| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08401803B2 |
Determination of the lifetime of a component
Method and arrangement for determining the remaining lifetime of a component of a power electronics appliance, such as a frequency converter, in which the lifetime data that is dependent on the ambient conditions and operation as specified by the manufacturer of the component is used, in which method at least one magnitude connected to ambient conditions, such as temperature, is determined, at least one loading magnitude of the component, such as speed of rotation, is determined and the calculation of the remaining lifetime is performed on the basis of at least one magnitude connected to ambient conditions, such as temperature, and of at least one loading magnitude of the component, such as speed of rotation, as well as of the lifetime data that is dependent on these ambient conditions and loading as specified by the manufacturer of the component. |
| US08401800B2 |
Molecular flux rates through critical pathways measured by stable isotope labeling in vivo, as biomarkers of drug action and disease activity
The methods described herein enable the evaluation of compounds on subjects to assess their therapeutic efficacy or toxic effects. The target of analysis is the underlying biochemical process or processes (i.e., metabolic process) thought to be involved in disease pathogenesis. Molecular flux rates within the one or more biochemical processes serve as biomarkers and are quantitated and compared with the molecular flux rates (i.e., biomarker) from control subjects (i.e., subjects not exposed to the compounds). Any change in the biomarker in the subject relative to the biomarker in the control subject provides information to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of an administered drug or a toxic effect and to develop the compound further if desired. In one aspect of the invention, stable isotope-labeled substrate molecules are administered to a subject and the label is incorporated into targeted molecules in a manner that reveals molecular flux rates through metabolic pathways of interest. |
| US08401799B2 |
Antibody design using anti-lipid antibody crystal structures
Methods for designing optimized antibodies, including optimized humainized or human antibodies, to target bioactive lipids are provided. These methods may be performed in silico and may be intended to enhance binding affinity of an antibody to its original target lipid, and/or to alter binding specificity. Antibodies produced by these methods are also provided, as are methods for using them. |
| US08401793B2 |
High resolution wind measurements for offshore wind energy development
A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to measure wind. Data at a first resolution (i.e., low resolution data) is collected by a satellite scatterometer. Thin slices of the data are determined. A collocation of the data slices are determined at each grid cell center to obtain ensembles of collocated data slices. Each ensemble of collocated data slices is decomposed into a mean part and a fluctuating part. The data is reconstructed at a second resolution from the mean part and a residue of the fluctuating part. A wind measurement is determined from the data at the second resolution using a wind model function. A description of the wind measurement is output. |
| US08401791B2 |
Methods for evaluating operation of marking apparatus
A marking system may hold a container from which markers are dispensed to mark the presence or absence of an underground facility in a dig area. The container may identify a marker characteristic regarding the markers in the container. The marking system may receive activation of a trigger, dispense a marker from the container when the trigger is activated, and store the marker characteristic and time data when the trigger is activated. In other embodiments, the marking system may dispense a marker, determine location data and/or time data, and substantially simultaneously trigger the dispensing of the marker and logging of the location data and/or the time data. The location data identifies a geographic location where the marker is dispensed and the time data identifies the time when the marker is dispensed. |
| US08401790B2 |
Computing-time-efficient route determination along several preset path points with given connecting routes in-between
A process for determining a route along more than two mutually consecutive preset path points with given connecting routes in-between. In this case, a plurality of connecting routes is given between at least one pair of two mutually consecutive path points. Respective costs and preferably also a respective time duration are assigned to each connecting route. In a first step of the process, a tree is generated which comprises edges and nodes connected by edges. Each node is assigned to a defined path point and each edge corresponds to a connecting route. The route is determined based on a selection of edges of the tree. |
| US08401789B2 |
Navigation system, route retrieval server and mobile terminal device, and route guiding method
A mobile terminal device has a display for indicating guidance of a route retrieved by a route retriever and a GPS receiver for detecting the present location. A route retrieval server has a database for storing the present location of each bus running on bus lines and an alternative route guider for evaluating alternative bus route to provide guidance. When the guided route includes a walking route, the route retriever references the database based on the present location of the mobile terminal device to identify an alternative route that includes a bus. The alternative route guider compares the alternative route and guided route. When the alternative route is more favorable than the guided route, the alternative route guider sends alternative route information indicating presence of the alternative route to the mobile terminal device, displays the guided route on a display, and indicates the presence of the alternative route. |
| US08401788B2 |
Angular velocity sensor correcting apparatus and method
A GPS measuring unit receives a signal from a GPS satellite and outputs GPS measurement data including at least orientation of an object. An angular velocity sensor outputs angular velocity of the object. An offset value computing unit estimates a running condition of the object on the basis of the measurement data and the angular velocity. The offset value computing unit sequentially derives a temporary offset value of the angular velocity sensor in accordance with the estimated running condition of the object. The offset value computing unit derives an offset value of the angular velocity sensor by executing statistical process on the temporary offset value of the angular velocity sensor. A forgetting factor in the statistical process is changed according to the running condition of the object. |
| US08401780B2 |
Method of prioritizing similar names of locations for use by a navigation system
Locations having similar names are identified and placed in groups. The naming similarity includes how names or portions of names are spelled and/or pronounced. The names within the groups are then ranked by priority. The ranking is calculated using one or more attributes in a geographic database, such as the number of road segments associated with a named location, the population associated with a named location, distance to a named location, and administrative level of a named location. The ranking may be used during destination entry, when providing route guidance and/or maps, and when providing additional information to a user of a navigation system, such as demographic information. |
| US08401778B2 |
System for displaying a cumulative fuel economic driving area and method thereof
The present invention relates to a system and a method for displaying an accumulative fuel economic driving area of a vehicle. A system according to an embodiment includes a vehicle information unit that collects vehicle information and a controller that calculates a fuel economic driving area by using the vehicle information, and calculates an accumulative fuel economic driving area by accumulating respective lighting times of respective zones of the fuel economic driving area and calculating respective accumulation ratios of the respective zones. The system provides the driver with information for fuel economic driving. |
| US08401776B2 |
Automatic determination of aircraft holding locations and holding durations from aircraft surveillance data
A method of using airport surveillance data to determine a location of a delay and an amount of time a vehicle is subjected to the delay during a movement of the vehicle between locations including obtaining a time-ordered sequence of data points representing the movement of the vehicle, creating a speed vector (sv) for each data point, replacing ground speed elements in the speed vector (sv) with a one when the ground speed element is less than a speed threshold, performing a spatial density test on each data point in a sequence of consecutive one entries, defining a starting and stopping index for a consecutive sequence of data points as a preliminary hold, determining whether to merge adjacent preliminary holds, determining a time duration of each preliminary hold and eliminating any preliminary hold having a time duration less than a predetermined time duration and outputting the results. |
| US08401771B2 |
Discovering points of interest from users map annotations
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates generating a point of interest related to a map. An interface component can collect a portion of annotation data from two or more users, wherein the portion of annotation data is associated with a digital map and includes at least one of a map location and a user specific description of the map location. An annotation aggregator can evaluate annotation data corresponding to the map location on the digital map. The annotation aggregator can create a point of interest (POI) for the map location based upon the evaluation and populates the digital map with at least one of an identified location extracted from two or more users or a universal description extracted from two or more users. |
| US08401770B2 |
Method and device for controlling start time of vehicle heat engine
A method to permit a start time of a heat engine of a vehicle to be controlled. The heat engine is mechanically coupled to a polyphase rotary electrical machine connected to an on-board electrical network. The method is of the type consisting of carrying out pre-fluxing by establishing an excitation current in the inductor for a predetermined pre-fluxing time (Tpref) before the phase currents are established. In accordance with the method, the predetermined pre-fluxing time (Tpref) is a function of the voltage (Vbat+X) of the on-board electrical network. Typically, the predetermined pre-fluxing time (Tpref) is increased when the voltage (Vbat+X) of the on-board electrical network reduces within a nominal voltage range (V 1, V2). |
| US08401764B2 |
Fuel identification based on crankshaft acceleration
Systems and methods for identifying alcohol content of a fuel in an engine. In one example approach, a method comprises adjusting fuel injection to the engine based on fuel alcohol content identified from crankshaft acceleration. For example, the crankshaft acceleration may be generated by modulating an air/fuel ratio in a selected cylinder across a range of air/fuel ratios while keeping the engine at stoichiometry. |
| US08401763B2 |
Control device for internal combustion engine
In a control device which uses a specific physical quantity as a control variable of an internal combustion engine, and controls the internal combustion engine by manipulation of one or a plurality of actuators, switching of setting of a manipulation variable based on a required value of a physical quantity and setting of the manipulation variables by direct instruction to individual actuators is performed without generating discontinuity in a realized value of the physical quantity. When a manipulation variable instruction value directly designating a manipulation variable of an actuator is present, the manipulation variable instruction value is converted into a value of a physical quantity which is realized in the internal combustion engine by the operation quantity instruction value. When a deviation between a physical quantity conversion value converted from the manipulation variable instruction value and the physical quantity required value is within a predetermined range, switch of information for use in setting of the manipulation variable of each of the actuators is permitted. |
| US08401762B2 |
Engine control system with algorithm for actuator control
An engine control apparatus which may be employed in automotive vehicles. The engine control apparatus is equipped with a controlled variable arithmetic expression which defines correlations between combustion parameters associated with combustion conditions of an engine and controlled variables actuators for an operation of the engine. This eliminates the need for finding relations of optimum values of the controlled variables to the combustion parameters through adaptability tests, which results in a decrease in burden of an adaptability test work and a map-making work on manufacturers. The engine control apparatus also works to learn or optimize the controlled variable arithmetic expression based on actual values of the combustion parameters, thereby avoiding undesirable changes in correlations, as defined by the controlled variable arithmetic expression, due to a change in environmental condition. |
| US08401761B2 |
Fuel indicator method
A method for operating a vehicle is provided. The method includes, in one example during a first a rate of change of an inclination of the vehicle, adjusting a fuel level indication based on the inclination and a level of fuel within the fuel tank; and during a second rate of change of the inclination different from the first rate of change, adjusting the fuel level indication based on actual fuel consumption of the engine. In this way, it is possible to provide an accurate fuel level indication based on the inclination when the inclination is not changing too quickly. However, when inclination is changing quickly and may give degraded level readings, it is still possible to provide an accurate fuel level by transiently estimating fuel usage and using, for example, a previous fuel level reading from when the inclination was not changing too quickly. |
| US08401759B2 |
Accelerator reaction force control apparatus
An apparatus to control a reaction force of an accelerator includes a detector to detect an opening degree of the accelerator, and a controller to increase the reaction force by a first force magnitude during a period in which the vehicle transitions from a first operational state to a second operational state in response to an increase in the opening degree of the accelerator, wherein the controller increases the reaction force if the accelerator opening degree is increased within a predetermined time period after the reaction force is increased by the first force magnitude, wherein the first operational state corresponds to a low specific fuel consumption and the second operational state corresponds to a high specific fuel consumption, and wherein the controller decreases the reaction force by the first force magnitude in response to a reduction in the opening degree of the accelerator. |
| US08401754B2 |
Method for detecting the status of the clutch in the drive train of a motor vehicle
In a method for detecting the status of the clutch in the drive train of a motor vehicle, the engine speed and the speed are ascertained and a transmission ratio is formed as the quotient of the engine speed and speed. Furthermore, a reference value is determined, which is set equal to the transmission ratio from a first time step. In a subsequent time step, the difference between the instantaneous transmission ratio and the reference value is formed, a disengaged clutch status being detected if the difference exceeds a threshold value. |
| US08401752B2 |
Fail-to-neutral system and method for a toroidal traction drive automatic transmission
A fail-to-neutral diagnostic technique for a transmission that includes a variator may include monitoring a state of a pressure differential valve fluidly coupled to a high side pressure applied to at least one actuator coupled to at least one corresponding roller of the variator and also fluidly coupled to a low side pressure applied to the at least one actuator, determining from the state of the pressure differential valve a variator torque sign corresponding to whether torque transferred by the at least one roller is positive or negative, determining an expected variator torque sign based on current operating conditions of the transmission, and commanding the transmission to a true neutral condition if the determined variator torque sign is different from the expected variator torque sign. |
| US08401751B2 |
Shift control and method
A machine has a power train including a prime mover connected to a transmission having two or more selectable gear settings. The machine includes an electronic controller configured to receive and transmit signals indicative of machine parameters. The electronic controller contains computer executable instructions for determining a current value for at least one efficiency metric of the machine at a current gear setting of the transmission. Instructions for determining a first expected value for the efficiency metric at a first alternative gear setting, instructions for comparing the current value with the first expected value to determine an optimal gear setting as between the current gear setting and the first alternative gear setting at least partially based on engine speed, and instructions for indicating a gear shift recommendation and/or performing a gear shift to select the optimal gear setting are executed during operation. |
| US08401749B2 |
Vehicle gear shift control device and gear shift control method
In a gear shift control device for a vehicle that shifts a transmission having a plurality of gears based on a shift line set in a shift map, an upshift line for shifting to the highest gear, and a downshift line that is located in a high vehicle speed region on the side of a higher vehicle speed than the upshift line are set in the shift map. The downshift line is used when shifting from the highest gear to a prescribed gear that has a larger gear ratio than the highest gear. |
| US08401747B2 |
Shift-by-wire device and transmission device mounting thereon the same
A shift-by-wire device including a shaft position sensor that detects a shaft rotating angle, a drive unit that drives an actuator of the shaft, an operational function unit including an operational CPU that receives the shaft rotating angle from the shaft position sensor, receives a shift command from an administrative electronic control unit to transmit the shaft rotating angle of the shaft to the administrative electronic control unit, and controls the drive unit according to the shaft rotating angle and shift command. The device further includes a monitoring function unit including a monitoring CPU that receives the shaft rotating angle in order to monitor whether there is an abnormality in the operational function unit and transmits the shaft rotating angle to the administrative electronic control unit when a detected abnormality occurs in the operational function unit. |
| US08401746B2 |
Excavator control using ranging radios
A system for use with an excavator of the type having a chassis, bucket support elements including a boom extending from the chassis and a dipper stick pivotally mounted on the end of the boom, and an excavator bucket pivotally mounted on the end of the dipper stick, determines the position of the excavator bucket during operation of the excavator at a worksite. The system includes a plurality of fixed ranging radios that are positioned at known locations at the worksite. A pair of ranging radios is mounted on the chassis of the excavator. A third ranging radio is mounted on one of the bucket support elements. A measurement circuit is responsive to the pair of ranging radios and to the third ranging radio, and determines the position and orientation of the excavator chassis, the bucket support elements, and the bucket with respect to the plurality of fixed ranging radios. |
| US08401742B2 |
Reconfiguration of cabin layouts
A control and monitoring system is provided in the aircraft cabin and controls a reconfiguration process with corresponding software in combination with reconfiguration data received from the ground personnel. The control is realized, for example, with a suitable light signals and the unlocking of the seats at certain times. All work sequences are acoustically and/or optically displayed such that the reconfiguration can also be carried out by untrained personnel. |
| US08401741B2 |
Headlamp in an automobile
A headlamp in an automobile, which is rotatable about a yaw axis when negotiating a bend, has a controller for controlling the rotary movement. In order to improve the illumination of a roadway lying in front of an automobile, the controller may take into account a driving profile. |
| US08401735B2 |
Damping apparatus for reducing vibration of automobile body
A damping apparatus for an automobile is provided, capable of ensuring a high level of reliability while obtaining excellent damping effect with simple configuration. The damping apparatus for an automobile that reduces vibrations of an automobile body may include an actuator that is attached to the automobile body and drives an auxiliary mass; a current detector that detects a current flowing through an armature of the actuator; a section that detects a terminal voltage applied to the actuator; a calculation circuit that calculates an induced voltage of the actuator, and further calculates at least one of the relative velocity, relative displacement, and relative acceleration of the actuator, based on a current detected by the current detector and the terminal voltage; and a control circuit that drive-controls the actuator based on at least one of the relative velocity, relative displacement, and relative acceleration of the actuator calculated by the calculation circuit. |
| US08401733B2 |
Optimized powertrain with route-learning feature
The technology described herein provides a powertrain system with a route-learning feature. Particularly, learned information is used to optimize powertrain operation along any learned route. The learned information comprises, generally, feedback from the vehicle's acceleration and brake sensors and information from an on-board trip computer. At the least, the powertrain is able to optimize its operation to a driver's preference based on the feedback recorded along a particular route that the driver has specified. The route-learning powertrain control described herein is particularly useful with a hybrid powertrain, and can be used to optimize start/stop and regenerative braking control. The system described herein can also be integrated with a navigation system and GPS receiver, to provide more accurate route-learning and/or automated operation. |
| US08401732B2 |
Vehicle control device and vehicle control method
Disclosed are a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method capable of performing appropriate traveling control while exhibiting the capability of a control system. Feedback control is performed according to a traveling target set in advance. At the time of the feedback control, when a vehicle traveling trace is deviated, when a tire friction circle is exceeded, or when a vehicle acceleration or a jerk exceeds a set value, if a control deviation exceeds a set value, a traveling target is regenerated. This enables appropriate traveling control while sufficiently exhibiting the capability of the control system until the control deviation exceeds the set value. When the control deviation exceeds the set value, a traveling target is regenerated, such that traveling control appropriate for the traveling environment can be performed. |
| US08401730B2 |
Good checking for vehicle lateral acceleration sensor
A controller for indicating whether a previously-detected, acceleration-sensor malfunction no longer exists. The controller includes an electronic memory and an electronic processing unit connected to the electronic memory. The electronic processing module includes a malfunction monitoring module, a failure handling module, and a signal checking module. The signal checking module performs a signal check after the malfunction monitoring module generates the fault signal. The signal check includes executing a signal check function with a lateral acceleration signal. Also disclosed is a vehicle including the controller, and a method executed by the controller. |
| US08401726B2 |
Maintenance interval determination and optimization tool and method
A Maintenance Interval Determination and Optimization Tool (MIDOT) provides optimized maintenance schedules for performing maintenance tasks on one or more components or systems based on component survival functions and economic analysis of non-safety tasks associated with maintenance schedules. MIDOT is used for specified platforms such as aircrafts. The MIDOT filters maintenance history data, uses a statistical analysis to predict likely maintenance needs, and performs an economic analysis to optimize aircraft maintenance schedules. Specifically, the MIDOT calculates component survival probability, based on the specific usage of one or more related components within the platform and determines an optimal maintenance task interval to perform a maintenance task associated with the one or more related components. |
| US08401723B2 |
Electric power control system, electric power control method, and control device, data storage medium, and server device for the same
A power control system comprises a power accumulating system including a storage cell charged with electric power supplied from a power generating system and supplying a vehicle with electric power, and a control device controlling a cumulative power amount that is an amount of electric power accumulated in the storage cell. The power control system accepts drive schedule data representing whether or not the vehicle is to be used during a predetermined period. The power control system charges the storage cell till the cumulative power stored in the storage cell reaches a first threshold when the drive schedule data represents the vehicle is to be used during the period, or otherwise, it charges the storage cell till the cumulative power stored in the storage cell reaches a second threshold smaller than the first threshold when the drive schedule data represents the vehicle is not to be used during the period. |
| US08401720B2 |
System, method, and computer software code for detecting a physical defect along a mission route
A route defect detection system for a powered system, the route defect detection system including a control system connected to the powered system for application of tractive effort, and a processor to determine an unplanned change in the application of tractive effort and/or otherwise associated with the tractive effort of the powered system. Based on the unplanned change, the processor determines a type of defect encountered along a mission route. A method and computer software code stored on a computer readable media and executable with a processor are also disclosed for a powered system to detect a defect along a mission route. |
| US08401716B2 |
Flight control systems
A system and method for a controlling an aircraft with flight control surfaces that are controlled both manually and by a computing device is disclosed. The present invention improves overall flight control operation by reducing the mechanical flight control surface components while providing sufficient back-up control capability in the event of either a mechanical or power-related failure. Through the present invention, natural feedback is provided to the operator from the mechanical flight control surface which operates independent of computer-aided flight control surfaces. |
| US08401715B2 |
Vehicle periphery monitoring device
Provided is a vehicle periphery monitoring device having: a first distance calculating unit (25) which calculates a distance between a vehicle (10) and an object, using a parallax gradient of image sections of the same object among a plurality of images captured by infrared cameras (2R, 2L) at different times within a predetermined sampling interval; a vehicular velocity sensor (4) which detects a vehicular velocity of the vehicle (10); and a sampling interval setting unit (23) which sets the sampling interval shorter with the increase of the vehicular velocity of the vehicle (10). |
| US08401714B2 |
Apparatus for supporting drive of mobile object based on target locus thereof
In an apparatus for supporting drive of a mobile object, a curl component calculator projects relative motion of a environmental field in a coordinate system formed by modeling a retina sphere of a driver of the mobile object. The curl component calculator calculates each of rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field around a corresponding driver's eye direction to the gaze point. A target trajectory setter sets, as a target trajectory of the mobile object, an equal-magnitude line connecting a part of the rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field, the part of the rotational components having a same magnitude. |
| US08401705B2 |
Irrigation controller water management with temperature budgeting
The present invention provides methods for water conservation with irrigation controllers based upon the ambient temperature and extraterrestrial radiation of a particular geographical area. It receives a preliminary irrigation schedule from the operator and computes a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, then modifying the preliminary irrigation schedule based upon that ratio. The present invention utilizes fewer variables, is less complex, and is much easier to install and maintain than the current evapotranspiration-based controllers. |
| US08401704B2 |
GNSS control system and method for irrigation and related applications
A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) control system and method for irrigation and related applications is provided for a boom assembly with main and extension boom sections, which are hingedly connected and adapted for folding. The control system includes an antenna and a receiver connected to the antenna. A rover antenna is mounted on the boom extension section and is connected to the receiver. A processor receives GNSS positioning signals from the receiver and computes locations for the antennas, for which a vector indicating an attitude of the extension boom section can be computed. Various boom arrangements and field configurations are accommodated by alternative aspects of the control system. |
| US08401703B2 |
Method and device for controlling production of a mixture of components, in particular a mixture with pre-mix dead volumes
The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the production of a mixture of components, especially a mixture with premix dead volumes.The method and the device according to the invention ensure multivariable regulation feedback by a dynamic observer providing an estimate in real time of the properties of the components of the mixture, said estimate being sufficient to guarantee the effectiveness of the feedback loop. Thus, the desired properties of the mixture are guaranteed despite large uncertainties in the properties of the components on the one hand, and partial knowledge of the mixing process on the other. |
| US08401700B2 |
Actuator and electronics packaging for extrinsic humanoid hand
The lower arm assembly for a humanoid robot includes an arm support having a first side and a second side, a plurality of wrist actuators mounted to the first side of the arm support, a plurality of finger actuators mounted to the second side of the arm support and a plurality of electronics also located on the first side of the arm support. |
| US08401698B2 |
Method for optimising the performance of a robot
A method for optimizing performance of a robot. At least one experiment is designed including at least two tests. Each test differs from at least one other test in the experiment regarding the location of the task in relation to the robot. The boundaries that are allowable for location of a task are calculated/determined. The effect on optimality for at least one test in the experiment is calculated/determined. The experimental data is fit to an algorithm. The optimal location of the task is calculated/determined. |
| US08401695B2 |
Process and device for automatically feeding containers of the same kind to a column stacker, preferably in a sorter system
A method and a device are provided for automatically supplying packages, that have been sorted by type, to a column stacker, preferably in a sorting system. The device has at least one supply path (2) on which the packages, which have been sorted by type, are automatically supplied to the column stacker (3) individually and chaotically distributed in partial stacks. The invention proposes that at least two packages (T1, T1) or partial stacks of packages (T2, T2 or T3, T3 or T4, T4 or T5, T5)—as long as said partial stacks are not already randomly present on the supply path (2)—of the same height disposed one directly behind the other be combined with the aid of a package register 1 before being supplied to the column stacker (3) simultaneously. |
| US08401693B2 |
Method and manipulator gripper for spacing bundles of a bundle layer
In a method for spacing bundles of a bundle layer by means of a manipulator gripper with at least one support base that engages bundles and a stop for the placement of bundles, separation between an edge of the support base and the stop is reduced, by a placement motion of the support base in a placement direction that is superimposed on the relative motion of the support base and the stop and is synchronized with this relative motion. |
| US08401690B2 |
Method for machining a blank having an individual scale-up factor and blank therefor
In a method for processing a blank (1), in which the blank (1) can be densely sintered with shrinkage following machining and machining of the blank (1) is carried out in a machining device (7) allowing for an individual scale-up factor (F) relevant to the blank (1) for compensating for the shrinkage occurring during dense sintering, a linear measurement of the blank (1) is performed in one or more of the dimensions length, width, and height for determining the scale-up factor (F), wherein the measured linear measure (1) bears a known relationship to the scale-up factor (F), the type of blank (1) being known. Linear measurement of the blank (1) can be carried out in the machining device (7). |
| US08401689B1 |
Dynamic global scheduler system for a glass production line
A glass production line comprises a style of lean manufacturing to solve many of the inefficiencies in the scheduling of orders through a glass plant. The main goal of the global scheduler of the present invention will be to dynamically adjust the flow of glass through a glass plant for maximum efficiency. |
| US08401688B2 |
Identification of engineering intent requirements in an electronic environment
Engineering requirements are defined in an electronic environment. In one embodiment, a method includes providing at least one of a set of master requirements and a set of version requirements to be applied to the electronic product definition, and referencing an electronic reference document from at least one of the set of master requirements and the set of version requirements, the electronic reference document including one or more particular engineering requirements to be applied to the electronic product definition. Alternately, a method includes defining a callout linked to the at least one of the set of master requirements and the set of version requirements, the callout being adapted to supersede a conflicting engineering requirement set forth in at least one of the set of master requirements and the set of version requirements. |
| US08401685B2 |
Method for reproducing an audio recording with the simulation of the acoustic characteristics of the recording condition
The method relates to audio recording reproduction. The method involves testing the features of a three-dimensional sound field using a dual or multi-channel system of spatially distributed channels, transmitting audio signals, and recording the responses in order to determine the differences between the influence of the natural acoustical properties of a room and the influence of the mutual spatial arrangement of audio sources and audio receivers on the characteristics of the sound field. Determining the differences between the features of the three-dimensional sound fields at different recording and reproduction conditions in accordance with this method makes it possible to adjust the parametric data of the tonal characteristics when reproducing an audio recording in order to produce a sound field identical to the sound field of the recording. |
| US08401684B2 |
Audio signal processor and network system
In the case where an audio network system that performs transport of audio signals between a plurality of processors is constructed such that the plurality of processors each including two sets of transmission I/Fs and reception I/Fs are connected in series, and a TL frame generated by a master node is circulated along a ring transmission route formed among the processors in each fixed period, the TL frame including a plurality of storage regions for audio signals, when one of the processors is required to be the master node, the one processor resets in sequence processors which are connected on both sides thereof and processors behind the processors connected on both sides to once remove each of those processors from a ring transmission route if it belong to any ring transmission route, then incorporates the processors into a ring transmission route in which the one processor belongs to. |
| US08401679B2 |
Methods and a system for detecting fraud in betting and lottery games
In one embodiment of the invention, a method to detect fraud includes a) receiving by the computer system from a source information regarding a plurality of played coupons for at least one game, wherein the plurality of played coupons comprises at least one first coupon; b) populating by the computer system a two-dimensional array for each played game from the received information, wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics, c) storing by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array with in a data structure; d) scanning, using the received information for the at least one first coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and e) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first coupon. |
| US08401678B2 |
Mobile control and monitoring system
An HMI system with a mobile control and monitoring device for automation components of a technical system is provided. The HMI system includes means for a contactless data transmission between the mobile control and monitoring device and the automation components, a manual device for triggering or blocking security relevant operations of the technical system and means for locating the mobile control and monitoring device. Evaluation means are provided for managing an active operational area which activate the automation components for security-relevant operations of the technical system via the mobile control and monitoring device solely when the manual device is released and the locating means detect that the mobile control and monitoring device is located inside the active operational area. Is he manual device placed directly on the housing of the technical system, an operator has to approach such that he/she enters the active operational area in a secure manner. |
| US08401677B2 |
Method for programming a control device
A method for programming a control device for a machine includes the steps of obtaining a component that is required to program the control device, this component being called up from a data collection, storing the component in a memory device, processing the component, integrating the processed component in the control device, calling up the component from a data collection via an Internet, outputting instructions that are characteristic for the components and for integrating the components in the control device, and callable up via the Internet. |
| US08401673B2 |
Inner and outer telescoping catheter delivery system and method
A method of delivering a payload to a destination vessel branching from a coronary sinus of a patient's heart. The method comprises inserting a catheter assembly into a right atrium of the patient's heart. The catheter assembly comprises an outer catheter and an inner catheter movably disposed within the open lumen of the outer catheter. The inner and outer catheters are operable to be rotated and translated relative to one another such that the distal end of the outer catheter can assume a selectable plurality of shapes appropriate for accessing the coronary sinus. The method further comprises locating and cannulating the patient's coronary sinus by adjusting a relative orientation or longitudinal position of the inner catheter relative to the outer catheter, longitudinally sliding the outer catheter over the distal end of the inner catheter to deep seat the outer catheter within the patient's coronary sinus, and delivering a payload to the destination vessel through the outer catheter or the inner catheter. |
| US08401670B2 |
Neurological screening connector
A medical lead screening connector includes a first housing portion having a first lead receptor channel and a second housing portion having a second lead receptor channel and the second housing portion is pivotally connected to the first housing portion. The first lead receptor channel includes two first contact apertures and the second lead receptor channel comprising two second contact apertures. The first housing portion includes two second lead receptor contacts that mate with the second contact apertures and the second housing portion includes two first lead receptor contacts that mate with the first contact apertures. |
| US08401669B2 |
Lead assembly and related methods
Defibrillator lead designs and methods for manufacturing a lead including attachment between a fibrosis-limiting material covering, a shocking coil electrode, and an implantable lead body are disclosed herein. The shocking coil electrode includes at least one treated portion. The fibrosis limiting material includes a selectively modified portion that is disposed over the at least one treated portion. |
| US08401665B2 |
Apparatus and methods for detecting position and migration of neurostimulation leads
Apparatus and methods for detecting lead migration through the use of measured artifactual data about the tissue in the vicinity of the lead. |
| US08401663B2 |
Pressure-sensitive external charger for an implantable medical device
An improved external charger for an implantable medical device is disclosed in which charging is at least partially controlled based on a sensed pressure impingent on its case, which pressure is indicative of the pressure between the external charger and a patient's tissue. The improved external charger includes pressure detection circuitry coupled to one or more pressure sensors for controlling the external device in accordance with the sensed impingent pressure. The sensed pressure can be used to control charging, for example, by suspending charging, by adjusting a maximum set point temperature for the external charger based on the measured pressure, or by issuing an alert via a suitable user interface. By so controlling the external charger on the basis of the measured pressure, the external charger is less likely to create potentially problematic or uncomfortable conditions for the user. |
| US08401658B2 |
System and method for displaying stimulation field generated by electrode array
An implantable pulse generator includes a current steering capability that allows a clinician or patient to quickly determine a desired electrode stimulation pattern, including which electrodes of a group of electrodes within an electrode array should receive a stimulation current, including the amplitude, width and pulse repetition rate of such current. Movement of the selected group of electrodes is facilitated through the use of remotely generated directional signals, generated by a pointing device, such as a joystick. As movement of the selected group of electrodes occurs, current redistribution amongst the various electrode contacts takes place. The redistribution of stimulus amplitudes utilizes re-normalization of amplitudes so that the perceptual level remains fairly constant. This prevents the resulting paresthesia from falling below the perceptual threshold or above the comfort threshold. |
| US08401651B2 |
System for neural control of respiration
A system, device and method for neural control of respiration are provided. One aspect of this disclosure relates to an implantable medical device for sensing and controlling respiration during incidence of central respiratory diseases. According to various embodiments, the device includes a sensing circuit to receive sensed signals representative of an incidence of a central respiratory disease. The device also includes a neural stimulator adapted to generate neural stimulation signals, and a controller to communicate with the sensing circuit and to control the neural stimulator to stimulate a desired neural target in response to the detection of the incidence of a central respiratory disease. In an embodiment, the device includes a plurality of sensors which are adapted to monitor physiological parameters to detect the incidence of a central respiratory disease and to send signals to the sensing circuit. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. |
| US08401649B2 |
Axial lead connector for implantable medical device
The disclosure describes an axial lead connector assembly for an implantable medical device (IMD). The lead connector assembly facilitates electrical connection between an implantable medical lead and circuitry contained within the housing of an IMD. A connector header defines an axial stack bore to receive an axial stack of in-line connector components. The connector components define a common lead bore to receive a proximal end of an implantable lead. The in-line stack of connector components may include seals, electrical connector elements, a strain relief, and a locking device, each of which defines a passage that forms part of the lead bore. |
| US08401648B2 |
Housing for implantable medical device
An implantable medical device includes a housing having frame with one or more openings. The openings of the frame are covered with a thin metallic foil that is welded to the frame to provide a hermetic seal. Non-conductive members may be placed in or about the openings to provide a backing or structural support for the metallic foil. By decreasing the mass of conductive material capable of forming eddy currents, improved recharge or telemetry performance may be realized. |
| US08401647B2 |
Active medical implant
An active medical implant, in particular a medical electronic device having a power supply which has a mechanical vibrator or rotor which is induced to vibrate and/or rotate by movements of the patient wearing the implant and/or external excitation and is energetically connected to an electronic consumer and/or an energy storage mechanism, such that a portion of the kinetic energy generated by the vibration and/or rotation is input into the consumer and/or energy storage mechanism. |
| US08401645B2 |
Electrode and lead stability indexes and stability maps based on localization system data
A method includes selecting an electrode located in a patient; acquiring position information with respect to time for the electrode where the acquiring uses the electrode for repeatedly measuring electrical potentials in an electrical localization field established in the patient; calculating a stability metric for the electrode based on the acquired position information with respect to time; and deciding if the selected electrode, as located in the patient, has a stable location for sensing biological electrical activity, for delivering electrical energy or for sensing biological electrical activity and delivering electrical energy. Position information may be acquired during one or both of intrinsic or paced activation of a heart and respective stability indexes calculated for each activation type. |
| US08401640B2 |
Systems and methods for delivering vagal nerve stimulation
According to various method embodiments, a person is indicated for a therapy to treat a cardiovascular disease, and the therapy is delivered to the person to treat the cardiovascular disease. Delivering the therapy includes delivering a vagal stimulation therapy (VST) to a vagus nerve of the person at a therapeutically-effective intensity for the cardiovascular disease that is below an upper boundary at which upper boundary the VST would lower an intrinsic heart rate during the VST. |
| US08401632B1 |
Systems and methods for performing neurophysiologic assessments
The present invention involves a system and methods for performing neurophysiologic assessments including, but not necessarily limited to, pedicle integrity assessments, neuromuscular pathway assessments, nerve proximity assessments, and spinal cord assessments, and methods for filtering EMG signal data to reject noise. |
