| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08571209B2 |
Recording keys in a broadcast-encryption-based system
Embodiments of the invention relate to obtaining forensic information for an anonymous attack of digital content without variations in a broadcast encryption system. In one embodiment a media device, being configured to record digital content on recordable media, receives digital content, a unified media key block, and a recording key table. The device calculates a set of recording keys from the recording key table using a media key variant from the unified media key block. The device then generates a title key and encrypts by the digital content in the generated title key. The device then encrypts the generated title key in each one of the calculated recording keys, adds a header including the encrypted titles keys to the encrypted digital content, and stores the encrypted digital content with the header on recordable media. |
| US08571207B2 |
Hash value calculation apparatus and method thereof
A hash value calculation apparatus, which calculates a hash value of a message, includes: an input unit adapted to input an extended block obtained from a message to be processed; a hash value calculation unit adapted to execute a hash value calculation of the input block and to output a hash intermediate value; a plurality of intermediate value storage units adapted to store the hash intermediate value output by the hash value calculation unit for the message to be processed; an output unit adapted to output a hash intermediate value associated with all blocks of the message to be processed as a hash value of the message; and a hash value calculation control unit adapted to control hash value calculations for a plurality of messages by switching the intermediate value storage units used to store the hash intermediate value output from the hash value calculation unit. |
| US08571206B2 |
Information transmitting apparatus, information transmitting method, and computer product
An information transmitting apparatus encrypts and transmits transmit data that includes contents for which transmission instruction has been received, an authentication code, and padding. The information transmitting apparatus includes a padding calculating unit that calculates a size of the padding based on an encrypting algorithm, a size of the authentication code and a size of the contents; a transmit-data size calculating unit that calculates a size of the transmit data from the size of the padding, the size of the authentication code, and the size of the contents; a generating unit that generates, using the size of the transmit data, a header that indicates a type of the transmit data and the size of the transmit data; an encrypting unit that encrypts the transmit data; and a transmitting unit that transmits the header and the encrypted transmit data. |
| US08571204B2 |
Apparatus and method for echo control in parameter domain
The present invention relates to call voice signal processing, and particularly, to apparatus and method for echo control in parameter domain. The apparatus includes: an echo detection module configured to extract parameter domain characteristic parameters of a far-end output signal and a near-end input signal, respectively, through parameter domain decoding, and detect whether a near-end input signal frame is an echo frame according to the parameter domain characteristic parameters; and a transition module configured to re-quantize the fixed codebook gain, the adaptive codebook gain and an LSF prediction error in the near-end input signal frame when the echo detection module detects the near-end input signal frame as a non-echo frame, and replace the original fixed codebook gain, the original adaptive codebook gain and the original LSF in the near-end input signal frame. |
| US08571203B2 |
System and method for providing customer activities while in queue
A system and method for providing customer activities while in queue allows for one or more customers to interact with one or more customer activities while waiting to speak with a live agent. The customers engage the customer activities while holding in a queue where the customer activities reduce the boredom, frustration, and perceived hold duration associated with holding to speak to a live agent. The customers are offered one or more options of the customer activities to interact with and the system and method monitors the customers' selections and interaction with the customer activities. As agents become available, each customer is transferred to an agent along with information regarding the customer's interaction with a selected customer activity. Upon completion of the interaction between the agent and the customer, the customer has the option to return to the selected customer activity and continue interacting with the selected customer activity. |
| US08571201B2 |
Cross channel identification in electronic commerce environments
A technique for providing context information for a PSTN phone call originating from an user includes dynamically selecting a phone number (or invite code or combination thereof) from among a pool of available phone numbers; displaying the selected phone number to the user in a web page; receiving context information corresponding to the user; receiving an incoming phone call on the dynamically selected phone number, connecting the incoming call to an outgoing call to the call center, and providing the context information to a computer corresponding to an agent to whom the outgoing call is connected. The context information may include a web page viewed by the user, and may be sufficient to provide a co-browsing capability. The technique may be utilized with or without session based web pages and may be performed by a sever that serves web page content to the user or a third party service provider. |
| US08571200B2 |
Interactive voice response system and method with common interface and intelligent agent monitoring
A modular interactive voice recognition (“IVR”) overlay system and a method of processing calls. The system provides an application server, a plurality of agent workstations and a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to allow a hybrid approach to processing calls using an automated IVR and live agents. The system and method allow a single agent to process multiple calls simultaneously and is compatible with existing IVR systems and can be implemented as an add-on to existing IVR systems. |
| US08571187B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for dynamically recognizing terms utilized within electronic mail messages
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a message; detect a message term within the message; search for a match between the message term and a stored term; and display a description based on the match wherein the description is utilized for describing the message term and the description corresponds with the stored term. |
| US08571184B2 |
Device and associated method for measuring crosstalk
The present invention relates to a device (108, 109, 110) comprising an interface to at least one active subscriber line (112) and an interface to at least one inactive subscriber line (111). The device (108, 109, 110) comprises means for transmitting a first signal on the inactive subscriber line (111) and means for synchronously measuring crosstalk (130; 201, 203, 205, 207) induced into the active subscriber line (112) by transmitting the first signal on the inactive subscriber line (111). |
| US08571182B2 |
Systems and methods of masking non-service affecting alarms in a communication system
According to one embodiment, a method may include detecting existence of an alarm-triggering event associated with a service at a maintenance level. The method may also include analyzing one or more parameters associated with carrier traffic for the service. The method may additionally include determining whether a data path for carrier traffic associated with the service is operational based on the analysis of the one or more parameters. The method may further include masking or downgrading an alarm triggered by the alarm-triggering event in response to a determination that the data path is operational. |
| US08571180B2 |
Miniature X-ray tube for a catheter
A miniature X-ray tube for intravascular or intracorporeal radiation treatment in living beings is proposed. The X-ray tube comprises a cylindrical housing section with a longitudinal axis. The miniature X-ray tube also comprises a cylindrical or cylindrical-tube-shaped first field emission cathode arranged concentrically about the longitudinal axis in the housing with a plurality of carbon nanotubes which emit electrons radially outward. The miniature X-ray tube also comprises a second field emission cathode in the housing with a plurality of carbon nanotubes which emit electrons in the direction of longitudinal axis. The miniature X-ray tube only emits little heat and is robust against mechanical stresses. |
| US08571174B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting possible error in patient position
Systems and methods for automatically and dynamically modifying an image acquisition parameter for use in tomosynthesis breast imaging. A selected image acquisition parameter is modified in response to a measured characteristic of an imaged object such as a breast, and thus tailored to provide the highest quality image for the particular object. For example, image quality in a breast tomosynthesis system can be improved by dynamically varying motion and other acquisition parameters of the tomosynthesis system in response to physical characteristics of the breast to be imaged (determined during image acquisition), such as the breast thickness, density or composition. Dynamically varying acquisition or processing methods helps to customize the system for each particular patient, thereby improving image quality and identification and assessment of potential pathologies and abnormalities, and lower radiation dose, and thus a reduced the risk of long-term adverse health effects due to lifetime accumulated radiation dose. |
| US08571173B2 |
Mammography apparatus comprising a rotatably mounted fixture for at least two X-ray receivers
A mammography unit having a mounting arm, on which a mounting for at least two X-ray receivers is rotatably disposed in such a way that one X-ray receiver at a time is positioned in an examination position inside an intended X-radiation field, while other X-ray receivers each remain in a reserve position outside the X-radiation field, is provided. The at least one reserve position is disposed on a side located in the X-radiation direction, relative to the mounting arm. In the case of two X-ray receivers, the X-ray receivers each form a lateral angle of between 45° and 90° with the axis of rotation of the mounting. By using a releasable connection of the mounting to the mammography unit, high modularity is provided. |
| US08571170B2 |
Shift register circuit
An object is to enhance the driving capability and improve the operating speed of a unit shift register applicable to a scanning line driving circuit having a partial display function. A unit shift register forming a gate line driving circuit includes a first transistor that supplies a first clock signal to a first output terminal, a second transistor that supplies a second clock signal to a second output terminal, a third transistor that charges the gate of the first transistor in response to activation of a shift signal of the previous stage, and a fourth transistor connected between the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor. The first clock signal and the second clock signal have the same phase, and only the second clock signal is activated in a particular period (a display ineffective period). |
| US08571169B2 |
Scanning line driving circuit
Provided are a bi-directional scanning type gate line driving circuit that does not require a dummy unit shift register and a method of driving the same. In a gate line driving circuit including a multi-stage shift register capable of bi-directional shifting, a start pulse is input to a unit shift register at a first stage and a unit shift register at the last stage of the multi-stage shift register. In forward shifting, a clock signal supplied to the unit shift register at the last stage is kept at a deactivation level during a period from a time at which an activation period of an output signal of the unit shift register at the last stage ends to a time at which the start pulse is activated during a subsequent frame period. |
| US08571166B2 |
Core of light water reactor and fuel assembly
A core of a light water reactor having a plurality of fuel assemblies, which are loaded in said core, having nuclear fuel material containing a plurality of isotopes of transuranium nuclides, an upper blanket zone, a lower blanket zone, and a fissile zone, in which the transuranium nuclides are contained, disposed between the upper blanket zone and the lower blanket zone, wherein a ratio of Pu-239 in all the transuranium nuclides contained in the loaded fuel assembly is in a range of 40 to 60% when burnup of the fuel assembly is 0, sum of a height of the lower blanket zone and a height of the upper blanket zone is in a range of 250 to 600 mm, and the height of said lower blanket zone is in a range of 1.6 to 12 times the height of the upper blanket zone. |
| US08571165B2 |
Neutron absorber consisting of refractory metal infused with discrete neutron absorber
The present invention provides a gray rod control assembly for a nuclear reactor. The gray rod control assembly includes a spider assembly having a plurality of radial extending flukes and a plurality of gray rod assemblies coupled to the flukes of the spider assembly. Each of the gray rod assemblies includes an elongated tubular member, a first end plug, a second end plug, and a neutron absorber. The neutron absorber includes a matrix of refractory metal fabricated to be porous into which a metal or metal alloy is infused. The neutron absorber is distributed among a plurality of the gray rod assemblies. |
| US08571164B2 |
Clamping jig and system for measuring spacer grids for nuclear fuel assembly
In a clamping jig and system for inspecting spacer grids for a nuclear fuel assembly, the jig firmly and precisely clamps a variety of grids on a measurement stage moving at high speed so that, among constituent parts of the nuclear fuel assembly, the spacer grids can be inspected using a non-contact measurer. The clamping jig includes a frame having a plurality of holding recesses into which the corresponding spacer grids are inserted, supporting means mounted in each holding recess of the frame to allow each spacer grid to be adjusted from below so it can be maintained in a horizontal state, clamping means installed around each holding recess to clamp two adjacent sides of each spacer grid to a corner of the respective holding recess, and resilient means installed on the sides opposite the clamping means and resiliently supporting the other two sides of each spacer grid. |
| US08571163B2 |
Monitoring method and monitoring program for boiling water reactor, and acoustic damping method for boiling water reactor
A method for monitoring and acoustic damping a boiling water reactor which includes: a reactor pressure vessel; a steam pipe for transporting steam out from a steam dome of the reactor pressure vessel; a high pressure turbine driven by the steam; a feedwater heater which heats feedwater supplied to the reactor pressure vessel using bleed steam from the high pressure turbine; a bleeding valve which adjusts a flow rate of the bleed steam; and a pressure sensor provided in a main steam line including the steam dome and the steam pipe. The method includes monitoring a fluctuating pressure in the main steam line and controlling an opening degree of the bleeding valve based on a magnitude of the fluctuating pressure. |
| US08571159B1 |
Apparatus and methods for high-speed interpolator-based clock and data recovery
One embodiment relates to an interpolator-based clock and data recovery circuit which includes a de-multiplexer and a voting circuit. The de-multiplexer is arranged to de-multiplex a feedback signal from a sampler, and the voting circuit is arranged decimate the de-multiplexed feedback signal. The decimated feedback signal may be provided to a digital filter. Another embodiment relates to a method for clock and data recovery from a data signal. The method includes de-multiplexing and decimation of a feedback signal. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed. |
| US08571158B2 |
Method and data transceiving system for generating reference clock signal
A method and a data transceiving system for generating a reference clock signal are provided. The data transceiving system comprises a voltage controlled oscillator, a phase lock loop (PLL) unit, and a data receiver. The voltage controlled oscillator is used to generate a reference clock signal. The PLL unit is used to increase a clock frequency of the reference clock signal to generate a PLL clock signal. The data receiver is used to compare the PLL clock signal with a clock signal of an input data stream, so as to output a voltage adjusting signal to the voltage controlled oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator adjusts the clock frequency of the reference clock signal to be generated according to the reference clock signal, so as to lock the clock frequency of the PLL clock signal to a base frequency of the clock signal of the input data stream. |
| US08571155B2 |
Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion
Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion. Synthesis of one or more distortion terms made based on a digital signal (e.g., one or more digital codewords) is performed in accordance with digital to analog conversion. The one or more distortion terms may correspond to aliased higher-order harmonics, distortion, nonlinearities, clipping, etc. Such distortion terms may be known a priori, such as based upon particular characteristics of a given device, operational history, etc. Alternatively, such distortion terms may be determined based upon operation of a device and/or based upon an analog signal generated from the analog to conversion process. For example, frequency selective measurements made based on an analog signal generated from the digital to analog conversion may be used for determination of and/or adaptation of the one or more distortion terms. One or more DACs may be employed within various architectures operative to perform digital to analog conversion. |
| US08571151B2 |
Emulation of N-bits uniform quantizer from multiple incoherent and noisy one-bit measurements
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for emulating N-bits uniform quantization of a received pulse signal by using one-bit signal measurements. One method for wireless communications includes receiving a signal transmitted over a wireless channel, wherein the signal comprises a sequence of pulses, applying gain values to the pulses to obtain a binary matrix for each gain value, generating a probability vector for each gain value using the binary matrix obtained for that gain value, and generating an output signal by linearly combining the probability vectors. |
| US08571150B2 |
Frequency offset compensation apparatus
According to one embodiment, a frequency offset compensation apparatus includes a first estimation unit, a second estimation unit, a setting unit, a synthesis unit and a compensation unit. The first estimation unit estimates a first rotation. The second estimation unit estimates a second rotation. The setting unit sets a weighting factor for the second rotation to a first value if a received power is less than a threshold value, and sets the weighting factor for the rotation to a second value being smaller than the first value if the received power is not less than the threshold value. The synthesis unit calculates a compensation value. The compensation unit compensates for a frequency offset. |
| US08571147B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing the time required to acquire a GPS signal
A method of correlating a digital communications signal is described. In an example, a window is defined equal to a portion of an epoch of the digital communication signal. The digital communication signal is then correlated across the window. A determination is made as to whether a correlation peak results from the correlating. Timing parameters are then established for receiving additional digital communication signals in response to presence of the correlation peak. |
| US08571145B2 |
System and method for MIMO decoding
A method, a system, a wireless device and a computer program product are provided. A process for decoding transmitted symbols in MIMO systems is provided. The received point coordinates and estimated candidate coordinates are represented by a reduced bit representation naturally dividing each dimension into uniformly sized bit segments. A bounded region surrounding the received point is defined in the total number of dimensions, the bounded region being a hypercube. For each candidate, an elimination process is carried out including: determining a position of the candidate to be inside or outside the bounded region, eliminating the candidate if it is outside, storing it if it is inside, adding a further bit thereby reducing a size of the bounding region; repeating the elimination process for the candidates stored as potential solutions until a single solution is obtained; determining the transmitted symbols from the single solution found. |
| US08571142B1 |
System and method for non-crystal-based communications
Systems and methods for using non-crystal-based reference oscillators in the transmission and reception of frequency-modulated signals are disclosed. To protect against intrusion on neighboring designated frequency bands, guard bands, having a collective width greater than the total expected error based on the contribution of the frequency error from the non-crystal-based oscillators in the transmitter and/or receiver, can be designated. To protect against inter-channel interference within a designated frequency band, transmitters and receivers can include static sub-bandwidths wider than any possible total frequency error, such that it would be impossible for a transmitter or receiver to attempt to communicate on an unintended sub-band. The determination of the total possible frequency error can be determined dynamically based on the correlation between a received training sequence and a known pattern before or a communication session to avoid or correct for frequency offset or drift due to the use of non-crystal-based reference oscillators. |
| US08571140B1 |
Methods and apparatus for providing a maximum likelihood (ML) decoding pipeline for quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receivers
Methods and apparatus are provided for performing log-likelihood ratio (LLR) computations in a pipeline. Portions of a metric used to compute LLR values are computed in one pipeline part. The portions correspond to all permutations of some received signal streams. The portions are combined with one permutation x2 of the received signal stream that was not included in the previous pipeline computation in a subsequent pipeline part to produce M values associated with a particular bit position. At each subsequent clock cycle, a different permutation of x2 is combined with the previously computed portions producing different M values. State values corresponding to different values of bit positions of the received stream are computed by finding the minimum among the M values, in each clock cycle, that affect a particular bit position. The state values are combined to compute the LLR values for the bit position in a final pipeline part. |
| US08571138B2 |
Fast generalized decision feedback equalizer precoder implementation for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output wireless transmission systems
A technique is used to realize a generalized decision feedback equalizer (GDFE) Precoder for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems, which significantly reduces the computational cost while resulting in no capacity loss. The technique is suitable for improving the performance of various MU-MIMO wireless systems including future 4G cellular networks. In one embodiment, a method for configuring a GDFE precoder in a base station of a MU-MIMO wireless system having k user terminals, each user terminal having associated therewith a feedforward filter. The method comprises computing a filter matrix C using one of a plurality of alternative formulas of the invention; and, based on the computation of the filter matrix C, computing a transmit filter matrix B for a transmit filter used to process a symbol vector obtained after a decision feedback equalizing stage of the GDFE precoder, a feedforward filter matrix F, and an interference pre-cancellation matrix G. |
| US08571137B2 |
Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion
Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion. Synthesis of one or more distortion terms made based on a digital signal (e.g., one or more digital codewords) is performed in accordance with digital to analog conversion. The one or more distortion terms may correspond to aliased higher-order harmonics, distortion, nonlinearities, clipping, etc. Such distortion terms may be known a priori, such as based upon particular characteristics of a given device, operational history, etc. Alternatively, such distortion terms may be determined based upon operation of a device and/or based upon an analog signal generated from the analog to conversion process. For example, frequency selective measurements made based on an analog signal generated from the digital to analog conversion may be used for determination of and/or adaptation of the one or more distortion terms. One or more DACs may be employed within various architectures operative to perform digital to analog conversion. |
| US08571129B2 |
Portable terminal and method for operating of MIMO antenna thereof
A portable terminal and a method operate multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas. Received signal strength indications (RSSIs) of the MIMO antennas are measured through a wireless communication unit that transmits and receives a wireless signal using the MIMO antennas. A path between a MIMO antenna with a greatest RSSI and a broadcast receiving unit is connected during a broadcast mode. |
| US08571122B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiplexing data and control information in wireless communication systems based on frequency division multiple access
A signal reception apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive a symbol block within a symbol period of a wireless communication network and a control information demodulator/decoder configured for demultiplexing control information and data information from the received symbol block. |
| US08571121B2 |
Method for SER approximation for OSTBC in distributed wire communication systems
A method for Symbol Error Rate (SER) approximation of an SER-based transmission power allocation operation for an Orthogonal Space Time Block Code in a DWCS equipped with multiple transmission Distributed Antennas (DA) geographically dispersed at random. The method for SER approximation includes the steps of: setting multiple combinable antenna subsets from the multiple DAs; selecting a quasi-optimal antenna subset Ag (1≦g≦2n−1) having a quasi-optimal power allocation weight wg based on predetermined power allocation, for each of the set multiple antenna subsets; and calculating an SER approximation value of the selected quasi-optimal antenna subset by applying a Probability Density Function (PDF) of a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) to the OSTBC SER having symbol constellation of a predetermined modulation scheme. The output of the SER approximation value can be output to a transmitter, or to a space-time encoder of a central processor for optimal power transmission. |
| US08571119B2 |
Software defined radio for modulation and demodulation of multiple communication standards
A Software Defined Radio (SDR) subsystem capable of supporting a multiple communication standards and platforms for modulation, demodulation and trans-modulation of an input signal is provided. The SDR subsystem includes a Signal Conditioning Cluster (SCC) unit that includes a signal conditioning CPU adapted for sample based signal processing, a Signal Processing Cluster (SPC) unit that includes a signal processing CPU adapted for block based signal processing, and a Channel Codec Cluster (CCC) unit that performs a channel encoding or a channel decoding operation. |
| US08571115B2 |
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. |
| US08571114B2 |
Sparse geometry for super resolution video processing
In a method of analyzing an input video sequence, pixels of synthesized images of an output video sequence are associated with respective directions of regularity belonging to a predefined set of directions. A first subset of candidate directions is determined from the predefined set of directions for a region of a first image of the output sequence. For a corresponding region of a second synthesized image of the output sequence following the first image, a second subset of candidate directions is determined from the predefined set of directions, based on images of the input sequence and the first subset of candidate directions. The directions of regularity for pixels of this region of the second synthesized image are detected from the second subset of candidate directions. The recursive determination of the subsets of candidate directions provides a sparse geometry for efficiently analyzing the video sequence. The method is well suited for super-resolution video applications such as deinterlacing, frame rate conversion and noise reduction. |
| US08571112B2 |
Specification method and apparatus for coding and decoding
A coding method, a decoding method, a coding apparatus, and a decoding apparatus are disclosed herein. A coding method includes: obtaining a value of each sample of an input data frame; determining pulse samples and non-pulse samples in the input data frame according to the distribution of values of samples of the input data frame; encoding the determined pulse samples in the input data frame in a first coding mode to obtain a first data stream; encoding the determined non-pulse samples in the input data frame in a second coding mode to obtain a second data stream; and multiplexing the first data stream and the second data stream to obtain an output coded data stream of the input data frame. Compared with the prior art, the technical solution under the present disclosure reduces the number of bits required for encoding the entire data frame is reduced, and improves the compression efficiency of the data frame with a wide dynamic range. |
| US08571109B2 |
Block error compensating apparatus of image frame and method thereof
An apparatus and method are provided for compensating a block error in an image frame. This may include a video codec decoder for decoding an inputted image frame, and outputting a decoded image frame. An error concealment block may detect an error-generated block in the decoded image frame and compensate the detected error block through a median filter, and output the compensated image frame. |
| US08571107B2 |
Moving picture encoding method and decoding method
Moving picture decoding method including a prediction mode, in which a motion vector for a target block of decoding is not included in coded bitstreams, and the motion vector for the target block of decoding is created on a decoding side. In case that there are a plurality of different forward reference frames, determining one forward reference frame from the plurality of reference frames as a forward reference frame used in the prediction mode. In case that there is only one forward reference frame, determining the forward reference frame as a forward reference frame used in the prediction mode. In case that there is no forward reference frame, determining preset one frame as a forward reference frame used in the prediction mode. Via the above, determining one forward reference frame as a forward reference frame of the target block of decoding in all of the cases. |
| US08571100B2 |
Fast intra mode prediction for a video encoder
There are provided video encoders and corresponding methods for encoding video data for an image that is divisible into macroblocks. A video encoder includes an encoder for performing into mode selection when encoding a current macroblock by testing a first subset of intra modes to compute a rate distortion cost, and utilizing the rate distortion cost to determine whether to terminate the intra mode selection and which additional intra modes, if any, are to be examined with respect to the current macroblock. |
| US08571099B2 |
Decoder with dynamic range compensation
A system for decoding video including receiving quantized coefficients representative of a block of video representative of a plurality of pixels and dequantizing the quantized coefficients. The system inverse transform the dequantized coefficients using a first one dimensional inverse transform and a second one dimensional inverse transform to determine a decoded residue where the result of the first one-dimensional inverse transform are shifted different amounts using a shifting process based upon the magnitude of the dequantized coefficients. |
| US08571096B2 |
Ultra-wideband communication system for very high data rates
The invention concerns an ultra-wideband information transmission method comprising a first encoding step on the part of the transmitter, in which a pulse group which is formed from a predetermined number of individual pulses is encoded in dependence on values of a random number sequence, and a correlation step on the part of the receiver in which correlation of a reception signal with a signal pattern is effected, wherein the signal pattern corresponds to the whole pulse group to be expected when using the same values of the random number sequence. |
| US08571090B2 |
Technique for searching for a preamble signal in a spread spectrum using a fast hadamard transform
In one embodiment, a method for demodulating and searching for a preamble signal containing a complex phasor signal is disclosed. The complex phasor is demodulated using a phasor-rotated fast transformer. A received signal is correlated with a spreading code to produce a correlated signal. The correlated signal is coherently accumulated to produce a coherently accumulated signal. A first phasor-rotated signal transformation is performed on a real component of the coherently accumulated signal, and a second phasor-rotated signal transformation is performed on an imaginary component of the coherently accumulated signal. Finally, the signal power of the transformed real and imaginary components of the coherently accumulated signal is determined. |
| US08571088B2 |
Suppression of multipath effects for received SPS signals
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to suppressing the effects of multipath signals. For an example, a signal comprising at least one binary offset carrier (BOC) modulation signal is received. The BOC modulation signal is modulated with a pseudorandom noise sequence comprising a plurality of chips, wherein each of the chips has a set interval. The received signal is correlated with portions of the plurality of chips to provide a power signal and to remove at least a portion of a multipath component in the received signal from the power signal. The portions of the chips are less than the set interval. |
| US08571080B2 |
High efficiency slab-coupled optical waveguide laser and amplifier
A slab-coupled optical waveguide laser (SCOWL) is provided that includes an upper and lower waveguide region for guiding a laser mode. The upper waveguide region is positioned in the interior regions of the SCOWL. The lower waveguide region also guides the laser mode. The lower waveguide region is positioned in an area underneath the upper waveguide region. An active region is positioned between the upper waveguide region and the lower waveguide region. The active region is arranged so etching into the SCOWL is permitted to define one or more ridge structures leaving the active region unetched. |
