a pattern recognition signal processing allows measuring temperatures at specific locations and from optimal distances to the surface of the object to enhance accuracy of non-contact temperature measurements. |
| US08275404B2 |
Managing and monitoring emergency services sector resources
A system for monitoring and managing emergency services sector resources includes a wireless communications device configured to establish a wireless network, a plurality of wireless nodes wirelessly connected to the wireless network, a user application, a message management and routing system configured to facilitate communications between the wireless communication device and the user application, and a user device configured to display information from the user application. Each wireless node of the plurality of wireless nodes is associated with an emergency services sector resource, and is configured to communicate information regarding the emergency services sector resource to the user application via the wireless communications device. The user device is configured to display information regarding the emergency services sector resource from the user application. |
| US08275399B2 |
Dynamic context-data tag cloud
Disclosed are a system, method, and article of manufacture of a dynamic context-data tag cloud. A context data from a context-enriched message is acquired. A context-data tag that corresponds to the context data is generated. A context-data tag cloud comprising at least one context-data tag is provided. A mobile device that generated the context-enriched message for an updated context data may be queried. A depiction value of the context data may be updated according to an updated context-data value. The context-data tag cloud may include a visual cue of an attribute of the context data. |
| US08275391B2 |
Enhancing cell resolution mobile positioning estimates via signal strength measurement reported by mobile station
In a method for estimating the position of a subscriber station of a radio communication system, a receiver station receives reports from the subscriber station, said reports containing information relating to the signal strength of a receiving signal of at least one transmitting station in the locality of the subscriber station. The reports are stored in a memory of a network device of the radio communication system and a position determining unit takes into account at least two reports stored prior to the request for position estimation, in order to estimate the position of the subscriber station. |
| US08275380B2 |
Cell information transmission method and user apparatus in mobile communications system
A method of transmitting cell information is disclosed. The method includes the steps of transmitting a primary broadcast channel at constant intervals in a cell of a mobile communications system; broadcasting, in the primary broadcast channel, scheduling information indicating a location of a first scheduling unit, including information to be broadcast in the cell; and broadcasting, in the first scheduling unit, information indicating whether the cell is a dominant cell or a subordinate cell. |
| US08275379B2 |
Inter-MSC handover in a communications network
There is provided a method and apparatus for handling handover of a mobile terminal in a mobile communications network. The mobile communications network comprises both radio access network and core network portions. Handover is from a source cell served by a source Mobile Switching Center to a target cell served by a target Mobile Switching Center. The source Mobile Switching Center generates a request for handover message and sends it to a Handover Routing Router. At the Handover Routing Router, an identity of the target cell or a target node is determined from the request, and the target cell or node identity is mapped to the address of the target Mobile Switching Center. The request for handover is then sent from the Handover Routing Router to the target Mobile Switching Center. |
| US08275378B2 |
Handover for cellular radio communications
An improved handover process is described for a cellular wireless network. In one example, a method includes registering a mobile station to a first base station and a first gateway, handing the mobile station over to a second base station coupled to the first gateway, selecting a second gateway coupled to the mobile station, registering the mobile station to the second gateway, de-registering the mobile station from the first gateway, and handing the mobile station over to a third base station coupled to the second gateway and not coupled to the first gateway. |
| US08275370B2 |
Systems and methods for subscriber profile management
Systems and methods subscriber profile management to facilitate seamless roaming of mobile devices from one network to another. A subscriber profile management system is provided that includes a time to live (“TTL”) generator that generates a TTL limit for a subscriber based on usage characteristics of the subscriber. The subscriber profile management system further includes an administration module that administers TTL limits, TTL limit database that store TTL limits, a subscriber profile database that stores subscriber profiles, a usage measurement database that stores usage measurements, and a TTL limit reference module that administers TTLs when a subscriber profile and TTL limit are transmitted. The invention further includes a series of methods that support seamless roaming capabilities of a subscriber throughout visited networks without the need to continually make proxy calls to re-authenticate a subscriber. |
| US08275368B2 |
Method and apparatus for operating a telecommunication platform
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a telecommunications platform having a plurality of communications links of which only a portion of the links are enabled for use through the activation of a first base license key, comprising: a licensing framework for activating an upgrade license key to enable additional ones of the plurality of links; and a traffic monitoring element for measuring the traffic level of the platform and for generating data related to the measured traffic level when it is determined that the measured traffic level is indicative that the number of links used is greater than that provided for by the base license key. |
| US08275367B1 |
Methods and apparatus for remote data transfer
Methods and apparatus for communication and data transfer according to various aspects of the present invention include a communication system configured to transfer data to and from a mobile customer device. The communication system may receive customer data for a customer, such as a communication carrier for and a type of remote device. The communication system may include a storage system to store communication information associated with a plurality of wireless carriers and/or device types, such as the wireless carrier and the remote device identified for the user. The communication system may further include a host configured to access the storage system and communicate with the remote device according to the communication information associated with the wireless carrier and/or the remote device. |
| US08275353B2 |
System and method of managing contactless payment transactions using a mobile communication device as a stored value device
A method handling payment transactions in a system using mobile communication devices as stored value devices is disclosed. A transaction operations server receives multiple records of the transaction from the stored value device—one via a communication channel through the telecommunication provider network, and another via an independent communication channel. The records are reconciled at the transaction server for transaction verification. |
| US08275352B2 |
Location-based emergency information
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for location-based emergency information. A current geographic location of a device is determined. One or more first contact information items based on the determined geographic location are received at the device. The first contact information items include one or more contact information items associated with emergency services. |
| US08275351B1 |
Systems and method for automating a response from a mobile station
Mobile stations, methods, functionality, and articles of manufactures enable mobile stations to automatically respond to a messaging service message. An application is stored and executed on a mobile station. The application provides functionality to determine response message content for use by the application, receive a mobile messaging service message, and respond automatically, without interaction by the end-user of the mobile station, send a response to the received mobile messaging service message containing the message content for the sender of the received mobile messaging service message. The automatic response application may be user activated or automatically activated under various circumstances, for example at a specific time, on a regularly scheduled basis, upon detection of movement faster than a predetermined speed, upon detection of the station being in a vehicle, e.g. associated with a recognizable device in the vehicle. |
| US08275348B2 |
Method for managing telephone calls in a vehicle
A method for managing an ongoing telephone call in a vehicle includes the steps of monitoring signals provided by vehicle systems and monitoring conversational cognitive load indicators for a driver during the telephone call. A current driving situation is assessed by evaluating the signals provided by the vehicle systems and by evaluating the conversational cognitive load indicators. A semantic cue is provided during the telephone call, wherein the semantic cue is indicative of the current driving situation and wherein the semantic cue is audible at least for a caller calling the driver. Methods for managing incoming telephone calls and assisting the driver with outgoing telephone calls are also provided. |
| US08275343B2 |
System and method of using residual voltage from a prior operation to establish a bias voltage for a subsequent operation
A system and method of improving the power efficiency of a receiver for low duty cycle applications. In one aspect, the receiver includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) that is capable of being enabled in a relatively quick fashion so as to amplify an incoming signal when needed, and then being disabled to set the LNA in a low power consumption mode. In particular, the LNA includes a pair of complimentary devices, and an enable circuit adapted to quickly cause the complimentary devices to conduct substantially the same current. In another aspect, a bias voltage generating apparatus is provided that uses a residual voltage from a prior operation to establish the current bias voltage for the LNA. In particular, the apparatus includes a controller adapted to tune an adjustable capacitor to a capacitance based on a residual voltage applied to a fixed capacitor, and couple the capacitors together to establish the bias voltage. |
| US08275338B2 |
Passive high frequency image reject mixer
The apparatus is a complete passive implementation of an image reject mixer (IRM) that is capable of operating at very high frequency. Using a hybrid as part of the IRM circuit enables operation at very high frequencies that also employs a high intermediate frequency (IF). All the components of the design are passive and implementable in MOS technologies providing significant cost and implementation advantages. Furthermore, the apparatus is operative at frequencies that are higher than several tens of GHz. |
| US08275333B2 |
Apparatus and method for switching radio channel
An apparatus and a method for switching to a channel including good receiving sensitivity among a plurality of channels for the same broadcast service are provided. The apparatus includes a radio broadcast receiving unit for receiving a radio broadcast, a display unit for indicating an existence of another frequency channel, through which it is possible to listen to a current broadcast, and a control unit for notifying a user of the existence of the other frequency channel if the other frequency channel exists for listening to the current broadcast service, and for switching a current channel to the other frequency channel to listen to the broadcast service through the other frequency channel if the other frequency channel is selected. |
| US08275329B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device with reduced harmonics resulting from metal shield coupling
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing, antenna, and circuit board carried by the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry operative with the antenna for receiving and transmitting RF signals through the antenna. A power amplifier is connected within a transmission line for amplifying RF signals to be transmitted over the transmission line to the antenna. An antenna switch is connected to the antenna and RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds the power amplifier and antenna switch and isolates the power amplifier and antenna switch from the antenna and RF circuitry. A low pass filter is connected to the power amplifier and antenna switch for reducing any RF coupling of voltage standing waves of upper harmonic frequencies from the power amplifier into the antenna switch through the RF shield while maintaining transmission of signals through the transmission line at a desired fundamental frequency. |
| US08275327B2 |
Wrist watch type mobile terminal
The present invention relates to a wrist watch type mobile terminal, and may include a conductive metal housing connected with a band or strap to be worn on a human body, and formed to be operable as an antenna at a specific bandwidth, a wireless communication module configured to process a signal transmitted and/or received by the housing, and a feeding portion configured to electrically connect the metal housing with the wireless communication module. The metal housing thereof may function as an antenna transmitting and/or receiving a specific bandwidth, and thus has an advantage of facilitating the implementation of the wireless performance and improving the appearance thereof, compared to a case in which an antenna is disposed within the housing having a small and limited size. |
| US08275325B2 |
Transceiver
The transmitter of the transceiver includes: a transmitter-side mixers of a transmitter-side modulator; a transmitter-side voltage-controlled oscillator; and a transmitter-side divider. The divider having a dividing factor of a non-integral number is supplied with an oscillating output of the oscillator. A pair of non-quadrature local signals having a phase difference of 90° plus a predetermined offset angle is produced by the divider and supplied to the mixers. The transmitter includes a phase-shift unit which converts a pair of quadrature transmit signals having a phase difference of about 90° on an analog basis into a pair of non-quadrature shifted transmit signals. Consequently, quadrature modulation is performed by the mixers. Use of a similar configuration enables the reduction in interference of an RF signal with local signals supplied to receiver-side mixers of the receiver. |
| US08275323B1 |
Clear-channel assessment in 40 MHz wireless receivers
A system including an activity sensing module to sense RF activity in first and second sub-channels of a communication channel of a first wireless network. N adjacent channel interference (ACI) filter modules arranged in parallel receive signals from N antennas, respectively, filter out signals in channels adjacent to the communication channel, and generate N filtered signals, respectively, where N>2. The activity sensing module generates control signals based on the N filtered signals. A channel identification module processes the control signals, and determines that both of the first and second sub-channels are available when the RF activity originating from a second wireless network is not present in both of the first and second sub-channels, and that the first sub-channel is available when the RF activity originating from the second wireless network is present only in the second sub-channel and is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. |
| US08275322B2 |
Rateless coding for multiuser interference relay channel
An interference relay channel (IRC) utilizes a single relay to assist communications between multiple source-destination links under the half-duplex (HD) constraint. It is assumed that each source has an independent message and its transmitted signal may cause interference at the other destinations. It is also assumed that each node only estimates its backward channels and has no knowledge of its forward channels as well as the other links. The role of the relay is to generate signals to cooperate with the intended signal and mitigate the interference at all destinations. |
| US08275321B2 |
Electrical circuits with reconfigurable interferer signal routing
An electrical circuit comprises a source of an interferer signal; at least one component configured for using the signal; at least two electrically parallel conductive paths by which the signal can pass between the source and each of the at least one components; and a signal path selector configured to selectively enable the signal to pass from the source to the component by any of the at least two conductive paths and to, when one of the paths is enabled to carry the signal, disable each of the other at least two paths from carrying the signal. |
| US08275318B2 |
System and method for short range wireless communication
A magnetic induction data transmission network comprising a master hub, at least one sensor node communicatively coupled to the master hub and a magnetic induction coil preferably adapted to be worn about a body part of a subject such as an individual's waist or neck. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the magnetic induction coil preferably includes a connector which serves as an intermediary between the coil and the hub to allow data communication. |
| US08275315B2 |
System and method for transmitting data over an audio communication link
The present invention relates to a system and method that allows a user to transfer digital data to and from a mobile device between two or more communication devices, in cases where the communication between the devices is restricted or otherwise limited to audio or audio tone transmissions. Transmitting digital data over such an audio communication link may include establishing a wireless, short-range communication link, converting a digital data set to an audio tone sequence, converting the audio tone sequence to a digitized audio signal, transmitting the digitized audio signal from a first device to a second device over the communication link, converting the digitized audio signal back to the audio tone sequence, and converting the audio tone sequence back to the digital data set. |
| US08275314B1 |
Bluetooth scan modes
Different scan modes are provided for Bluetooth devices. In at least some embodiments, a narrowband scanning mode looks for signal energy on individual transmission frequencies at a time. By looking for signal energy rather than decoding transmitted packets, at least some of the components in a Bluetooth device can remain in an idle or rest state. A midband scanning mode looks for signal energy across multiple different frequencies at a time. Again, by looking for signal energy across multiple different frequencies rather than decoding transmitted packets, at least some of the components in a Bluetooth device can remain in an idle or rest state. A wideband scanning mode looks for signal energies across all relevant frequencies at a time. At least some embodiments enable a Bluetooth device to switch between scanning modes. |
| US08275295B2 |
Toner container and toner filling method
A toner container which is mountable and removable at a main body of an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising: at least one toner filling port provided in a casing body of the toner container; and a sealing member which covers the toner filling port and a predetermined range of surroundings of the toner filling port, from an outer side of the casing body, for sealing toner inside the casing body, is provided. |
| US08275293B2 |
Conductive member, charging device, process cartridge, and image forming device
A conductive member includes a substrate, an elastic layer provided on the substrate and a surface layer provided on the elastic layer, in which the surface layer has a sea/island structure includes a sea portion containing a first resin and an island portion containing a second resin, and at least the island portion contains carbon black. |
| US08275290B2 |
Electrophotographic photosensitive body and image forming apparatus provided with the same
An electrophotographic photosensitive body includes a substrate and a photosensitive layer. In the electrophotographic photosensitive body, a reflectance to an exposure light L1 is defined as a first reflectance, and a reflectance of an eliminating light is defined as a second reflectance. The first reflectance is positively correlated with a light intensity rate of the exposure light L1, and the second reflectance is positively correlated with the light intensity rate of the exposure light L1 in a first case, while is negatively correlated with the light intensity rate of the exposure light L1 in a second case. In the first case, an amount of change of the first reflectance to an amount of change of the light intensity rate of the exposure light L1 is less than 1. In the second case, an amount of change of the first reflectance to an amount of change of the light intensity rate of the exposure light L1 is more than 1. |
| US08275289B2 |
Fixing unit and image forming apparatus therewith
A fixing unit is provided with a heat roller having a plurality of heaters provided therein for applying heat to a toner image formed on a sheet of paper, an upper-side casing for holding the heat roller, a holding member detachably fitted to the upper-side casing, and a plurality of fitting portions that are provided in the holding member and to which first to third terminal portions of the plurality of heaters can be detachably fitted from a same direction. |
| US08275288B2 |
Image forming device capable of improving precision in relative positioning of conveying unit and fixing unit
An image forming device includes a main body having a main frame, a plurality of photosensitive members, a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium onto which images are transferred from the photosensitive members, a fixing unit that fixes the images onto the recording medium, and an attaching member that attaches both the fixing unit and an end section of the conveying unit nearest the fixing unit to the main frame. |
| US08275284B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly thereof. The cartridge includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer, a conductive member contactable to the carrying member, a developing chamber for holding the carrying member and the conductive member, a developer accommodating chamber for accommodating the developer, and a seal member for sealing an opening between the developing chamber and the developer accommodating chamber. The apparatus further includes a seal member removing device, and a control device. The control device controls concurrently performing seal member removal and driving of the carrying member when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly and then sends a detection signal signaling failure of removal of the seal member when a potential difference is provided between the carrying member and said conductive member during the execution of the control. |
| US08275282B2 |
Image forming apparatus, control method, and control program
An image forming apparatus having a display unit for displaying a program which can be executed in the apparatus so as to be identified is disclosed. The apparatus has: an input unit for inputting a program into the image forming apparatus; a display control unit for controlling a process for displaying select keys including a plurality of select keys to instruct a selection of a desired one of a plurality of programs stored in the image forming apparatus onto a display screen displayed on the display unit; and a discriminating unit for discriminating whether the select key to instruct a selection of the program inputted by the input unit can be further displayed onto the first display screen to display the select keys corresponding to the programs registered in the image forming apparatus in response to the input of the program from the input unit or not. |
| US08275279B2 |
Image forming apparatus with operation of image bearing member after image formation
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable drum; a charging roller for electrically charging the drum; a developing device for developing a latent image formed on the drum into a developer image; a cleaning device for removing a developer remaining on the drum after transfer; and a control device. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade contacting the drum. The control device is capable of performing an operation for rotating the drum, in a direction identical to the rotational direction of the drum during image formation effected by rotating the drum, after a lapse, without next instruction of image formation, of a predetermined period from a stop of rotation of the drum after completing image formation. The predetermined period is longer with a larger number of sheets subjected to the image formation in an image forming job before the rotation of the image bearing member is stopped. |
| US08275278B2 |
Fixing control device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
A fixing control device includes a power distribution controller that adjusts a power distribution time period when the power is distributed to plural heater elements per control cycle, a turn on time determining member that determines a time when each of the plural heater elements is turned on based on a duty ratio between the power distribution time period and the control cycle, and a soft operation controller that either gradually starts or stops heating each of the plural heater elements during a soft start or stop period, respectively. One of the soft start and stop periods for one of the plural heater elements is decreased not to overlap with another one of the plural heater elements. |
| US08275275B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus including a latent image carrier, a charger to evenly charge a surface of the latent image carrier, a writing device to irradiate a charged surface of the latent image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image, a writing device control unit to control the writing device, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transferred member, and a pre-transfer irradiating device to irradiate the charged surface of the latent image carrier during a period after development and before transfer. The writing device control unit controls the writing device based on a target image signal A and an image signal B output a single rotation of the latent image carrier after output of the target image signal A in a sub-scanning direction. |
| US08275270B2 |
High-sensitivity, high-resolution detector devices and arrays
Avalanche amplification structures including electrodes, an avalanche region, a quantifier, an integrator, a governor, and a substrate arranged to detect a weak signal composed of as few as several electrons are presented. Quantifier regulates the avalanche process. Integrator accumulates a signal charge. Governor drains the integrator and controls the quantifier. Avalanche amplifying structures include: normal quantifier, reverse bias designs; normal quantifier, normal bias designs; lateral quantifier, normal bias designs; changeable quantifier, normal bias, adjusting electrode designs; normal quantifier, normal bias, adjusting electrode designs; and lateral quantifier, normal bias, annular integrator designs. Avalanche amplification structures are likewise arranged to provide arrays of multi-channel devices. The described invention is expected to be used within photodetectors, electron amplifiers, chemical and biological sensors, and chemical and biological chips with lab-on-a-chip applications. Structures have immediately applicability to devices critical to homeland defense. |
| US08275267B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for filter implementation using hermitian conjugates
Filter implementation using Hermitian conjugates and time division multiplexing (TDM) is disclosed to more efficiently compensate for chromatic dispersion of optical signals transmitted over a fiber optic medium. Embodiments for an input, filter, and output sections of a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) are described. The disclosed methods, and corresponding apparatus and systems enables a substantial reduction in the complexity of the hardware needed to implement CD compensation in the DSP. According to another embodiment, Inverse-Fourier transform circuits receive TDM data from the filter section and assemble the TDM data format back to a non-TDM format. |
| US08275264B2 |
Optical waveform controlling apparatus
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an apparatus for controlling optical waveform, comprises: an input port for inputting a signal light having a modulating frequency and a signal light power; a pump light generator generating pulsed pump light having a frequency higher than the modulating frequency of the signal light and a pulsed pump light power; a nonlinear optical medium for transmitting the signal light from the input port and the pulsed pump light, the nonlinear optical medium having a gain of the signal light based on a nonlinear optical effect; and a power adjustor for adjusting a gain of the signal light saturates in the nonlinear optical medium by a nonlinear optical effect by adjusting at least one of the signal light power or the pulsed pump light power. |
| US08275260B2 |
Network restoration under link or node failure using preconfigured virtual cycles
The design of telecommunication networks is such that there is provision of end-to-end path protection to multiple demands under a single link or node failure in the networks. Restoration routes are provided on Preconfigured Virtual Cycles (PVC's), where each demand is assigned one restoration route and specific restoration wavelengths on a segment of one cycle. Multiple demands may share restoration wavelengths, and the number of restoration wavelengths may vary among the PVC links. First, a plurality of candidate PVC's are generated where each demand may be assigned to multiple candidates. Assignment of demands with common failure scenarios are allowed, under certain conditions, to the same PVC. Next, a set of PVC's is selected from among the candidates, while minimizing total reserved restoration capacity and ensuring that all demands are protected. Next duplicate assignments are eliminated. Finally, conflicts of wavelength assignments are resolved. The invention focuses primarily on optical networks. |
| US08275257B2 |
Differential quadrature phase-shift keying transmission system with variable transmission rate
Methods and apparatus for varying the transmission rate of a signal transmitted within a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system or network are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining a first signal and determining a transmission rate associated with the first. If it is determined that the transmission rate is a first rate, the method includes processing the first signal as having a first transmission format and the first rate. Alternatively, it is determined that the transmission rate is not the first rate and is a second rate, the method includes processing the first signal as having a second transmission format and a second rate. |
| US08275254B2 |
Camera module and method for assembling the same
A camera module includes a lens assembly and a baseboard assembly mounted on the lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a lens, a barrel receiving the lens, and a support member receiving the barrel. The baseboard assembly includes a circuit board and an image sensor on the circuit board. The baseboard defines a friction surface at a side surface thereof. |
| US08275250B2 |
Zoom switch assembly, image photographing apparatus having the same, and method of controlling zoom lens
A zoom switch assembly for an image photographing apparatus includes a fixing member which includes a flat unit, a rotating member which is mounted rotatably with respect to the fixing member, an electric conductivity unit which is mounted on the rotating member to rotate opposite the flat member, and a position detection pattern which is formed along a rotation trace of the electric conductivity unit on the flat unit of the fixing member, and through which electricity flows selectively according to a rotation angle of the electric conductivity unit. |
| US08275247B2 |
Method and apparatus for normal reverse playback
Provided are a method and apparatus for normal reverse playback of GOPs of a bitstream stored in a storage medium from an Xth GOP. The apparatus includes an MPEG decoder which reads a first bitstream corresponding to the Xth GOP and an (X−1)th GOP from the storage medium and which decodes pictures of the Xth GOP and reference pictures of the (X−1)th GOP using the read bitstream, a frame buffer which stores the pictures decoded by the MPEG decoder, and a display block which displays the decoded pictures stored in the frame buffer, wherein during the normal reverse playback, the apparatus displays all the decoded pictures only once, and each display time of the decoded pictures displayed only once is the same. Accordingly, the apparatus can perform a linear search even during the normal reverse playback. |
| US08275245B2 |
Replace content with like content to enhance program experience
A method and a system for replacement of programs on a video recorder based on preferences and size constraints of a video recorder. The video recorder compares recorded programs in the computer readable storage media and a schedule of programs to be recorded to a plurality of global preferences and program specific preferences specifying preferred recording quality. For each recorded program whose quality does not match a global preference or program specific preference, a listing of future programs is examined for alternate versions of the program which do match a global preference or program specific preference. |
| US08275244B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes an input unit to which moving picture data is input, a memory, a management-information processing unit configured to generate management information related to a position of a predetermined picture in the moving picture data and to store the information in the memory, a recording unit configured to create a moving picture file and a clip information file on a recording medium, to record the moving picture data on the medium by storing the data in the moving picture file, and to record the management information on the medium by storing the information in the clip information file, and a control unit configured to control the recording unit so that, when a size of the stored information reaches a predetermined size during recording of the moving picture file, the recording unit stops recording and records the data by storing the data in a new moving picture file. |