| US08401621B2 |
Method and device of detecting, locating and/or analyzing a radioactive source(s) in a material, e.g. a biological tissue
A method of detecting and/or analyzing a radioactive source emitting charged or neutral particles in a biological tissue, consisting essentially in using scintillating fibers having particular ratios of length or diameter to range of the particles emitted by the source; scanning the surface of the material with the detection rod; collecting by means of a SiPM, the scintillation light output generated by the particles having interacted with the scintillating fibers and emitted at the outlet end; optionally selecting signals corresponding to the particles entering the scintillating fibers in a substantially axial direction, that eliminates the particles from certain angles between the axis of the scintillating fiber and the direction of the particles entering the scintillating fiber, correlating the scintillation light output and the selected signals to the presence of a source of radiation located in the material to be analyzed; and optionally communicating these data to the user. |
| US08401618B2 |
Systems and methods for tomographic imaging in diffuse media using a hybrid inversion technique
The invention relates to systems and methods for tomographic imaging in diffuse media employing a fast reconstruction technique. A hybrid Fourier approach is presented that enables the fast tomographic reconstruction of large datasets. In certain embodiments, the invention features methods of in vivo fluorescence molecular tomographic (FMT) reconstruction of signals, reporters and/or agents (i.e., contrast agents or probes) in a diffusive medium (e.g., a mammalian subject). The method preserves the three-dimensional fluorophore distribution and quantitative nature of the FMT approach while substantially accelerating its computation speed, allowing FMT imaging of larger anatomies. |
| US08401617B2 |
EM tracking systems for use with ultrasound and other imaging modalities
An EMT system for use in ultrasound and other imaging modality guided medical procedures. The system includes a tool set of various components to which EM sensors can be releasably secured. Thus, the sensors can be reused, notwithstanding the disposal of other components of the tool set. Various components of the tool set include keying elements to facilitate their registration to the anatomy of the patient undergoing the procedure via the EM sensors. |
| US08401614B2 |
Magnetic resonance thermometry method
A method for reducing errors in the measurement of temperature by magnetic resonance, for use in magnetic resonance imaging-guided HIFU equipment, includes acquiring an MR phase image, as a reference image, before heating an area to be heated with the HIFU equipment; acquiring another MR phase image, as a heated image, during or after the heating by the HIFU equipment; and calculating the temperature change in the heated area according to said heated image and said reference image; and making compensation to said temperature change according to the change in the magnetic field caused by the position change of an ultrasonic transducer in said HIFU equipment. The method can reduce significantly the temperature errors resulting from the position changes of the ultrasonic transducer. |
| US08401610B2 |
Rotating catheter probe using a light-drive apparatus
The invention is a rotating tip catheter-imaging probe where electromagnetic energy is delivered to the distal end of a catheter and converted to mechanical energy using a light drive apparatus. The mechanical energy is then used to rotate a mirror that redirects light in fixed pattern on a sample. The rotating element of the light drive apparatus contains vanes, which rotate about an axis and positioned with bearings to minimize friction. A chamber encompasses the rotating element and is set to a vacuum pressure. The rotational speed of the catheter tip can be controlled by varying the optical power delivered to the vanes, the vacuum pressure in the chamber, or by a braking mechanism applied to the rotating element. The vanes may be shaped in a particular geometry to increase forces on the vanes from thermally driven gas flow. |
| US08401605B2 |
Multiple wavelength physiological measuring apparatus, sensor and interface unit for determination of blood parameters
A measuring apparatus, a physiological sensor, and an interface unit for determining blood parameters of a subject are disclosed. The sensor comprises an emitter unit comprising a first plurality of emitter elements configured to emit radiation at a second plurality of wavelengths and a detector unit configured to receive radiation generated by the emitter elements and transmitted through the tissue of the subject, wherein the detector unit is further configured to produce electric measurement signals indicative of absorption caused by the blood of the subject. The sensor or the interface unit is provided with a memory that stores emitter activation information for at least a third plurality of wavelengths, thereby to enable a monitoring unit operably connectable to the physiological sensor to employ a combination of wavelengths selected from the third plurality of wavelengths, wherein the third plurality is equal to or smaller than the second plurality. |
| US08401603B2 |
Imaging device, method thereof, and program
To realize an imaging device, imaging method and program capable of improving image quality. This invention controls light sources so as to irradiate a body with irradiation light of a luminance level higher than that in the air arriving at the body, adjusts the imaging sensitivity of a solid imaging element for performing photoelectric conversion on pattern scattered light obtained through the inside of the body, and masks the luminance level deterioration region of a pattern image obtained from the solid imaging element to treat the masked image as an image to be composed with a reference image. |
| US08401600B1 |
Superconducting multi-bit digital mixer
A superconducting multi-bit digital mixer, designed using rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic, for multiplying two independent digital streams, at least one of these comprising a plurality of parallel bit lines, wherein the output is also a similar plurality of bit lines. In a preferred embodiment, one of the digital streams represents a local oscillator signal, and the other digital stream digital radio frequency input from an analog-to-digital converter. The multi-bit mixer comprises an array of bit-slices, with the local oscillator signal generated using shift registers. This multi-bit mixer is suitable for an integrated circuit with application to a broadband digital radio frequency receiver, a digital correlation receiver, or a digital radio frequency transmitter. A synchronous pulse distribution network is used to ensure proper operation at data rates of 20 GHz or above. |
| US08401598B2 |
Method and system for chip to chip communication utilizing selectable directional antennas
A wireless device comprising a plurality of chips may be operable to wirelessly communicate information between a plurality of chips via selectable directional antennas. Each of the chips may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers, and one or more integrated directional antennas communicatively coupled to the transmitters and/or receivers. The directional antennas may include patch antennas that may be configured to transmit signals in the direction of another chip intended to receive the transmitted signals. The patch antennas may be configured to transmit signals at a frequency matching a configured frequency of a directional antenna integrated on another of the plurality of chips intended to receive the transmitted signals. The directional antennas may include dipole antennas. The inter-chip communication may include baseband signals, radio frequency signals, and/or intermediate frequency signals. The plurality of chips may be integrated on a single package or on a plurality of packages. |
| US08401596B2 |
Communication device, communication method, program and communication system
A communication device is provided and includes: an electromagnetic-wave generating means for outputting an electromagnetic wave; and a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting data by modulating the electromagnetic wave in accordance with data as well as receiving data transmitted from the other device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as the other party of communication, wherein the transmitting/receiving means transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the device itself as well as receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the other device as the data, and the electromagnetic-wave generating means turns off the output of the electromagnetic wave for a given period of time after the transmission of the data based on the attribute information. |
| US08401592B2 |
Mobile terminal having storage box and saving method thereof
A mobile terminal having a touch function is presented. The mobile terminal includes a display unit to display one or more content on a screen and a storage box positioned on the screen for storing at least one of the one or more content dragged on the screen. |
| US08401588B2 |
Dual mode human interface device
A dual mode human interface device (HID) includes a wireless interface for wireless communication with a host computer; a wired interface for wired communication with the host computer; and a processor coupled with the wireless interface and the wired interface for transferring data between the HID and the host computer, wherein the processor initiates establishing wireless communication with the host computer, when the HID is connected to the host computer via the wired interface. |
| US08401585B2 |
Method and apparatus for uplink power control in a wireless communication network
A method and apparatus provide advantageous uplink power control for a set of uplink channels transmitted by a mobile terminal or other item of user equipment (UE). The proposed uplink power control maintains the total received power for the set of uplink channels at or about a target received power, while also maintaining the received signal quality for a subset of those channels—e.g., a particular one of them—at or about a target received signal quality. In an advantageous but non-limiting example embodiment, the subset comprises a fixed-rate control channel, and the set includes that control channel and a variable-rate traffic channel. Correspondingly, a base station generates first power control commands to maintain the received signal quality of the control channel at or about some quality target, and generates second power control commands to maintain the total received power (of the two channels) at or about some power target. |
| US08401583B2 |
Time-shifting for push to talk voice communication systems
A method for providing on a Push To Talk (PTT) communication network time-shifting capabilities to a user of a PTT communication device. The method involves progressively receiving time-based media at a node on the PTT communication network from a sending device and progressively storing the received time-based media in a time-shifting buffer located at the node as the time-based media is progressively received. In response to rendering control instructions received from the user of the PTT communication device, the method further includes controlling the rendering of the time-based media at the PTT communication device in either (i) a near real-time mode as the time-based media is progressively received at the node or (ii) in a time shifted mode at an arbitrary later time after the receipt and storage of the time-based media in the time-shifting buffer. If the received rendering control instructions indicate the PTT user would like to review the media in the near real-time mode, the method further involves progressively transmitting the time-based media to the PTT communication device as the time-based media is progressively received at the node. If the received rendering instructions indicate the time-shifted mode, then the time-based media is progressively transmitted from the time-shifting buffer to the PTT communication device at the arbitrary later time. |
| US08401579B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing broadcast message in broadband wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for synchronizing a broadcast message in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In a method of operating a Base Station (BS) for synchronizing the broadcast message in the broadband wireless communication system, the method includes setting a transmission start frame number of each of broadcast messages so that the transmission start frame number is identical to those of neighbor BSs according to a frame number generated based on Global Positioning System (GPS) information, if at least one or more of the broadcast messages are superposed in an nth frame, transmitting broadcast messages having a high priority among the at least one or more of the broadcast messages in the nth frame, and transmitting broadcast messages, having a low priority and not transmitted in the nth frame, in an (n+1)th frame with a time delay, and setting a next transmission start time of the broadcast messages having the high priority and the broadcast messages having the low priority to an (n+m)th frame, wherein n is an integer indicating a frame number for transmitting the broadcast messages, and m is an integer indicating a transmission period of a corresponding broadcast message. |
| US08401578B2 |
System for selectively disabling cell phone text messaging function
A selective cell phone text messaging function disabling system prevents a vehicle occupant from text messaging while driving. Other occupants of the vehicle can text message using their cell phones. The driver's cell phone text messaging functionality is turned off by a signal broadcasting system as the driver enters the vehicle through the driver-side door. When the driver exits the vehicle through the driver-side door, the cell phone resumes its texting capability, preserving text messaging functionality while the driver is not operating the vehicle. |
| US08401573B2 |
Personal wireless coverage map
Methods and systems respectively provide for receiving a wireless signal coverage map request from a wireless device. A map is generated in accordance with the request and provided to the wireless device. The map includes symbology keyed to wireless signal services within a particular geographic area. Such symbology can be indicative of recommended areas and travel routes having particular types of wireless signal coverage, regions of poor or non-existent wireless signal service, areas presently experiencing heavy wireless signal usage, and so on. In this way, a wireless device user can seek to access specific wireless services and/or avoid suspect trouble regions within a geographic area. |
| US08401572B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing location based services using connectivity graphs based on cell broadcast information
An approach is provided for providing location based services using connectivity graphs based on cell broadcast information. A plurality of cell broadcast message identifiers are caused to be received. Cell broadcast message identifiers are respectively associated with a plurality of cells. A connectivity graph specifying relationships among the cells is generated for providing a location based service. |
| US08401571B2 |
Mobile electronic system
The invention relates to a mobile electronic system. In order to expand and enhance the usability of the mobile electronic system, it is proposed that it comprises a 3D magnetometer 51 performing magnetic measurements in three dimensions and providing data indicative of the current posture of the mobile electronic system based on these measurements. Further, it is proposed that the mobile electronic system comprises processing means 52, 54 processing the data provided by the 3D magnetometer 51 for enabling a posture related presentation of information via output means 12, 42 of the mobile electronic system. The invention relates equally to components of such a system and to a corresponding method. |
| US08401566B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for converting broadcast channel of a mobile terminal
A mobile terminal and method for converting a channel on a desired channel list is provided such that a channel list can be changed while receiving broadcast data without having to select a menu when a channel change is desired. An input method corresponding to a key or a touch input received while receiving a broadcast is detected and either a currently set channel list is changed to a different list or the currently set channel list is changed to a different channel list and a channel is simultaneously changed on the different channel list according to the detected input method. |
| US08401561B2 |
Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system
In a method of improved channel-sounding transmissions between a base station in communication with a user equipment in a telecommunication system, the user equipment receiving (S0) an assigned channel-sounding transmission pattern from the base station, and transmitting (S1) a channel-sounding signal to the base station based on the assigned channel-sounding transmission pattern and on available uplink data at the user equipment. |
| US08401559B2 |
Tiered wireless, multi-modal access system and method
A wireless, multi-modal access device and system adapted to integrate a number of communications networks operating in differing communication modes. to facilitate transfer of communication links during a communication session to promote efficient use of the communication networks. The system includes a plurality of Universal Multi-Modal Access. Devices UMMAD that are capable of operating at different frequencies and different protocols (TDMA, AMPS, .CDMA, GSM, PCS etc.) to communicate with any one of a number. of Wide Bandwidth Gateways (WBG), which are each capable of communication using one or more of the protocols. The communication links may be switched from one WBG to another or from one protocol to another during a communication session to continue the session under the control of a Universal System Traffic Controller. Numerous other applications of the UMMADs for unique identification and e-commerce are disclosed. |
| US08401555B2 |
Receiver status message management during handoff
Described herein are mechanisms and methods that facilitate generation of receiver status message (e.g., acknowledgments and/or negative acknowledgments) before, during, and after a handoff of an access terminal (user equipment) from a first transceiver module to a second transceiver module. A network module can generate receiver status messages during a handoff and informs a target transceiver module of when it can begin to generate receiver status messages for data received from an access terminal. |
| US08401550B1 |
Method and apparatus for providing a pass to access multimedia services in a limited geographical area
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer-readable media for providing a pass to access multimedia services in a limited geographical area serviced by a fiber-fed, star-topology network (FFSTN). The method comprises receiving pre-registration information from a user to authorize one or more computing devices to obtain access to the fiber-fed, star-topology network covering a limited geographical area for a limited time, presenting the user with a plurality of customizable services each associated with capabilities of the respective one or more computing devices to access the FFSTN, and upon authorization, granting access to requested customized services for each of the one or more computing devices. Mechanisms are provided for handing off one or more devices as they travel from a first FFSTN to a second FFSTN. |
| US08401547B2 |
System and method for enhanced content access
A method and system for facilitating HLR access includes receiving a query request from a query entity, processing the query request to yield an SS7 request message, dispatching the SS7 request message to a HLR, receiving an SS7 response message from the HLR, constructing a query response, and returning the query response to the query entity. |
| US08401546B2 |
Universal acquisition and tracking apparatus for global navigation satellite system (GNSS)
An acquisition and tracking apparatus is provided for tracking digitized spread spectrum navigation signals modulated with a spreading code according to any of a set of modulation types including Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) with and without Frequency Domain Multiplexing Access (FDMA), time multiplexed BPSK, Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), sine and cosine Binary Offset Carrier (BOC), modified, complex, and time multiplexed BOC (TMBOC), the apparatus comprising a plurality of universal tracking channels, each coupled to an interrupt module. The universal tracking channel includes a carrier demodulation module, a code generation module, a correlator module, a code frequencies generation module, and a subcarrier combining module for efficiently using the correlator resources in the correlation of the data and the pilot components of the signal within a single universal tracking channel. A corresponding method of operation is also provided. |
| US08401544B2 |
Method of determining the active set in a cellular radio system
In a method and a device for determining an active set for a mobile station cell individual offsets (CIO) is determined for a number of cells. The offsets are signaling to the mobile station, which adds corrections to the reference signal measurements based on the cell individual offsets (CIO), thereby forming a corrected reference signal measurement and the active set based on the corrected reference signal measurement. |
| US08401542B2 |
Wireless communication system for monitoring physical downlink control channel
A method of monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment monitors a set of PDCCH candidates for a search space in a subframe. The search space includes a common search space monitored by all user equipments in a cell and a UE-specific search space monitored by at least one UE in the cell. |
| US08401541B2 |
Method and apparatus for scanning in multi-carrier communication system
There are provided a method and an apparatus for scanning in a mobile communication system supporting a multi-carrier. For this, the scanning method includes: in a mobile station supporting a multi-carrier including a primary carrier and a secondary carrier, requesting allocation of a scanning interval to a serving base station by using the primary carrier; receiving a response message for designating the scanning interval and a carrier to be used for scanning from the serving base station; and scanning neighbor base stations by using the carrier designated by the response message in the scanning interval. Transaction data is continuously transmitted and received through the remaining carriers while scanning the neighbor base stations by using the primary carrier or the secondary carrier without interruption. |
| US08401540B2 |
Mobile communication system, control device thereof, mobile terminal, and database constructing method
A mobile communication system comprises base stations, a mobile terminal and a control device. The mobile terminal comprises a report unit reports a reception power of a radio wave from a current station and a next station to the control device for each base station switch processing. The control device comprises a calculation unit calculates a first distance and a second distance. The first distance is the distance between the current station and the mobile terminal. The second distance is the distance between the next station and the mobile terminal. The control device comprises a database stores distance data between the base stations. The control device comprises an update unit updates the distance data by a minimum value of a sum of the first and the second distances. |
| US08401539B2 |
Servicing attributes on a mobile device
Enabling remote customer service and maintenance using a visual identifier is disclosed. In response to a user enrolling in a service capability associated with a mobile device, the process utilizes a visual identifier to associate the service capability with the customer account, the service and the mobile device. The system allocates a visual identifier for each service capability and enables customer service agents to identify the service capability and mobile device, verify the user and retrieve information for the service interaction. |
| US08401535B2 |
System, a method, and an apparatus for sharing an updated content with peers
A method for providing content via a wireless communication network to a requesting terminal. The method comprising editing the content on a mobile terminal, receiving a request at a mobile terminal for the content from the first requesting terminal, and providing the content to the first requesting terminal via at least one connection with a mobile terminal storing the content. |
| US08401533B1 |
Methods and systems for call processing in a wireline and wireless network
Methods and systems are described for routing call in a wireless network environment. In one embodiment, a phone address is assigned to a subscriber and/or a subscriber's mobile telecommunications device. A call directed to the phone address is routed to a call processing system. An outbound call from the call processing system is placed to a wireless communication service provider so as to cause, at least in part, the wireless communication service provider to route the outbound call to the subscriber's mobile telecommunications device, wherein the call processing system configures call signaling parameters associated with the outbound call so that the outbound call appears to be to a phone number ported to the wireless communication service provider, and wherein the phone number has not been ported to the wireless communication service provider. The outbound call is bridged with the inbound call. |
| US08401532B2 |
Method for simulating network hold
A method, a master short range accessory, and an ad-hoc personal area network device for pairing with multiple slave communication devices are disclosed. An audio user interface 310 may interact with a user. A primary device interface component 372 may create a primary audio connection with a primary mobile communication device 502 to facilitate a primary telephone conversation session with a primary communication partner 512. A secondary device interface component 372 may create a secondary audio connection with the secondary mobile communication device 504 to facilitate a secondary telephone conversation session with a secondary communication partner 532 while maintaining the primary audio connection. A processor 330 may send an audio hold indication to the primary communication partner 512 and mutes the primary audio connection. |
| US08401528B2 |
Systems and methods for providing telephony services
A system and method for enabling a user to purchase an instant mobile telephony services plan makes use of an application on a mobile telephony device. The user can purchase an instant mobile plan via a third party merchant. Once purchased, the user can also make use of the application on the user's mobile telephony device to obtain the purchased telephony services. The communications services provider that provides services to the user under an instant mobile plan may be different from the communications services provider that is tied to the user's mobile telephony device. |
| US08401525B2 |
Electronic file transfer for a communications device
Systems and methods are provided for identifying an electronic file that is accessible by a communications node to be transmitted to a recipient. A communications device sends an identification of the electronic file. The communications node receives the identification of the electronic file, identifies the electronic file based on the identification, and accesses the electronic file for transmission to the recipient. The electronic file is not transmitted from the communications device to the communications node. |
| US08401521B2 |
Enabling remote and anonymous control of mobile and portable multimedia devices for security, tracking and recovery
Aspects of the invention comprise a remote tracking and control server operable to transparently activate control of resources and to monitor operations on a target handheld communication device utilizing code installed on the handheld device. The resources may comprise a camera, microphone, GPS receiver, input device, display, speaker, wireless and/or wire-line transmitter and/or receiver. The monitoring and/or controlling activity is protected from interruption. The handheld device may be accessed by a securely stored unique identifier. Access to the controlling function and/or the resources by a user of the handheld device may be restricted. Monitored information is stored on the handheld device and communicated to the tracking server. The control server may receive monitored information from the handheld device whenever the device is coupled to a communication network. Monitoring may be initiated based on detected motion, sound, user input, video and/or touch. |
| US08401520B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiterminal support using bluetooth based audio gateway
Disclosed herein is a method and system for establishing a local conferencing session amongst a plurality of Bluetooth enabled terminal units. An audio gateway is provided to interconnect a voice network and the terminal units. A session management entity is provided on the audio gateway and each of the terminal units. A local conferencing session setup is established prior to the conference session wherein a set of common session parameters is shared among the audio gateway and the terminal units through the respective session management entities. The common session parameters enable Bluetooth communication between the audio gateway and the terminal units. The audio gateway broadcasts the voice packets from the voice network to the terminal units. The audio gateway provides microphone holder rights to a terminal unit to transfer voice packets to the voice network. Further, the audio gateway coordinates the transfer of microphone rights between the terminal units. |
| US08401519B2 |
System and method for provisioning a wireless device to only be able to access network services within a specific location
A system and method for provisioning wireless devices such that they are only capable of accessing network services when in a specified location. A device surveys the current location of the device for existing base stations and stores a corresponding network environment profile. After the profile is stored, network services will only be provided to the device if the current network profile matches the stored profile. |
| US08401518B1 |
Variable billing of MMS messages in wireless network communication system based on message formation application
A wireless mobile communication device may include a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit MMS messages over a wireless network communication system. The device may also include a plurality of user applications. Each user application may be of a different type and configured to generate content for an MMS message based on input to the wireless mobile communication device. The mobile communication device may include an MMS client configured to generate MMS messages based on content supplied by the user applications. The MMS client may be configured to generate a value for a field of information within each MMS message that is indicative of the type of user application which supplies content for the MMS message. The value may be different for each different type of user application. |
| US08401517B1 |
System and method for maintaining high service quality within a mobile wireless communication network
A method for managing service quality provided by a mobile wireless network including a population of base station transceivers and associated antennas at a radio frequency interface to mobile wireless devices is described. The method includes acquiring data volume and connection attempts demand information from the base station transceivers. The data volume and connection attempts demand parameter values are analyzed to render statistical values for these two types of demand parameter values. Thereafter, trigger points for data volume and data connection attempts demand are established based upon the statistical values for these two respective types of demand information. The data volume and connection attempts demand trigger points are applied, respectively, to the individual data volume demand parameter values and the individual connection attempts demand parameter values to render a list of transceivers having parameter values exceeding both the data volume and connection attempts demand trigger points. |
| US08401510B2 |
Common-gate common-source transconductance stage for RF downconversion mixer
In an embodiment, a method and apparatus for downconverting a received RF signal in a wireless device where differential signals from an off-chip matching network may be input to a CGCS input stage of a mixer, which downconverts the signals to baseband or some intermediate frequency. The input stage includes a pair of NMOS transistors in a common-gate configuration and a pair of PMOS transistors in a common-source configuration. A potential advantage of the CGCS input stage over the existing CGO transconductance stage configuration is that by adding a common-source stage through the PMOS differential-pair, the transconductance gain is decoupled from the high Q matching network. |
| US08401500B1 |
High-efficiency low-cost power supply for radio frequency systems
The present disclosure relates to an RF power amplifier (PA) power supply that includes a series pass circuit coupled across a direct current (DC)-to-DC converter to receive a power supply input signal, such as provided from a battery, to provide a power supply output signal to at least a first RF PA based on an output setpoint. Control circuitry selects between a switching supply operating mode and a non-switching supply operating mode based on the output setpoint. During the switching supply operating mode, the DC-to-DC converter provides the power supply output signal and during the non-switching supply operating mode, the series pass circuit provides the power supply output signal. |
| US08401492B2 |
High frequency switch module
A high frequency switch module includes a laminated circuit component that includes an antenna electrode connected to a single antenna, a plurality of communication electrodes connected to a plurality of high frequency communication circuits to transmit, receive, or transmit and receive plural kinds of communication signals, and a land arranged to mount a switch IC on, and a switch IC that is mounted on the laminated circuit component and includes a common terminal connected to the single antenna through the laminated circuit component, and a plurality of communication circuit terminals connected to the plurality of high frequency communication circuits through the laminated circuit component. The switch IC is provided with switch circuits between the communication circuit terminals and the common terminal, and all of the switch circuits have the same or substantially the same resistance against transmission power applied at the time of transmission. |
| US08401489B2 |
Calibrating a telephone hands free system
A calibration device automatically calibrates a telephone hands free system. The device includes a signal processor that processes a received telephone signal that may be converted into audible sound through the hands free system. A first telephone and a second telephone communicate with the signal processor. The first telephone is programmed to transmit a predetermined test signal to the second telephone through a wireless or physical medium. A comparator compares the received test signal to a predetermined reference signal at a hands free interface. The comparison determines a deviation from the reference signal. An adaptor modifies the processing of the digitized aural information based on the deviation. |
| US08401487B2 |
Radio channel analyzer to determine doppler shifts across multiple frequencies of a wideband signal
A receiver and receive processing method described herein improves the accuracy of channel estimates by correcting for the assumption that the Doppler shift (or rate-of-change-of-delay) stays constant for each frequency within a signal bandwidth of a received signal. To that end, a receiver according to the present invention comprises a channel processor having multiple processing units. A first processing unit processes reference values (e.g., pilot signals) received for each of a plurality of frequencies within a signal bandwidth at a plurality of different signal times (or the complex propagation channel coefficients estimated therefrom) to determine a set of complex wave amplitudes either for each of multiple frequencies in the signal bandwidth or for each of the different signal times. A second processing unit subsequently processes the complex wave amplitudes to determine complex scattering coefficients, where each complex scattering coefficient corresponds to a respective scattering object in the wireless communication channel. |
| US08401482B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a signal
The disclosed embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for controlling transmission of a signal in a communications device in order to prevent interference. An apparatus is described that includes a transmitter for transmitting a signal, an antenna coupled to the transmitter for radiating the signal in a radiated polarization pattern, and a controller for adjusting the transmitter when the radiated signal exhibits an undesired polarization pattern. A method is also described that includes the steps of producing a signal for transmission, radiating the signal in a polarization pattern, and adjusting the production of the signal for transmission when the radiated signal exhibits an undesired polarization. |
| US08401478B2 |
Television band (TVBD) channel quieting across diverse radio access technologies
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for the communication of wireless data using diverse radio access technologies (RATs) in Television Band (TVBD) frequencies. An architecture for communicating wireless data in TVBD frequencies may include one or more network nodes that perform functions related to the coordination of channel quieting across multiple diverse RATs. Channel quieting may be performed across multiple diverse RATs by using temporary channel reassignments, by aggregating wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) that use a particular RAT onto the same channel, and/or via other techniques. |
| US08401477B2 |
System, method and apparatus for communicating with vehicle occupants
An application for a two-way communication system for communicating with a person who is within a vehicle includes a short-range radio transmission to transmit audio to a radio within the vehicle. Communication from the person is done by reflecting a light beam on a window of the vehicle and receiving the light beam. The light beam is modulated by vibration of the window caused by the person's voice. The received light beam is then processed to reproduce the sound of the person's voice. |
| US08401470B2 |
Transmitter with adjustable transmit level for magnetic link
A device, e.g., a hearing aid, has an electronic circuit for wireless communication of a digital signal. The circuit has a driver driving an RLC tank. The driver has a plurality of inverters whose outputs are coupled to a node of the coil via a respective one of multiple capacitors in the tank. The circuit has a controller that selectively drives one or more of the inverters with the digital signal and connects the inputs of the other inverters to a supply voltage or ground. The tank has a further plurality of series arrangements of a further capacitor and a high-voltage switch connected between the node and ground. The controller is configured for controlling the high-voltage switches. |
| US08401468B2 |
Method and system for facilitating scheduling using a mobile device
A method and system for facilitating scheduling using a mobile device and near field communication (NFC) allows a user of a mobile device integrated with an NFC unit while in the vicinity of a shared resource that is presently unavailable or a residence of a social contact who is presently not home to review a schedule for the shared resource or social contact, and in the case of a shared resource reserve the shared resource at a later time. |
| US08401462B2 |
FM broadcast system competitive with satellite radio
A media broadcast and distribution system is disclosed which substitutes storage for communications, allowing more efficient use of scarce bandwidth resources. One embodiment allows a terrestrial FM broadcaster to offer a larger number of higher quality audio channels than current satellite radio services such as Sirius and XM Satellite Radio. This embodiment also has features that offer a better user experience than with personal audio devices such as Apple's iPod™. Another embodiment allows satellite radio services to expand their video offerings. |
| US08401461B2 |
Wireless communication system for wirelessly transmitting setting information of display unit
In a wireless communication system including a source device for wirelessly transmitting a video signal, and a sink device for receiving the wirelessly transmitted video signal and displaying the received video signal on a display, the sink device reads out EDID information from a ROM and wirelessly transmits a wireless data signal including the EDID information to the source device. The source device wirelessly receives the wireless data signal including the EDID information and wirelessly transmitted from the sink device, and wirelessly transmits the video signal to the sink device based on the EDID information. |
| US08401454B2 |
System for collecting waste toner
A system for collecting waste toner or developer in an electrophotographic printer includes a waste collection tube for collecting waste toner or developer in an electrophotographic module. An auger transports waste toner or developer from the collection tube through a transport tube to a waste container. A spring has a first end in the collection tube and a second end fixed within the transport tube of the auger. An elbow of the spring rides on the auger and the motion of the auger causes the spring to oscillate in the collection tube. |
| US08401453B2 |
Cleaning device and image forming apparatus
A cleaning device includes a developer removal member, a support member and a fixation member. The developer removal member is in contact with an adherend to which developer adheres and removes the developer from the adherend. The support member has a first end where a bent portion is formed and a second end opposite to the first end. The support member also supports the developer removal member in the vicinity of the bent portion. The fixation member holds the second end of the support member. |
| US08401449B2 |
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of fixing marking materials onto media
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of fixing marking materials onto media are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus useful in printing includes a first roll including a first shaft and a first surface; a second roll including an axially-extending inner portion including a second shaft; an axially-extending outer portion over the inner portion; at least a first annular gap and a second annular gap extending axially between the inner portion and the outer portion, the first annular gap being axially spaced from the second annular gap; and a second surface forming a nip with the first surface. The inner portion and the outer portion of the second roll bend in opposite directions when the first roll and the second roll are loaded by applying a first force to the first shaft in a first direction and applying a second force to the second shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction. |
| US08401448B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a nip formation member, a pressing member, and a low-friction sheet. The nip formation member is provided inside a loop formed by the fixing member rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation. The pressing member is pressed against the nip formation member via the fixing member to form a nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. The fixing member and the pressing member rotate and convey the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip. The low-friction sheet, over which the fixing member slides, covers the nip formation member. The nip formation member includes a first sandwiching member covered by the low-friction sheet, and a second sandwiching member sandwiching the low-friction sheet together with the first sandwiching member. |
| US08401445B2 |
Developer supply apparatus and image forming apparatus
A developer supply apparatus is provided which supplies a toner to a supply object, the developer supply apparatus including a developer storage body which stores a powdery developer, and a transfer body which transfers the developer along the developer transfer path with traveling wave electric fields. The developer includes a toner having a predetermined charging characteristic and an electric neutralizer having an opposite charging characteristic, which is opposite to the predetermined charging characteristic. |
| US08401440B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus
A developing device includes: a first developer holding body with a first cylinder member disposed facing the outer peripheral surface of a rotating latent image holding body, and a first magnet disposed at the inside of the first cylinder member; a second developer holding body with a second cylinder member disposed facing the outer peripheral surface of the latent image holding body, further downstream in the latent image holding body rotation direction than the first developer holding body, and a second magnet disposed at the inside of the second cylinder member; and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative position of the first magnet to the second magnet in a circumferential direction. |
| US08401439B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The present invention realizes an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a carrier recovery section of simple configuration and for which maintenance is not required, the apparatus includes: a photoconductive drum; a developing device to develop a latent image formed on the photoconductive drum by a two-component developer containing a toner and a magnetic carrier, and a carrier recovery section which is equipped with a recovery roller, wherein the carrier recovery roller includes a rotatable sleeve, and a magnet roller that is installed inside the sleeve and provided with a plurality of fixed magnetic poles including a main pole to recover the magnetic carrier adhered onto the photoconductive drum and a separating pole to separate the magnetic carrier from the recovery roller, wherein a separating member is disposed at such a position that is opposite to the sleeve at a prescribed distance in a non-contact state. |
| US08401438B2 |
Conveyance member, developer cartridge, and image-forming apparatus
A conveyance member includes: a rotational shaft; a support portion that extends from the rotational shaft in a direction crossing an axial direction of the rotational shaft; and an arcuate member that includes one end that is supported by the support portion, and another end that extends in a direction different from the rotational direction, wherein a distance between an outer edge of the arcuate member at the other end and the rotational shaft is longer than a distance between an outer edge of the arcuate member at the one end and the rotational shaft. |
| US08401436B2 |
Developer container and image forming apparatus using the same
A developer container is provided with a container body. An opening is formed through the container body. An opening/closing lid closes the opening. A lid holding frame holds the opening/closing lid in such a manner that the opening/closing lid can move between an open position and a closed position. A stopper stops the opening/closing lid and thereby preventing it from moving toward the open position in a state that the opening/closing lid is located at the closed position. A contact portion comes into contact with a hook portion provided in a container receiving portion when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion. A deformable portion deforms the stopper to such an extent that the stopping of the opening/closing lid by the stopper is canceled when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion and the contact portion comes into contact with the hook portion. |
| US08401431B2 |
Developing device, image forming apparatus, and image forming structure
A developing device includes: a developing device main body in which a developer chamber containing a developer is formed; a pressure application area forming unit that is provided in the developer chamber so as to form a pressure application area where pressure is applied to the developer in the developer chamber because of movement of the developer contained in the developer chamber; and a pressure regulating unit that regulates the pressure applied to the developer in the pressure application area in response to temperature of the developer in the pressure application area. |