| US08571079B1 |
Average-power control loops and methods through laser supply voltage closed-loop control
Average-power control loops and methods through laser supply voltage closed-loop control. In accordance with one of the methods, a switching converter is coupled to provide power to a first terminal of a laser diode, a programmable current source is coupled to control the average current through a laser diode, an average power control circuit is coupled to a monitor diode to monitor the average power out of a laser diode and to control the programmable current source to maintain a desired average power out of a laser diode, and the output of the switching converter is adjusted responsive to the headroom of the programmable current source to limit the output of the switching converter to a voltage that will still assure adequate operation of the current source. Various embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08571078B2 |
Laser driver and optical transmitter implementing the same
An LD-Driver with the push-pull arrangement is disclosed. The driver includes the high side driver driven by the positive phase signal and the low side driver driven by the negative phase signal. When the positive phase signal is in HIGH, the high side driver becomes ON and the LD driver provides additional current to the bias current for the LD; while, when the negative phase signal is in HIGH, the low side driver becomes ON and the LD driver extracts a portion of the bias current for the LD. |
| US08571072B2 |
Arrangement for synchronizing access points in WLAN using direct-sequence spread spectrum signaling
An arrangement for providing synchronization between a number of overlapping area access points within a wireless LAN utilizes a Power over Ethernet (PoE) cable connection to transmit synchronization signals from a centralized hub/switch to each of the access points connected to the cable. The synchronization signal takes the form of a direct sequence spread spectrum (DS-SS) signal that is coupled onto the twisted pair used to provide the low voltage PoE signal to various powered devices. At each access point, a filter is used to remove the synchronization signal from the PoE transport, allowing for the group of access points to share a common beacon signal and allow for frequency re-use among the access points. The DS-SS signal is preferable created by a combination of a baseband signal and a set of separate pseudo noise (PN) sequences defining a precision phase (“pilot tone”) signal, a time mark (superframe/beacon) signal, and a time-of-day (real-time clock) signal. |
| US08571071B2 |
Method and radio base station for scheduling traffic in wide area cellular telephone networks
A method for scheduling traffic in wide area cellular telephone networks supporting the High-Speed Downlink Packet Access. The traffic contains packets related to users that are buffered in priority queues according to a value (i) which indicates a priority for transmission assigned to an incoming packet. The method includes determining a delay td of the incoming packet. The method also includes calculating at a current scheduling time t at least one value of a scheduling priority SchedP(i,t) where scheduling priority SchedP(i,t) is a function of the value (i) indicating the priority of the incoming packet and the delay td of the incoming packet. The further includes scheduling the packets buffered in the priority queues according to the values of the scheduling priority SchedP(i,t), and repeating the method every transmission time interval. |
| US08571068B2 |
Network timing distribution and synchronization using virtual network delays
A network component comprising a source-delay locked loop (S-DLL), a source timestamp queue (S-Q) coupled to the S-DLL, and a switch fabric coupled to the S-Q such that the S-Q is positioned between the switch fabric and the S-DLL, and wherein the S-DLL is configured to couple to an absolute timing component. Disclosed is a method comprising queuing a plurality of timestamps at a plurality of timestamp intervals from a source node, returning the received timestamps to the source node at the same timestamp intervals, receiving a plurality of offsets corresponding to the timestamps that are calculated using a virtual delay time for the timestamps from the source node, and aligning the queued timestamps to match the virtual delay time before processing additional timestamps to synchronize transmissions and establish frequency alignment with the source node. |
| US08571067B2 |
Method and device for generating and mapping channel state information reference signal sequence
The present invention provides a method and device for generating and mapping a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) sequence, and the method includes: generating a pseudo-random sequence according to a pseudo-random sequence initial value, performing a Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation on the pseudo-random sequence, and obtaining a first CSI-RS sequence according to maximum bandwidth of system; and cutting the first CSI-RS sequence according to the actual bandwidth of the system, obtaining a second CSI-RS sequence, and mapping the second CSI-RS sequence to a time frequency location of a CSI-RS antenna port. The CSI-RS reference signal sequence can be generated or obtained respectively at the UE terminal and eNB terminal in accordance with the stated methods for generating and mapping the reference sequence according to known parameters by the present invention, so that the calculated CSI-RS sequence can be utilized to measure the channel at the UE terminal. |
| US08571062B1 |
Multichannel data conversion into packets
A system and method are provided for converting multichannel serial data streams into packets. The method accepts a plurality of serial data streams in a corresponding plurality of channels. In a time domain multiplexed (TDM) fashion, groups with an undetermined number of data bits are packed from each data stream, into an associated channel segment queue, where each segment includes a predetermined number of bits. In a TDM fashion, segments are loaded into an associated channel payload queue, where each payload includes a predetermined number of segments. Once a payload is filled, an associated pointer is created in a pointer queue. The method selects a pointer from the pointer queue, creates a packet from the payload associated with the selected pointer, and transmits the packet via a packet interface. The packet overhead may include information stored in the pointer, a packet header, or a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) checksum. |
| US08571060B2 |
Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to mobile telephony devices
Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to a mobile telephony device that is roaming outside of its native service area make use of a forwarding termination service. The forwarding termination service causes the native mobile telephony service provider that provides service to the mobile telephony device to forward incoming telephony communications directed the native telephone number of the mobile telephony device to a forwarding access number. The forwarding termination service receives telephony communications directed to the forwarding access number, and then terminates the telephony communication to the mobile telephony device via any one of multiple different methods. The mobile telephony service provider can be instructed to implement and cancel call forwarding instructions by dialing a special character string on the mobile telephony device. |
| US08571059B1 |
Apparatus and methods for serial interfaces with shared datapaths
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for providing a serial interface with shared datapaths. The apparatus and methods share or re-use components from multiple lower-speed datapaths so as to efficiently provide a higher-speed datapath. In one embodiment, physical coding sublayer circuitry of the lower-speed datapaths is also used by the higher-speed datapath. In another embodiment, physical media access circuitry of the lower-speed data paths is also used by the higher-speed datapath. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed. |
| US08571058B2 |
Terminal apparatus, data transmission system and data transmission method
There is provided a terminal apparatus including a message monitor to gather transmission request information from each of first and second terminating apparatus, a dynamic bandwidth allocation unit to allocate each transmission band in accordance with the gathered transmission request information, determine a size and an alignment position of a time slot in accordance with the allocated transmission band, determine a transmission start time of the time slot, and allocate an extinction period so as to stop a transmission of an optical signal between a time slot of the optical signal with the second transmission rate and a time slot following the time slot of the optical signal with the second transmission rate, and a MAC controller to generate a control frame for notifying each of the first and second terminating apparatus of the transmission start time and the size of the time slot. |
| US08571056B1 |
Enhanced control channel for a wireless device
A base station receives a first radio resource control (RRC) message comprising parameter(s) indicating whether a wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH). The base station transmits a second RRC message causing configuration of first radio resources of a first ePDCCH. The base station transmits scheduling information on the first ePDCCH. |
| US08571055B2 |
Sending permission assignment in telecommunications system
A method for assigning sending permissions in a telecommunications system and a telecommunications system comprising a unit (20) providing access to said system for at least one telecommunication terminal (40) and a control unit (11) for scheduling data transfer between said at least one telecommunication terminal and the telecommunications system, whereby the control unit (11) is located apart from the access providing unit (20) and whereby said data transfer takes place on at least one transmission channel and more than one telecommunication terminal is arranged to use the same transmission channel so that a telecommunication terminal is allowed to send on the transmission channel when a sending permission is assigned to said telecommunication terminal, whereby the access providing unit (20) is arranged to assign a sending permission to the telecommunication terminal. |
| US08571054B2 |
Terminal distribution control for point-to-multipoint service in wireless communication system
A method for controlling a user equipment (UE) capable of receiving a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system comprises receiving a point-to-multipoint service and performing a cell reselection in response to completion of the receiving of the point-to-multipoint service. The cell reselection is performed among multiple frequencies. The cell reselection may be performed in response to signaling from the network. The cell reselection may be performed regardless of whether cell reselection criteria are satisfied. The cell reselection criteria may comprise at least one of a cell reselection reference value between frequencies and a cell reselection reference value within a frequency. The cell reselection criteria may be embodied in frequency layer dispersion (FLD) information. Alternatively, the cell reselection criteria may be embodied in frequency layer convergence (FLC) information. |
| US08571052B2 |
Determining the configuration of an ethernet fabric
A Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) device obtains knowledge of the configuration of an attached Ethernet fabric during a fabric initialization or login (FLOGI) process. FCoE N_Ports obtain similar information during the port initialization or login (PLOGI) process. The FCoE device may provide network management services to attached FCoE devices. Embodiments include a management module or processor within an FCoE N_Port. The management module or processor receives information associated with an Ethernet fabric from the FCoE N_Ports and provides management services based on the information associated with the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Port communicatively couples to at least one additional FCoE N_Port through the Ethernet fabric. The FCoE N_Ports may be implemented within a disc storage drive, a host bus adapter, and/or an FCoE switch. The capability of an N_Port to obtain this information allows a management module or processor at the N_Port to manage the Ethernet fabric. |
| US08571049B2 |
Setting and changing queue sizes in line cards
A device may include a first line card and a second line card. The first line card may include a memory including queues. In addition, the first line card may include a processor. The processor may identify, among the queues, a queue whose size is to be modified, change the size of the identified queue, receive a packet, insert a header cell associated with the packet in the identified queue, identify a second line card from which the packet is to be sent to another device in a network, remove the header cell from the identified queue, and forward the header cell to the second line card. The second line card may receive the header cell from the first line card, and send the packet to the other device in the network. |
| US08571048B2 |
Dynamic memory queue depth algorithm
A method of modifying a priority queue configuration of a network switch is described. The method comprises configuring a priority queue configuration, monitoring a network parameter, and adjusting the priority queue configuration based on the monitored network parameter. |
| US08571044B2 |
Gateway for data transfer between serial buses
A gateway for data transfer between serial buses, including multiple communication modules that are each provided for connection of one serial bus, and that carry out a conversion between data packets and data words, a bus master that, via an internal control bus, controls a word-based transfer of data via an internal data bus between two communication modules, the bus master applying a source address via a source address bus to an internally transmitting first communication module, and a destination address via a separate destination address bus to an internally receiving second communication module, data received in data packets by the first communication module via a first serial bus connected thereto being transferred from the first communication module directly without buffering, in word-based fashion in one or more data words, via the internal data bus to the second communication module, which delivers these transferred data, in data packets, via a second serial bus connected to the second communication module. |
| US08571043B2 |
Using a single point code to represent multiple switching devices
Described are methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for using a single point code to represent multiple switching devices. A first software node and a second software node are associated to the single point code. The first software node is assigned to a first switch and the second software node is assigned to a PSTN. Signaling data associated with the point code is received via signaling links associated with the first switch. The signaling data is routed to the first software node or a second switch based on a criterion. |
| US08571039B2 |
Encoding and decoding speech signals
A method and apparatus for transmitting an audio signal over a communication channel comprising encoding the audio signal with an encoder 204 using a first sampling rate, filtering the audio signal using a first cut off frequency, the first cut off frequency being chosen in dependence upon the first sampling rate, and transmitting the encoded and filtered audio signal over the communication channel. The presence of a condition in which the sampling rate of the encoder 204 is to be switched to a second sampling rate at a switching time is determined and if the condition has been determined to be present, the cut off frequency used in the filtering step is gradually changed from the first cut off frequency to a second cut off frequency, the second cut off frequency being chosen in dependence upon the second sampling rate, such that the audio bandwidth of the transmitted signal changes gradually when the sampling rate is switched to the second sampling rate. |
| US08571038B2 |
Method to tunnel UDP-based device discovery
A method, apparatus, and system are described for a central station to allocate virtual IP addresses. A device service manager server (DSM) has a network access module configured to cooperate with two or more device service controllers (DSCs). The DSM serves as a central management station for allocating and assigning Virtual IP addresses to network devices to proxy communications for networked devices on a local area network (LAN) where each DSC resides. The DSM is located exterior from the network devices on the LAN where communications associated with the assigned VIP addresses are being routed to. The DSM assigns a Virtual IP Addresses to each DSC and establishes a route from the assigned Virtual IP address to a destination network device on a LAN, based on corresponding DSC and network device information stored in a registry of the DSM. |
| US08571036B2 |
Directional media access techniques with spatial reuse
Techniques are disclosed involving media access. For instance, wireless connections may be assigned into one or more groups. The assignments may be based on interference characteristics. Connection(s) within each of these groups may have acceptable interference characteristics with each other. Further, media access may be granted based on these groups. For example, if a device wishes to communicate across one of the connections, access may be granted for concurrent connections among all connections in the corresponding group. The granting of such access may be performed by a centralized controller device, such as an access point. |
| US08571035B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining locations of fields in a data unit
A packet processor for processing a data unit received from a network includes a header analyzer unit configured to obtain indications of locations in a header of the data unit of one or more fields to be parsed from the data unit to perform a packet processing operation on the data unit. The header analyzer unit comprises a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), and a memory separate from the TCAM and coupled to an output of the TCAM, wherein a content of the TCAM and a content of the memory are programmable. The header analyzer unit is configured to obtain, responsive to a lookup of at least one portion of the data unit in the TCAM, indications of locations in a header of the data unit of one or more fields to be parsed from the data unit to perform a packet processing operation on the data unit. The packet processor further comprises a parser configured to parse the header using the indications of locations of one or more fields in the header to obtain data from the one or more fields. |
| US08571034B2 |
Methods and apparatus related to packet classification associated with a multi-stage switch
In one embodiment, an apparatus can include a policy vector module configured to retrieve a compressed policy vector based on a portion of a data packet received at a multi-stage switch. The apparatus can also include a decompression module configured to receive the compressed policy vector and configured to define a decompressed policy vector based on the compressed policy vector. The decompressed policy vector can define a combination of bit values associated with a policy. |
| US08571033B2 |
Smart routing between peers in a point-to-point link based system
Smart routing between peers in a point-to-point link based system begins when a device of a plurality of devices in a point-to-point link interconnected system receives a packet from an upstream link or a downstream link. The processing continues when the device interprets the packet to determine a destination of the packet. If the device is the destination of the packet, the device accepts the packet. If, however, the device is not the destination of the packet, the device forwards the packet on another upstream link or another downstream link without alteration of at least one of: source information of the packet and destination information of the packet. |
| US08571031B2 |
Configurable frame processing pipeline in a packet switch
Highly configurable frame processing pipelines are enabled in packet switches in an efficient manner which satisfies stringent area and power requirements. Frame processing pipelines are described that enable dynamic processing of different types of frames on a per frame basis. |
| US08571029B1 |
Label switched path hierarchy for intra-area segments of inter-area point-to-multipoint label switched paths
In general, techniques are described for providing multicast communication in a seamless MPLS architecture, in which thousands of PE routers within different routing areas of the same AS require P2MP connectivity to receive multicast communication. In particular, the techniques enable building inter-area P2MP segmented LSPs within an AS by stitching together intra-area segments of the inter-area P2MP segmented LSPs. The techniques provide LSP hierarchy with segmentation to enable aggregation of congruent intra-area segments within a routing area into an intra-area aggregate LSP. The AS may use the BGP as the inter-area label distribution protocol, and each routing area within the AS may independently select one of the multicast MPLS protocols as its intra-area label distribution protocol. The seamless MPLS architecture may be used by private network instances, such as multicast VPLS instances, MVPN instances, and IP multicast instances. |
| US08571026B2 |
System and method for an intelligent load center with integrated powerline communications network switching and network management capabilities
In a typical powerline communications environment, all electrical outlets and branches are connected to a load center. In this type of electrical system, all communication devices will share the same frequency spectrum, limiting the maximum bandwidth of the network, where all nodes are in contention with each other. In the inventive system, the electrical load center would provide filtering to isolate all branches off the load center into different network segments all capable of carrying the maximum bandwidth allowed by the physical layer technology. The advantages of the method described by this invention will be most noticeable when high bandwidth devices are communicating with each other on the same electrical segment, for example a HDTV receiver communicating with a HDTV monitor in the same room. |
| US08571024B2 |
Pipelined packet switching and queuing architecture
An architecture for a line card in a network routing device is provided. The line card architecture provides a bi-directional interface between the routing device and a network, both receiving packets from the network and transmitting the packets to the network through one or more connecting ports. In both the receive and transmit path, packets processing and routing in a multi-stage, parallel pipeline that can operate on several packets at the same time to determine each packet's routing destination is provided. Once a routing destination determination is made, the line card architecture provides for each received packet to be modified to contain new routing information and additional header data to facilitate packet transmission through the switching fabric. The line card architecture further provides for the use of bandwidth management techniques in order to buffer and enqueue each packet for transmission through the switching fabric to a corresponding destination port. The transmit path of the line card architecture further incorporates additional features for treatment and replication of multicast packets. |
| US08571023B2 |
Methods and Apparatus Related to Packet Classification Based on Range Values
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a range selection module, a first stage of bloom filters, a second stage of bloom filters and a hashing module. The range selection module is configured to define a set of hash key vectors based on a set of range values associated with at least a portion of an address value from a data packet received at a multi-stage switch. The first stage of bloom filters and the second stage of bloom filters are collectively configured to determine that at least a portion of a hash key vector from the set of hash key vectors has a probability of being included in a hash table. The hashing module is configured to produce a hash value based on the hash key vector such that a first policy vector is selected based on the hash value and the first policy vector is decompressed to produce a second policy vector associated with the data packet. |
| US08571018B2 |
Sonet add/drop multiplexer with packet over sonet capability
An advanced SONET add/drop multiplexer capable of supporting packet over SONET and multiprotocol label switching. The add/drop multiplexer is capable of adding and/or dropping both STM and packet traffic, such as Internet Protocol traffic. This SONET add/drop multiplexer allows Internet Protocol streams which are added or dropped at different nodes to be carried over the same SONET path in a network, thereby greatly saving bandwidth. |
| US08571017B2 |
SIP parser/genesys-SIP parser-to parse SIP telephony events and decrypt the userdata in IP telephony
An apparatus, method, and medium for retrieving information from an internet protocol network are provided. The apparatus includes a network interface that is in communication with the internet protocol network. The network interface accesses a plurality of session initiation protocol events and a plurality of non-session initiation protocol events via the internet protocol network. The plurality of session initiation protocol events are transmitted on the internet protocol network, and the plurality of non-session initiation protocol events are transmitted from a non-internet protocol network to the internet protocol network. An input receives a parsing parameter, and a processor parses the plurality of session initiation protocol events and the plurality of non-session initiation protocol events that are accessed by the network interface based on the parsing parameter. A reporter reports parsing results of the processor. |
| US08571011B2 |
Method and system for providing voice over IP managed services utilizing a centralized data store
An approach provides interdomain traversal to support packetized voice transmissions. A centralized data store, maintained by a service provider, stores one or more user identifiers and an associated directory number. The centralized data store also stores routing information including one or more communication paths corresponding to the user identifier, wherein the routing information includes a data path or a circuit-switched path for establishing a call to the user. In response to a request for establishing the call to the directory number, the data store retrieves the routing information for use to establish the call. |
| US08571009B2 |
Transmitter and method for transmitting and receiving of voice data for VoIP service
Provided are a transmitting apparatus and voice data transmitting and receiving methods for providing VoIP services. When a call is started and an analog signal including a voice signal is input, the transmitting apparatus divides the analog signal into a plurality of voice data packets for transmission. Here, the plurality of voice data packets are generated by sampling with different phases in the same frequency. In addition, the transmitting apparatus inserts a time indication bit that is changed every transmission period into each of the voice data packets and transmits the voice data packets, and distinguishes voice data corresponding to a current transmission period based on the time indication bit. |
| US08571007B2 |
Synchronization of two communication networks of an electronic data-processing system
A method for synchronizing two communication networks of an electronic data-processing system, each of the networks including one or more respective nodes, may include establishing for each of the networks a respective time schedule that establishes at least one respective time slot for a respective synchronization message. The synchronization message time slots are established to coincide. The synchronization message of the first communication network is generated by one of the nodes of the first communication network. The synchronization message of the second communication network is generated as a function of the synchronization message of the first communication network. |
| US08571004B2 |
System and method for setting a data rate in TDMA communications
A mobile ad-hoc network includes a plurality of N mobile nodes and wireless communication links connecting the mobile nodes, which each include a communications device for transmitting and routing data packets wirelessly to other mobile nodes via the wireless communication links in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) data transmission protocol using a TDMA epoch that is divided into a beacon interval, digital voice interval and digital data interval. The mobile nodes monitor channel conditions using the beacon, digital voice and digital data intervals and provide a network conductivity performance as valid receptions occur within mobile nodes. A data rate is calculated and set for other N−1 mobile nodes using monitored channel conditions for the beacon, digital voice and digital data intervals. |
| US08571003B2 |
Timeslot sharing protocol for wireless communication networks
A method for transmitting information in a communication network of multiple nodes, in which information transmission is partitioned into successive superframes, and in which each superframe is partitioned into a beacon period followed by a data period, which may consist of a contention free period (CFP), and each beacon period and CFP of the data period is partitioned into timeslots. The method includes allocating to at least a first node of the multiple nodes a designated timeslot in which to transmit data in at least one of a plurality of superframes, and allocating to at least a second node of the multiple nodes the same designated timeslot in which to transmit information during at least one subsequent superframe. |
| US08571001B2 |
Radio communication base station apparatus and radio communication mobile station apparatus
A radio communication base station device can efficiently obtain a multiuser diversity gain from frequency scheduling while reducing the amount of a reference signal occupying an uplink. In the device, a grouping section (109) divides a plurality of RBs (Resource Blocks) into a plurality of RB groups. An RB group control unit (108) performs a control to change the correspondence relationship between the RBs and the RB groups with time. When the grouping section (109) divides the RBs into the RB groups, the RB control unit (108) performs a control to change a combination of the RBs included in each of the RB groups with time. A scheduling section (110) performs a scheduling of allocating each of a plurality of mobile stations to each of the RBs in each of the RB groups according to the reception quality of the reference signal. |
| US08571000B2 |
Peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction scheme for wireless communication
Techniques for sending a transmission in a manner to reduce peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of the transmission are described. A transmitter may select phases for a plurality of resource blocks based on a metric, e.g., PAPR. The transmitter may apply the selected phases to modulation symbols to be sent on the resource blocks. In one design, the transmitter may select one phase for each resource block and may apply the phase to all modulation symbols to be sent on the resource block. In another design, the transmitter may select multiple phases for multiple spatial layers in each resource block, one phase for each spatial layer. The transmitter may then apply each phase to all modulation symbols to be sent on one spatial layer in one resource block. For both designs, the transmitter may generate at least one OFDM symbol or at least one SC-FDMA symbol based on the modulation symbols after applying the selected phases. |
| US08570998B2 |
Facilitating method for handover of a mobile communication device
A method performed by a source long term evolution (LTE) base station includes buffering downlink user data packets for transmission to a mobile communication device in a buffer, sending the downlink user data packets to the mobile communication device, receiving uplink user data packets from the mobile communication device, receiving a handover response indicating a handover of the mobile communication device to a target base station, and selectively forwarding the downlink user data packets from said buffer to the target base station depending upon an RLC status report or hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback information. In response to the receiving the handover response, the source LTE base station stops the sending the downlink user data packets to the mobile communication device and transmits a handover command to the mobile communication device. |
| US08570995B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing access to a local area network
An apparatus, system and method for providing access to a local area network for a mobile station operable in a wide area network such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) network. In one embodiment, the apparatus (820) for use with a mobile station includes a resource allocator (831) configured to generate a message for the GSM network requesting at least one characteristic of a local area network. The apparatus (820) also includes an accumulator (832) configured to receive the at least one characteristic of the local area network to enable the mobile station to access the local area network. |
| US08570993B2 |
Wi-Fi intelligent selection engine
Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed to offload the usage of a cellular network by intelligent selection of broadband network connections such as Wi-Fi access points. A Wi-Fi transceiver on a mobile device is activated when certain conditions are met, such as a time, location, recognition of a radiofrequency (RF) environment, etc. The conditions are correlated with a database of known locations in which a one or more Wi-Fi access points are determined to exist. The Wi-Fi transceiver on the mobile device is activated and commanded to connect to a particular Wi-Fi access point. Dynamic intelligence ensures that the appropriate connection method is used, and minimizes handovers to networks or access points that are unreliable or that are predicted to become inaccessible to the mobile device. |
| US08570992B2 |
Dedicated signature allocation and choice
Methods for allocating and choosing dedicated signatures for random access are provided. Options for allocating dedicated signatures include allocating the dedicated signature from the unused space of the random signature root index when there is unused space and allocating more dedicated signatures from the same root index using the same time/frequency resources if additional signatures are needed, and reserving some preambles from the contention-based random access preambles from both sets of preambles. The present invention also proposes that the dedicated signatures be reserved in each of two sets of preambles. |
| US08570984B2 |
Method of channel assessment and channel searching in a wireless network