| US08275240B2 |
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. |
| US08275238B2 |
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. |
| US08275237B2 |
Moving image reproducing apparatus
A reproducing apparatus configured to reproduce moving image data based on management information including time information and position information about a plurality of intra pictures in the moving image data and display the reproduced moving image data on a display includes a determination unit configured to acquire information about a time interval and a position interval between two intra pictures from the time information and the position information and determine a bit rate between the two intra pictures, and a display control unit configured to display information concerning the bit rate determined by the determination unit, on the display. |
| US08275232B2 |
Apparatus and method of transmitting / receiving multimedia playback enhancement information, VBI data, or auxiliary data through digital transmission means specified for multimedia data transmission
A data transmission interface apparatus is provided for communicating with another data transmission interface apparatus through a digital transmission means specified for multimedia data transmission. The data transmission interface apparatus has at least a processor for processing multimedia data; and a data converting circuit, coupled to the processor, for converting a plurality of first multimedia data sets into a plurality of second multimedia data sets; and for converting a plurality of first auxiliary data sets into a plurality of second auxiliary data sets. |
| US08275230B2 |
Stackable optical fiber retainer
An optical fiber retainer includes a first split band of material having a bottom, a top, a front and a back surrounding an interior passage, the front including a first portion depending from the top and having a bottom edge and a second portion extending from the bottom and including a top edge, the top edge and bottom edges comprising a first split of the first split band. The bottom includes an inner surface comprising a wall of the interior passage and an outer surface facing away from the interior passage, and the top includes an inner surface comprising a wall of the interior passage and an outer surface facing away from the interior passage. The bottom outer surface includes a first connector element, and the top outer surface includes a second connector element configured to releasably mate with another connector element of another split band. |
| US08275226B2 |
Multi-mode fiber optically coupling a radiation source module to a multi-focal confocal microscope
A multi-mode optical fiber delivers light from a radiation source to a multi-focal confocal microscope with reasonable efficiency. A core diameter of the multi-mode fiber is selected such that an etendue of light emitted from the fiber is not substantially greater than a total etendue of light passing through a plurality of pinholes in a pinhole array of the multi-focal confocal microscope. The core diameter may be selected taking into account a specific optical geometry of the multi-focal confocal microscope, including pinhole diameter and focal lengths of relevant optical elements. For coherent radiation sources, phase randomization may be included. A multi-mode fiber enables the use of a variety of radiation sources and wavelengths in a multi-focal confocal microscope, since the coupling of the radiation source to the multi-mode fiber is less sensitive to mechanical and temperature influences than coupling the radiation source to a single mode fiber. |
| US08275223B2 |
Opto-electrical hybrid wiring board and method for manufacturing the same
An opto-electrical hybrid wiring board is formed with a flexible wiring board; a first rigid wiring board and second rigid wiring board connected to each other by the flexible wiring board; a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, one of which is arranged on the first rigid wiring board and the other on the second rigid wiring board; and a flexible optical waveguide for optically connecting the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element. One end of the flexible wiring board is inserted in and supported by the first rigid wiring board, and the other end is inserted in and supported by the second rigid wiring board; the rigid wiring boards and flexible wiring board are electrically connected to each other by using vias to connect the wiring of the first and second rigid wiring boards and the wiring of the flexible wiring board at the inserted portions. |
| US08275221B2 |
Evaluating subject interests from digital image records
A method of evaluating a user subject interest is based at least upon an analysis of a user's collection of digital image records and is implemented at least in part by a data processing system. The method receives a defined user subject interest, receives a set of content requirements associated with the defined user-subject-interest, and identifies a set of digital image records from the collection of digital image records each having image characteristics in accord with the content requirements. A subject-interest trait associated with the defined user-subject-interest is evaluated based at least upon an analysis of the set of digital image records or characteristics thereof. The subject-interest trait is associated with the defined user-subject-interest in a processor-accessible memory. |
| US08275220B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium storing computer program for image area separation processing
An image processing apparatus includes an image area separation device, a compression device, an image storage device, an image area storage device, a data writing device, and an image output state monitoring device. The image area separation device separates input image data into image data and image area separation data. The compression device compresses the image data. The data writing device writes the image area separation data to the image area storage device, secures an initial compressed image storage region in the image storage device, and sequentially stores the compressed image data in the initial compressed image storage region. The image output state monitoring device monitors a compressed image data amount, and causes the data writing device to secure an additional storage region in the image storage device when the compressed image data amount has reached or exceeded a data amount storable in the initial compressed image storage region. |
| US08275219B2 |
Method and device for video image processing, calculating the similarity between video frames, and acquiring a synthesized frame by synthesizing a plurality of contiguous sampled frames
To acquire a high-resolution frame from a plurality of frames sampled from a video image, it is necessary to obtain a high-resolution frame with reduced picture quality degradation regardless of motion of a subject included in the frame. Because of this, between a plurality of contiguous frames FrN and FrN+1, there is estimated a correspondent relationship. Based on the correspondent relationship, the frames FrN+1 and FrN are interposed to obtain first and second interpolated frames FrH1 and FrH2. Based on the correspondent relationship, the coordinates of the frame FrN+1 are transformed, and from a correlation value with the frame FrN, there is obtained a weighting coefficient α (x′, y′) that makes the weight of the first interpolated frame FrH1 greater as a correlation becomes greater. With the weighting coefficient, the first and second interpolated frames are weighted and added to acquire a synthesized frame FrG. |
| US08275216B2 |
Method and system for equalizing holographic data pages
Methods and systems for equalizing a holographic image page and for compensating nonlinearity of a holographic data storage channel are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for equalizing a holographic image page includes receiving the holographic image page and dividing the holographic image page into a plurality of local image regions. The method further includes generating a local alignment error vector for each local image region, computing a local finite impulse response kernel for each local image region according to the corresponding local alignment error vector, and adjusting misaligned pixels of each local image region using the corresponding local finite impulse response kernel. |
| US08275215B2 |
Merging images
A method for merging first and second images includes determining a pixel difference image from the first and the second images, determining first and second locations of the foreground subject from the pixel difference image, determining a minimum path of values from the pixel difference image for a region between the first and the second locations of the foreground subject, forming a merged image by stitching the first and the second images along the minimum path, and adjusting pixels of the merged image within a width of the minimum path. |
| US08275214B2 |
Image texture characterization of medical images
A method for texture characterization is provided. Multi-dimensional spectrum data are determined by transforming multi-dimensional image data into Fourier domain. The multi-dimensional spectrum data are partitioned into a plurality of partitions, wherein each partition is associated with a predetermined set of orthogonal voice frequencies. The partitioned multi-dimensional spectrum data are then transformed into Stockwell domain resulting in discrete orthonormal Stockwell transform data. The discrete orthonormal Stockwell transform data are then processed to determine data associated with image texture, which are indicative of a feature of the object. |
| US08275211B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
This invention is to easily generate a normal map at a low cost. Hence, image data representing the characteristic of the surface of paper is inputted using an image input device. The type of finish of the paper is determined. Filtering processing corresponding to the type of finish is performed for the image data. A normal map is generated from the image data on which the filtering processing is performed. |
| US08275209B2 |
Reduced DC gain mismatch and DC leakage in overlap transform processing
In certain embodiments, overlap operators are applied during encoding and/or decoding of digital media, where the overlap operators have reduced DC gain mismatch and/or DC leakage between interior overlap operators and overlap operators at the edge and/or corner. In other embodiments, information indicating a selected tile boundary option for overlap processing can be encoded and/or decoded. The selected tile boundary option indicates one of a hard tile boundary option and a soft tile boundary option for processing with overlap operators. Overlap transform processing can then be applied based at least in part on the selected tile boundary option. |
| US08275205B2 |
Prioritizer system for target acquisition
A system having an approach for prioritizing targets for an order of capturing the targets photographically or otherwise. Prioritizing is based on cost of obtaining or capturing the target for viewing or photographing in high resolution. One acquisition mechanism is for obtaining a wide field of view of a scene of targets and another acquisition mechanism is for obtaining a narrow field of view of a target for capture. The cost for prioritizing is based on the time that the narrow field of view acquisition mechanism takes to pan and tilt to get a close-up image of a target divided by the width of the target. The targets may be faces of people. |
| US08275200B2 |
Method, a device, a module and a computer program product for determining the quality of an image
The invention relates to a method, a device, an image quality evaluation module and a computer program product for determining the quality of an image. In an input image, at least one color component is iteratively restored with a deblur parameter, which deblur parameter is increased at each iteration. The iteration is stopped when an overshooting in the final image exceeds a predetermined value. After the iteration has been stopped, a number of iterations is defined and the quality of the image is determined according to the number of iterations. |
| US08275199B2 |
Color processing apparatus and color processing method
Upon creating a color conversion table from a first color space to a second color space, a reversal region where hues are reversed is detected from at least one color gamut in step S2, and the reversal region is corrected in step S3. Mapping is done based on the corrected color gamut in step S4, thereby creating an appropriate color conversion table that suppresses any hue reversal. |
| US08275198B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer readable medium with compression processing for each color
An image processing apparatus includes: a limited color conversion processing section that extracts a plurality of pieces of color information making up image information and executes conversion to specific colors to which the color information belongs; a by-color separation processing section that separates for each specific color, image information converted into the specific colors by the limited color conversion processing section; a compression processing section that compresses for each color, the image information for each specific color separated by the by-color separation processing section; and a layered structure forming processing section that collectively outputs the image information for each color compressed by the compression processing section. |
| US08275196B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes a plurality of parallax image generators. Each of the parallax image generators is configured to generate a first image and a second image based on an input image and a parameter for setting a distance between viewpoints. There is a first parallax between the first image and the second image. The first parallax depends on the parameter for setting the distance between viewpoints. The input image is inputted to the parallax image generators in common. A plurality of parameters for setting the distance between viewpoints different from each other are inputted to the parallax image generators, respectively. |
| US08275195B2 |
Method for determining scattered disparity fields in stereo vision
In a system for stereo vision including two cameras shooting the same scene, a method is performed for determining scattered disparity fields when the epipolar geometry is known, which includes the steps of: capturing, through the two cameras, first and second images of the scene from two different positions; selecting at least one pixel in the first image, the pixel being associated with a point of the scene and the second image containing a point also associated with the above point of the scene; and computing the displacement from the pixel to the point in the second image minimizing a cost function, such cost function including a term which depends on the difference between the first and the second image and a term which depends on the distance of the above point in the second image from a epipolar straight line, and a following check whether it belongs to an allowability area around a subset to the epipolar straight line in which the presence of the point is allowed, in order to take into account errors or uncertainties in calibrating the cameras. |
| US08275193B2 |
Miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated board
This invention documents the efforts on the research and development of a miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated navigation system. A miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated navigation system is presented; Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) based alignment algorithm for space applications is discussed. Two navigation cameras are also included to measure the range and range rate which can be integrated into the GPS/MEMS IMU system to enhance the navigation solution. |
| US08275192B2 |
Coupling alignment apparatus and method
An apparatus for axially aligning a first coupling member and a second coupling member that can be connected so as to form a rotating assembly. The apparatus includes a measurement arrangement configured to be mounted onto the first coupling member and to be rotated therewith. The measurement arrangement includes an emitter arrangement configured to emit first and second signals in the direction of the second coupling member so as to cause at least a portion of said first and second signals to be reflected by the second coupling member. The measurement apparatus further has a capture arrangement configured to capture at least a portion of the first and second reflected signals. The apparatus includes a control arrangement configured to determine an offset in axial alignment between the first and second coupling member based on at least the first and second reflected signals. |
| US08275190B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting pattern defects
An apparatus for inspecting pattern defects, the apparatus including: an image acquisition unit which acquires an image of a specimen and stores the acquired image in an image memory; a defect candidate extraction unit which performs a defect candidate extraction process by using the acquired image, which is read from the image memory; and a defect detection unit which performs a defect detection process based on a partial image containing a defect candidate that is extracted by the defect candidate extraction unit, wherein the defect detection process performed by the defect detection unit is performed asynchronously with an image acquisition process that is performed by the image acquisition unit. |
| US08275189B2 |
Defect inspection system
The present invention relates to a defect inspection system which can perform inspection condition setting easily in a relatively short period of time, can examine the inspection condition setting even when there is no sample, and further can provide an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to a person, who sets the inspection condition, to assist the inspection condition setting. In the defect inspection system, a defective image, which is an inspection image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image are digitalized as a defect signal intensity and accumulated in association with the inspection condition, and the inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed. After all the evaluations are completed, if there are a plurality of defects to be inspected, the work is repeated by times corresponding to the number of kinds of the defects and a recipe file including the accumulated conditions having the high defect signal intensity and an inspection condition item distribution as a inspection condition recipe is automatically outputted and is provided to the person who sets the inspection condition. And, appearance inspection for detecting a pattern defect or a foreign material defect on a substrate is performed. |
| US08275188B2 |
System and method for inspecting chips in a tray
A system for inspecting chips in a tray comprises a three-dimensional sensor, a focus computing unit, an image sensor and a focusing device. The three-dimensional sensor is used to obtain the height signals of surfaces of the chips. The focus computing unit calculates the focusing positions of chips. The surface inspection sensor is used to inspect the surfaces of the chips. The focusing device is used to bring the images of the surfaces of the chips into the focus of the image sensor. |
| US08275185B2 |
Discover biological features using composite images
An image processing system extracts parts or characteristics of interest from prepared biological samples One suitable use of the image processing system is to find biomarkers. But many other suitable uses are possible. Some components of the system include image preprocessing (data interpolation, retention time alignment, image noise filtering, background estimation, and formation of a composite image); image feature extraction (peaks, isotope groups, and charge groups); and computation of feature characteristics and expression statistics, differential expression, and non-differential expression. Outputs of the system include a candidate list of parts or characteristic of interest for aiding further discovery. |
| US08275183B2 |
Signal processing method and apparatus
A signal processing method that includes inputting sample values of a signal and considering the signal to have a plurality of portions. For each portion, a predetermined function is fitted to the sample values of that portion of the signal by calculating values of coefficients for that predetermined function. At least one statistical information function is evaluated for the signal to determine statistical information about the signal and the calculated coefficient values are used so that the form of the statistical information function has been determined for the predetermined function used to fit the signal portion and further includes using the statistical information obtained about the signal to process the signal. |
| US08275178B2 |
Software based method for finger spoof detection and related devices
A finger sensor may include a finger sensing area and a controller cooperating with the finger sensing area for storing enrollment data including finger feature locations. The controller may be for generating authentication data including finger feature locations based upon positioning of an object adjacent the finger sensing area. The controller may also be for performing aligning the authentication data and the enrollment data, matching between the aligned enrollment and authentication data, and spoof attempt detecting based upon corresponding pairs of finger features and their spatial locations in the aligned enrollment and authentication data. The controller may further be for performing an authentication decision based upon the matching and spoof detecting. |
| US08275174B2 |
Vein pattern management system, vein pattern registration apparatus, vein pattern authentication apparatus, vein pattern registration method, vein pattern authentication method, program, and vein data configuration
An imaging unit capturing an image of a body surface with near-infrared light while changing a magnification, and generating multiple pieces of near-infrared light imaging data having different magnifications, a vein pattern extraction unit extracting multiple vein patterns corresponding to each of the multiple pieces of the near-infrared light imaging data from each of the multiple pieces of the near-infrared light imaging data, a fractal dimension calculation unit calculating a fractal dimension corresponding to each of the vein patterns for the extracted multiple vein patterns, and a pseudo-vein pattern determination unit determining presence of a pseudo-vein pattern intentionally formed on a part of the captured body surface based on the calculated fractal dimension are provided. |
| US08275172B2 |
Multipass data integration for automatic detection and classification of objects
Classification of a potential target is accomplished by receiving image information, detecting a potential target within the image information and determining a plurality of features forming a feature set associated with the potential target. The location of the potential target is compared with a detection database to determine if it is close to an element in the detection database. If not, a single-pass classifier receives a potential target's feature set, classifies the potential target, and transmits the location, feature set and classification to the detection database. If it is close, a fused multi-pass feature determiner determines fused multi-pass features of the potential target and a multi-pass classifier receives the potential target's feature set and fused multi-pass features, classifies the potential target, and transmits its location, feature set, fused multi-pass features and classification to the detection database. |
| US08275171B2 |
Composition determining apparatus, composition determining method, and program
A composition determining apparatus includes a subject detecting unit configured to detect one or more specific subjects in an image based on image data; a subject orientation detecting unit configured to detect subject orientation information indicating an orientation in the image of the subject detected by the subject detecting unit, the detection of the subject orientation information being performed for each of the detected subjects; and a composition determining unit configured to determine a composition based on the subject orientation information. When a plurality of subjects are detected by the subject detecting unit, the composition determining unit determines a composition based on a relationship among a plurality of pieces of the subject orientation information corresponding to the plurality of subjects. |
| US08275170B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting horizon in sea image
Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting a horizon which is necessary to detect a camera movement when compositing sea images in a marker-free sea-image camera tracking system. In the method, an ROI is selected near a horizon in a still image of the moving image of the sea, and each maximum point corresponding to the maximum brightness difference is detected from brightness differences between two pixels of each pair having two symmetrical pixels in each column of the ROI. The horizon is detected through a line-fitting using the maximum points. Therefore, the result of horizon detection can be very stable and a horizon can be easily detected in a sea scene having hundreds of frames. |
| US08275169B2 |
Communication system and control method thereof
A method for controlling a communication system comprising obtaining moving picture data, inquiring about processing capability with respect to the obtained moving picture data, changing a preset transfer rate of the moving picture data to a changed transfer rate based on the inquiry results, and transmitting the moving picture data using the preset transfer rate or the changed transfer rate. |
| US08275168B2 |
Orientation free watermarking message decoding from document scans
Bit data is encoded into characters in an input image by providing different darkness levels for pixels in either half of a text character. To determine if the input image is of a right-side up document, or an upside-down document, multiple scans of the input image at 90° rotations between scans may be made. Each scan result is searched for occurrences of a indicator prefix bit-sequence. The scan that contains the indicator prefix bit-sequence is elected as the right-side up orientation for the input image. If multiple scans show occurrences of the indicator prefix bit-sequence, then the scan that has the highest number of occurrences is elected as the correct orientation. Alternatively, the number of data bits between repeated occurrences of the indicator prefix bit-sequence is compared with a predefined message bit size, and the scan that matches most closely is elected as the correct orientation. |
| US08275163B2 |
Battery compartment with latching element for a behind-the-ear hearing device and behind-the-ear hearing device
A battery compartment for a behind-the-ear hearing device includes a battery compartment body having a battery receiving space for accommodating a battery and at least one latching element for locking to a hearing device housing. The latching element and the battery compartment body are formed of different materials and the latching element is disposed in a holding device in the battery compartment body. A behind-the-ear hearing device with a latching element and the use of polyoxymethylene for manufacturing the latching element, are likewise provided. As a result of the separation of the latching element and the battery compartment body and the use of different materials, a switching and locking function can be optimized and the wearing quality can be improved. |
| US08275162B2 |
Method for operating a hearing device and microphone system for hearing device
A method for operating a hearing device, an associated microphone system comprising at least two omnidirectional microphones, and a hearing device are provided. The microphones emit microphone signals and are electrically interconnected with one another in order to form directional characteristics. A damping of the upper frequency range of the microphone signals is determined from the lower frequency range of the microphone signals. The impression of a wide-band directional microphone is produced as a result. |
| US08275161B2 |
Hearing device employing signal processing based on design-related parameters and corresponding method
For enabling fast, customer-specific and precise matching of a hearing device's directional characteristic, a hearing device having a signal processing unit for performing a processing algorithm is provided, with at least one design-related parameter of the hearing device having been made available to the signal processing unit and with the signal processing unit performing the processing algorithm based on the design-related parameter of the hearing device. It should be considered as especially advantageous in the case of the inventive hearing device that a processing algorithm can be performed particularly precisely and customer-specifically based on the provided design-related parameters of the hearing device. |
| US08275160B2 |
Delay time calculation apparatus, delay time calculation method, and storage medium storing program therefor
A delay time calculation apparatus that enables all of speaker units constituting a speaker array to contribute to the formation of a combined wavefront directed to an area specified by a user. The delay time calculation apparatus includes a delay time calculation unit that calculates delay times of delayed audio signals supplied to the speaker units such that a ratio at which an evaluation object area is occupied by an area to which an acoustic wave output from each speaker unit reaches earlier than acoustic waves output from the other speaker units falls within a predetermined range. The evaluation object area is a target area to which a combined wavefront of acoustic waves output from the speaker units is directed, or is a perspective projection image of the target area onto a predetermined evaluation plane. |
| US08275154B2 |
Apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof
An apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which a local dynamic range of an audio signal can be adaptively normalized as well as a maximum dynamic range of the audio signal. The present invention includes receiving, by an audio processing apparatus, a signal, and feedback information estimated based on a normalizing gain; generating a noise estimation based on the signal; computing a gain filter for noise canceling, based on the noise estimation and the signal; and, obtaining a restricted gain filter by applying the feedback information to the gain filter. |
| US08275153B2 |
System and method for generating an audio gain control signal
Embodiments of a system and method of controlling the loudness of an audio signal are disclosed. The method includes determining a long term loudness level for the audio signal over a first sliding time period, determining a short term loudness level for the audio signal over a second sliding time period where the second sliding time period is shorter than the first sliding time period, detecting a segment transition in the audio signal; and generating a gain control signal. The gain control signal is based on the short term loudness level for a first time interval after a segment transition and the gain control signal is based on the long term loudness level after the expiration of the first time interval. Other embodiments include addition signal analysis steps to identify different segments of a signal and to control the loudness of the segments. |
| US08275152B2 |
Dynamic bass boost filter
Bass frequencies of audio can be dynamically boosted using various techniques and tools. The described techniques and tools can be applied separately or in combination. Bass frequencies of audio can be boosted using a linear combination of an input audio signal and output of a high-pass filter. For example, bass frequencies of audio can be boosted by applying a high-pass filter to an input audio signal to produce an output of the high-pass filter, determining a current level, determining a target gain amount, dynamically adjusting the input audio signal and the output of the high-pass filter, and combining the gain-adjusted signals to produce an output signal. A dynamic bass boost filter can comprise a high-pass filter and a dynamic boost module. |
| US08275148B2 |
Audio processing apparatus and method
An audio processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a main microphone for receiving sounds from a source and noises from non-source sources and generating a main input; a reference microphone for receiving the sounds and the noises and generating a reference input; a short-time Fourier transformation (STFT) unit for applying short time Fourier transformation to convert the main input of a time domain signals into a main signal of a frequency domain and convert the reference input of the time domain signals into a reference signal of the frequency domain; a sensitivity calibrating unit for performing sensitivity calibration on the main signal and the reference signal and generating a main calibrated signal and a reference calibrated signal; and a voice active detector (VAD) for generating a voice active signal according to the main calibrated signal, the reference calibrated signal and a direction of arrival (DOA) signal. |
| US08275147B2 |
Selective shaping of communication signals
Angular discrimination between signals is described. Multiple signals are sampled with multiple signal sensors spatially separated from each other. Respective transform signals are determined that are representative of each sampled signal. If a difference between the transform signals in a given transform kernel bin is greater than a difference threshold, a first transform signal is modified by altering that kernel bin. Then the resulting modified transform signal is inverse transformed. |
| US08275145B2 |
Vehicle communication system
The present invention relates to a vehicle communication system comprising a plurality of microphones adapted to detect speech signals of different vehicle passengers, a mixer combining the audio signal components of the different microphones to a resulting speech output signal, a weighting unit determining the weighting of the audio signal components for the resulting speech output signal, where the weighting unit determines the weighting of the signal components based upon non-acoustical information about the presence of a vehicle passenger. |