| US08401430B2 |
Electron emitting element for accelerating and emitting electrons, and use of electron emitting element
An electron emitting element (1) includes a substrate (2), an upper electrode (3), and a fine particle layer (4) sandwiched between the substrate (2) and the upper electrode (3). The fine particle layer (4) includes metal fine particles (6) with high resistance to oxidation, and insulating fine particles (5) larger in size than the metal fine particles (6). The electron emitting element (1) can steadily emit electrons not only in vacuum but also in the atmosphere. Further, the electron emitting element (1) can work without electric discharge so that harmful substances such as ozone, NOx, or the like are scarcely generated. Accordingly, degradation of the electron emitting element (1) due to oxidation does not occur. Therefore, the electron emitting element (1) has a long life and can steadily work continuously for a long period of time even in the atmosphere. |
| US08401426B2 |
Opening/closing mechanism and image forming apparatus
When closing a front cover opened in a case where a fixing lever is placed in a fixing position, a guide plate portion formed on the front cover raises the fixing lever together with a support shaft. When a connection pin of the fixing lever enters a cam groove provided in the front cover, the fixing lever obtains a closed state in which the fixing lever is connected to the cam groove. |
| US08401423B2 |
Electrophotographic image forming apparatus
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material in the state that cartridge is detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising an opening; a cartridge supporting member linearly movable through the opening between an inside position, in the main assembly of the apparatus, for forming an image using the cartridge and an outside position which is outside the main assembly of the apparatus; retracting means for retracting the cartridge supporting member from a region in which the cartridge supporting member faces the opening, in the state that cartridge supporting member is in the outside position; and locking means for releasably locking the cartridge supporting member at the retracted position. |
| US08401420B2 |
Process cartridge having toner scatter preventing sheet having roughened contact end and photoelectrographic image forming apparatus
A process cartridge attachable to and detachable from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a first unit having an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a second unit including a developing roller configured to develop a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a sheet member which is disposed along the developing roller in a lengthwise direction of the developing roller and contacts the electrophotographic photosensitive member to restrain scattering of developer, wherein a contact portion of the sheet member that contacts the electrophotographic photosensitive member is roughened by a roughening process. |
| US08401418B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus including: a frame member including a first electrode and a replacement unit including a second electrode that electrically contacts the first electrode. The replacement unit is movable relative to the frame member along a moving direction. The moving direction includes a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction. The first electrode is formed by a wire and includes a contact portion. The contact portion, which is bent along an intersection plane, is movable in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. A direction of the contact portion is set so that the intersection plane intersects with a first plane and a second plane at angles smaller than an intersection angle formed by the intersection of the first plane and the second plane. |
| US08401416B2 |
Electrophotographically printing job having job type
A method of printing a job having a type using an electrophotographic (EP) printer includes receiving the job and its type. A processor is used to automatically select a first or a second job mode based on the job type; the first job mode indicates aggressive gray component replacement (aGCR) is used but not clear toner, and the second job mode indicates clear toner is used but not aGCR. The data of the job are processed using the processor according to the selected job mode to provide six separations corresponding to respective colorants. Toner corresponding to the six separations is then applied to the receiver using at least one EP printing module in the EP printer to produce a print image of the job. |
| US08401415B2 |
Image forming device to process job using set-up entries of other image forming devices and method thereof
An image forming device to receive set-up entry data of external image forming devices, includes an interface portion to relay communications with at least one external image forming device; a communication portion to request set-up entry data to the at least one external image forming device; and a central processing unit to execute a job according to the set-up entry data when the requested set-up entry data is received through the interface portion. The communication portion searches the external image forming devices using a broadcast scheme and requests the set-up entry data according to the search result. Accordingly, functions of the image forming device can be utilized with more convenience and efficiency. |
| US08401408B2 |
Light scanning device and image forming apparatus including a controller that determines a scanning direction of light beam
A light scanning device and an image forming apparatus including the light scanning device are provided. The light scanning device includes: a light emitting unit which emits a light beam; a light deflecting unit which deflects the light beam to scan in a scanning direction; a scanning lens which focuses the light beam deflected and scanned by the light deflecting unit on a photosensitive body; and a light detecting unit which detects the light beam directed to outside areas of an image formation area in the scanning direction, wherein an optical path length of the light beam directed to one of the outside areas, from the light deflecting unit to the light detecting unit is different from an optical path length of the light beam directed to the other one of the outside areas, from the light deflecting unit to the light detecting unit. |
| US08401404B2 |
Optical receiver
An on-chip receiver for flows of information conveyed to a target via optical signals with different wavelengths includes a plurality of photo-detector modules, each sensitive to a different wavelength, for converting a respective optical signal at input into an electrical signal, a plurality of de-serialization circuits acting on the electrical signals for converting into packet traffic the flows of information received via the photo-detector modules, and an arbitration node acting on the packet traffic to enable a single packet at a time to achieve the target. |
| US08401403B2 |
Timing recovery in presence of optical impairments and optimization of equalization based on timing recovery moment strengths
The present disclosure provides timing recovery in optical systems in the presence of chromatic dispersion (CD), polarization mode dispersion (PMD), and polarization dependent loss (PDL) and to optimization of equalization settings based upon timing recovery moment strengths. A stable timing point may be determined in the presence of PMD and PDL impairments, even when the direct estimate of timing becomes unreliable. This determination may be performed entirely in the digital domain providing precise, predictable performance. Also, the present invention utilizes a monotonic relationship between the timing metric and CD setting error to provide directed search in setting the CD equalizer thereby reducing significantly the overall search effort in optimizing CD equalizer settings. This utilizes computations already performed by the transceiver for timing recovery function yielding a computational advantage over competing methods. |
| US08401400B2 |
Detection of data in signals with data pattern dependent signal distortion
A detection system and method may be used to detect data transmitted in a signal with data pattern dependent signal distortion. In general, a detection system and method compares samples of a received signal with stored samples of distorted signals associated with known data patterns and selects the known data patterns that correspond most closely with the samples of the received signal. The detection system and method may thus mitigate the effects of data pattern dependent signal distortion. |
| US08401398B2 |
Modulator for frequency-shift keying of optical signals
Described are an FSK modulator and a method for large-alphabet FSK modulation. The FSK modulator and the method are based on filtering of a multi-tone optical source such as a mode-locked laser which provides a comb distribution of tones. A frequency-selective component selects for transmission a subset of the tones. In various embodiments the frequency-selective component is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer filter or a microring resonator filter. A second frequency-selective component selects a subset of the tones from the comb distribution provided by the first frequency-selective component. Still more frequency-selective components can be used according to the number of tones supplied by the multi-tone optical source to the FSK modulator. The optical signal exiting the last frequency-selective component includes only a single tone which corresponds to the symbol to be transmitted. |
| US08401393B2 |
Data center with free-space optical communications
A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links. |
| US08401392B2 |
Flexible branching unit and system including the same
Fault tolerance may be achieved in a branched optical communication system such that a fault in one optical path may not affect optical signals coupled from a healthy optical path. In general, a flexible branching unit is configured, when adding and dropping channels, to select channels from a healthy path and not from the faulty path (e.g., a trunk path or a branch path) to prevent non-uniform channel loading on the trunk path after the branching unit. In this manner, a fault detected on the trunk path may not affect signals from the branch path and a fault detected on the branch path may not affect signals from the trunk path, thereby providing fault tolerance. A flexible branching unit may also be capable of adjusting the number and selection of channels that are added and dropped at the branching unit. |
| US08401390B2 |
Optical connecting apparatus
An optical connecting apparatus has a light source outputting an optical signal indicating a plurality of wavelengths which correspond to a plurality of transmission channels, an optical transmit section and an optical receive section being mounted with integrated circuits and being connected to each other through an optical line of a single system, and a signal conversion section being inlet in the optical line and converting a phase modulated signal into an intensity modulated signal. The optical transmit section includes: a demultiplexer which separates the optical signal from the light source according to the transmission channels; an optical modulator unit which generates phase modulated signals by implementing phase modulation with optical signals from the demultiplexer by using a plurality of optical modulators whose operations are synchronized by a signal from the integrated circuit; and a multiplexer which multiplexes the phase modulated signals from the optical modulator unit and outputs the multiplexed phase modulated signals to the signal conversion section through the optical line. The optical receive section includes: a demultiplexer which separates the intensity modulated signal from the signal conversion section according to the transmission channels; and an optical receiver unit which converts the intensity modulated signals from the demultiplexer into electric signals. |
| US08401388B2 |
Optical transmitter
A transmitter for generating, starting from a data-packet traffic at input, flows of information to be conveyed via optical signals with different wavelengths towards a plurality of targets in a communications network, the transmitter including: a destination decoder to identify, for each packet in the input packet traffic, a respective destination target in the plurality of targets; a plurality of emitter modules operating at different wavelengths for converting the electrical signals into optical signals; and a de-multiplexer, which is controlled by the destination decoder and is able to drive the emitter modules by sending selectively to each emitter module the electrical signals corresponding to a given packet of the input packet traffic according to the respective destination target identified by the destination decoder. A serialization module is set upstream of the de-multiplexer for converting the packet traffic into a serial flow of bits. The transmitter also includes an optional transmission optical bus inverter for implementing a source coding on the electrical signals sent to the emitter modules. |
| US08401384B2 |
Optical access system, optical switching unit and optical line terminal
Provided is an optical access system, including: an optical line terminal, a plurality of optical network units and an optical switching unit. The optical line terminal sends to the optical switching unit a control frame including a switching time when the optical switching unit is to make a switch from one of the optical communication paths between the optical line terminal and the plurality of optical network units to another, and an identifier of an optical communication path to which the switch is made in order to switch the optical communication paths between the optical line terminal and the plurality of optical network units. The optical switching unit switches the optical communication paths between the optical line terminal and the plurality of optical network units based on the switching time and the identifier of the optical communication path after switching which are included in the control frame. |
| US08401383B2 |
Data transmission method and network for transmitting a digital optical signal over optical transmission links and networks
A data transmission method for transmitting a digital optical signal over an optical transmission link includes creating a digital optical signal defining at least two service levels, each service level transporting information via a modulation scheme comprising at least three different modulation symbols. The data transmission method also includes transmitting the digital optical signal over the transmission link and receiving the transmitted digital optical signal at a remote end of the transmission link by demodulating the received signal and extracting the information of the at least two service levels. In case that the transmission performance is below a given threshold due to increased constraints of the transmission link a compensating action is taken to drop at least one of the service levels from the optical signal or to determine parameters associated with the transmission so as to increase one of the service levels to a predetermined quality level. |
| US08401379B2 |
Optical path adjusting device and photographing apparatus having the same
An optical path adjusting device includes a supporting plate having a hole through which light travels, a two-dimensional (2D) aperture disposed in the supporting plate so as to adjust an open area of the hole, and a three-dimensional (3D) aperture having a plurality of first blinds and a plurality of second blinds. The plurality of first blinds are disposed to correspond to a first area of the hole so as to move to open or close the first area, and the plurality of second blinds are disposed to correspond to a second area of the hole so as to move to open or close the second area. |
| US08401378B2 |
Flash control for electronic rolling shutter
A method performed by an electronic camera in flash mode is as follows. A scene ambient lighting indication is obtained. An integration time interval and a flash pulse-on time interval for taking a picture is then set. The set integration time interval is shorter when the indication is bright than when the indication is dark; and the set flash pulse-on time interval is longer when the indication is bright than when the indication is dark. An image is captured using the set integration time interval and the set flash pulse-on time interval in accordance with an electronic rolling shutter (ERS). Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08401376B2 |
Information recording apparatus and method for the same
Entry points are managed so they are easy for users to understand. The data recording apparatus has a receiver unit that receives a stream of encoded digital data; an analyzer that detects change in an attribute of the received stream and that outputs the detection information; a controller that generates management information containing the detection information output by the analyzer and time information indicating detection time of the change as a first entry point; a drive that records the management information and the received stream to a data storage medium; and an input unit that defines a second entry point. This second entry point is set relative to the playback path of the stream and is used to access and read from a particular point in the stream. The controller further generates the management information containing the first entry point and the second entry point separately identified. |
| US08401375B2 |
Recording apparatus, recording method, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program
There is provided a recording apparatus that is capable of avoiding the deletion of contents, which is important to the user, due to overwriting of the contents and degradation in reproduction quality due to recompression thereof, by allowing the user to selectively delete unnecessary contents by himself or herself using a deleting contents selection screen displayed to the user when there is little remaining recording capacity on a recording medium. The recording apparatus records information data on a recording medium at a plurality of different recording data rates. A recording data rate of the information data selected from the plurality of different recording data rates is set. A recordable time period is detected based on the set recording data rate and an information quantity of information data that has already been recorded on the recording medium. Recordable time period information indicative of the detected recordable time period is displayed. |
| US08401372B2 |
Image recording apparatus, image recording method and storage medium for recording television programs
An image recording apparatus in which recording preset information, constituted by a recording start time and a recording end time, is stored for each preset program to be unattended recorded. If there is any overlap between the recording start times and the recording end times of the preset programs that are to be recorded, a warning is generated; and the overlapping preset programs are prioritized for unattended recording. |
| US08401371B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatic time-shifting for a content recorder
A content player includes a pausable mass storage device player that can be used to record and play content. The pausable mass storage device can become paused in response to an assertion of a pause signal. Once paused, the content player remains paused until the pause signal is deasserted. The content player also includes an event detector that is coupled to the pausable mass storage device player. The content player detects a non-viewer initiated event, (e.g., an automatic event such as the receipt of an email with embedded enhanced content), and to assert the pause signal in response thereto. The content player receives content, detects an event, and in response to detecting the event, pauses the content to a presentation device; and spools the content onto the mass storage device. |
| US08401368B2 |
Video data reproducing apparatus, video data generating apparatus and recording medium
To provide a video data reproducing apparatus or the like, which includes: a flag reader 101 for reading out a flag that designates a playback style during special playback, from video data; decoders 102 and 103 for decoding two sets of video data; a synthesizer 106 for combining the decoded videos to output the result; and a manager 109 for controlling the operations of decoders 102, 103 and synthesizer 106 in accordance with the flag value, and which manages the playback style in the special playback during picture-in-picture playing in accordance with the flag value, to thereby realize the playback style of the picture-in-picture video during the special playback that reflects the distributor's intention. |
| US08401352B2 |
Optical waveguide device, its manufacture method, laser module and optical transmission system
A first optical waveguide of a convex shape is formed over a substrate. A second optical waveguide of a convex shape is formed over the substrate. A multimode interference waveguide of a convex shape is formed over the substrate for optically coupling the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide. Either side of the first optical waveguide is filled with a filling material, but either side of the second optical waveguide is not filled with the filling material. |
| US08401342B2 |
System and method to match images using topologically equivalent correspondences
A method, system and computer program product for matching images is provided. The images to be matched are represented by feature points and feature vectors and orientations associated with the feature points. First, putative correspondences are determined by using feature vectors. A subset of putative correspondences is selected and the topological equivalence of the subset is determined. The topologically equivalent subset of putative correspondences is used to establish a motion estimation model. An orientation consistency test is performed on the putative correspondences and the corresponding motion estimation transformation that is determined, to avoid an infeasible transformation. A coverage test is performed on the matches that satisfy orientation consistency test. The candidate matches that do not cover a significant portion of one of the images are rejected. The final match images are provided in the order of decreasing matching, in case of multiple images satisfying all the test requirements. |
| US08401334B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for media customization
A method for customizing media is provided. The method comprises obtaining an image including at least one image of a portion of a person. The method further comprises extracting the at least one image of a portion of a person from the image based on object finding and generating customized media including the at least one image of a portion of a person extracted from the scene image. An amusement park attraction is also disclosed. |
| US08401333B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus for multi-resolution feature based image registration
When different images are combined, the corresponding parts are to be aligned accurately. To thus combine images, the feature point of each pixel is calculated from each original image using an operator (filter). The pixels are divided into blocks that the resolution matches that of the reduced image of each original image, and an expectation value map for registering the expectation value of the feature point of each block is drawn. Feature points are expected from the expectation values which the expectation value map holds, and reduced images are superposed one on the other. The feature points of the original images corresponding to the feature points between which the correspondence is derived from the reduced images are extracted, and the original images are superposed one on the other using the extracted feature points. |
| US08401327B2 |
Apparatus, computer program product and associated methodology for video analytics
A processor and associated methodology employ a SIMD architecture and instruction set to efficiently perform video analytics operation on images. The processor contains a group of SIMD instructions used by the method to implement video analytic filters that avoid bit expansion of the pixels to be filtered. The filters hold the number of bits representing a pixel constant throughout the entire operation, conserving processor capacity and throughput when performing video analytics. |
| US08401326B2 |
Image processing system and method for liquid crystal display
In an image processing system for a liquid crystal display a frame converter receives an original frame signal and produces a double frequency frame signal. A high pass filter performs a high pass filtering on the double frequency frame signal and produces a high pass double frequency frame signal. A delay device performs a delay operation on the double frequency frame signal and produces a delayed double frequency frame signal. A local contrast measurement device measures a contrast of the double frame signal and produces a local contrast signal. A high frequency gain device performs a gain adjustment on the high pass double frequency frame signal based on the local contrast signal and produces a gained high pass double frequency frame signal. A mixer is employed to mix the gained high pass double frequency frame signal and the delayed double frequency frame signal and produce an output frame signal. |
| US08401322B2 |
Image recording device, image recording method and program
There is provided an image recording device, including: a highly-gradating unit for highly-gradating an input image having a first gradation depth, thereby generating a high gradation image having a second gradation depth higher than the first gradation depth; an image quantizing unit for quantizing the high gradation image generated by the highly-gradating unit such that a quantization error is modulated into a band with relatively low sensitivity of human visual characteristics, thereby generating a recording target image having a third gradation depth lower than the second gradation depth; an encoding unit for encoding the recording target image generated by the quantizing unit; and a recording unit for recording the recording target image encoded by the encoding unit in a recording medium. |
| US08401321B2 |
Method and apparatus for context adaptive binary arithmetic coding and decoding
A method of and apparatus for context adaptive binary arithmetic coding and decoding of a significance map indicating the position of a coefficient that is not zero in a residual block are provided. According to the method and apparatus, a subdivided context is selected according to whether or not a coefficient of a previous residual block corresponding to a coefficient of a current residual block, and binary arithmetic coding is performed according to the selected context, thereby improving the performance of context-based binary arithmetic coding. |
| US08401315B2 |
File and folder structure for layered compressed image sequences
Systems, methods, and computer programs for high quality wide-range multi-layer image compression coding, including consistent ubiquitous use of floating point values in essentially all computations; an adjustable floating-point deadband; use of an optimal hand-split filter; use of entire SNR layers at lower resolution levels; targeting of specific SNR layers to specific quality improvements; concentration of coding bits in regions of interest in targeted band-split and SNR layers; use of statically-assigned targets for high-pass and/or for SNR layers; improved SNR by using a lower quantization value for regions of an image showing a higher compression coding error; application of non-linear functions of color when computing difference values when creating an SNR layer; use of liner overall quantization at lower resolution levels with regional quantization scaling; removal of source image noise before motion-compensated compression or film steadying; use of one or more full-range low bands; use of alternate quantization control images for SNR bands and other high resolution enhancing bands; application of lossless variable-length coding using adaptive regions; use of a folder and file structure for layers of bits; and a method of inserting new intra frames by counting the number of bits needed for a motion compensated frame. |
| US08401313B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing method is provided for an image processing apparatus which executes processing by allocating a plurality of weak discriminators to form a tree structure having branches corresponding to types of objects so as to detect objects included in image data. Each weak discriminator calculates a feature amount to be used in a calculation of an evaluation value of the image data, and discriminates whether or not the object is included in the image data by using the evaluation value. The weak discriminator allocated to a branch point in the tree structure further selects a branch destination using at least some of the feature amounts calculated by weak discriminators included in each branch destination. |
| US08401311B2 |
Image processing device, method, and program
An image processing device includes: a step calculator configured to calculate, as a step, a difference in pixel values of pixels in a neighborhood with respect to each pixel in an image; a classifier configured to classify the pixels into classes for areas of the steps; a boundary ratio calculator configured to calculate, as a boundary ratio, a ratio of the number of pixels at a block boundary for each of the classes; and a block noise strength determinator configured to determine, as a block noise strength of the image, the step that is larger than a predetermined threshold and that is at a class having a largest value. |
| US08401309B2 |
Security screening image analysis simplification through object pattern identification
A mechanism is provided for security screening image analysis simplification through object pattern identification. Popular consumer electronics and other items are scanned in a control system, which creates an electronic signature for each known object. The system may reduce the signature to a hash value and place each signature for each known object in a “known good” storage set. For example, popular mobile phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and the like may be scanned for the known good signature database. At the time of scan, such as at an airport, objects in a bag may be rotated to a common axis alignment and transformed to the same signature or hash value to match against the known good signature database. If an item matches, the scanning system marks it as a known safe object. |
| US08401304B2 |
Detecting an object in an image using edge detection and morphological processing
A representation of an object in a live event is detected in an image of the event. A location of the object in the live event is translated to an estimated location in the image based on camera sensor and/or registration data. A search area is determined around the estimated location in the image. A direction of motion of the object in the image is also determined. A representation of the object is identified in the search area by detecting edges of the object, e.g., perpendicular to the direction of motion and parallel to the direction of motion, performing morphological processing, and matching against a model or other template of the object. Based on the position of the representation of the object, the camera sensor and/or registration data can be updated, and a graphic can be located in the image substantially in real time. |
| US08401303B2 |
Method and apparatus for identifying character areas in a document image
An image processing apparatus comprises an attribute determination unit that divides image data into a plurality of blocks each having a predetermined number of pixels and determines an attribute of each of the divided blocks that indicates whether or not the block includes a character; a connected area extraction unit that extracts a connected area in which pixels having the same pixel characteristic are connected sequentially, from each of the divided blocks; and a foreground/background determination unit that selects a foreground/background determination method to be used for a processing target block, based on the attribute of the processing target block, the attribute of a first adjacent block that is adjacent to the processing target block, and the extracted connected areas, and determines whether a connected area of the processing target block among the extracted connected areas is the foreground or the background, using the selected foreground/background determination method. |
| US08401301B2 |
Property record document data verification systems and methods
A data verification system is configured to verify machine-recognized data elements acquired during a machine-implemented data acquisition process. The system includes a data verification workstation, a image server, and a data entry server. The data verification workstation is configured to obtain document images from the image server, present portions of document images to an operator, wherein the document images include text, and receive input from the operator based on the text. The input includes data elements. The data verification workstation is also configured to acquire machine-recognized data elements from the data entry server. The machine-recognized data elements were acquired from the document image during a machine-implemented data acquisition process based on the text. The data verification workstation is also configured to compare the data elements received from the operator to the machine-recognized data elements and selectively prompt the operator to re-input the data elements based on the comparison. |
| US08401300B2 |
Targeted image transformation of skin attribute
Targeted attribute transformation involves obtaining a digital image of the skin, selecting an individual skin attribute (an imperfection, such as a blemishes, pores, or wrinkles), extracting the individual skin attribute from the digital image by linear digital filtering on all the color channels, to obtain a contrast map in all three channels of the individual attribute, and adding or subtracting a fraction of the contrast map to the initial image, to obtain the skin image with transformed selected skin attribute. |
| US08401294B1 |
Pattern matching using convolution of mask image and search image
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for pattern matching includes receiving a pattern image, a mask image and a search image, the mask image having an arbitrary shape and identifying a portion of the pattern image. The method includes evaluating a normalized cross-correlation equation based on the pattern image, the mask image and the search image, including at least a convolution of the mask image and the search image. The method includes outputting a result of evaluating the normalized cross-correlation equation, the result indicating whether the search image matches the portion of the pattern image. |
| US08401292B2 |
Identifying high saliency regions in digital images
A method for identifying high saliency regions in a digital image, comprising: segmenting the digital image into a plurality of segmented regions; determining a saliency value for each segmented region, merging neighboring segmented regions that share a common boundary in response to determining that one or more specified merging criteria are satisfied; and designating one or more of the segmented regions to be high saliency regions. The determination of the saliency value for a segmented region includes: determining a surround region including a set of image pixels surrounding the segmented region; analyzing the image pixels in the segmented region to determine one or more segmented region attributes; analyzing the image pixels in the surround region to determine one or more corresponding surround region attributes; determining a region saliency value responsive to differences between the one or more segmented region attributes and the corresponding surround region attributes. |
| US08401281B1 |
Method and system for three dimensional feature attribution through synergy of rational polynomial coefficients and projective geometry
A method is provided for generating height information for an arbitrary-image point on a rectified image and for generating a representation of the rectified image that includes the height information. According to an exemplary embodiment, height information is generated for an arbitrary-image point on the rectified image from first and second aerial images having respective first and second sets of rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs) and projective geometrical relationships, such that the first and second aerial images and the rectified image include overlapping image locations. |
| US08401280B2 |
Device for improving stereo matching results, method of improving stereo matching results using the device, and system for receiving stereo matching results
Provided is a device for improving stereo matching results. The device for improving stereo matching results includes: a stereo camera unit outputting binocular disparity images by using binocular disparity between two images preprocessed according to a plurality of preprocessing conditions; a discrete cosine transform (DCT) unit generating DCT coefficients by performing DCT on the binocular disparity images; a streak estimation unit receiving the DCT coefficients and estimating amounts of streaks distributed on a screen by using AC coefficients, including streak patterns, of the DCT coefficients; a condition estimation unit estimating a preprocessing condition, corresponding to the smallest amount of streaks of the estimated amounts of streaks, of the plurality of preprocessing conditions, as an optimal condition, and a streak removal unit generating binocular disparity images without the streaks by changing predetermined AC coefficients of the DCT coefficients and performing inverse DCT on the changed DCT coefficients. |
| US08401279B2 |
Environment recognition system, environment recognition method and robot
A system capable of recognizing position, a shape, a posture and the like of an object present in a marginal environment of a device such as a robot in order to make the device perform operations on the object as a subject. In an environment recognition system, 3D information and physical information (color information and the like) of a subject are associated by using camera parameters of each of a 3D image sensor and a 2D image sensor. Thereby, the position, the posture and the shape related to the subject and the physical information of the subject present in the environment of a robot are obtained. |
| US08401277B2 |
Method for restoration of building structure using infinity homographies calculated based on parallelograms
A method for restoration of building structure using infinity homographies calculated based on parallelograms includes: calculating, using two or more parallelograms, an infinity homography between those cameras which refer to an arbitrary camera; restoring cameras and the building structure on an affine space using the computed infinity homography and homologous points between images; and transforming the restored result onto the metric space using constraints on orthogonality of vectors joining the restored three-dimensional points, the ratio of lengths of the vectors and intrinsic camera parameters. As a result, intrinsic camera parameters, camera positions on the metric space and the structure of the building are restored. All the restoration is possible even when intrinsic camera parameters corresponding to all the images are not constant. |
| US08401271B2 |
Seed sorter
Systems and methods are provided for evaluating and sorting seeds based on characteristics of the seeds. One system includes an imaging and analysis subsystem that collects image data from the seeds and analyzes the collected image data for characteristics of the seeds. This subsystem can include an imaging theater having mirrors that reflect image data from the seeds to an imaging device for collection. The system can also include an off-loading and sorting subsystem configured to sort the seeds based on their characteristics. And, one method includes illuminating the seeds and collecting image data from the seeds for determining their characteristics. The image data can be collected from at least three portions of the seeds at each of a plurality of sequentially changing spectral wavelengths. In addition (or alternatively), the image data can be collected from top and bottom portions of the seeds using a single imaging device. |
| US08401269B2 |
System and method for automatic measurements and calibration of computerized magnifying instruments
The present invention relates to a system and method for automatic measurements and calibration of computerized magnifying instruments. More particularly, the method includes an automatic calibration aspect, which includes obtaining an optimized digital image of a reference object including at least one standardized landmark feature, and establishing calibration parameters based on one or more measured attributes of the landmark feature. The method further describes a calibration aspect, which includes providing calibration parameters, obtaining a digital image including at least one known attribute, measuring the at least one known attribute and comparing the measured value with the known value. The method further includes an aspect of automatic measurement of an attribute of one or more object, which includes retrieving calibration parameters, acquiring a digital image and measuring the attribute. The system includes an object support, a reference object including one or more standardized landmark features, and an automatically readable identification means. |
| US08401268B1 |
Optical imaging sensor for a document processing device
A document processing device includes a controller and a sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement illuminates a surface of documents. The gradient index lens array collects light reflected from the documents and transmits at least a portion of the collected reflected light onto a photodetector array. The photodetector array generates one or more electrical signals in response to a gradient index lens transmitting light thereon. The controller derives data including image data from the one or more electrical signals. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of the surface of the documents. The visually readable image has a resolution such that alphanumeric characters can be extracted from the visually readable image in response to the document remaining within a depth of field of the gradient index lens array while being transported via the transport mechanism. The depth of field is at least about 0.03 inches. |
| US08401265B2 |
Processing of medical image data
An anti-aliasing filter comprised by a first filter kernel is applied to the medical image data so as to obtain filtered image data. The filtered image data is downsampled so as to obtain decimated image data, and pixel resolution of the decimated image data is approximately one half of pixel resolution of the image data for the medical image. The decimated image data is upsampled and an interpolation filter is applied so as to obtain interpolated image data. The interpolation filter is comprised by a second filter kernel, and the size of the first kernel is smaller than the size of the second filter kernel. Pixel resolution of the interpolated image data is approximately equal to pixel resolution of the medical image data. Difference image data between the interpolated image data and the medical image data for the medical image is obtained, and the difference image data is displayed. |
| US08401262B2 |
Device, system and method for motility measurement and analysis
A device, system and method for motility measurement and analysis. For example, a system includes a processor to determine contractile activity within a body lumen based on an analysis of data received from an autonomous in-vivo device. |
| US08401260B2 |
Systems and methods for analyzing growth of computer detected patterns on digital medical images
Methods and systems are provided for displaying the change in size of a CAD identified pattern over time. Patterns on medical images stored in a medical imaging database are identified and measured using a CAD system. A user interface provides users with access to the medical images stored in imaging database via a network. A medical image belonging to a patient historical exam category and having at least one CAD identified pattern is displayed to a user via the user interface. The size of the CAD identified image pattern and the medical exam date associated with the medical image is compiled for each of the medical images belonging to the patient historical exam category. A graphic is then generated showing the sizes of the CAD identified image pattern and the medical exam dates associated with the medical image. |
| US08401259B2 |
Image diagnosis support system
The admission of the editing of information on a key image of an object, the type of edit processing, and the contents targeted for edit processing are controlled in accordance with a combination of user information and device information (i.e., a scene where the key image is used). |
| US08401256B2 |
Systems and methods for an interactive PACS image display test image
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a test image including a plurality of bands and a plurality of markers in each band. Each band includes a plurality of pixels of the same pixel value. Each marker contrasts with the plurality of pixels in the band. The markers are adapted to allow a user to determine a feature of an image display system. |
| US08401253B2 |
Distinguishing true 3-d faces from 2-d face pictures in face recognition
According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of images captured in time series; a first calculating unit configured to calculate a first change vector indicating a change between the images in an angle representing a posture of a subject included in each of the images; a second calculating unit configured to calculate a second change vector indicating a change in coordinates of a feature point of the subject; a third calculating unit configured to calculate an intervector angle between the first change vector and the second change vector; and a determining unit configured to determine that the subject is three-dimensional when the intervector angle is smaller than a predetermined first threshold. |
| US08401251B2 |
Face pose estimation device, face pose estimation method and face pose estimation program
An object is to provide a face pose estimating device, a face pose estimating method, and a face pose estimating program that allow high accuracy estimation of a face pose even if a face organ cannot be detected from an image. A face organ detector 11 of the face pose estimating device 10 detects a face organ from an image frame. A face pose candidate set generator 16 generates a face pose candidate set. A first similarity estimator 12 computes 3D-model-based similarities. A second similarity estimator 13 computes appearance-based similarities. A first likelihood estimator 141 computes a first likelihood corresponding to the 3D-model-based similarity. A second likelihood estimator 142 computes a second likelihood corresponding to the appearance-based similarities. An integrated likelihood estimator 143 computes an integrated likelihood by using the first and second likelihoods. A face pose estimator 15 estimates the face pose by using the integrated likelihood. |
| US08401244B2 |
Method and system for securely authenticating user identity information
Systems and methods for providing secure identity authentication amongst devices using identity information contained therein to facilitate data synchronization amongst the user devices, wherein the identity information in the devices are compared for authentication but not actually transmitted or exposed for unauthorized access to such information and to the devices. |
| US08401241B2 |
Structure and motion with stereo using lines
A system and method are disclosed for estimating camera motion and structure reconstruction of a scene using lines. The system includes a line detection module, a line correspondence module, a temporal line tracking module and structure and motion module. The line detection module is configured to detect lines in visual input data comprising a plurality of image frames. The line correspondence module is configured to find line correspondence between detected lines in the visual input data. The temporal line tracking module is configured to track the detected lines temporally across the plurality of the image frames. The structure and motion module is configured to estimate the camera motion using the detected lines in the visual input data and to reconstruct three-dimensional lines from the estimated camera motion. |
| US08401237B2 |
Image processing program, image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing system