A method of channel assessment and channel searching in a wireless network is disclosed. The wireless network separately performs a channel assessment procedure and a channel searching procedure for channel change or another object. The channel assessment procedure is to measure a status or quality of a channel which is currently used in the wireless network. A coordinator of the wireless network designates a time interval for the channel assessment to notify other device of it. The channel assessment procedure may be performed periodically, and is preferably scheduled to allow other devices not to use the channel for the time interval which at least one device performs channel assessment. |
| US08570983B2 |
FDD/TDD wireless link for UNII band
Systems and methods for full duplex communications on a wireless link between two transceiver devices are disclosed. A first portion of outbound data is transmitted from one transceiver device to the other transceiver device on a first channel, while a first portion of inbound data from the other transceiver device is received on a second channel and the presence of a radiating source other than the inbound data is detected. A second portion of the outbound data is transmitted from the transceiver device to the other transceiver device on the second channel, while a second portion of the inbound data is received from the other of the two transceiver devices on the first channel and the presence of a radiating source other than the inbound data is detected. |
| US08570980B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing a serving cell change
A method and apparatus for performing a serving high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) cell change from a source cell to a target cell are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be pre-configured with HS-DSCH configuration for the target cell. The WTRU may start monitoring a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) on the target cell using the pre-loaded HS-DSCH configuration for the target cell on a condition that a measurement report is triggered by the event 1D. The WTRU may initiate a timer when the WTRU starts monitoring the HS-SCCH on the target cell. |
| US08570979B2 |
Mobility mechanism for service continuity with core element failure
A system comprising an inter-RAT/inter-network redundancy controller (IRC) is provided. The IRC is configured to communicate with a source gateway in communication with a source radio access network (RAN) using a first radio access technology (RAT). The IRC is further configured to communicate with a target gateway in communication with a target RAN using a second RAT. The IRC is further configured to promote a handover of a user equipment from the source RAN connected to the source gateway to the target RAN connected to the target gateway when the source gateway fails. |
| US08570977B2 |
Method and apparatus for handover in a wireless communication system
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate system frame number (SFN) indication and identification during a random access procedure (e.g., associated with a handover). As described herein, a target cell can configure one or more Random Access Responses (RARs) designated for transmission to a terminal during the access phase of a handover to include the SFN of the target cell. Techniques are further described herein by which the target cell can include SFN information in a sub-header associated with a RAR, in the payload of a RAR, and/or in other appropriate manners. In addition, the target cell can configure one or more flags of the RAR to indicate the presence of SFN information. Upon receiving a RAR with embedded SFN information, a terminal can utilize the SFN for operations such as frequency hopping or uplink resource configuration as described herein. |
| US08570973B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station and transmitting method
A wireless communication system in which a terminal selects a signal from a plurality of known signals and transmits the signal to the base station by any region in a region specified by the base station. The wireless communication system includes a setting unit that sets a region by a frequency range and a time interval as the region to be specified, wherein the region set by the setting unit and a region set by another neighboring base station have a same frequency range and a same time interval. |
| US08570971B2 |
Systems and methods for configuring remote radio heads
In a method of wireless communication, a UE receives a configuration parameter for scrambling or descrambling a signal for which a larger number of scrambling sequences are defined for a particular cell ID for UEs of a newer release. The UE communicates in a network having a base station and remote radio head(s) based on the received configuration parameter. |
| US08570969B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring control channel in multi-carrier system
Provided are an apparatus and a method for monitoring a control channel in a multiple-carrier system. The user equipment monitors downlink control channels for a plurality of scheduled component carriers in an extended search space. The user equipment receives downlink control information for the scheduled component carrier via a successfully decoded downlink control channel. |
| US08570967B1 |
Forming multi-user packet based groups using response behavior
A plurality of candidate access terminals for participation in a multi-user packet-based (MUP-based) communication is determined. Two or more candidate access terminals are grouped into a MUP-based group, the grouping based on a hybrid automatic repeat request behavior of the plurality of candidate access terminals. Data is sent to the MUP-based group using a multi-user packet. |
| US08570966B2 |
Base station, mobile station and frequency division multiplexing communication method
Provided is a base station comprising a multiplexer so constituted as to frequency-divide/multiplex a first channel for transmitting first data to be transmitted to a plurality of mobile stations, and a second channel for transmitting second data to be transmitted to one mobile station. |
| US08570963B2 |
Coordinated multi-point (CoMP) network and protocol architecture
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to a coordinated multi-point network and protocol architecture. One aspect discloses a method of wireless communication and includes receiving a measurement report from a user equipment (UE). Coordinated multi point (CoMP) control messages are transmitted from a first eNodeB to a second eNodeB at a medium access control (MAC) layer in response to the received measurement report. |
| US08570962B2 |
Information selection in a wireless communication system
Methods, devices, and systems for information selection in a wireless communication system are provided. In one embodiment, a method of information selection in a wireless communication system comprises receiving a selection request signal by a propagator node, wherein the selection request signal identifies information requested by a selector node; determining all or a portion of the selection request signal matches all or a portion of an information tag stored in an information cache of the propagator node, wherein the information tag is associated with an information datagram; and forwarding the information datagram from the propagator node to the selector node, wherein the information datagram contains all or a portion of the information. |
| US08570960B2 |
Apparatus and method for uplink scheduling in wireless communication system
An apparatus is capable of reducing an overhead caused by a mute section in a wireless communication system that provides a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. In the method, one or more terminals for providing the VoIP service during a next time section are determined. Mute section set information of a current time section and the next time section for the one or more terminals is determined. An amount of a resource of the next time section is allocated to at least one terminal whose next time section is not set to a mute section, wherein the amount of resource of the next time section is based on whether the current time section is set to a mute section or not set to a mute section. |
| US08570957B2 |
Extension of power headroom reporting and trigger conditions
A method can include determining a power headroom report, and transmitting the headroom report. The power headroom report can provide both positive and negative values of power headroom according to the determination, in which negative values indicate the missing power in dB to fulfill requirements, such as those given by current resource allocation and modulation and coding scheme. This method can be implemented by encoding instructions for performing this method on a computer-readable medium, such that the instructions when execute cause the computer to execute the method as a computer process. The method can further include receiving a power headroom report. The method can additionally include allocating radio network resources based on the power headroom report. |
| US08570952B2 |
Method and apparatus for selectively enabling reception of downlink signaling channels
In a wireless communication system including a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and at least one Node-B, a method and apparatus is used to selectively enable reception of at least one downlink (DL) enhanced uplink (EU) signaling channel established between the WTRU and the Node-B(s). During the operation of an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH), the WTRU monitors at least one DL EU signaling channel established between the WTRU and the Node-B(s) only when it is necessary, based on the WTRU's knowledge of at least one established standard procedure. The WTRU coordinates and consolidates DL signaling channel reception requirements of a plurality of channel allocation and/or data transmission procedures carried out by the WTRU in accordance with the established standard procedure. The WTRU determines whether to enable reception of at least one specific DL signaling channel based on the consolidated DL signaling channel reception requirements. |
| US08570942B2 |
Wireless LAN terminal and method of searching for access point
A method of searching for an access point using a wireless LAN terminal including a profile storage unit 305 that stores profile information including information of the channel of a predetermined access point, a scanning interval setting unit 311 that sets a scanning period, a passive scanning unit 315 that performs a passive scanning operation and detects a beacon signal, and an active scanning unit 317, wherein before said active scanning unit performs said active scanning operation at said set channel, the passive scanning unit 315 performs the passive scanning operation at the set channel for each scanning period and detects the beacon signal transmitted from the access point, and the active scanning unit 317 performs the active scanning operation at the set channel and searches for the access point after the beacon signal is detected. |
| US08570937B2 |
Telecommunications system and method
A telecommunications system is arranged to provide a mobile communications session to a mobile node using an internet protocol. The telecommunications system comprises a home packet data network which includes a home agent of the mobile node and a visited packet data network. One of the home packet data network or the visited packet data network includes a packet data gateway for controlling the communication of the internet packets to and from the home packet data network from and to the visited packet data network. The mobile node is arranged to communicate a correspondent node binding update internet packet to the correspondent node via the packet date gateway, when the mobile node changes affiliation from the home packet data network to the visited packet data network. The correspondent node binding update internet packet provides a care of address of the mobile node within the visited packet data network and a home address of the mobile node. The packet data network is arranged to store the home address of the mobile node in association with the care of address of the mobile node, to adapt the correspondent node binding update internet packet by replacing the care of address in the received correspondent binding update packet with the address of the packet data gateway, and to communicate the adapted correspondent binding update packet to the correspondent node. The correspondent node therefore receives a correspondent binding update with the packet data gateway as the care of address. Thus, when the correspondent node communicates with the mobile node using the care of address of the packet data gateway, the packet data gateway can adapt the received internet packets, replacing the packet data gateway's address as the destination address with the care of address of the mobile node. Therefore, although a route optimization process has taken place the internet packets are still routed via the packet data gateway. |
| US08570936B2 |
Packet radio communications system
A packet radio communications system communicates internet packets to and/or from mobile user equipment. The system comprises a core network comprising a plurality of packet data networks, each including network communications elements operable to communicate internet packets using an internet protocol transport plane, and a common gateway support node. The gateway support node is operable to route the internet packets via communications bearers established through the packet data networks using the network communications elements. The system includes a plurality of radio access networks connected by the internet protocol transport plane to the core network components of the packet data networks for communicating the internet protocol packets to and/or from the mobile user equipment. Each of the radio access networks is operable to provide radio access bearers for communicating the internet packets to and/or from the mobile user equipment. |
| US08570935B2 |
System and method for enabling wireless data transfer
A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a first transceiver structured to interact with a first wireless network and a second transceiver structured to interact with a second wireless network including repeatedly powering up the second transceiver to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering up the first transceiver to receive the data through the first wireless network. |
| US08570933B2 |
Self-interference suppression in full-duplex MIMO relays
A method, and an apparatus, for self-interference suppression in a relay for wireless communication, wherein the relay is arranged for receiving a signal r(n) transmitted from a transmitter, and for transmitting a self-interference suppressed transmit signal xr(n) to a receiver. The self-interference suppressed transmit signal xr(n) is achieved by determining a receive suppression filter matrix Wr, determining a relay amplification matrix G, and determining a transmit suppression filter matrix Wt, and then applying the suppression filters and the amplification matrix to the received signal r(n). |
| US08570930B2 |
Location based vehicle multihop protocol unicast apparatus and routing method using the apparatus
In order for a source node including a vehicle multihop protocol unicast apparatus to route data to a destination node, the source node broadcasts a location request message to neighbor node and receives a location response message from the neighbor nodes in response to the location request message. Therefore, the source node routes unicast data on the basis of the location information of the destination node included in the location response message. At this time, the source node uses a location based forwarder selecting algorithm in order to select a forwarder. |
| US08570929B2 |
Relay apparatus, communication apparatus, communication system, and relay method
Disclosed is a relay apparatus for forwarding a received multicast frame to a communication apparatus at a specified communication rate. The relay apparatus converts the received multicast frame to the corresponding unicast frame, sets a relatively higher communication rate than the specified communication rate, and forwards the converted unicast frame to the communication apparatus at the relatively higher communication rate. The relay apparatus determines whether or not the availability of the converted and forwarded unicast frame by an application is ascertained based on a condition, and prohibits conversion to the unicast frame when the availability is negated. This configuration enhances the user's convenience in the relay technique of converting multicast frames to unicast frames and forwarding the converted unicast frames. |
| US08570922B2 |
Efficient addressing in wireless hart protocol
A method of providing a wireless extension to a wired protocol for transferring data to and from a field device operating in a process control environment via a wired connection, wherein the wired protocol and the wireless extension to the wired protocol have at least one protocol layer in common includes associating a unique address consistent with an addressing scheme of the wired protocol with each of a plurality of wireless devices operating in the process control environment and forming a wireless network, such that a data packet is routed between two of the plurality of wireless devices based on the unique address; associating a network identifier with the plurality of wireless devices; forming, for each of the plurality of wireless devices, a global address including the respective unique address and the network identifier in accordance with a second addressing scheme; and providing access to an external host operating outside the wireless network to each of the plurality of wireless devices based on the global address associated with the wireless device specified at the external host. |
| US08570918B2 |
System and method for processing a frequency division multiplexing signal
A method for processing a frequency division multiplexing signal transmitted in a channel is provided. The method includes the steps of a) receiving the frequency division multiplexing signal having a residual intercarrier interference (ICI) and a channel noise and transmitted by plural subcarriers; b) performing a cyclic prefix removal and a discrete Fourier transform for the frequency division multiplexing signal to obtain a frequency-domain signal; c) analyzing the frequency-domain signal to obtain a plurality of correlation values for the residual ICI and the channel noise; and d) performing a communication signal processing for the frequency division multiplexing signal based on at least one of the plural correlation values. |
| US08570911B2 |
Multicast messaging within a wireless communication system
Methods and systems for sending multicast messages are disclosed. A multicast message is received to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals at a radio access network (RAN), the received multicast message having a first format. The first format may correspond to a conventional multicast message format. The RAN determines whether the received multicast message requires special handling. If the RAN determines the received multicast message requires special handling, the radio access network converts the received multicast message from the first format into a second format. The RAN transmits the converted multicast message with the second format (e.g., a data over signaling (DOS) message) on a control channel to at least one of the plurality of access terminals. The access terminals receiving the converted multicast message interpret the message as a multicast message. |
| US08570910B2 |
Wireless transmission apparatus and wireless transmission method
In DFT-s-OFDM, disclosed are a wireless transmission apparatus and wireless transmission method whereby freedom of allocation of frequencies is secured, while increases of CM are avoided. An SD number determination unit (152) determines an SD number based on the channel quality information of a mobile station and a threshold value that is set by a threshold value setting unit (151). A transmission bandwidth determination unit (153) determines the transmission bandwidth necessary for transmission of the transmission data. An allocation commencement position determination unit (154) determines the position for commencement of allocation of transmission data. If the SD number is equal to or more than the threshold value, a divided bandwidth determination unit (155) sets all the divided bandwidths to equal values and a frequency interval determination unit (156) sets all the frequency intervals to equal values. |
| US08570905B2 |
Adaptive enterprise service bus (ESB) runtime system and method
Disclosed are embodiments of an adaptive enterprise service bus (ESB) runtime system and an associated method, which build, at a restart, only the most advantageous path configuration between composable units (e.g., between applications and/or between primitives within a single application). Specifically, during the execution of instantiations of modeled paths and branches thereof, metrics (e.g., the number of times each flow and each branch are activated, the CPU usage associated with building each flow and each branch, etc.) are collected. Then, at a restart of the runtime system, a cost-benefit analysis is performed on the collected metrics and, based on the results of this cost-benefit analysis, only selected ones of the paths and the branches thereof are built (e.g., paths and branches for which operational usefulness outweighs building costs). Other paths and branches are built only as required, during running of the runtime system. |
| US08570901B2 |
System and method for registering and un-registering membership in virtual local area networks
In one embodiment, a network device in a computer network determines a plurality of attribute events that each represent a virtual local area network (VLAN) registration state of a respective VLAN of a plurality of VLANs in the computer network. The plurality of attribute events are grouped into a plurality of sets of two or more attribute events. For each set of two or more attribute events, an encoded value is computed for the set with an encoding algorithm that encodes the two or more attribute events of the set into a single encoded value. Each of the plurality of encoded values is loaded within an attribute structure of a protocol data unit (PDU) message, such that the plurality of encoded values that encompass the plurality of VLANs are included within the attribute structure of the PDU message. The PDU message is transmitted to one or more other network devices. |
| US08570900B2 |
Antenna system and wireless communication device employing the same
An antenna system in a wireless communication device includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a baseband microchip, a signal sensing unit, a logical circuit, and a switch unit. The first antenna receives and transmits wireless signals; the second antenna transmits wireless signals. The baseband microchip processes the wireless signals and provides a voltage logic signal. The logical circuit logically processes the voltage logic signal and the command signal to generate different switch signals, and the switch unit is controlled by the switch signals from the logical circuit to connect to the first antenna or to the second antenna to transmit the wireless signals. |
| US08570899B2 |
Provisioning for enterprise services
Configuring a communication system. Configuring a Private Branch eXchange (PBX) system to respond to a configuration telephone number by routing call control for the configuration number to an Service Management Platform (SMP). Determining an enterprise extension associated with an enterprise account in the domain of the SMP. Directing a mobile communication device associated with the enterprise account to call the configuration telephone number, and to communicate the determined enterprise extension and an authentication token of the enterprise account. Receiving, at the PBX system, a call on the configuration telephone number. Routing the call to the SMP. Receiving the determined enterprise extension at the SMP. Determining the PBX system port of the call. Directing the mobile communication device to communicate the authentication token. Receiving the authentication token. Upon receipt of an authentication token equivalent to the directed authentication token, associating the enterprise account with the determined PBX system port. |
| US08570896B2 |
System and method for controlling threshold testing within a network
A system and method for authorizing test traffic over a network. A request is received to perform a throughput test. A state of the network is determined. The throughput test is authorized in response to the determined state of the network being acceptable for performing the throughput test. The throughput test is terminated or paused in response to the determined state of the network being unacceptable for performing the throughput test. |
| US08570894B2 |
Communication apparatus and method for reporting reception quality
A communication apparatus wherein in a case of reporting a reception quality measured for each of a plurality of subbands, even if the band is widened, the degradation in transmission efficiency can be avoided. In this apparatus, an antenna (101) receives the pilot signals superimposed on a plurality of subbands in a predetermined band. A quality level calculating unit (107) uses the received pilot signals to measure the reception qualities of the respective subbands. A CQI selecting unit (109) selects one of a plurality of CQI values that corresponds to one of the measured reception qualities for each subband. A feedback information generating unit (110) calculates a first average value of the selected CQI values, calculates a second average value of the CQI values indicating better reception qualities than the first average value, and calculates a difference value between the second average value and each of the CQI values indicating better reception qualities than the second average value. A transmitting unit (160) transmits, as feedback information, the first and second average values and the difference values to the other end of communication. |
| US08570888B1 |
Dynamic reverse activity bit offset adjustment based on RF conditions
A method and system is disclosed for dynamic reverse activity bit (RAB) offset adjustment based on RF conditions. A base station controller (BSC) or radio node controller (RNC) or similar network device will determine a rate of decrease of aggregate reverse-link noise measured at a sector, and from the decrease rate the BSC will further determine an amount of time needed for the sector to detect the aggregate reverse-link noise to cross below a threshold level. The BSC will then set a RAB offset for the sector to be at least as large as the determined amount of time. |
| US08570884B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling customer premise public branch exchange service feature processing
A method and apparatus for enabling customer premise Public Branch eXchange (PBX) service feature processing to be performed in a service provider network using an intermediary device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signaling message by an intermediary device managed by a service provider of a communication network, where the signaling message requires processing by a customer premise Public Branch eXchange (PBX), wherein the signaling message is in accordance with a network signaling format. The method interworks the signaling message into a signaling message in accordance with a PBX signaling format, and sends the interworked signaling message to the customer premise PBX to retrieve service logic and data associated with the signaling message. |
| US08570881B2 |
Transmitter voltage and receiver time margining
A technique for characterizing a communications interface includes determining a voltage margin and a timing margin of the interface based on data sampled by a sampling device of a receiver of the interface. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method for determining margin associated with a receiver circuit of an integrated circuit includes periodically sampling a signal over a time period by a receiver sampling circuit of the receiver circuit to generate a sampled version of the signal. The method includes incrementally varying a value of the parameter associated with the signal. The varying of the parameter is through a range of values of the parameter over the time period. The method includes determining a margin value of the receiver circuit associated with the parameter based, at least in part, on the sampled version of the signal. |
| US08570872B2 |
System and method for selecting network ingress and egress
A system and method for selecting communications routing. Network performance information is gathered from a communications network using performance information packet data packets. A network connection including an ingress packet path and an egress packet path offering the best quality of service is selected between the communications network and an outside network based on the network performance information. The network connection is established between the communications network and the outside network for routing communications. |
| US08570870B2 |
Incremental addition and scale-back of resources adapting to network resource availability
An exemplary method includes receiving at a first network a notice of an intended communication to a called party network, wherein the intended communication requires a resource for supporting a streaming data protocol in each network between a calling party network and the called party network; forwarding the notice of an intended communication to a second network and toward the called party network; in parallel with said forwarding, initiating for the intended communication a determination of resource availability for the first network; performing for the intended communication the determination of resource availability for the first network, wherein the determination is for a first resource for the first network; and verifying resource sufficiency for the intended communication. Verification of resource sufficiency is based on resource, (e.g., bandwidth) availability being greater than a threshold for plural network segment of the calling party to calling network required for the intended call. |
| US08570868B2 |
Congestion control in a communication network based on the CSMA/CA protocol
A congestion control method for a communication system supporting layered radio channel structure for communication between at least a first communication device and a second communication device that offers a first and second types of service with corresponding first and second priority orders. The messages between devices include a preamble and a payload with each message being separated by at least a minimum allowable period. The first communication device generates a physical layer message pertaining to the first type of service, senses the radio channel idle for at least a period corresponding to the minimum allowable period between two messages, and transmits the physical layer message including a preamble indicative of the type of service the message pertains. The content of the preamble is detected by the second communication device within a communication range irrespective of the decoding state of the payload of the transmitted message. |
| US08570866B2 |
System and method for processing network packet flows
A network node includes a classify engine interfaced with the Internet. The classify engine accepts packets from the Internet and determines classification information for each packet. A process engine is interfaced with the classify engine, and has ports, each port being associated with a function. A controller is interfaced with the classify engine and the process engine. The controller programs the classify engine with a dataflow program to route each packet to a predetermined port of the process engine based on the classification information of the packet. |
| US08570865B2 |
Reducing power consumption in a fat-tree network
A method for communication includes estimating a characteristic of communication traffic to be carried by a fat-tree network. Responsively to the estimated characteristic, a subset of the spine switches in the highest level of the network is selected, according to a predetermined selection order, to be active in carrying the communication traffic. In each of the levels of the spine switches below the highest level, the spine switches to be active are selected based on the selected spine switches in a next-higher level. The network is operated so as to convey the traffic between the leaf switches via the active spine switches, while the spine switches that are not selected remain inactive. |
| US08570863B2 |
Method and apparatus for avoiding collision of uplink preamble using cell identifier
A method and apparatus for avoiding a collision of an uplink preamble using a cell identifier. In a case of installing a new small-sized base station in a mobile communication system, the method and apparatus may set a code parameter, a time parameter, and a frequency parameter, differently from a neighboring small-sized base station using the cell identifier even when dedicatedly using a preamble in a contention-free scheme to avoid a collision of the preamble, so that a random access preamble may be managed without occurrence of the collision with the neighboring small-sized base stations. |
| US08570857B2 |
Resilient IP ring protocol and architecture
A system and method are disclosed for a resilient IP ring protocol. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device using a resilient internet protocol (IP) ring protocol, including a controller (602) that manages operations of a transceiver (620) for exchanging messages in a communication system with adjacent ring nodes in a communication ring architecture (300). The controller can be programmed to use sub-second level signaling between adjacent ring nodes to determine when adjacent ring nodes have failed and enable failure options upon detection of an adjacent ring-node failure. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08570855B2 |
Access gateway management system
An Access Gateway Management System (AGMS) allows telephone operating companies to transition their existing wireline customers over to Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology without having to invest in new workflow processes, systems, or maintenance facilities by adapting the Operational Support Systems interfaces currently employed for managing legacy circuit-switched switching systems to manage Line Access Gateways (LAGs), which are the generic line termination systems employed in VoIP infrastructure. The AGMS also configures and adapts metallic loop test systems currently deployed for the purpose of routine maintenance and troubleshooting of subscriber lines terminating directly or indirectly (through access systems) on existing switching systems to continue to provide this functionality when the lines terminate on LAGs. Synchronization of the subtended LAGs is coordinated with the legacy network by the AGMS. |
| US08570854B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing failure of component carrier in multiple carrier system
A method and apparatus of processing a failure of a component carrier (CC) in a multiple carrier system is provided. A user equipment detects a failed CC in which a failure occurs among a plurality of CCs and determines whether to declare a radio link failure based on the failed CC. If it is not the radio link failure, the user equipment reports information on the failed CC to a base station. |
| US08570853B2 |
Systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products for networking trading turret systems using SIP
Systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for sharing a resource including a subscription engine configured to subscribe to a first turret system to share the resource, a state change engine configured to receive a state change notification corresponding to the resource, from the turret system, and a failover engine configured to invite the turret system to initiate a connection to the resource. |
| US08570849B2 |
Tilt angle adjustment method for objective lens and optical information recording/reproducing apparatus