| US08275144B2 |
Intelligent audio speakers
An intelligent audio speaker that uses a power line communication element to provide audio distribution within homes, businesses, apartment complexes, and other buildings. Multiple intelligent audio speakers may be networked together, with common control. The intelligent audio speaker may, in some embodiments of the present invention, contain enhanced ambient backlight effects to further enhance the listener's experience. In some embodiments of the present invention, an existing audio speaker is retrofitted to an intelligent audio speaker using a retrofit kit. |
| US08275140B2 |
Transducer for sensing actual or simulated body sounds
A transducer system is disclosed for detecting actual or simulated body sounds. An audio signal generation and detection system is disclosed for the purposes of simulating the medical examination of a patient or simulating the listening of sounds seeming to emanate from a live or inanimate body. A signal generator sets up a voltage potential at an electrode physically attached to the body, or electrically connected to a body, thereby setting up a voltage potential on a surface area of the body. An electric field potential sensor or a capacitive electrical sensor placed in proximity to the electrode or body surface then detects the voltage potential. The signals produced by the signal generator can represent heart, lung, bowel or other sounds and the electrical sensor can take the physical form of a listening device such as a stethoscope, thereby creating a simulation of listening to body sounds for medical diagnostic purposes. |
| US08275138B2 |
Dynamic acoustic rendering
A method of acoustically rendering a virtual environment is described. The method includes receiving a subset of polygons derived for an acoustic display from a set of polygons generated for a graphical display. Acoustic reflections are determined from a sound source that bounce off of polygons in the subset of polygons to a listener position in the virtual environment. It is determined whether a polygon in the subset of polygons causes an occlusion of the sound source at the listener position, and a play list of sounds is generated based on the reflections and occlusions. |
| US08275134B2 |
Method for guaranteeing security of critical data, terminal and secured chip
A method for guaranteeing the security of critical data, which is used in a terminal including a secured chip and includes the steps of: activating the secured chip by the terminal platform to receive cryptograph A of said critical data; parsing internally by the secured chip the cryptograph A with a preset key A to generate a plaintext, then encrypting said plaintext with a preset key B to generate cryptograph B, and returning the cryptograph B to the terminal platform. Since cryptograph conversion is performed inside the secured chip, and the process of converting the cryptograph A to the cryptograph B is completed inside the secured chip as a one-shot action, the secured chip cannot be eavesdropped upon or stolen by any vicious software, and thus the critical data is guaranteed to be always in a cryptograph status from the secured input device to the remote server, which ensures the security of the critical data. In addition, the present invention is low in cost, advantageous in spreading and application, and convenient in customization and upgrading. The present invention further provides a terminal and a secured chip. |
| US08275131B2 |
Image forming apparatus and security setting method thereof
An image forming apparatus and a security setting method thereof, the method including: inputting an encryption key of a wireless network connection of the image forming apparatus; displaying a selection screen including one or more functions which the image forming apparatus provides; and selecting at least one of the displayed functions with which to share the encryption key as a password. |
| US08275129B2 |
Data scrambling, descrambling, and data processing method, and controller and storage system using the same
A data scrambling method for scrambling raw data from a host system is provided. The data scrambling method includes generating a random number and storing the random number into a storage unit. The data scrambling method also includes receiving a user password from the host system, generating a padded value by using a first function unit based on the random number and the user password, and generating a nonce value by using a second function unit based on the padded value and a key. The data scrambling method further includes generating scrambled data corresponding to the raw data by using a third function unit based on the nonce value and the raw data. Accordingly, the raw data of the host system can be effectively protected. |
| US08275127B2 |
Cryptographic processing apparatus, cryptographic processing method, and computer program therefor
The invention realizes a high-security cryptographic processing apparatus that increases difficulty in analyzing its key and a method therefor. In Feistel-type common-key-block cryptographic processing that repeatedly executes an SPN-type F-function having the nonlinear conversion section and the linear conversion section over a plurality of rounds, Linear conversion processing of an F-function corresponding to each of the plurality of rounds is carried out by linear conversion processing that applies square MDS (Maximum Distance Separable) matrices. The invention uses a setting that arbitrary m column vectors included in inverse matrices of square MDS matrices being set up at least in consecutive even-numbered rounds and in consecutive odd-numbered rounds, respectively, constitute a square MDS matrix. This structure realizes cryptographic processing whereby resistance to linear cryptanalysis attacks in the common-key-block cipher is improved. |
| US08275125B2 |
Method for designing a secure hash function and a system thereof
A system and method for designing a secure hash function is provided. Both of which have been designed for secure hash functionality, Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-3) using pre processing (MP) methods and to help reduce hash collisions. It is a one way hash function which is a combination of message pre-processing which is a bijective function and the cipher block chaining mode (CBC). |
| US08275123B2 |
Integrated data transceiver and sensor for the generation of a symmetrical cryptographic key
Systems for exchanging encrypted data communications between devices. A system can comprise a first device and a second device. The first device can comprise a first sensor adapted to create a first data profile based at least in part on a sensed condition, and a first transceiver integrated with the first sensor and adapted to generate a first cryptographic key from the first data profile. The second device can comprise a second sensor adapted to create a second data profile based at least in part on the sensed condition, the second data profile being substantially similar to the first data profile, and a second transceiver integrated with the second sensor and adapted to generate a second cryptographic key from the second data profile, the first and second cryptographic keys comprising a set of identical cryptographic keys. |
| US08275117B2 |
Methods and apparatus for use in computer-to-human escalation
A system and method are provided for escalating a user or customer to a live agent from a conversational agent when predetermined criteria are met. The conversational agent textually converses in so-called natural language interaction and can run on a computer, such as a server. Upon receiving a first query, the conversational agent creates a new case, and interacts with the customer, in an attempt to resolve the case and satisfy the user. The predetermined criteria for escalation may include a determination that the conversational agent is unable to satisfy a computer-to-computer information request. Alternatively, the predetermined criteria may include patterns and/or words associated with frustration, for example, and/or unrecognized query subject matter, high priority queries, for example to increase sales, etc. |
| US08275107B2 |
Techniques for managing a multimedia conference call
Techniques include managing a multimedia conference call. An apparatus may comprise a wireless device having at least one wireless transceiver and a conference call manager module. The conference call manager module may establish a voice connection and a data connection for a multimedia conference call using the wireless transceiver, the voice connection to communicate media information and the data connection to communicate conference call event information during the multimedia conference call. |
| US08275103B2 |
Communication device, displaying method and computer readable medium
A system and method for selecting callers on a communication device is disclosed. When a call is received from a caller, call history data are obtained from a call history database, and presented on a display. A user may then decide based on the call history whether to receive the call. |
| US08275092B1 |
Three-dimensional mapping based on scattered penetrating radiation
Methods for a tangible image of an inspected object. An object is illuminated with at least two sources of penetrating radiation that generate respective pencil beams and define respective viewing points and view planes. Post-interaction penetrating radiation due to the respective sources is used to generate signals based on respective views of the inspected object, and thus derive information with respect to a dimension transverse to the first view plane based on the second signal. A tangible image of the inspected object is then displayed depicting information with respect at least to the first view plane and the transverse dimension. |
| US08275091B2 |
Compact mobile cargo scanning system
The present invention is a self-contained mobile inspection system and method and, more specifically, improved methods and systems for detecting materials concealed within a wide variety of receptacles and/or cargo containers. In particular, the present invention is an improved method and system with a novel boom structure that reduces the weight of the boom. The single, light-weight boom of the inspection system is relatively compact in a stowed configuration and has a low height and center of gravity lending to greater maneuverability. |
| US08275089B2 |
Shift register and gate line driving device
It discloses a shift register and a gate line driving device, relating to the technology field for a liquid crystal display, it is made to reduce the switching on errors for gate lines and improve the quality of the image. Said shift register includes: a first thin film transistor, a second thin film transistor, a third thin film transistor, a storage capacitor, a feedback module, and a switch module, wherein said feedback module is used to receive a trigger signal of the feedback module of the previous stage and a clock signal in order to pull up the level of the first node Qa as a pull up node, and to output a feedback signal to the shift register of the previous stage and output a trigger signal to the feedback module of the next stage, said switch module is used to maintain the output terminal of the shift register of the present stage at a low level when the shift register of the present stage does not operate. An embodiment of the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal display panel. |
| US08275088B2 |
Perforated plate support for dual-cooled segmented fuel rod
A perforated plate support supports dual-cooled fuel rods, each of which has concentric outer and inner tubes and is coupled with upper and lower end plugs at upper and lower ends thereof, and guide thimbles, each of which is used as a passage for a control rod. The perforated plate support is formed as a support plate having the shape of a flat plate, which includes internal channel holes, each of which has a diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the inner tube, guide thimble holes, each of which has a diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the guide thimble, and sub-channel holes around each internal channel hole. The upper or lower end of the dual-cooled fuel rod is coupled to the support plate such that the outer diameter of the inner tube is matched with the diameter of the internal channel hole. |
| US08275082B2 |
Method and system for delay locked loop for rake receiver
Certain aspects of a method and system for a delay locked loop for a rake receiver are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include normalizing a signal power of a first control channel based on a threshold value. A sampling time associated with at least one or more of the following: the first control channel, a second control channel, an on-time control channel, and a data channel, may be adjusted based on a comparison between the normalized signal power of the first control channel and a signal power of the second control channel. The second control channel may be delayed with respect to the first control channel by a particular time period. The first and second control channels may be common pilot control channels (CPICHs). The combined signal power of the first control channel may be normalized based on said threshold value. |
| US08275078B2 |
Method and apparatus for signal detection
In order to reduce the complexity of complex signal correlator and realize algorithm optimization, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for implement complex signal correlation by means of shifter and adder instead of complex multiplier. In the method, the amplitude and radial angle of a corresponding received symbol is firstly adjusted based on a pre-stored local reference symbol. Then, the radial angle of the adjusted received signal is rotated based on a corresponding interchange indicator. Finally, all the processed received signals are combined to obtain a final complex correlation signal. With this method, the chip size and computing load can be greatly reduced. |
| US08275077B1 |
Coherent demodulation of ais-GMSK signals in co-channel
The present invention pertains to demodulation of GMSK signals by estimating a carrier frequency of the signal having a carrier residual, basebanding the signal, tracking the signal's carrier frequency, removing the carrier residual, detecting a data burst, generating a bank of poly-bit matched filters, applying the bank of poly-bit matched filters to the signal, determining a magnitude and phase of the output of each poly-bit filter of the bank of poly-bit matched filters, determining a maximum magnitude, determining the location of a baud center, generating a plurality of correlation signals by applying the bank of poly-bit matched filters at the baud center, estimating a carrier phase, removing the estimated carrier phase, applying a Viterbi decoding algorithm to the signal, and estimating the transmitted data sequence. |
| US08275074B2 |
OFDM receiver for dispersive environment
A received OFDM signal is processed to determine a plurality of reference delays, which may include the path delays of a multipath channel. The effective channel estimates corresponding to each reference delay are determined, as is the covariance of the ISI and noise components observed at each delay. Combining weights resulting in maximum post-combining SINR are determined for all subcarriers. A corresponding plurality of FFTs is applied to the incoming sample stream, one at each of the reference delays. The individual subcarriers from each FFT output are then combined using the combining weights. This produces a single FFT output with suppressed ISI, which is used in further processing. |
| US08275071B2 |
Compact dual receiver architecture for point to point radio
A radio frequency receiver comprising a receiver module, an intermediate frequency (“IF”) module, a synthesizer module and a controller module. The receiver module receives a radio frequency signal and provides a baseband in-phase signal and a baseband quadrature signal, eliminates a sideband of the in-phase and quadrature signals to create a first and a second signal, downconverts the first and second signal to a first and a second IF signal, and selects one of the first or second IF signals. The IF module receives the first or second IF signal, performs analog-to-digital conversion on the first or second IF signal, and demodulates the digitally converted IF signal. The synthesizer module receives a programmable reference signal, downconverts the reference signal to an IF feedback signal, downconverts the reference signal to a baseband feedback signal, provides the IF feedback signal to the IF module, and provides the baseband feedback signal to the receiver module. The controller module samples the digitally converted IF signal and provides the programmable reference signal to the synthesizer module to thereby provide a demodulated output signal. |
| US08275070B2 |
Apparatus and method of transmitting/receiving signals using signaling point rotation at mutual cooperation transmission
An apparatus for and method of transmitting and/or receiving a signal by using signaling point rotation in mutually cooperative relaying are provided. The apparatus for transmitting a signal includes: a rotated I-channel generation unit rotating a symbol containing data of a first user, by a predetermined angle, and then, obtaining the I-channel (in-phase) component of the rotated symbol; a rotated Q-channel generation unit receiving a symbol rotated by a predetermined angle, of a previous time slot from a node of a second user performing mutually cooperative relaying with the node of the first user, detecting the I-channel component, and obtaining the Q-channel (quadrature-phase) component of a symbol containing data of the second user from the detected I-channel component; and a combining unit combining the I-channel component of the first user generated in the rotated I-channel generation unit and the Q-channel component of the second user generated in the rotated Q-channel generation unit, thereby generating one symbol. |
| US08275069B2 |
Transmitting apparatus, transmission method and signal generating apparatus
A transmitting apparatus and method transmits different modulated signals from a plurality of antennas, and employs a configuration that includes a modulation section that obtains a modulated signal by performing signal point mapping of transmit bits using a signal point arrangement that is divided into a plurality of signal point sets on the IQ plane, whereby the minimum distance between signal points within a signal point set is smaller than the minimum signal point distance between signal point sets; and an antenna that transmits a modulated signal obtained by the modulation section. A signal point generating apparatus generates a first and second symbols to be transmitted by first and second antennas, respectively. |
| US08275065B2 |
System and method for power saving coding in integer cycle or impulse type modulation transmissions
A system and method for substantially reducing average transmit power by omitting the transmission of a majority of pulses by using a modified run length coding to reduce signal power. By lowering the average power, an opportunity is presented to either decrease the total power drawn by the transmitter (battery life) or raise the peak power of all symbols (Eb/No), thereby increasing range of a RF transmission system. |
| US08275063B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving precoded signal in MIMO communication system
A method for transmitting and receiving a precoded signal in a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) communication system is provided. In the method, a preceding matrix is selected from a codebook including one or more preceding matrices of each rank, each of the preceding matrices including a unitary matrix modified by an antenna selection element. A signal for transmission is then precoded by applying the selected preceding matrix to the signal for transmission and the precoded signal is transmitted through a selected antenna. |
| US08275062B2 |
User scheduling method in multiple antenna system
A user scheduling method includes: determining a maximum temporary user set of a maximum capacity among temporary user sets obtained from combinations of M number of active users; and transmitting data to users belonging to the maximum temporary user set via multiple antennas by using a preceding matrix and a weight matrix with respect to the maximum temporary user set. Users to actually receive data can be selected from among active users in a multi-antenna system, and a corresponding precoding matrix and a weighting matrix can be obtained. |
| US08275060B2 |
Codebook searching apparatus and method thereof
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure propose multiple codebook searching methods for a receiver in a communication system, wherein the communication system uses a codebook having L pre-coding matrices. First, L matrices are calculated according to the L pre-coding matrices, and the L matrices are inversed mean square error matrices of the L pre-encoding matrices. Then, diagonal cofactors or determinants of at least S matrices of the L matrices are calculated, and a pre-coding matrix used by the receiver is found according to the maximum cofactors of the diagonal of the at least S matrices or ratios between the maximum cofactors of the diagonals and the determinants of the at least S matrices. |
| US08275059B2 |
Frequency synchronization apparatus and method in OFDM system
A frequency synchronization apparatus includes: a correlating unit that obtains a first correlation value by correlating a known reference guard interval of an OFDM symbol and a reference copy interval corresponding to the reference guard interval, and obtains a second correlation value by correlating the estimate guard interval and an estimate copy interval corresponding to the estimate guard interval; a determining unit that compares the first and second correlation values to determine a first case where the first correlation value is larger by a pre-set magnification than the second correlation value, a second case where the second correlation value is larger by a pre-set magnification than the first correlation value, and a third case which is not the first case nor the second case; and a frequency offset estimating unit that estimates a frequency offset by using a correlation value corresponding to any one of the first to third. |
| US08275054B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for data transmission
In an embodiment, a communication device is provided comprising transmit circuitry and crosstalk reduction circuitry. In an embodiment, the crosstalk reduction circuitry is configured to receive crosstalk information indicative of crosstalk between a plurality of communication connections for only a part of communication channels of said communication connections. |
| US08275052B2 |
FFT carrier frequency offset estimation for OFDM signal
There is being disclosed an OFDM signal receiver for detecting carrier frequency offset. When FFT transform of the signal is processed in the receiver, an estimator applies the spectrum shape of the FFT transform for estimating the carrier frequency offset. |
| US08275051B2 |
Feedback based scalable video coding
A system and method provides a first integrity check code that can be calculated at an encoder and then sent to a decoder as a supplemental enhancement information message. The decoder can then calculate a second integrity check code over the actual received network abstraction layer units. This second integrity check code can be compared with the encoder-generated first integrity check code sent via the supplemental enhancement information message to indicate if in fact all of the transmitted NAL units from which the integrity check code was generated have been received without changes in their content. In addition, an error tracking algorithm is provided that can be run at either the encoder or the decoder in order to determine if the network abstraction layer units are correct in content at the decoder level. Therefore, pictures that are sent as just intra coded frames and pictures that are sent as just inter coded frames can both be checked for errors. Hence, error checking can be provided in those situations where the decoder fails to provide adequate information to the encoder as to what has actually been decoded. |
| US08275043B2 |
Image information encoding method and encoder, and image information decoding method and decoder
In an image information encoder (10) supplied with an interlaced image in a 4:2:0 format, a color-difference signal phase correction unit (22) shifts, for motion estimation and compensation, the phase of the color-difference signal in a reference image block adaptively to a selected motion estimate mode and the value mv of vertical component in motion vector information so that the reference image block will coincide in phase of the color-difference signal with an input image block. |
| US08275041B2 |
High accuracy motion vectors for video coding with low encoder and decoder complexity
Two-stage interpolation can be provided for frame prediction samples with quarter-pixel and finer accuracy. All samples of quarter-pixel and finer accuracy can use either half or full/integer-pixels in a bi-linear interpolation to allow for the use of higher accuracy motion vectors, such as one-eighth-pixel accuracy motion vectors. The motion vectors can be restricted in a manner such that they are not allowed to point to every possible sub-pixel sample on a sub-pixel grid, but rather a subset of those sub-pixel samples. In addition, the same full/integer and half-pixel samples that can be used to obtain a quarter-pixel sample can also be used to obtain a one-eighth-pixel sample that the quarter-pixel sample is connected to. Hence, for every quarter-pixel sample, a motion vector could point to two additional positions/locations with one-eighth-pixel accuracy, where the two additional positions/locations can be calculated using the same half or integer-pixel samples which were used to obtain the quarter-pixel sample. Therefore, an arbitrary motion vector accuracy can be achieved without the need to perform additional interpolation stages or increase the complexity of a decoder configured to decode motion vector data. |
| US08275038B2 |
Motion detecting method and motion detector
A motion detecting method and a motion detector are provided. The motion detecting method includes the following steps. When the type of the current macro block (MB) is intra-type (I-type) or predictively-coded type (P-type), a first procedure or a second procedure is performed. The first procedure includes setting the active flag of the currentMB according to the type of the previous MB. The second procedure includes setting the active flag of the current MB according to the motion vectors of the previous MB and the current MB. The present invention is capable of reducing the probability of erroneous motion judgments. |
| US08275035B2 |
Video coding apparatus
One embodiment of the invention provides a video coding apparatus including an intraprediction section that generates prediction signals by plural intraprediction modes, an interprediction section that generates prediction signals by plural interprediction modes, and a first determination section that selects a first prediction mode to select a prediction signal by the first prediction mode from among the prediction signals by the plural intraprediction modes and the plural interprediction modes. The first determination section includes a second determination section that selects a second prediction mode from among the plural interprediction modes, a candidate limiting section that selects at least one of the plural intraprediction modes based on the second prediction mode, a third determination section that selects a third prediction mode from among the at least one of the plural intraprediction modes and a fourth determination section that selects the first prediction mode from among the second and third prediction modes. |
| US08275032B2 |
Distributed video coding apparatus and method capable of controlling encoding rate
There are provided a distributed video coding apparatus and method capable of controlling an encoding rate, the apparatus including: an intra-frame encoder encoding a key frame and outputting a bit stream of the encoded key frame; an encoder rate control (ERC) module calculating a bit rate according to motion complexity of a present Wyner-Ziv (WZ) frame by using a correlation between the motion complexity and the bit rate; and a turbo encoder encoding the present WZ frame by the bit rate calculated at the ERC module and outputting the encoded WZ bit stream. |
| US08275030B2 |
Signaling system with selectively-inhibited adaptive equalization
An integrated circuit having a receiver that selectively inhibits incoming data from being used to update adaptively generated controls. Sampling circuitry generates a plurality of samples of an incoming signal. Control circuitry generates an inhibit signal in either a first state or a second state according to whether the plurality of samples meets a randomness criterion. Tap weight update circuitry receives the inhibit signal from the control circuitry and updates a plurality of equalizer tap weights based on the plurality of samples if the inhibit signal is in the first state. The tap weight update circuitry refrains from updating the plurality of equalizer tap weights based on the plurality of samples if the inhibit signal is in the second state. |
| US08275020B1 |
Secure communication using a non-differentiable waveform
A transmitter system includes a processor that synthesizes a randomly varying, non-differentiable waveform by applying independent, pseudo-random variations to a number of transmission parameters to produce a number of independent pseudo-random variable stochastic processes with independent distributions within the waveform. Examples of transmitter parameters that can be varied include: a PN spreading sequence segment; a PN spreading symbol rate; a chip clock frequency; a chip frequency-dwell period; a data symbol rate; a data symbol rate dwell; an RF carrier frequency; and a carrier frequency dwell-time. |
| US08275016B2 |
Demodulation method and device, equalization method and system in transmitting diversity mode
A demodulation method and device, an equalization method and system in a transmitting diversity mode are provided. The demodulation method includes: demodulating two equalized equalization signals respectively through a transmitting diversity mode; and then performing a maximum ratio combination on the demodulated signals. According to embodiments of the present invention, the two equalized signals are respectively demodulated according to a transmitting diversity mode, and then a maximum ratio combination is performed on the two signals to get a demodulated signal, which improves the performance of the demodulated signal and the equalization system. |
| US08275015B2 |
Passively Q-switched side pumped monolithic ring laser
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for generating a side-pumped passively Q-switched non-planar ring oscillator. The method introduces a laser into a cavity of a crystal, the cavity having a round-trip path formed by a reflection at a dielectrically coated front surface, a first internal reflection at a first side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front, a second internal reflection at a top surface of the crystal, and a third internal reflection at a second side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front. The method side pumps the laser at the top or bottom surface with a side pump diode array beam and generates an output laser emanating at a location on the front surface. The design can include additional internal reflections to increase interaction with the side pump. Waste heat may be removed by mounting the crystal to a heatsink. |
| US08275014B2 |
Surface-emitting laser element, surface-emitting laser array, optical scanning device, and image forming apparatus
A surface-emitting laser element includes a substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers laminated on the substrate, the plural semiconductor layers including a resonator structural body including an active layer and semiconductor multilayer film reflection mirrors having the resonator structural body sandwiched therebetween; an electrode provided in such a manner as to surround a emitting region on a surface of the surface-emitting laser element from which light is emitted; and a dielectric film provided in the emitting region such that a reflection ratio of a peripheral part of the emitting region is different from a reflection ratio of a center part of the emitting region. Edge portions that are near edges of the dielectric film are tilted with respect to the surface. |
| US08275013B2 |
Semiconductor laser device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor laser device includes a first semiconductor laser element formed on a surface of a first conductive type substrate, obtained by stacking a first conductive type first semiconductor layer, a first active layer and a second conductive type second semiconductor layer successively from the first conductive type substrate and a second semiconductor laser element obtained by successively stacking a first conductive type third semiconductor layer, a second active layer and a second conductive type fourth semiconductor layer, wherein the third semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer by bonding a side of the third semiconductor layer to the surface of the first conductive type substrate through a fusible layer. |
| US08275009B2 |
Green laser generation device, and portable electronic machine having laser projection display using the said device
The present invention relates to a green laser generation device which can be applied to a cellular phone, and more particularly to a green laser generation device which is ultra compact in size having volume of 1 cc or less, despite having a built-in thermo electric cooler, and has sufficient output power, despite having low power consumption, and a portable electronic machine having a laser projection display using the said device. The present invention provides a green laser generation device comprising an LD pump constituted by a photo diode; a fundamental generator generating infrared light laser according to the driving of the LD pump; a second harmonic generator generating green light using the generated infrared light laser; a polarization maintenance unit inserted between the fundamental generator and the second harmonic generator to maintain the polarization of the laser; and a temperature controller controlling an internal temperature of the green laser generation device. |
| US08275006B2 |
Method and apparatus for binding transmission lines