As to each section making up of an original image, a CPU of an image processing apparatus calculates a distance from a predetermined position, for example, a center of the original image to a center of the section, sets a probability in accordance with the calculated distance, determines whether or not the section is a section where an object is to be drawn according to the set probability, and draws an object in each section which is determined as a section to be drawn. |
| US08401236B2 |
Method and apparatus for wheel alignment
A vehicle wheel alignment method and system is provided. A three-dimensional target is attached to a vehicle wheel known to be in alignment. The three-dimensional target has multiple target elements thereon, each of which has known geometric characteristics and 3D spatial relationship with one another. |
| US08401233B2 |
Systems and methods for remote work sessions
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for facilitating the usage of an online workforce to remotely monitor security-sensitive sites and report potential security breaches.In some embodiments, cameras are configured to monitor critical civilian infrastructure, such as water supplies and nuclear reactors. The cameras are operatively connected to a central computer or series of computers, and images captured by the cameras are transmitted to the central computer. After initially registering with the central computer, Guardians “log on” to a central website hosted by the central computer and monitor the images, thereby earning compensation. In one embodiment, images of “no-man” zones—areas where no humans or vehicles should be present or monitored—are sent to Guardians for a simple determination of whether or not a human exists in the picture. Site owners compensate the operator of the computer system for this monitoring service, and the operator in turn compensates Guardians based on, for example, (i) the amount of time spent monitoring, and/or (ii) the degree of a given Guardian's responsiveness to real or fabricated security breaches.Among other things, systems and methods are disclosed herein for facilitating (a) the registration of monitored sites, (b) the registration of Guardians, and (c) the management of monitoring sessions, including the routing of real and fabricated images to Guardians, the rating of Guardians, and the compensation of Guardians. Many additional and alternative embodiments are contemplated, including the following example of one embodiment. |
| US08401229B2 |
Stationary target detection by exploiting changes in background model
A sequence of video frames of an area of interest is obtained. A first background model of the area of interest is constructed based on a first parameter. A second background model of the area of interest is constructed based on a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter. A difference between the first and second background models is determined. A stationary target is determined based on the determined difference. An alert concerning the stationary target is generated. |
| US08401222B2 |
System and process for roof measurement using aerial imagery
The present disclosure shows creating a first layer and a second layer, in computer memory and substantially overlapping at least a segment of line from said first layer with at least a segment of another line from said second layer. A first non-dimensional attribute is different from said second non-dimensional attribute of the two lines. A user length field enabling a client with said interactive file to override at least one of said length numeric values, where said area operator may automatically recalculate area based on said length field override is shown. Also, providing a visual marker that is moveable on said computer monitor around said aerial imagery region, which may be moved, to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure is shown. |
| US08401218B2 |
Adjustable earphone and earphone set
An earphone comprises an inner shell, a stem and a pivot connection. The inner shell has a generally circular periphery shaped to at least partially fit in a user's concha. The stem is mounted to the inner shell at a position spaced from a rotational center of the inner shell and supports a wire leading to the inner shell. The inner shell and the stem are rotatable relative to each other by the pivot connection to configure the earphone to fit the user's ear with the shell member positioned at least partially in the user's concha and the stem positioned exteriorly along an intertragic notch of the ear. |
| US08401216B2 |
Acoustic traveling wave tube system and method for forming and propagating acoustic waves
The present invention is an acoustic traveling wave tube system for propagating a directional acoustic wave comprising an acoustic traveling wave tube having a cylindrical shape with a load on one end of the tube, a plurality of excitation rings positioned around a circumference of the tube and spaced at predetermined intervals along a length of the tube and a microprocessor having a database containing a plurality of waveforms representative of acoustic signals. The microprocessor energizes one of the plurality of excitation rings to form an acoustic wave, sequentially energizes one or more of the remaining excitation rings along the length of the tube to amplify the acoustic wave as the acoustic wave travels along the length of the tube, and propagates the acoustic wave from an end of the tube opposite the load as a shaped directional acoustic wave. |
| US08401214B2 |
Eardrum implantable devices for hearing systems and methods
An implantable device is configured for placement in the eardrum to transmit an audio signal to a user. The device may be configured to improve transmission of an electromagnetic signal including light energy from an input assembly on a lateral side of eardrum to an output assembly positioned on a medial side of the eardrum, for example at least partially in the middle ear of the user. The output assembly may include a transducer or at least two electrodes configured to stimulate the cochlea, for example. The device may include an opening to transmit the light signal or an optic to transmit the light signal. Alternatively the device may be configured to support a transducer of the output assembly with the eardrum when the device is implanted in the eardrum, such that the eardrum vibrates in response to the signal electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal may include light energy for a magnetic field. |
| US08401212B2 |
Multifunction system and method for integrated hearing and communication with noise cancellation and feedback management
Systems, devices and methods for communication include an ear canal microphone configured for placement in the ear canal to detect high frequency sound localization cues. An external microphone positioned away from the ear canal can detect low frequency sound, such that feedback can be substantially reduced. The canal microphone and the external microphone are coupled to a transducer, such that the user perceives sound from the external microphone and the canal microphone with high frequency localization cues and decreased feedback. Wireless circuitry can be configured to connect to many devices with a wireless protocol, such that the user can receive and transmit audio signals. A bone conduction sensor can detect near-end speech of the user for transmission with the wireless circuitry in noisy environment. Noise cancellation of background sounds near the user can improve the user's hearing of desired sounds. |
| US08401209B2 |
Microphone having diaphragm ring with increased stability
A microphone includes a housing; a back volume within the housing; a diaphragm within the housing; a backplate attached to the housing; and a diaphragm ring connected to the diaphragm. The diaphragm ring has a body defined by an outer perimeter and at least a first inner perimeter and a second inner perimeter adjacent the first inner perimeter. The first inner perimeter is adjacent to a top surface of the diaphragm ring. The second inner perimeter is adjacent to the bottom surface of the diaphragm ring. The second inner perimeter is smaller than the first inner perimeter. |
| US08401204B2 |
Method for the active reduction of sound disturbance
A method and a system for the active reduction, at a predetermined area, of the energy of a sound signal (dk(n)), also called a diffused noise signal, generated at the area by a primary signal (xk(n)), or noise signal, by the emission of a plurality of counter-noise signals (yk(n)) having an effect antagonistic to the diffused noise signal (dk(n)), each of the counter-noise signals (yk(n)) including a feedback counter-noise signal (yfbkk(n)) and a feed-forward counter-noise signal (yfwdk(n)). The method includes detecting the periodical components of diffused noise signal (dk(n)) for adjusting the feedback counter-noise signal (yfbkk(n)), and modelling the inverse of the secondary path for adjusting the feedback counter-noise (yfbkk(n)) and feed-forward counter-noise (yfwdk(n)) signals. The invention can be implemented to any type of industrial or non-industrial noise and in any location such as working places and relaxation places. |
| US08401203B2 |
Information processing apparatus and program
According to one embodiment, An information processing apparatus includes a first signal input unit configure to receive a first signal, a second signal input unit configure to receive a signal, a first control unit configure to acquire system resources, a second control unit configure to select, in accordance with information of the system resources acquired by the first control unit, a processing method for suppressing at least one of echo and noise of the second signal input from the second signal input unit containing the echo due to the first signal input from the first signal input unit, a third control unit configure to generate an output signal by suppressing at least one of the echo and the noise from the second signal by the processing method selected by the second control unit, and a signal output unit configure to output the output signal generated by the third control unit. |
| US08401202B2 |
Speakers with a digital signal processor
A speaker with a digital signal processor is disclosed. In one aspect, a speaker comprises at least one electromechanical transducer configured to convert an electrical audio signal into sound and a digital signal processor configured to process an audio signal and send the processed audio signal to the electromechanical transducer directly or indirectly. |
| US08401190B2 |
Portable security module pairing
A method for pairing a first element and a second element, wherein the first element and the second element form a first decoding system among a plurality of receiving decoding systems in a broadcasting network. Each receiving decoding system is adapted to descramble scrambled audiovisual information received over the broadcasting network. A first key unique in the broadcasting network is selected. A second key is determined according to the first key, such that a combination of the first key and the second key enables to decrypt broadcasted encrypted control data that is received to be decrypted by each receiving decoding system, the encrypted control data being identical for each receiving decoding system. The first key and the second key are assigned respectively to the first element and the second element. |
| US08401184B2 |
Device to generate a machine specific identification key
An integrated circuit assembly having monitoring circuitry for observing the internal signals of the system so that its properties are captured. The system properties are manipulated so that they can be used as a pseudo random number and or as the basis number for an encryption key. The monitoring circuitry having: manipulation circuitry to transform monitored data and combine it with previously manipulated values; and registers to store previously manipulated values; and counters to count events; and condition detection circuitry for detecting when a signal is at a specific value or range of values. Optionally the monitoring circuitry which has the functionality for capturing system properties may be combined with other monitoring circuitry, which has the functionality required by a debug support circuit. The monitoring circuitry avoids replication of resources by sharing parts of specific monitoring circuits like counters. |
| US08401180B2 |
Non-linear data converter, encoder and decoder
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-linear data converter including: first to fourth converters that each performs a respective converting process on an input bit string to output respective output bit string; a generator that generates a random number bit string; and a selector that selects any one of the output bit strings from the first to fourth converters based on the random number bit string. Each of the converting processes is equivalent to performing a first mask process, a non-linear conversion predetermined for an encoding or a decoding and a second mask process. |
| US08401179B2 |
Encryption parameter setting apparatus, key generation apparatus, cryptographic system, program, encryption parameter setting method, and key generation method
A sophisticated cryptographic system is realized without using a pairing operation on a composite order. A random matrix selection unit 142 randomly selects a random matrix V* from a plurality of matrices satisfying a predetermined condition, based on a plurality of pairing log coefficients ηi calculated by an encryption parameter setting apparatus 100. An output base calculation unit 143 calculates a plurality of output bases gk, based on a plurality of base divisors D˜j calculated by the encryption parameter setting apparatus 100 and the random matrix V* selected by the random matrix selection unit 142. |
| US08401173B2 |
Telephone-line-connection method
It is determined whether a call-connection condition set to a call-connection device is a first call-connection state or a second call-connection state. When the determination result shows that the first call-connection state is set, a call is connected from an originating terminal to a destination terminal. When the determination result shows that the second call-connection state is set, the call is connected from the originating terminal to the destination terminal and conversation-termination processing is performed without waiting for a disconnection request transmitted from the originating terminal or the destination terminal. |
| US08401171B1 |
Computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction
Systems and methods for computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction are described herein. One or more systems include a number of customer service representative computing devices having processors and memory thereon for the storage of executable instructions and data, wherein the instructions are executed to allow at least one of the number of computing devices to control a customer's computing device such that the customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer's computing device and display the selected information on a display of the customer's computing device. |
| US08401170B2 |
Method of using VOIP for callback from an ACD
A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a communication connection between a client of an organization and an agent of the organization. The method includes the steps of an automatic call distributor of the organization receiving a call from the client, the automatic call distributor detecting an IM handle of the client from the call and the automatic call distributor establishing a VOIP connection between the client and agent of the organization using the IM handle. |
| US08401163B1 |
Methods and systems for call processing and for providing call progress status over a network
The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for call processing. By way of example, a first call control is visually provided via a Web page in association with search results transmitted to a user computer system, wherein the user submitted to search request to a search engine. An indication is received that the user activated the first call control. A first call is placed to a telephonic address selected by the user. A second call is placed to a telephonic address associated with the first call control. Progress information related to the second call is transmitted to the user computer system in substantially real-time. |
| US08401159B2 |
Data provision to a virtual personal assistant for handling calls in a communication system
Uploading data to a call connection service by providing data records associated with a call destination in a user-selected manner. Navigation instructions are obtained concerning a particular data record in response to the data navigation instructions. An indication is received to upload the call destination associated with the particular record to the call connection service. In response to the indication, a routine is executed to acquire a portion of the data record and upload the portion to the call connection service in a format suitable for handling. Alternatively, data can be provided to the call completion service in an automated manner, including in response to an unconnectability condition detected during the call process, either during call initiation or after the call has been connected, and when calls are received at a secondary user device. |
| US08401158B2 |
Release link trunking for IP telephony
Methods and systems are provided that use resources more efficiently for calls originating and terminating in a first address space that use services in an IP address space. A call is established from an originator in a first address space to an IP device within an IP address space. The IP device sends a message to a switch in the first address space indicating a new destination in the first address space. The established call is released and a second call is established from the originator in the first address space to the new destination in the first address space. In another implementation, a first leg of a call is established to an IP device from a first address space. The IP device establishes a second leg of a call to a destination in the first address space. The calls are bridged and resources released. |
| US08401156B1 |
Real-time monitoring of caller experience in a call flow
A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for monitoring caller experience in a call flow are provided. The method comprises collecting at least one selection by at least one caller in a call flow, generating performance analysis of a voice response system, combining the at least one selection and the performance analysis into a set of data, applying a monitoring formula to the set of data to form a result representing caller experience; and presenting the result to at least one service provider. |
| US08401153B2 |
Network to alarm panel simulator for VoIP
The present invention provides for a system and method for providing a signal to a communication system comprising an interface between a communication link and the communication system, like an alarm system, wherein the interface receives a signal from the communication link and provides a signal indicative of the availability of the communication link for use by the communication system. Alarm systems operations may be facilitated so that Residential Gateway components (such as voice terminal adapters) may simulate traditional telephone network systems that run on 48 VDC powered telephone lines. The system also comprises an input port associated with the interface for receiving the signal from the communication link, a transformer or a voltage regulator and an output port associated with the interface for providing the conditioned signal to the communication system. A ring voltage received from the communication link may be passed through to the alarm system. |
| US08401152B2 |
Method and system for performing EMTA loop diagnostics
Diagnostic testing of a telephony line card device and corresponding line card is initiated using an initiation MIB. Responding to an instruction from a main processor that a query has determined that an initiation MID is Set, line card processor circuitry begins a predetermined series of diagnostic testing. Results for the diagnostic testing are stored in a register coupled to the line card processor circuitry. After testing completes, the main processor, which is coupled to the line card processor, retrieves the results information from the line card register, converts the information to one or more results MIB(s) and stores the results MIB(s) as an instance(s) to a memory coupled to the main processor. The result MIB instance(s) is/are made available to a local or remote device via port coupled to the line card device. A permissive MIB may be queried to determine whether diagnostic testing is permitted. |
| US08401151B2 |
X-ray tube for microsecond X-ray intensity switching
An injector for an X-ray tube is presented. The injector includes an emitter to emit an electron beam, at least one focusing electrode disposed around the emitter, wherein the at least one focusing electrode focuses the electron beam and at least one extraction electrode maintained at a positive bias voltage with respect to the emitter, wherein the at least one extraction electrode controls an intensity of the electron beam. |
| US08401144B2 |
Method and apparatus for correcting artifacts in circular CT scans
A scanning method and apparatus useful for correcting artifacts which may appear in a primary short circular CT scan are provided. A secondary helical scan performed on a stationary subject, or a secondary circular scan, may be used to correct for artifacts. The secondary scan may be performed with a smaller radiation dosage than the primary circular CT scan. |
| US08401138B2 |
Serial data receiver circuit apparatus and serial data receiving method
A serial data receiver circuit apparatus to receive serial data delimited by a first bit length, the circuit apparatus includes: a serial/parallel converter circuit to convert the serial data into parallel data of a second bit length that is smaller than the first bit length; a data hold circuit to hold a plurality of parallel data; a detector circuit to detect a delimiter position in the received serial data; a detected position hold circuit to generate a select signal to select data included in the parallel data stored in the data hold circuit; and a selector circuit to select data in units of the second bit length starting from the data delimiter position based on the select signal. |
| US08401137B2 |
Jitter evaluation
A jitter evaluation apparatus for receiving a digital test signal from which a clock signal is recovered, is shown. A clock recovery circuit (401) recovers a clock signal from the test signal and a synchronization circuit generates a synchronized system clock signal from said recovered clock signal. A sinusoid generator (403) generates a sinusoid signal from the synchronized system clock signal and a sampling analog to digital converter (404) samples the sinusoid signal by the recovered clock signal to provide sinusoid samples further comprising: A numerically controlled oscillator (401) is configured to produce sine values and cosine values in response to receiving an input from the system clock signal and a first multiplier (412) is configured to produce a first product of the sinusoid samples and the sine values. In addition, a second multiplier is configured to produce a second product of the sinusoid samples and the cosine values. Furthermore, a co-ordinate rotation device (416) is configured to receive said first product via a first low pass filter (414) and to receive said second product via a second low pass filter (415) to produce an output indicative of jitter phase. |
| US08401131B2 |
Reduction of interference in an OFDM signal with weighting vectors evolving in vector subspaces
To reduce interferences in signals received by a receiver through a propagation channel, each including symbols distributed according to frequency and time dimensions and corresponding to a common emitted signal, the receiver weights an estimate of the emitted signal and the received signals by weighting vectors evolving in vector subspaces representing time variations and frequency variations of the channels for propagating the signals between an emitter and the receiver. These vector subspaces are defined by matrices, some columns of which are suppressed as a function of frequency and time constraints of the channel. The receiver minimizes a function of the difference between the sum of weighted received signals and the weighted estimate of the emitted signal in order to estimate the emitted signal as a function of the weighting vectors and the received signals. |
| US08401130B2 |
Automatic gain control method and apparatus for wireless communication systems
A system and method are provided for automatic gain control (AGC) using an adaptive reference and a threshold. An adaptive reference allows for adjusting the target power based on variations in operating parameters and conditions, such as a change to a modulation schemes which requires a different signal to noise ratio (SNR) to maintain performance. A gain adjustment threshold allows for rapid AGC response while reducing the potential effects of hysterisis. AGC levels may be changed during symbol prefixes or suffixes, and avoided during a data portion of a signal. Embodiments allow for symbol-by symbol AGC changes in OFDM, OFDMA, and TDD systems. |
| US08401128B2 |
Method and system for adaptable receiver parameters
A method and system are described for processing a received signal at a receiver in a communication system. The receiver includes a digital filter and automatic gain control means. Information indicating the frequency band of operation and the type of service of the received signal is received at the receiver from the communication system. The gain and filtering parameters of the receiver are set according to the received information. The received signal is processed at the receiver using the gain and filtering parameters. Optionally, a determination of whether the received signal contains adjacent channel interference above a predetermined allowable threshold may also be made and the determination may then be used in setting the gain and filtering parameters. |
| US08401126B2 |
Viterbi decoding apparatus
The present invention can reduce power consumption at the time of tracing. The present invention provides a viterbi decoding apparatus for decoding convolution codes, which includes a path memory unit that stores one of two paths toward respective transition states of a convolution code, as a selected path, for a plurality of continuous time points, a tracing unit that traces a selected path stored in the path memory unit in a reversed-time direction, thereby decoding a convolution code at respective time points, each of the time points being prior to a predetermined trace-skipping period, and a control unit that controls the path memory unit, wherein the path memory unit has a storage area designed to store selected paths assuming respective transition states at respective time points, the storage area is divided into sub-areas from the lowest order of transition state, each of the sub-areas corresponding to predetermined number of bits, and reading data can be stopped for each sub-area, and the control unit designates sub-areas from which no selected path needs to be read at respective time points so as to stop reading data from the designated sub-areas. |
| US08401123B2 |
Method and system for increasing the accuracy of frequency offset estimation in multiple frequency hypothesis testing in an E-UTRA/LTE UE receiver
A mobile device receives a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising a primary synchronization sequence (PSS) and a secondary synchronization sequence (SSS). The mobile device performs multiple frequency hypothesis (MFH) testing via multiple MFH branches. A PSS correlation process is performed for each MFH branch. Frequency offset for receiving data is estimated using resulting correlation data. A desired offset is placed in each MFH branch. A baseband signal is frequency offset per MFH branch according to the desired frequency offset before the PSS correlation process. A received PSS is detected based on a maximum PSS correlation over the entire set of MFH branches. A frequency offset is estimated for the MFH branch associated with the detected PSS by combining an associated residual frequency with a corresponding desired offset. The frequency offset estimate is used for baseband signal processing and/or adjusting a reference oscillator frequency at the mobile device. |
| US08401122B2 |
Sphere decoding of symbols transmitted in a telecommunication system
A method for decoding at least one signal, including: receiving the at least one signal, the at least one signal being transmitted by at least one transmitting antenna and received by at least one receiving antenna; defining a sphere having a predetermined radius and being centered on a particular symbol chosen among predetermined symbols forming a lattice constellation of symbols which may be received by the receiving antenna; and producing estimated symbols representative of at least one transmitted symbol carried by the at least one signal and identified among the predetermined symbols included in the sphere and likelihood values associated to the estimated symbols. |
| US08401117B1 |
Method of adaptive modulation for cognitive radios using a fast and simplified modulation recognition
Method for automatic modulation recognition in adaptive modulation based cognitive software defined radio (SDR), including receiving a transmitter signal from a transmitter; inputting signal data frame r(k), k=1, . . . , K; estimating SNR for data frame; feeding channel condition to transmitter; selecting one of plurality of predetermined modulation schemes from database; determining whether SNR(r(k))< or =threshold T(i); reporting failure if SNR(r(k))< or =T(i) and if not then estimating mean bj(i)(k) for r(k); calculating ∥r(k)−{circumflex over (b)}(i)(k)∥2; accumulating to calculate g ( i ) = ∑ k = 1 K r ( k ) - b ^ ( i ) ( k ) 2 ; repeating above steps from selecting for the other predetermined modulation schemes; finding minimum g ( i ) = ∑ k = 1 K r ( k ) - b ^ ( i ) ( k ) 2 ; determining whether [K/SNR(r(k))−g(I)] |
| US08401113B2 |
Method for setting cyclic shift considering frequency offset
A method for transmitting a random access preamble to a base station at a user equipment (UE) includes generating the random access preamble from a Zadoff-Chu sequence having a length ‘N’ and a root index ‘M’, wherein the random access preamble is defined by a cyclic shift of the Zadoff-Chu sequence and transmitting the generated random access preamble to the base station via a random access channel, wherein the cyclic shift is given by using a variable corresponding to a Doppler shift of one subcarrier spacing, the variable given by using the root index ‘M’, and wherein the cyclic shift is differently given based on whether the variable is smaller than ⅓ of the length ‘N’. |
| US08401107B2 |
Transmit methods with delay diversity and space-frequency diversity
In this invention, several open-loop solutions that encompass the small delay CDD codeword cycling, codeword cycling between different re-transmissions of both small and large delay CDD are proposed. In addition, an open-loop codeword cycling method for SFBC+FSTD scheme, as well as its extension to SFBC+FSTD based HARQ, are proposed. In one method, a plurality of information bits are encoded, scrambled and modulated to generate a plurality of modulation symbols. The plurality of modulation symbols are mapped onto the subcarriers in at least one transmission layer of a transmission resource. The modulation symbols are then precoded by using a matrix for cyclic delay diversity and a set of codewords from a certain codebook to generate a plurality of precoded symbols. The codewords are cycled for every a certain number of subcarriers. Finally, the precoded symbols are transmitted via a plurality of transmission antennas. |
| US08401106B2 |
Interference rejection combining for multi-user MIMO telecommunications system
Method and apparatus are provided for processing a received signal for making a symbol estimate of a symbol included in a signal transmitted in a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) system. In an example mode, the method comprises (1) providing at least a subset of precoding matrices which are candidates for use in transmission of an interfering signal in a MIMO system; (2) using the received signal and plural candidates of the subset to determine corresponding plural covariance matrices, each of the plural covariance matrices being formed using a corresponding candidate precoding matrix; (3) determining which of the candidates is a trace minimizing candidate which is associated with one of the plural covariance matrices that has a minimum trace value; (4) forming a weighting matrix using the trace minimizing candidate; and (5) using the weighting matrix to make the symbol estimation. |
| US08401105B2 |
Method for transmitting a data signal in a MIMO system
A method for transmitting a data signal by a transmission unit of a wireless multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) communication system. The communication system includes the transmission unit and a reception unit, the transmission unit having a plurality of transmission antennas and the reception unit having a plurality of reception antennas. The method includes performing a first transmission of a data signal, the first transmission including transmitting the data signal by each one of the plurality of transmission antennas, and performing a second transmission of the data signal at a time later than the first transmission, the second transmission including transmitting at least one spectrally modified signal variant of the data signal by at least one antenna of the plurality of transmission antennas. |
| US08401100B2 |
Transmission apparatus and transmission method
A wireless receiving apparatus capable of efficiently removing interference signals in a multicarrier communication. In a mobile station incorporating this wireless receiving apparatus, a selecting part selects a plurality of the same symbols in accordance with a mapping pattern established at the time of generating OFDM symbols in a base station. A correlation value calculating part determines correlation values between the subcarriers of the same symbols to generate an R-matrix, and further determines an inverse matrix of the R-matrix. An MMSE processing part performs an MMSE processing to determine a weight from both a P-vector received from a channel estimating part and the inverse matrix of the R-matrix received from the correlation value calculating part. Multipliers multiply each of the symbols selected by the selecting part by the weight determined by the MMSE processing part. A combining part combines the symbols as multiplied by the weight. |
| US08401099B2 |
Method of transmitting control signal in wireless communication system
A method of transmitting a control signal in a wireless communication system includes allocating a first sequence to spread a first control signal in a radio resource, allocating a second sequence to spread a second control signal in the radio resource, selecting one of the first control signal and the second control signal, generating a spread control signal by spreading the selected control signal, and transmitting the spread control signal in the radio resource, wherein the first sequence and the second sequence use different cyclic shifts of a base sequence. |
| US08401097B2 |
Apparatus and method for removing common phase error in a DVB-T/H receiver
A receiver is a Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial/Handheld (DVB-T/H) receiver. The DVB-T/H receiver comprises a fast fourier transform (FFT) operative on a signal for providing an FFT output signal comprising a number of samples; a spectrum shifter for reordering the samples in the FFT output signal to provide a spectrum shifted signal; and a phase corrector for estimating a phase error from the FFT output signal and for correcting a phase of the spectrum shifted signal in accordance with the estimated phase error. |
| US08401093B2 |
General method for low-frequency data transmission on a power line
A method for producing a set of inbound pulse patterns and detection vectors for lengths longer than 4 cycles in an AC waveform. These are used for generating inbound messages in a two-way automatic communication system (TWACS). The method uses Hadamard matrices adapted to generate a set of detection vectors by permuting rows of a matrix and removing certain columns of the matrix to meet system design requirements. The method can be extended to any length and modified to accommodate multiple pulses per half-cycle to support higher data rates. |
| US08401089B2 |
Video coding
A method of video encoding including receiving a video signal to be coded; coding data representing a frame of said video signal; and repeating part, but not all, of the data. The repeated part including the picture header for the frame. A method of decoding an encoded video signal including receiving coded data representing frames of a video signal; examining the coded data to detect header data and picture data; when an error in the picture header is detected, storing the picture data in a temporary picture data store, detecting a repeat of the header data; and decoding the stored picture data using the repeated header data. |
| US08401088B2 |
Encoding device and method, decoding device and method, edition device and method, recording medium, and program
The present invention relates to an encoding device and a method, a decoding device and a method, an editing device and a method, a storage medium, and a program which can perform encoding and decoding so that buffer failure does not occur. Information, such as a minimum bit rate, a minimum buffer size, and a minimum initial delay time, is contained in a random access point header contained in an accessible point in a bitstream. A bitstream analyzing unit 72 analyzes an input bitstream, sets the above-mentioned information, and outputs the resulting information to a buffer-information adding unit 73. The buffer-information adding unit 73 adds the input information to the input bitstream and outputs the resulting bitstream. The present invention is applicable to an encoding device and a decoding device which process bitstreams. |
| US08401075B2 |
Hybrid video encoder including real-time and off-line video encoders
A method and apparatus is provided for encoding a video signal stream. The method includes receiving a video signal stream, identifying a plurality of individual segments within the video signal stream and encoding, off-line, recurring ones of the individual segments that recur with at least a first frequency to produce encoded recurring segments. The video signal stream is also encoded in real-time to generate a real-time encoded video stream. Segments in the real-time encoded video stream are replaced with their corresponding encoded recurring segments to thereby produce an encoded video output stream that includes some segments encoded in real-time and other segments encoded off-line. |
| US08401074B2 |
Picture coding method, picture decoding method, picture coding apparatus, picture decoding apparatus, and program thereof
The picture decoding method according to the present invention is a decoding method for decoding coded pictures by inverse quantization and inverse orthogonal transformation, in which a quantization matrix which defines a scaling ratio of a quantization step for each component is multiplied by a multiplier, which is a coefficient for frequency transformation or a quantization step, and also, a result of the multiplication is multiplied by a quantized value, as a process of inverse quantization. |
| US08401071B2 |
Virtually lossless video data compression
An apparatus and method of performing YUV (or YCrCb) video compression prior to storage within a memory and decompression upon retrieval of the blocks from memory. Compression is performed utilizing a quantizer to compress video data to a desired overall compression ratio R, even though the luma and chroma contributions to compression can differ for each subblock, each preferably selected in response to texture estimation. Selections are made for each subblock to perform either linear or non-linear quantization during compression. Compression is performed without utilizing data from blocks outside of the block being compressed, wherein video blocks can be retrieved and decompressed in any desired order. In one implementation, an encoder non-sequentially selects blocks from memory which are then decompressed and encoded. The compression may be beneficially utilized in a number of different video transmission and storage applications without departing from the invention. |
| US08401070B2 |
Method for robust inverse telecine
A method for inverse telecine. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking if a current field of a plurality of fields in a video sequence repeats in the video sequence according to a pattern-based approach where the current field fits a telecine pattern, (B) checking if the current field repeats according to a first pattern-less approach where the current field complies with at least one of a plurality of rules and (C) generating a signal for an encoder in (i) an asserted state if the current field repeats and (ii) a deasserted state if the current field does not repeat. |
| US08401069B2 |
Apparatus and process for re-timing video cuts
A video process receives an interlaced sequence of input fields organized in a plurality of frames and identifies whether each video cut occurs at a frame boundary. Where a cut occurs otherwise than at a frame boundary, the processes generates a synthetic field by motion compensation and interpolation. This synthetic field replaces one of the fields at the cut, effectively re-timing the cut to a frame boundary. The process thereby outputs a sequence of output fields in which every cut is positioned at a frame boundary, the sequence of output fields containing the same number of fields as the sequence of input fields. |
| US08401067B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring QoE guaranteed real-time IP-media video quality
A method and apparatus for measuring the quality of a video provided in an IP network based media service is provided. The apparatus for measuring Quality of Experience (QoE) guaranteed real-time Internet Protocol (IP)-media video quality, includes: a receiver receiving a transmission video provided through an IP network service platform and an original video corresponding to the transmission video, and extracting frames of the transmission video and the original video; a detector comparing the frames of the transmission video and the original video in real time to obtain a difference between the frames of the transmission video and the original video and detecting a matching segment between the transmission video and the original video; and a measurement unit calculating a QoE parameter using the frames of the transmission video and the original video which correspond to the matching segment. |
| US08401065B2 |
Clock recovery circuit for receiver using decision feedback equalizer
In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving by a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) a first signal comprising transmitted data; adjusting by the DFE the first signal to an equalized signal comprising the transmitted data; detecting by a phase-error detector phase errors at a data rate of no more than one fourth of a data rate for the transmitted data; generating by the phase-error detector a phase-error level based on the detected phase errors; and recovering, by a clock-recovery circuit for the DFE and the phase-error detector, a clock signal associated with the transmitted data based on the phase error level. |
| US08401060B2 |
System of sharing data using transmission order
A data transmission apparatus and a data apparatus, are provided. The apparatuses may share data in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) scheme via a network. The data transmission apparatus divides data into a plurality of segments, and determines a transmission order with respect to each of the divided segments. The data transmission apparatus and the data apparatus share data based on the transmission order of the divided segments. |
| US08401057B2 |
OFDM-based relay-assisted channel estimation method
An OFDM-based relay-assisted channel estimation method enables a composite channel (source-relay-destination) to be disintegrated into a source-to-relay channel and a relay-to-destination channel and separately estimated at the destination node in a relay-assisted way. A relay-amble signal is added to a sub-frame when the relay node is forwarding the amplified signals from the source node. Through the relay-amble signal, the second channel estimation from the relay node to the destination node is performed to obtain a second channel coefficient, and then uses an ML (Maximum Likelihood Estimator) algorithm to estimate a first channel coefficient from the source node to the relay node. After having estimated the coefficients of the two channels, the optimum diversity combining is performed at the destination node to improve accuracy of received data. |
| US08401056B2 |
Method and apparatus for packet acquisition
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for acquisition of a received spread spectrum signal transmitted over a wired or wireless medium. |
| US08401053B2 |
Active RFID apparatus for improving PN code generation
An active radio frequency identification (RFID) apparatus having an additional transmitter in addition to a single transmitter is provided. The active RFID apparatus includes a first transmitter including a first pseudo noise (PN) code generator to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) introduced by ISO/IEC (International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission) 24730-2 or ISO/IEC 18185-5 type B; and a second transmitter including a second PN code generator to perform an AND operation on an initial value and a fed back value and shift the resultant value of the AND operation, to perform an XOR operation on particular bits from among the shifted bits and to perform an XOR operation again on the shifted bits and the resulting value of the XOR operation to finally generate a PN code. Accordingly, where an additional PN code is added besides an existing PN code, a PN code having excellent auto correlation characteristics allowing discrimination of the PN code itself and cross-correlation characteristics providing a code discrimination ability with respect to another code can be generated. |
| US08401052B2 |
Method for detecting signals based on despreading and method for transmitting signals for the same
A method for detecting signals based on despreading and a signal transmitting method for the same are provided. Signals are spread according to the size of at least one spreading band, which is determined in consideration of a correlation degree of a frequency band in a communication system. A reception side which receives the signals detects the signals after de-spreading with respect to signals which are spread in a frequency band having a correlation degree equal to or greater than a predetermined level as a spreading band, among the reception signals. Thus, the dimension of the detected signals can be decreased. |
| US08401050B1 |
Multiple projection sampling for RF sampling receivers
RF sampling receivers are disclosed that employ multiple sampling clocks to produce multiple projections. In operation, a Nyquist folded receiver (NYFR) may be implemented that utilizes at least one modulated sampling clock in combination with one or more other modulated or non-modulated sampling clocks to identify received signals. In such an embodiment, one or more clock modulations may be used to induce frequency modulations that are Nyquist zone dependent, and multiple Nyquist zones may be aliased together while still allowing for signals from different Nyquist zones to be separated and identified. |
| US08401046B2 |
Multibeam coherent laser diode source (embodiments)
A multibeam coherent laser diode source comprises a master laser, a linear amplifier and two perpendicular amplifiers. The master laser and amplifiers are in the form of a single heterostructure containing an active layer, two limiting layers and a radiation influx area with an influx layer. The heterostructure is characterized by the ratio of the refractive index of the heterostructure to the refractive index of influx layer. This ratio is determined from a range extending from one plus delta to one minus gamma, where delta and gamma are defined by a number much less than one and gamma is greater than delta. The linear amplifier is positioned so that optical axis of radiation propagation from master laser coincides with the axis of the linear amplifier. Each perpendicular amplifier has output edge and is positioned so that its optical axis is situated at right angle to the axis of linear amplifier. |
| US08401039B2 |
Point-to-point communications systems particularly for use in power distribution system