A method for adjusting a tilt angle of an objective lens with respect to one of a multilayer optical disc having a plurality of recording layers and an optical axis of an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus, wherein a use wavelength λ and a numerical aperture NA are defined by conditions: 390<λ<420 and 0.75 |
| US08570846B2 |
Focus jump method for optical disk device and multi-layer disk
An optical disk device for recording/reproducing information on/from a multi-layer optical disk moves a light focusing point for several layers by one focus jump. The optical disk device includes a controller to detect a level of a focus error signal to change an output level of a focus drive signal, and the controller changes timing to change the output level of the focus drive signal based on the number of layers for the focus jump. |
| US08570844B1 |
Absorption enhanced media for energy assisted magnetic recording
A magnetic recording media is disclosed. The media comprises a substrate, a recording layer disposed over the substrate, and a metallic layer disposed between the recording layer and the substrate. The recording layer is configured to receive an electromagnetic radiation, absorb a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation, and transmit a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation. The metallic layer comprises a non-magnetic metal and configured to reflect at least some of the second portion of the electromagnetic radiation towards the recording layer. |
| US08570843B2 |
Thermally assisted magnetic head, magnetic head device and magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus including a recording element and a near-field light generating element
The present invention provides a thermally assisted magnetic head with improved recording performance. The thermally assisted magnetic head includes a recording element and a near-field light generating element. The recording element includes a main pole appearing on a medium-facing surface, and a bit inversion starting region intended to be a maximum recording magnetic field generating position is formed at a leading edge of the main pole. The near-field light generating element is located on a leading side of the main pole and capable of creating a heating spot due to a near-field light on a near-field light generating end face appearing on the medium-facing surface. The bit inversion starting region is located within one-half of a diameter of the heating spot from a center of the heating spot. |
| US08570838B2 |
Electronic timepiece with internal antenna
An electronic timepiece with internal antenna maintains sufficiently high reception performance of circularly polarized waves even when having a metal external case. The timepiece has a cylindrical case; a crystal that covers the opening on the face side of the case; a drive mechanism that arranged inside the case; a metal antenna; and a dielectric. The antenna houses the drive mechanism and has a cylindrical side part, a bottom part that covers the opening on the back side of the side part, and an antenna electrode that contacts the inside of the side part. The back cover covers the back side of the case and is also the bottom part. The dielectric extends circumferentially to the side part, and contacts the antenna electrode in the face-back cover direction. A slot extending circumferentially is formed in the antenna electrode. Part or all of the slot is covered by the dielectric. |
| US08570837B2 |
Multilayer backing absorber for ultrasonic transducer
A multilayer backing absorber for use with an ultrasonic transducer comprises an elemental multilayer having at least one metal layer and at least one adhesive layer, wherein the backing absorber is adapted to be coupled to a vibrating layer of the ultrasonic transducer. |
| US08570833B2 |
Downlinking communication system and method
A downlinking signal is transmitted downhole from the surface using drilling fluid as the communications medium. The downlinking signal includes at least a synchronization phase and a command phase. Attributes of the synchronization phase are used upon reception of the signal to determine corresponding attributes of the command phase. Commands may be transmitted downhole while drilling and simultaneously while using mud-pulse telemetry uplinking techniques. |
| US08570832B2 |
Variable throat venturi flow meter having a plurality of section-varying elements
An acoustic transceiver assembly including a housing, an oscillator, and a blocking element. The housing has at least one inner wall defining a cavity. The cavity has a first end and a second end defining an axis of said acoustic transceiver assembly. The oscillator is provided in said cavity. The oscillator is provided with a transducer element, and a backing mass positioned adjacent to the transducer element. A blocking element is positioned inside the cavity and adjacent to the oscillator. The blocking element is adapted to restrain a portion of said backing mass at a first pressure to thereby restrain the backing mass from lateral movement relative to the axis of the acoustic transceiver assembly. The blocking element is also adapted to release the backing mass at a second pressure. |
| US08570828B2 |
Memory programming using variable data width
A memory system comprises a memory including a plurality of bits arranged as one or more words. Each bit in each word is capable of being programmed either to a particular logical state or to another logical state. A variable data width controller is in communication with the memory. The variable data width controller comprises an adder to determine a programming number of bits in a word to be programmed into a memory. Each bit to be programmed is in the particular logical state. A partitioning block divides the word in to two or more sub-words when the programming number exceeds a maximum number. A switch is in communication with the partitioning block. The switch sequentially provides one or more write pulses. Each write pulse enables a separate communication path between the memory and one of the word and the sub-words. |
| US08570827B2 |
Physical organization of memory to reduce power consumption
Controllable arrays in a memory may be activated and deactivated independently. In one embodiment, a processor may include a memory. The memory may be a de-interleaved memory with independently selectable arrays. Based on an address bit of an address used to access data from the memory, a wordline and downstream components may be activated while another wordline and downstream components may be deactivated. |
| US08570825B2 |
Temperature sensor, method of manufacturing the temperature sensor, semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, and method of controlling the semiconductor device
A disclosed temperature sensor includes a charge trap structure including a silicon oxide film formed on a substrate; an aluminum oxide film that is formed on the silicon oxide film, wherein oxygen is injected into the aluminum oxide film from an upper surface thereof; and an electrode formed on the aluminum oxide film, wherein a flat band voltage of the charge trap structure is temperature dependent. |
| US08570824B2 |
Memory having isolation units for isolating storage arrays from a shared I/O during retention mode operation
A memory includes an I/O unit that is shared between multiple storage arrays. The shared I/O unit provides output data from the arrays. The memory includes an isolation unit connected between each storage array and the shared I/O unit. In addition, each of the storage arrays and the shared I/O unit may be connected to a separate switched voltage domain through for example, power gating circuits. If one or more of the storage arrays is placed in retention or low-voltage mode, the isolation units that are coupled to the affected storage arrays may be configured to isolate the bitlines of those storage arrays from the shared I/O data paths. |
| US08570822B2 |
Semiconductor memory and semiconductor memory test method
According to the embodiments, a read circuit is connected to the other end of the bit line for reading out data from read data storing memory cells and test data storing memory cells via the bit line, and a read control circuit makes data to be read out from the test data storing memory cells when testing the bit line and makes data to be read out from the read data storing memory cells when reading out the read data. |
| US08570819B2 |
Non-volatile memory array architecture optimized for hi-reliability and commercial markets
A sense amplifier arrangement includes a first sense amplifier having a first input and a second input. A second sense amplifier has a first input and a second input. A switching circuit is configured to selectively couple the first input of the first sense amplifier to a first bit line in the array and the second input of the first sense amplifier to a first bit line in the array to selectively couple the first input of the first sense amplifier to the first bit line in the array, the first input of the second sense amplifier to the second bit line in the array, and the second inputs of the first and second sense amplifiers to a reference voltage. |
| US08570816B2 |
Digital memory system that dynamically adjusts reference voltage as a function of traffic intensity
A digital memory system includes a memory controller having a driver configured for generating a digital signal. A memory module has a receiver in communication with the driver. The driver is configured for selectively directing the digital signal to the receiver of the memory module. A voltage control module is configured for determining a traffic intensity at which the digital signal is directed to the receiver and dynamically adjusting the reference voltage as a function of the traffic intensity at which the digital signal is directed to the receiver. |
| US08570810B2 |
Intelligent control of program pulse for non-volatile storage
To program a set of non-volatile storage elements, a set of programming pulses are applied to the control gates (or other terminals) of the non-volatile storage elements. The programming pulses have a constant pulse width and increasing magnitudes until a maximum voltage is reached. At that point, the magnitude of the programming pulses stops increasing and the programming pulses are applied in a manner to provide varying time duration of the programming signal between verification operations. In one embodiment, for example, after the pulses reach the maximum magnitude the pulse widths are increased. In another embodiment, after the pulses reach the maximum magnitude multiple program pulses are applied between verification operations. |
| US08570809B2 |
Flash memory devices and systems
Flash memory devices and systems are provided. One flash memory device includes an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (nMOSFET), a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide silicon (SONOS) transistor coupled to the nMOSFET, and an isolated p-well coupled to the nMOSFET and the SONOS transistor. A flash memory system includes an array of memory devices divided into a plurality of paired sectors, a global bit line (GBL) configured to provide high voltage to each respective sector during erase and program operations coupled to each of the plurality of sectors, and a plurality of sense amplifiers coupled between a respective pair of sectors. Methods for operating a flash memory are also provided. One method includes providing high voltage, via the GBL, to the paired sectors during erase and program operations and providing low voltage, via a local bit line, to each memory device during read operations. |
| US08570808B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device with 3D memory cell array
A nonvolatile memory device includes a 3D memory cell array having words lines that extend from a lowest memory cell array layer closest to a substrate to a highest memory cell array layer farthest from the substrate, a voltage generator circuit generating first and second voltage signals, and a row selecting circuit that simultaneously applies the first voltage signal to a selected word line and the second voltage signal to an unselected word line. The selected word line and the unselected word line have different resistances, yet the first voltage signal is applied to the selected word line and the second voltage signal is applied to the unselected word line with a same rising slope over a defined period of time. |
| US08570803B2 |
Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile functionality and method of operating
Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor memory cell includes a substrate having a first conductivity type; a first region embedded in the substrate at a first location of the substrate and having a second conductivity type; a second region embedded in the substrate at a second location the substrate and have the second conductivity type, such that at least a portion of the substrate having the first conductivity type is located between the first and second locations and functions as a floating body to store data in volatile memory; a floating gate or trapping layer positioned in between the first and second locations and above a surface of the substrate and insulated from the surface by an insulating layer; the floating gate or trapping layer being configured to receive transfer of data stored by the volatile memory and store the data as nonvolatile memory in the floating gate or trapping layer upon interruption of power to the memory cell; and a control gate positioned above the floating gate or trapping layer and a second insulating layer between the floating gate or trapping layer and the control gate. |
| US08570800B2 |
Memory using a plurality of diodes as program selectors with at least one being a polysilicon diode
Embodiments of programmable memory cells using a plurality of diodes as program selectors are disclosed for those memory cells that can be programmed based on direction of current flow. These memory cells are MRAM, RRAM, CBRAM, or other memory cells that have a programmable resistive element coupled to the P-terminal of a first diode and to the N-terminal of a second diode. At least one of the diodes can be a polysilicon diode fabricated using standard CMOS processes with P+ and N+ implants in two ends. The polysilicon diode can be constructed by P+/N+ implants on a polysilicon substrate as a program selector. The memory cells can be used to construct a two-dimensional memory array with the N-terminals of the first diodes and the P-terminals of the second diodes in a row connected as wordline(s) and the resistive elements in a column connected as a bitline. |
| US08570795B2 |
Adaptive wordline programming bias of a phase change memory
The leakage current and power consumption of phase change memories may be reduced using adaptive word line biasing. Depending on the particular voltage applied to the bitline of a programmed cell, the word lines of unselected cells may vary correspondingly. In some embodiments, the word line voltage may be caused to match the bitline voltage of the programmed cell. |
| US08570794B2 |
Semiconductor memory apparatus
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a period control signal generation unit configured to generate a period control signal which is activated after a first time, in response to a programming enable signal, a first write control code generation unit configured to generate first write control codes which are cyclically updated for a second time, in response to the programming enable signal, and update the first write control codes in response to the period control signal, a second write control code generation unit configured to generate a second write control code in response to the programming enable signal, and a data write unit configured to output a first programming current pulse which has a magnitude corresponding to a code combination of the updated first write control codes or a second programming current pulse which has a magnitude corresponding to the second write control code. |
| US08570792B2 |
Magnetoresistive random access memory
A magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), a top electrode disposed over the MTJ, a bottom electrode disposed below the MTJ, and an induction line disposed above or below the MTJ. The induction line is configured to induce a magnetic field at the MTJ. |
| US08570790B2 |
Memory devices and methods for high random transaction rate
A memory device can include a plurality of double data rate data (DDR) ports, each configured to receive write data and output read data on a same set of data lines independently and concurrently in synchronism with at least a first clock signal; an address port configured to receive address values on consecutive, different transitions of a second clock, each address value corresponding to an access on a different one of the data ports; and a memory array section comprising a plurality of banks, each bank providing pipelined access to storage locations therein. |
| US08570786B2 |
Memory device and fabricating method thereof
According to one embodiment, a memory device includes first interconnects, second interconnects, and a first memory cell. The first memory cell is located in an intersection of one of the first interconnects and one of the second interconnects. The first memory cell includes a first multilayer structure and a first variable resistance layer, the first multilayer structure including a first electrode, a first selector, and a first insulator which are stacked. The first selector and the first variable resistance layer are electrically connected in series between the one of the first interconnect and the one of the second interconnect. The first variable resistance layer is formed on a portion of a side surface of the first insulator to cover the portion without covering a residual portion. |
| US08570784B2 |
Differential ROM
A differential read only memory array includes a differential sense amplifier coupled to first and second bit lines. A first bit cell is coupled to a first word line and to the first and second bit lines. The at least one bit cell includes a first transistor having a gate coupled to the first word line, a drain coupled to the first bit line, and a source coupled to a first power supply line. A second transistor has a gate coupled to the first word line. A source and a drain of the second transistor are either both connected to the second bit line or both unconnected to the second bit line. |
| US08570778B2 |
Power converter with a single diode rectifier and a filter
A power converter, comprising an input circuit having a single diode rectifier (D); and a switcher mode power supply IC (SMPS). |
| US08570774B2 |
Electrical power system with high-density pulse width modulated (PWM) rectifier
An electrical power system includes an alternating current (AC) power source configured to output an AC signal, a single phase pulse-width modulated (PWM) rectifier coupled to the AC power source and to an electrical load; a DC link capacitor coupled in parallel to the load and the PWM rectifier; and an active ripple energy storage circuit. The active ripple energy storage circuit has a first terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal, the active ripple energy storage circuit being coupled in parallel to the electrical load, the PWM rectifier and the DC link capacitor via the first terminal and the second terminal, the third terminal being coupled to the second terminal, the active ripple energy storage circuit being configured to selectively absorb and discharge at least part of the ripple energy. |
| US08570772B2 |
Isolated flyback converter with efficient light load operation
A flyback converter uses primary side sensing to sense the output voltage for regulation feedback. Such sensing requires a predetermined minimum duty cycle even with very light load currents. Therefore, such a minimum duty cycle may create an over-voltage condition. In the flyback phase, after a minimum duty cycle of the power switch at light load currents, a synchronous rectifier turns off approximately when the current through the secondary winding falls to zero to create a discontinuous mode. If it is detected that there is an over-voltage, the synchronous rectifier is turned on for a brief interval to draw a reverse current through the secondary winding. When the synchronous rectifier shuts off, a current flows through the primary winding via a drain-body diode while the power switch is off. Therefore, excess power is transferred from the secondary side to the power source to reduce the over-voltage so is not wasted. |
| US08570770B2 |
Opto-isolator multi-voltage detection circuit
An opto-isolator multi-voltage detection circuit is capable to handle a wide range of input voltages ranging from about 9 volts DC to about 240 volts AC includes an input voltage, an opto-isolator, a rectifier, a voltage divider, first and second transistors, and a DC to DC converter. The voltage divider operatively coupled to the first and second transistors is capable of evenly dividing the input voltage across the first and second transistors. The DC to DC converter operatively coupled to the transistors, the voltage divider, and the opto-isolator is capable of maintaining an output current from the rectifier. The use of the DC to DC converter, the voltage divider, and the transistors provide benefit of reducing a power dissipated throughout the entire circuit. |
| US08570765B2 |
Circuit board with via hole and electronic device equipped with the same
A circuit board includes a main body, an electronic component, a fixing portion and at least one via hole. The electronic component and the fixing portion are disposed on the main body. The at least one via hole is formed on the main body and adjacent to the fixing portion. |
| US08570763B2 |
Method of forming hole for interlayer connection conductor, method of producing resin substrate and component-incorporated substrate, and resin substrate and component-incorporated substrate
A high quality component-incorporated substrate achieves a sufficient connection between an in-plane electrode and an interlayer connection conductor at low cost. A method of forming a hole for an interlayer connection conductor of a resin substrate includes a step of forming an in-plane electrode in a core substrate, a step of forming a light reflective conductor for reflecting a laser beam applied on the in-plane electrode in a later step, a step of forming a resin layer so as to cover the core substrate, the in-plane electrode and the light reflective conductor, and a step of forming a hole for the interlayer connection conductor by removing the resin layer on the light reflective conductor through the use of a laser beam. |
| US08570758B2 |
Mounting apparatus for expansion card
A mounting apparatus includes a chassis, a mounting member, a mounting tray received in the chassis, and a securing device. The chassis includes a front plate and a positioning member attached to the front plate. The mounting member is used to secure an expansion card and includes a flange. The mounting tray includes a front panel and a retaining panel connected to the front panel. The securing device includes a first securing member and a second securing member. The first securing member is rotatably attached to the front plate, and the second securing member is rotatably attached to the first securing member. The flange is located between the retaining panel and the first securing member. The positioning member abuts the second securing member, to prevent the second securing member from being disengaged from the first securing member. |
| US08570757B2 |
Lightweight audio system for automotive applications and method
A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration. The major components and subassemblies are self-fixturing during the final assembly process, eliminating the need for dedicated tools, fixtures and assembly equipment. The major components and subassemblies self-interconnect by integral guide and connection features effecting “slide lock” and “snap lock” self-interconnection. The radio architecture includes improved push buttons employing 4-bar living hinge linkage and front loaded decorative trim buttons. |
| US08570756B2 |
Sliding electronic apparatus
A sliding electronic apparatus that prevents foreign matter from entering a housing is provided. In the apparatus, upper housing 1 and lower housing 2 are slidably coupled, and it is switched by sliding one of upper housing 1 and lower housing 2 with respect to the other, a closed state in which operation section 2b provided on lower housing 2 is covered by upper housing 1 and an open state in which operation section 2b is exposed. The apparatus includes opening 1c formed in a lower surface of upper housing 1, opening 2c formed in an upper surface of lower housing 2, and FPC 3 for electrically connecting wiring board 9 and wiring board 10. FPC 3 includes cover portion 3a mounted on the lower surface of upper housing 1 so as to cover opening 1c and cover portion 3b mounted on the upper surface of lower housing 2 so as to cover opening 2c. Cover portion 3a is electrically connected to wiring board 9 in upper housing 1, and cover portion 3b is electrically connected to wiring board 10 in lower housing 2. |
| US08570755B1 |
User configurable control panel layout for medical device
A device has been designed that allows for modular rearrangement of groups of controls such that a user can shift control “pods” from left to right on the face of the device without changing the functionality of the device in any manner. The pods are electrically and mechanically movable from one port to another and thus pods can be designed having different control types for controlling the same function. Thus, an operator can select the operator's preferred control types for a particular set of functions and can then adapt the control panel with the operator's preference of both control type and control function location. This then allows the same device to be used by different operators one after the other with each operator being able to customize the control panel according to that operator's preferences. In one embodiment operators can rearrange the control panel in the hot mode so that the device need not be turned off. |
| US08570754B2 |
Server assembly with removable server module
A server assembly includes a chassis and a server module slidably received in the chassis. The chassis includes a backplane with a connector. The server module includes a mounting plate and a connecting plate movably attached to the mounting plate. A plurality of supporting posts protrude on the mounting plate. The connecting plate defines a plurality of elongated through slots according to the supporting posts. A flexible member is locked in each through slot. A plurality of fasteners extend through the flexible members to screw into the supporting posts, respectively. A resilient resisting member is arranged on the mounting plate, to abut against a front end of the connecting plate to insert a rear end of the connecting plate in the connector. |
| US08570753B2 |
Electronic device with sliding apparatus
A sliding apparatus includes a sliding member fixed to a first end of a server module, an elongated sleeve shaped first slide rail, and an elongated pole shaped second slide rail. The sliding member includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion each defining a mounting hole. The second slide rail is slidably retained in the mounting holes of the first and second holding portions. A first end of the first slide rail is fixed to a rack. A first end of the second slide rail is slidably received in a second end of the first slide rail. A second end of the second slide rail is fixed to a second end of the server module. |
| US08570752B2 |
Server holder and server system including same
A server system includes a number of servers and a server holder. Each server includes two opposite sidewalls with each having a sliding rail formed thereon. The server holder includes two opposite lateral plates and a number of supporting structures. Each lateral plate defines a plurality of rows of receiving holes. Each supporting structure is received in one receiving hole, and includes a supporting block and a torsion spring positioned on the supporting bock. The supporting block is pivotably connected to one of the lateral plates, defines a sliding slot, and includes a resisting surface facing towards interior of the server holder. The sliding rail is slidable along the sliding slot. The torsion spring is configured for providing an elastic force to push the supporting block to keep the resisting surface resisting against one sidewall. |
| US08570750B2 |
Hard disk drive mount and hard disk drive assembly using same
An exemplary hard disk drive mount includes a casing and a fixing plate. The casing defines a receiving space configured for receiving hard disk drives therein. The casing defines through holes at one side thereof. The fixing plate includes bulges corresponding to the through holes. The fixing plate is attached to the side of the casing with the bulges respectively traversing through the through holes into the receiving space of the casing. The bulges are elastically deformable such that when a given one of the hard disk drives is received in the receiving space, corresponding ones of the bulges resiliently abut a side of the hard disk drive and exert a compressing force on the hard disk drive whereby the hard disk drive is fixed in the casing. |
| US08570749B2 |
Auxiliary device for conductively removing the heat produced by an electronic card
An auxiliary device for conductively removing the heat produced by one or more components on an electronic card includes a heat sink covering all or part of the card. The device includes at least a first heat-conducting element mounted to absorb the heat produced by the one or more components, a movable second heat-conducting element, a heat pipe connecting the first element with the second element, and clamping means designed to press the movable second element against a cold wall. |
| US08570748B2 |
Planar electrical power electronic modules for high-temperature applications, and corresponding production methods
With respect to an electronic component, in particular a power module, and in a corresponding method for producing or contact-connecting said component, the component (1) is fastened to an electrically insulating carrier film (3) having at least one first inorganic material and at least one opening (5) in which at least one electrical contact-connection (7) of the component (1) to outside the component (1) is provided. This makes it possible to provide electronic components (1), in particular power modules, for a temperature range of >175 DEG C. |
| US08570747B2 |
Carbon laminated enclosure
An enclosure is provided. A housing (120) can have one or more walls (130). At least one of the one or more walls (130) can include a thermally conductive, carbonaceous member (100). The thermally conductive, carbonaceous member (100) can be partially or completely encapsulated within one or more electrically non-conductive materials. |
| US08570743B2 |
Mounting apparatus for fans
A mounting apparatus includes a chassis, a bracket, and two resilient plates. The chassis includes two opposite sidewalls. A protrusion and a hook protrude from an inner surface of each sidewall. The bracket includes a fixing plate for mounting a number of fans, and two end plates. Each end plate defines a first slot, a second slot, a first notch communicating with a bottom of the first slot, and a second notch communicating with a bottom of the second slot. The resilient plates are mounted to inner surfaces of the end plates. Each resilient plate defines a hooking hole overlapping one of the second slots. The protrusions extend through the first notches and engage in the first slots. The hooks extend through the second notches and engage in the second slots and the hooking holes, to lock the bracket to the chassis. |
| US08570742B2 |
Enclosure of an electronic device
An enclosure includes a case and a cover. The case includes a heat generating device and a bracket mounted therein. The bracket defines an engaging hole. A heat dissipating module is located in the engaging hole and contacts the heat generating device. The cover includes a number of mounting poles pivotally mounted thereon. The cover is mounted on the case. The mounting poles are engaged on the bracket to enclose the heat dissipating module. |
| US08570741B2 |
Power supply
A power supply includes a main body, a fan, and a mounting bracket. The main body defines an opening therein. The mounting bracket for mounting the fan is detachably mounted to the main body to cover the opening. The fan is mounted on the mounting bracket and received in the main body through the opening. |
| US08570740B2 |
Electronic device with expansion cards
An electronic device includes a circuit board with a number of expansion slots arranged on the circuit board for connecting a number of expansion cards, and a guiding member inserted in one idle expansion slot of the expansion slots for guiding airflow to the expansion cards at opposite sides of the idle expansion slot. |
| US08570739B2 |
Modular power supply
A modular power supply (1) includes a primary input portion (2) operating with predetermined input parameters, and an output portion (3) comprising at least two modules (4) to be selected for modifying the power supply's output parameters. It is further provided a container (5) in which the primary input portion and the output portion are housed. The container comprises an inaccessible portion (6) adapted to house the primary input portion separated from the output portion, and a cover (7) hinged on a base structure (8) of the container for access to the output portion. The inaccessible portion of the container comprises a partition (9) disposed between the primary input portion and the output portion and provided with openings (10) for cooling the primary input and secondary portions. The openings are such disposed that access to the primary input portion is not allowed. |
| US08570738B2 |
Handle structure of electronic device enclosure
An enclosure of electronic device includes a casing, a mounting member and a handle. The casing comprises a side plate and a limiting portion on the side plate. The mounting member is secured to the side plate and comprises a pivoting portion. The handle comprises an installing pole. The handle is engaged with the pivoting portion and is rotatable relative to the mounting member between a first position and a second position, and the limiting portion prevents the installing pole from disengaging from the pivoting portion, and prevents further rotation of the handle when the handle is in the second position. |
| US08570737B2 |
Housing for encasing an object
This disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and/or system for housing a device. The apparatus includes a housing that is configured such that a device may be fitted within the housing and thereby be protected, such as from shocks and/or liquid. The housing may include top and bottom members that may be removably coupled together so as to form the housing. Each top and bottom member optionally includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter is defined by proximal and distal ends as well as opposing sides. The top and bottom members may include respective clasping mechanisms that extend along the perimeter of the top and bottom members. The clasping mechanisms are configured for coupling the top and bottom members with one another thereby sealing the housing, for instance, in a shock-proof and/or water tight seal. |
| US08570736B2 |
Component assembly
A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing with a cavity having a substantially flat bottom wall. A battery assembly and main logic board can be mounted directly to the substantially flat bottom wall with a plurality of additional components arranged around a peripheral edge of the battery assembly and main logic board. |
| US08570735B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a motherboard and a heat dissipating plate. The motherboard includes a base. The base includes a number of ports and an electronic element. The heat dissipating plate includes a substrate and a number of fasteners extending out from the substrate for engaging with the number of ports of the motherboard. The substrate defines a bulging cavity for engaging with and dissipating heat from the electronic element. |