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for binding transmission lines and the method includes the following steps: first decide a transmission speed supported by all the transmission lines to be bound, activate all the transmission lines to be bound at the transmission speed supported by all the transmission lines and then bind all the transmission lines. Apparatus for binding transmission lines is also disclosed in the embodiments, which includes a speed reselecting module, a reactivating module and a binding module. According to the embodiments of the present invention, transmission lines with different transmission speeds are bound together in such a way that transmission lines with different transmission speeds could be activated at one transmission speed. Therefore, the bound transmission line may provide wider bandwidth for the user because all the bound transmission lines have the same transmission speed. |
| US08275004B2 |
Digital broadcasting transmitter, turbo stream processing method thereof, and digital broadcasting system having the same
A digital broadcasting transmitter, a turbo stream processing method thereof, and a digital broadcasting system having the same. The digital broadcasting transmitter includes a first compressor, forming a normal stream by compressing audio and video signals in a first compression format, a second compressor, forming a turbo stream by compressing the audio and video signals in a second compression format, a transport stream (TS) constructor, compressing the turbo stream in an H.264 format and forming the dual transfer stream by multiplexing the normal stream and the turbo stream, and a TS processor, robustly processing the dual transfer stream transmitted from the TS constructor, thus enhancing the transmission efficiency. |
| US08275003B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating multiplexed signals
An aspect of the invention relates to a method and apparatus for multiplexing content. In one example, a first transport stream is received. The first transport stream includes a sequence of burst cycles, each of the burst cycles having a plurality of packet bursts respectively associated with a plurality of primary services. In one example, a primary service is a national service. A packet burst stream is received that is associated with a secondary service. In one example, a secondary service is a regional service. The first transport stream is multiplexed with the packet burst stream to produce a second transport stream. The second transport stream includes a deterministic relationship between the plurality of packet bursts in each of the burst cycles and packet bursts of the packet burst stream. Additional packet burst streams associated with additional secondary services may be received and multiplexed in a similar manner. |
| US08275001B1 |
Systems and methods for synchronizing backup receivers to network clocks
An interworking function (IWF) at an edge of a packet network comprises a primary receiver and a backup receiver. The primary receiver receives data packets and timing information from a packet network. The primary receiver interworks data from the data packets into a data signal that is based on a local clock signal. The primary receiver uses the timing information from the packet network to adjust the frequency of the local clock signal such that it is synchronous to a network clock signal, such as a clock signal at an IWF, referred to as the “transmitting IWF,” that transmitted the data packets. In addition, the primary receiver from time-to-time provides timing information, such as a frequency control word, to the backup receiver, which uses such timing information to synchronize a clock signal of the backup receiver to the network clock signal upon an occurrence of a switchover from the primary receiver to the backup receiver. By using the timing information from the primary transceiver, the backup transceiver is able to synchronize its clock signal to the network clock signal in less time. |
| US08274998B2 |
Systems and methods for packet based timing offset determination using timing adjustment information
Systems and methods for performing timing offset and or fractional frequency offset for the purpose of time and/or frequency synchronization are provided. Timing packets are exchanged between a master device and a slave device. In addition, timing adjustment information is received by the slave device. The slave device uses the timing adjustment information in conjunction with the transmit and receive times for the timing packets to estimate at timing offset and/or fractional frequency offset. |
| US08274997B2 |
Transmission method and reception method
The invention relates to a transmission method in which at least two Ethernet data frames are combined to form one Ethernet telegram and the Ethernet telegram is transmitted via a communications network. |
| US08274994B2 |
Methods and apparatus for communicating using a gateway communications device having alert generation capability
Methods and a gateway apparatus for facilitating communication between communications devices which support different communications protocols are described. The gateway device may receive an identifier of interest from a first device which supports a first communications protocol but not a second communications protocol. The gateway monitors signals corresponding to the second communications protocol to detect signals corresponding to the identifier of interest. An externally perceivable alert is generated by the gateway device when a signal corresponding to the identifier of interest is detected. Communications is established between the first communications device and a second communications device with the gateway device performing protocol conversion to the extent required. The first device may power down its interface after sending the identifier of interest to the gateway and then power up the interface in response to sensing of the alert or input from a user responding to the alert. |
| US08274982B2 |
Method for packet data session release in ultra mobile broadband access network
A packet data session release method for ultra mobile broadband access network is disclosed, and which includes: S402, when releasing the packet data session, an access gateway sends a proxy mobile IP registration revocation message to the data attachment point of the ultra mobile broadband access network and the evolved base station which has one reverse proxy mobile IP tunnel to the access gateway, respectively; S404, after receiving the proxy mobile IP registration revocation message, the data attachment point and the evolved base station which has one reverse proxy mobile IP tunnel to the access gateway, delete their proxy mobile IP tunnels between them and the access gateway, respectively, and send a proxy mobile IP revocation ACK message to the access gateway, respectively, so as to confirm the reception of the registration request messages; and S406, the data attachment point notifies the session reference network controller that the packet data session has been released, via sending a IP tunnel notification message to the session reference network controller. |
| US08274980B2 |
Ethernet link aggregation
A system and method of transmitting data across a link aggregation group, the method comprises: receiving a packet sourced from a client having a MAC header and an IP header at an input port of a first upstream switch for transmission from the first upstream switch along a link aggregation and at least two down stream switches to a server, said MAC header having a Destination MAC address and a Source MAC address, and the IP header having a Source IP address and a Destination IP address; changing the destination MAC address from a down stream destination to another down stream destination; sending the packet through a first link aggregation to a first down stream switch; using a hash calculation for changing the Source MAC address of the packet in the first down stream switch to a new address; sending the packet through a second link aggregation to a second down stream switch having an address; and sending the packet from the second down stream switch to a server having a server address. |
| US08274971B2 |
Switch fabric with memory management unit for improved flow control
A method for controlling a flow of packet data in a memory management unit of a network switch fabric is disclosed. A first portion of a data packet is received at a port on an ingress bus ring of the network switch fabric. A class of service for the data packet is determined based on the first portion and the portion is stored in a packer RAM of the port based on the class of service. Subsequent portions of the data packet are stored in the packer RAM. Once the predetermined number of portions have been received, the predetermined number of portions is sent to a packet pool RAM. A reference pointer to a first predetermined number of portions is sent to a transaction queue once an end of packet is detected and an egress scheduler detects a presence of a ready packet in the transaction queue and notifies an unpacker of the ready packet. The unpacker puts the ready packet into a FIFO and the ready packet is sent to an ingress/egress module. |
| US08274968B2 |
Restriction of communication in VoIP address discovery system
In one embodiment, a system is provided to restrict VoIP communication. The system may validate a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call initiation message based on demonstrated knowledge of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) call. |
| US08274967B2 |
Method, system and gateway for remotely accessing MPLS VPN
A method, system and gateway for remotely accessing an MPLS VPN are provided. In the method, multiple virtual interfaces are established in an SSL VPN gateway, one virtual interface is bound with one VPN, different VPN users are differentiated according to authentication and authorization information of users, and the authentication and authorization information of the users is respectively bound with corresponding VPNs. When the SSL VPN gateway receives a packet sent by a user, an inner label and an outer label are added to the packet according to a VPN instance bound with the user; when receiving a response packet from a resource server, the SSL VPN gateway searches for a VPN instance according to the VPN label, and forwards the response packet to the user through the SSL connection according to the found VPN instance. |
| US08274963B2 |
Considering mobile station capability in negotiating quality of service for packet switched services
Mobile station capabilities are made available to a radio access network note. The radio access network node determines whether the requested quality of service can be supported by the mobile station in its current cell. These capabilities are take into account in negotiating a quality of service for a packet flow involving the mobile station. |
| US08274961B2 |
Apparatus and associated methodology of adjusting a RTS/CTS transmission protocol
Access control based on CSMA is favorably carried out with the RTS/CTS method used together.If the RTS/CTS procedure is used together, CTS information is transmitted in response to the reception of RTS information, and data is transmitted in response to the reception of CTS. The CTS transmitting station measures the quality of RTS receive signal, and thereby determines a transmission rate at which it can receive and notifies a station as the destination of CTS. The station as the destination of CTS transmits data in response to CTS information. As the transmission rate for this data, the transmission rate indicated in the RATE field in CTS is applied. |
| US08274954B2 |
Alternate channel for carrying selected message types
A method for communicating information in a base station is disclosed. A reverse link channel is allocated to be a shared acknowledgement channel for receiving acknowledgement information. Acknowledgement information associated with data payload from a field unit is then received over the shared acknowledgement channel by the base station. |
| US08274953B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting feedback information
Disclosed is an apparatus for transmitting feedback information to a base station. The feedback information transmitting apparatus receives channel allocation information, generates a plurality of payloads regarding feedback information, and multiplexes the plurality of payloads in terms of a plurality of classes so as to generate a plurality of multiplexed payloads. Subsequently, the plurality of multiplexed payloads are code multiplexed so as to generate a code division multiplexing symbol, and a channel code is applied to the code division multiplexing symbol. Then, the code division multiplexing signal applied with the channel code is transmitted to a base station through a wireless resource. Accordingly, a feedback channel that is adaptive to a channel condition is configured, such that a wireless resource for a feedback channel can be efficiently used. |
| US08274952B2 |
Transmission power management
The present invention relates to a method of adjusting transmission power on a downlink radio channel in a communication system comprising a user equipment and a base station. In the method uplink power headroom is determined by dividing a maximum transmission power of the user equipment by a transmission power of a control channel of the user equipment and the determined uplink power headroom value is sent to the base station. Then uplink path loss estimate is determined between the user equipment and the base station based on the uplink power headroom. Then an estimate for the downlink path loss is derived and finally the transmission power of the downlink radio channel is adjusted taking into account the downlink path loss estimate. |
| US08274951B2 |
System and method for dynamic cell selection and resource mapping for CoMP joint transmission
A wireless communication system includes a number of base stations capable of communicating with a plurality of subscriber stations. The base station coordinates transmission of resource blocks with a transmission of resource blocks from a second base station. The resource blocks include at least one reference signal (RS) patterns. In addition, base station punctures a plurality of resource elements in the resource blocks that might overlap with one of the CRS patterns in another resource block transmitted by the second base station such that no data is transmitted in the plurality of punctured resource elements. The subscriber station receives the resource blocks from at least two base stations and can avoid reading data from the resource elements that might overlap. |
| US08274948B2 |
Distributed infrastructure for wireless data communications
A mobile user terminal 402 accesses a packet data network 450 through one or more of several network access points 404-412. One or more control points 432-440 determines which network access point or points the user terminal is to access. Control may be retained in the current control point, or transferred to another control point, whenever it is convenient. There are preferably several routers, each having an associated home agent 418-420 which determines which foreign agents need to be accessed on behalf of each user terminal. There are several foreign agents 422-430, which forward packets received from a user terminal's home agent to the control point currently controlling communications with the user terminal. |
| US08274943B2 |
MIMO OFDMA with antenna selection and subband handoff
An access node wirelessly coupled to a plurality of access terminals, having a subband scheduler, a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplex elements, and a plurality of antennas. The subband scheduler receives precoded data, and schedules transmission of a preamble signal and a plurality of data streams. The plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplex elements converts the preamble signal and the plurality of data streams into a corresponding preamble tone and a corresponding plurality of data tones. The preamble tone indicates a mapping of the plurality of data tones to one or more of the plurality of access terminals. The plurality of antennas transmits the corresponding preamble tone and the corresponding plurality of data tones in timely fashion for receipt by the plurality of access terminals. The corresponding preamble tone and the corresponding data tones are transmitted over subbands of a code division multiple access (CDMA)-based carrier frequency. |
| US08274942B2 |
Supplementary service provision method and system for IMS-based network
A service provision method in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network is provided. A service request message is transmitted from a first user terminal to a second user terminal for requesting a service. The service request message includes global identifiers (IDs) allocated to the first user terminal and the second user terminal. A service response message is transmitted from the second user terminal to the first user terminal. A service session is established between the first user terminal and the second user terminal, when the service response message is received by the first user terminal. |
| US08274941B2 |
Apparatus and method for subcarrier scrambling
A subcarrier scrambling method for use in a transmitter with multiple subcarriers, the transmitter being configured to allocate pilot symbols and data symbols for each of a plurality of resource units (RUs). The method includes: applying, for each of the plurality of RUs, a first intra RU sequence to the pilot symbols, to thereby generate a plurality of scrambled pilot symbols; applying, for each of the plurality of RUs, a second intra RU sequence to the data symbols, to thereby generate a plurality of scrambled data symbols; and combining the plurality of scrambled pilot symbols and the plurality of scrambled data symbols to form the plurality of RUs. |
| US08274938B2 |
Method and system for coordinating protocol stack entities to share single radio resource
The invention discloses a method for coordinating protocol stack entities to share a single radio resource, executed by a processor of a mobile station, including the step of: after a first protocol stack entity for a first subscriber identity card enters a TALKING mode or enables a dial-up service, forcing a second protocol stack entity for a second subscriber identity card to release the radio resource or suspend utilization of the radio resource, and enabling the radio resource to be utilized to perform requisite operations or procedures of the TALKING mode or the dial-up service. |
| US08274932B2 |
LI reporting of updated location information for EPS
The present invention relates to a method to enhance resolution of location information of a mobile user in an Evolved Packet communication System. The system comprises a Mobility Management Entity that provides the user with at least one tracking area in which the user is able to move without location information being reported, The method comprises the following steps: receiving to the Mobility Management Entity, a location activation message valid for the user. receiving to the Mobility Management Entity, a service request related to the user; detecting in the Mobility Management Entity, user location information with higher resolution than the at least one tracking area level resolution; sending from the Mobility Management Entity, a monitoring message comprising high resolution information of the user's location within the at least one tracking area. |
| US08274931B2 |
Signalling within a communication system
Sounding reference signal presence information is incorporated into an uplink data resource assignment for a user equipment, and the uplink data assignment including the sounding reference signal presence information is sent to the user equipment. |
| US08274928B2 |
Wireless mesh network
A wireless mesh network where a portion of the nodes have reduced receive sensitivity. The negative effects of the density of the wireless mesh network, such as interference, are reduced when fewer nodes receive messages to rebroadcast. In an alternative embodiment, some of the nodes of the mesh network are configured to not rebroadcast even if they receive a message. A method for configuring a dense mesh network is also provided. As many nodes as possible are discovered and registered in the network. Node characteristics of those nodes are adjusted to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of the dense mesh network so that additional nodes may be discovered and registered. |
| US08274925B2 |
Retaining traffic channel assignments for satellite terminals to provide lower latency communication services
A traffic channel is assigned for use by a terminal to transmit data traffic to a satellite for relay to a satellite base station. The traffic channel assignment is retained for use by the terminal while the terminal is idle between data traffic transmissions to the satellite in response to a type of service designation that is associated with the terminal. |
| US08274923B2 |
Wireless access control method, relay station and base station
The present invention provides a wireless access control method, relay station and base station. The wireless access control method according to the present invention is characterized in that under the control of said base station, information of said subscriber station and said base station is received and forwarded via a wireless channel by using the relay station. Said method further comprises the steps of: uplink bearer data and control information from said subscriber station being first received by said relay station and then forwarded to said base station; downlink bearer data from said base station being first received by said relay station and then forwarded to said subscriber station. Said base station sends control information directly to the subscriber station. The present invention further comprises a relay station for implementing the above method and an improved base station. In the method and devices provided by the present invention, with the introduction of relaying access technique, subscriber stations located with the long distance to the base station or in shadowing areas may be connected by relaying. |
| US08274922B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting data and apparatus and method for receiving data
Provided are a apparatus and method for transmitting data and a apparatus and method for receiving data, in which a transmitting station sets priorities among a plurality of data to be transmitted and a receiving station processes the plurality of data according to the priorities. The apparatus for transmitting data includes a packet-generation module which generates a plurality of data and a packet that includes the plurality of data and that specifies priorities between the plurality of data; and a communication module which transmits the packet through a communication channel. |
| US08274919B2 |
System and method for implementing multiple ring networks using a common link
Various systems and methods for implementing virtual ports within ring networks are disclosed. For example, one method involves allocating a logical port that corresponds to a first port and a second port and instantiating a spanning tree protocol instance. The first port and the second port are both assigned to a first ring network. The spanning tree protocol instance selectively blocks the logical port; however, the spanning tree protocol instance is unable to block the first port independently of blocking the second port. Events (e.g., link failures and recoveries) that occur within the ring network are communicated to spanning tree by transitioning the state of the logical port in response to receiving a ring protocol control packet. The spanning tree protocol instance initiates a bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) exchange from the logical port in response to a transition in the state of the logical port. |
| US08274918B2 |
Method for extending the use of single IPv4 addresses to multiple network end-hosts
An address resolution system is provided where network devices are arranged to share a common public network address in a public network environment. The address resolution system includes: an address resolution table residing at a router and configured to store a public network address and a source port assigned to each network device registered with the router in connection with a hardware address that uniquely identifies each of the registered network devices; a port management agent residing on a given network device that is configured to receive a request to assign a source port to an application residing on the given network device and transmit the assignment request to the router; and an address resolution service residing at the router that is configured to query the address resolution table in response to the assignment request from the agent and transmit a reply to the agent based on results from the query of the address resolution table. |
| US08274915B2 |
Methods and apparatus for operating a wireless communications system
A wireless communications system comprising at least one network station and a plurality of subscriber stations. As part of a network access procedure, a number of the subscriber stations selecting a time slot from a plurality of predefined time slots and transmitting an individual code to the network station in the selected time slot. At the network station, receiving and decoding the codes and broadcasting a preliminary decoding status report to the subscriber stations and broadcasting a detailed decoding status report associated with each time slot in which one or more codes were decoded successfully. At a subscriber station which transmitted a code, identifying successful decoding if the preliminary decoding status indicator associated with the time slot in which subscriber station transmitted its code comprises a positive indicator, and if the detailed decoding status report associated with that positive indicator identifies the code transmitted by the subscriber station. |
| US08274912B2 |
Mapping discovery for virtual network
A virtual network has network interfaces coupled by tunnels (100) through a forwarding network (40), each interface having a forwarding address in an address space of the forwarding network, each network interface having a reconfigurable address mapper (320) for determining a forwarding address for a packet, and encapsulating the packet with its forwarding address so that the forwarding network can forward the data packet transparent to its destination address. The network interface automatically configures the address mapper by sending a discovery request for a given virtual network address over the forwarding network, to prompt a response with an indication of the corresponding forwarding address, and to use the indication in such a response to configure the address mapper. This can ease the administrative burden of setting up and maintaining the address mapper and to ease network reconfiguration according to demand or faults for example. |
| US08274911B2 |
Network monitoring system and path extracting method
A network monitoring system that monitors a communication network including plural communication apparatuses and includes an obtaining part for obtaining a transmission traffic amount and a reception traffic amount of each port of the plural communication apparatuses, a determining part for determining whether the transmission traffic amount is no less than a first threshold and whether the reception traffic amount is less than a second threshold for each port of the plural communication apparatuses, a storage part for storing connecting path data of the communication network therein, an extracting part for extracting a loop affected path, and an outputting part for outputting data of the loop affected path. |
| US08274910B2 |
Adaptation protocols for local peer group (LPG) networks in dynamic roadway environments
A method and system for determining a size of a local peer group (LPG) network in a dynamic roadway (mobile) environment is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises measuring a roundtrip time between a first node and a second node, and utilizing the measured roundtrip time to select the size of the local peer group network from a lookup table. In another embodiment, the method comprises determining when the roundtrip time exceeds a time interval of the heartbeat signal, and when the roundtrip time exceeds the time interval of the heartbeat signal adjusting the size of the local peer group network. |
| US08274909B2 |
Conditional protocol control
Techniques for modifying the performance of a transport layer protocol in response to a request for content are disclosed. A connection can be established between a content distribution server and an end user computer according to preconfigured parameters. When a request for content is received over the connection, the content distribution server can determine one or more parameters relating to the performance of the connection using information from the request. The content distribution server can modify the connection at the transport layer according to the one or more parameters. Thereafter, the transport layer can manage delivery of the requested content to the end user computer in accordance with the modified parameters. In various embodiments, the content distribution server includes a modified TCP protocol stack which adjusts timing, pacing, and buffer allocation associated with a connection in response to requests from an application-layer data source. |
| US08274908B2 |
Quality of service packet processing without explicit control negotiations
Apparatuses, methods, systems, and computer program products to process QoS packets of wireless traffic without explicit control negotiations are disclosed. An embodiment may comprise a mobile computing device with wireless communications capabilities. The mobile computing device may be a client that associates or connects with an access point or communicates another client device, such as a peripheral device with wireless capabilities. The mobile computing device may monitor wireless packet traffic being transmitted from the mobile computing device. For example, the mobile computing device may monitor the packets being transmitted from a video streaming application to the peripheral device, which may comprise an LCD monitor that has wireless communications capabilities. The mobile computing device may mark the packets of the video stream as QoS packets even though the video streaming application may not do so, and place the marked packets in a QoS queue for priority processing. |
| US08274907B2 |
Network device and method for establishing quality of service
A network device for establishing quality of service (QoS) between two terminal devices includes a transceiver module and a state-machine setting module. The transceiver module is configured for receiving establishing requests, request responses, acknowledge messages, and QoS requests from any one of the two terminal devices. The state-machine setting module is configured for setting a state of the network device according to a current state of the network device and messages received by the transceiver module, and the state of the network device includes an idle state, an inviting state, a trying state, an acknowledge state, and a QoS state. |
| US08274902B2 |
Estimation method for loss rates in a packetized network
A method is provided, according to which data are collected on downstream packet losses at a single point in a network. From from the collected data, packet loss rates are estimated on at least two subnetworks downstream of the collection point. The respective subnetworks may differ by one or more links. |
| US08274899B2 |
Autoconfiguration of ethernet OAM points
A system and method for configuring Maintenance Intermediate Point (MIP) nodes of an Ethernet OAM network based on absolute level indicia as well as relative level indicia encoded in OAM frames generated by Maintenance End Point (MEP) nodes. A first OAM level field in a payload portion of an Ethernet OAM frame is encoded with an absolute OAM level associated with the originating MEP's OAM domain. A second OAM level field is encoded with a relative OAM level indicative of the number of OAM domain levels traversed by the Ethernet OAM frame. |
| US08274896B2 |
Virtual queue
An apparatus comprising a virtual queue configured to virtually receive virtual data units as the data units are actually received by a real queue. In various embodiments, the virtual queue may include a token counter decrementor configured to, as an entering data unit virtually enters the virtual queue, attempt to allocate the entering data unit to either the committed burst or the excess burst and decrement either the committed token counter (CTC) or the excess token counter (ETC) respectively. In one embodiment, a token counter incrementer configured to, as a data unit virtually exits the virtual queue, increment one of the token counters. In some embodiments, the virtual queue may include a congestion indicator configured to categorize the entering data unit. In various embodiments, the virtual queue may be configured to provide congestion feedback information based, at least in part, upon the state of the CTC & ETC. |
| US08274895B2 |
Dynamic management of network flows
A plurality of flow network elements monitors network flows at the subscriber level for a plurality of subscribers. The flow network elements export flow records to a collector, which organizes the flow records. A policy client correlates the flow records and determines whether any network flows are violating a flow policy definition. If a flow policy definition is violated, the policy client transmits a policy action to a policy server which indicates what action to take for a given violating flow. The policy server assigns a flow policy for the subscriber corresponding with the violating flow. The assigned flow policy is then transmitted to the flow network element having that violating flow, and that flow network element installs the flow policy. |
| US08274893B2 |
Network interface selection using historical connection information
A computer may be capable of communicating with devices via network through multiple interfaces. When a new connection is to be established, the computer may select an interface to use for the connection. In some embodiments, the interface may be selected based on historical connection information representing the performance of previous network connections that the computer has established through the interfaces. |
| US08274890B2 |
Method and device for distributing connections towards a receiving domain
A method is described for distributing a plurality of connections towards a receiving domain. The connections are established over at least two connection entities. Each connection entity handles traffic being associated to the connections. An initial procedure distributes the connections among the connection entities. First, a traffic load associated with the connections over each of the connection entities is determined. Further, the traffic load associated with the connections over at least two connection entities is compared. Finally a procedure for adapting the distribution of the connections according to the comparison is invoked. |
| US08274889B2 |
Method, system and computer program product involving congestion detection in ethernet