A point-to-point communications system (20) for transmitting messages from any location (A) within a power distribution system or network (10) to any other location (B) within the network. A transceiver (12) at the one location includes a transmitter (X) that impresses a waveform (WR) on a waveform (WG) propagated by the network to supply power throughout the network. The transmitter is a resonant transmitter that includes a reactive load (13) which is selectively connected to and disconnected from the power distribution network. A controller (16) controls operation of the transmitter to connect and disconnect the reactive load from the network so to impress on the propagated waveform a dampened sinusoidal waveform whose characteristics represent information conveyed over the power distribution system. A receiver (Yn) at the other location receives and demodulates the dampened sinusoidal waveform to extract therefrom the information being conveyed by it. |
| US08401037B2 |
Method of handling an error on CS voice over HSPA
A method of processing data at a specific protocol layer in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The present invention includes the steps of receiving a first data block including sequence information from a lower layer, checking a status of a second data block contained in the first data block, the second data block being an upper layer data block having time information, and if the status of the second data block fails to correspond to a prescribed condition, discarding the first data block. |
| US08401036B2 |
Quality of service based resource determination and allocation apparatus and procedure in high speed packet access evolution and long term evolution systems
A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) and method are provided that process communication data in a hierarchy of processing layers including a physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer and higher layers. A MAC layer transport format selection device defines an assignment of higher layer transmission data to parallel data streams based on data characteristics received from higher layers and physical resource information received from the PHY layer. The transport format selection also device generates transport format parameters for each data stream. A multiplexer component multiplexes the transmission data onto the parallel data streams in transport blocks in accordance with the data stream assignment and the respective transport format parameters generated by the transport format selection device and outputs the selectively multiplexed transmission data to the PHY layer for transmission over respective physical resource partitions. Preferably, the transport format selection device also generates physical transmission attributes such as modulation and coding rate (MCR), number of subframes per transmission time interval (TTI), duration of TTI, transmission power and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) parameters. |
| US08401033B2 |
Systems, apparatus and methods to facilitate physical cell identifier collision detection
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for facilitating collision detection are provided. In some embodiments, a method can include: receiving identifying information during one or more time intervals from a plurality of base stations; determining whether at least two different values of the identifying information from the plurality of base stations have been transmitted during the same time interval; and determining that a collision has occurred between at least two of the plurality of base stations in response to determining that the at least two different values of the identifying information from the plurality of base stations have been transmitted during the same time interval. |
| US08401032B2 |
Multi-user multimedia messaging services
Methods, devices, and computer programs for improving the efficiency of multi-user multimedia messaging services are disclosed. A multimedia message is sent from an originator user device to an originator server and further to one or more recipient servers to which recipient user devices as addressed are associated to. The one or more recipient servers execute a multicast delivery for distributing the multimedia message to the recipient user devices and/or an improved reporting of a transmission state of the multimedia message by receiving status messages from the recipient user devices, each status message comprising an indication of an individual transmission state of the multi media message at one of the recipient user devices, aggregating the indications into a report representing the transmission state of the multimedia message, and sending the report to the originator server. |
| US08401031B2 |
Method of performing random access procedure in wireless communication system
A method of performing a random access procedure in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes transmitting a random access preamble, and monitoring a downlink control channel in a transmission time interval (TTI) window for a random access response, the TTI window comprising a plurality of TTIs, wherein a TTI is an interval to search a random access-radio network temporary identity (RA-RNTI) transmitted on the downlink control channel and monitoring the downlink control channel for the random access response is stopped when the random access response including an random access preamble identifier corresponding to the transmitted random access preamble is received. |
| US08401029B2 |
Method, device and system for establishing a bearer for a GSM network
A method for establishing a bearer for a GSM network is disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. The method includes: receiving, by a Media Gateway, a message for adding a wireless side end point, assigning an IP address and a port number for a call and transmitting a response message containing the IP address and the port number assigned for the call; acquiring, by the Media Gateway, the IP address and the port number assigned for the call by the Base Station Controller via the Mobile Switching Center Server and establishing an IP bearer with the Base Station Controller. A device and a system for establishing a bearer for a GSM network are also disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. With the present invention, a full or part path transcoder-free operation may be realized, which can avoid quality reduction and transmission delay. |
| US08401023B2 |
Intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over ATM and private address translation
An illustrative intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (“ATM”) and private address translation are provided that can provide significant advantages. The method includes generating an input ATM setup message at the calling party CPE that includes a VToA designator and a called party phone number, extracting information from the input ATM setup message, analyzing the information, designating an ATM address of a called pany CPE to be stored in the first parameter of an output ATM setup message, determining if private address translation is needed, designating the ATM address of the called party CPE to be stored in a first instance of the second parameter of the output ATM setup message, designating an ATM address of an egress ATM edge switch to be stored in the first parameter of the output ATM setup message, and generating an output ATM setup message. |
| US08401020B2 |
Method for controlling access to TDMA wireless channel from nodes of network of either linear or tree topology
Requests of resources of uplink flows towards a base station (BS) and/or downlink flows towards end nodes are computed by each requesting node on an end-to-end basis. Each requesting node issues a cumulative request given by summing up the same request for each link separating the node from the BS plus each link separating the BS from the destination node, enabling the centralized node to perform connection based scheduling. The BS in response to all cumulative requests grants uplink and/or downlink resources for each link. The profile of grants is equal to the profile of requests when the amount of resources requested is below the maximum net throughput on MAC layer. When not below the maximum net through-put on MAC layer, the ideal profile of grants is normalized with respect to a ratio between the maximum net throughput on MAC layer and the amount of the overall requested resources. |
| US08401018B2 |
Method and apparatus for scheduling in a wireless network
Techniques for scheduling flows and links for transmission are described. Each link is an oriented source-destination pair and carries one or more flows. Each flow may be associated with throughput, delay, feedback (e.g., acknowledgments (ACKs)) and/or other requirements. A serving interval is determined for each flow based on the requirements for the flow. A serving interval is determined for each link based on the serving intervals for all of the flows sent on the link. Each link is scheduled for transmission at least once in each serving interval, if system resources are available, to ensure that the requirements for all flows sent on the link are met. The links are also scheduled in a manner to facilitate closed loop rate control. The links are further scheduled such that ACKs for one or more layers in a protocol stack are sent at sufficiently fast rates. |
| US08401016B2 |
Method, system and peer device for message routing
A method for message routing in a Peer to Peer (P2P) network includes the following steps: when a request message is routed from a source peer to a destination peer, the source peer and every intermediate peer that needs to be recorded add path information of the local peer to the request message and forward the request message to a next hop until the message arrives at the destination peer, where the path information includes a communication address of the local peer; the destination peer adds the path information in the request message to a response message obtained according to the request message; and the response message is routed from the destination peer to the source peer according to the path information. A source peer, an intermediate forwarding peer, and a destination peer as well as a message routing system are also disclosed. With the present invention, recursive message routing is implemented in a structured P2P network. Because a peer in the P2P network no longer needs to maintain a local transaction table, resources of the peer are saved and the cost of the P2P network is less. |
| US08401012B2 |
Packet routing
An embodiment may include circuitry to determine, at least in part, at least one first output to which to route at least one packet, based, at least in part upon, a first output determination and a second output determination. The first output determination may select at least one second output based at least in part upon at least one deterministic output selection algorithm. The second output determination may select at least one third output based at least in part upon at least one pseudo-random output selection algorithm. The at least one pseudo-random output selection algorithm may be based, at least in part, upon a counter value. Many modifications, variations, and alternatives are possible without departing from this embodiment. |
| US08401008B2 |
Network node, frame transfer program and frame transfer method
A network node including an FDB for registering a relationship between a destination MAC address and a port label, an input port table for registering a relationship between an input port and a port label, and a port label table for registering a relationship between a port label and an output port, at the reception of a frame, registers a relationship between a transmission source MAC address of a frame and a port label registered for an input port in the input port table at the FDB, at the time of transmission of a frame, transmits the frame to an output port registered at the port label table which port corresponds to a port label registered for the destination MAC address in the FDB and at the time of processing of flushing or updating the FDB unit, changes the contents of the input port table and the port label table. |
| US08400996B2 |
Communication method, and transmitting apparatus and receiving apparatus using that communication method
A transmission apparatus includes a plurality of antennas and a frame configurator that selects, in a first unit time either a first transmitting method which transmits a modulated signal from at least one of the plurality of antennas, or a second transmitting method which transmits a plurality of modulated signals from the plurality of antennas, for a first carrier group arranged for a first terminal and either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for a second carrier group arranged for a second terminal. The frame configurator selects, in a second unit time either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for the first carrier group arranged for a third terminal and either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for the second carrier group arranged for a fourth terminal, wherein each of carrier groups includes one or more sub-carriers. |
| US08400991B2 |
Signaling format for WLANs
A method for wireless communication begins by determining whether legacy devices are within a proximal region of the wireless communication. The method continues, when at least one legacy device is within the proximal region, formatting a frame to include: a legacy preamble; a signal field; an extended preamble; at least one additional signal field; at least one service field; an inter frame gap; and a data field. |
| US08400990B1 |
Global service set identifiers
Specifying the hosting WLAN switch controller for a WiFi VPN connection from a public hotspot should not require managing separate name spaces for switch controllers and SSIDs. Instead, identification of the controller should be done within the standard 802.11 protocol using SSIDs that resolve to IP addresses. Users therefore need only manage a single SSID name space for both WiFi VPN connections and local wireless connections. |
| US08400989B2 |
Activating private access points for wireless networking
A unique identifier is associated with a personal access point. The personal access point is distributed to an end user, who sends a text message including the identifier. Within an automated computer system, the text message is received, a billing account is associated with the personal access point on the basis of the text message, and the personal access point is activated to provide wireless access to a network. |
| US08400988B2 |
System and method for parallel transmission over multiple radio links
A radio communication system and transmission method using Multi-Radio Access (MRA) interfaces are provided. The radio communication system and method include a transmitter and a receiver having at least two Radio Access (RA) interfaces capable of communicating through different frequency spectrums, in which each of the transmitter and the receiver includes a multiple radio transmission layer for activating a multiple radio transmission entity for each upper layer service and transmitting data in packet units and an RA layer for activating at least one RA entity that manages the RA interface for the multiple radio transmission entity and dividing a packet into sub-packets for transmission and reception. In the transmission method, the multiple radio transmission entity of the transmitter receives a packet transmission success indicator for a specific packet from the RA entity of the transmitter and a next packet is transmitted upon receipt of the packet transmission success indicator. In the transmission method, a link having a good channel status is selected as a retransmission channel according to the status of an RA link of the lower layer, thereby allowing efficient and rapid data transmission. |
| US08400986B2 |
Random access channel for OFDM-MIMO system
In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) selects a random access channel (RACH) and a phase for a constant amplitude zero auto correlation (CAZAC) sequence for RACH transmission. The WTRU then transmits a RACH transmission to a Node B via the selected RACH. Once the RACH transmission is detected, the Node B sends an acknowledgement (ACK) to the WTRU over an ACK channel. The Node B may transmit the ACK on a shared channel. The WTRU may ramp up transmit power while the RACH transmission is transmitted, or steps up transmit power of a subsequent RACH transmission. The RACH transmission and data transmission may be either time multiplexed or frequency multiplexed. A plurality of RACHs may be defined and one of the defined RACHs may be selected randomly or based on predetermined criteria. |
| US08400979B2 |
Forward link handoff for wireless communication systems with OFDM forward link and CDMA reverse link
A method and apparatus for performing handoff in a wireless communication system with multi-carrier modulation (MCM) for a forward link and CDMA for a reverse link. In one embodiment, a method of performing handoff on the forward link for a terminal is provided in which signal quality of pilots received by the terminal from a plurality of base stations in the system is determined. A particular base station for subsequent data transmission on the forward link to the terminal is selected based on the signal quality determined for the plurality of base stations. A request to be handed off to the particular base station is initiated if the particular base station is different than a currently selected base station. |
| US08400977B2 |
Method for performing cell selection in a GSM/GPRS system
A method of searching for a different network cell by a mobile station in a global system for mobile communication (GSM)/general packet ratio service (GPRS) system is provided. The method includes receiving from a serving cell an indication message including information on whether to use an extended search frame, and searching for the different network cell by using an idle frame and the extended search frame. A method of effectively searching for a different network cell by a mobile station to interwork with a different network in a global system for mobile communication (GSM)/general packet radio service (GPRS) system can be provided. |
| US08400975B2 |
User apparatus and cell search method
A user apparatus to be used in a mobile communications system including multiple cells is disclosed. The user apparatus includes a unit which receives a sync channel; a unit which extracts a primary sync channel and a secondary sync channel from the sync channel and conducts a cell search; and a unit which controls, based on a condition for setting an averaging time in a time direction in the cell search, a correlation detection time in a correlation detection performed in the unit which conducts the cell search. |
| US08400974B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing dynamic information in a wireless information channel
Methods and apparatus to enable a wireless network system to dynamically change information channel message broadcasts. In one aspect, cellular network systems optimize pilot channel message delivery based at least in part on one or more network parameters. Base stations and/or cellular devices can dynamically configure the pilot channel message delivery or reception based on the network parameters. For example, such flexible pilot channel message delivery may more frequently deliver prioritized pilot channel messages, and less frequently broadcast low priority messages. Cellular subscribers with appropriately enabled user equipment may improve their power and applications performance through implementation of the invention. Furthermore, base stations may reclaim the freed cellular resources to support other services. Legacy subscribers are advantageously not affected. |
| US08400971B1 |
Reclamation of EV-DO sessions based on latency-sensitivity
Methods and systems are provided for implementing reclamation of EV-DO sessions based on latency-sensitivity. In an embodiment, an EV-DO access node (e.g. an RNC) maintains a plurality of sessions respectively associated with a plurality of access terminals. The plurality of sessions consists of a first number of sessions, each having an associated degree of latency-sensitivity. The access node compares the first number with a session-reclamation threshold. If the access node determines that the first number exceeds the session-reclamation threshold, the access node responsively reclaims one or more of the sessions that have been inactive for at least a threshold amount of time in ascending order of latency-sensitivity, without notifying the one or more associated access terminals. |
| US08400969B2 |
Communication method for transmitting multiple packet signals, and radio apparatus and communication system using the same
A radio apparatus communicates with a plurality of terminal apparatuses by using a packet signal composed of at least one stream. A control unit divides a certain period into a plurality of partial periods and assigns respectively the plurality of partial periods to the plurality of terminal apparatuses by associating the periods with the terminal apparatuses. The control unit also generates a packet signal for use in control and packet signals for use in inquiry. In so doing, the control unit generates the inquiry packet signals for the plurality of respective terminal apparatuses, as a single packet signal. A baseband processing unit and other units transmit the control packet signal and then transmit the inquiry packet signals, and receive packet signals, containing inquiry results, from the plurality of respective terminal apparatuses. |
| US08400965B2 |
Radio base station apparatus and synchronization method thereof
In a radio base station apparatus that connects a radio control device and plural radio devices to each other through plural links and transmits and receives data by using a frame, a synchronization unit calculates a difference between a first reference counter and a second reference counter from first and second transmission values and first and second reception values and corrects a count value of the second reference counter based on the difference so as to make the count value of the second reference counter coincide with a count value of the first reference counter. |
| US08400964B2 |
Communicating data block in wireless communication system
A method of transmitting/receiving a data block is disclosed. In receiving at least one data block multiplexed to one physical channel, the present invention includes the steps of receiving control information for a data block transmission, checking whether there is a necessity for configuring a table having combination information of data block sizes internally, and configuring the table having the combination information of the data block sizes for a data block reception according to a result of the checking step. Accordingly, the present invention internally configures the Calculated Transport Format Combination (CTFC) information without receiving separate CTFC information, thereby facilitating the reception of data blocks. |
| US08400959B2 |
Radio communication method and radio communication device
Provided is a radio communication method capable of optimally using the wide-band communication enabled time while maintaining power saving in an ad hoc network. According to this method, in the ad hoc network using the wide-band communication and a narrow-band communication, transmission and output of the narrow-band synchronization tone signal and the resynchronization tone signal are controlled so that the reach radius of the narrow-band synchronization signal and the resynchronization tone signal exceeds the reach radius of the wide-band signal (milli-wave UWB signal). Thus, when radio communication devices pass by each other, super frame synchronization is completed before reaching the wide-band communication enabled range of the ad hoc network, thereby optimally using the wide-band communication-enabled time. |
| US08400958B2 |
Apparatus and method for data transmission using transmission diversity in SC-FDMA system
Disclosed is a data transmission apparatus for providing transmission diversity in an SC-FDMA (Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access) system. The data transmission apparatus comprises: a data processor, which performs coding and modulation on an information bit to generate a data symbol; an SC-FDMA processor, which changes a weight matrix per change-cycle, precodes the data symbol for each weight matrix being changed and performs SC-FDMA modulation for generating an SC-FDMA symbol; and an RF unit, which transmits the SC-FDMA symbol. With the application of a PVS method to the SC-FDMA system, not only can transmission diversity be provided, but PAPR can also be reduced and single-carrier properties can be maintained. |
| US08400953B1 |
Systems and methods of call setup
Systems and methods of call setup and information delivery are provided. Calls can be setup between communication units supported by a local area network and those supported by a wide area network using presence information of either or both of the wide area and local area networks. |
| US08400952B2 |
Method for transceiving a signal in wireless communication system
A method of transmitting a signal using a prescribed frame structure in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A mobile station is able to transmit or receive a signal using a frame structure with a CP length corresponding to ¼ of a useful symbol. Moreover, the mobile station is able to transmit or receive a signal using a frame structure with a CP length corresponding to ¼ of a useful symbol, which is designed to mutually coexist without causing collision or interference with another frame structure with a different CP length. In this case, a channel bandwidth of the prescribed frame structure is 7 MHz. |
| US08400951B2 |
PHICH resource signaling in a wireless communication system
A wireless communication terminal and method for determining a number of Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) groups (N) in the downlink subframe based on a first parameter, a second parameter and a determined cyclic prefix (CP) duration, wherein the first parameter indicates a downlink system bandwidth in terms of a number of resource blocks and the second parameter indicates a scaling factor. The terminal receives downlink control signaling in a set of resource elements in the subframe, wherein the set of resource elements is determined based partly on the number of PHICH groups (N). |
| US08400948B2 |
Method and system for updating real-time data between intervals
A method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, having a data source and a data collector, includes receiving, at the data collector, real-time data at intervals from a data source. The real-time data includes information on the availability of aspects of a communication network. The received real-time data is stored in a memory. The occurrence of a specified triggering event between the intervals is detected. The stored real-time data is updated based on information relating to the specified triggering event. |
| US08400944B2 |
System and method for displaying message-related relationships
A system and method for displaying message-related relationships is provided. Messages are analyzed by identifying entities associated with each message, wherein the entities include senders and recipients of the messages and by accumulating a number of messages communicated between each sender and each recipient. A social network is created by connecting one or more of the senders and recipients via a link based on the number of messages communicated between that sender and that recipient. A semantic network is generated from concepts of the messages. The social network and the semantic network are simultaneously displayed. |
| US08400943B2 |
IPv6 addressing over non-IPv6 systems
A system includes an access node having an associated identifier. The access node is configured to insert the identifier into a network connection request. The system includes an IP edge service node connected to the access node and configured to receive the network connection request. The IP edge service node is further configured to store the inserted identifier and to insert the identifier into an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) address request transmitted according to dynamic host configuration protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) through an established network connection based on the network connection request. The system further includes a server configured to receive the IPv6 address request and assign an IPv6 address based on the IPv6 address request. |
| US08400941B2 |
Systems and methods for inferring services on a network
Systems and methods are disclosed for managing services on a network. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving topologically relevant network information concerning nodes, interfaces, connections and/or protocols; resolving conflicts in the received information; determining and storing a network topology from the received and resolved information; and inferring one or more services based on the stored topology. |
| US08400937B2 |
Resource metric quantization in wireless data communications
A resource metric quantization is described that has use for resources of wireless data communications system. In one example the quantization include measuring a signal parameter for a plurality of frequency partitions, setting a first resource metric for a first frequency partition equal to a first value, determining a second and a third resource metric for a second and third frequency partition, respectively, based on comparing the measured signal parameter for the second and third frequency partitions to the measured signal parameter for the first partition, encoding a second and a third resource metric, and transmitting the encoded resource metrics to a remote wireless station. |
| US08400931B2 |
Circuit-switched services over LTE
A mobile radio communication system and method of initiating a circuit-switched service at a mobile station over a System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core network using packet-switched communications between the mobile station and the SAE core network is provided. The method includes communicating service handling information between a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) and the mobile station through a Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the SAE core network; sending instructions from the MSC for setting up the circuit-switched service through a Media Gateway, coupled to at least one network external to the SAE core network; providing packet-switched addressing information for the Media Gateway to the mobile station; and initiating the circuit-switched service at the mobile station over the SAE core network and through the Media Gateway. |
| US08400929B2 |
Ethernet performance monitoring
One embodiment is a source router that monitors the performance of an Ethernet network. The source router generates an Ethernet connectivity check request frame that includes a transmission timestamp, and transmits the Ethernet connectivity check request frame to a destination router. The source router receives a reply from the destination router that is transmitted in response to receiving the Ethernet connectivity check request frame and determines a round trip time between the source router and the destination router based on a time of receipt of the reply and the transmission timestamp. |
| US08400925B2 |
Data rate control mechanism
A method and product for controlling a rate of transmission from a first, transmitting node to a second, recipient node. The method comprises: transmitting a stream from the first node to the second node over a first network route; transmitting further data from the first node to a third node over a second network route substantially overlapping with the first network route; receiving feedback at the first node from the third node regarding transmission of the further data to the third node over the second network route; and based on the feedback from the third node, controlling a rate of transmission of the stream to the second node over the first network route. The third node may not be a recipient of said stream. The rate of transmission may be controlled without feedback from the second node. The further data may be formed of dummy data. |
| US08400923B2 |
Multipath transmission control protocol proxy
An edge router runs a Multipath Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) proxy to allow for a host that implements TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) to operate normally yet reap the benefits of an MPTCP connection. An upgrade of a TCPIP stack on the host is not necessary. The edge router demultiplexes packets received from the host over a TCP connection to an MPTCP connection and multiplexes packets sent to the host over an MPTCP connection to a TCP connection. As a result, higher throughput of packet communication can be realized, for example, for improved video support. |
| US08400920B2 |
Method for optimizing the transfer of information in a telecommunication network
A method for optimizing the transfer of information in a telecommunications network which includes producers of information Pi, consumers of information Cj, and means of transferring the information between the producers and the consumers within the framework of applications Ak. The method includes defining an objective of quality of experience QoE and a level of Criticality of the Consumers Cj and/or of the Applications Ak representing the relative importance of said Applications Ak and/or of said Consumers Cj, determining continuously the actual quality of experience ‘QoE’ for at least one consumer, determining dynamically the operating instructions for the transfer of information from the producers Pi to the consumers Cj according to the means of transfer available, and adapting dynamically and continuously the means of transfer of information according to the instructions defined. |
| US08400919B1 |
Application layer network traffic prioritization
Layer-7 application layer message (“message”) classification is disclosed. A network traffic management device (“NTMD”) receives incoming messages over a first TCP/IP connection from a first network for transmission to a second network. Before transmitting the incoming messages onto the second network, however, the NTMD classifies the incoming messages according to some criteria, such as by assigning one or more priorities to the messages. The NTMD transmits the classified messages in the order of their message classification. Where the classification is priority based, first priority messages are transmitted over second priority messages, and so forth, for example. |
| US08400900B2 |
Lens, lens mounting method and optical pickup device
A lens includes a lens portion which condenses light; a reflecting flat portion which is formed in a periphery of the lens portion and reflects parallel light to be irradiated to the reflecting flat portion in a direction opposite to the irradiation direction; and a flange portion which is adhered to a lens holder by an adhesive. An applied portion of the adhesive which is formed on the flange portion is inclined with respect to the reflecting flat portion. |
| US08400899B2 |
Optical pickup device with detection optical system
A tracking signal and a focusing signal are stabilized by eliminating multi-layer crosstalk. The diffraction position, with respect to a semiconductor detector, from a center region of a multi-region diffraction grating disposed along the return path of reflection light from the layer of interest is placed further away from the optical axis than the diffraction position from a peripheral part of the diffraction grating. Stray light from other layers is thus prevented from being incident on a sensing region for a peripheral region of the diffraction grating. Further, the area of the semiconductor detector is reduced by dividing the center region. |
| US08400895B2 |
Information recording medium, information recording method, information recording apparatus, information reproducing method and information reproducing apparatus
If a defective cluster in a spare area is managed with a defect entry, the size of a DFL will increase as the size of the spare area increases with an increase in the number of recording layers stacked in a disc. An information recording medium according to the present invention has pointer information indicating the location of the next available cluster in each spare area, and restricts the direction in which the spare area is used. Also, a defect entry indicating a defective cluster in the spare area is registered with the DFL. Thus, even if the size of the spare area 15 increases, the size of the DFL 21 can be kept relatively small. Furthermore, even after physical reformatting is done, a defective cluster, if any, in the spare area 15 can still be recognized as a defect and the control operation can be performed so that a replacement cluster is not re-allocated to that defective cluster (i.e., the defective cluster is not used). |
| US08400894B2 |
Method for writing data on multilayer optical disc and optical disc drive
The present invention provides a method for writing data on a multilayer optical disc with N information storage layers (where N is an integer and N≧2). The kth deepest one (where k is an integer and 1≦k≦N) of the storage layers of the multilayer optical disc is called a kth information storage layer. The method includes the steps of: (A) finding the number of layers that an optical disc loaded into an optical disc drive has (disc type recognition); if the number of layers is X (which is an integer and X≧2), (B) tentatively writing data on a test write area of an mth information storage layer (where m is an integer and 1≦m≦X−1), thereby determining a provisional initial optical recording power (performing OPC); (C) choosing an appropriate correction coefficient according to the level of a target layer, on which data needs to be written, and correcting the provisional initial optical recording power based on the correction coefficient chosen, thereby determining an initial optical recording power; and (D) starting writing the data on the target layer with the initial optical recording power. |
| US08400887B2 |
Magnetic recording system used thermal-assisted-magnetic-recording head
A thermally assisted recording magnetic head is provided in which a magnetic recording medium can be irradiated with light having a spot size reduced in the submicron order with high total optical propagation efficiency. In a magnetic head, a spot size converter that propagates the light from an optical source in the magnetic head is provided adjacent to a main pole. The spot size converter includes a cover layer having a refractive index lower than that of a clad material and formed in contact with the optical waveguide core, and is formed in a shape composed of a substantially rectangular shape in a light traveling direction and a tapered shape where the width is increased toward the bottom surface of the magnetic head. The optical waveguide core having the cover layer formed is vertically interposed between multi-mode-thin-film-like cores that can excite a first or higher-order optical waveguide mode. |
| US08400886B2 |
Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head, head gimbal assembly and magnetic recording device
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head that includes a pole that generates a writing magnetic field, a waveguide through which light propagates, a plasmon generator that surface-evanescent-couples with the light propagating through the waveguide, wherein the plasmon generator includes a portion where a cross-sectional area gradually decreases as going toward a depth side from an air bearing surface when being observed from a cross section parallel to the air bearing surface. The volume of the plasmon generator can be decreased and an exposed area of a front surface on the air bearing surface can be increased. When a thermal expansion from the temperature increase occurs in the plasmon generator, a rate that the plasmon generator projects from the air bearing surface is suppressed to extremely low levels. Accordingly, a chronological degradation of output can be suppressed and thermally-assisted recording having a high and long-term reliability is achieved. |
| US08400880B2 |
Display for use in managing movement of a patient in a bed
A system is provided for communicating to health care workers the turning, positioning and schedule requirements of dependent patients with pressure ulcers, or at risk for the development of pressure ulcers. The system includes a display indicating a next required position of the patient and a display indicating a time for next movement of the patient to the next position. The time of next movement is calculated by entering an indication of a maximum allowable time for the patient to remain in each position and adding this to the current time. |
| US08400878B2 |
Mounting structure for underwater acoustic antenna with U-shaped spring elements
In the case of an electroacoustic underwater antenna, which has a reflector (11) and spring elements which fix the reflector (11) on an antenna mount (10), in particular on the hull of a submarine, in order to produce an underwater antenna which can be produced at low cost from only a small number of components, and in which the reflector (11) to which electroacoustic transducers are fitted is at an adequate distance from the antenna mount (10), is acoustically well decoupled from the antenna mount (10) and is largely resistant to shock loading, the spring elements have an upper and a lower resilient rocker (19, 20), wherein each rocker (19, 20) extends over the horizontal extent of the reflector (11) in the fitted position. Each rocker (19, 20) has a rear contact limb (192, 202), for making contact with and fixing on the antenna mount (10), and a front contact limb (191, 201), for making contact with and fixing on the reflector (11). |
| US08400874B2 |
Method for combined active source and passive seismic imaging for subsurface fluid movement mapping and formation characterization
A method for characterizing fluid pumping effects on a subsurface formation includes (a) during pumping of fluid into the subsurface formation, detecting passive seismic signals related to fractures created in the subsurface formation. (b) A place of origin of the passive seismic signals is determined. (c) A seismic energy source is actuated for a plurality of actuations and an output thereof is beam steered toward the place of origin. (d) At least one acoustic property is determined for the place of origin using signals detected as a result of the plurality of actuations. The detected signals are beam steered toward the place of origin and are stacked over the plurality of actuations. (a), (b), (c) and (d) are repeated until the pumping is completed. |
| US08400872B2 |
Seismic source which incorporates earth coupling as part of the transmitter resonance
An acoustic energy source for imparting acoustic energy into the Earth's subsurface includes an electrically driven transducer coupled to a source of swept frequency alternating current. A tunable Helmholtz resonator is disposed proximate the transducer. In one example, the resonator has a tuning device configured to maintain a resonant frequency substantially equal to an instantaneous frequency of the alternating current. The tuning device includes an actuator coupled to a sleeve, wherein the sleeve is disposed over selected numbers of openings in a wall of a tube on the resonator. The transducer and the resonator are disposed in a wellbore drilled through rock formations. The wellbore has a plurality of layers of fluid therein, each layer thereof having a different density and/or viscosity. |
| US08400870B2 |
Memory devices and accessing methods thereof
A memory device is provided. The memory device comprises a plurality of memory chips. The plurality of memory chips receive an input address code and alternately operate in an active mode. Each memory chip receives a selection signal and operates according to an internal address counter code. For each memory chip, the respective internal address counter code is initially set according to the input address code and the respective selection signal. |
| US08400864B1 |
Mechanism for peak power management in a memory
A mechanism for managing peak power in a memory storage array that includes sub-array blocks may reduce the peak currents associated with read and write operations by staggering the wordline signal activation to each of the sub-array blocks. In particular, the wordline units within each sub-array block may generate the wordline signals to each sub-array block such that a read wordline signal of one sub-array block does not transition from one logic level to another logic level at the same time as the write wordline of another sub-array block. Further, the wordline units may generate the wordline signals to each sub-array block such that a read wordline of a given sub-array block does not transition from one logic level to another logic level at the same time as a read wordline signal of another sub-array block. |
| US08400858B2 |
Memory device with reduced sense time readout
A method for data storage includes providing at least first and second readout configurations for reading storage values from analog memory cells, such that the first readout configuration reads the storage values with a first sense time and the second readout configuration reads the storage values with a second sense time, shorter than the first sense time. A condition is evaluated with respect to a read operation that is to be performed over a group of the memory cells. One of the first and second readout configurations is selected responsively to the evaluated condition. The storage values are read from the group of the memory cells using the selected readout configuration. |
| US08400856B2 |
Memory device with data prediction based access time acceleration
A memory device includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, sensing circuitry coupled to at least a given bitline associated with a particular column of the memory cells of the memory array, and access time acceleration circuitry coupled to the bitline. The access time acceleration circuitry is configured to control an amount of time required by the sensing circuitry to access data stored in a given one of the memory cells in the particular column of memory cells, by providing in a current access cycle at least a selected one of a plurality of different supplemental charging and discharging paths for the bitline based at least in part on data accessed using the bitline in a previous access cycle. By way of example, the different supplemental charging and discharging paths may comprise an additional pull-up path configured to supplement operation of a pull-up path of the given memory cell and an additional pull-down path configured to supplement operation of a pull-down path of the given memory cell. |
| US08400855B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a data transmission line and a data transmission line precharge circuit. The data transmission line precharge circuit sets a precharge potential of the data transmission line to a first potential at the time of a first write mode in which data masking is not performed. The data transmission line precharge circuit sets the precharge potential to a potential different from the first potential at the time of a second write mode in which data masking is performed. When data masking is not carried out, precharging to a potential at which data can be written in excellent fashion can be performed. When data masking is carried out, precharging to a potential that inhibits a fluctuation in bit-line potential can be performed. |
| US08400849B1 |
Electronic device for monitoring a supply voltage
An electronic device comprising a first supply voltage domain, a second supply voltage domain and a low drop output voltage regulator (LDO) coupled to receive a supply voltage of the first supply voltage domain and to provide a supply voltage of the second supply voltage domain and the LDO being configured to be switched into a first state for providing and maintaining the supply voltage of the second supply voltage domain and into a second state for providing a high impedance output to the second supply voltage domain. The electronic device includes a comparator coupled to monitor the first supply voltage level at a first supply voltage node and to switch the LDO from the first state to the second state. |
| US08400846B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit with multi test
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a multi-mode control signal generating unit configured to control an activation of a up/down mat I/O switch control signal, which controls I/O switches in a up/down mat, according to a multi-test mode signal and a read/write discriminating signal, a multi-mode decoder configured to output multi-mat select signals to simultaneously activate a plurality of mats according to a multi-test mode active write signal, and a mat controller configured to enable word lines and the I/O switches according to the up/down mat I/O switch control signal and the multi-mat select signals. |
| US08400844B2 |
System and method for reducing pin-count of memory devices, and memory device testers for same