| US08570732B2 |
Hard disk device
A hard disk device comprises a main portion and two pads connected to the main portion. The main portion includes a front end, a rear end opposite to the front end, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface. The first side surface defines a connecting hole located nearby the front end, and the second side surface defines a connecting hole located nearby the front end. Each pad includes a shank portion and a head portion connected to an end of the shank portion. The head portion includes a connecting portion connected to the shank portion and an external portion surrounding the connecting portion. The shank portion is fixedly inserted into a corresponding connecting hole. Portion of the external portion protrudes from the bottom surface of the main portion. |
| US08570730B2 |
Mounting apparatus for PCI card
A mounting apparatus for a PCI card includes an enclosure, a mounting bracket, a securing bracket mounted in the enclosure, and a securing member slidably mounted on the securing bracket. The mounting bracket secures a first terminal of the PCI card. The securing bracket includes a main body and an elastic piece extending from the main body. The elastic piece comprises a piece body and a securing protrusion. The securing member includes a pressing panel and a securing portion extending from the pressing panel. The securing member slides relative to the main body to enable the securing protrusion to engage with the securing portion and enable the pressing panel to press a second terminal of the PCI card. |
| US08570729B2 |
Seamless insert molding techniques
Methods and apparatus for using an insert molding process to form a tactilely seamless overall part from component parts that are made from different materials are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a housing includes a first part formed from a first material and a second part formed from a second material that is of a different type than the first material. The first part includes a first external surface and a first bonding surface, and the second part includes a second external surface and a second bonding surface. The second bonding surface can be integrally bonded to the first bonding surface so that the first external surface and the second external surface form a gap-free overall surface. |
| US08570724B2 |
Self-adjustment suspension apparatus and electronic device with same
An exemplary suspension apparatus for suspending built-in equipment is provided. The suspension apparatus includes a fixing plate having a main plate and a recessed portion formed at the main plate, and a rotator rotatably engaged with the fixing plate. The rotator includes an engagement head and a connection pole; the engagement head is received in the recessed portion of the fixing plate, an end of the connection pole is connected to the engagement head, and an opposite end of the connection pole is a suspended end for suspending the built-in equipment. |
| US08570723B2 |
Actuated hinge and cable assembly for use with computer display monitors
Embodiments are directed towards a support structure for electronic displays, such as a computer display monitor, tablet, or the like, such that a cable actuated hinge moves the display from an elevated vertical position away from a user to a lower horizontal position closer to the user. In one embodiment, a computer display is pivotally connected to at least one display arm. The other end of the display arm(s) are pivotally connected to a base. One or more cable(s) are pivotally connected to the base. The cable(s) attaches to the display such that when the display arm(s) is pivoted downward the cable(s) pulls against the display arm(s) and toward the base. |
| US08570722B2 |
Electronic device with multiple power ports
An electronic device includes a case and a power supply arranged in the case. The power supply includes a first power port to connect to a power line for supplying power to the electronic device. The electronic device further includes an extension cord to connect to the first power port through a plug; the extension cord includes a second power port to connect to the power line. When the plug is connected with the first power port, the power line is connected to the second power port to supply power to the electronic device through the second power port, the extension cord, the first power port, and the power supply; when the plug is disconnected from the first power port, the power line is connected to the first power port to supply power to the electronic device through the first power port and the power supply. |
| US08570721B2 |
Electronic device with interlatched front cover and back plate
An exemplary electronic device includes a front cover, a display screen and two speakers located on the back surface, and a back plate abutting against the display screen and two speakers. Five fasteners extend backwardly from a back surface of the front cover. Each of the fasteners includes a connecting plate extending backwardly from the back surface and a top plate formed at a free end of the connecting plate. Five latching tabs are formed on the back plate corresponding to the fasteners. Each of the latching tabs includes a latching tip latched between the top plate of the corresponding fastener and the back surface of the front cover. The back plate abuts against the display screen and the two speakers, thus mounting the display screen and the two speakers on the front cover. |
| US08570718B2 |
Portable electronic device with pendant attachment device
A portable electronic device includes a housing defining an opening, a string of a pendant, and a pendant attachment device. The pendant attachment device includes a fixing block, an attachment element rotatably and movably fixed in the compartment, a fixing plate fixed to the housing and an elastic element. The fixing block defines a compartment. The attachment element includes a main body defining a fixing hole, the string is threaded through the fixing hole. In a first state, the elastic element exerts an elastic force on the attachment element, causing the attachment element being latched with the latching block with the fixing hole is located in the opening. In a second state, the elastic element drives the attachment element to move away from the fixing plate, thereby making the fixing hole stick out of the opening. |
| US08570717B2 |
Center instrument pedestal display
According to one embodiment, a center pedestal display includes a plurality of mounting faces and a high-resolution screen. The plurality of mounting faces include a first mounting face that is substantially parallel with a first surface of a pedestal mounting block of an existing instrument pedestal and a second mounting face that is substantially parallel with a second surface of the pedestal mounting block, the second surface intersecting the first surface at an angle such that the first surface is not parallel to the second surface. The existing instrument pedestal includes one or more pedestal gauges and one or more pedestal switches. The high-resolution screen is configured to display information comprising at least some information provided by the one or more pedestal gauges. The high-resolution screen is approximately 6×8 inches and has a resolution of at least 1024×768 pixels. |
| US08570716B2 |
Box for housing an electrical meter
An electrical meter box contains an electrical circuit that connects to a consumption meter. The box has a removable front panel, a rear wall having punch-outs for wire access to the inside of the box and four side walls. A flange surrounds the outside of the four side walls of the box and is disposed behind the front panel a predetermined distance. The flange has holes for mounting the box to a structure. The flange can be taped to the structure or placed underneath a vapor barrier for moisture integrity. |
| US08570712B2 |
Solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element, an outer package member covering the capacitor element, an anode terminal, and a cathode terminal. The capacitor element includes an anode body, an anode member buried in the anode body, a dielectric layer formed on part of a surface of the anode body, an electrolyte layer formed on the dielectric layer, and a cathode layer formed on the electrolyte layer. The anode member has a lower end portion exposed at a lower surface of the anode body. The anode terminal is electrically connected to the lower end portion, and has a surface partially exposed at a lower surface of the outer package member. The cathode terminal is electrically connected to the cathode layer at a position below the lower surface of the anode body, and has a surface partially exposed at the lower surface of the outer package member. |
| US08570710B2 |
Multilayered ceramic electronic component
There is provided multilayered ceramic electronic component having a 0603 size or less, the multilayered ceramic electronic component including: a ceramic body including a plurality of internal electrodes and dielectric layers disposed between the internal electrodes; and external electrodes disposed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the internal electrodes, wherein when a region in which the internal electrodes are overlapped is defined as an active region in a cross section of a central portion in a length direction of the ceramic body, taken in width and thickness directions thereof, the entire area of the cross section taken in the width and thickness directions is defined as At, and an area of the active region is defined as Aa, the following equation is satisfied: 65%≦Aa/At≦90%. |
| US08570708B2 |
Ceramic electronic component
A ceramic electronic component includes two electronic-component main bodies and two metal terminals. Each of the metal terminals includes a base, ribs on left and right sides of the base, and a mounting portion below the base. The base includes two bonding portions to be bonded to respective external electrodes of the two electronic-component main bodies and cut-out portions each having a closed shape and being disposed below the respective bonding portions. The ribs are bent from the left and right sides of the base in the width direction toward the electronic-component main body. The ribs extend from the top of the base in the height direction to the vicinity of the mounting-side major surface of the mounting-side electronic-component main body and do not reach the mounting portion. The mounting portion is bent from the bottom of the base toward the electronic-component main body. |
| US08570705B2 |
MEMS sprung cantilever tunable capacitors and methods
The present subject matter relates to MEMS tunable capacitors and methods for operating such capacitors. The tunable capacitor can feature a primary stationary actuator electrode on a substrate, a secondary stationary actuator electrode on the substrate, a stationary RF signal capacitor plate electrode on the substrate, a sprung cantilever disposed over the substrate, a beam anchor connecting a first end of the sprung cantilever to the substrate, and one or more elastic springs or other biasing members connecting a second end of the sprung cantilever to the substrate, the second end being located distally from the first end. The spring cantilever can be movable between an OFF state defined by the potential difference between the stationary and moveable actuator electrodes being zero, and an ON state defined by a non-zero potential difference between the stationary and moveable actuator electrodes. |
| US08570702B2 |
Static eliminating sheet, static eliminating system for sheets, and simultaneous design molding method, printing method, and deposition method using static eliminating sheet
There are provided a substrate sheet, a plurality of design portions arranged independently from each other along a longitudinal direction of the substrate sheet and each including at least a conductive material portion, and a band-shaped static eliminating band portion extending continuously along the longitudinal direction of the substrate sheet and electrically connecting the conductive material portions in the plurality of design portions to each other. |
| US08570697B2 |
Appartus and method for protecting signal and communication lines from very high voltage and transient pulses
Apparatus for protecting a signal line bus driver from overvoltage faults may include a first solid-state switch configured to block current having a positive voltage when open and a second solid-state switch configured to block current having a negative voltage when open. A comparator circuit may produce a output signal responsively to presence of a fault-induced voltage in the signal line that has a magnitude that exceeds the reference voltage. The first and second switches may be connected in series with one another and with the bus driver. The switches may be interposed between the bus driver and an output end of the signal line and may responsively to the comparator circuit output signal. |
| US08570695B2 |
Battery system
Provided is a battery system capable of preventing the voltage that is applied to the voltage detection circuit from exceeding the withstand voltage of the voltage detection circuit when the connection between the cells in the battery module is disconnected, and preventing an overcurrent from flowing in the cell voltage detection circuit and the module. The modules are internally provided with a battery voltage measurement circuit 2 for measuring the voltage of each cell. A reverse voltage protective diode 3 is disposed in the power supply route of the battery voltage measurement circuit 2, and adapted such that the anode thereof is connected to the negative electrode of a drive power source of the voltage measurement circuit and the cathode thereof is connected to the positive electrode of the drive power source of the voltage measurement circuit. A fuse 4 as an overcurrent protective element is provided to the power supply route of the battery voltage measurement circuit 2. |
| US08570694B2 |
Low voltage electrostatic discharge protection
A protection circuit for protecting components from an electrostatic discharge at a node in an integrated circuit having a first set of electronic components of a first voltage sensitivity, the protection circuit comprising: detection circuitry arranged to detect an electrostatic discharge at the node; a first switching device connected between the first set of components and the node; and a second switching device connected between the node and ground; wherein, when an electrostatic discharge is detected at the node, the first switching device is configured to isolate the first set of components from the node and the second switching device is configured to provide a current path from said node to ground. |
| US08570692B2 |
Overvoltage protection for inverters that comprise an EMC filter at their input end
In an overvoltage protection apparatus before an inverter configured to feed electric energy from a DC voltage source into an AC power grid, the overvoltage protection apparatus includes a DC voltage input stage. The DC voltage input stage includes at least two current-carrying lines and an EMC filter including interference suppressing capacitors and interference suppressing inductors, and surge arrestors configured to divert overvoltages with respect to ground are connected to the current-carrying lines after the EMC filter, from a point of view of the DC voltage source. |
| US08570689B2 |
Differential magnetoresistive effect head and magnetic recording/reading device
According to one embodiment, a differential magnetoresistive effect element comprises a first magnetoresistive effect element having a first pinning layer, a first intermediate layer, and a first free layer. The differential magnetoresistive effect element also comprises a second magnetoresistive effect element stacked via a spacer layer above the first magnetoresistive effect element, the second magnetoresistive effect element having a second pinning layer, a second intermediate layer, and a second free layer. The first magnetoresistive effect element and the second magnetoresistive effect element show in-opposite-phase resistance change in response to a magnetic field in the same direction, and tp2>tp1 is satisfied when a thickness of the first pinning layer is tp1, and a thickness of the second pinning layer is tp2. In another embodiment, the first and second magnetoresistive effect elements may be CPP-GMR elements. Other elements, heads, and magnetic recording/reading devices are described according to other embodiments. |
| US08570687B2 |
Copper residual stress relaxation reduction means for hard disk drive slider gimbals
Disclosed are various techniques for reduction of the magnitude of the residual stress in the HDD gimbal circuits, or more specifically, the residual plastic strain. Various trace structures of the gimbal circuits as well as stress suppressors are utilized to achieve the reduction of the residual stress in the circuit. |
| US08570686B2 |
Magnetic recording head with non-conformal side shield gap
A magnetic write head having a shield structure that provides both a leading shield and side shielding function. The magnetic shield is separated from the sides and leading edge of the write pole by a non-magnetic gap layer that has a non-uniform thickness. The non-magnetic gap layer is thicker near the leading edge and thinner at the trailing edge. This allows for increased side field gradient near the trailing edge of the write pole and decreased write field loss at the leading edge of the write pole. |
| US08570683B2 |
Low permeability material for a side shield in a perpendicular magnetic head
In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a side shield disposed on both sides of the main magnetic pole in a track width direction, the side shield including a material having a saturation magnetic flux density of no greater than about 1.0 T, and a trailing shield disposed on a trailing side of the main magnetic pole, wherein the trailing shield and the side shield are physically separated from one another. In another embodiment, the side shield includes a first magnetic film, and the trailing shield includes a second magnetic film, wherein a magnetic permeability of the first magnetic film is lower than a magnetic permeability of the second magnetic film. |
| US08570682B2 |
Disk drive using an airflow reduction plate and methods of manufacturing thereof
In order to effectively reduce disk flutter in a disk drive by using simple structures and efficient manufacturing techniques, a disk drive, in one embodiment, includes a base, a spindle motor coupled to the bottom of the base, a disk coupled to and rotated by a rotational shaft of the spindle motor, an airflow reduction plate coupled inside the base and positioned opposite to and away from a main plane of the disk, and a sidewall section inside the base which is positioned opposite to an outer edge of the disk and has a form along the outer edge of the disk. A first gap between at least one half of a part positioned opposite to the sidewall section in an outer edge of the airflow reduction plate and the sidewall section is smaller than a second gap between the sidewall section and the outer edge of the disk. |
| US08570681B2 |
Dual channel HDD systems and methods
A hard disk drive system includes a first channel module and a second channel module. The first channel module is configured to receive a first data from or transfer the first data to a first amplifier module of a hard disk assembly when reading from or writing to a first surface of a disk of the hard disk assembly. The second channel module is configured to receive a second data from or transfer the second data to a second amplifier module of the hard disk assembly when reading or writing to a second surface of the disk while the first channel module receives the first data from or transfers the first data to the first amplifier module. |
| US08570680B2 |
Pad bit injection during read operation to improve format efficiency
Injecting pad bits during a read operation to improve format efficiency is disclosed. In some embodiments, a pad sequence associated with error correction is not stored in a sector on a disk. Instead, the pad sequence is merged at a read channel with data stored in a sector that is accessed by the read channel. |
| US08570677B2 |
Implementing spin-torque oscillator sensing with enhanced integrated demodulator for hard disk drives
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing spin-torque oscillator sensing with an enhanced integrated demodulator for hard disk drives. The demodulator receives an input signal from a STO read sensor having an oscillation frequency ω related to the strength of the detected magnetic signal field. The demodulator includes a pair of mixers coupled to a quadrature reference oscillator with respective quadrature components cos(ω0t), and sin(ω0t) of the quadrature reference oscillator being mixed with a received input signal to form signals at the sum and difference frequencies, ω±ω0. Each of these mixer products is lowpass filtered by a respective a lowpass filter to remove the sum frequency components for providing a demodulator output signal that is directly proportional the STO oscillation frequency ω. The demodulator output signal is used for processing by data detection electronics. |
| US08570676B2 |
Optical assembly
An optical assembly supported in an arrangement, especially in an objective or in an illuminating or exposure system, in the interior of a housing comprising at least one optical element, especially a lens, a mirror, or an aperture, wherein the at least one element is influenceable by at least one manipulator is characterized in that the at least one manipulator is arranged either outside of the housing or in a holding means that is separated entirely or to a large extent by the help of a decoupling means, and that there is provided an effective coupling between the manipulator and the element to be influenced by the manipulator in the interior of the arrangement. |
| US08570673B2 |
Spacer and lens module
A spacer includes an object-side surface, an image-side surface, and an outer sidewall. The image-side surface is opposite to the object-side surface. The outer sidewall defines a first cutout and a second cutout. The first cutout and the second cutout penetrate through the object-side surface and the image-side surface. Contours of the first cutout and the second cutout are different from each other. |
| US08570670B2 |
Imaging lens
An imaging lens includes a first lens having negative refractive power; a second lens having negative refractive power; a third lens; a fourth lens; and a fifth lens. The first lens has a positive curvature radius on an image plane side. The second lens has a sharp convex surface, and a positive curvature radius on the image plane side. The third lens has a positive curvature radius on the object side and a negative curvature radius on the image plane side. The fourth lens has a negative curvature radius on the object side and a positive curvature radius on the image plane side. The fifth lens has a positive curvature radius on the object side and a negative curvature radius on the image plane side, and an aspheric surface. |
| US08570665B2 |
Lens barrel having cam cylinder with cam groove
A lens barrel includes a lens holding frame 102 that holds a lens 101 and that includes at least three follower pins 103, 104, and 102b, a guide cylinder 700 that linearly guides the lens holding frame 102 in an optical axis direction, and a cam cylinder 800 that rotates around an optical axis to move the lens holding frame 102 in the optical axis direction. At least three different kinds of cam grooves 800a, 800b, and 800c are formed on the cam cylinder 800, and at least two cam grooves of the cam grooves intersect with each other at a predetermined intersection 800t. When one of the at least three follower pins is positioned at the intersection, the other at least two follower pins engage with corresponding cam grooves of the at least three different kinds of cam grooves in a compression direction. |
| US08570661B2 |
Projection lens system
A projection lens system includes, in order from a screen-side to an SLM-side thereof, a first lens group of negative refractive power which includes a first lens, and a second lens group of positive refractive power. The second lens group includes a second to fifth lenses in order from the screen-side to the SLM-side of the projection lens system. The projection lens system satisfies the following condition formulas: 1.95<|F1/Fw|<2.15, 0.5<|f4/Fw|<0.7, and 1.05<|f5/Fw|<1.25, where F1 is the effective focal length of the first lens group, f4 is the focal length of the fourth lens, and f5 is the focal length of the fifth lens, Fw is the effective focal length of the projection lens system which is in the wide-angle state. |
| US08570660B2 |
Wide-angle converter lens
A wide-angle converter lens capable of being detachably mounted on an enlargement side of an imaging lens includes a first optical element, at least one optical element having negative refractive power, and at least one optical element having positive refractive power, wherein, when an average value of relative partial dispersions of the first optical element and all optical elements of which the sign of refractive power is the same as that of the first optical element is denoted by θgF_ave, a relative partial dispersion of the first optical element is denoted by θgF, and an Abbe number of the first optical element is denoted by νd, these numerical values satisfy appropriate relationships. |
| US08570658B2 |
Non powered concepts for a wire frame of fluid filled lenses
Various embodiments of a non-powered actuator arm for controlling liquid flow to a fluid-filled lens are described herein. A vertical tweezer assembly compresses a reservoir of solution in a first vertical direction by lateral disposition of a slider mounted on the outside of the housing. The assembly may also be shaped to provide compression of the reservoir in a second horizontal direction by lateral disposition of a slider. In another embodiment, a housing may contain a piston that moves laterally within the housing and collapses the reservoir disposed adjacent to the piston and also within the housing. The housing may contain a plurality of compressible domes which can each be compressed to cause a local compression on the reservoir disposed within the housing. Compression of the reservoir causes liquid inflation of a lens module. |
| US08570654B2 |
Free-space optical hybrid
A free-space optical hybrid is provided. The free-space optical hybrid includes a polarizing beam splitter that split the light beams S and L into horizontal polarization light beams Sx, Lx and orthogonal polarization light beams Sy, Ly, respectively, at least one birefringent crystal splits the horizontal polarization light beams Sx, Lx and orthogonal polarization light beams Sy, Ly into light beams Sxo, Sxe, Lxo, Lxe, Syo, Sye, Lyo, Lye, a light combiner that combine the light beams Sxo+Lxo, Sxo−Lxo, Sxe+jLxe, Sxe−jLxe, Syo+Lyo, Syo−Lyo, Sye+jLye, Sye−jLye and output the light beams at ports. The present invention can realize an optical hybrid in free-space by using a birefringent crystal and can split light beams of different polarization statuses in free-space well. The optical hybrid offers a compact structure and good stability. |
| US08570653B2 |
Polarizing glass and optical isolator
The near-field extinction ratio of a polarizing glass is increased. A polarizing glass contains anisotropically shaped metal particles oriented and dispersed in a glass substrate, which contains 0.40-0.85 wt % Cl relative to the entire glass substrate. The Vickers hardness ranges from 360 to 420, the Knoop hardness number ranges from 400 to 495, or the glass substrate contains at least one component selected from the group consisting of Y2O3, La2O3, V2O3, Ta2O3, WO3, and Nb2O5. The content of each of the selected components ranges from 0.05-4 mole percent, and if a plurality of the components are selected, the total content of the components is 6 mole percent or less. |
| US08570652B2 |
Solid vision
Two image formation apparatuses are used to create pairs of images of an object analogously to the operation of two human eyes. Then the portions of the images analogous to the nasal field of view of the eyes are removed, leaving the outer portions of each pair of images. These outer portions are combined to create a resultant image that gives an enhanced impression of solidity. The relative proportions of the portions removed from the images are adjustable responsive to factors such as position of the object being imaged. |
| US08570650B2 |
Method and system for fast three-dimensional structured-illumination-microscopy imaging
A structured-illumination module included in a 3D-structured-illumination-based fluorescence microscope, the structured-illumination module comprising: a structured-illumination-module frame; a beam-alignment module including a central tilt mirror coupled to an underside of a top horizontal plate of the structured-illumination-module frame; a set of directional mirrors, one of which receives, at a given point in time, input, polarized, coherent light reflected from the central tilt mirror; three sets of beam splitters, on three arms of the structured-illumination-module frame, the each splits an incident illumination beam, reflected to the set of beam splitters from a directional mirror of the set of directional mirrors, into a coherent beam triplet; and a phase-shift module that receives a beam triplet, at a given point in time, generated by one of the sets of beam splitters and reflected from the beam-alignment module and that introduces a desired relative phase relationship among the beams of the beam triplet. |
| US08570647B1 |
Optical element for transmitting ultraviolet light and light source device including same
An optical element includes a substrate and a film on the substrate. The substrate made of sapphire. The film is configured for increasing transmission of ultraviolet lights. The film is stacked by a plurality of high refractive index layers and a plurality of low refractive index layers alternately stacked on the substrate. |
| US08570645B2 |
Beam steering device
A beam steering device (300) for deflecting a beam of light is provided. The beam steering device comprises a first deflecting member (310), a rotating member (320), and a second deflecting member (330). For an incoming beam of light having components (303, 302) with their polarization parallel (303′) and perpendicular (302′), respectively, to an optic axis (314, 334) of the beam steering device, the parallel component (303) is deflected by a first angle (304) when passing the first deflecting member. When passing the rotating member, the polarization (303′, 302′) of the beam of light is rotated by 90 degrees (303″, 302″). When passing the second deflecting member, the perpendicular component (302) is deflected by a second angle (305). |
| US08570642B2 |
Light control film
Disclosed is a light control film comprising: two of transparent conductive resin substrates each having a transparent conductive layer and a transparent resin substrate; and a light control layer interposed between the two transparent conductive resin substrates to be in contact with the transparent conductive layer sides, the light control layer containing: a resin matrix; and a light control suspension dispersed in the resin matrix, wherein the transparent conductive layer contains: an organic binder resin; and a conductive polymer. The present invention can provide a light control film having satisfactory adhesiveness between the light control layer and the transparent conductive layer and having excellent radio wave transparency. |
| US08570638B2 |
Method of fabricating an integrated device
A method of fabricating an integrated device including a MicroElectroMechanical system (MEMS) and an associated microcircuit is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises: forming a high temperature contact through a dielectric layer to an underlying element of a microcircuit formed adjacent to a MicroElectroMechanical System (MEMS) structure on a substrate; and depositing a layer of conducting material over the dielectric layer, and patterning the layer of conducting material to form a local interconnect (LI) for the microcircuit overlying and electrically coupled to the contact and a bottom electrode for the adjacent MEMS structure. Other embodiments are also provided. |
| US08570635B2 |
Apparatus and methods relating to wavelength conditioning of illumination
Lighting systems comprising a spectrum former upstream from a reflective pixelated spatial light modulator (reflective SLM), the SLM reflecting substantially all of the light in the spectrum into at least two different light paths, that do not reflect back to the light source or the spectrum former. At least one of the light paths acts as a projection light path and transmits desired light out of the lighting system. The lighting systems provide virtually any desired color(s) and intensity(s) of light, and avoid overheating problems by deflecting unwanted light and other electromagnetic radiation out of the system or to a heat management system. The systems can be part of another system, a luminaire, or any other suitable light source. The systems can provide virtually any desired light, from the light seen at the break of morning to specialized light for treating cancer or psoriasis, and may change color and intensity at speeds that are perceptually instantaneous. |
| US08570632B2 |
Microactuator, optical device and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
A pair of support members each having a spring section in a part thereof support a mirror element, and a pair of drive mechanisms arranged respectively corresponding to a pair of the support members transform the spring sections of the corresponding support members, thereby changing a distance between each of support points at which the support members support the mirror element and a base. Accordingly, the mirror element can be translated by driving all of the drive mechanisms, or the mirror element can be inclined with respect to the base by driving some of the drive mechanisms. |
| US08570630B2 |
Piezoelectric mirror device, optical equipment incorporating the same, and piezoelectric mirror device fabrication process
A piezoelectric mirror device (11) comprises a frame portion (12) having a centrally located opening (13), a mirror portion (14) positioned at the opening (13), a pair of mirror support portions (15) adapted to support the mirror portion (14) rotatably relative the frame portion (12) and a pair of drive portions (16) that is a multilayer structure of lower electrodes (17), piezoelectric element (18) and an upper electrode (19). The mirror support portions (15) are formed of a material having a Young's modulus of up to 160 GPa, and the frame portion (12) includes a cutout (13a) at a part of a site wherein there are the drive portions (16) positioned. The cutout (13a) is in contact with the opening (13). |
| US08570627B2 |
Image processing apparatus for data compression, control method, and computer-readable medium
An image processing apparatus comprises: an unit configured to compress image data based on values of pixels and a layout of the pixels for each tile including the predetermined number of pixels; an unit configured to calculate a representative value from the values of the pixels included in the tile; an unit configured to determine based on a distribution of the representative values of tiles included in a first area including the first number of tiles whether or not a tile of interest included in the first area is to be corrected; an unit configured to calculate a correction value for the tile of interest based on the representative values of tiles included in a second area including the second number of tiles; and an unit configured to add representative values of the tiles, determination results of the tiles, and the correction value to the image data compressed. |