A method for determining data packet transmission times in an Ethernet protocol including, receiving a first data packet having a first data packet send time, wherein the first data packet send time is a time the data packet is sent by a source transmitter, subtracting the first data packet send time from a first data packet receive time to yield a first data packet transmission time, wherein the first data packet receive time is the time the data packet is received by a destination receiver, comparing the first data packet transmission time to a third time, determining whether a difference between the first data packet transmission time and the third time exceeds a threshold value, and sending a notification of a transmission delay responsive to determining that the difference between the first data packet transmission time and the third time exceeds the threshold value. |
| US08274887B2 |
Distributed congestion avoidance in a network switching system
According to an example embodiment, a total offered traffic load for a shared resource within a network switching system may be determined, the total offered traffic load may include, for example, a sum of offered traffic loads from one or more active virtual output queues (VOQs) of the network switching system. A capacity of the shared resource within the network switching system may be determined. A transmission rate from one or more of the active VOQs over the shared resource may be adjusted such that the total traffic load from the active VOQs does not exceed the capacity of the shared resource. |
| US08274886B2 |
Inferring TCP initial congestion window
A packet trace is received. Inter-arrival times between the multiple packets in the packet trace are determined. An inter-arrival time in the inter-arrival times that is greater than a threshold is identified. An order number of the inter-arrival time is identified. A determination is made as to whether a size of each of at least a portion of the multiple packets is equal to a maximum segment size. When a determination is made that the size of each of at least a portion of the multiple packets is equal to the maximum segment size, a size of the ICW as a product of the order number and the maximum segment size is returned. |
| US08274879B2 |
Transmission apparatus and transmission method
A transmitter transmits data to a communicating opponent with a better channel condition with use of one or more frequency blocks including one or more carrier frequencies. The transmitter includes a communicating opponent selection unit evaluating the channel condition for each frequency block for each of plural communicating opponents and selecting one or more communicating opponents from the plurality of communicating opponents, a modulation scheme determination unit determining at least a modulation scheme depending on the evaluated channel condition, a control channel generation unit generating a control channel indicative of the determined modulation scheme and one or more frequency blocks available for the selected communicating opponents to receive a data channel, and a channel transmission unit providing the selected communicating opponents with the control channel and the data channel modulated in accordance with the modulation scheme. |
| US08274878B2 |
Frame and training pattern structure for multi-carrier systems
A transmitting apparatus for transmitting signals in a multi carrier system on the basis of a frame structure, each frame comprising at least two preamble patterns adjacent to each other in the frequency direction and at least two data patterns, said transmitting apparatus comprising a pilot mapper configured to map the same sequence of pilot signals on frequency carriers of each of said at least two preamble patterns in a frame, each preamble pattern having the same length, a data mapper configured to map data on frequency carriers of said at least two data patterns in a frame, a transformer configured to transform said preamble patterns and said data patterns from the frequency domain into the time domain in order to generate a time domain transmission signal, and a transmitter configured to transmit said transmission signal. |
| US08274873B2 |
Optical recording method, optical recording apparatus, apparatus for manufacturing a master through exposure process, optical information recording medium and reproduction method
An optical recording method for recording information by irradiating an optical disc medium with a modulated write pulse train of laser light variable over a plurality of power levels such that a plurality of marks are formed on the optical disc medium, edge positions of each of the marks and a space between adjacent two of the marks being utilized for recording of the information. The optical recording method includes the steps of: encoding record data to generate encoded data which is a combination of marks and spaces; classifying the encoded data according to a combination of a mark length of the mark, a space length of a first space that immediately precedes the mark, and a space length of a second space that immediately succeeds the mark; generating a write pulse train for forming the mark, in which at least one of a leading end edge position, a trailing end edge position and a pulse width of the write pulse train is changed according to a classification result; and irradiating the optical disc medium with the write pulse train generated to form the plurality of marks on the optical disc medium. |
| US08274871B2 |
Storage media defect detection
Detecting a defect on a storage device is disclosed. Detecting includes receiving a signal read from a storage device, sampling the signal to obtain a set of signal samples, wherein the sampling starts at an arbitrary time, computing a defect value for a defect type using the set of signal samples, comparing the defect value with a threshold associated with the defect type, determining whether there is a defect of the defect type based at least in part on the comparison, and in the event that a defect is detected, outputting an indication associated with the defect. |
| US08274869B2 |
Method for detecting blank area of power calibration area
The present invention relates to a method for detecting a blank area of a power calibration area. The method includes the steps of: selecting a recording test area in the power calibration area; writing the recording test area with multiple stages of normal power and detecting power; forming multiple normal blocks and detecting blocks, wherein each of the detecting blocks includes one unit of unrecorded block and one unit of recorded block; and reading information from the unrecorded blocks of the detecting blocks and thus determining whether the unrecorded blocks of the detecting blocks are blank or not. Once all the unrecorded blocks of the detecting blocks are determined to be blank, it represents that the selected recording test area is totally blank. |
| US08274868B2 |
Optical recording medium, recording/reproducing apparatus and method, initialization method, and reinitialization method
A recording/reproducing apparatus includes a writing/reading unit writing data to or reading data from an information recording medium having an access control area in which access control data is recorded, the access control data having common information set to allow the recording/reproducing apparatus that cannot recognize a predetermined function adapted to the information recording medium to control access to the information recording medium; and a control unit controlling the writing/reading unit to record access control data regarding a function recognizable by the recording/reproducing apparatus in the access control area when the information recording medium is initialized or reinitialized. |
| US08274866B2 |
Optical recording head and optical recording apparatus
An optical recording head includes: a light source; a slider comprising a wave guide which irradiates light from the light source to a recording medium, wherein a grating coupler is formed on an end portion at an opposite side of the waveguide relative to the light source; and an optical element which comprises a diffraction grating and introduces the light from the light source to the grating coupler through the diffraction grating. The optical element deflects the light from the light source so that the light is incident into the grating coupler with a deflection angle larger than 90 degrees with respect to a direction in which the light proceeds when the light is incident into the optical element. |
| US08274859B2 |
Systems and methods for modeling 3D geological structures
Systems and methods for modeling a three-dimensional (3D) geological structure to improve maximum continuity interpolation. An integration method describes local anisotropic effects and introduces interpolation techniques to perform the interpolation between two points of interest along a direction of maximum continuity and across fault surfaces. |
| US08274855B2 |
Semiconductor device for performing a refresh operation
A semiconductor device according to the present invention has an address scrambling circuit for performing address scrambling operation of an address and a redundancy judging circuit for judging that redundancy judgment is performed about the address scrambled by the address scrambling circuit. This structure makes it possible to completely refresh operation concerned with normal word lines and redundancy word lines. |
| US08274852B2 |
Semiconductor memory apparatus and method of testing the same
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a sense amplifier coupled to a plurality of bit lines, a switching unit configured to cause the plurality of bit lines to be coupled to a first node in response to a switching signal, a mode selecting unit configured to selectively couple the first node to a pad or a ground terminal in response to a mode selection signal and a testing unit configured to supply current to the pad during a test mode. |
| US08274851B2 |
Memory controller for interfacing data, a PCB in a computer system including the memory controller, and memory adjusting method thereof
A memory controller, a PCB and a computer system employing the memory controller, and a memory adjusting method using the memory controller. The memory controller interfaces data reading from and writing to a memory and includes: a characteristic estimating part estimating a characteristic of a memory output signal outputted from the memory for the data reading and writing; and a characteristic adjusting part controlling the memory so that the characteristic of the memory output signal is within a predetermined reference range if the characteristic of the memory output signal estimated by the characteristic estimating part is beyond the predetermined reference range. |
| US08274850B2 |
Memory system, semiconductor memory device, and wiring substrate
A memory system includes a plurality of semiconductor memory devices each including a termination resistance circuit that can be controlled to be turned on or off from an outside by a termination resistance control signal, and a memory controller. The memory controller includes a termination resistance control unit that outputs the termination resistance control signal so that when a read command or a write command is executed on one of the semiconductor memory devices, termination resistances of all of the semiconductor memory devices are turned on, and when any of the semiconductor memory devices does not execute the read command or the write command, the termination resistances of all of the semiconductor memory devices are turned off. The termination resistance circuit of one of the semiconductor memory devices is turned off, irrespective of the level of the termination resistance control signal when the one of the semiconductor memory devices outputs data in response to the read command. |
| US08274848B2 |
Level shifter for use with memory arrays
In a first aspect, a level shifter circuit for use in a memory array is provided that includes (1) a first voltage domain powered by a first voltage; (2) a second voltage domain powered by a second voltage; (3) level shifter circuitry that converts an input signal from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain; and (4) isolation circuitry that selectively isolates the first voltage domain from the second voltage domain so as to selectively prevent current flow between the first voltage domain and the second voltage domain. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US08274845B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is provided, which includes an input buffer provided with a first inverter that can electrically adjust circuit threshold values, a circuit: threshold value monitor provided with a second inverter having the same circuit configuration as the first inverter to detect the circuit threshold values of the first inverter when the input and output of the second inverter are short-circuited, respectively, a memory storing parameter values that correspond to the circuit threshold values detected by the circuit threshold value monitor, and a data-reader circuit reading the parameter values given to the first inverter from the memory. |
| US08274844B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, information processing system including the same, and controller
To include first and second data input/output terminals allocated to first and second memory circuit units, respectively, and an address terminal allocated in common to these memory circuit units. When a first chip selection signal is activated, the first memory circuit unit performs a read operation or a write operation via the first data input/output terminal based on an address signal regardless of an operation of the second memory circuit unit. When a second chip selection signal is activated, the second memory circuit unit performs a read operation or a write operation via the second data input/output terminal based on the address signal regardless of an operation of the first memory circuit unit. With this configuration, a wasteful data transfer can be prevented, and the effective data transfer rate can be increased. |
| US08274841B2 |
Semiconductor signal processing device
A unit operator cell includes a plurality of SOI (Silicon on Insulator) transistors, write data is stored in a body region of at least two SOI transistors, and the storage SOI transistors are connected in series with each other to a read port or each of the storage SOI transistors is singly connected to the read port. Therefore, an AND operation result or a NOT operation result of data stored in the unit operator cells can be obtained, and operation processing can be performed only by writing and reading data. A semiconductor signal processing device that can perform logic operation processing and arithmetic operation processing at high speed is implemented with low power consumption and a small occupation area. |
| US08274837B2 |
NAND flash memory
A NAND flash memory includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region in the semiconductor substrate, memory cells connected in series in the well region, a discharge circuit connected to the well region, a word line connected to the memory cells, and a control circuit which controls potentials of the well region and the word line. The control circuit set the well region to a first potential, and set the word line to a second potential lower than the first potential, in an erase operation. The discharge circuit comprises a constant current source with a constant discharge speed independent on a temperature, and discharges the well region after the erase operation. |
| US08274835B2 |
Mitigation of runaway programming of a memory device
Methods for mitigating runaway programming in a memory device, methods for program verifying a memory device, a memory device, and a memory system are provided. In one such method, a ramp voltage signal is generated by a digital count signal. A memory cell being program verified is turned on by a particular verify voltage of the ramp voltage signal in response to a digital count of the digital count signal. The memory cell turning on generates a bit line indication that causes the digital count to be compared to a representation of the target data to be programmed in the memory cell. The comparator circuit generates an indication when the digital count is greater than or equal to the target data. |
| US08274834B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including plural memory cells and a dummy cell coupled to an end of a memory cell
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having a plurality of electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells connected in series together includes a select gate transistor connected in series to the serial combination of memory cells. A certain one of the memory cells which is located adjacent to the select gets transistor is for use as a dummy cell. This dummy cell is not used for data storage. During data erasing, the dummy cell is applied with the same bias voltage as that for the other memory cells. |
| US08274831B2 |
Programming non-volatile storage with synchronized coupling
A process for programming non-volatile storage is able to achieve faster programming speeds and/or more accurate programming through synchronized coupling of neighboring word lines. The process for programming includes raising voltages for a set of word lines connected a group of connected non-volatile storage elements. The set of word lines include a selected word line, unselected word lines that are adjacent to the selected word line and other unselected word lines. After raising voltages for the set of word lines, the process includes raising the selected word line to a program voltage and raising the unselected word lines that are adjacent to the selected word line to one or more voltage levels concurrently with the raising the selected word line to the program voltage. The program voltage causes at least one of the non-volatile storage elements to experience programming. |
| US08274829B2 |
Row-decoder and source-decoder structures suitable for erase in unit of page, sector and chip of a NOR-type flash operating below +/− 10V BVDS
An apparatus and method for operating an array of NOR connected flash nonvolatile memory cells erases the array in increments of a page, block, sector, or the entire array while minimizing operational disturbances and providing bias operating conditions to prevent gate to source breakdown in peripheral devices. The apparatus has a row decoder circuit and a source decoder circuit for selecting the nonvolatile memory cells for providing biasing conditions for reading, programming, verifying, and erasing the selected nonvolatile memory cells while minimizing operational disturbances and preventing gate to source breakdown in peripheral devices. |
| US08274828B2 |
Structures and methods for reading out non-volatile memory using referencing cells
The structures and methods of reading out semiconductor Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) using referencing cells are disclosed. The new invented scheme can reduce large current consumption from the direct current biasing in the conventional scheme and achieve a high resolution on the cell threshold voltage with a good sensing speed. |
| US08274826B2 |
NAND type flash memory
According to one embodiment, a NAND type flash memory includes a first transfer transistor disposed between first and second memory planes, the first potential transfer terminal of the first transfer transistor being commonly connected to a first word line in the first NAND block and a second word line in the third NAND block, a second transfer transistor disposed at a first end of the first memory plane, the first potential transfer terminal of the second transfer transistor being connected to a third word line in the second NAND block, and a third transfer transistor disposed at a second end of the second memory plane, the first potential transfer terminal of the third transfer transistor being connected to a fourth word line in the fourth NAND block. |
| US08274821B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device
A nonvolatile memory device, includes: a memory layer having a resistance changeable by performing at least one selected from applying an electric field and providing a current, the storage layer having a first major surface; a plurality of first electrodes provided on the first major surface; a plurality of probe electrodes disposed to face the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of probe electrodes having a changeable relative positional relationship with the first electrodes; a drive unit connected to the plurality of probe electrodes to record information in the memory layer by causing at least the one selected from the electric field and the current between at least two of the plurality of first electrodes via the plurality of probe electrodes, the electric field having a component parallel to the first major surface, the current flowing in a direction having a component parallel to the first major surface. |
| US08274820B2 |
Magnetic memory element, method of driving same, and nonvolatile storage device
In order to obtain a memory cell of size 4 F2 to realize cross-point type memory, a magnetic memory element is used having a spin valve structure including a free layer 5, nonmagnetic layer 4, and layer 3. The layer or the free layer includes an N-type ferrimagnetic material, and the magnetic compensation point of the N-type ferrimagnetic material is lower than the temperature reached by the layer when a certain write pulse is applied to control the combination of magnetizations of the free layer and layer, and higher than the temperature reached by the layer when another write pulse is applied. These write pulses can have the same polarity. |
| US08274819B2 |
Read disturb free SMT MRAM reference cell circuit
An array of SMT MRAM cells has a read reference circuit that provides a reference current that is the sum of a minimum current through a reference SMT MRAM cell programmed with a maximum resistance and a maximum current through an reference SMT MRAM cell programmed with a minimum resistance. The reference current forms an average reference voltage at the reference input of a sense amplifier for reading a data state from selected SMT MRAM cells of the array such that the reference SMT MRAM cells will not be disturbed during a read operation. The read reference circuit compensates for current mismatching in the reference current caused by a second order non matching effect. |
| US08274818B2 |
Magnetoresistive element, magnetic memory cell and magnetic random access memory using the same
Provided is a high-speed and ultra-low-power-consumption nonvolatile memory having a high temperature stability at a zero magnetic field. In a tunnel magnetoresistive film constituting a nonvolatile magnetic memory that employs a writing method using a spin-transfer torque, an insulating layer and a nonmagnetic conductive layer are stacked above a ferromagnetic free layer. |
| US08274817B2 |
Non volatile memory device ion barrier
An ion barrier layer made from a dielectric material in contact with an electronically insulating layer is operative to prevent mobile ions transported into the electronically insulating layer from passing through the ion barrier layer and into adjacent layers during data operations on a non-volatile memory cell. A conductive oxide layer in contact with the electronically insulating layer is the source of the mobile ions. A programming data operation is operative to transport a portion of the mobile ions into the electronically insulating layer and an erase data operation is operative to transport the mobile ions back into the conductive oxide layer. When the portion is positioned in the electronically insulating layer the memory cell stores data as a programmed conductivity profile and when a substantial majority of the mobile ions are positioned in the conductive oxide layer the memory cell stores data as an erased conductivity profile. |
| US08274814B2 |
Semiconductor device including storage device and method for driving the same
A structure of a storage device which can operate memory elements utilizing silicide reaction using the same voltage value for writing and for reading, and a method for driving the same are proposed. The present invention relates to a storage device including a memory element and a circuit which changes a polarity of applying voltage to the memory element for writing (or reading) into a different polarity of that for reading (or writing). The memory element includes at least a first conductive layer, a film including silicon formed over the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer formed over the silicon film. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer of the memory element are formed using different materials. |
| US08274812B2 |
Write and erase scheme for resistive memory device
A method for programming a two terminal resistive memory device, the method includes applying a bias voltage to a first electrode of a resistive memory cell of the device; measuring a current flowing through the cell; and stopping the applying of the bias voltage if the measured current is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. |
| US08274808B2 |
Semiconductor signal processing apparatus
A pair of operator cells each having a series-coupled circuit of first and second transistors is used as a storage unit. To-be-retrieved data and retrieval data are respectively stored in the first and second transistors, and mutually complementary data items are stored in the operator cells of the storage unit. The operator cells supply currents according to the result of an AND operation between the stored data items to corresponding bit lines, and the read data from the storage unit corresponds to the result of an EXOR operation between the retrieval data and the to-be-retrieved data. The currents flowing in the corresponding bit lines are amplified with sense amplifier circuits to drive local match lines. In the individual sub-blocks of an operator cell array, data items having different pattern lengths can be stored. The potentials of the local match lines are selected according to the data pattern lengths, and match retrieval is performed for the data items having the different pattern lengths. |
| US08274805B2 |
High voltage power supply
There is provided a high voltage power supply capable of reducing voltage stress of a voltage multiplying device. The high voltage power supply includes: a power converter switching on/off and converting an input direct current power into a direct current power having a preset voltage level; and a voltage multiplier including a first multiplying cell multiplying the voltage level of the direct current power from the power converter, wherein the first multiplying cell includes: first and second capacitors charging the direct current power from the power converter, respectively; a first diode providing a path for transferring the direct current power when the power converter is switched off; and a second diode providing a path for transferring the direct current power when the power converter is switched on. |
| US08274802B2 |
Energy transmission device and semiconductor device for energy transmission control
The present invention includes a voltage clamping circuit 6 for outputting a voltage signal, which has been clamped to a predetermined voltage, from the drain voltage of a switching element 1, and a turn-on detection circuit 7 for detecting the turn-on timing of the switching element 1 from the voltage signal. Thus it is possible to turn on the switching element 1 at the minimum value of the drain voltage without adding external terminals. |
| US08274794B2 |
Three-dimensional SoC structure formed by stacking multiple chip modules
A three-dimensional SoC structure formed by stacking multiple chip modules is provided. The three-dimensional SoC structure includes at least two vertical SoC modules and at least one connector module, wherein each connector module electrically connects two vertical SoC modules. Each vertical SoC module is constructed by stacking at least two chip modules vertically. Each chip module includes a module circuit board and at least one preset element. A recess is formed in each module circuit board and provided with a first connecting interface for electrically connecting with the corresponding at least one preset element. The at least two vertical SoC modules are connected by the connector module to form a three-dimensional SoC structure with multiple functions. Besides, the recesses formed in the module circuit boards provide effective heat dissipation paths for the preset elements. |
| US08274788B2 |
Locking mechanism and portable computer utilizing the same
A portable computer includes a base, a display panel rotatably connected to the base, a locking mechanism mounted to the display panel, and a security lock. The base includes a receiving chamber and a hole communicating with the receiving chamber. The locking mechanism includes a main body, a rotation member rotatably connected to the display panel, and a sliding member. The rotation member includes an extending end defining a receiving hole. The extending end is operable to be received in the receiving chamber. The sliding member includes a hook portion being received in the receiving hole. The hook portion is capable of disengaged from the receiving hole, causing the extending end to rotate by the thereof. The security lock includes a latch for engaging the extending end to prevent the extending end of the rotation member from disengaging from the base, to lock the display panel to the base. |
| US08274786B2 |
Flippable I/O port for portable computer
An I/O housing holds an I/O port and is pivotable between a housed position, wherein the I/O housing is held snugly flat in a chassis of the computer, and an extended position, wherein the port end of the housing is distanced from the chassis. The I/O housing can mechanically engage an I/O device with the port establishing communication between the I/O device and the computer processor. |
| US08274782B2 |
Motor control center network connectivity method and system
A motor control center comprises a plurality of bays in which switchgear components, circuit protective components, automation components and power electronic components are disposed for driving motors and other loads. Network optical conductors are routed through one or more wireways adjacent to the bays. Distribution nodes are coupled to the conductors and are interconnected with respective network terminals within the bays. Components within individual bays for which EtherNet and/or Internet connectivity is desired are coupled to the network terminals. The conductors may comprise plastic optical fibers and may be designed to operate in the relatively high voltage environment of the motor control center bays. |
| US08274776B2 |
Disabling a target using electrical energy
One system described herein provides electrical energy by means of a Tesla coil that generates a strong electric field in the vicinity of an electrical target. An energy booster provides additional electrical energy to increase the probability of disabling and/or disrupting the electrical target. For example, an electrode may be configured with the Tesla coil to from the electric field of the electrical target. The electric field may cause a breakdown in the air about the Tesla coil that allows electric current to conduct to the electrical target. The Tesla coil may repetitively burst the electric field such that pulses of electric current are conducted to the electrical target. |
| US08274773B2 |
Multilayered board semiconductor device with BGA package
In a lamination type semiconductor device, in the case where a power source plane is wrapped by a closed area to prevent the needless radiation from being leaked to the outside of the semiconductor package, a planar conductor for shield having an area intersecting with the respective layers is required. However, in a device for manufacturing the lamination type semiconductor device, a process for manufacturing the above-mentioned conductor cannot be realized ordinarily. In order to make the process possible, it is required to modify or replace a manufacturing apparatus of the semiconductor device, and accordingly a manufacturing cost will be considerably increased. In the present invention, a guard ring is arranged in an surrounding area of a power source plane. The guard ring is connected to a GND plane of another layer through a via. Consequently, the RF radiation occurs between the power source plane and the guard ring. |
| US08274772B2 |
Current detection and limiting method and apparatus
An apparatus for detecting and controlling current. A current detector for generating a first value that represents an amount of current being delivered to a device. A current limit circuit for generating a second value that represents a maximum permitted current level from a current source. A current controller for controlling the amount of current drawn by the device if the first value exceeds the second value. |
| US08274770B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection of semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a pads for receiving a reference voltage and input signals from an external device, a unit gain buffer for receiving the reference voltage as an input, input buffers for identifying a corresponding one of the input signals based on an internal reference voltage outputted from the unit gain buffer, external electrostatic discharge protectors connected to a transmission path of the reference voltage and transmission paths of input signals, and internal electrostatic discharge protectors connected to the transmission path of the reference voltage and the transmission paths of the input signals. |
| US08274766B2 |
Magnetic recording element including a thin film layer with changeable magnetization direction
A magneto-resistive element includes: a first magnetic layer having a substantially fixed magnetization direction; a thin film layer disposed on the first magnetic layer and having at least one of oxide, nitride, oxynitride, and metal; and a second magnetic layer disposed on the thin film layer and having a substantially fixed magnetization direction. |
| US08274761B2 |
Magnetic head including a thermal asperity effect element sensor in a stepped-back position from an air bearing surface
A magnetic head disposed in a slider arranged with an interval with respect to a magnetic disk includes a sensor that is positioned in a stepped-back position from an air bearing surface facing the magnetic disk, an insulating film that is positioned on the air bearing surface and that covers the sensor; a pair of lead films, the lead films being electrically connected to the sensor such that at least portions of the lead films are exposed on the air bearing surface, and being configured to transfer a temperature change of the air bearing surface to the sensor. |
| US08274759B1 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a main pole and a shield