Methods, memory devices and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a non-volatile memory device receives command signals through the same input/output terminals that receive address signals and write data signals and transmit read data signals. The input/output terminals are connected to a multiplexer, which is responsive to a received mode control signal to couple the input/output terminals to either a command bus or an input/output bus. A latch in the memory device latches the command signals when the mode control signal causes the input/output terminals to be coupled to the input/output bus. As a result, the command signals continue to be applied to the command bus. When the mode control signal causes the input/output terminals to be coupled to the input/output bus, write data signals are clocked into the memory device and read data signals are clocked out of the memory device responsive to a received clock signal. |
| US08400841B2 |
Device to program adjacent storage cells of different NROM cells
A method includes minimizing current leaking through a virtual ground pipe during access of NROM memory cells. The minimizing includes operating two neighboring memory cells generally together, which includes connecting an operation voltage to a shared local bit line of the two neighboring memory cells and connecting the external local bit lines of two neighboring memory cells to a receiving unit, such as a ground supply or two sense amplifiers. Also included is an array performing the method. |
| US08400840B2 |
NAND memory device and programming methods
A NAND Flash memory device reduces circuitry noise during program operations. The memory includes bit lines that are electrically coupled together to charge share their respective voltage potentials prior to performing a discharge operation on the bit lines. A NAND flash cell is programmed by coupling a first memory array bit line to a program voltage to program the memory cell, biasing a second memory array bit line to a ground potential, wherein the second memory array bit line is located adjacent to the first memory array bit line, activating at least one first transistor to electrically coupling the first and second memory array bit lines together, and activating at least one second transistor to electrically couple the first and second memory array bit lines to a discharge potential. |
| US08400839B2 |
Nonvolatile memory and method for compensating during programming for perturbing charges of neighboring cells
Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a charge storing element of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent charge storing elements. To compensate for this coupling, the programming process for a given memory cell can take into account the target programmed state of one or more adjacent memory cell. The amount of programming is verified after each programming pulse and the standard verify level for the programming cell is dependent on the target state. The verify level is further offset lower dependent on the amount of perturbation from neighboring cells, determinable by their target states. The verify level is preferably virtually offset by biasing adjacent word lines instead of actually offsetting the standard verify level. For soft-programming erased cells, neighboring cells on both adjacent word lines are taken into account. |
| US08400835B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory
When a plurality of non-volatile memory cells in a memory cell array are simultaneously written, bit lines of the plurality of non-volatile memory cells are connected to M data lines, where M is an integer of two or more, based on a column address signal. N switches, where N is an integer of one or more, and a switch control circuit for controlling the N switches, are provided for each data line. The M switch control circuits control the M×N switches to change the levels or apply periods of drain voltages applied to the bit lines of the plurality of memory cells on a memory cell-by-memory cell basis. |
| US08400833B2 |
Method of evaluating a semiconductor storage device
A method of evaluating a semiconductor storage device of a floating gate type has calculating an electron density distribution of a tunnel insulating film of a memory cell by multiplying a change rate of a threshold voltage Vt of the memory cell of the semiconductor storage device with respect to the change of the logarithm of a time with ε*Cr*2k/Tox/q (where ε is the permittivity of the tunnel insulating film of the memory cell, Cr indicates a coupling ratio of the memory cell, Tox indicates the thickness of the tunnel insulating film, k indicates an attenuation rate of the existence probability when the charges are detrapped and is represented as k=(2mE/(h/2π)2)0.5, m indicates the mass of the electron, E indicates an energy level of the trap of the tunnel insulating film, h indicates a Planck's constant, and π indicates a circumference ratio). |
| US08400831B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving endurance of flash memories
A method and apparatus for improving the endurance of flash memories. In one embodiment of the invention, a high electric field is provided to the control gate of a flash memory module. The high electric field applied to the flash memory module removes trapped charges between a control gate and an active area of the flash memory module. In one embodiment of the invention, the high electric field is applied to the control gate of the flash memory module prior to an erase operation of the flash memory module. By applying a high electric field to the control gate of the flash memory module, embodiments of the invention improve the Program/Erase cycling degradation of the single-level or multi-level cells of the flash memory module. |
| US08400829B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes memory blocks each comprising a plurality of memory cells formed over a semiconductor substrate having a P well, a first voltage generator supplying operating voltages to an selected block of the memory blocks, and a second voltage generator generating a negative voltage to the P well during a program operation. |
| US08400827B2 |
Non-volatile memory programming
Some embodiments include a memory device and a method of programming memory cells of the memory device. One such method includes applying different voltages to data lines associated with different memory cells based on threshold voltages of the memory cells in an erased state. Other embodiments including additional memory devices and methods are described. |
| US08400826B2 |
Coarse and fine programming in a solid state memory
Memory devices adapted to receive and transmit analog data signals representative of bit patterns of two or more bits facilitate increases in data transfer rates relative to devices communicating data signals indicative of individual bits. Programming of such memory devices includes initially programming a cell with a coarse programming pulse to move its threshold voltage in a large step close to the programmed state. The neighboring cells are then programmed using coarse programming. The algorithm then returns to the initially programmed cells that are then programmed with one or more fine pulses that slowly move the threshold voltage in smaller steps to the final programmed state threshold voltage. |
| US08400824B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and method for controlling the same
A non-volatile memory and method for controlling the same prevents a faulty operation from being generated in a read operation, resulting in increase in operation reliability. The non-volatile memory device includes a cell array configured to include a plurality of unit cells in which a read or write operation of data is achieved in a unit cell in response to a variation of resistance, a reference cell array configured to include a plurality of reference cells, each of which has the same structure as that of the unit cell, a global reference current generation circuit configured to generate a global reference current corresponding to a position of the reference cell so as to verify data stored in the reference cell array, and a sense-amplifier configured to compare a current flowing in the reference cell array with the global reference current during a write verification operation of the reference cell array, and thus sense data. |
| US08400817B2 |
Semiconductor device
The semiconductor device includes a source line, a bit line, a first signal line, a second signal line, a word line, memory cells connected in parallel between the source line and the bit line, a first driver circuit electrically connected to the source line and the bit line, a second driver circuit electrically connected to the first signal line, a third driver circuit electrically connected to the second signal line, and a fourth driver circuit electrically connected to the word line. The memory cell includes a first transistor including a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode, a second transistor including a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, and a second drain electrode, and a capacitor. The second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor material. |
| US08400814B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array configured of at least a first portion and a second portion each including a plurality of memory cells each with a variable resistor which stores an electrically rewritable resistance value as a data, and a control circuit which controls a first operation including selected one of operations to erase, write and read the data in the first portion and a second operation including selected one of operations to erase, write and read the data in the second portion, the first operation and the second operation being performed in temporally overlapped relation with each other. |
| US08400810B2 |
Enhanced performance memory systems and methods
Digital memory devices and systems, including memory systems and methods for operating such memory systems are disclosed. In the embodiments, a memory system may include a processor and a memory controller communicatively coupled to the processor. A memory bus communicates with at least two memory units through the memory bus. At least one divider unit may be interposed between the memory bus and the at least two memory units that is configured to approximately equally divide levels of received signals while matching an impedance of the memory bus to an impedance of the memory units. |
| US08400807B2 |
Semiconductor system
A system that includes a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip, and a controller chip. The first semiconductor chip includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first circuit electrically coupled to the second terminal, a second circuit electrically coupled to the first terminal and the first circuit, and a third circuit electrically coupled to the second circuit. The second semiconductor chip includes a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a fourth circuit electrically coupled to the fourth terminal, a fifth circuit electrically coupled to the third terminal and the fourth circuit, and a sixth circuit electrically coupled to the fifth circuit. |
| US08400804B2 |
Memory devices having break cells
A representative memory device includes a cell array, at least one break cell that subdivides the cell array into bit cell arrays, and one or more power switches that are electrically coupled to the bit cell. In one embodiment, the break cell separates a connectivity of a first voltage and a second voltage between at least two bit cell arrays so that the bit cell arrays can be selectively coupled to either the first voltage or the second voltage using the power switches. The power switches control the connection of each separated bit cell array of the cell array to either the first voltage or second voltage. |
| US08400795B2 |
Power sharing method and system for two-stage power supplies
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for optimizing the power consumption in a redundant power system. A pulse width modulation waveform is generated in each of a first and second power supply to control the power output of each power supply. In response to the system load reaching a power setpoint, the first and second power supplies supply power to the system load in parallel. In response to the system load being below the power setpoint, the pulse width modulation waveform is disabled or blocked in the second power supply, and the system load is powered substantially entirely with the first power supply. |
| US08400789B2 |
Power supply with input filter-controlled switch clamp circuit
An example power supply in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure includes a switch, an energy transfer element, a controller, an input filter, and a switch clamp circuit. The energy transfer element is coupled to the switch and the controller is coupled to control the switch to regulate an output of the power supply. The input filter is coupled to receive an input voltage of the power supply and includes a first input filter capacitor coupled to a node and a second input filter capacitor coupled to the node. The switch clamp circuit is also coupled to the node to clamp a voltage across the switch in response to a voltage at the node. |
| US08400785B2 |
Aperture edge emission suppression using ferrite
An electronic device is within a housing that has an aperture through an enclosure surface of the housing. A ferrite block is attached to an edge of the aperture, thus transforming electromagnetically-induced current next to the aperture into heat in order to reduce a voltage across the aperture, thereby suppressing aperture edge emissions. |
| US08400782B2 |
Wiring board and method for manufacturing the same
A wiring board has a first rigid wiring board having an accommodation section, a second rigid wiring board to be accommodated in the accommodation section, and an insulation layer formed on the first rigid wiring board and the second rigid wiring board. Here, a conductor of the first rigid wiring board and a conductor of the second rigid wiring board are electrically connected to each other, and at least either a side surface of the second rigid wiring board or a wall surface of the accommodation section has a concave-convex portion. |
| US08400778B2 |
Layout schemes and apparatus for multi-phase power switch-mode voltage regulator
A multi-phase voltage regulator is disclosed where each phase is comprised of an array of high and low side transistors that are integrated onto a single substrate. Further, a system of mounting the voltage regulator onto a flip chip and lead frame is disclosed wherein the source and drain lines form an interdigital pattern. |
| US08400777B2 |
Electronic member, electronic part and manufacturing method therefor
When silver oxide is reduced to silver, a large number of cores of metallic silver are formed inside the silver oxide. Then, the silver oxide is reduced in a manner of being hollowed out while its original outer configuration is being maintained. As a result, the curvature of the silver generated becomes larger. The utilization of this microscopic-particle implementation mechanism allows accomplishment of the bonding even if the silver oxide is supplied not in a particle-like configuration, but in a closely-packed layer-like configuration. In the present invention, there is provided an electronic member including an electrode for inputting/outputting an electrical signal, or a connection terminal for establishing a connection with the electrical signal, wherein the uppermost surface of the electrode or the connection terminal is a silver-oxide layer. |
| US08400775B2 |
Capacitor with direct DC connection to substrate
A subcomponent is provided for a power inverter module. The apparatus comprises a capacitor having a terminal and integrated into a housing. A substrate is mounted on the housing. The substrate incorporates a power semiconductor switch and has at least one direct current (DC) tab. The direct current tab is directly connected to the terminal of the capacitor. |
| US08400774B2 |
Packaging techniques and configurations
One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus comprising a flex circuit substrate having a core, a first solder mask and first traces disposed on the core on a first side of the flex circuit substrate, and a second solder mask and second traces disposed on the core on a second side of the flex circuit substrate. The first side is opposite to the second side. The apparatus further includes vias formed through the core to electrically couple the first traces to the second traces, and a stiffening structure coupled to the first side of the flex circuit substrate to increase structural rigidity of the flex circuit substrate. The stiffening structure provides structural, support to allow attachment of an integrated circuit die to the first side of the flex circuit substrate. |
| US08400773B2 |
Mobile actuating device
A mobile actuating device including a two shell housing, an interior chamber delimited by the shells, an electronic unit for data communication, an actuating member inside an opening of the first shell, a gap between the actuating member and the first shell, a carrier element, and a switching element connected to the electronic unit and associated with the actuating member, wherein the first shell includes a display having an opening in the first shell from which a light signal is emitted, the carrier element being translucent and made of a first material having a low modulus of elasticity, wherein the opening is completely filled by the carrier element, which conducts the light signal through the opening, and wherein the actuating member is made out of a second material with a larger modulus of elasticity than the first material. |
| US08400772B2 |
Support element arrangement and method for manufacturing a support element arrangement
A support element arrangement for an electronic component includes a first support element and a second support element, the first support element being configured perpendicularly to the second support element and having a first main extension plane, and, in addition, the first support element having a first recess, the first recess at least partially surrounding the second support element in the first main extension plane. |
| US08400767B2 |
Electronic apparatus with stable support member system
An electronic apparatus includes a display panel which displays an image; a cover unit which covers the display panel; and support system including a support member. The support member which includes a hinge unit which is rotably formed in the forward and backward directions in the rear side of the cover unit, a first support which is downwardly bent and extends from the hinge unit, and a second support which is upwardly bent and extends from the hinge unit. The configuration of the support system on the electronic apparatus permits a stable support at a variety of angles on an installation plane. |
| US08400762B2 |
Display device
An optical sheet that diffuses light is disposed on the front side of a backlight chassis supporting a fluorescent tube, a frame supporting a display panel that displays images is provided on the front side of the optical sheet, a bezel is provided on the front side of the frame, the bezel, the display panel, the frame and the optical sheet are coupled, and the bezel, the display panel, the frame and the optical sheet constitute a unit. A first reinforcing member is provided along one side of the optical sheet, a second reinforcing member opposed to the first reinforcing member is provided along one side of the backlight chassis, and a pivotal member is provided between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member. |
| US08400761B2 |
Portable terminal
A portable terminal according to the present invention has a first casing, a second casing and a third casing overlapped in the order from the bottom toward the top. And the portable terminal according to the present invention includes: a slide section slidably coupling the first casing and the second casing; a first hinge section rotatably coupling the second casing and the third casing around a first rotation axis; and a second hinge section that enables the third casing to be rotatable relative to the second casing around a second rotation axis that is approximately perpendicular to the first rotation axis. |
| US08400757B2 |
Electrolytic capacitor
A one-side pressed terminal is applied as a first anode (cathode) lead tab terminal and the one-side pressed terminal is connected to an anode (a cathode) foil in such a manner that a position in a radial direction of a lead is shifted inward after winding. A one-side pressed terminal is applied as a second anode (cathode) lead tab terminal and the one-side pressed terminal is connected to the anode (cathode) foil in such a manner that a position in the radial direction of a lead is shifted inward after winding. Thus, while retaining characteristics as an electrolytic capacitor, connection of the anode (cathode) lead tab terminal to the anode (cathode) foil can be achieved in a stable manner. |
| US08400752B2 |
Capacitors adapted for acoustic resonance cancellation
An embodiment of a tunable capacitor can include a plurality of capacitors connected in series where at least two capacitors of the plurality of capacitors share a common electrode where the at least two capacitors are in lateral proximity and a bias that is capable of being applied to the at least two capacitors whereby the at least two capacitors vibrate in opposite phase to each other when the bias and an RF signal is applied to the at least two capacitors. |
| US08400747B2 |
Superconducting coil, superconducting magnet, and method of operating superconducting magnet
In a superconducting coil, a parallel conductor includes a plurality of superconducting wires bundled and wound in a coil. The superconducting wires have at least two connections therebetween. A current source connected to the superconducting wires to form a loop via the superconducting wires and the connection to supply a current in the loop when a quench is detected. A superconducting magnet includes the superconducting coil, a persistent current switch connected to the superconducting coil, and a quench detector configured to detect quench occurring in the superconducting coil. |
| US08400745B1 |
Fuse apparatus
A fuse apparatus for protecting a device and a load coupled to the device may include a switch. The switch may be configured to interrupt current to protect a device and a load coupled to the device. A fuse apparatus may include a current sensor which may be coupled to a controller. The controller may control the switch to interrupt current to protect a device when current exceeds a threshold current. Additionally, a fuse apparatus may include a voltage sensor coupled to the controller. The controller may control the switch to interrupt current to protect a load when an output voltage of the device exceeds a threshold voltage. |
| US08400744B2 |
Earth leakage detection module with robust transient suppression
A module for a high voltage electronic circuit breaker that includes a power supply and related circuitry for suppressing high voltage transients. The power supply receives a range of voltages, such as up to 600V, and is powered from the line current instead of through a transformer, exposing the module electronics to potential voltage transients. A large capacitor is connected to the high voltage input for absorbing the energy of a voltage transient. Transient voltage suppressors are connected in parallel to the capacitor to absorb any further energy in the transient not absorbed by the capacitor. Inductors are series-connected with the high voltage input to present an impedance and inductance to the voltage transient, reducing the transient before it reaches the power supply. Inductors in the trip coil and the indicator coils also present an impedance and inductance to the transient, further enhancing protection against transients. Fuses connected in line with the high voltage input protect the module electronics against short circuits. |
| US08400741B1 |
Programmable echo signal switch with T/R switch for ultrasound beamforming integrated circuit and method
An electrical switching array and method uses a programmable multi-channel analog switch with a high voltage T/R switch and voltage limiting circuit for ultrasound image system echo signal multiplexing beamforming receiver frontend circuit. |
| US08400740B2 |
Short-circuit limiting device in a low-voltage installation
A device for limiting a short-circuit current in an alternating-current low-voltage installation includes one or more supply lines having power-supply points with power-supply aggregates protected by feeder switches. The supply lines are separated at an isolating point into two line sections in response to a short circuit fault. One or more polyphase high-speed short-circuiting devices are coupled to the isolating point, having a current carrying capacity sufficient for short-circuit current intensities occurring on the supply line. The high-speed short-circuiting device performs a short-circuit switching operation at the isolating point in response to a trip signal. Two power circuit breakers are each connected in series between each of the line sections and the high-speed short circuiting device. A current-sensing device is coupled to each line section. The current-sensing device detects the short circuit fault, and transmits the trip signal to the high-speed short circuiting device. |
| US08400738B2 |
Magnetic element with dual magnetic moments
An apparatus and associated method may be used to provide a data sensing element capable of detecting changes in magnetic states. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a magnetically responsive lamination of layers and [a] means for generating a high magnetic moment region proximal to an air bearing surface (ABS) and a low magnetic moment region proximal to a hard magnet. |
| US08400737B2 |
Support structure with enhanced vibrational response
A support structure with enhance vibrational response. In accordance with some embodiments, an apparatus includes a data storage medium and a magnetic head to write to or read from the medium. The head has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side being closer to a center of the medium than the second side. An actuator is adapted to tilt the first side of the head closer to a surface of the medium than the second side of the head. |
| US08400736B2 |
Slider top bond design with shorted pad configuration
An assembly includes a slider having an air bearing surface and a slider mounting surface opposite the air bearing surface. The slider mounting surface includes first, second, third, and fourth slider pads. A first slider trace electrically shorts the first slider pad with the third slider pad. A second slider trace electrically shorts the second slider pad with the fourth slider pad. A transducing head is supported by the slider. The transducing head includes a positive terminal electrically connected to the first slider pad and a negative terminal electrically connected to the second slider pad. The first, second, third, and fourth slider pads can be connected to pads on a connection circuit with interleaved traces. |
| US08400732B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic write head, having side shields coupled to a leading shield and apart from a trailing shield
The present invention provides a perpendicular magnetic write head capable of preventing unintended erasure of information due to spread of a magnetic field for writing. A leading shield, two side shields, and a trailing shield are disposed around (a front end portion of) a main magnetic pole layer. A nonmagnetic layer having a uniform thickness formed by ALD is provided between the front end portion and two side shields. Consequently, intervals are constant in any positions. Spread of magnetic fields for recording in a write track width direction is suppressed sufficiently more than the case where the intervals vary among positions. |
| US08400728B2 |
Efficient moves via repository
A storage library is described that includes a shelf system adapted to support a number of tape cartridges. The storage library further includes a tape drive adapted to read and write data to and from tape cartridges. The storage library further possesses a temporary repository near the tape drive that is adapted to facilitate an exchange of a first tape cartridge intended to be loaded in the tape drive with a second tape cartridge ready to be removed from the tape drive with a single tape picker device. |
| US08400727B2 |
Recording device and method for positioning electromagnetic transducer
According to one embodiment, a recording device comprises: a recording medium, an arm, a positioning module, a self-servo write clock generator, and an on-track module. The positioning module positions the arm at a position at which the electromagnetic transducer detects a rotational synchronization component of an intermediate pattern comprised in the recording medium. The self-servo write clock generator generates a self-servo write clock based on the detected rotational synchronization component. The on-track module positions the electromagnetic transducer to the intermediate pattern serving as a position for starting self-servo write based on the generated self-servo write clock. Until the on-track module appropriately completes the positioning, the self-servo write clock generator sequentially changes a decoding gate interval corresponding to the intermediate pattern in accordance with the rotational synchronization component, and captures a spiral reproduction waveform. |
| US08400726B1 |
Controlling preamble target amplitude
A target amplitude for an acquisition gain-loop is determined. A tracking gain-loop is configured to adjust a gain of the tracking gain-loop during a data portion of the received signal, wherein the received signal comprises an acquisition portion and the data portion. An acquisition gain-loop is configured to adjust a gain of the acquisition gain-loop during the acquisition portion of the received signal. A detector is configured to detect in the data portion an occurrence of a pattern identical to a portion of the acquisition portion. An amplitude estimation block is configured to compute an amplitude estimate based at least in part on the detected portion. A target amplitude updating block is configured to update the target amplitude based at least in part on the amplitude estimate. |
| US08400725B2 |
Storage device and method for controlling projection amount of head
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a recording medium, a driving module, a head, a conductive body, a write-verify module, and a projection amount controller. A conductive body is mounted on the head, and changes a projection amount of the head by thermally expanding the head with heat from a current carried by the conductive body. The write-verify module executes a write-verify check to check whether content written in any location on the recording medium is correct when the driving module starts rotating the recording medium. The projection amount controller controls the projection amount of the head by adding a first value to a current in a steady state carried by the conductive body if the content is correct, and adding a second value with an absolute value greater than that of the first value to the current in the steady state if the content is not correct. |
| US08400723B2 |
Lens barrel having an eccentricity adjusting mechanism
According to an aspect of the invention, a lens barrel having an eccentricity adjusting mechanism includes a lens frame, a pressing ring, an engaging part, a tool insertion hole, an engaging face, a non-engaging face. The lens frame holds a lens for an optical system of the lens barrel. The pressing ring is screw-connected to a fixed barrel of the lens barrel. A part of the lens frame is disposed between the pressing ring and the fixed barrel so that the lens frame is supported to be rotatable around the optical axis. The engaging part is formed on an outer circumferential face of the lens frame, protrudes from the outer circumferential face of the lens frame, the engaging part including a plurality of engaging parts formed in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential face of the lens frame with predetermined intervals. |
| US08400721B2 |
Leaf-cartwheel flexure, and mounting systems and methods utilizing same
A leaf-cartwheel flexure for coupling an object to a frame includes a leaf flexure for mounting to an object and a cartwheel hinge for mounting to the frame. The leaf flexure defines an axis of contraflexure and the cartwheel hinge is bendable about a rotational axis. The cartwheel hinge is coupled to the leaf flexure and positioned such that the rotational axis substantially aligns with the axis of contraflexure. A system and a method for mounting a component utilize three such leaf-cartwheel flexures for mounting the component to a frame, in which the flexures are approximately equidistant from each other about the component. |
| US08400720B2 |
Zoom lens and image projection apparatus including the same
Provided is a zoom lens, including in order from a magnification conjugate side to a reduction conjugate side: a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; a third lens unit having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power; a fifth lens unit having a negative refractive power; and a sixth lens unit having a positive refractive power. The first and sixth lens units do not move for zooming, while the second to fifth lens units move to the magnification conjugate side during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end. Each of the second and third lens units is composed of a single positive lens. Movement amounts of the second, third and fourth lens units during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end satisfy appropriate relationships. |
| US08400718B2 |
Image pickup lens and image pickup module
To realize an image pickup lens that can be applied to an image pickup module in which a solid-state image sensing device is used, that allows a reduction in manufacturing cost, and that easily maintains its desired resolving power, etc., the second lens has a surface facing the subject, and the surface includes a central portion sticking out toward the subject and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion and sinking in toward the image surface. Further, the image pickup lens satisfies the mathematical expression 0.30 |
| US08400714B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for a light reflector
Certain embodiments of the invention may include reflector systems, methods, and apparatus for providing a light reflector. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for manufacturing a multi-layer light reflector. The method can include attaching a rear reflective layer to a lenticular lens optical film layer. The lenticular lens optical film layer includes a smooth surface and a structured surface. The rear reflective layer is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the smooth surface of the lenticular optical film. The method also includes attaching a diffusion layer to the lenticular lens optical film layer. The diffusion layer includes a smooth film surface and a structured diffusing surface. The smooth film surface of the diffusion film is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the structured surface of the lenticular lens optical film. |
| US08400713B2 |
Speckle reduction using beam splitting with birefringent wedge in laser scanning display systems
Speckle effect in scanning display systems that employs polarized phase-coherent light is reduced by depolarizing the phase-coherent light using a depolarizer and scanning the depolarized light for producing desired images. |
| US08400712B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a split field of view in an optical sight
A method and apparatus involve: admitting through objective optics of an optical sight a beam of radiation representing a scene; generating two different images of the scene; supplying the images to respective portions of a field of view at a viewing section; and superimposing a respective reticle onto each image. According to a different aspect a method and apparatus involve: causing two beams of radiation within an optical sight that represent different images of a scene to approach a reflective section in different directions, the reflective section causing a portion of each beam to reach a respective portion of a field of view at a viewing section; and superimposing a respective reticle onto each beam portion. |
| US08400711B2 |
Accessory for attenuated total internal reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy
An accessory for use with a microscope arranged to carry out ATR measurements has a support (40) which can be mounted on the moveable stage (20) of the microscope. A mounting (100) for an ATR crystal is carried on the support. The mounting (100) is preferably pivotally mounted on the support (40) so that it can be pivoted from a position in which the crystal lines on the axis of the microscope to a position in which a sample carried on the support can be observed visually. The mounting is arranged such that it can be returned reliably and reproducibly to its original position with the crystal on the axis. |
| US08400709B2 |
Laser scan confocal microscope
Fluorescence is generated from an irradiated point on an inspection surface of a sample and the fluorescence is collected by an objective lens. Here, because of the magnification chromatic aberration of the objective lens, the fluorescence going out from the objective lens travels along a path shifted from the irradiation light and changed substantially into a non-scan light by a galvano-scanner. The fluorescence passes through a dichroic mirror and comes into deflection system after light of unnecessary wavelength is removed by a filter. The deflection system is driven in synchronization with the galvano-scanner by a computer and corrects the shift and inclination of the optical axis generated by the magnification chromatic aberration of the objective lens. Then the fluorescence forms an image of the irradiation point of the inspection surface of the sample on a pin hole of a pin hole plate by using a collective lens. |
| US08400708B2 |
Infrared window assembly with internal and external cover
An infrared window assembly, comprising: a lens through which thermal imagery of apparatus within a housing is performed; a frame adapted to be mounted in the housing and arranged to support the lens; and external and internal covers lying when closed in planes generally parallel to the plane of the frame, the external cover being located on the exterior of the housing, wherein the covers are coupled to one another and mounted on or adjacent the frame and arranged to move in unison between a closed position whereat the lens is substantially concealed and an open position whereat the lens is substantially visible. |
| US08400706B2 |
Acousto-optic scanner
An acousto-optic laser beam scanner of improved scanning angle scope is provided by introducing a controllable compound acoustic waveform into a light transmissive body wherein at least binary and binary diffraction grating patterns of both positive and negative sense can be introduced into the body, the period of the waveform determining the refraction angle magnitude and the order of the pulses determining the refraction angle direction. |
| US08400705B2 |
Charged particle migration type display panel and method of manufacturing charged particle migration type display panel
There is provided a charged particle migration-type display panel (1) which has a plurality of cells (40) partitioned by partitions (31) between a transparent substrate (10) and a back substrate (20) placed opposite to each other, and charged particles (41, 42) sealed in the respective cells (40), and in which the partitions (31) provided upright on the back substrate (20) are formed of a translucent material, and the tips and the side faces of the partitions (31) are covered with a resin (32) containing an opaque or semi-transparent dark-colored coloring material, thereby forming a black matrix structure. |
| US08400700B2 |
Risley integrated steering module
A beam steering device is disclosed which includes an outer assembly rotatable about an axis by a motor assembly, and an inner assembly rotatable about the axis by another motor assembly and positioned radially within the outer assembly. The beam steering device also includes a first prism or grating connected to the outer assembly and a second prism or grating connected to the inner assembly. Both motor assemblies are axially displaced from the steering devices. The beam steering device also consists of beam expansion optics carried by either the inner assembly or the stationary assembly. In a further embodiment, an array of steerable sub-apertures are maintained within the inner and outer assemblies. |
| US08400690B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting and compensating for multi-fed document scanning errors
An image reading apparatus includes a document tray, first and second output trays, first and second conveyance paths, a conveying roller, a switch unit that changes a destination of documents to one of the first and second conveyance paths, a multi-feed determination unit that determines whether the documents are in a multi-fed state (e.g., a state in which a plurality of documents are layered on one another), a reading unit that acquires image data, an image storage unit that stores the image data, a control unit that controls the switch unit, and a multi-feed image storage unit that stores image data acquired by re-reading the multi-fed documents, as multi-feed image data. The control unit assigns information of page order of the documents to the image data stored in the image storage unit. |
| US08400689B2 |
Image reading apparatus
This invention provides an image reading apparatus which can start image processing on a joint portion between divided first and second half portions without waiting for image reading and shorten throughput time of image processing by outputting data from the joint portion as first data to an output unit. This apparatus includes a CCD sensor or CMOS sensor in which a plurality of pixel sensors to receive reflected light from a document are arranged in the main scanning direction and a transfer circuit configured to output, to an output unit, optical image information read at the first and second half portions of the pixel sensors in the main scanning direction. The transfer circuit outputs, to the output unit, data from the joint portion between the first and second half portions of the pixel sensors in the main scanning direction as the first data. |
| US08400688B2 |
Mounting bracket for image sensing unit of a scanner
A mounting bracket for an image sensing unit of a scanner according to one example embodiment includes a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion. The first portion has a plurality of elongated holes therein each for receiving a fastener to mount the mounting bracket to a scan head frame. The second portion includes a cutout section therein for allowing an image sensor of the image sensing unit to receive an image from an optical unit of the scanner. A pivot hole in the first portion is centered about a width of the cutout section. When the mounting bracket is mounted on the scan head frame, the elongated holes in the first portion permit linear adjustment of the mounting bracket relative to the scan head frame and the pivot hole permits angular adjustment of the mounting bracket relative to the scan head frame. |
| US08400684B2 |
Image processing and formation apparatus and program for changing values of target pixels subject to color trapping at certain positions
An image processing apparatus includes: a calculating unit that sequentially selects pixels as a target pixel, on binary image data composed of plural color plates for each printing color after having been subjected to halftone-dot processing, and calculates a characteristic amount in each of plural preset areas around the selected target pixel on the basis of states of pixels in the areas; a determination unit that determines, on the basis of the characteristic amount in each of the areas calculated by the calculating unit, whether or not the target pixel is a pixel to be subjected to overlay processing; a decision unit that decides, for each of the color plates, a position of a pixel to be referred to when changing a pixel value of the target pixel, on the basis of a halftone-dot processing attribute for each of the color plates; and a changing unit that, if it is determined by the determination unit that the target pixel is the pixel to be subjected to the overlay processing, changes the pixel value of the target pixel of the image data of the color plate for a printing color to be changed in pixel value in the overlay processing, to a pixel value at the position decided by the decision unit. |
| US08400683B2 |
Streak compensation using model based projections for run time updates
Streak compensation in a digital printer is provided utilizing a spatially varying Printer Model and Run Time updates to generate Spatially Varying Tone Reproduction Curves (STRCs) which are used as actuators to compensate for streaks during run time. A full width array sensor is used to measure streak profiles and the STRCs are used as actuators to compensate for streaks. Streak profile measurements taken at a limited number of area coverage levels combined with a Printer Streaks Basis Function Model are used to estimate and project the streak behavior at all area coverage levels and at all inboard-to-outboard spatial locations. The projection is then used in a pixel-wise error feedback control scheme to drive each profile to a desired shape, thereby compensating for streaks. |
| US08400682B2 |
Image recording apparatus and storage medium storing program
An image recording apparatus including: a storing portion configured to store first image data based on which recording is performed on one of recording surfaces of a recording medium and second image data based on which the recording is performed on the other surface; a first density adjusting section configured to make an adjustment to a recording density for at least part of the first image data on the basis of an input of a user; a second density adjusting section configured to make an adjustment to a recording density for at least part of the second image data, the adjustment being reverse to the adjustment by the first density adjusting section; and a recording section configured to perform the recording on the basis of the first image data adjusted by the first density adjusting section and the second image data adjusted by the second density adjusting section. |
| US08400676B2 |
In place line splitting process and method for multiple beam printers
A method of rasterizing a print image plane for a multiple beam printer engine, which comprises the steps of receiving an image having a plurality of lines of print data for processing by the printer engine, and performing a print image plane rasterization. The print image plane rasterization includes (a) calculating a first line destination for a first line of print data; (b) moving the first line of print data to the first line destination; and (c) calculating a displaced line destination for a displaced line of print data, and continually moving the displaced line of print data to the displaced line destination until the displaced line of print data is moved to the first line and forms a loop. The process is repeated until each line of the plurality of lines has been moved to a line destination associated with each line of the image. |
| US08400675B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, computer readable medium storing image forming program and recording medium for performing control to change the number of color materials used for at least the rim portion of the recording medium
An image forming apparatus includes: a determination unit that determines whether or not color materials for image data, more than a predetermined number of color materials, are used for a rim portion of a recording medium to which an image is to be outputted; and a controller that, in correspondence with a result of determination by the determination unit, performs control so as to change the number of color materials used for at least the rim portion of the recording medium to which the image is outputted, to a predetermined or smaller number of color materials, and form the image on the recording medium. |
| US08400673B2 |
Value document comprising a serial number
The invention relates to a value document, especially a banknote, having an individualizing mark that is applied at least once each to the front and the reverse of the value document. Here, at least one of the individualizing identifiers applied to the front and reverse is applied to the value document with a non-contact method. |
| US08400672B2 |
Image processing apparatus
The present invention provides specific image adding section for adding the specific image to inputted image data includes a first counter for deciding positions of a main scanning direction and a vertical scanning direction and a second counter for specifying a form of the specific image. The second counter counts up addresses of pixels with a starting point at one corner on a matrix made up of the main scanning direction and vertical scanning direction. If the first counter counts a predetermined count value, the second counter starts. When a maximum value of the count value of the second counter is equal to or less than a count set value, an image is formed on each of the pixels. The pixel on which the image is formed is changed and the form of the specific image is also changed by changing the count set value. |
| US08400669B2 |
Information processing apparatus and staple attribute setting method