| US08570626B2 |
Providing a profile to emulate a color map
A profile combines at least the following: a color map between device-dependent color spaces, a first output profile that characterizes a mapping between a color space of a first output device being emulated and a device-independent color space, and a second output profile that characterizes a mapping between a color space of a second output device and the device-independent color space. |
| US08570624B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus main body with an opening formed on an upper face thereof; an original document reading device that opens and closes the opening; an original document holder that is supported openably and closably by the original document reading device; a first lock mechanism that locks opening and closing of the original document reading device with respect to the apparatus main body; and a second lock mechanism that locks opening and closing of the original document holder with respect to the original document reading device, in which the first lock mechanism and the second lock mechanism are disposed inside a cabinet of the original document reading device. |
| US08570622B2 |
Method of monitoring a sequence of documents
A method of monitoring a sequence of documents passing along a transport path is described. The method including: operating a radiation transmitter with a control signal at a first, working, level to cause radiation at a first intensity to impinge on one side of a document as it passes an inspection position in the transport path; receiving at a radiation receiver, radiation from the transmitter that has passed through the document, the radiation receiver generating an output signal with a level related to the intensity of the received radiation; and monitoring the output signal to detect the presence and/or a characteristic of the document. A calibration process is carried out between successive documents, the calibration process including: operating the radiation transmitter with a control signal at a second, calibration, level to cause radiation at a second intensity less than the first intensity to be transmitted towards the receiver, and adjusting the level of the resultant output signal from the receiver to a predetermined value. |
| US08570617B2 |
Image reading apparatus for reading adjustment document used for image adjustment, image forming apparatus with image reading apparatus and adjustment document used in image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes an image reader, an image adjuster and an execution controller that causes the image reader to read an adjustment document and causes the image adjuster to adjust image data generated by the image reader. The adjustment document includes line images and parameter images at positions spaced apart in a main scanning direction in a margin area where the line images are not provided. The parameter images indicate parameters used in image adjustment processing. The execution controller judges whether the image data corresponding to predetermined positions in the main scanning direction coincide, selects one of the image data judged to coincide, and causes the image adjuster to perform the image adjustment using the selected image data and the parameter indicated by the image data generated by reading the parameter image at the position in the main scanning direction of the selected image data. |
| US08570610B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer readable medium for designating a region of reduced document on display and creating image corresponding to the designated region
An information processing apparatus includes: a document acceptance unit that accepts a plurality of documents; a reduction and display unit that reduces and displays the documents accepted by the document acceptance unit; a region designation unit that designates a region for one of the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit; a region image creation unit that creates an image corresponding to the region designated by the region designation unit for each of the documents accepted by the document acceptance unit based on a size of each of the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit; and a region image display unit that displays the images created by the region image creation unit in respective document positions corresponding to the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit. |
| US08570609B2 |
Image processing device with image dilation processing, image processing system, image processing method and computer readable medium
An image processing device is provided including: an acquiring unit that acquires position data expressing a position of plural reference images provided on a reference medium; a scanning unit that scans the plural reference images; and a determination unit. The determination unit derives the sum of positional misalignment amounts of corresponding reference images, between the position of reference images expressed by image data obtained by the scanning unit, and the position of reference images expressed by position data acquired by the acquiring unit. The determination unit executes alignment of the reference images using a common correction coefficient predetermined so as to give the smallest sum of the positional misalignment amounts. Then the determination unit determines a dilation amount for image dilation on image data such that the dilation amount increases as the sum of the positional misalignment amounts increases. |
| US08570608B2 |
Scanner, has tab comprising tab body extending from bottom panel and resilient absorbing portion connected to tab body, and resilient absorbing portion resisting loading panel to prevent movement of loading panel
A scanner includes a scanning module and a base. The scanning module includes a loading panel and a driving module. The base includes a bottom panel, a sliding portion, and a first resisting tab extending from the bottom panel. A sliding slot is defined in the sliding portion to receive the scanning module. The first resisting tab includes a first tab body extending from the bottom panel and a first resilient absorbing portion connected to the first tab body. The first resilient absorbing portion resists the loading panel to prevent movement of the loading panel when the loading panel moves to a first side of the sliding slot. |
| US08570605B2 |
Image correction method and image correction system
A patch is printed on a printing medium, and ink discharge amount information is acquired from a colorimetric value that is acquired by measuring a printed patch. According to the information, color correction is performed on image data to be processed for printing, using a correction table that corresponds to a designated type of printing media. |
| US08570601B2 |
Process direction streak source diagnosis in printers
Methods and systems print a multi-color test pattern using a printing device to create a printed test pattern when the printing device is producing a printing defect. The methods and systems scan the printed test pattern to produce a scanned image and decompose the scanned image into color blocks using the computerized device. The methods and systems create intensity profiles of the color blocks using the computerized device and compare at least two of the intensity profiles of different colors to determine whether the intensity profiles indicate correlated printing defects using the computerized device. The methods and systems indicate, through the computerized device, whether a potential defect within a common printing element of the printing device or is located within one or more of the color printing elements of the printing device, depending upon whether the intensity profiles have correlated printing defects. |
| US08570595B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and computer readable medium for reading and obtaining a combined image of a document having a size larger than a readable document size
An image processing apparatus includes a control unit and an output unit. The control unit includes an image output unit that arranges an image read by reading processing in an area shifted in a certain direction in a display area in which read image on which reading processing is performed by an image reading apparatus is displayed, and outputs the image to the output unit. |
| US08570586B2 |
Active images through digital watermarking
The presently claimed invention relates generally to methods and apparatus employing digital watermarking. Once claim recites an apparatus including: electronic memory for storing received digital imagery or audio, in which the digital imagery or audio comprises digital watermarking including a first instruction, in which the digital watermarking is hidden in the digital imagery or audio through alterations of data representing the digital imagery or through alterations of data representing the audio; and an electronic processor programmed for: decoding the digital watermark from the digital imagery or audio to obtain a first instruction; and based at least in part on the obtained first instruction, updating said apparatus when an address associated with the digital imagery or audio changes. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too. |
| US08570580B2 |
Printing system, printing apparatus, printing method, control method and computer-readable medium relate to a technique that gives a printing instruction to a printing system in which a plurality of printing apparatuses are series-connected physically and generates one printed product on one printing medium
A printing apparatus comprises: an acquisition unit configured to analyze an input print job and acquires information of a sheet to be used in printing; and a printing unit configured to print the input print job by performing paper feed from an inserter controlled by another connected printing apparatus, if the information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates that a sheet to be used in printing is stored in a manual insertion paper feed unit. |
| US08570579B2 |
Methods and systems for determining capacity allocation and job size thresholds for print jobs having heavy-tailed distributions
A method of identifying a cell configuration for a print shop may include determining a print job size distribution for a plurality of print jobs. The method may include identifying one or more print device requirements associated with a cell in a print shop, identifying a plurality of available print devices associated with the print shop and determining, by a computing device, a plurality of different configurations of the available print devices that satisfy the one or more print device requirements. The method may include, for each configuration, determining a print job size threshold value, and determining, by the computing device, a processing time associated with processing the plurality of print jobs by a cell having the configuration and the determined print job size threshold value. The method may include selecting, by the computing device, the cell having the configuration associated with the smallest processing time. |
| US08570576B2 |
Scanner device and scanning method
A scanner device transmits scanned image data to a predetermined computer having a local area network transmit tool via a local area network. The scanner device includes a scanning module, a storage module, a determination module, and a control module. The scanning module scans a document waiting to be scanned to form an image data. The storage module stores the image data. The determination module determines an IP address of the predetermined computer. The control module transmits the image data to the predetermined computer via the local area network transmit tool based on the IP address of the predetermined computer. |
| US08570573B2 |
Image processing system, image processing apparatus, and information processing apparatus
An image processing system includes an image processing apparatus and an information processing apparatus that are connected via a data communication channel. The image processing apparatus includes an execution request unit sending an execution request to request the information processing apparatus to execute an image processing function, a command reception unit receiving a control command from the information processing apparatus, and a hardware control unit controlling a hardware component of the image processing apparatus based on the received control command to perform image processing corresponding to the image processing function. The information processing apparatus includes a request reception unit receiving the execution request from the image processing apparatus, a software control unit executing a software program for implementing the image processing function based on the received execution request, and a command transmission unit sending the control command generated by the software program to the image processing apparatus. |
| US08570572B2 |
Method and apparatus for printing web-based content via cloud print service
A method for printing web-based content via a cloud print service includes: a) receiving a print request at an interface server of a print interface service, the print request associated an interface record adapted to store a print URL linked to an original URL with web-based content desired to be printed via a cloud print service; b) obtaining the web-based content associated with the original URL from a host server; and c) sending a job request and the obtained web-based content to the cloud print service for printing the desired web-based content. The interface server may include a controller, a consumer user communication module, a storage device, a print content communication module, and a cloud print communication module. The method may include receiving a record request requesting assignment of the print URL and identifying the original URL, assigning the print URL, and storing the print URL, original URL, and link. |
| US08570571B2 |
Image handling apparatus, image processing system, image process controlling method, and image process controlling program product possible to provide an interface capable of controlling special hardware mounted in the image forming apparatus
An image handling apparatus is disclosed, including an operation panel, hardware resources, a transferring part, and an image generation controlling part. The transferring part transfers image handle information input at the input screen to an external apparatus. The image generation controlling part receives and parses image generation information for at least one of the hardware resources to execute an image generation based on the image handle information, from the external apparatus in response to an instruction of the image generation, so that at least one of the hardware resources executes the image generation. |
| US08570570B2 |
Image forming apparatus, file delivery system, and file delivery method that may easily associate a meta data file with an image data file in units of a page, easily confirm the final page in the image data file, and rapidly deliver the image data files
An image forming apparatus includes an image scanning unit, a metafile creating unit, a transmission file name creating unit, and a control unit. The metafile creating unit creates a first metadata file and a second metadata file. The control unit transmits image data files in units of a page, created by the image scanning unit, after transmitting the first metadata file to the file delivery apparatus. The control unit transmits the second metadata file after transmitting the image data files (in a unit comprising all the pages) to the file delivery apparatus. The control unit provides a transmission file name (including a common part created by the transmission file name creating unit) to the first meta data file, the image data file, and the second meta data file. |
| US08570563B2 |
Apparatus, system, method and computer readable medium in which information is selectively acquired from printing apparatus and print control apparatus
A printing apparatus and print control apparatus acquire apparatus information required to specify each other's apparatuses by exchanging them. An information processing apparatus determines with reference to a database which stores data to be set in a printer driver and information indicating acquisition source of the data in association with each other whether data to be set in the printer driver is acquired from the printing apparatus or print control apparatus. The information processing apparatus acquires data from the determined printing apparatus or print control apparatus and causes the acquired data to be reflected in the settings of the printer driver. |
| US08570561B2 |
Image forming apparatus, printing control method, and computer-readable recording medium thereof
An image forming apparatus connected to a network and including a storage part, a printing request receiving part for receiving a printing request from a data processing apparatus via the network and recording the printing request in the storage part, the printing request including a page description language list indicating at least one page description language applicable to the data processing apparatus, a determining part for determining whether the data processing apparatus is to convert electronic data associated to the printing request into printing data based on whether the page description language list includes a page description language processable by the image forming apparatus, a data obtaining part for transmitting first and second requests to the data processing apparatus and receiving the printing data or the electronic data in response to the first and second request; and a printing part for printing data obtained from the data obtaining part. |
| US08570551B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program capable of providing useful information to a user based on logs stored in a printing system and improving the usability of each user who operates a printing system
A printing system includes a storage unit (HD) adapted to store a print logs relating to each of a plurality of print data having been printed, the print log including relevant information relating to the print data; a reception unit adapted to receive relevant information relating to print data to be printed; a search unit adapted to search a print log including the relevant information received by the reception unit from the print logs stored in the storage unit; and a display unit adapted to display information indicating a print apparatus that has printed print data corresponding to the print log found by the search unit, which is extracted from the relevant information included in the print log found by the search unit. |
| US08570548B2 |
Image forming apparatus and access control method between an image forming apparatus and a device external to the image forming apparatus
A manufacturer or the like provides consumable products used in an image forming apparatus with distribution information including a most recent license code and then markets the consumable products, and the image forming apparatus performs authentication processing by reading the distribution information from such consumable products. Receiving a connection request from an application executed by a personal computer, the image forming apparatus determines whether connection may be permitted or not by comparing the license code of the application included in the connection request with the distribution information provided to the consumable product. |
| US08570546B2 |
Method and system for printing documents from a portable device to any printer based on information contained in optical code
One embodiment provides a system for printing a document from a portable device. During operation, the system obtains the document to be printed. Next, the system obtains a document optical code that identifies the document. Subsequently, the system displays the document optical code on the portable device in such a way that the document optical code can be scanned and recognized by a scanner associated with the printer. Next, the system allows the printer to retrieve and print the document based at least on the document optical code. |
| US08570540B2 |
Image forming apparatus for processing document data file capable of performing processing as specified by a user on a document data file to be processed even if the user lacks adequate knowledge
In the case where an attribute of a general-purpose file to be processed is an attribute inhibiting printing, an MFP selects a transmission function, which is one of output functions of the MFP, as a function that can be performed (selected) in response to an output instruction, and displays a screen for transmission. In the case of an attribute permitting a document assembly function, the MFP determines that a bind function is a function that can be performed (selected), and displays a screen for the function. In the case of an attribute inhibiting the document assembly function, the MFP determines that a function of adding information to a file, which is one of the output functions of the MFP that does not implement the document assembly function, is a function that can be performed (selected), and displays a screen for the function. |
| US08570536B2 |
Smart crimp tool system for electrical contacts and terminals which are controlled and monitored by a central database manager
A crimp tool for crimping contacts onto wire cable ends includes an indentor mechanism having a plurality of moveable indentors for deforming a portion of a contact inserted into the mechanism. One of the indentors has a pressure responsive element for providing a signal indicative of the pressure exerted on the contact by the indentor. A device coupled to the pressure responsive element records pressure data and transfers data to an electronic control unit for determining operation of the mechanism. An automated inspection system uses light projection and a light sensor adapted for detecting light projected through a crimping die to measure dimensions and configurations of the crimping die. The system stores data representative of desired measurements of the crimping die and compares actual measurements to desired measurements. A set of fixtures are used for positioning the crimping die in the inspection system. |
| US08570529B2 |
Device for position detection
An apparatus for position finding, including a light source to produce a wave field in a measurement section, a wave field variation device to generate a variation of a wavelength of the wave field over time, an interferometer to produce an interference pattern for the wave field which is dependent on the length of the measurement section, a detector to produce a measurement signal on the basis of the detected interference pattern, and an evaluation circuit to evaluate the measurement signal on the basis of the variation over time. |
| US08570526B2 |
Device for digitally processing information obtained from a gyrolaser and associated gyrolaser
A gyrolaser with optical cavity includes a plurality of mirrors, at least one photo-detector delivering two optical signals in phase quadrature, said signals being digitized. The position of one of said mirrors is controlled by conversion of an electrical signal into a mechanical force. The gyrolaser is activated in an oscillatory movement by conversion of an oscillation electrical signal into a mechanical force. The angular velocity of said gyrolaser is measured, and the phase α and the modulus ρ or the square of the modulus ρ are extracted from said optical signals. |
| US08570522B2 |
Capturing reflected light from a sampling surface
A mechanism is disclosed for capturing reflected rays from a surface. A first and second lens aligned along a same optical center axis are configured so that a beam of light collimated parallel to the lens center axis directed to a first side, is converged toward the lens center axis on a second side. A first light beam source between the first and second lenses directs a light beam toward the first lens parallel to the optical center axis. Second light beam source(s) on the second side of the first lens, direct a light beam toward a focal plane of the first lens at a desired angle. An image capturing component, at the second side of the second lens, has an image capture surface directed toward the second lens to capture images of the light reflected from a sample capture surface at the focal plane of the first lens. |
| US08570518B2 |
Methods and materials for detection of target species
A test system includes an optical medium, a binding agent capable of capturing a target complex, and a light detector. The optical medium provides a light path, and the binding agent is positioned to hold the target complex in an evanescent field created by propagation of light along the light path. The complex interacts with the evanescent field and emits light that the detector positioned to detect. The optical medium and the detector can be included in an optical integrated circuit where detected light passes through the optical medium transverse to the direction of the light path. |
| US08570513B2 |
Ellipsometric investigation and analysis of textured samples
System for, and method of ellipsometric investigation of and analysis of samples which have, for instance, a non-random effectively “regular” textured surface, and/or a surface characterized by an irregular array of faceted structures. |
| US08570506B2 |
System for inspecting defects of panel device
System for inspecting defects of panel device includes a to-be-inspected device, a platform for holding the to-be-inspected device, a power unit, and a light source apparatus. The light source apparatus is controlled by the power unit to provide an inspection light to the to-be-inspected device for inspecting whether or not having defects. The light source apparatus includes a cathode structure, an anode structure, a fluorescent layer, and a low-pressure gas layer. The fluorescent layer is located between the cathode structure and the anode structure. The low-pressure gas layer is filled between the cathode structure and the anode structure, for inducing the cathode to emit electrons uniformly. The low-pressure gas layer has an electron mean free path, allowing at least enough electrons to directly hit the fluorescent layer under an operating voltage. |
| US08570504B2 |
Method and system for optically inspecting parts
A method and system for optically inspecting parts are provided wherein the system includes a part transfer subsystem including a transfer mechanism adapted to receive and support a part at a loading station and to transfer the supported part so that the part travels along a first path which extends from the loading station to an inspection station at which the part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection. An illumination assembly simultaneously illuminates a plurality of exterior side surfaces of the part with a plurality of separate beams of radiation. A telecentric lens and detector assembly forms an optical image of at least a portion of each of the illuminated side surfaces of the part and detects the optical images. A processor processes the detected optical images to obtain a plurality of views of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part. |
| US08570500B2 |
Detector arrangement for a flow cytometry system
Systems and methods for regarding a cytometry system are disclosed. The system can include a plurality lasers which are spatially separated from each other. Each laser can be assigned to a single detector. The single detector can process multiple events from each laser by digital switching of signal processing circuitry. Additional detectors can be assigned to receive light in a similar manner. |
| US08570496B2 |
Optical detection apparatus and optical measurement system
An optical detection apparatus which is capable of measuring a sample is provided. The optical detection apparatus includes a plurality of light emission units, a light receiving unit, a driving unit, and an analyzing unit. Each of the light emission units is capable of emitting a light beam. The light receiving unit is capable of receiving the light beam passing through the sample and is capable of converting the received light beam to an electrical signal. The driving unit is capable of changing the relative position of the light emission units and the sample. The analyzing unit is electrically connected to the light receiving unit and is capable of measuring a property of the sample by using the electrical signal. A number of the light receiving unit is less than a number of the light emission units. An optical measurement system including the optical detection apparatus is also provided. |
| US08570494B2 |
Electro-optical distance meter
[Problem] To provide an electro-optical distance meter in which the measurement time is reduced, and a temperature phase drift of electrical components is reduced.[Solution Means] An electro-optical distance meter includes a first light-emitting element (13) which emits light modulated with a plurality of main modulation frequencies (F1 and F2), a second light-emitting element (14) which emits light modulated with a plurality of adjacent modulation frequencies (F1−Δf1 and F2−Δf2) close to the main modulation frequencies, respectively, first and second light receiving elements (40 and 48) which receive light emitted from both light-emitting elements, a first frequency converter group (42, 44) connected to the first light receiving element, and a second frequency converter group (50, 52) connected to the second light receiving element. The light emitted from the first light-emitting element is split into two parts, one of these is made incident onto the first light receiving element through a distance measuring optical path (23) for traveling to and from a target reflection object (22), and the other is made incident onto the second light receiving element through a first reference optical path (26), and the light emitted from the second light-emitting element is split into two parts, one of these is made incident onto the second light receiving element through a second reference optical path (31), and the other is made incident onto the first light receiving element through a third reference optical path (29). |
| US08570492B2 |
Lithographic apparatus
A lithographic apparatus including a substrate table position measurement system and a projection system position measurement system to measure a position of the substrate table and the projection system, respectively. The substrate table position measurement system includes a substrate table reference element mounted on the substrate table and a first sensor head. The substrate table reference element extends in a measurement plane substantially parallel to the holding plane of a substrate on substrate table. The holding plane is arranged at one side of the measurement plane and the first sensor head is arranged at an opposite side of the measurement plane. The projection system position measurement system includes one or more projection system reference elements and a sensor assembly. The sensor head and the sensor assembly or the associated projection system measurement elements are mounted on a sensor frame. |
| US08570490B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and control method
A method includes providing a controller to control a speed of a substrate table in a scan direction, the controller including a first input to receive a first signal representative of a first time period of a movement of the substrate table in a step direction, a second input to receive a second signal representative of a distance in the scan direction to be covered by the substrate table during a scan movement thereof, and a third input to receive a third signal representative of an acceleration of the substrate table. The controller includes an output to provide an output signal to control the speed of the substrate table in the scan direction. The method includes calculating the speed of the substrate table in the scan direction from the first, second and third signal, and compensating the output signal for the calculated speed of the substrate table. |
| US08570486B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
An immersion lithography apparatus includes a liquid supply system configured to supply a liquid to a space through which a beam of radiation passes, the liquid having an optical property that can be tuned by a tuner. The space may be located between the projection system and the substrate. The tuner is arranged to adjust one or more properties of the liquid such as the shape, composition, refractive index and/or absorptivity as a function of space and/or time in order to change the imaging performance of the lithography apparatus. |
| US08570485B2 |
Lens heating compensation systems and methods
Methods for calibrating a photolithographic system are disclosed. A cold lens contour for a reticle design and at least one hot lens contour for the reticle design are generated from which a process window is defined. Aberrations induced by a lens manipulator are characterized in a manipulator model and the process window is optimized using the manipulator model. Aberrations are characterized by identifying variations in critical dimensions caused by lens manipulation for a plurality of manipulator settings and by modeling behavior of the manipulator as a relationship between manipulator settings and aberrations. The process window may be optimized by minimizing a cost function for a set of critical locations. |
| US08570482B2 |
Self assembly of elements for displays
Various embodiments of methods and systems for designing and constructing displays from multiple light emitting elements are disclosed. Display elements having different light emitting and self-organizing characteristics may be used during display assembly. |
| US08570481B2 |
Liquid crystal material, liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal optical space modulation device, and liquid crystal shutter
A liquid crystal material in which liquid crystal molecules have uniform alignment state is provided. A liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal material is included between a TFT array substrate and an opposed substrate. The liquid crystal material has a phase system continuously showing an isotropic phase, a nematic phase, and a smectic ‘A’ phase in this order as temperature changes from higher state to lower state and shows electroclinic effect in the smectic ‘A’ phase. As the liquid crystal material is heated (temperature is increased), the nematic phase is shown after the smectic ‘A’ phase without other phase in between, and the isotropic phase is shown after the nematic phase without other phase in between. Since the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules becomes uniform, the transmittance is precisely controlled. |
| US08570480B2 |
Display device having slim border-area architecture and driving method thereof
A display device having slim border-area architecture is disclosed. The display device includes a substrate, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of auxiliary gate lines and a driving module. The substrate includes a display area and a border area. The data lines, the gate lines and the auxiliary gate lines are disposed in the display area. The driving module is disposed in the border area. The gate lines are crossed with the data lines perpendicularly. The auxiliary gate lines are parallel with the data lines. Each auxiliary gate line is electrically connected to one corresponding gate line. The data and auxiliary gate lines are electrically connected to the driving module based on an interlace arrangement. Further disclosed is a driving method for delivering gate signals provided by the driving module to the gate lines via the auxiliary gate lines. |
| US08570477B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and substrate for liquid crystal display device
A substrate for a liquid crystal display device, including a pixel electrode formed on the substrate, wherein the pixel electrode includes a micro-cutout pattern defined by a plurality of micro-cutouts extending in four different directions with respect to an extension direction of a rough structural pattern. The substrate also includes a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction, and a contact hole that electrically connects the pixel electrode and the first electrode. A portion of the rough structural pattern and/or a portion of the micro-cutout pattern overlap the first electrode. Also disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including such a substrate. |