A main pole has a top surface including a first portion and a second portion. The main pole has a bottom end including a third portion and a fourth portion. Each of the first and third portions has a first end located in a medium facing surface. The first portion is inclined relative to the medium facing surface and a first virtual plane that passes through the first end and is perpendicular to the medium facing surface and to the direction of travel of a recording medium. The third portion is inclined relative to the medium facing surface and a second virtual plane that passes through the first end and is perpendicular to the medium facing surface and to the direction of travel of the recording medium. The first portion is smaller than the third portion in length in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface. |
| US08274756B2 |
Use of carbon nanotubes to form conductive gaskets deployed in sensitive environments
Approaches for implementing a conductive gasket comprising carbon nanotubes for deployment within a sensitive environment, such as an environment containing equipment whose operation may be affected by airborne particles or electromagnetic energy. For example, a hard-disk drive (HDD) comprises an enclosure that is formed by coupling a first component, such as a cover, to a second component, such as a base, using one or more gaskets. The one or more gaskets may be constructed using a material that includes carbon nanotubes. The composition of the material used to construct the gaskets may be selected to achieve a desired electromagnetic conductivity for the gaskets. In this way, the gaskets of the enclosure of the HDD do not render the enclosure vulnerable to external electromagnetic energy and are constructed in a manner that does not introduce any harmful airborne contaminants within the protective enclosure of the HDD. |
| US08274752B2 |
Servomechanism with adjustable predictor filter
A digital control system, and in particular a tape drive system having a track-following servomechanism with a predictor (also referred to herein as a predictor filter), is described. In certain embodiments, the servomechanism includes an actuator, a servo channel, and a predictor coupled to the servo channel. The predictor receives from the servo channel a lateral position estimate signal and determines a modified lateral position estimate signal that reduces a difference, introduced by a tape velocity-dependent delay, e.g., introduced by the servo channel, between the modified lateral position estimate signal and an actual lateral position. The modified lateral position estimate may be used to modify a control signal sent to the actuator. |
| US08274747B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator, camera module, and portable electronic device having same
An exemplary piezoelectric actuator includes a fixed barrel, a movable barrel in the fixed barrel, a piezoelectric driving module, a flexible circuit board on the fixed barrel, a bracing sheet, and a preloading module. The movable barrel receives a lens module. The driving module drives the movable barrel to move relative to the fixed barrel along an optical axis of the lens module. The driving module includes a piezoelectric member on the fixed barrel, and a friction member on the movable barrel and opposite to the friction member. The flexible circuit board is electrically connected with the piezoelectric member. The sheet is attached around the flexible circuit board. The preloading module is between the fixed barrel and the movable barrel. The preloading module is opposite to the piezoelectric driving module for exerting a pressure on the movable barrel, thereby making the friction member resist against the piezoelectric member. |
| US08274746B2 |
Voice coil motor having fine pattern coil
An exemplary voice coil motor includes a movable unit, a fixed unit, and a resilient plate. The movable unit includes a hollow lens barrel for accommodating a number of lenses, and at least one fine pattern coil fixed on a sidewall of the lens barrel and configured for electrical connection to a power source. The fixed unit includes a hollow frame structured bracket and a number of magnets mounted on the bracket. The bracket accommodates the movable unit. The magnets surround and are spaced apart from the at least one fine pattern coil. The resilient plate is resiliently connected between the bracket and the lens barrel to hold the lens barrel on the bracket. |
| US08274744B2 |
Polyimide optical article
Disclosed herein is an article comprising a lens having a width of 0.1 millimeters to 100 millimeters, a length of 0.5 millimeters to 500 millimeters, and a thickness of 0.2 millimeters to 5 millimeters; and the lens transmits light having a wavelength of 600 nanometers to 1600 nanometers, wherein the lens comprises a polymer and the polymer comprises a polyimide comprising structural units derived from specific combinations of compounds wherein the lens is transparent and dimensionally stable at a wall thickness of 0.2 millimeters to 5.0 millimeters and remains transparent and dimensionally stable after being (a) exposed to a precondition of 60° C./60% relative humidity for 120 hours and (b) then subjected to a lead free solder test having a peak temperature of 260° C. for up to 30 seconds. |
| US08274741B2 |
Lens array, an exposure head and an image forming apparatus
An exposure head, includes: a lens array that includes lenses that are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a light emitting element substrate that is provided with light emitting elements that emit lights to be imaged by the lenses, wherein a relationship defined by a following formula: 1 |
| US08274740B2 |
Beam splitter
A beam splitter includes a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are linearly offset from one another along an axis. The first and second surfaces are positioned to receive an optical beam projected in a first direction that is generally perpendicular to the axis. The first surface is configured to redirect a first portion of the optical beam in a second direction that has a first rotational offset with respect to the first direction and a second rotational offset with respect to the axis. The second surface is configured to redirect a second portion of the optical beam in a third direction that has a third rotational offset with respect to the first direction and a fourth rotational offset with respect to the axis. |
| US08274739B2 |
Plasmonic fabry-perot filter
A plasmonic Fabry-Perot filter includes a first partial mirror and a second partial mirror separated from the first partial mirror by a gap. At least one of the first partial mirror or the second partial mirror includes an integrated plasmonic optical filter array. |
| US08274738B2 |
Space-variant polarization manipulation of thermal emission
A method for Space-variant polarization manipulation of enhanced nondirectional thermal emission in a narrow spectral peak is disclosed, comprising providing a subwavelength grating irradiating non-directional thermal emission on the grating and discretely controlling the local orientation of the grating. |
| US08274737B2 |
Retractable frame of projection screen
The present invention provides a retractable frame of a projection screen, which comprises: a receiving case; a rolling shaft; a rolling device; a first support rod having one end laterally extended with an engaging plate having a plate hole, two opposing sides of the engaging plate respectively having an engaging surface; a second support rod having one end extended with two engaging arms, and each engaging arm having an engaging hole; a combination member connected with the second support rod and the first support rod; a top supporter; and a projection screen. When being unfolded, the top supporter is upwardly pulled till the connection location of the second support rod and the first support rod being approximately a line, so the engaging arms can be tightly abutted against the end portions of the engaging surfaces for achieving the objective of support. |
| US08274736B2 |
Transmission-type screen, projection-type display device, and image displaying method
A transmission-type screen includes an entering-side Fresnel lens that inflects image light from a light emitter toward a display side using a prism formed on a rear-surface side, which is a light-entering-surface side of the image light; a first light diffusing unit that is provided on the display side with respect to the entering-side Fresnel lens and diffuses the image light from the entering-side Fresnel lens; a second light diffusing unit provided on the display side with respect to the first light diffusing unit, diffuses the image light from the first light diffusing unit, causes the diffused image light to exit toward the display side, and configured to change a relative position thereof to the first light diffusing unit; and a second substrate that holds the second light diffusing unit while being provided on the display side with respect to the second light diffusing unit. |
| US08274735B2 |
Analytical laser ablation of solid samples for ICP, ICP-MS, and FAG-MS analysis
The present invention facilitates improvements in laser ablation of solid samples to be analyzed by an external inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometer, ICP/mass-spectrometer (ICP-MS), or flowing afterglow (FAG) mass spectrometer (FAG-MS) for elemental analysis (ICP and ICP-MS) or molecular analysis (FAG-MS). A novel invention mirror-with-hole beam combiner eliminates chromatic aberration in the invention sample view and allows rad-hardening the laser ablation invention for use in a radiation hot cell for analysis of high activity nuclear waste. Many other novel invention rad-hardening attributes facilitate a comprehensive rad-hardened laser ablation system (the world's first). In other embodiments, invention novelties include unusually large homogeneous focused laser spot diameters, unusually long laser objective lens focal length, wide range operationally variable laser path length with built-in re-alignment, operationally variable demagnification ratio and diameter of the focused laser spot, the use of significantly higher powered SMR lasers in a large spot diameter to facilitate high sensitivity bulk analysis of solid samples, a demountable and gravitationally self-sealing stack assembly laser ablation cell, and the world's first auto-samplers (mechanized sample changers) for analytical laser ablation. |
| US08274725B2 |
Limited F-cone light source
A shutter includes micro-optics having first and second concentrator arrays. A transducer laterally displaces one of the first and second concentrator arrays between transmissive and shuttered modes. In the transmissive mode, the arrays of concentrators are optically aligned to permit electromagnetic energy passing through the first array of concentrators to pass through the second array of concentrators. In the shuttered mode, the electromagnetic radiation is blocked from passing through the second array of concentrators. The concentrators may be compound parabolic concentrators, or lenslets positioned on opposing plates with pinholes printed therethrough. The shutter may increase f-number of radiation passing therethrough, and may be used in a limited f-cone radiation source with shuttering abilities, for example reducing f-cone of radiation output from the radiation source. |
| US08274716B2 |
Image reading apparatus and method of controlling the same
An image reading apparatus includes a reading system having a plurality of line sensors extending in a main-scan direction, an imaging optical system for imaging, on the line sensors, imagewise information of an original surface, the imaging optical system including at least one anamorphic optical surface having different powers in the main-scan direction and the sub-scan direction, a scanning system for relatively scanning the original surface and the reading means in a sub-scan direction to read the imagewise information of the original surface, and an image correcting system for correcting imagewise information of the original surface read by each line sensor, on the basis of an imaging-position-deviation correction amount of an image in the sub-scan direction corresponding to a reading position in the main-scan direction, calculated based on an imaging position deviation amount of an image in the sub-scan direction corresponding to the reading position in the main-scan direction upon the line sensors, as calculated from optical design value of the imaging optical system. |
| US08274715B2 |
Processing color and panchromatic pixels
A method for forming a final digital color image includes capturing an image using an image sensor having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the captured image a digital panchromatic image and an intermediate digital color image; and using the digital panchromatic image and the intermediate digital color image to provide the final digital color image. |
| US08274714B2 |
Quantifiable color calibration
Techniques relating to quantifiable color calibration are described. In one instance, a process quantifiably calibrates a first color peripheral device of a system to a known color standard. The process then leverages the first color peripheral device to calibrate other system color peripheral devices. |
| US08274713B2 |
Cover device for an image scanner
An image acquisition apparatus for acquiring an image of a document including a housing having an internal space, a substantially transparent window, a CCD sensor array, a light source for illuminating the document and an opaque cover device for blocking light from escaping the internal space of the housing through the transparent window. The cover device includes an opaque wall that combined with the document, operationally blocks the escaping of light from the internal space of the housing. The cover device further includes a primary insertion slit, a document removing mechanism and a removal slit for removing a small form document through the removal slit. Optionally, the cover device further includes a second insertion slit for inserting the small form document. The width of the second insertion slit is smaller than the width of the first insertion slit. |
| US08274705B2 |
Multi-level surround error diffusion
Machine-enabled methods of, and system, and processor readable media, embodiments for, tone quantization error diffusion comprising a first stage process and a second stage process. where pre-calibrated index tables may be applied by which quantized pixels may be expressed according to halftones. |
| US08274702B2 |
System and method for color space conversion of color space values which lie outside of a traditional color space boundary
The subject application is directed to a system and method for color space conversion. Image data is received comprised of a plurality of pixels having a value encoded in a first multidimensional color space. Each of the pixels encoded in the first color space is converted to a corresponding pixel encoded in a second multidimensional color space, the conversion further including transforming each of the pixels based upon a function of the pixel values in the first color space having component values defining a fractional relationship having a numerator portion and a denominator portion, with each portion including at least one of the component values. A value of each denominator portion is converted relative to a threshold value and the pixels encoded in the first color space are converted to the second color space with an alternative quantity selectively substituted for each denominator portion in accordance with the comparison. |
| US08274701B2 |
High speed printing system for printing magnetic ink
High speed printing system for printing magnetic ink systems and associated methods are disclosed. A color of the magnetic ink may be designed to resemble one of the non-magnetic inks so that instead of ejecting the one non-magnetic ink, the printing system ejects the magnetic ink. Nozzles in a printhead may also be arranged to be adjacent to each other and may be appropriately spaced without causing the inks to be mixed in the printhead. Additionally, a color transform system may be provided to transform a sheet image in accordance with ejecting at least the magnetic and the non-magnetic ink from the printhead. |
| US08274696B2 |
Color table editing apparatus, color table editing method, program, and storage medium
A color table editing apparatus includes an image data input unit configured to input image data, a color table selection unit configured to select a given color table from a plurality of color tables in association with the input image data, an initial color data generation unit configured to generate initial color data from the selected color table and representative color data including a plurality of predetermined colors, a target color data editing unit configured to edit the initial color data to generate target color data, an optimized color data generation unit configured to generate optimized color data by performing optimization processing based on a color gamut of the edited target color data, and a user interface image display unit configured to display on a 2-dimensional color plane a user interface image including the target color data and optimized color data. |
| US08274695B2 |
Image processing apparatus and droplet ejection apparatus
An image processing apparatus has a determining unit that determines based on a print job whether an image is to be recorded by ejecting a treatment liquid, a generating unit that based on image data generates print data by converting portions of each of the color data that are capable of being replaced by using black ink droplets into black data at a predetermined ratio, and a ratio setting unit that sets the ratio of the generating unit when the determining unit determines that the image is to be recorded by ejecting the treatment liquid so that the ratio is higher than that in other cases. |
| US08274694B2 |
Method for accessing hyperlinks and hyperlinked content via mobile phone
A method for accessing content from a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: (a) capturing an image of a substrate with a mobile phone having an optical image sensor; (b) forming on the mobile phone, a request based on the captured image; (c) transmitting, from the mobile phone via an associated mobile phone network, the request to a server on the computer network, the computer network being interoperable with the mobile phone network; (d) identifying content associated with the first identifier; and (e) receiving the content in the mobile phone. |
| US08274693B2 |
Mixed jobs generation method and apparatus thereof
Input data in which fixed data and variable data are mixed is processed in a system in which a plate offset press for processing fixed data and a plateless digital press capable of processing variable data are connected. A number of pages of fixed data to be printed in succession by the plate offset press is acquired. When the acquired number of pages of fixed data to be printed in succession by the plate offset press does not exceed a number of pages of fixed data to be printed in succession in the input data, a first job is generated to assign, for the plate offset press, pages of fixed data in the input data. A second job is generated to assign, for the plateless digital press, the remaining input data obtained by excluding the fixed data assigned for the plate offset press from the input data. |
| US08274692B2 |
Print controlling method and print controlling device
In order to control printing of at least one of a plurality of digital images, zero or no value is set as a default value for a number of print copy of every one of the digital images. If any, an instruction for setting the number of print copy of at least one of the digital images is received. An instruction for printing the at least one of the digital images is received, under a condition that an identifier associated with one of the digital images is designated in a display. It is judged whether the at least one of the digital images includes at least one digital image to which one or more is set as the number of print copy, upon receipt of the instruction for printing. The at least one of the digital images is printed in accordance with the set number of print copy when it is judged the at least one of the digital images includes at least one digital image to which one or more is set as the number of print copy. One copy of the one of the digital images associated with the designated identifier is printed when it is judged the at least one of the digital images does not include at least one digital image to which one or more is set as the number of print copy. |
| US08274690B2 |
Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating background processing of push content
Apparatus, and an associated method, for a communication device operable pursuant to a push content communication scheme. An instruction detector detects a message containing a instruction by which to operate upon push content. The message is, for instance, generated by a mobile station at which an application associated with the content is resident. Once detected by the instruction detector, a content operator operates upon the content in a manner corresponding to the instruction contained in the detected message. Once operated upon, the content is stored at a storage element, available when an application of which the content is associated, becomes active. |
| US08274689B2 |
Image processing apparatus, computer-readable recording medium, and method for acquiring and outputting an image
An image processing apparatus includes a display; a memory for storing first information indicating an acquisition source of image data, second information indicating an editing process of the image data and third information indicating an output destination of the image data associated with one another as a setting information group; an accepting unit for accepting the first information to the third information; a display control unit for displaying images used for accepting the first information to the third information on a first area to a third area, respectively, of the display; and a registration unit for, when the accepting unit accepts at least two pieces of information of the first information to the third information, registering the at least two pieces of information of the first information to the third information as the setting information group in the memory. |
| US08274684B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method for proceesing reading blocks
In a first route, image data from an image reading unit is processed by both a first image processing block and a second image processing block and sent to a storage unit, and in a second route, the image data processed by the first image processing block is stored in the storage unit and image data from the storage unit is processed by the second image processing block and sent to the storage unit. The control unit switches a process of the second image processing block according to a result of a process of the first image processing block, and switches an input source to the second image processing block according to a process content of the second image processing block. |
| US08274681B2 |
Printing system, printer, administrating device for the number of sheets, and program
A printing system, provided with a first administrating section for administrating the number of sheets remaining until the number of printed sheets reaches to a predetermined upper limit of the number of sheets, a second administrating subsection for administrating the number of reserved sheets being under a waiting condition for being printed and outputted in the printing section, and a judging section for comparing the total number of sheets of the number of reserved sheets and the number of scheduled sheets indicated in a printing permission request with the number of remaining sheets when receiving the printing permission request. The judging section judges from the comparison whether or not the printing requested by the printing permission request is to be permitted, and transmits the judgment result as the response to the printing permission request. |
| US08274678B2 |
Method and system for remote access and customization of internally generated printing node status report
Methods and systems for facilitating remote access and customization of internally generated printing node status reports. In some embodiments, the methods and systems advantageously facilitate remote access and customization of internally generated printing node status reports by adapting preexisting features that generate local hard copies of printing node status reports in response to locally initiated commands. Such adaptation enables a printing node to receive, process and respond to remotely initiated requests for printing node status reports in a manner that permits remote customization of the style of printing node status reports. |
| US08274676B2 |
Image output control apparatus
An image output control apparatus includes a recognition unit for recognizing mounting of a recording medium, a reading unit for reading image-reproduction instruction data recorded in the recording medium based on the recognition of the mounting, and a generation unit for performing image generation for output by selectively reading necessary image data from the information recording medium in accordance with the image-reproduction instruction data. |
| US08274671B2 |
Printing system, control method and program holding print information for executing the off-line process when the printing process is to be separately executed
A printing system having a printing apparatus and a post-processing apparatus connected to the printing apparatus, and a method for controlling the printing system, are provided. When an in-line job is received that is set to perform a printing process by the printing apparatus and a post-process by the post-processing apparatus with respect to a sheet printed by the printing process, it is determined whether or not the in-line job is to be separated into the printing process and an off-line process of performing the post-process by the post-processing apparatus without performing the printing process. When it is determined that the separation is to be performed, the printing apparatus is caused to execute the printing process and print information for executing the off-line process is held. When a user's instruction to execute the off-line process is received, the off-line process is executed with respect to the sheet printed by the printing process. |
| US08274668B2 |
Image processing apparatus, copier, and image processing method and program
An image processing apparatus that generates printing data comprising a scanner mechanism that reads an image of a document to set the read image as image data; a printing-pixel number distribution grasping member that sets a band as one unit, and grasps distribution of the number of printing pixels in a main scanning direction of the serial printer in every band; a processing-band setting member that sequentially sets each band as a processing band; a reference position setting member that sets an analyzing band, obtains a cumulative value and sets a start reference position when the cumulative value exceeds a predetermined range, and obtains a cumulative value and sets a end reference position when the cumulative value exceeds the predetermine range; and a printing-data generating member that generates printing data by setting a printing area based on the start reference position and the end reference position. |
| US08274665B2 |
Image sensing and printing device
A digital camera device includes a housing defining a slot for receiving a printed instruction card having printed thereon an array of dots representing a programming script, the housing stores therein a roll of print media; an area image sensor for sensing an image and generating pixel data representing the image; a linear image sensor for scanning the array of dots and converting the array of dots into a data signal; a microcontroller provided in the housing, the microcontroller for decoding the data signal into the programming script and applying the programming script on the pixel data; a printing mechanism for printing the pixel data, having applied thereto the programming script, on the roll of print media; a guillotine for cutting the roll of print media; and a print manager for activating the guillotine upon receiving a signal indicating a manual attempt to pull the print media from the housing. |
| US08274664B2 |
Image forming apparatus with image reading unit including contact glass
An image forming apparatus is provided with an image reading unit for reading the image information of a document and an image forming unit for performing a specified image forming process based on this image information. The image reading unit includes a contact glass on which a document to have image information read therefrom is to be placed, an image reading unit main body on which the contact glass is mounted, a document pressing member openable and closable to press a document placed on the contact glass, and an optical member for optically scanning a document surface of the document placed on the contact glass to read as a document image. The image reading unit main body includes a top panel formed with an opening covered by the contact glass and the outer surface of the top panel is in a dark color. |
| US08274658B2 |
Optical measuring head for a duct gas monitoring system
An optical measuring head for a duct gas monitoring system is provided, the measuring head being mounted to an outer wall of a gas duct through which the duct gas flows. The measuring head has a longitudinal chamber which at one end opens into the gas duct and at the other end contains an active optical component. The chamber is flushed with a purge gas which, after flushing the chamber, is discharged into the gas duct. A gas line is installed between the chamber and interior of the gas duct at a point upstream of a discharge point and the purge gas is a branch-off of the duct gas. |
| US08274651B2 |
Method of inspecting a semiconductor device and an apparatus thereof
A method and apparatus of inspecting a sample, in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions, and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions, are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined. |
| US08274646B2 |
Measurement system and measurement processing method
This invention is directed to extract the scattering characteristic of a measurement target together when measuring the surface shape in a measurement system, which measures the surface shape of a measurement target, by the pattern projection method. To accomplish this, the measurement system includes an illumination unit which irradiates a measurement target with dot pattern light, a reflected light measurement unit which receives the reflected light at a reflection angle almost equal to a incident angle, and a reflected light extraction unit which extracts the inclination of the surface of the measurement target, based on the shift amount between the light receiving position of the received reflected light and a predetermined reference position, and extracts the luminance value of the reflected light and the dot diameter of the dot pattern light as information about the scattering characteristic. |
| US08274644B2 |
Sensing temperature of a light emitting diode
A system (100) for sensing a temperature of a light emitting diode (LED). The system may comprise an LED having a spectral output centered at a first wavelength, a first filter (104) that transitions from attenuation to transmission at about the first wavelength, and a second filter (106) that transitions from transmission to attenuation at about the first wavelength. The system may also comprise a first sensor (108) positioned to sense a first intensity of the LED through the first filter and a second sensor (110) positioned to sense a second intensity of the LED through the second filter. It will be appreciated that a single sensor may be substituted instead of the first and second sensors, provided that the single sensor is capable of selectively viewing the LED through the first and the second filters. The system may also comprise a computer (112) configured to derive a temperature of the LED considering the first intensity and the second intensity. |
| US08274643B2 |
Porous nanostructures and methods involving the same
A method for simultaneously detecting and separating a target analyte such as a protein or other macromolecule that includes providing a porous silicon matrix on the silicon substrate, exposing the porous silicon matrix to an environment suspect of containing the target analyte, observing optical reflectivity of the porous silicon matrix; and correlating the changes in the silicon substrate to the target analyte. |
| US08274642B2 |
Maskless exposure method
A maskless exposure method of drawing a circuit pattern includes: moving a substrate with respect to a projection optical system; scanning, by the projection optical system, the substrate in a first direction; shifting a scanning region in a second direction; scanning the substrate in the first direction so that an overlapping part is formed. A plurality of marks different from the circuit pattern are exposed in a vicinity of the overlapping part. The plurality of marks are a set of marks at least including two marks disposed on one side of the overlapping part and two marks disposed on another side of the overlapping part. Deviations between the pair of the scanning regions, an inclination of exposing light, and a yawing angle of a stage are analyzed by measuring deviations of distances among the plurality of marks. Calibration data are obtained from a result of the analyzing. |
| US08274641B2 |
Substrate table, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A table is disclosed in which measures are taken to seal between the table and an edge of an object, in use, supported on the table. In particular, a capillary passage is formed between the object on the table and the table itself. A meniscus pinning feature and/or the presence of an overpressure at the radially inward side of the capillary passage holds the liquid in the passage and helps prevent it from advancing further radially inwardly. The features to perform this function may be associated with or formed in a member surrounding the object. The member may be thermally decoupled from a part of the table. |
| US08274639B2 |
Stage device, pattern formation apparatus, exposure apparatus, stage drive method, exposure method, and device manufacturing method
A stage device is equipped with: a wafer stage that has a coarse movement stage that moves along an XY plane and a table that is finely movable in at least a direction parallel to the XY plane; and an encoder system. A plurality of encoder heads are arranged on the coarse movement stage. Each of the heads irradiates a first grating section placed parallel to the XY plane and a second grating section arranged on the table with measurement beams, respectively, and receives diffracted lights from each of the first and second grating sections. The encoder system measures positional information of the table (wafer stage) within the XY plane based on an output of at least one encoder head that faces the first and second grating sections. |