An information processing apparatus includes an attribute setting unit configured to set a continuous staple attribute as chapter information of document data having a hierarchical structure that includes document information, chapter information, and page information, based on a user's setting entered via a screen, wherein the continuous staple attribute is set to instruct a printing apparatus to staple consecutive chapters together as a group. |
| US08400666B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
Print log information representing an output sheet count in each of a plurality of image forming devices is acquired. Next, print log information of output products is acquired for each department or user capable of using the image forming device. Then, total print log information representing the output sheet count of the plurality of image forming devices is acquired. When the sum of output sheet counts specified by the print log information acquired first coincides with the sum of output sheet counts specified by the total print log information, the print log information or total print log information acquired for the department or user is decided as the sum of output sheet counts of the department or user. |
| US08400665B2 |
Generic interface
A system and process for ensuring the smooth flow of electronic ink is described. Ink-stroke information associated with one or more data packets is received, and it is determined that the ink-stroke information comprises a gesture indication. The gesture indication is communicated to an ink collection object which causes the ink collection object to delete the ink stroke information. |
| US08400664B2 |
Facsimile telecommunications system and method
A fax processing system handles faxes that are originally destined for a recipient's phone number. The fax processing system communicates with the fax recipient via a data communications network (for example, the Internet) and can provide more sophisticated fax handling capabilities than conventional fax machines. |
| US08400663B2 |
Image processing device, image forming device and method for processing image to execute a job by having a counter number
An image processing device, an image forming device, and a method for processing image for: separating a first print job into a first piece of job setting information and a first piece of image information; having the first piece of job setting information and the second piece of image information associated with each other to store in a memory; generating a second piece of job setting information of a second print job as a new piece of job setting information according to a setting change with respect to the first print job stored in the memory and associating the second piece of job setting information as generated with the piece of first image information to store in the memory; and transmitting a piece of job setting information of a print job to be executed and a piece of image information associated with the piece of job setting information. |
| US08400662B2 |
Printer control device for controlling concurrently input print data, and printer apparatus with a printer control device
A printer apparatus is provided which receives concurrent input print data from plural input ports without increasing receiving buffer memory. A controller determines whether an image creator is used by other jobs when starting receiving print data through any one of the plural input ports. When not used, print data related to the current job is stored in a receiving buffer memory and at the same time print data stored in the buffer memory is printed via the image creator. On the other hand, when other jobs use the image creator, the print data related to the current job is stored in a hard disk unit and is printed when the image creating device becomes available. |
| US08400655B2 |
Image processing method, image forming apparatus and host apparatus thereof
An image processing method includes measuring a state of an image forming apparatus which is connected to a host apparatus to perform color and mono printings; selecting at least one of a plurality of color management system profiles by using the measured state of the image forming apparatus; and generating a printing data of a document based on the selected color management system profile. |
| US08400653B2 |
Printing system and method for preventing printouts from being left in output tray
A printing system prevents mistakes such as that a printed paper sheet printed by requesting from a PC to an image forming apparatus is left in an ejected-paper tray. The image forming apparatus transmits to the server printing execution result information that includes the serial number and the time and date of the printing. The server manages the state of unfetch of the printed paper sheet using a fetch flag in a printing record list created based on the printing execution result information, changes the fetch flag from “unfetched” to “fetched” when information indicating that the printed paper sheet has been fetched is sent from the image forming apparatus. |
| US08400651B2 |
Information acquisition program and information acquisition apparatus for acquiring information from an electronic apparatus based on a connection to the electronic apparatus
An information acquisition apparatus is for acquiring information, which a connected electronic apparatus has, from the connected electronic apparatus. The information acquisition apparatus includes a connection port, a component-to-be-used determining unit, and a read back unit. The electronic apparatus is connected to the connection port. The component-to-be-used determining unit determines a component tool to be used for acquiring the information, based on a type of connection port to which the electronic apparatus is connected, and a type of information. The read back unit acquires the information by making an operation of the component tool determined by the component-to-be-used determining unit. |
| US08400647B2 |
Image forming apparatus, operation-screen updating method, and computer program product
A determination unit detects a change of a configuration of an image forming apparatus and determines whether an operation screen needs to be updated based on a content of detected change. When it is determined that an update of the operation screen is needed, a screen-configuration-data acquisition unit acquires screen configuration data corresponding to an operation screen after the update from a storage unit. A generation unit generates operation screen data that is screen configuration data for an updated operation screen based on received screen configuration data and configuration information related to the display unit. |
| US08400646B2 |
Image processing apparatus and computer readable medium
An image processing apparatus is provided, the image processing apparatus including: a dynamic circuit reconfiguring section in which a circuit is dynamically reconfigured; a circuit configuration storing section that stores information of configurations of circuits, the information including a first piece of information that contains a configuration of a circuit singly performing one image processing, and a second piece of information that contains a configuration of a circuit including a compression circuit that compresses image information and performing a plurality of image processings in parallel; and a circuit configuration controlling section that switchingly reads out the first piece of information and the second piece of information from the circuit configuration storing section and that controls the circuit reconfiguration in the dynamic circuit reconfiguring section. |
| US08400644B2 |
Means and method for measuring an elevator hoistway
A device and a method for measuring an elevator hoistway, includes at least one or more laser aligners and a measuring element. The measuring element is provided with an essentially long handle for extending the measuring element into the laser beams transmitted by the laser aligners. |
| US08400643B2 |
Displacement sensor using multiple position sensitive photodetectors
A position sensing device having a high range to resolution ratio comprises a light source arrangement, a moving aperture arrangement and a multiple position sensitive detector (PSD) arrangement. The multiple PSD arrangement comprises a plurality of position sensitive detectors arranged along at least two detection tracks along a measuring axis. Each of the plurality of position sensitive detectors shares a common portion of a total measuring range along the measuring axis with an adjacent position sensitive detector which is on a different detector track. The total measurement range is larger than the detector range of each of the position sensitive detectors. |
| US08400640B2 |
Optical sensor interrogation system based on FDML wavelength swept laser
Provided is an optical sensor interrogation system. The optical sensor interrogation system includes: a light source unit which matches round-trip time of light and wavelength tunable cycle time of light in a resonator and emits light; a sensing unit which receives an optical signal in which a center wavelength periodically tunes, from the light source unit and tunes the center wavelength of the optical signal according to physical changes applied from the outside; and a signal processing unit which receives the optical signal reflected from the sensing unit, detects data, and images the data. In particular, the light source unit includes a delaying unit which delays the round-trip time of light and a tunable filter which tunes the wavelength of light so as to match the round-trip time of light with the wavelength tunable cycle time of light. Accordingly, a Fourier domain mode locking (FDML) wavelength swept laser, which operates at speed of several tens kHz or above, is used as a light source so that strain of a fluid, which changes in a short time interval of 0.1 msec or below, is precisely measured and thus a real-time analysis may be performed at high speed. |
| US08400629B2 |
Surface defect inspection method and apparatus
A surface defect inspection apparatus and method for irradiating a beam multiple times to a same region on a surface of an inspection sample, detecting each scattered light from the same region by detection optical systems individually to produce plural signals, and wherein irradiating the beam includes performing a line illumination of the beam on a line illumination region of the sample surface. The line illumination region is moved in a longitudinal direction at a pitch shorter than a length of the line illumination region in the longitudinal direction. |
| US08400627B2 |
Photo-detector and method of measuring light
Proposed is a light sensor (1), comprising at least one wavelength selective photo-detector (10), a lens (20) and an aperture (30).The wavelength selective photo-detector allows detecting light within a predefined wavelength range falling on the sensor. The lens project light on the photo-detector and the aperture defines a field of view of the light sensor. The photo-detector (10), the lens (20), and the aperture (30) are arranged in a telecentric configuration. Advantageously, this allows light to impinge on the wavelength selective photo-detector within a predefined range of angles irrespective of the direction of the light incident on the aperture, thus removing the angle dependent response of the wavelength selective photo-detector. |
| US08400625B1 |
Ground support equipment tester for laser and tracker systems
Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for testing the boresight of a gimbaled camera and laser system, such as an infrared countermeasures (IRCM) system, in extreme environments. Light simulating a target is reflected through an optics system to the camera, with a portion of the light reflected back from a corner cube reflector through the optics system as a reference. A laser beam from the laser is received through the same optics system, and a position of the corner cube reflected reference and laser beam are compared in order to determine whether the camera and laser are properly aligned. A spherical shell adapted to position the camera at its geometric center keeps misaligned laser pulses from reflecting back into the camera. |
| US08400612B2 |
Wavefront aberration measurement apparatus, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device
A measurement apparatus, which measures a wavefront aberration of an optical system to be measured, comprises: a calculation unit configured to calculate the wavefront aberration based on an interference fringe generated by light which passed through the optical system to be measured; and a determination unit configured to calculate an evaluation value indicating a wavefront state based on the wavefront aberration calculated by the calculation unit, and determine the calculated wavefront aberration as the wavefront aberration of the optical system if the evaluation value falls within an allowable range. |
| US08400611B2 |
Scanning exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
An apparatus including an original stage that holds an original, a substrate stage that holds a substrate, and a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the original onto the substrate, and being configured to scan and expose the substrate during a period in which the speeds of the original stage and the substrate stage change, comprises a controller configured to correct, a distortion generated in an image transferred onto the substrate due to at least one of deformation of the original stage in response to a change in speed of the original stage and deformation of the substrate stage in response to a change in speed of the substrate stage, based on a correction value determined by an acceleration of the substrate stage. |
| US08400610B2 |
Apparatus and methods for keeping immersion fluid adjacent to an optical assembly during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine
Apparatus and methods keep immersion liquid in a space adjacent to an optical assembly. An optical assembly projects an image onto a substrate supported adjacent to the optical assembly by a substrate table. An insertion member insertable into the space between the optical assembly and the substrate, the substrate table, or both, divides the immersion liquid into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion disposed between the optical assembly and the insertion member, and the second portion disposed between the insertion member and the substrate, the substrate table, or both. The insertion member keeps the optical assembly in contact with the first portion when the substrate is moved away from being disposed adjacent to the optical assembly. |
| US08400607B2 |
Display assemblies and methods of display
Applications of embodiments include the use of transmissive or transflective display technologies in extreme temperature environments. Specifically, display assemblies and methods using heating and/or active cooling are described. For example, such applications may include the use of display panels, such as LCD panels, having a diagonal dimension of 17 inches or more. |
| US08400606B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
In an LCD apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, a first substrate on which a pixel electrode is formed includes a color filter formed at a pixel area thereof. A color filter spacer is formed at a position between the pixel area and an adjacent pixel area while the color filter is formed. A second substrate on which the common electrode is formed includes a light blocking pattern formed at the position between the pixel area and adjacent pixel area so as to block light incident through between the pixel area and adjacent pixel area, and a light visual angle pattern formed at the position corresponding to the pixel area so as to widen a visual angle of light incident into the pixel area. Thus, the LCD apparatus may be manufactured through simplified and reduced processes and improve display quality of an image. |
| US08400605B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel including short sides and long sides, a plurality of gate lines disposed on the liquid crystal panel and extending substantially in parallel with the short sides of the liquid crystal panel, a plurality of data lines insulated from the gate lines, intersecting the gate lines and extending substantially in parallel with the long sides of the liquid crystal panel, a printed circuit board disposed near one of the short sides of the liquid crystal panel and providing an image signal to the liquid crystal panel, a light guide plate overlapping the liquid crystal panel, a light source module providing light to the light guide plate and a circuit board on which the light source module is mounted. |
| US08400603B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and electronic apparatus
A liquid crystal display panel having a plurality of pixels and a first substrate and a second substrate that are so disposed as to be opposed to each other and sandwich a liquid crystal layer, each of the pixels including a display sub-pixel and a viewing angle control sub-pixel, the liquid crystal display panel, includes: a first electrode configured to operate as a pixel electrode and be formed in the first substrate and in each of the display sub-pixels and the viewing angle control sub-pixels; and a second electrode configured to operate as a common electrode and be formed in the first substrate and over the first electrode with intermediary of an insulating film across the display sub-pixels and the viewing angle control sub-pixels, wherein an auxiliary interconnect electrically connected to the second electrode is formed in the viewing angle control sub-pixel. |
| US08400602B2 |
Pixel unit, LCD panel, and method for forming the same
The present invention discloses a pixel unit, a liquid crystal display panel and method for forming the same. The liquid crystal display panel comprises a common line, a first shading line, and a second shading line, all of which are under the pixel electrode and are formed by a metallic layer. A lateral side of the first or second shading line, which is not covered by the pixel electrode is a curve edge. The curve first or second shading line expands an area of the common line, resulting in an increase of a storage capacitor. Even if a G/D overlay tolerance exists during the process of forming an LCD panel, a problem of uneven display brightness occurring in the LCD panel is still being improved. |
| US08400599B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel having a light blocking electrode
A liquid crystal display panel with enhanced image quality is disclosed. The liquid crystal display panel has a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of thin film transistors connected to gate line and data line, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and floating electrode(s). The floating electrode extends along the data line to prevent light leakage and vertical crosstalk. Throughout the whole liquid crystal display panel, the floating electrode is electrically interconnected to lessen vertical crosstalk. |
| US08400594B2 |
Wiring layer, semiconductor device and liquid crystal display device
Provided is an electrode layer and a wiring layer, which are free from peeling from a glass substrate. A wiring layer and a gate electrode layer are constituted by an adhering film which is a thin film made of Cu—Mg—Al formed on a surface of a glass substrate, and a copper film formed on the adhering film. When the adhering film includes Mg in a range of at least 0.5 atom % and at most 5 atom %, and aluminum in a range of at least 5 atom % and at most 15 atom %, assuming that the total number of atoms of copper, magnesium and aluminum is taken as 100 atom %, adhesion of the adhering film to the glass substrate becomes high, and the copper thin film is not peeled from the glass substrate. The wiring layer is electrically connected to a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal display device. |
| US08400591B2 |
Video image evaluation equipment
A video image evaluation equipment of the present invention is capable of converting circularly-polarized light emitted from a circularly polarizing light source into linearly-polarized light so as to transmit an absorption-type linear polarizer by a wavelength plate to be incident on a liquid crystal panel. This makes it possible to enter and reflect light emitted from the circularly polarizing light source on the liquid crystal panel without loss, which leads to display brighter video images than conventional ones. |
| US08400589B2 |
Flat panel display device and method of manufacturing the same
A flat panel display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a flat panel display device includes a substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) formed thereon, and a blocking layer is formed between the TFT and the substrate. The blocking layer is disposed only in the region vertically corresponding to an active layer of the TFT. Thus, light transmittance is not reduced, and accordingly, there is generally better luminance and image quality of the device. |
| US08400588B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a first substrate; a first signal line disposed on the first substrate, a thin film transistor connected with the first signal line, a first color filter and a second color filter disposed on the first substrate; a colored member disposed on the first color filter and the second color filter; and a pixel electrode disposed on the first color filter and the second color filter and the colored member, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter are partially overlapped with each other and the height of the colored member disposed at the overlap between the first color filter and the second color filter is greater than the height of the colored member disposed not at the overlap. |
| US08400579B2 |
Liquid crystal display and backlight module with tilting reflective surface
According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes a display module and a backlight module configured to irradiate light on the display module. The backlight module includes a light guide plate, a first light source, a reflective plate, and a second light source. The light guide plate has a light output face at a position corresponding to a first small area on the display module. The first light source is configured to irradiate light toward the light guide plate from a side of the light guide plate in such a manner that the irradiated light reaches the first small area. The reflective plate is facing to the light guide plate, and the reflective plate has a reflective face configured to reflect light toward a second small area different from the first small area. The second light source is configured to irradiate light toward the reflective plate from a side of the reflective plate in such a manner that the irradiated light reaches the second small area. |
| US08400578B2 |
Optical film, method of manufacturing the same, and display unit
An optical film capable of improving luminance of a display unit, in which a viewing angle in the horizontal direction of emitted light of the display unit is wider than a viewing angle in the vertical direction and the emitted light of the display unit has a polarization component in the vertical direction viewable by polarized sunglasses, an illumination system including the same, and a display unit including the same are provided. The optical film includes a plurality of three-dimensional structures extending in one direction and arranged sequentially in a direction crossing the one direction. The three-dimensional structures contain a liquid crystalline polymer having orientation, and have refractive index anisotropy in which refractive index in the extending direction of the three-dimensional structures is smaller than refractive index in the direction crossing the extending direction of the three-dimensional structures. |
| US08400576B2 |
Transistor-controlled display devices
A device architecture for an active matrix display pixel comprising source addressing lines and TFT drain electrode formed on a first metal level of the device, the pixel electrode formed on a second, separate metal level, and the TFT gate electrode and gate addressing lines on a third metal level separated from both the first level and the second level by at least one dielectric layer, wherein the pixel electrode on the second level is electrically connected to the drain electrode on the first level through a via-hole connection and a pixel capacitor is formed by overlap of part of the pixel electrode on the second level with a portion of the gate addressing line of a neighboring line of pixels on the third level. The device is formed preferably using print based methods. |
| US08400573B2 |
Polarization conversion optical system and liquid crystal projection apparatus including the same
A polarization converting optical system and a liquid crystal projection apparatus including the polarization conversion optical system are provided. The polarization conversion optical system includes a light incident surface; a light exit surface having first and second light exit regions; a half-wave plate disposed on the first light exit region; and a plurality of polarization separating surfaces, between the light incident surface and the light exit surface, which divide light into first S-polarization and P-polarization components and second S-polarization and P-polarization components, deviating the second S-polarization component and the first P-polarization component in a direction inclined with respect to an optical axis, and emitting the S-polarization components through the first light exit region and emit the P-polarization components through the second light exit region. |
| US08400572B2 |
Interchangeable switch assembly for media device
A media device for a vehicle includes an interchangeable switch assembly, and a console including a receiving part accommodating the interchangeable switch assembly. The interchangeable switch assembly includes a switch panel and a circuit board. The interchangeable switch assembly further includes a backlight unit for providing light to the switch panel. |
| US08400568B2 |
Multiple device access windowing display
A system and method for providing access to a video display for multiple devices. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a first display driver signal through a first display driver interface and a second display driver signal through a second display driver interface. A first module (e.g., a window multiplexer module) may process the first and second display driver signals to form respective first and second video windows in a composite display. For example, the first module may transform and translate video information to fit a window. The first module may, for example, generate an output video signal comprising information of the first window and information of the second window. Such a signal may, for example, be utilized to drive an output display showing the first and second windows. Various aspects may also provide method steps and apparatus for controlling features of the displayed windows. |
| US08400564B2 |
Image capture
Image capture techniques are described. In implementations, an image is captured, by an image capture device of a computing device, of an object that is disposed on a surface of a first display device of the computing device. The computing device includes a first housing that includes the first display device and a second housing that is rotatable attached to the first housing and that includes a second display device. The captured image is displayed on at least one of the first display device or the second display device. |
| US08400563B2 |
Digital camera
A digital camera of the present invention has: an optical housing having a bending optical system for reflecting photographic object light entering along a first optical axis to a second optical axis direction perpendicular to the first optical axis to form an image on an image pickup device; a camera main body having a containing portion for containing the optical housing slidably only in the second optical axis direction and having support portions for supporting the optical housing provided on each of both sides surfaces of the containing portion across the second optical axis of the bending optical system; and a shock absorbing unit provided between an inner surface of the containing portion of the camera main body in which the support portions are not provided and an outer surface of the optical housing facing thereto. |
| US08400562B2 |
Digital camera
A digital camera of the present invention has: an optical housing having a bending optical system for reflecting photographic object light entering along a first optical axis to a second optical axis direction perpendicular to the first optical axis to form an image on an image pickup device; a camera main body having a containing portion for containing the optical housing slidably only in the second optical axis direction and having support portions for supporting the optical housing provided on each of both sides surfaces of the containing portion across the second optical axis of the bending optical system; and a shock absorbing unit provided between an inner surface of the containing portion of the camera main body in which the support portions are not provided and an outer surface of the optical housing facing thereto. |
| US08400561B2 |
Digital camera having a shock absorbing member
A digital camera of the present invention has: a lens group reflecting photographic object light entering along a first optical axis to a second optical axis direction perpendicular to the first optical axis and forming an image of light flux thereof on an image pickup device located on the second optical axis; and a driving force generating member blocking or allowing entering light flux along the first optical axis by driving a barrier member, and has a camera body having an optical housing, a containing portion containing the optical housing and the barrier member, and having a transmitting member transmitting driving force of the driving force generating member to the barrier member, wherein the coupling relation between the driving force generating member and the driving force transmitting member is maintained. |
| US08400554B2 |
Lens barrel and imaging device
A lens barrel is a lens barrel that can be mounted to a camera body, including a lens element, a lens support frame, an actuator, and an electrical contact. The lens support frame supports the lens element. The actuator is arranged to drive the lens support frame in an optical direction of the lens element, and includes a drive shaft and a detector configured to detect rotation of the drive shaft. The electrical contact is disposed on the opposite side from the actuator with respect to the lens element when viewed in the optical axis direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens element, and is configured to be electrically connected with the camera body. |
| US08400552B1 |
Cameras and video players having image projection capabilities
Projection capabilities are provided in consumer electronic devices that are used for the capture or reproduction of images, such as digital still image cameras, digital video cameras, cellular telephones, DVD players and other digital video players. Such devices can display images to several people simultaneously in a manner that is more convenient than the use of miniature onboard displays. The incorporation of image projection capabilities also enables image generation to be provided by the device itself without the necessity of an independent display device. |
| US08400549B2 |
Imaging and display apparatus and method
The object of the present invention is to provide an imaging and display apparatus and method for providing small and reasonable apparatus while the imaging frame rate of the imaging element can be high without decreasing the resolution of the display image. For this object, an imaging and display apparatus comprises an imaging element 12 for performing photo electric conversion on an optical image formed by an optical system 11, a display element 20 for displaying image information, a readout control section 14 for sequentially reading out the image information from the imaging element 12, and a image selection section 17 for selecting image information to be displayed on the display element 20 from the image information sequentially read out of the imaging element 12 by the readout control section 14. The readout control section 14 controls the readout of the imaging element 12 so that spatially different image information is included in the sequential readout period of the imaging element 12 corresponding to the sequential display frames of the display element 20, and the image selection section 17 selects spatially different image information which is read out of the imaging element 12 in sequential display frames. |
| US08400548B2 |
Synchronized, interactive augmented reality displays for multifunction devices
A device can receive live video of a real-world, physical environment on a touch sensitive surface. One or more objects can be identified in the live video. An information layer can be generated related to the objects. In some implementations, the information layer can include annotations made by a user through the touch sensitive surface. The information layer and live video can be combined in a display of the device. Data can be received from one or more onboard sensors indicating that the device is in motion. The sensor data can be used to synchronize the live video and the information layer as the perspective of video camera view changes due to the motion. The live video and information layer can be shared with other devices over a communication link. |
| US08400543B2 |
Imaging system
An imaging system comprises an image sensing apparatus including a pixel array, a row selection unit, and a readout unit; and a supply unit including a plurality of A/D converting units, and a transfer unit. The supply unit supplies a power supply voltage to an A/D converting unit which, of the plurality of A/D converting units, receives signals from the pixels in the pixel array by means of the transfer unit, and does not supply a power supply voltage to an A/D converting unit which, of the plurality of A/D converting units, receives no signals from the pixels in the pixel array by means of the transfer unit, in a 1-line period. The readout unit A/D-converts the signals from the pixels in the pixel array using the A/D converting unit supplied with the power supply voltage by the supply unit, and outputs a digital image signal. |
| US08400536B2 |
Image processing method and image processing apparatus
This invention has been made to solve the problem that when a duplicated image is generated by capturing an original image using a digital camera and printing the captured image, lighting unevenness occurs in an image captured under a viewing light source, compared to that under flash light with a predetermined irradiation amount, and accurate color conversion cannot be performed. To solve this problem, pixels exhibiting identical colors are selected from a plurality of positions from the image captured under flash light. The positions of the corresponding pixels are selected from the image captured under the viewing light source. If the color values at the pixel positions differ, the influence of lighting unevenness in the viewing light source exists. Thus, shading correction data for the image captured under a viewing light source is generated so as to remove the shading of the image captured under the viewing light source. |
| US08400529B2 |
Buffer memory for rotating image, image capture device and display device including the same
A buffer memory for rotating an image. The buffer memory is address-mapped in three dimensions including a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, that are orthogonal to one another. Data may be sequentially accessed (read from or written to) the buffer memory in each of the direction of the first axis, the direction of the second axis, and the direction of the third direction. Second data may written to a given plane of the buffer memory at the same time that first data is read from the same plane of the buffer memory. |
| US08400528B2 |
Imaging device
Provided is an imaging device capable of accurately and rapidly selecting a main image from a plurality of continuously captured images and simplifying handling of image files recorded on a memory card. With one operation, it is possible to capture a plurality of continuous images at a predetermined time interval. A main image is selected from the captured images and the image data on the main image and the image data on sub images other than the main image are recorded as one image file on a recording medium (220). |
| US08400525B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image management method
Provided is an image processing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating a photographed point and date/time information indicating a photographed date/time for each of a plurality of images representing image data obtained by photographing; a determination unit that determines whether the photographed point of each image is a main photographed point or a sub-photographed point on the basis of the location information and the date/time information; and a recording unit that, if the photographed point of the image is the main photographed point, records information indicating the location of the main photographed point in association with the image data of the image, and that, if the photographed point of the image is the sub-photographed point, records information indicating the locations of the sub-photographed point and of the main photographed point in association with the image data of the image. |
| US08400524B2 |
Image management method
A method for managing an image photographed by two or more image pickup devices corresponding to two or more viewpoints, comprises: storing a 2D image photographed by the two or more image pickup devices, with identifier indicating that the image is two-dimensional; and storing a 3D image photographed by the two or more image pickup devices, with identifier indicating that the image is three-dimensional. Hence, it becomes possible to search and display quickly an object 2D or 3D image by performing an access per folder. |
| US08400523B2 |
White balance method and white balance device
Disclosed are a white balance device and a white balance method. The device comprises a unit used to extract background pixels of an image; a unit used to obtain representative color of background; a unit for determining a global magnification ratio of the background pixels; a unit used to carry out pre-adjustment with regard to original color of each of the background pixels; a unit used to, for each of the background pixels, determine expected final background color of the corresponding background pixel, and then determine an accurate magnification ratio of the corresponding background pixel; and a unit used to, for each of the background pixels, carry out adjustment with regard to the original color of the corresponding background pixel by using the accurate magnification ratio of the corresponding background pixel. |
| US08400522B2 |
Method and apparatus for applying tonal correction to images
A method and apparatus for applying tonal correction to images to obtain a more pleasing photographic image by redistributing low-key, mid-tone and high-key tones. Luminance is calculated by using formulas appropriate for the color space or directly inputted. Two color-difference components are computed for the original image. Luminance is subjected to a tonal correction function to obtain a tonal corrected luminance. Luminance gain is calculated and applied to the color-difference components to obtain two tonal corrected color-difference components. The tonal corrected luminance and two tonal corrected color-difference components can be directly output or used to calculate three color component signals for the desired color space. |
| US08400518B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit; a display unit capable of displaying a moving image based on the image data generated by the imaging unit; a setting unit that receives setting of a user; a shutter operable to adjust an exposure time of the imaging unit according to a shutter speed; a determination unit operable to determine the shutter speed according to setting related to exposure set by user through the setting unit; and a controller operable to control the imaging unit and the display unit. The controller controls the imaging unit to be exposed for an exposure time corresponding to the shutter speed determined by the determination unit, and changes a frame rate of displaying the moving image on the display unit according to the determined shutter speed. |
| US08400516B2 |
Image stabilization control circuit and imaging device having image stabilization control circuit
A image stabilization control circuit is provided that comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter circuit that converts an output signal of a vibration detection element which detects vibration of an imaging device, and an output signal of a position detection element which detects a position of an optical component or an imaging element, into digital signals, and a logic circuit that generates a control signal which drives the optical component or the imaging element, based on the output signal of the vibration detection element which is digitized by the analog-to-digital converter circuit and the output signal of the position detection element which is digitized by the analog-to-digital converter circuit, wherein an offset value and an amplitude for the output signal of the position detection element are adjusted. |
| US08400515B2 |
Image correction processing apparatus and method
A motion vector detecting unit detects a motion vector of each block in a shot image, which is divided into a plurality of blocks, during an optical zooming operation. A linear function calculating unit calculates for each block a linear function that represents a straight line, the slope of which is the same as that of a line passing through the center of the shot image and a representative point and which passes through a vector detection point. A hand-movement motion vector calculating unit selects at least two blocks that have the calculated linear functions, the slope of which are different from each other, and obtains an intersection of graphs of the linear functions of the selected blocks so as to calculate a motion vector caused by hand movement. A hand-movement correcting unit corrects the hand movement in the shot image based on the calculated motion vector caused by the hand movement. |
| US08400509B2 |
Authentication apparatus for value documents
A value document authentication apparatus and system that includes value document substrates having a uniform distribution of one or more phosphors that emit infrared radiation in one or more wavelengths, which can be measured at the same location on the value document that is illuminated by a phosphor exciting light source when the document passes the light source with a uniform velocity. The illumination and measurement locations on the value document can be offset. The measured infrared radiation as a series of overlapped measurements along a pre-selected track in the value document represents an intensity profile, which can be normalized after removing high variations. The normalized intensity profile of a test value document can be compared with normalized intensity profile from valid reference documents to authenticate the test value document. |
| US08400506B2 |
Camera control apparatus, method for controlling camera, and storage medium
A control apparatus controlling a state of an imaging apparatus and a method for controlling an imaging device. According to the present invention, when a moving area in shot images are detected and parameter control of an imaging device is performed, if the moving area relates to a predetermined shooting prohibited area, the parameter control of the imaging device is stopped. |
| US08400505B2 |
Calibration method, calibration device, and calibration system including the device
A calibration device and method calibrates a distance measuring device which provides captured images with significant lens aberration. The calibration device and method estimate a camera parameter representing a characteristic of each imaging system of a distance measuring device, and perform the following: capture, using the distance measuring device, an image of a reference chart which (i) represents a geometric pattern in which elements are arranged and (ii) is positioned to have a predetermined positional relationship with the distance measuring device; modify a luminance distribution affected by aberration of the lens in the captured image of the reference chart; calculate, as a feature point position, a gravity center position of each element in the captured image whose luminance distribution is modified; and estimate the camera parameter using the feature point position calculated in the calculating and an approximate actual gravity center position in the reference chart. |
| US08400504B2 |
Contamination monitoring of high voltage insulators
Contamination monitoring of high voltage insulators provides a system and method producing an early predictor for high voltage insulator failure, allowing repairmen to either already be on site when a high voltage insulator fails in order to expedite repair time, or allowing repair and/or replacement of a faulty insulator before the failure actually occurs. The system and method provide transmission of an alarm signal when contaminant levels (such as equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) levels) formed on a high voltage insulator exceed pre-selected threshold values, indicating the likelihood of high voltage insulator failure. |
| US08400501B2 |
Inspection arrangement
It is necessary to provide inspection arrangements in order to facilitate prototype design of assemblies such as gas turbine engines as well as insitu testing of such assemblies. Previously endoscope type arrangements have been utilized, but the flexible or rigid stems in such endoscopes can cause fouling and snagging in use. By providing an inspection arrangement in which the inspection element is combined with a positioning tool such that the inspection element can be detached from the positioning tool through a releasable element, it is possible to avoid such snagging problems. The inspection element will be relatively self-sufficient and incorporate possibly a camera or other sensor for temperature of otherwise. The inspection element will typically incorporate a wireless link arrangement, or possibly incorporate a storage device for data such that the inspection element can be retrieved later with that data. |
| US08400500B2 |
Endoscope with alternating irradiate light
An endoscope that has an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object and an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion, and that observes the interior of the object via the image pickup device, includes: a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit. |
| US08400496B2 |
Optimal depth mapping
A method and apparatus for providing optimal correction to depth mapping between captured and displayed stereoscopic content. The solution is derived in a continuous form that can be implemented through CGI scaling techniques compatible with image rendering techniques. Similar correction can be implemented with variable depth-dependent camera separation and disparity re-mapping. The latter is applicable to correcting existing stereoscopic content. |
| US08400493B2 |
Virtual stereoscopic camera
The subject matter relates to a virtual stereoscopic camera for displaying 3D images. In one implementation, left and right perspectives of a source are captured by image capturing portions. The image capturing portions include an array of image capturing elements that are interspersed with an array of display elements in a display area. The image capturing elements are confined within limited portions of the display area and are separated by an offset distance. The captured left and right perspectives are synthesized so as to generate an image that is capable of being viewed in 3D. |
| US08400490B2 |
Framing an object for video conference
At least one camera lens captures a field of view comprising at least one object of interest, wherein the at least one camera lens is configured for extending the field of view in at least one direction. The at least one object of interest that is within said field of view is detected. Then, an image of a detected at least one object of interest is warped to fit within the field of view. A plurality of pixels surrounding the image of the detected at least one object of interest within the field of view is cropped such that, based on the warping and the cropping, the detected at least one object appears as centered within the field of view. |
| US08400489B2 |
Method of controlling a video conference
The invention concerns a method of controlling a video conference with two or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4), and a video conference server and a computer program product to execute this method. A topic of the video conference is dynamically determined (303, 313). A participant data base comprising associations of one or more of the participants (1, 2, 3, 4) with one or more respective attributes is accessed (304, 314). The determined topic is mapped to one or more of the one or more respective attributes. From the one or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4) associated with the one or more respective attributes one or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4) who are associated with the determined topic according to said mapping are selected (305, 315). One or more of the selected participants (1, 2, 3, 4) are displayed (307, 317) on a screen. |