| US08570476B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having the same openings and manufacturing method thereof
An LCD device and a manufacturing method thereof having improved transmittance and contrast ratio are disclosed.According to the LCD device and the manufacturing method thereof, a first common electrode which includes first and second horizontal electrode bars and a plurality of first vertical common electrode bars is disposed on a layer different from a second common electrode which includes a third horizontal common electrode bar and a plurality of second vertical common electrode bars. A pixel electrode which includes a horizontal pixel electrode bar and a plurality of vertical pixel electrode bars is disposed on the same layer as the second common electrode. The second common electrode is connected to the first common electrode. |
| US08570472B2 |
Optical compensation film with hybrid arrangement of nematic liquid crystals consisting of connected mesogens with an angle and the method of manufacturing the same
Provided are an optical compensation film and a method for producing the same. The optical compensation film includes a nematic liquid crystal compound including a compound having at least two mesogens linked to each other with a constant angle, and has hybrid alignment in which the alignment of the liquid crystal compound varies gradually along the thickness direction. |
| US08570471B2 |
OCB liquid crystal panel and manufacturing method thereof, and OCB liquid crystal display
The present invention discloses a manufacturing method of an Optically Compensated Bend (OCB) liquid crystal panel, which comprises: an arranging step S1 for alternately arranging a plurality of thin-film transistor (TFT) substrates and a plurality of color filter (CF) substrates, the TFT substrates and the CF substrates are coated with optical alignment material; a light irradiating step S2 for using an ultraviolet (UV) light source to irradiate the TFT substrates and the CF substrates so that alignment films of predetermined alignment directions are formed by the optical alignment material on the TFT substrates and the CF substrates; and an attaching step S3 for attaching each of the TFT substrates and an adjacent one of the CF substrates in such a way that an alignment direction of the TFT substrate is the same as that of the corresponding CF substrate and filling an OCB liquid crystal layer therebetween to form a plurality of OCB liquid crystal panels. For the OCB liquid crystal panel of the present invention, the TFT substrates and the CF substrates are optically aligned in a contactless way, the efficiency of each irradiation is high, which is favorable for mass production. |
| US08570470B2 |
Adhesive agent
Provided are a pressure-sensitive adhesive having excellent durability and reliability under high-temperature or high-humidity conditions, adhesion strength, workability, re-movability, and the ability to inhibit light leakage; a method for preparing the pressure-sensitive adhesive; a polarizer including the pressure-sensitive adhesive; and a liquid crystal display incorporating the polarizer. |
| US08570464B2 |
Optical filter, solid-state imaging element having the filter, and imaging apparatus
An optical filter includes a substrate, and a periodic structure in which a plurality of members formed of silicon are periodically arranged on a surface of the substrate. The filter selectively transmits light of a first wavelength included in light incident on the periodic structure in the direction of the substrate. The members are two-dimensionally arranged with a period of 400 nm to 500 nm. The dimension of the members in the direction parallel to the surface is of 120 nm to 160 nm. A local maximum value of the transmission spectrum of the first wavelength is within the range of 400 nm to 500 nm. |
| US08570461B2 |
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided are a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) display device and a method of manufacturing the same. The PDLC display device may include a PDLC layer between facing substrates, wherein the PDLC layer has at least two regions including polymers having different concentrations. |
| US08570460B2 |
Electronically-controllable polarization independent liquid crystal optical medium and devices using same
A liquid crystalline optical medium includes polymer stabilized liquid crystal material. The polymer stabilized liquid crystal material includes a short pitch cholesteric liquid crystal material stabilized by a polymer material. The effective phase retardation of the polarization independent liquid crystal optical medium can be controlled by external (for example, electric and magnetic) fields. |
| US08570459B2 |
Light diffusing film, polarizing plate, liquid crystal display device and production method of light diffusing film
A light diffusing film contains a thermoplastic resin as the main component and contains, in the thermoplastic resin, at least one kind of a light-transmitting particle having an average primary particle diameter of 3 to 10 μm, wherein the absolute value of the refractive index difference between the thermoplastic resin and the light-transmitting particle is from 0.01 to 0.06, wherein one surface has concavoconvex shape, the total haze value is from 15 to 30%, the internal haze value is from 5 to 25%, the surface haze value is from 5 to 20%, and the average film thickness is from 20 to 200 μm. |
| US08570458B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and polarizing plate
Provided is a liquid crystal display in which occurrence of iridescent unevenness is suppressed, even when a film with high level of mechanical properties, chemical resistance and water-barrier properties is used as a polarizer-protective-film. Also, disclosed is a polarizing plate to be used in the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell, a light source, a first polarizing plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the light source, and a second polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film placed on a light source side principal surface of the first protective film, and the first protective film satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm≦Re1≦3000 nm; (ii) Nz1≧5; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm. |
| US08570456B2 |
Semiconductor device, display device and electronic device equipped with the semiconductor device
The present invention provides a semiconductor device which can prevent a current from flowing into a display element at a signal writing operation, without increasing power consumption and without changing a potential of a power supply for supplying a current to a load in each row. When a predetermined current is supplied to a transistor to set a gate-source voltage of the transistor, a potential of a gate terminal of the transistor is adjusted so as to prevent a current from flowing into a load which is connected to a source terminal of the transistor. Thus, a potential of a wire connected to the gate terminal of the transistor is made different from that of a wire connected to a drain terminal of the transistor. At that time, an operation of a transistor is shifted so as to allow a large amount of current to flow, and influences by intersection capacitance parasitic to a wire or the like or wire resistance are hardly caused, and a set operation is conducted quickly. |
| US08570454B2 |
Thin film transistor substrate and liquid crystal display device having the same
A display device with a display region and a non-display region surrounding the display region, the display device comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate comprises: a first insulating substrate; a gate and data line formed on the first insulating substrate; a pixel thin film transistor formed on the display region and electrically connected to the gate line; a pixel electrode electrically connected to the pixel thin film transistor; a gate driver formed on the non-display region and connected to the gate line; and a direct current (DC)/DC converter formed on the non-display region and having a capacitance part. The capacitance part includes: a first capacitance part with a first electrode, a first dielectric layer, and a second electrode; and a second capacitance part with the second electrode, a second dielectric layer, and a third electrode. |
| US08570444B2 |
Television receiver and electronic device
According to one embodiment, a television receiver includes: a display; a circuit board; a housing; an antenna; and a shield. The display includes a display screen. The circuit board is located at a side of the display opposite the display screen. The housing is configured to house the display and the circuit board. The antenna is in the housing, and includes a communication portion and a ground portion. The shield is along a periphery of the ground portion in the housing, and is located between the antenna and the circuit board. |
| US08570442B2 |
Hyperspectral image reconstruction via a compressed sensing framework
What is disclosed is a system and method for image reconstruction using a compressed sensing framework to increase the number of wavelength bands in hyperspectral video systems. The present method utilizes a restricted representation matrix and sampling matrix to reconstruct bands to a very large number without losing information content. Reference multi-band image vectors are created and those vectors are processed in a block-wise form to obtain custom orthonormal representation matrices. A sampling matrix is also constructed offline in the factory. The compressed sensing protocol is applied using a l1-norm optimization (or relaxation) algorithm to reconstruct large number of wavelength bands with each band being interspersed within the band of interest that are not imaged. The teaching hereof leads to very large number of bands without increasing the hardware cost. |
| US08570441B2 |
One pass video processing and composition for high-definition video
A video composition model that provides a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) to set device contexts, and determine capabilities of graphics hardware from a device driver. After the model determines a configuration, the model determines input video stream states applicable to frame rates, color-spaces and alpha indexing of input video streams, interactive graphics, and background images. The model prepares the input video frames and reference frames, as well as a frame format and input/output frame index information. The input video streams, interactive graphics and background images are processed individually and mixed to generate an output video stream. |
| US08570440B2 |
Method of controlling resolution of digital data broadcasting receiver, apparatus therefor, and digital data broadcasting receiver using the same
Provided are a method of controlling a resolution desired by a user in a graphics device of a digital data broadcasting receiver, an apparatus therefor, and a digital data broadcasting receiver using the same. The method includes providing a list of resolutions available on a graphic plane to a user; changing a resolution of the graphic plane according to a resolution selected by the user from the resolution list; and displaying an application on the graphic plane, the resolution of which has been changed. |
| US08570438B2 |
Automatic adjustments for video post-processor based on estimated quality of internet video content
A system including a quality estimation module configured to estimate a visual quality of video content based on data from a decoder module. The system further including a settings database configured to store a plurality of predetermined settings. The settings database outputs at least one of the predetermined settings in response to the visual quality. The system further including a video post-processor module configured to automatically adjust settings of the video post-processor module based on the at least one of the predetermined settings. The video content is processed based on the settings of the video post-processor module that were automatically adjusted. |
| US08570432B2 |
Focus adjustment apparatus and image capturing apparatus
A focus adjustment apparatus for performing focus adjustment using a captured image and a plurality of point spread functions prepared in advance for each defocus direction and defocus amount is provided. The apparatus includes a focus adjusting stop whose aperture does not have rotational symmetry about an optical axis. Focus adjustment is performed by comparing the plurality of point spread functions prepared in advance with a point spread function of an image captured using the focus adjusting stop and not having rotational symmetry about the optical axis, obtaining the defocus direction and the defocus amount, and performing the focus adjustment according to the obtained defocus direction and defocus amount. |
| US08570428B2 |
Camera system having autofocus function for capturing a moving image
A camera system includes a camera body (100) and an interchangeable lens (200). The camera body includes an imaging unit that captures a subject image formed by the interchangeable lens in a predetermined capturing cycle to generate image data, a body controller that generates a synchronizing signal having a first cycle correlated with the capturing cycle, and a sending unit that sends the generated synchronizing signal to the interchangeable lens. The body controller further sends information indicating a second cycle different from the first cycle to the interchangeable lens. The interchangeable lens includes a focus lens (230), a drive unit (233) that drives the focus lens along an optical axis, a receiving unit (250) that receives the synchronizing signal and the information indicating the second cycle sent from the camera body, and a lens controller (240) that controls an operation of the interchangeable lens. The lens controller controls the drive unit to perform, in the second cycle, a minute back and forth driving which minutely moves the focus lens back and forth along the optical axis, and performs other control in the first cycle in the interchangeable lens than the control of the minute back and forth driving. |
| US08570427B2 |
Image-capturing device having focus adjustment function, image creation method including focus adjustment function, and program product for image-capturing device having focus adjustment function
An image-capturing device includes: a micro-lens array in which a plurality of micro lenses are arrayed; a light reception element array having a plurality of groups of light reception elements respectively corresponding to the plurality of micro lenses, and that receives a ray bundle from an optical system via the micro lenses and outputs a plurality of received light signals; a detection unit that detects a deviation amount of an image surface by the optical system when the received light signals were obtained; and an image creation unit that selects a portion of the plurality of received light signals on the basis of the deviation amount detected by the detection unit, and creates an image on the basis of that selected portion of the received light signals. |
| US08570423B2 |
Systems for performing visual collaboration between remotely situated participants
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to visual-collaborative systems enabling geographically distributed groups to engage in face-to-face, interactive collaborative video conferences. In one aspect, a visual-collaborative system comprises a transparent display (402) having a first surface (410) and a second surface (412); and a camera system positioned to face the second surface. The display is configured to show images that can be viewed by looking at the first surface. The display is also configured to transmit light scattered off of objects facing the first surface. The light passes through the display and is captured by the camera. |
| US08570422B2 |
Apparatus, method, and recording medium containing program for photographing
A photographing apparatus, such as a digital camera, provided with a scene recognition function is disclosed, in which images photographed according to a photographing mode or color candidate corresponding to a recognized scene are played back according to a predetermined classification. Live view data and actually-photographed image data representing a subject are acquired, and the live view data is analyzed to recognize at least one scene representing the subject. Then, a photographing mode or a color candidate corresponding to the scene is selected. The photographing mode or color candidate selected for each actually-photographed image data is recorded together with the actually-photographed image data acquired according to the selected photographing mode or color candidate. A photographing mode or color candidate for playing back the actually-photographed image data is specified to play back all the actually-photographed image data acquired according to the specified photographing mode or color candidate. |
| US08570418B2 |
Photoelectric conversion apparatus and manufacturing method for a photoelectric conversion apparatus
A photoelectric conversion apparatus (100) comprises: multiple photoelectric converting units (PD) disposed in a semiconductor substrate; (SB) and isolation portions (103,104,105,106) disposed in the semiconductor substrate. Each photoelectric converting unit includes: a second semiconductor region (107); a third semiconductor region, (109) disposed below the second semiconductor region(107) and a fourth semiconductor region (102) disposed below the third semiconductor region, and each isolation portion includes: a fifth semiconductor region, (104) disposed at a location that is deeper than the surface of the semiconductor substrate and at least extending laterally to the second semiconductor region, containing a first conductivity type impurity; and a sixth semiconductor region,(105) disposed below the fifth semiconductor region and at least extending laterally to the third semiconductor region, containing the first conductivity type impurity, and the diffusion coefficient of the impurity contained in the fifth semiconductor region is lower than the diffusion coefficient of the impurity contained in the sixth semiconductor region. |
| US08570411B2 |
Solid state image pickup device and driving method therefore selecting a first signal or a sequentally output second signal for each pixel
The objective of this invention is to provide a solid-state image pickup device and its driving method that has a minimum circuit area and a wide dynamic range. The invention includes: a sensor array SA; a memory M; and a signal determination circuit DC. The sensor array has plural pixels in an array integrated on a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel sequentially outputs a first signal and a second signal. The memory M is connected to each column of pixels array and stores the first signal or the second signal. The signal determination circuit DC outputs signal (SS) such that it works as follows: when the first signal is input to memory M from the pixel, the signal determination circuit DC determines whether the first signal can be used. If so, the first signal is selected and the second signal is discarded and is not output to memory M. When the second signal is selected, the second signal is uploaded to memory M. |
| US08570408B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
An image processing apparatus receives a plurality of consecutive images, and regards pixels having the same coordinates in each of the consecutive images as a pixel match. The apparatus determines a range for red values, a range for green values, and a range for blue values in each pixel match, and filters out R, G, and B values which fall outside a corresponding range for the pixel match. In addition, the apparatus calculates an average R value, an average G value, and an average B value for each pixel match according to remaining R values, remaining G values, and remaining B values of the pixel match, and creates a new image by taking the average R value, the average G value, and the average B value of each pixel match as color values of a corresponding pixel in the new image. |
| US08570404B2 |
Communication device
There is provided a communication device capable of improving a decline in the usability caused by an angle of view of a camera. The communication device includes: a camera capturing a picture; an information processing section detecting a face image from the picture captured by the camera, to generate a partial picture including the detected face image; a transmitting section encoding the partial picture to generate encoded data, and transmitting the encoded data to a counterpart; and a first receiving section receiving data transmitted from the counterpart, and decoding the received data to generate a picturephone picture. |
| US08570403B2 |
Face image replacement system and method implemented by portable electronic device
A face image replacement system and method is implemented by an portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes an image capturing device, a display screen, and a storage device. A person image of a user is captured by the image capturing device, and a face area of the person image is determined according to face character data stored in the storage system. The system marks the face area with a rectangle area and calculates a size of the rectangle area, obtains a special image from the storage system, and adjusts a size of the special image according to the size of the rectangle area. The face area of the person image is replaced with the special image to generate a face replacement image, and the face replacement image is displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device. |
| US08570400B2 |
Image pickup device
When a key for directly transferring from the screen of a “video mode” of tape reproduction to the screen of memory stick reproduction is separately arranged, the ratio of an occupation area of the key on the screen is increased. Therefore, a setting operation is performed such that a stop key (11a) is displayed when the “video mode” is set and no memory stick is mounted as shown in FIG. 1A, and when the tape is being reproduced as shown in FIG. 1C. In contrast to this, the setting operation is also performed such that a switching key (11f) for transferring to the reproducing screen of the memory stick of FIG. 1D is displayed when the “video mode” is set and no tape is being reproduced and the memory stick is mounted as shown in FIG. 1B. |
| US08570397B2 |
Image pickup device and method of picking up image using the same
An image pickup device includes an image processing unit which processes an image input through the plurality of image pickup units, a plurality of microphones which are spaced apart from each other, an audio processing unit which senses a voice of a photographer using the plurality of microphones, and a control unit which, when the voice of a photographer is sensed through the audio processing unit, controls the image processing unit to combine an image of an image pickup unit corresponding to a location of the photographer with an image of an image pickup unit currently performing photographing. |
| US08570394B1 |
Systems, methods, and mediums for adjusting an exposure of an image using a histogram
The present disclosure describes systems, methods, and mediums for adjusting an exposure of a digital image using a histogram. The systems, methods, and mediums may include generating, by a computing device, a histogram associated with plurality of pixels in an image and enabling adjustment of the histogram to generate an adjusted histogram. The systems, methods, and mediums may further include generating, by the computing device, at least one adjusted control setting by adjusting at least one control setting in response to generation of the adjusted histogram and capturing the image in a memory device in response to generating the at least one adjusted control setting. |
| US08570393B2 |
System and method for processing image data relative to a focus of attention within the overall image
This invention provides a system and method for processing discrete image data within an overall set of acquired image data based upon a focus of attention within that image. The result of such processing is to operate upon a more limited subset of the overall image data to generate output values required by the vision system process. Such output value can be a decoded ID or other alphanumeric data. The system and method is performed in a vision system having two processor groups, along with a data memory that is smaller in capacity than the amount of image data to be read out from the sensor array. The first processor group is a plurality of SIMD processors and at least one general purpose processor, co-located on the same die with the data memory. A data reduction function operates within the same clock cycle as data-readout from the sensor to generate a reduced data set that is stored in the on-die data memory. At least a portion of the overall, unreduced image data is concurrently (in the same clock cycle) transferred to the second processor while the first processor transmits at least one region indicator with respect to the reduced data set to the second processor. The region indicator represents at least one focus of attention for the second processor to operate upon. |
| US08570390B2 |
Image processing apparatus, dynamic picture reproduction apparatus, and processing method and program for the same
An object image transformation information calculation section (190) calculates, where a top image which forms a first dynamic picture is determined as a reference image and images which form a second dynamic picture are determined as object images, object image transformation information to be used for transformation of the object images based on relative relationship information and transformation information. An image transformation section (150) successively transforms the object images based on the object image transformation information and the transformation information and successively transforms images which form the first dynamic picture based on the transformation information. An image synthesis section (240) stores a reference image into a predetermined position of a storage region of an image memory (250) and synthesizes the transformed images on the image memory (250) to form a synthesized image and then stores the synthesized image as a new history image into the image memory (250). A display control section (280) causes such synthesized images to be displayed successively. By the configuration described, when a plurality of dynamic pictures picked up by image pickup apparatus are reproduced, a relationship of the plural dynamic pictures is allowed to grasp. |
| US08570388B2 |
Image capture device and method
An image capture device (2) includes a sensor (4) having an active area comprising a plurality of pixels (6) and a shutter array (8) for controlling the exposure of individual pixels. The pixels are grouped in a plurality of pixel subsets and are arranged to capture a plurality of time-separated lo-res images, which can be viewed sequentially as a movie or data from all the pixels can be used to form a hi-res still image. |
| US08570386B2 |
Method of merging images and relative method of generating an output image of enhanced quality
A method of processing and device configure to process digital images to enhance image quality and correct motion blur. A number N of images of a scene are captured with an exposure time T. An order of sharpness of the images is determined and the sharpest image is used as a reference image for generating an output image. |
| US08570385B2 |
Image stabilization control circuit and imaging device having image stabilization control circuit
A image stabilization control circuit is provided which comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter circuit which 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, into digital signals, and a logic circuit which generates a control signal which drives the optical component 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 abnormality of the vibration detection element is judged based on an amplitude of the output signal from the vibration detection element which is converted into the digital signal by the analog-to-digital converter circuit. |
| US08570384B2 |
Camera apparatus having an SMA actuator system
A camera apparatus capable of providing optical image stabilization comprises a support structure and a camera unit, that comprises an image sensor and a lens system for focussing an image thereon, supported on the support structure in a manner allowing it to tilt around two notional axes perpendicular to each other and to the optical axis. An SMA actuation system comprises two SMA actuator subsystems each comprising plural SMA actuators connected between the camera unit and the support structure. The SMA actuators of the respective SMA actuator subsystems are arranged, on contraction, to drive displacement of the camera unit in opposite directions along the optical axis. The SMA actuators of each SMA actuator subsystem are also arranged, on differential contraction, to drive rotation of the camera unit around a respective one of said notional axes. |
| US08570382B2 |
Electronic device, electronic device system, and image processing method
An electronic device includes: a reading unit reading image data; a transmitting unit transmitting the image data to another electronic device via a telecommunications line upon receiving a user operation; a first image processing unit processing the image data; and a control unit (i) causing, in the case where a second image processing unit has a connection to the control unit, the second image processing unit to process the image data, and the transmitting unit to transmit the processed image data, and (ii) causing, in the case where id the second image processing unit does not have a connection to the control unit, the first image processing unit to process the image data, and the transmitting unit to transmit the processed image data, the second image processing unit being included in the movie camera and processing, as well as the image data, image data which is obtained by the movie camera. |
| US08570381B2 |
Multi-functional modular digital imaging system
A multi-functional digital imaging system is described that disaggregates camera functions into modular camera functionality. Analytical camera functions of image assessment and control are exported to at least one external computer. The system filters image files in an external computer by using an external DSP and imports the corrected file to the camera for storage and display. |
| US08570380B1 |
Animated display calibration method and apparatus
A method for adjusting properties of a display includes displaying a first pluge image on the display to a user, wherein the display includes a plurality of locations, wherein the first pluge image comprises a first plurality of output values associated with the plurality of locations, thereafter displaying a second pluge image on the display to the user, wherein the second pluge image comprises a second plurality of output values associated with the plurality of locations, wherein the first plurality of output values are different from the second plurality of output values, and receiving a display adjustment input from the user, wherein the display adjustment input from the user is in response to the user viewing the first pluge image on the display and in response to the second pluge image on the display. |
| US08570379B1 |
Frame block comparison
Various arrangements for testing video decoder device functionality are presented. A video frame decoded by a video decoder device under test may be received. The received video frame may be segmented into a plurality of blocks. A first value may be calculated for a first block of the plurality of blocks of the received video frame using pixel values of pixels present within the first block. The first value may be compared to a first reference value. The first reference value may correspond to a first reference block of one or more reference frames. Video decoder functionality of the video decoder device may be determined to be functional at least partially based on comparing the first value to the first reference value. |
| US08570378B2 |
Method and apparatus for tracking three-dimensional movements of an object using a depth sensing camera
A controller (110) includes a body (111), one or more buttons disposed on the body, and one or more detectable elements (e.g. 122, 124, 126, and/or 128) disposed on the body that are arranged in a pattern. A tracking device for use in obtaining information for controlling an execution of a game program by a processor for enabling an interactive game to be played by a user includes a body (111) having a section to be oriented towards a screen when a progress of a game provided via execution of the game apparatus is displayed upon the screen, and at least one photonically detectable (“PD”) element (e.g. 122, 124, 126, and/or 128) assembled with the body, a position of the photonically detectable element within an image being recordable by an image capture device (112) when the section is oriented at least partly towards the screen, wherein positions of the PD element at different points in time are quantifiable to quantify movement of the body in space. |
| US08570377B2 |
System and method for recognizing a unit load device (ULD) number marked on an air cargo unit
The present invention provides a system and method for recognizing a Unit Load Device (ULD) number marked on an air cargo unit. The system includes at least one camera configured to acquire images of the ULD number. It includes also a presence sensing module configured to detect a presence status of the air cargo unit in a scanning zone of the system, the presence status can have a value being one of present and absent, and a recognition processor coupled to the presence sensing module and to the at least one camera. The recognition processor is configured to obtain from the presence sensing module information relating to the presence status of said air cargo unit, to trigger the at least one camera to acquire the images upon a change in the value of the presence status, and to process the images for recognizing the ULD number. |
| US08570375B1 |
Method and apparatus for random-access review of point of sale transactional video
The present disclosure includes a system in which a video displayer, having access to video surveillance data and point-of-sale transaction data, provides random-access review of point-of-sale transactional video. Embodiments herein provide a new method of reviewing security video of a transaction taking place at a retail establishment's point-of-sale transaction area, or register. Embodiments herein enable random and instantaneous access to any number of transaction events that may be of interest to a loss prevention investigator. In one embodiment, a video displayer obtains video data comprising a point-of-sale transaction occurring at a point-of-sale transaction area, and transaction data from a point-of-sale terminal. The video displayer displays video of individual transaction events from a larger transaction, and visually modifies displayed video at a moment in the video when a transaction event occurs. |
| US08570374B2 |
Camera for vehicle
In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, including a lens member, an imaging element and an image processing board. The image processing board is separated sufficiently from the imaging element so as to impart relatively little heat generated during operation to the imaging element. The imaging element is positioned to receive video input from the lens member. The image processing board is configured to generate image processing board output data that relates to the video input received by the imaging element. The image processing board is positioned in a selected position to release heat along a heat path that is spaced from the imaging element. The camera may further include a vehicle interface board configured to communicate signals relating to the image processing board output data to a vehicle component. |