| US08274637B2 |
Liquid crystal panel having an opening in transparent conductive layer for venting gas
The present invention is directed to the provision of a liquid crystal panel that can solve the problem that bubbles are formed in a liquid crystal layer. More specifically, the invention provides a liquid crystal panel includes a first plastic substrate; a second plastic substrate, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the first and second plastic substrates, a transparent conductive layer provided on the first or the second plastic substrate and having a patterned region for driving the liquid crystal layer, and an opening provided in the patterned region of the transparent conductive layer. |
| US08274635B2 |
Display device with sufficient adhesive strength for sealing material
A display device which can ensure a sufficient adhesive strength on an adhering surface between each of a pair of substrates of a liquid crystal display panel and a sealing material is provided. A display device includes: a first substrate on which a predetermined integrated circuit is formed; a second substrate which is arranged on one surface of the first substrate in an overlapping manner; and an adhesive material which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate and has an annular planar shape as viewed from the surface of the first substrate, the adhesive material being provided for adhering the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein an outer periphery of the adhesive material as viewed from the surface of the first substrate includes a zone which is constituted of a plurality of first portions passing substantially the same position as an outer periphery of the surface of the first substrate and a plurality of second portions each of which is connected with the two neighboring first portions and has a center portion thereof in a peripheral direction retracted toward an inner peripheral side of the adhesive material as viewed from the surface of the first substrate. |
| US08274632B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a thin phase difference film of a liquid crystal display easily so as not to prevent a liquid crystal from being driven so that cost for manufacturing a liquid crystal display is reduced. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention has a structure in which phase difference films that have the same function as a conventional phase difference film are formed by using a liquid crystal stabilized with a polymer over a first substrate and a second substrate that have electrodes formed thereover, and a liquid crystal material is interposed between these substrates. In addition to the structure, it is also a feature that the phase difference film formed over the substrate is formed by using a liquid crystal that is stabilized with a polymer including a conductive material. |
| US08274625B2 |
Cellulose ester film, method for production of cellulose ester film, and protective film for polarizing plate, polarizing plate and liquid crystal display device each using the cellulose ester film
Disclosed is a cellulose ester film which rarely causes the attachment of foreign matters to the surface of a conveying roll or the failure of film transfer induced by the attachment of the foreign matters, which is free of the partial deformation caused by foreign matters on the conveying roll, exhibits high durability after saponification treatment, has good close adhesion to a polarizer, and has excellent processing suitability in the processing into a polarizer. Also disclosed is a method for producing the cellulose ester film by a melt-casting process. Further disclosed are; a protective film for a polarizing plate, which has high film strength; a polarizing plate having high durability; and a liquid crystal display having high image quality; each comprising the cellulose ester film. The cellulose ester film comprises a cellulose ester, a compound represented by the general formula (1) and a compound represented by the general formula (2). |
| US08274621B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method of display device
A display device 1 according to the present invention, having a display area AA capable of image display and a nondisplay area PA provided outside the display area AA, includes a first wiring line 14 and a second wiring line 20 in the nondisplay area PA. The second wiring line 20 is arranged across an insulating layer 17 from the first wiring line 14, so that a crossover section 25 at which the first wiring line 14 intersects with the second wiring line 20 is provided. The second wiring line 20 includes a plurality of branch lines 22, 23 branching therefrom and being located in the crossover section 25, while the first wiring line 14 includes a plurality of slit portions 260A, 270A and the like crossing the branch lines 22, 23. |
| US08274618B2 |
Pixel structure and pixel array
A pixel structure and a pixel array including the same are provided. The pixel structure includes a scan line, a capacitor electrode, a data line, an active device, and a pixel electrode. The capacitor electrode is electrically independent from the scan line and includes a first portion and at least one second portion. The first portion and the second portion extend in different directions, and an extending direction of the first portion is substantially the same as an extending direction of the scan line. The data line and the scan line are intersected with each other and electrically independent from each other. The data line is overlapped with the second portion of the capacitor electrode. The active device is electrically connected to the scan line and the data line. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the active device and covers the data line and the capacitor electrode. |
| US08274617B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a pixel electrode disposed on a first substrate, and including a first portion, a second portion and a connection portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, a capacitor line disposed on the first substrate and between the first substrate and the connection portion, a nonsymmetrical shaped capacitor electrode disposed on the first substrate and overlapping the pixel electrode and the capacitor line, and electrically connected to the pixel electrode through contact holes, and a common electrode disposed on a second substrate and including first and second opening patterns disposed overlapping the first portion and the second portion of the pixel electrode, respectively. |
| US08274616B2 |
Array substrate for liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same
A LCD device including a substrate, first and second gate lines along a first direction, first through third data lines along a second direction and crossing the first and second gate lines to define first and second pixel regions, first and second TFTs at a crossing of the second gate line and the first data line and a crossing of the second gate line and the second data line, first and second pixel electrodes in the first and second pixel regions, the first pixel electrode connected to the first TFT and the second pixel electrode connected to the second TFT, and first and second common lines between the first and second gate lines and overlapping the first and second pixel electrodes, and connected to each other under the second data line to cover a part of the second data line between the first and second gate lines. |
| US08274613B2 |
Display masks for display and calibration in projector-based display systems
Methods having corresponding apparatus and computer-readable media comprise: capturing an image of a shape projected upon a display surface; and determining a first rectangle that is the largest inscribed rectangle for the shape, comprising generating a rectangular bounding box containing the shape, dividing the rectangular bounding box vertically into first and second sections, determining a second rectangle that is the largest inscribed rectangle for the shape in the first section of the bounding box, determining a third rectangle that is the largest inscribed rectangle for the shape in the second section of the bounding box, dividing the rectangular bounding box horizontally into third and fourth sections, determining a fourth rectangle that is the largest inscribed rectangle for the shape in a third section of the bounding box, and determining a fifth rectangle that is the largest inscribed rectangle for the shape in the fourth section of the bounding box. |
| US08274607B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method thereof
An image processing apparatus is provided, including: a first image processing unit which converts an input image signal into a brightness signal and a chromaticity signal; and a second image processing unit which adjusts a bandwidth used to filter the chromaticity signal to correspond to a noise level of the image signal, and filters the chromaticity signal with the adjusted bandwidth to extract a chrominance signal. |
| US08274606B2 |
Video receiving apparatus
A video receiving apparatus comprises a switch, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a video processing circuit and a decoder is provided. The ADC receives a first analog channel data from the switch within a plurality of first periods and receives a second analog channel data from the switch within a plurality of second periods, and output a digital video signal. The sampling frequency of the ADC is a plurality of times of a switching frequency of the switch. The video processing circuit includes a recovery circuit and a noise reduction circuit. The recovery circuit restores the digital video signal to a recovery video signal corresponding to a video format of the analog video signal. The noise reduction circuit reduces noises generated by the switch according to the digital video signal. The decoder outputs a display signal according to the analog video signal. |
| US08274597B2 |
System and method for measuring a border of an image of an object
A system and method for measuring a border of an image of an object includes setting measurement parameters, selecting a start point, an end point, and a image capture direction, and marking isS=true, moving a CCD lens to a current point, capturing an image by the CCD lens, and obtaining sequential border points of the image. The method further includes determining if the sequential border points are fuzzy, performing an automatic focus function if the sequential border points are fuzzy, or further determining the border of the object has been completely captured if the sequential border points are clear, calculating accurate border points if the border of the object has not been completely captured, and determining a new start point to capture the next image of the object. |
| US08274596B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion detection in auto-focus applications
A method (300) and image capture device (100) are provided for determining whether an image incident upon an image sensor (101) is sufficiently stable prior to executing an auto-focus process. An image stability mechanism (104) compares attribute data—such as luminance or frequency spectrum—from successive images to determine whether a change between the attribute data from image to image is within a predetermined range (710). The image stability mechanism (104) can also be configured to determine whether a scene incident upon the image sensor (101) has changed. Where the image is sufficiently stable, an indicator module (107) provides an image stability indication to a control circuit (102). The control circuit (102) can then be configured to execute the auto-focus operation when the image is sufficiently stable, or when both the scene has changed and the image is sufficiently stable. |
| US08274593B2 |
Optical lens system
An optical lens system comprises, in order from an object side to an image side: the first lens element with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; the second lens element with positive refractive power; the third lens element with positive refractive power having the object-side surface and the image-side surface being aspheric; the fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface. There are four lens elements with refractive power. Such arrangements can enable a larger field of view, reduce the volume of the system, and further obtain higher resolution for the optical lens system of the present invention. |
| US08274591B2 |
Electromagnetic wave detection element
The present invention provides an electromagnetic wave detection element that can raise the speed of image read-out. Scan lines are each disposed to plural pixel lines for each of the pixel lines in a row direction of plural pixels disposed in a matrix array, and switches each TFT switch provided to respective pixels in the plural pixel lines by the respective scan lines. Plural signal lines are each disposed to each of the pixel lines in the column direction of the matrix array. In each of the pixel lines in the column direction, the respective signal line is connected to a different TFT switch from the TFT switches that are connected to the same respective scan line, and the charge accumulated in storage capacitors is read out through each of the signal lines according to the state of the TFT switches. |
| US08274590B2 |
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. |
| US08274579B2 |
Image processing apparatus and imaging apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes a distortion correction unit, a distortion correction range calculation unit, a control unit, a storage control unit, and a margin storage memory. The distortion correction unit performs a distortion correction processing on image data stored in a frame memory. The distortion correction range calculation unit calculates distortion correction ranges. The control unit determines an input image range from present distortion correction range and next distortion correction range. The storage control unit calculates a range for a part of the image data corresponding to the input image range from the present distortion correction range and the next distortion correction range. The margin storage memory stores the image data of the range calculated by the storage control unit. The image data input to the distortion correction unit includes both the image data from the frame memory and the image data from the margin storage memory. |
| US08274576B2 |
Still image and moving image capturing device
When still images are captured, signals read from all pixel cells of a pixel cell array having a Bayer array of color filters are selected, as a first output to be recorded and displayed, by an output selector. When moving images are captured, a 9-pixel binned signal is selected as the first output by the output selector, and a differential component between an output signal of a pixel cell located at the center-of-mass position of the 9 pixels, and the 9-pixel binned signal, is supplied as a second output from a memory circuit. Contrast information of a subject image is acquired based on the second output to perform lens focus adjustment. |
| US08274572B2 |
Electronic camera capturing a group of a plurality of specific objects
An electronic camera includes an imaging device. The imaging device has an imaging surface capturing an object scene and repeatedly outputs an object scene image. An orientation of the imaging surface is repeatedly changed by a CPU corresponding to a group photograph mode under which a group of a plurality of faces is captured. The CPU detects a face image from the object scene image outputted from the imaging device in association with a changing process of the orientation of the imaging surface. Furthermore, the CPU decides an angle range within which the group of a plurality of faces is contained based on a detection result of the face image. In addition, the CPU combines the plurality of object scene images outputted from the imaging device so as to create a combined image corresponding to the decided angle range. The created combined image is recorded in a recording medium. |
| US08274571B2 |
Image zooming using pre-existing imaging information
Aspects of the invention pertain to enhanced zooming capability of user devices. A user device such as a mobile phone with a camera may capture images of different objects of interest. The capture and zooming limitations of the user device are overcome by replacing, supplementing or otherwise enhancing the image taken with one or more geo-coded images stored in a database. For instance, if the user attempts to zoom in on a feature of an object of interest and exceeds the zooming capability of the user device, a request is sent to a remote server to provide an image showing the feature of the object of interest at a desired resolution. The server determines which, if any, stored images correlate to the captured image of the object of interest. The resulting imagery is provided to the user device and is presented on a display. |
| US08274570B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, hand shake blur area estimation device, hand shake blur area estimation method, and program
An image processing apparatus for correcting hand shake blur in a moving image includes a generation unit that generates, by setting an image among images constituting the moving image as a reference image and the remaining images as correction target images, a correction amount by which position displacement of a correction target image relative to the reference image is corrected; an estimation unit that estimates a hand shake blur area where hand shake blur relative to the reference image has occurred, on the basis of the correction amount; a detection unit that detects a composition changing operation on the basis of the correction amount; and an updating unit that updates a correction area to an area where hand shake blur in the correction target image relative to the reference image is corrected on the basis of the hand shake blur area and a detection result. |
| US08274567B2 |
Image processing method, apparatus and system
An image processing method comprises receiving, from a camera, a camera captured image comprising a user drawn image. At least part of the user drawn image is within a field of view of the camera. The method comprises applying an image processing operation to the camera captured image so as to generate an image feature within the camera captured image which corresponds to the user drawn image, and thinning the image feature to a line width which is smaller than a line width associated with the image feature so as to generate a modified width image feature. The method further comprises generating vector data from pixels associated with the modified width image feature so that the vector data substantially represents the modified width image feature. |
| US08274561B2 |
Surveillance camera
A surveillance camera comprising an image capturing portion having a rotational drive portion for rotatingly driving an image capturing lens about a pan axis and an initial position sensor providing a reference to the pan angle of the image capturing lens, a base for the image capturing portion to be attached thereto with the pan axis positioned toward a changeable direction, a controller electrically connected to the drive portion and the initial position sensor, and restrictive portion for mechanically restricting the permissible pan angle of the image capturing lens to different angles in accordance with the direction of the image capturing portion as attached to the base. The controller detects the direction of the image capturing portion as attached to the base based on the angle of rotation of the drive portion and the position of the initial position sensor. |
| US08274559B2 |
Replaceable hardware component of a camera control unit for video systems
A video imaging system is provided including a camera head for transmitting image data to a CCU, a CCU for receiving and processing the image data into a usable format, a storage device accessible by the camera control unit, information stored on the storage device, and wherein the information is used by the camera control unit for selecting hardware in the camera control unit to process the image data. |
| US08274552B2 |
Primary and auxiliary image capture devices for image processing and related methods
Disclosed herein are primary and auxiliary image capture devices for image processing and related methods. According to an aspect, a method may include using primary and auxiliary image capture devices to perform image processing. The method may include using the primary image capture device to capture a first image of a scene, the first image having a first quality characteristic. Further, the method may include using the auxiliary image capture device to capture a second image of the scene. The second image may have a second quality characteristic. The second quality characteristic may be of lower quality than the first quality characteristic. The method may also include adjusting at least one parameter of one of the captured images to create a plurality of adjusted images for one of approximating and matching the first quality characteristic. Further, the method may include utilizing the adjusted images for image processing. |
| US08274551B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating header information of stereoscopic image data
A method and apparatus for using header information of stereoscopic image data is provided. The method includes using three-dimensional reproduction period information related to three-dimensionally reproduced stereoscopic image data of image data recorded in a payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream, in a header region of the stereoscopic image bitstream; recording camera information related to cameras used for obtaining a stereoscopic image, in the header region; recording parallax information between base and additional images of the stereoscopic image in the header region; and recording the image data in the payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream. |
| US08274547B2 |
System and procedure for call centre communications
System that includes a web server (2) enabling the user to access, from a remote computer (5), several nodes (1) that include a primary node server (11), which is connected to: —a management database (12); —at least one PABX (13), —at least one video server (14); —and a number of representative rooms (15), where there is a telephone terminal (16) connected to one of the PABXs (13) and a webcam (17) or video camera connected to one of the video servers (14), enabling two-way voice transmission between the representative and the user, by means of telephone communication through the telephone terminal (16) and the telephone (4), and one-way transmission of video images from the webcam (17) to the user's remote computer (5). |
| US08274545B2 |
Apparatus and method for casting video data and audio data to web during video telephony in mobile communication terminal
An apparatus and a method for casting video and audio data to a web during video telephony in a mobile communication terminal are provided. The method includes sending a transmitting request message to a counterpart terminal, if a transmitting request menu is selected in a video telephony mode, sending authentication information to a server, if a transmitting accept message is received from the counterpart terminal, and transmitting video telephony data to the server, if an authentication complete message is received from the server. |
| US08274544B2 |
Automated videography systems
A method of automated videography, in which video images of at least one subject in a local environment are acquired using an automated videography system to capture video images using one or more cameras during a videography event of one or more video scenes; applying current video capture settings which define subject framing and camera parameters; analyzing the video images of a current video scene to assess image quality relative to changes in subject activity and current subject framing; determining a need to change subject framing to improve video image quality based on the assessment of image quality; determining whether the changes in subject activity, relative to the subject framing, correspond to an intra-scene transition or an inter-scene transition; determining new subject framing and new video capture settings for a scene-transition, whether intra-scene or inter-scene; and automatically modifying video image capture in accordance with the newly determined video capture settings. |
| US08274540B2 |
Image forming apparatus including positioning member for exposure unit
An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, an exposure unit which exposes the photoconductive body, a first pressing member which presses the exposure unit toward the photoconductive body, a first positioning member which makes a contact with the exposure unit, a second positioning member which is arranged at a side nearer to the photoconductive body than the first positioning member in an optical axial direction of light, and a second pressing member which presses the exposure unit toward the second positioning member. A point of action at which the first pressing member presses the exposure unit is positioned at a side nearer to the photoconductive body, than the first positioning member in the optical axial direction. It is possible to suppress a degradation of an image quality by suppressing an effect of vibrations with respect to the exposure unit. |
| US08274538B2 |
Optical scanner, image forming apparatus, and image forming method
The emission intensity of a laser beam source, at a time when a laser beam emitted from the laser beam source and scanned by an optical scanning device becomes incident to a laser beam detector provided in a predetermined position on the scanning path of the laser beam in order to hold a position of an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor constant in the main scanning direction, while at the same time, changing the emission intensity of the laser beam, is set so as to become the consistently same emission intensity regardless of a change in emission intensity at the time of electrostatic latent image formation onto a photoreceptor. This allows the detection timing of a laser beam by a laser beam detector to be kept constant. |
| US08274535B2 |
Video-based image control system
A method of using stereo vision to interface with a computer is provided. The method includes capturing a stereo image, and processing the stereo image to determine position information of an object in the stereo image. The object is controlled by a user. The method also includes communicating the position information to the computer to allow the user to interact with a computer application. |
| US08274534B2 |
Methods for combination tools that zoom, pan, rotate, draw, or manipulate during a drag
After positioning the cursor and pressing-and-holding a mouse button to begin a drag, a user continues to drag the cursor out of and into plural popped up regions. While the cursor is within a region, an associated function effects the displayed graphical information in a particular way, such as continuously panning, drawing, zooming, or rotating. Upon rolling-out of a region without entering a contiguous region, the last function continues to execute and all popped up regions are removed such that the user may utilize the entire display without being switched to another function. In a simple form, after release of the mouse button, a tool may zoom out if the user held the mouse substantially stationary and zoom in on a rectangle if the mouse was dragged. Reducing the number of times a user clicks by eliminating the step of selecting a function should help avoid repetitive strain injuries. |
| US08274533B2 |
Resizing a digital document image via background content removal
What is disclosed is a system and method for performing a background deletion that exploits both local and global context to remove background and other white space between objects with the aim of retaining structural relationships between objects in the document. A document image is received and seams are carved through the image. Seams composed of uniform background pixels are identified. Adjacent seams containing background pixels are collected into groups of seams. The background seam groups are classified according to their widths. A target number of seams to be removed for each background seam group is then determined based on the classification. Seam groups which are wider will have at least the same or a greater target number of seams to be deleted therefrom than will seam groups of narrower widths. The document image is then resized by deleting seams from the seam groups based on the assigned target number. |
| US08274532B2 |
System for adaptively orienting a display image on a device
A system adaptively orients a display image on a device for presenting data acquired via one or more cables connected to a particular side of the device. The system includes a sensor for detecting orientation of the device and providing a device orientation representative signal indicating whether the device is in a first orientation or a second orientation substantially different to the first orientation. A display screen presents display images on the device. A display generator automatically generates a display image on the display screen oriented to be upright in the first and second orientations of the device, in response to the orientation representative signal. A command processor adaptively selects functions assigned to user selectable buttons positioned on both sides of the display screen of the device, in response to the orientation representative signal. |
| US08274525B2 |
Converting color primaries and luminances of an input signalt to different color primaries and luminances for a display
A color gamut mapping maps an input image signal which has input pixel colors defined by an input luminance and an input chromaticity into a mapped image signal which has corresponding mapped pixel colors defined by a mapped luminance and a mapped chromaticity for a display. The input pixel colors lie within the input color gamut different than the display color gamut. The desired mapped luminance may be retrieved by looking up stored desired luminance values in a look-up table at the mapped chromaticity, or by calculating a relative to white luminance, or a luminance decrease, etc. |
| US08274523B2 |
Processing digital templates for image display
A method for creating an artistically coordinated image display. A digital template is provided for said image display and it includes of openings for placing images each having at least one required attribute for an image. A programmed computer system automatically searches a database of images for images to be placed in the openings and each of the images satisfy the openings required image attributes. One or more vertical and horizontal lines are demarcated in the so that subjects in the image can be placed on the lines or their intersecting points by modifying and shifting the image appropriately. A subject of the image can also be measured and its size can be set as a reference measurement unit to assist in aesthetically placing subjects proportionally within the image. |
| US08274520B2 |
Facilitating caching in an image-processing system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for performing caching in an image-processing system. The system starts by receiving a filtering query for resources in a cache. The system then returning a subcache in response to the filtering query. Upon receiving a resource query for resources in the subcache, the system performs the filtering query on the cache, populates the subcache with addresses of resources returned by the filtering query until the resource query is satisfied, and returns available resources from the subcache in response to the resource query. |
| US08274518B2 |
Systems and methods for virtualizing graphics subsystems
Systems and methods for applying virtual machines to graphics hardware are provided. In various embodiments of the invention, while supervisory code runs on the CPU, the actual graphics work items are run directly on the graphics hardware and the supervisory code is structured as a graphics virtual machine monitor. Application compatibility is retained using virtual machine monitor (VMM) technology to run a first operating system (OS), such as an original OS version, simultaneously with a second OS, such as a new version OS, in separate virtual machines (VMs). VMM technology applied to host processors is extended to graphics processing units (GPUs) to allow hardware access to graphics accelerators, ensuring that legacy applications operate at full performance. The invention also provides methods to make the user experience cosmetically seamless while running multiple applications in different VMs. In other aspects of the invention, by employing VMM technology, the virtualized graphics architecture of the invention is extended to provide trusted services and content protection. |
| US08274517B2 |
Systems and methods for downloading algorithmic elements to a coprocessor and corresponding techniques
Systems and methods for downloading algorithmic elements to a coprocessor and corresponding processing and communication techniques are provided. For an improved graphics pipeline, the invention provides a class of co-processing device, such as a graphics processor unit (GPU), providing improved capabilities for an abstract or virtual machine for performing graphics calculations and rendering. The invention allows for runtime-predicated flow control of programs downloaded to coprocessors, enables coprocessors to include indexable arrays of on-chip storage elements that are readable and writable during execution of programs, provides native support for textures and texture maps and corresponding operations in a vertex shader, provides frequency division of vertex streams input to a vertex shader with optional support for a stream modulo value, provides a register storage element on a pixel shader and associated interfaces for storage associated with representing the “face” of a pixel, provides vertex shaders and pixel shaders with more on-chip register storage and the ability to receive larger programs than any existing vertex or pixel shaders and provides 32 bit float number support in both vertex and pixel shaders. |
| US08274516B2 |
GPU scene composition and animation
Architecture that expresses scene composition and animation in a form that can run entirely on the graphics processing unit (GPU). The architecture stores retained graph information (e.g., scene graph and animation information) as texture information, and uses shaders (e.g., vertex and pixel) to evaluate time information, evaluate animation, evaluate transforms, and rasterize paths. Additionally, the architecture provides the ability to compute animation positions and redraw entirely on the GPU without per primitive CPU intervention. |
| US08274513B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for obtaining a boundary attribute value from a polygon mesh, during voxelization