| US08400487B2 |
Printer and printing method
A clamper clamps an edge of a lenticular sheet and is transported in a sub-scanning direction. After oblique transportation of the lenticular sheet is corrected based on a detection result from an oblique transportation detector, transportation of the lenticular sheet for forming an image receptor layer on the rear side of the lenticular sheet is performed with a thermal head contacting said lenticular sheet. In this transportation, a lens sensor is activated to optically detect a lens pitch and so on. The lens sensor is positioned between the thermal head and the clamper. |
| US08400483B2 |
Printer, method for releasing pressure contact of heating body
A printer includes a conveying unit for conveying a rewritable printing medium toward a discharging portion along a conveying path, and the rewritable printing medium is erasable and printable by applying heat energy to the rewritable printing medium. The printer further includes an erasing unit including a heating body for erasing print of the rewritable printing medium by pressing the heating body to be in pressure contact with the rewritable printing medium, a printing unit for printing the rewritable printing medium, a determination unit for determining whether an abnormality occurs in conveyance of the rewritable printing medium, and a control unit for controlling at least one of the erasing unit and the conveying unit for releasing the pressure contact of the heating body on the rewritable printing medium, if the determination unit determines that an abnormality occurs. |
| US08400482B2 |
Image hold body and image forming apparatus
An image hold body includes a support body, a plurality of pixel electrodes, charge storage members, switch members, scanning lines, signal lines and shield members. A latent image voltage is applied to the plurality of pixel electrodes based on an image signal. The charge storage members store charge corresponding to the latent image voltage. The scanning lines select and scan pixel electrode groups through the switch members. The signal lines apply the latent image voltage through the switch members to the pixel electrodes of each of the pixel electrode groups selected by the scanning lines. The shield members are provided on the support body corresponding to the signal lines placed in the proximity of the pixel electrodes, and shield an effect of at least a part of an electric field from the signal line on an electric field based on the latent image voltage of the pixel electrodes. |
| US08400481B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; an exposure member which has a plurality of blinking sections and which exposes the photoconductive body; a support frame which is made of resin and which supports the exposure member; a roller shaft which is made of metal and provided on the support frame; a roller which is made of resin, which is rotatably provided on the roller shaft and which maintains a spacing distance between the exposure member and the photoconductive body; and a metal plate which supports and is electrically connected to the roller shaft and which is electrically grounded. With the image forming apparatus, it is possible to solve a problem caused when the roller shaft is electrically floated, and to suitably arrange parts or components around the roller shaft. |
| US08400477B1 |
Object resizing
A computer program product has a computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for performing a method for resizing an object. The method may include positioning a cursor to a handle of the object; selecting the handle; repositioning the handle in a direction to modify the geometry of the object; moving the handle away from the corner of the object along a path designated for maintaining the object's height, width, or aspect ratio; and confirming a new location of the handle for a resized object; wherein the resized object is displayed to the user. |
| US08400476B2 |
Display device, method and program
A display device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire coordinates on a display screen designated by a coordinate input apparatus; a registering unit configured to register an enlargement target which is to be enlarged; an enlargement processing unit configured to enlarge and display a partial area, which includes the enlargement target, if a positional relationship between coordinates acquired by the acquisition unit and a position at which the enlargement target, which has been registered by the registering unit, is displayed on the display screen satisfies a predetermined condition; and a cancellation processing unit configured to cancel the enlarged display of the partial area by the enlargement processing unit based upon an input from the coordinate input apparatus. |
| US08400472B2 |
Method and system of geometric deformation
A method of deforming a geometric object. The method comprises providing a data segment representing a geometric object, defining a contour enclosing the geometric object in the data segment, calculating a plurality of barycentric coordinates having a plurality of complex coefficients according to the enclosing contour, receiving user input to manipulate the enclosing contour to a target contour, and using the plurality of barycentric coordinates according to the target contour for mapping the geometric object to a target geometric object. |
| US08400464B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method for image-dithering compensation
A liquid crystal display including a pixel array, multiple control lines and a driving unit is provided. The pixel array has multiple pixels. The control lines are coupled to the pixels. The driving unit drives the pixel array via the control lines. Of the pixels coupled to the same control line, the number of image-dithering compensated pixels with positive polarity is equal to the number of image-dithering compensated pixels with negative polarity when the pixel array is driven. |
| US08400461B1 |
Polygon kernels for image processing
A computer-implemented method includes selecting a polygon that includes a convex shape defined by vertices represented by integer coordinates. The method also includes determining a polygon transfer function from cones defined by some of the vertices. The polygon transfer function defines image processing operations independent of the scale of the polygon. |
| US08400458B2 |
Method and system for blocking data on a GPU
A method is provided for optimizing computer processes executing on a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a central processing unit (CPU). Process data is subdivided into sequentially processed data and parallel processed data. The parallel processed data is subdivided into a plurality of data blocks assigned to a plurality of processing cores of the GPU. The data blocks on the GPU are processed with other data blocks in parallel on the plurality of processing cores. Sequentially processed data is processed on the CPU. Result data processed on the CPU is returned. |
| US08400457B2 |
Dynamic load balancing in multiple video processing unit (VPU) systems
Systems and methods are provided for processing data. The systems and methods include multiple processors that each couple to receive commands and data, where the commands and/or data correspond to frames of video that include multiple pixels. An interlink module is coupled to receive processed data corresponding to the frames from each of the processors. The interlink module divides a first frame into multiple frame portions by dividing pixels of the first frame using at least one balance point. The interlink module dynamically determines a position for the balance point that minimizes differences between the workload of the processors during processing of commands and/or data of one or more subsequent frames. |
| US08400452B2 |
Method and system for segmented propagation visualization
A method and system for visualizing the propagation of a radio-frequency (RF) signal between a first wireless device and a second wireless device is provided. The method includes segmenting (304) the RF signal along its propagation path, based on the one or more characteristics associated with the propagation of the RF signal. The method also includes visualizing (306) the segments by using graphical representations. |
| US08400444B2 |
Method to render a root-less scene graph with a user controlled order of rendering
A scene graph is provided which represents data and a set of processes thus providing an enhanced approach to the previously known scene graph concept. With this approach the scene graph becomes a rendering description of the data rather than a world description. Previously known scene graphs represent a structure of objects and their attributes. The scene graph has a notation of the traversing order, which together with the types of nodes, the nodes position, node functionality and node state determine the rendering order. Thus, any effects supported by the underlying rendering pipeline can be expressed directly in the scene graph by the user. An API is provided for the scene graph, controlling the actual rendering order and optimization to the user. The scene graph is extensible allowing the user to experiment and express new rendering algorithms in the scene graph semantic. |
| US08400442B2 |
Display, method for driving display, electronic apparatus
A display includes: a pixel array section configured to include power feed lines, scan lines disposed along rows, signal lines disposed along columns, and pixels that are disposed at intersections of the scan lines and the signal lines and are arranged in a matrix, each of the pixels including a drive transistor and a light-emitting device, one of a pair of current terminals as source and drain of the drive transistor being connected to the power feed line, and a power supply scanner configured to sequentially switch potential of each power feed line between higher potential and lower potential, wherein the power supply scanner switches the higher potential applied to the power feed line between first higher potential and second higher potential at different levels in a predetermined sequence. |
| US08400431B2 |
Method to improve performance of a proportional area weighted sensor for two-dimensional locations on a touch screen
An electronic appliance including a processor and a computer-readable medium, having instructions for execution by a processor is provided. The instructions causing the processor to perform methods to obtain an error map for locations in a touch sensor. The method including inputting a geometry for a touch sensor layout; inputting coordinates for centroids of sensing elements in the touch sensor layout; and inputting a touch geometry. The method includes the steps of selecting a plurality of test points on the touch sensor layout; generating, a calculated touch location for each of the plurality of test points; and an error map from the calculated touch locations and the test points. The method may include generating an error measure from the error map; displaying, the generated error map and the generated error measure; and adjusting the geometry for the touch sensor layout if the error measure is larger than a tolerance value. |
| US08400429B2 |
Touch device and touch method
A touch device to sense and compute the coordinate of a touch object is provided. The touch device comprises a panel, a light-emitting element, an image sensor, a reflective strip and a processing unit. The panel has a sensing area surrounded by first to fourth boundaries where the first and the third boundaries define an x direction and the other two boundaries defines y direction. The light-emitting element and the image sensor are located on the first boundary with a specific distance therebetween. The reflective strip is located on the second to fourth boundaries. When the touch object touches the sensing area, a first and a second light path from the light-emitting element to the image sensor are blocked to form a real and a virtual image such that the processing unit computes the coordinate of the touch object according to the real and the virtual images. A touch method is disclosed herein as well. |
| US08400428B2 |
Touch panel and method for driving the same
A touch panel having high reading accuracy of an object to be detected is provided. In a method for driving a touch panel which is provided with a photo sensor in a pixel, an image is displayed in a display portion of a touch panel, a detection region is determined by detecting approach or contact of an object to be detected in a state in which the image is displayed, and the object to be detected is read while substantially equalizing the intensity of light of pixels in the detection region per unit time and unit area. The intensity of light of the pixels per unit time and unit area, which is to be substantially equal, is preferably the maximum intensity of light in the detection region before adjustment, more preferably, the intensity of light for white display. |
| US08400424B2 |
Method and device for analyzing positions
A method and device for analyzing positions are disclosed. In sensing information, at least one position is determined according to a first characteristic of a touch related sensing information. The sensing information also has a touch related sensing information with a second characteristic, which is opposite to the first characteristic. The touch related sensing information with the second characteristic is neglected or filtered. In addition, another method and device for analyzing positions are disclosed. An AC signal is provided through a pen, and a first characteristic of a touch related sensing information corresponding to a finger is opposite to the second characteristic of the touch related sensing information corresponding to the pen. The first characteristic and the second characteristic can be used to distinguish the touch of the finger from the touch of the pen or for palm rejection. |
| US08400421B2 |
Touch panel and multi-touch detecting method thereof
A multi-touch detecting method is adapted for detecting locations of touched points on a touch panel including first and second conductive films, and includes following steps. First measuring points of the first conductive film distributed along X-axis of a Cartesian plane are scanned, and x-components are determined accordingly. Second measuring points of the second conductive film distributed along Y-axis of the Cartesian plane are scanned, and y-components are determined accordingly. A first voltage is applied to the first conductive film, and A second voltage is applied to at least one of the second measuring points with the location on the Y-axis adjacent to or overlapping one of the y-components. Voltages at the first measuring points with the locations on the X-axis adjacent to or overlapping the x-components are measured sequentially and one of the y-components and one of the x-components are outputted. |
| US08400419B2 |
Dual mode inductive touch screen for use in a configurable communication device and methods for use therewith
A touch screen can be used in a communication device having a transceiver that communicates radio frequency (RF) signals. The communication device includes an antenna and a programmable antenna interface that couples the antenna to the transceiver. The touch screen includes a display layer for displaying information. An inductor grid includes a plurality of inductive elements. A switch matrix selects an inductive element in response to a selection signal in a first mode of operation, and couples together a group of inductive elements in a second mode of operation. A dual mode driver generates the selection signal and, in the first mode of operation, drives the selected inductive element to detect a touch object in proximity to the selected inductive elements and that generates touch screen data in response thereto. In a second mode of operation, the dual mode driver couples the group of inductive elements to the programmable antenna interface. |
| US08400406B1 |
IR touch
There is disclosed and claimed new and improved photoelectric sensing array system, method, and apparatus for large area IR touch screens to increase the resolution of the array, and to provide ease of manufacture and testing. |
| US08400398B2 |
Visualization controls
Implementations of visualization controls are described. Some techniques described herein enable a user to interact with a geoscience object on display. In one possible embodiment, simultaneous movements of two or more user-controlled points are tracked using a motion monitoring system, such as cameras. The movement of the points is then interpreted as an interaction with the geoscience object and results in a corresponding alteration of the display of the geoscience object. One example interaction includes a compound manipulation (i.e. translation, rotation, scaling and/or skewing) of the geoscience object. |
| US08400397B2 |
Backlighting system and display device
The invention relates to a backlighting system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) and to a display device. The backlighting system comprises a plurality of segments (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) for selectively illuminating a predefined area of pixels of a display device. The backlighting system is configured for selectively controlling the intensity and/or color of the light emitted from the segment, each segment comprising a light source (30). The backlighting system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) further comprises light barriers (40) for limiting the lateralspreading of the light emitted by the light source (30) towards the neighboring segments (20, 21, 22, 23, 24). The light barriers define grid-lines of a grid, and the light source (30) is arranged at a position on the grid-line which at least partially coincides with at least one of the light barriers. The effect of the measures according to the invention is that by positioning the light source of the segment on the same grid-line as the light barriers, the light from the light source spreads on either side of the light barrier towards the neighboring segments. This enables a predefined overlap of the light emitted by the segment towards its neighboring segments without the need for additional thickness of the backlighting system. |
| US08400391B2 |
Method and system for improving dimming performance in a field sequential color display device
Methods and systems for displaying an image on a display device having first and second light sources are provided. A video signal is provided to the display device. The video signal includes first and second video frames. Each video frame includes first and second sub-frames corresponding to the respective first and second light sources. The first light source is operated for a first duration during the first sub-frame of the first video frame. The first light source is operated for a second duration during the first sub-frame of the second video frame. The second duration is different from the first duration. |
| US08400387B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A scanning electrode driving circuit (32) and a signal electrode driving circuit (31) of a driving circuit (30) applies, to scanning electrodes of a liquid crystal panel with a memory effect (40), a scanning voltage (TPV) in a voltage waveform composed of 0V and three values which are positive or negative unipolar (VH, VD and VS), and also applies, to signal electrodes, a signal voltage (SGV) in a voltage waveform composed of 0V and three values having a same polarity as the scanning voltage. Further, image data is displayed at a pixel of the liquid crystal panel with a memory effect (40) during three scanning periods such as a correction period for correcting the alternation, a reset period for resetting the image, and a selection period for writing new image, and in the three scanning periods, the voltage to be applied between the scanning electrode and the signal electrode is made completely alternating. |
| US08400386B2 |
Transflective liquid crystal display device
A transreflective liquid crystal display device includes an upper substrate (202) on which a color filter is disposed, a lower substrate (201) on which scanning lines and data lines are formed, a liquid crystal layer (206) sandwiched between the upper substrate (202) and the lower substrate (201) and a backlight unit (204) provided on the side of the lower substrate (201) opposite to the liquid crystal layer (206). The lower substrate (201) and the upper substrate (202) are parallel, and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer (206) are arranged parallel the upper substrate (202) when no voltage is applied. A transparent electrode (205) is disposed on the side of the upper substrate (202) faced to the liquid crystal layer (206), and there are comb-shaped electrodes (203) disposed on the side of the lower substrate (201) faced to the liquid crystal layer (206). The comb-shaped electrodes (203) include a first comb-shaped electrode (301) and a second comb-shaped electrode (302) both of which are interdigitated. A method for driving the said display devices is also disclosed. |
| US08400385B2 |
Method for enhancing an image displayed on an LCD device
A method and apparatus for image enhancement in a display illuminated by a lighting device. Enhancement is via use of a non-linear mapping function. An illumination level for the lighting device is determined and used with the mapping function to find a compensation factor for each pixel of the image. The brightness property of each pixel is adjusted by its compensation factor. |
| US08400383B2 |
Liquid crystal display capable of improving aperture ratio and display quality without changing a storage capacitor voltage
A liquid crystal display is disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a data line arranged in a column direction, a first pixel electrode that is positioned on the left side of the data line on a first line, a second pixel electrode that is positioned on the right side of the data line on the first line, a first gate line that is arranged between the first line and the second line in a line direction perpendicular to the column direction, a second gate line that is arranged between the first line and the second line in the line direction, the second gate line underlying the first gate line, a first thin film transistor that is positioned on the left side of the data line on the first line to supply a first data voltage received from the data line to the first pixel electrode in response to a gate pulse received from the first gate line, and a second thin film transistor that is positioned on the right side of the data line on the first line, crosses the first gate line to be connected to the second pixel electrode, and supplies a second data voltage received from the data line to the second pixel electrode in response to a gate pulse received from the second gate line. |
| US08400379B2 |
Display device
The present invention is intended to suppress power consumption of an EL display. In accordance with the brightness of an image to be displayed in a pixel portion, the contrast of the image is determined whether to be inverted or not, and the number of bits of the digital video signal to be input into the pixel portion is reduced, and the magnitude of a current to flow through the EL element is allowed to be maintained at a constant level even when a temperature of an EL layer changes by providing the EL display with another EL element to be used for monitoring a temperature. |
| US08400377B2 |
Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same
A pixel includes: an organic light emitting diode; a first transistor having a second electrode coupled with the organic light emitting diode and a first electrode coupled with a data line; a second transistor coupled between a gate electrode and the second electrode of the first transistor and turned on when a first scan signal is supplied to a first scan line; a third transistor coupled between the first electrode of the first transistor and the data line and turned on when a second scan signal is supplied to the second scan line; a first capacitor coupled between the first electrode of the first transistor and a first power supply; and a second capacitor coupled between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the first power supply. |
| US08400376B2 |
Voltage selection circuit, electrophoretic display apparatus, and electronic device
Provided is a voltage selection circuit for outputting a potential selected from a plurality of input potentials, the voltage selection circuit capable of selectively outputting a first high-level potential being a highest potential, a second high-level potential, or a third high-level potential being a lowest potential from an output terminal thereof. The voltage selection circuit includes a first switching circuit that supplies the first high-level potential to the output terminal, a second switching circuit that supplies the second high-level potential to the output terminal, and a third switching circuit that supplies the third high-level potential to the output terminal. The first switching circuit includes a high-voltage transistor and a level shifter connected to a gate terminal of the high-voltage transistor. The second switching circuit includes a first low-voltage transistor, a level shifter connected to a gate terminal of the first low-voltage transistor, and a diode disposed between the first low-voltage transistor and the output terminal. The third switching circuit includes a second low-voltage transistor and a diode disposed between the second low-voltage transistor and the output terminal. |
| US08400373B2 |
Driving method of plasma display device
The driving method of the plasma display device has a plurality of combination sets for display that include a different number of combinations, and has a random number generating section for generating a random number. For each of a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal, a combination set for display selected from the plurality of combination sets for display based on a predetermined selection reference is used, and disturbance based on the random number is added to the predetermined selection reference. |
| US08400371B2 |
Head mount display
The head mounted display of the present invention has a display part for displaying images to the wearer, a supporting part which supports the display part, which is fed out into a position in front of as eye from a position that is not located in front of the face, and which is moved from this position in front of as eye into this position that is not located in front of the face, and a mounting part which holds this supporting part, and which is mounted on the wearer in a position that is not located in front of the face, and is constructed so that the supporting part can move past the side of the head along the contour of the head. As a result, a display device is produced which is relatively free of unsightliness with respect to the wearer. |
| US08400370B2 |
Multiple image display device and image display device
In a multiple image display device that is provided with a plurality of image display devices and that displays a single input image, the image display devices each divide the input image into division images that are individually displayed on the image display devices, and enlarge and display them. In particular, the image display device provided in an edge portion of the multiple image display device enlarges the division image toward a side opposite from the side of the edge portion. In this way, the edge portion of the input image is displayed on the multiple image display. |
| US08400369B2 |
Multiband antenna and radio communication terminal
A multiband antenna includes at least two antenna elements for use in a low frequency band and a high frequency band, a feeding point unit configured to be shared by both of the antenna elements for use in the low frequency band and the high frequency band and an impedance matching unit configured to be inserted into and connected to a position between an end of the antenna element for use in the high frequency band on the side of the feeding point unit and an open end thereof. |
| US08400368B1 |
Integrated electronic structure
A multifunction electronics member combining structural and electronics functions includes in one embodiment an elongate longitudinally-extending structural body capable of supporting a structural load and having at least one metal surface defining a first circuit base, a first electrical circuit supported by the first circuit base, and a first cover having at least one metal surface facing the electrical circuit. The circuit preferably is embedded between the first circuit base and cover to form an electrically-active, or in some embodiments passive, structural member. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit may be a circuit board including a dielectric substrate and metallic electrical conductor supported by the substrate. In one embodiment, the circuit base, circuit, and cover define a stripline. In one embodiment, the structural body includes a stiffening projection. The structural body may be made entirely of metal in some embodiments. |
| US08400366B2 |
Radiation efficiency measuring apparatus and radiation efficiency measuring method
A target antenna 4A to be measured and a measuring antenna 5 are placed within an anechoic chamber 1. A first azimuth angle plane radiation pattern S21(R,θ,φ) is measured using a network analyzer 7 with an elevation angle φ of the target antenna 4A fixed to a first angle φ1. Next, a second azimuth angle plane radiation pattern S21(R,θ,φ) is measured using the network analyzer 7 with the elevation angle φ of the target antenna 4A fixed to a second angle φ2 different from the first angle φ1 by 90 degrees. A radiation efficiency of the target antenna 4A is measured by integrating in a spherical shape the azimuth angle plane radiation patterns S21(R,θ,φ) at two planes. |
| US08400365B2 |
Antenna device and mobile communication terminal
An antenna device includes a feeding member including a coil pattern and an emitting member to emit a transmit signal supplied from the feeding member and to receive a receive signal and supplying it to the feeding member. The emitting member includes an opening portion and a slit portion communicating with the opening portion. When seen in plan view from the direction of the winding axis of the coil pattern, the opening portion of the emitting member and the inner region of the coil pattern overlap each other, and the emitting member and the coil pattern overlap each other at least partially. |
| US08400364B2 |
Multiband planar antenna and electronic equipment
Disclosed is a multiband planar antenna including: an insulating film, a first antenna section and a second antenna section facing to the first antenna section across a feeding point on a film, wherein the first antenna section includes: a first antenna element including a side having a length in an extending direction corresponds to a first resonance frequency; a shorter second antenna element at a predetermined distance from and in parallel with the first antenna element; and a first coupling section to couple the first and second antenna elements, wherein a length in the extending direction of a first clearance corresponds to a resonance frequency higher than the first resonance frequency, and wherein the second antenna section includes: third and fourth antenna elements; a second coupling section; and a second clearance similar to the above. |
| US08400362B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and method for making radio communication apparatus
A radio communication apparatus configured to be used for first radio communication and second radio communication which are different from each other is provided. The radio communication apparatus has a first antenna, a coupling reduction element, a magnetic material sheet and a second antenna. The first antenna is configured to be used for the first radio communication, and is formed by a conductive line wound in a plane like a coil. The coupling reduction element is formed by a plane-shaped conductor, provided almost parallel to the plane of the first antenna, and configured to be put in a condition of electrical floating. The magnetic material sheet is provided between the first antenna and the coupling reduction element. The second antenna is configured to be used for the second radio communication, and is provided close to at least a portion of the first antenna. |
| US08400361B2 |
Integrated circuit MEMS antenna structure
An integrated circuit (IC) antenna structure includes a micro-electromechanical (MEM) area, a feed point, and a transmission line. The micro-electromechanical (MEM) area includes a three-dimensional shape, wherein the three dimensional-shape provides an antenna structure. The feed point is coupled to provide an outbound radio frequency (RF) signal to the antenna structure for transmission and to receive an inbound RF signal from the antenna structure. The transmission line electrically coupled to the feed point. |
| US08400360B2 |
Coupled-loop chip antenna
A loop antenna for communication is provided, which includes a microwave substrate, being a hexahedron; a first conductive layer, disposed on an upper surface of the substrate for forming a first loop; a second conductive layer, disposed on a first side surface of the substrate, and electrically connected to a feed-in point and a ground point; and a third conductive layer, disposed on a lower surface of the substrate for forming a second loop. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are electrically connected at the junction between the upper surface and the first side surface, and the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer are electrically connected at the junction between the first side surface and the lower surface. The antenna also has an appropriate bandwidth for wireless communication application. |
| US08400357B2 |
Radio arrival direction estimation device and radio arrival direction estimation method
A radio arrival direction estimation device that accurately estimates the arrival direction of radio waves from a desired tag, even when there are multiple antennas disposed at short intervals. When ID detection timing is provided from a timing detector (114) to a switch (201), relative amplitude/phase data related to the tag ID digital value “1” or “0” is obtained by an arrival direction estimation unit (125). One relative amplitude/phase datum is formed for each unit cycle in a first adder (202), which adds the relative amplitude/phase datum related to the tag ID digital value “1” to each element in a matrix, and a second adder (203), which adds the relative amplitude/phase datum related to the tag ID digital value “0” to each element in a matrix. An OOK signal causes an arithmetic unit (204) to subtract the relative amplitude/phase data produced by the second adder (203) from the relative amplitude/phase data produced by the first adder (202), and extract the phase of a signal corresponding to the phase of the digital value “1.” |
| US08400354B2 |
Method and system for calibrating group delay errors in a combined GPS and GLONASS receiver
A combined GPS and GLONASS receiver receives GPS signals and GLONASS signals. A calibration signal is generated utilizing the received GPS signals and/or the received GLONASS signals to offset group delay errors in the received GLONASS signals. The generated calibration signal is filtered through Kalman filters to estimate group delay variations in the received GLONASS signals. The estimated group error delay variations are combined with the received GLONASS signals to calibrate the received GLONASS signals by offsetting the estimated group error delay variations. When GPS signals are not available for use, the combined GPS and GLONASS receiver obtains group delay errors stored or in the received GLONASS signals to estimate calibration coefficients. The estimate calibration coefficients are updated utilizing received GPS and/or GLONASS signals. The updated estimated calibration coefficients are stored before turning off the combined GPS and GLONASS receiver to expedite calibrating of GLONASS signals received upon turning on. |
| US08400352B2 |
Centimeter positioning using low cost single frequency GNSS receivers
A global positioning system includes a base GNSS receiver that determines position and carrier phase measurements for GNSS satellites in view and a rover GNSS receiver, which is a single frequency receiver that captures GNSS satellite signals transmitted in the single frequency band during a capture window from a plurality of GNSS satellites, the plurality being large enough to provide a carrier phase data set from which a solution to associated integer carrier phase ambiguities is over determined. The system determining from the captured signals, a search space associated with the satellites in view, the code phase delays and associated position uncertainty. The system resolving the integer carrier cycle ambiguities using double difference carrier phase measurements associated with signal power values that are over a predetermined threshold value. The system resolving the carrier cycle ambiguities over the capture window to a single solution set and determining the position of the rover GNSS receiver to an accuracy within centimeters using the resolved carrier phase measurements. |
| US08400348B1 |
Airborne biota monitoring and control system
Apparatus and methods for an airborne biota monitoring and control system are disclosed. Radar and laser/optical sensors are used to detect insects, with detection zones being over water in some embodiments to reduce backscatter clutter. A pest control laser or small autonomous or radio controlled aircraft under automated or human control may be used to disable a targeted flying insect. One embodiment includes use of a head-mounted display for displaying insect targeting information superimposed on a real landscape view. Technologies such as adaptive lens, holographic optical elements, polarized radar and/or laser beams, light amplifiers and light guides, thin disk, spinning disk, or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers enhance performance of the apparatus or reduce cost of the apparatus. Also disclosed are methods of discrimination of insect types using spectral information and dynamic relative variation of spectral intensities at different wavelengths reflected from an insect in flight. |
| US08400347B2 |
Device and method for monitoring the location of aircraft on the ground
The invention relates to a monitoring device and method allowing surveillance of an aircraft in relation to aircraft and/or craft on an airport displacement zone. The invention is a system comprising a dedicated transmitter and receiver to receive the information regarding the location and displacement of the cooperative aircraft and to monitor the location of the said aircraft in relation to the cooperative aircraft. The monitoring application is based on the detection of conflict zones by inter-correlation of constraint surfaces of the airport zone. The invention applies to aircraft carrying communication moans for ADS-B networks for an airport zone monitoring application. |
| US08400341B2 |
Non-uniform sampling technique using a voltage controlled oscillator
A data converter circuit includes a non-uniform sampling circuit and a resampler circuit. The non-uniform sampling circuit includes a sampling voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) having an input to receive an analog data signal and having an output to generate a quantized data signal, wherein the quantized data signal comprises a plurality of non-uniform transition intervals indicative of data contained in the analog data signal. The resampling circuit has an input to receive the quantized data signal and is configured to reconstruct the data from the quantized data signal. For some embodiments, the data converter can also include a PLL that includes a feedback VCO having matched components with the sampling VCO. |
| US08400339B2 |
Correlated-level-shifting and correlated-double-sampling switched-capacitor gain stages, systems implementing the gain stages, and methods of their operation
Embodiments of apparatus and methods for applying a gain to an input signal are provided. An embodiment of a switched-capacitor gain stage circuit includes an input node, an output node, an operational amplifier, a correlated-double-sampling portion, a correlated-level-shifting portion, and a switching configuration. The operational amplifier has a first amplifier input, a second amplifier input, and an amplifier output. The correlated-double-sampling portion includes a plurality of sampling capacitors arranged in parallel and selectively coupled between the input node and a central node, and an offset storage capacitor including a first terminal coupled to the first amplifier input. The correlated-level-shifting portion includes a correlated-level-shifting capacitor including a first terminal coupled to the output node. The switching configuration has multiple switches that are controllable sequentially to place the gain stage circuit in a sampling state, an approximate output voltage storage state, a level shifting and gain state, and an output state. |
| US08400337B1 |
Offset cancellation by biasing the body of a transistor
Offset is canceled by determining a voltage level to set a body input of a transistor to. The body input of the transistor is set to the determined voltage level to cancel offset associated with the transistor. |
| US08400335B2 |
Using variable length code tables to compress an input data stream to a compressed output data stream
Provided are a computer program product, system, method, and data structure for using variable length code tables to compress an input data stream to a compressed output data stream. A determination is made as to whether a number of at least two consecutive data units in the input data stream match the number of consecutive data units in a history buffer of previously received data units in the input data stream. If so, a copy pointer symbol is generated including data indicating a copy pointer symbol referencing previously received data units in the history buffer and indicating the determined number of consecutive data units. A determination is made of a relative displacement count in the history buffer at which the number of matching consecutive data units start. A determination is made from a variable length code table an encoding of the relative displacement count in the history buffer. |
| US08400324B1 |
Apparatus for alerting shoppers at a checkout register
An apparatus for alerting shoppers at a checkout register having a bagging station with a rotating member having at least one bag support that is capable of pivoting between a first position, wherein the support is disposed prior to loading a merchandise into an at least one bag supported on the at least one bag support, and a second position wherein the at least one bag support is tilted outwardly relative to the bagging station. The apparatus includes at least one switch in contact with the bag support and an indicator in electrical communication with the switch for indicating that the at least one bag support is disposed in the second position. |
| US08400323B2 |
Capacitive occupant sensing system and method
An occupant detection system and method are provided for detecting an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. An electrode is arranged in a seat proximate to an expected location of an occupant for sensing an occupant proximate thereto. The electrode may be integrated with a seat heater. Control circuitry controls the seat heater. A signal generator is coupled to the electrode and configured output to the electrode a plurality of signals at a plurality of frequencies. Occupant detection circuitry detects voltages responsive to the plurality of signals at the plurality of frequencies and detects a state of occupancy based on the detected voltages. An LC circuit coupled to the electrode and the control circuitry suppresses capacitance generated by the control circuitry. |
| US08400321B2 |
Methods and apparatus for operating an electronic trip device
An electronic trip device is described that includes a test signal generator coupled to at least one of a line conductor and a neutral conductor and configured to create a test signal. The electronic trip device also includes a leakage current detection circuit configured to compare a current in the line conductor and a current in the neutral conductor, the leakage current detection circuit configured to output an error signal if the test signal is not detected. |
| US08400319B2 |
Coaxial cable connector with an external sensor and method of use thereof
A coaxial cable connector structure is provided, the connector structure comprising: a connector; a physical parameter sensing circuit mechanically attached to the connector; and a status output component mechanically attached to the connector. The physical parameter sensing circuit configured to sense a condition of the connector. The status output component configured to report an ascertained physical parameter status to a location outside of the connector. A corresponding method of ascertaining a physical parameter status of a connector connection is disclosed. |
| US08400317B2 |
System for providing real time locating and gas exposure monitoring
A hazardous condition alerting system is described that provides a method for alerting on a hazardous condition. The method may include transmitting a location data item identifying a location of an alerting apparatus to a remote server. The method may further include receiving alert information from the remote server when the remote server makes the determination that the location of the alerting apparatus corresponds to a hazardous location. And the method may further include providing a local alert on the alerting apparatus when the alert information from the remote server is received by the alerting apparatus. |
| US08400315B1 |
Process under/over temperature indicator
An apparatus and method for indicating a process temperature anomaly during a power outage comprising employing a power source separate from that powering the process, setting a temperature set point; sensing presence and absence of power powering the process, sensing process temperature; and indicating to users that an absence of power was sensed and that the temperature sensed during the absence of power was below (or above) the temperature set point. |
| US08400314B2 |
Fire alarm
A fire alarm consists of a housing in which sensors, a radiation source, and an optical window are disposed. A reflector protection basket or ring is disposed above the optical window. The basket or ring is suitable for protecting the optical window against mechanical influences, allows UV and IR radiation to pass through to a sufficient degree, and reflects UV and IR radiation from the housing interior, on its inside. Monitoring of the contamination of the window, function monitoring of the sensors and of the signal processing electronics, as well as easy replaceability of the components in the fire alarm are provided. |
| US08400308B2 |
System and method for identifying object and releasing its security
For identifying an object and releasing a security of the object an identification element is associated with the object and recognized by recognizing unit, a securing element is attached to an object and releasable from the object, and the identification element and the securing element are formed so that a release of the securing element is possible only after the identification of the object by recognizing the identification element. |
| US08400307B2 |
Radio frequency IC device and electronic apparatus
A radio frequency IC device includes a radio frequency IC chip arranged to process a transmitted/received signal, a printed circuit board on which the radio frequency IC chip is mounted, an electrode arrange on the circuit board, and a loop electrode that is arranged on the circuit board so that the loop electrode is electrically connected to the radio frequency IC chip and is coupled to the electrode by electromagnetic coupling. The electrode is coupled to the radio frequency IC chip via the loop electrode so as to transmit or receive a high-frequency signal. A power supply circuit board including a resonance circuit and/or a matching circuit may be disposed between the radio frequency IC chip and the loop electrode. |
| US08400300B2 |
Diaper changing wallet
A wallet includes semi-rigid first and second portions each having an outer side and an inner side, the second portion being hingedly coupled to the first portion whereby the second portion is movable relative to the first portion to define open and closed configurations. The first portion inner side includes a pocket. A foldable changing pad is operatively coupled to at least one of the first portion and the second portion. The wallet includes a speaker and a sensor for determining when the first and second portions are at the open configuration. A processor is data communication with the speaker and the sensor. Programming causes the processor to automatically actuate the speaker an amount of time after the sensor determines that the first and second portions are at the open configuration. |