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for obtaining a boundary attribute value from a polygon mesh, during voxelization. In operation, voxelization is performed. Furthermore, during the voxelization, a boundary attribute value is obtained from a polygon mesh. Additionally, the boundary value includes a value of a boundary attribute of an object that is capable of being linearly interpolated across a boundary of a polygon mesh. |
| US08274510B2 |
Method and apparatus for visualizing a quantity of a material used in a physical object having a plurality of physical elements
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for illustrating progress in achieving a goal of a system modeled by a computer program. In one embodiment, the invention is evidenced by a method comprising the steps of displaying a widget wherein the widget comprises a center portion representing a category of data represented by the computer program and the category of data includes n data points that must be fulfilled to achieve the goal and an outer portion, comprising a segment representing each one of the n data points; and updating the widget to represent each of the n data points that has been fulfilled by delineating each segment representing a fulfilled data point requirement from each segment representing a non-fulfilled data point requirement. |
| US08274506B1 |
System and methods for creating a three-dimensional view of a two-dimensional map
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for generating 3D views of 2D images are disclosed. Image data representing a 2D map may be included in an input document in a portable document format, along with embedded geospatial information related to the map. A document-based 3D translator may extract image data and other information from the input document and may translate the image into a map projected on a 3D model of the Earth's surface, using embedded location and/or extent information. Additional information may be projected on the map image or displayed as a height, texture, or color, or as separate, anchored, or floating text. Image data representing the 3D view may be output to the same or a different document file. The methods may be implemented in a system comprising a CPU and/or a GPU, and/or as program instructions, stored on computer-readable media, executable by the CPU and/or GPU. |
| US08274501B2 |
Techniques to control self refresh display functionality
Techniques are described to monitor a level of graphics processing activity and control power usage based on the level. When no graphics processing activity is detected for a period of time, then a timing controller for a display device is instructed to capture a current image and repeatedly display the captured image. The graphics processing devices can be powered down. When graphics processing activity is detected, the graphics processing devices are powered up and the components used to capture an image and display the captured image are powered down. |
| US08274499B2 |
Method for driving pixel circuit, electro-optic device, and electronic apparatus
There is provided a method for driving a pixel circuit including a light-emitting element that emits light whose amount corresponds to a driving current, a driver transistor that supplies the driving current to the light-emitting element, a first transistor provided between a gate of the driver transistor and a drain of the driver transistor, a second transistor provided between the drain of the driver transistor and a node used to supply an initialization potential, and a capacitive element one terminal of which is connected to the gate of the driver transistor. In an initialization period in which the first transistor is turned on, the method for driving a pixel circuit includes supplying a fixed potential to the other terminal of the capacitive element and supplying a predetermined potential allowing the second transistor to be operated in a saturation region thereof to a gate of the second transistor. In a writing period after the initialization period is finished, the method for driving a pixel circuit includes supplying a potential corresponding to a gradation to be displayed to the other terminal of the capacitive element. |
| US08274495B2 |
System and method for contactless touch screen
A touch screen that employs a lens-less linear IR sensor array and an IR light source from a single location at the periphery of the screen to illuminate one or more objects proximate to the screen surface and detect light reflected from such objects. The sensor array is paired with a proximal grid-like barrier/reflector to create Moiré patterns on the sensor array. Digital signal processing converts such patterns into discrete Fourier transforms. The peaks of the lower order discrete Fourier spectrum as well as the complex phases of the lower order peaks can be used to determine the locations of the objects proximal to the screen accurately. A small number of pressure or surface acoustic sensors at the periphery of the screen are utilized to improve positioning reliability by providing redundant positioning information and registering physical contacts with the screen. |
| US08274493B2 |
Touch panel and portable electronic device thereof
A touch panel and a portable electronic device thereof are provided. The present invention can accurately determine a position touched by a user on the touch panel by judging whether or not a potential voltage value between a reference capacitor and a sensing capacitor of a pixel having a sensing area being changed, or to determine whether a switch of a pixel having the sensing area being conducted. |
| US08274491B2 |
Capacitive touchscreen signal acquisition without panel reset
Various embodiments of readout circuits are disclosed where no touchscreen or touch panel recharge is required, and the amount of time available for signal acquisition is twice that relative to prior art touchscreen or touch panel readout circuits. Voltage offsets of the integrating amplifiers may be compensated for by notch filtering signals stored in readout circuit capacitors. Some embodiments of readout circuits disclosed herein permit large dynamic range capacitive touchscreen or touch panel signals to be processed, and do not require panel reset. Readout circuits are disclosed that permit doubling of the signal acquisition rate and pre-filtering of acquired touch panel signals for improved immunity from harmonic EMI. Signal acquisition and temporary storage may be carried out using the same capacitors in such readout circuits. |
| US08274488B2 |
Touch location detecting panel having a simple layer structure
The present invention relates to a touch location detecting panel and, more particularly, to a touch location detecting panel having a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. The touch location detecting panel of the invention has on a surface at one side of a single film a plurality of sensing areas arranged two-dimensionally. Each of the sensing areas includes a plurality of partitioned areas electrically isolated from each other, and the partitioned areas are respectively connected to separate channels of a circuit for detecting a user's touch on each of the partitioned areas. Accordingly, durability and productivity of the touch location detecting panel can be improved by simplifying the panel structure. |
| US08274485B2 |
Touch position detection method for touch control device
Disclosed is a touch position detection method for a touch control device, which employs a preset scan detection mode to carry out driving and scan detection on first and second conductive layers through a control circuit. When touch on a touch panel is detected, the type of the touch is determined, which may include a single-point touch, a continuous trace, and a multiple-point touch, and first and second operation modes are selectively used to perform driving and scan detection on the first and second conductive layers of the touch panel to thereby detect coordinates of the touch points or the continuous trace. |
| US08274484B2 |
Tracking input in a screen-reflective interface environment
In an example embodiment, a method is adapted to tracking input with a device. The method includes an act of monitoring and acts of activating and displaying if a touch input is detected. The device has a first side and a second side, with the second side opposite the first side. The device has a display screen disposed on the first side, and a screen-reflective interface disposed on the second side. Respective positions on the screen-reflective interface correspond to respective locations of the display screen. The screen-reflective interface of the device is monitored. If a touch input is detected on the screen-reflective interface, the device performs acts of activating and displaying. Specifically, a tracking state is activated for the screen-reflective interface responsive to the detected touch input on the screen-reflective interface. The interface icon is displayed on the display screen to indicate that the tracking state has been activated. |
| US08274483B2 |
Remote control signal-using device, remote control signal-using method, car navigation apparatus, and display apparatus
The present invention utilizes a remote control signal for transmitting commands respectively from a remote controller and a touch panel. A signal generator generates a second remote control signal from a two-dimensional coordinate value signal (touch panel output). The second remote control signal does not overlap a first remote control signal (remote controller output). The remote control signal includes first one-byte data and second one-byte data. The first remote control signal exists on first portion that is defined as a group of points. These points exist on a diagonal of two-dimensional coordinate. The second remote control signal is transmitted via a cable. Processor performs remote control processing upon being the first remote control signal and performs a touch panel processing upon being the second remote control signal. |
| US08274480B2 |
Contact sensitive device
A contact sensitive device (10) comprising a member (12) capable of supporting bending waves, a first sensor (16) mounted on the member for measuring bending wave vibration in the member, the sensor (16) determining a first measured bending wave signal and a processor which calculates information relating to a contact on the member (12) from the measured bending wave signal, the processor applying a correction based on the dispersion relation of the material of the member (12) supporting the bending waves, characterized in that the device (10) comprises a second sensor (16) to determine a second measured bending wave signal which is measured simultaneously with the first measured bending wave signal and the processor calculates a dispersion corrected function of the two measured bending wave signals which is selected from the group consisting of a dispersion corrected correlation function, a dispersion corrected convolution function, a dispersion corrected coherence function and other phase equivalent functions to determine information relating to the contact. |
| US08274479B2 |
Gimballed scroll wheel
An input device that includes both a movement detector, such as mechanical switch, and positional indicator, such as touch pad touch screen, and/or touch sensing housing is disclosed. These two input devices can be used substantially simultaneously to provide a command to the device. In this manner, different commands can be associated with depressing a moveable member in different areas and a single moveable member can perform like several buttons. |
| US08274478B2 |
Telephone keypad with multidirectional keys
A telephone keypad for one touch text messaging the QWERTY pattern of keys in a matrix of nine keys. Using the multi position biasing keys only one touch is needed for each character, so in use to input the letter “C” you touch one key one time, decreasing the time spend text messaging from cell phones or desk tops and dialing phone numbers advertised in letters. The keypad also has a shift key to get upper case included in the nine keys, and a 2nd key to double functionality of the keys. |
| US08274476B2 |
Computer cursor control system
The present invention provides a computer cursor control system comprising a touchpad device and a cursor control program. The cursor control program displays a virtual pointer on a screen according to a finger's touch on the touchpad device and simultaneously moves a computer and the virtual pointer according to the finger's movement on the touch pad device. Finally, the compute cursor is moved to the virtual pointer's position responding to a switch signal generated by the touchpad device. |
| US08274471B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for driving the same
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a method for driving the same, which are capable of achieving an enhancement in display quality, are disclosed. The LCD device includes a display panel for displaying an image, a backlight unit comprising a plurality red light sources, a plurality of green light sources, and a plurality of blue light sources, a backlight driver for controlling a duty rate of a first drive signal to drive the red light sources, a duty rate of a second drive signal to drive the green light sources, and a duty rate of a third drive signal to drive the blue light sources, in accordance with a control signal including color coordinate information and luminance information, a luminance corrector for varying the luminance information of the control signal when the duty rate of one of the first to third drive signal is 100%, and a light sensor for sensing light beams from the light sources, generating light sensing signals based on the sensed light beams, and supplying the light sensing signals to the backlight driver and to the luminance corrector. |
| US08274468B2 |
Flat panel display device and data processing method for video data
A flat panel display includes first and second signal drivers which drive a first and second group signal lines of a display panel in accordance with an input first and second group video data respectively. A controller controls a timing of sending the first group video data to the first signal driver via the first data line, and a timing of sending the second group video data to the second signal driver via the second data line. A delay time generating section shifts a relative timing between a timing at which the first signal driver receives the first group video data and a timing at which the second signal driver receives the second video data by a determined time. The problem of the deterioration of the EMI caused by synchronization of the peak currents respectively generated in signal drivers for driving a flat panel display can be suppressed. |
| US08274466B2 |
System and method for providing bias voltages to pad logic of an LCD controller
An LCD controller includes at least one I/O pad for providing an LCD drive voltage in an LCD mode of operation. I/O pad logic drives the at least one I/O pad responsive to a provided bias voltage. Voltage selection logic selects a higher voltage between an LCD drive voltage and an externally provided system voltage as a first voltage. Bias voltage logic selects one of the system voltage or the first voltage as the bias voltage for the I/O pad logic. The system voltage is selected as the bias voltage for the I/O pad logic in a non-LCD mode of operation for the I/O pad and the first voltage is selected for the bias voltage for the I/O pad logic in the LCD mode of operation for the I/O pad. |
| US08274460B2 |
Display driving device and method and liquid crystal display apparatus having the same
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel assembly having pixels arranged in a matrix form, which have a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels, gate lines having a first group of gate lines and a second group of gate lines that are connected with the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels, respectively, and data lines each of which is connected with one of the first group of pixels and one of the second group of pixels in every row of the matrix form. The liquid crystal display apparatus also includes a signal controller that receives input image signals and generates two groups of image data, a data driver that receives the two groups of image data and provides data voltages corresponding to the image data to the data lines, and a gate driving unit including a first gate driver that provides first gate-on signals to the first group of gate lines and a second gate driver that provides second gate-on signals to the second group of gate lines. |
| US08274456B2 |
Display device and driving method of the same, and electronic apparatus
The brightness of a light emitting element varies when changes in ambient temperature or changes with time occur. In view of this, the invention provides a display device where the influence of variations in the current value of the light emitting element due to changes in ambient temperature and changes with time can be suppressed. The display device of the invention includes a monitoring element that is driven with a constant current, and a voltage applied to the monitoring element is detected and inputted to a light emitting element. In other words, the monitoring element is driven with a low current, and a voltage applied to the monitoring element is inputted to the light emitting element such that the light emitting element is driven with a constant current. |
| US08274455B2 |
Pixel driving circuit for a display device and a driving method thereof
A pixel driving circuit for a display device in which a plurality of gate lines and data lines are arranged. The pixel circuit is disposed at an intersection between the gate lines and data lines, and includes at least two light emitting elements for emitting certain colors within a certain section; an active device commonly connected to the at least two light emitting elements to drive the at least two light emitting elements; and an power source control part connected to the active device to transmit driving control signals for the at least two light emitting elements to the active device. The active device sequentially drives the at least two light emitting elements in the certain section per a certain period of time in response to the power source signals transmitted through the power source control part, and the at least two light emitting elements are sequentially emitted. |
| US08274454B2 |
EL display panel, electronic apparatus and a method of driving EL display panel
Disclosed herein is an electro luminescence display panel having a pixel structure corresponding to an active matrix drive system, including: a reverse bias potential generating portion configured to generate a reverse bias potential in which corresponding one of gradation values of pixels is reflected; and a voltage applying portion configured to apply the reverse bias potential to a gate electrode of a drive transistor composing a pixel circuit adapted to operate for a non-emission time period. |
| US08274449B2 |
Data access method for a timing controller of a flat panel display and related device
A data access method for a timing controller of a flat panel display includes forming a line buffer including a plurality of memory cells in the timing controller, dividing the plurality of memory cells into a first section and a second section, wherein the number of memory cells in the first section is greater than the number of memory cells in the second section, writing a first number of pixel data into the first section, wherein the first number of pixel data is included in a plurality of pixel data corresponding to a row of a frame, writing a second number of pixel data into the second section, wherein the second number of pixel data is included in the plurality of pixel data, and the first number is equal to the second number, and reading the plurality of pixel data from the plurality of memory cells according to an order. |
| US08274444B2 |
Antenna device
An antenna device includes an insulating substrate, a ground plane, a radiating element, a horizontal feed probe and a vertical feed probe. The insulating substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. One end of the first surface defines an insulating area. One end of the second surface adjacent to the insulating area defines a first isolating area, a second isolating area, a horizontal feed circuit and a vertical feed circuit. The ground plane includes a first ground plane and a second ground plane. The radiating element is located onto the insulating area. The horizontal and vertical feed probes are inserted in the insulating substrate and the radiating element with one end thereof projecting beyond the radiating element and the other end thereof respectively penetrating through the first and second isolating areas so as to couple with the horizontal and vertical feed circuits, respectively. |
| US08274435B2 |
Antenna apparatus
A portable terminal includes a small-sized built-in antenna apparatus having an excellent electric performance. The built-in antenna apparatus includes a ground plate and an antenna unit. The ground plate includes a feed point. The antenna unit is disposed adjacent to an end of the ground plate. The antenna unit includes a reverse L-shaped antenna element. One end of the L-shaped antenna element is connected to the feed point and an opposite end of the L-shaped antenna has a helical shape. A magnetic piece is loaded at a portion where current distribution of the L-shaped antenna element is high, and a dielectric piece is loaded at a portion where current distribution of the L-shaped antenna element is low. |
| US08274429B2 |
Wireless communication systems and methods with source localization and self-calibration
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for source-localization and self-calibration for an array of antenna elements. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes estimating directions of arrival of a plurality of signals received by a plurality of antenna elements of the array of antenna elements and identifying a target signal from among the plurality of received signals. The method may also include estimating complex gain of each of the plurality of antenna elements in a direction of arrival of the identified target signal, wherein the estimation of the complex gain of each the plurality of antenna elements is performed after estimating the directions of arrival of signals received by the plurality of antenna elements. |
| US08274427B2 |
Radar device
A radar device including: a reception antenna that receives radio waves, includes at least three antennas and is arranged so that the phase center points thereof form an isosceles triangle; an arrival direction detection unit that detects an arrival direction of the radio waves by a phase monopulse method; and a phase correction unit that corrects a phase difference between phases of radio waves respectively received by two adjacent antennas among the three antennas based on the relationship of the phases of the radio waves respectively received by the three antennas. |
| US08274426B2 |
High-resolution, active reflector radio frequency ranging system
A radio frequency ranging system is grounded in establishing and maintaining phase and frequency coherency of signals received by a slave unit from a master unit and retransmitted to the master unit by the slave unit. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, coherency is established through the use of a delta-sigma phase-lock loop, and maintained through the use, on both master and slave units, of thermally-insulated reference oscillators, which are highly stable over the short periods of time during which communications occur. A phase relationship counter is employed to keep track of the fractional time frames of the phase-lock loop as a function of the reference oscillator, thereby providing absolute phase information for an incoming burst on any channel, thereby enabling the system to almost instantaneously establish or reestablish the phase relationship of the local oscillator so that it synchronized with the reference oscillator. |
| US08274425B2 |
Single channel semi-active radar seeker
The disclosed approach provides a low-cost approach by employing a single channel receiver for a direction-finding missile, rather than a conventional four-channel system. It employs interferometry techniques. The proposed approach leverages orthogonal waveforms and pseudorandom noise (PN) codes. This is a low-cost approach for a single channel direction finding system by leveraging orthogonal waveforms and interferometric techniques. |
| US08274424B2 |
Integrated airport domain awareness response system, system for ground-based transportable defense of airports against manpads, and methods
Embodiments of an apparatus and method for defending a physical zone from airborne and ground-based threats are disclosed. In the various embodiments, an apparatus includes a detection component configured to detect and track a ground-based or airborne threat proximate to the physical zone, an integration component to receive data from the detection component and process the data to determine a threat assessment. A defensive component receives the determined threat assessment and disables the ground-based and airborne threat based upon the determined threat assessment. A method includes detecting an object proximate to the physical zone to be protected, identifying the object as a hostile threat, determining at least one of a path and a point-of-origin for the object, and actuating a defensive system in response to the hostile threat. |
| US08274422B1 |
Interactive synthetic aperture radar processor and system and method for generating images
A system for generating images may include an interactive SAR processor for generating an image using SAR data. The system may also include a module associated with the SAR processor for allowing a user to interactively select different settings for each of a group of parameters for generating different images by the interactive SAR processor using the SAR data. |
| US08274421B2 |
System for digitizing a parameter having an unknown value
A system for digitizing the magnitude of a first parameter, which can be inferred by applying to a second parameter and digitizing the magnitude of a resulting third parameter. The circuit which applies the second parameter has an associated bias point with which the magnitude of the second parameter varies. The value of the first parameter can result in an error in the value of the second parameter which results in an error being incurred when the digitized value of the third magnitude is used to infer a digitized value of the magnitude of the first parameter. This is avoided by adjusting the bias point with each successive trial and employing a sequential-trial ADC which performs sequential comparisons between the third magnitude and respective decision thresholds, such that there is no error in the magnitude of the second parameter when the third magnitude is equal to the decision threshold for a particular trial. |
| US08274419B2 |
Analog-digital converter with pipeline architecture associated with a programmable gain amplifier
A device may include a programmable gain amplifier and an analog-digital converter with pipeline architecture having several stages. The first stage of the analog-digital converter may incorporate the programmable gain amplifier and an analog-digital conversion circuit with a programmable threshold. |
| US08274415B2 |
Sigma-delta modulator apparatus and method of generating a modulated output signal
A discrete time sigma-delta modulator apparatus for class-D operation comprises a feed-forward path having an input at one end thereof and an output at another end thereof. A first summation unit is coupled in the feed-forward path to a first integrator. A quantizer is coupled in the feed-forward path after the first integrator and a feedback path arrangement is coupled to an input of the first summation unit. A low pass filter is arranged in the feedback path arrangement so as only to drive the first integrator. |
| US08274413B1 |
Limit equalizer output based timing loop
A timing loop for generating a channel clock signal for driving an analog to digital converter (ADC) includes a slicer bias loop configured to generate an asymmetry compensation signal for a digital output signal from the ADC, the first adder configured to asymmetrically compensate the digital output signal based on the asymmetry compensation signal from the slicer bias loop, a limit equalizer configured to limit a boost range of the asymmetrically compensated digital output signal from the adder, a slicer configured to generate a temporary decision signal based on the asymmetrically compensated digital output signal from the limit equalizer, a phase detector configured to generate a timing error signal based on the asymmetrically compensated digital output signal from the limit equalizer and the temporary decision signal from the slicer; and the first filter configured to generate a clock signal for driving the ADC based on the time error signal from the phase detector. |
| US08274409B2 |
Light-emitting keyboard
A light-emitting keyboard is disclosed, which comprises: a light guide plate, configured with a light entrance surface, a light emitting surface and a via hole; a light source, disposed next to the light entrance surface of the light guide plate; a frame, disposed on the light emitting surface of the light guide plate; an opaque material disposed on the via hole. With the aforesaid structure, light from the light source can be prevented from being emitting out from the via hole and thus can be evenly emitted out of the light guide plate. |
| US08274408B2 |
USB keyboard arrangement having N-keys rollover and the method thereof
A USB keyboard arrangement having N-keys rollover and the method thereof mainly make use of rearranging a keycode of a firmware program of the USB keyboard through sets of bit maps to control each key thereon. After modifying a matrix, each key within a certain key-area can favorably avert from key ghosting existed in the matrix circuit. Therefore, when all keys in the key-area are concurrently pressed, isolated signals of the keys can be simultaneously sensed. While alternatively adjusting the firmware program through the above methods and adapting the methods to the prior art to split the keys in the key-area of the matrix from the crosspoints of key ghosting, the key-area of the USB keyboard can be provided with concomitantly sending isolated signals. |
| US08274407B2 |
Device for selection of symbols, such as characters, icons and/or multiple choices
A compact electric device for coding and selecting characters, symbols and/or multiple choices, includes a matrix carrying a plurality of contact or proximity sensors (1,2,3,4,5,5,7,8), an activation member (10) of sensors and a single selection key (22). This key is operated by the user for bringing in turn the activation member at least partially in coincidence with at least a first and a second of the sensors, for transmitting a selectively different coded signal for each respective different sensor. The matrix comprises a first group of sensors (1,2,3), having function of selection of respective matrix fields, and a second group of sensors (4,5,6,7,8), having function of selection of characters associated to each matrix field. The sensors are distributed on the matrix according to modular zones, having a central zone (0) and radial sector zones (A, B, C, D). |
| US08274403B2 |
Parking system employing remote asset management techniques
The system described is an integrated parking management system which makes use of patented vehicle detectors to collect and transmit data, essentially in near real time, as to all events happening as to single or multiple parking spaces (e.g. current and historic use, length of time of occupancy of current occupant) to a central clearing device for which patent application has been made which serves as a logic core and repository, making use of proprietary software, analyzing, displaying and distributing the data so developed as to a parking plant and all of its components to allow all parties (including prospective users) who are concerned with the various aspects of a parking plant and its components (e.g. determination as to availability of spaces, maintenance and repair of meters, collection of revenues and enforcement of parking regulations) not only to access and make passive use of the information developed, in near real time, to permit them to identify what's happening to the plant and its components as to their own particular interest in such plant and so maximize the efficient use both of the resources of the plant and their own resources directed to the particular aspect of their interface with the plant and its components but also to access and make active use of such information for whatever purpose and in whatever fashion using whatever means of access they may wish. While others have made claim to certain of the individual functions described, e.g. vehicle detection, nobody has identified or patented. |
| US08274399B2 |
Method and system for predicting performance of a drilling system having multiple cutting structures
A drilling system has multiple cutting structures, including a bit and one or more secondary cutting structures. A method balances the rate of penetration of the drilling system and the wear on the cutting structures by controlling weight on bit and RPM. The method includes calculating a predicted rate of penetration for the bit, using in the calculation the current predicted wear on the bit and the properties of the rock to be penetrated by the bit. The method includes calculating a predicted rate of penetration for at least one of the one or more secondary cutting structures, using in the calculation the current predicted wear on the secondary cutting structure and the properties of the rock to be penetrated by the secondary cutting structure. The method includes determining the slowest rate of penetration among those calculated for the bit and at least one the one or more secondary cutting structures. The method includes calculating the weight on bit and RPM for each of the bit and at least one of the one or more secondary cutting structures to substantially match the determined slowest rate of penetration. The method includes summing the calculated weights on bit to calculate a goal weight on bit for the drilling system and setting a goal RPM for a rotary portion of the drilling system to the slowest RPM calculated for the cutting structures that rotate at substantially the speed of the rotary portion of the drilling system. |
| US08274395B1 |
Battery monitoring systems and methods
A system for monitoring batteries comprises a current control element coupled in parallel to a diode and across a battery. The current control element measures current on the cathode end of the diode. Once the voltage potential reaches a threshold, the current control element routes the current from the cathode end of the diode to the anode end of the diode thereby reducing the voltage potential across the battery terminal. Accordingly, a battery sensing element is prevented from falsely sensing a presence of an operable battery due to leakage current of the diode. |