| US08570369B2 |
Image processing device, computer-readable storage medium, and image processing method
A reflected light image of an observed region and a fluorescent light image of the observed region based on fluorescent light that is generated from the observed region are acquired. The variation component of the acquired latest reflected light image is detected on the basis of the latest reflected light image and an old reflected light image. A correction process is performed on the luminance value of the latest reflected light image taking the variation component into account. A normalization process is performed on the luminance value of the fluorescent light image using the luminance value of the reflected light image after the correction process, which sharpens the image of the region in the observed region from which the fluorescent light is generated. |
| US08570363B2 |
Display of generalized anaglyphs without retinal rivalry
General anaglyphs may be rendered using multiple primary colors to display the first and second images of stereoscopic images. De-saturated primary colors are advantageous for rendering anaglyphs in six, five, four, and three primary colors. A white primary color is advantageous for displaying a monochrome second image with a color first image. General anaglyphs may be dynamically created by a display apparatus using certain transformations and communication with external sources. Colored viewing filters with de-saturated transmission spectra provide better color when viewing anaglyph images. |
| US08570361B2 |
Decoding method and decoding apparatus for using parallel processing scheme to decode pictures in different bitstreams after required decoded data derived from decoding preceding picture(s) is ready
An exemplary decoding method of an input video bitstream including a first bitstream and a second bitstream includes: decoding a first picture in the first bitstream; after a required decoded data derived from decoding the first picture is ready for a first decoding operation of a second picture in the first bitstream, performing the first decoding operation; and after a required decoded data derived from decoding the first picture is ready for a second decoding operation of a picture in the second bitstream, performing the second decoding operation, wherein The first bitstream contains pictures of a first view for a 3D video presentation, the second bitstream contains pictures of a second view for the 3D video presentation, and a time period of decoding the second picture in the first bitstream and a time period of decoding the picture in the second bitstream are overlapped in time. |
| US08570354B2 |
Printing image data generating device, thermal transfer printer, and computer program
A printing image data generating device generates printing image data for a thermal transfer printer that heats a thermal head generating friction force depending on grayscale values to thermally transfer ink. The printing image data generating device includes: an image data acquirer configured to acquire image data as a printing subject; a density deviation line specifying section configured to specify density deviation lines at which density after printing is estimated to deviate from desired density attributed to sudden change in the friction force; a correction-subject pixel specifying section configured to specify, as a correction-subject pixel, a pixel whose variation degree of the grayscale value is lower than a predetermined value; a correcting section configured to correct the grayscale value of the specified correction-subject pixel in such a direction as to eliminate density deviation; and a generating section configured to generate the printing image data based on image data after correction. |
| US08570352B2 |
Suppressing unstable electrical coupling between a bottom plate and a cable by providing a recess on the bottom plate for attachment of the cable
An optical reading device includes a housing, a document platen member, a scanning unit, a cable and an insulating sheet. The cable includes a first end which is fixed to the scanning unit, a second end which is fixed to the bottom plate and an intermediate portion which is held in surface contact with the bottom plate and curved and deformed according to a reciprocal movement of the scanning unit. The insulating sheet is interposed between the bottom plate and the intermediate portion of the cable. The housing includes a recess formed in the bottom plate. The insulating sheet covers an opening of the recess, the upper surface thereof is in contact with the intermediate portion of the cable and a space is formed between the lower surface of the insulating sheet and the bottom surface of the recess. |
| US08570348B2 |
Brightness adjuster, adjustment method, and electronic system utilizing the same
A brightness adjuster generating an image output to a panel, which displays the corresponding image according to the image output. The image output includes a red output signal, a green output signal, and a blue output signal. The brightness adjuster includes a determination unit, a calculation unit, and a digital to analog converting unit. The determination unit determines a main input signal according to a red input signal, a green input signal, and a blue input signal. The calculation unit adjusts the red, the green, and the blue input signals according to the main input signal. The digital to analog converting unit transforms the adjusted red, the adjusted green, and the adjusted blue input signals into the red, the green, and the blue output signals. |
| US08570342B2 |
Process of inheriting colors in a customer relationship management (CRM) application from operating system colors
A method to adjust the colors of skin of a graphical user interface (GUI) of a customer relationship management (CRM) application based upon a color scheme of an operating system is provided. In the method, a color code of the color scheme of an operating system is fetched from a registry entry of the operating system and is saved as a base color. This color code is converted from ARGB format to RGB format and further converted from RGB format to HSL format. Different luminance values are set for various elements of the CRM application to provide different brightness and legibility to different elements of the GUI. The modified color code is converted back to RGB format and assigned to various pixels of GUI skin whereby the CRM application is rendered with new color scheme similar to that of the operating system. |
| US08570341B1 |
Method and system for enhancing color saturation
Method and system for enhancing color saturation. According to an embodiment the present invention provides a method for enhancing color saturation. The method includes providing a color image characterized by a luminance component and two chrominance components, the color image including a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels including a first pixel being characterized at least by a luminance value, a first chrominance value, and a second chrominance value. The method also includes processing the first chrominance value and the second chrominance value. The method further includes determining a saturation level using based on the first chrominance value and the second chrominance value. Moreover, the method includes providing a factor for adjusting the first chrominance value and the second chrominance value, the factor being based on the saturation level. Furthermore, the method includes adjusting the first chrominance value and the second chrominance value using the factor. |
| US08570338B2 |
Information processing device and method, and program
An information processing device includes: a color gamut information generating unit configured to generate color gamut information representing the color gamut of image data based on table information indicating the highest chroma point at each equal hue plane regarding a plurality of equal hue planes. |
| US08570333B2 |
Method and system for enabling managed code-based application program to access graphics processing unit
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for enabling an intermediate code-based application program to access a target graphics processing unit (GPU) in a parallel processing environment. The method includes the steps of compiling a source code of the intermediate code-based application program to an intermediate code, translating the intermediate code to a PTX instruction code, and translating the PTX instruction code to a machine code executable by the target graphics processing unit before delivering the machine code to the target GPU. |
| US08570332B2 |
Graphics processing system with power-gating control function, power-gating control method, and computer program products thereof
The invention relates to a power-gating control method for a graphics processing unit having a unified shader unit, which includes a plurality of shaders. The method includes the steps of: rendering a plurality of previous frames; calculating a first number of active shaders for rendering each previous frame, and a corresponding frame rate of each previous frame; determining a second number of active shaders for rendering a next frame immediately following the previous frame according to the first number of active shaders and the corresponding frame rate of each previous frame; and activating corresponding shaders through one or more power-gating control elements according to the second number of active shaders. |
| US08570329B1 |
Subtle camera motions to indicate imagery type in a mapping system
A technique for providing a subtle indication of imagery type can be implemented in a software application, such as a mapping application, that displays interactive imagery in a three-dimensional scene and allows users to tap, click, or otherwise select points within the displayed images to pull up corresponding detailed photographs. A pulled-up photograph may be laid out on a surface having a curvature (e.g., the surface of a sphere or a cylinder), in which case the viewport slides along the photograph in a three-dimensional space as the photograph is inspected, or on a surface having no curvature (i.e., the photograph is flat), in which case the viewport pans along the photograph in a two-dimensional space. However, at the time when a user selects a point within the interactive image, the user does not know whether the photograph associated with this point is laid out on a curved surface or a flat surface. To provide a subtle indication of whether the photograph is laid out on a curved surface or a flat surface, the user interface temporarily repositions the viewport along the surface of the photograph. |
| US08570328B2 |
Modifying temporal sequence presentation data based on a calculated cumulative rendition period
Techniques are provided for calculating a modified cumulative rendition period for a collection of temporal sequence presentation data elements, for associating the modified cumulative rendition period with the collection, and for modifying the collection based on the calculated modified cumulative rendition period in a digital rendering system for rendering the collection, when the digital rendering system includes a Variable Rate Presentation capability. |
| US08570316B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display converts white luminance Y of data displaying a white background into a value satisfying a certain equation upon detecting a brightness contrast image including a pure color image with the white background. |
| US08570302B2 |
Display device having a photosensor and a correction sensor
It is an object of the present invention to allow a specified function to be readily selected in a mobile telephone or the like without performing a complicated operation. A liquid crystal (30) is sandwiched between a TFT substrate (10) and a color filter substrate (20). A photosensor TFT (130) for selecting the function is disposed on the periphery of an effective screen of the TFT substrate (10). A window (24) is provided in a portion of the color filter substrate corresponding to the photosensor TFT (130), and the outside light is blocked as a result of the user touching a finger to the window. A signal from the photosensor is used for selecting the function. A correction sensor TFT (133) is disposed adjacent to the photosensor TFT (130), to thereby eliminating noise caused by the temperature distribution, stray light, or the like, and erroneous operation of the photosensoris prevented. |
| US08570299B2 |
Touch panel and touch panel type display device
The present invention is related to a touch panel comprising: a first base that includes a first resistance film; a second base that includes a second resistance film; a conductor that is electrically connected to at least one of the first resistance film and the second resistance film; and a spacer that is interposed in a first facing area where the first resistance film faces the second resistance film. The spacer is also interposed in a second facing area where at least one of the first resistance film and the second resistance film faces the conductor. The present invention may further include an insulating film interposed in the second facing area, instead of the spacer interposed in the second facing area. The component materials of the insulating film are the same as those of the spacers. |
| US08570292B2 |
Virtual keyboard system with automatic correction
There is disclosed an enhanced text entry system which uses word-level analysis to automatically correct inaccuracies in user keystroke entries on reduced keyboards such as those implemented on a touch-sensitive panel or display screen, or on mechanical keyboard systems. A method and system are defined which determine one or more alternate textual interpretations of each sequence of inputs detected within a designated auto-correcting keyboard region. |
| US08570290B2 |
Image display device
A vehicle-mounted device includes a storage device, an external input unit, a speaker, an image display unit, a touch panel, a control unit, a DVD/CD drive, a GPS, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyroscope. The touch panel includes a finger rest area to reduce erroneous operation by a finger or hand of an operator due to vibration of the vehicle or other causes, and perform input intended by the operator even under a vehicle-mounted environment. The operator contacts the finger on the rest area thereby stabilizing his/her inputting hand while contacting the touch panel. As a result, erroneous input can be reduced, and input desired by the operator can be easily performed. |
| US08570288B2 |
Touch panel having light-shielding layer
A touch panel having a transparent region and a peripheral region surrounding the transparent region is provided. The touch panel includes a transparent cover, a touch device, a light-shielding layer, a layer of conductive lines, and a touch chip. The transparent cover has a touch surface and a device mounting surface opposite thereto. The touch device is disposed on the device mounting surface and at least located at the transparent region. The light-shielding layer is disposed on the transparent cover and located inside the peripheral region. The layer of conductive lines is disposed on the device mounting surface, located inside the peripheral region, and electrically connected to the touch device. The touch chip is disposed on the layer of conductive lines through a chip-on-glass process. |
| US08570286B2 |
Gestures on a touch-sensitive display
A method of showing content on a touch-sensitive display. The method includes showing content on a touch-sensitive display and detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display. The method further includes manipulating the content on the touch-sensitive display based on gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. |
| US08570285B2 |
Touch display panel and touch sensing unit thereof
A touch display panel includes a display panel and a touch sensing unit. The touch sensing unit includes first sensing series, and second sensing series. Each of the first sensing series includes a plurality of first transparent sensing pads disposed along a first direction, and a plurality of non-transparent bridge lines disposed along the first direction. Each of the non-transparent bridge lines is disposed between two adjacent first transparent sensing pads, overlapping with two adjacent first transparent sensing pads, and electrically connected to two adjacent first transparent sensing pads. The line width of each non-transparent bridge line is substantially between 0.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers, and the reduction of aperture ratio in a pixel region of the touch display panel caused by the non-transparent bridge lines is substantially between 0.1% and 5%. |
| US08570283B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a detection unit for detecting an angle of an operating body to a reference coordinate axis on a display screen and an execution unit for executing a predetermined processing in accordance with the angle of the operating body detected by the detection unit. |
| US08570281B2 |
Method and apparatus for multi-touch surface interaction for a financial application within a bank branch
A method and apparatus for operating a computing device including a multi-touch surface. The method comprises: presenting a customer with an application form; transferring data from a customer's portable device (such as a cellphone) placed on or near the multi-touch surface to the application form; communicating with an authorization portable device (such as a staff identification badge) placed on or near the multi-touch surface by an authorized user; and transferring data from the authorization portable device to the application form to complete the application form. |
| US08570280B2 |
Filtering of inadvertent contact with touch pad input device
An approach is provided that filters out inadvertent contact with a touch pad input device. A filter area is defined within a surface of a touch pad input device that is accessible from an information handling system, such as a computer system. When a user of the information handling system contacts the surface of the touch pad, an input stream is received. The input stream includes an origination point where contact was initially made by the user. If the origination point is within the defined filter area, then the input stream is filtered out (not processed). On the other hand, if the origination point is outside of the defined filter area, then the input stream is processed by the information handling system. |
| US08570276B2 |
Augmented computer keyboard
A computer keyboard with palm support surfaces, and controls providing mouse functions, added to each side of the keyboard. The palm support surfaces are downward sloping, and/or downward curved convex surfaces, on either side of the keyboard, descending from peaks near each top rear corner of the keyboard, laterally away from the keyboard, and towards the front of the keyboard. Outside edges of the palm support surfaces may narrow and curve inward toward the front of the keyboard to allow a more natural hand position. The controls include selection buttons, normally located on a mouse, to the left of the keyboard, and a positioning device normally located on a mouse, to the right of the keyboard, and are generally embedded to the rear of each palm support surface. The controls and palm support surfaces allow a more natural hand placement and avoid pressure on the carpal tunnel area. |
| US08570259B2 |
Scan method for liquid crystal display
A scan method for use in a flat panel display comprising K groups of lines, comprising the following steps. First, K sequences S1 to SK are provided. A scan order is then determined according to the K sequences S1 to SK. Thereafter, the K groups of lines are synchronously scanned by the scan order. K is an integer not less than 2. Each group of lines comprises at least M lines. |
| US08570258B2 |
Organic light emitting display and method of driving the same with a driver with reduced power consumption in standby mode
An organic light emitting display capable of reducing power consumption in a standby mode and a method of driving the same. The organic light emitting display includes a pixel unit having a first emission region and a second emission region, wherein the pixel unit is configured to generate a driving current in accordance with data signals and scan signals to emit light so that light is emitted by the pixel unit only in the first emission region in a standby mode, a data driver for transmitting the data signals only to the first emission region in the standby mode, a scan driver for outputting the scan signals, and a power source supplier for generating and outputting voltages of an initialization power source and for blocking the driving current from flowing to the second emission region by utilizing a voltage of the initialization power source in the standby mode. |
| US08570256B2 |
Device substrate, light emitting device and driving method of light emitting device
A light emitting device comprising a light emitting element and a first transistor and a second transistor controlling current to be supplied to the light emitting element in a pixel; the first transistor is normally-on; the second transistor is normally-off; a channel length of the first transistor is longer than a channel width thereof; a channel length of the second transistor is equal to or shorter than a channel length thereof; gate electrodes of the first transistor and the second transistor are connected to each other; the first transistor and the second transistor have the same polarity; and the light emitting element, the first transistor and the second transistor are all connected in series. |
| US08570249B2 |
Pixel coupled to three horizontal lines and organic light emitting display device using the same
A pixel and organic light emitting display device. The pixel includes an organic light emitting diode, first through fourth transistors, and a second capacitor. The fourth transistor is for controlling an amount of current flowing through the organic light emitting diode. A first transistor is coupled between a second terminal of the second capacitor and a data line and is configured to turn on in response to a scan signal supplied to an i-th scan line. A second transistor is coupled between a first terminal of the second capacitor and an initial power source and is configured to turn on in response to an other scan signal supplied to an (i−1)-th scan line. A third transistor is coupled between the second terminal of the second capacitor and a reference power source and is configured to turn off in response to an emission control signal supplied to an (i+1)-th emission control line. |
| US08570247B2 |
Plasma display device, and apparatus and method for driving the same
A plasma display device and method of driving the device is disclosed. The device includes a driving circuit for driving reset, address, and sustain periods during a subfield of a frame. The driving circuit includes a single switch which is used to drive a display electrode both during the reset period and during the sustain period. The switch being used for both periods removes the need for a second switch, thereby reducing manufacturing and design costs. |
| US08570246B2 |
Light source system for a color flat panel display
A system for operating a color flat panel display (FPD) is provided that includes a color FPD, a light source, and a display processing device. The color FPD has an adjustable color depth and is configured to reflect ambient light. The light source transmits light through the bottom surface of the color FPD. The display processing device is coupled to the color FPD and decreases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is activated and increases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is turned off. |
| US08570240B2 |
Communication sheet structure
A communication sheet structure for transmitting electromagnetic waves, and thereby performing communication, is characterized in that the communication sheet structure includes a planar base material with a relative dielectric constant at a frequency of from 800 MHz to 10 GHz of from 1.0 to 15.0, and one side of the base material includes conductor A existing portion and non-existing portion, and the other side of the base material includes a conductor B existing over 90% or more thereof. The communication sheet structure enables communication in two dimensions, and the communication sheet structure is extremely excellent in communication performances. |
| US08570237B2 |
Multi-band electronically scanned array antenna
A multi-band electronically scanned array antenna including a first sub-assembly having electronic circuits for a first frequency band; a second sub-assembly mechanically coupled to the first sub-assembly and having electronic circuits for a second frequency band; and an aperture adjacent to the first sub-assembly, the aperture being shared by the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly. The array antenna may further include a band switching circuit, or a combining circuit for coupling the first sub-assembly or the second sub-assembly to the aperture. The array antenna may also include a third sub-assembly including electronic circuits for a third frequency band. In this way, the aperture is shared by the first sub-assembly, the second sub-assembly, and the third sub-assembly to provide a smaller and lighter array antenna. |
| US08570235B2 |
Systems and methods for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) differential antenna switches using multi-section impedance transformations
Example embodiments of the invention are directed to CMOS differential antenna switches with multi-section impedance transformation. The differential architecture can provide relief from large voltage swings of the power amplifiers by distributing the voltage stress over the receiver switch with two of the identical or substantially similar single-ended switches. In order to reduce the voltage stress further, multi-section impedance transformations can be used. Degraded insertion loss due to the impedance transformation technique can be compensated by selecting an optimal impedance for the antenna switch operation. Accordingly, the use of the multi-section impedance transformations with the differential antenna switch architecture enables high power handling capability for the antenna switch with acceptable efficiency for the transmitter module. |
| US08570233B2 |
Antenna assemblies
Various antenna assemblies are disclosed. In one example, an antenna assembly includes a reflector including a first ground plane, a second ground plane below and spaced apart from the reflector, an antenna adjacent a surface of the reflector opposite the second ground plane, and a grounding post galvanically connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane. |
| US08570231B2 |
Active front end module using a modal antenna approach for improved communication system performance
This application describes a dynamically tuned front end module using a modal antenna approach for improved communication system performance. The front end module consists of power amplifiers, filters, switches and antennas along with tuning circuits integrated and controlled to provide an optimized system for RF transmission. Dynamic tuning provides the ability to maintain optimized system performance for a wide variety of use cases and environments that the wireless device is operated in. Several transmission modes are accessed in an algorithm to optimize the performance of multiple wireless devices in a cellular system, to include a power conservation mode, emergency transmission mode, and cell capacity optimization mode. Dynamic adjustment of correlation and isolation between multiple antennas is a benefit provided by this front end topology. |
| US08570230B2 |
Antenna
An antenna includes a simple structure and a small null angle, which achieves communication using a circularly-polarized wave. The antenna includes a conductive wire arranged in loops in such a way as to form a cross shape. A part at which two line portions projecting outward from the center portion define a right angle is included in the loop path of the conductive wire. This part allows the antenna to transmit and receive an electromagnetic wave in all directions and have a circular polarization characteristic. |
| US08570229B2 |
Multiple antenna high isolation apparatus and application thereof
A multiple antenna apparatus includes a substrate, a first antenna structure, and a second antenna structure. The first antenna structure includes a first metal trace that has a first pattern confined in a first geometric shape and has a near-zero electric field plane. The second antenna structure includes a second metal trace that has a first pattern confined to a second geometric shape. The second antenna structure is positioned on the substrate in substantial alignment with the near-zero electric field plane of the first antenna structure. |
| US08570223B2 |
Reconfigurable antenna
A micro electromechanical (MEMS) antenna (36) is positioned on one side of a substrate and is connected to a MEMS switch comprising a capacitor bridge (46) and to a transmission line (42) by means of a thru hole or via (48) which forms an electrically conducting path through the substrate. This arrangement provides a common ground plane for the antenna and switch and shields the switch from the electromagnetic radiation received or transmitted from the antenna. The switch may comprise a topmost metal layer which extends across a bridge structure formed by a polymer layer (19). The polymer layer comprises poly-monochloro-para-xylene (parylene-C). Homogeneous or heterogeneous antenna array structures are implemented. The antenna arrays may include one or more different type of antennas with for example different shapes, rotations and reflections. |
| US08570218B2 |
Satellite radiowave receiver and satellite radiowave receiving method
Disclosed is a satellite radiowave receiver which obtains a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite including a receiving unit which receives a radiowave in a frequency range which is set in advance, the frequency range including a frequency transmitted by the positioning satellite transmit, a capture unit which detects the satellite signal from a received signal based on the radiowave received by the receiving unit and a calculation unit which calculates a mean frequency of a plurality of the satellite signals which are detected, based on receiving frequencies of the plurality of the satellite signal detected by the capture unit, and the capture unit detects the satellite signal according to the mean frequency. |
| US08570214B2 |
Position calculating method and position calculating device
There is provided a position calculating method including: calculating a pseudorange by receiving a satellite signal from a positioning satellite; and calculating a position using a normal mixture distribution model which expresses distribution of an error included in the pseudorange with normal mixture distribution. |
| US08570213B2 |
Method and device for reducing fake image, radar apparatus, and fake image reduction program
This disclosure provides a fake image reduction device, which includes a target object detection module for being inputted with an echo signal from an antenna that transmits an electromagnetic wave and receives the echo signal, measuring a level of the echo signal to detect a target object, a reflecting body identifying module for identifying the detected target object as a reflecting body, and a fake image area setting module for setting a fake image area according to a distance and an azimuth direction from a transmitting position of the electromagnetic wave to the identified reflecting body. |
| US08570210B1 |
Aircraft MIMO radar
Traditional airborne radar antennas are typically limited to placement above or below the aircraft, or in one or both of the wings, or in the nose. In the both-wing case, the fuselage prevents coherent array processing of both wing arrays without the introduction of grating lobes. Both wing arrays are coherently combined without grating lobes through appropriate geometric configurations of the arrays and the use of MIMO processing techniques. A virtual array is formed by convolving the transmit and receive apertures to fill in the gap created by the fuselage, thereby allowing fully coherent array processing and greater angular resolution than previously achievable through a conformal array. The signal-to-noise ratios are potentially improved. |
| US08570207B1 |
Method, technique, and system for detecting Brillouin precursors at microwave frequencies for enhanced performance in various applications
A method, system, and software for using Brillouin precursors to enhance UWB, RF, and Microwave Remote Sensing systems by providing greater penetration depths and or resolution. Embodiments also include methods, software, and systems which provide a method to detect the formation of Brillouin precursor waveforms in any given dispersive media, for any transmitted signal and any frequency range. |
| US08570205B2 |
Analog to digital converter with leakage current correction circuit
An analog to digital converter includes leakage current correction circuitry to cancel leakage current injected by a reset switch employing a dummy PMOS switch with a shape factor substantially similar to that of the reset switch. An operational amplifier replicates the voltage of the comparator sense input node to the drain of the dummy transistor to create the same operating point as the reset switch. The resulting leakage current is then repeated and fed back to the node to cancel the offending leakage current. |
| US08570204B2 |
Folded reference voltage flash ADC and method thereof
A folded reference voltage flash analog-to-digital (ADC) converter and a method thereof are provided. The flash ADC of the present invention determines the most significant bit (MSB) of an analog input signal, varies a reference voltage input to a plurality of comparators in accordance with the MSB determination result, and determines the remaining bits. Accordingly, input capacitance can be reduced while maintaining the size and power consumption of the ADC. |
| US08570202B2 |
Digital-to-analog converter implementing hybrid conversion architecture
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) implements a hybrid conversion architecture where the input digital data is oversampled and a flash converter is used to convert the M most significant bits (MSBs) of the oversampled data while a sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) converter is used to convert the remaining least significant bits (LSBs) of the oversampled data. In one embodiment, a merged flash converter is used to convert the M MSBs and the digital bit stream generated by the sigma-delta converter. |
| US08570201B2 |
Direct feedback for continuous-time oversampled converters
A continuous-time sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of integrator stages, in which one of the integrator stages includes a current buffer that drives an integrating capacitor. The analog-to-digital converter includes an outer feedback digital-to-analog converter and an inner digital-to-analog converter. The inner digital-to-analog converter is a current-mode digital-to-analog converter that converts the digital output signal to an analog current feedback signal, which is provided to an output of the integrator stage that includes the current buffer. Both the analog current feedback signal and an input signal provided to the current buffer are integrated by the integrating capacitor. |
| US08570196B1 |
Serial image data format and method and apparatus for convering image data from serial to parallel
A method for converting image data from serial to parallel is provided. The method has steps of: receiving serial data of an image into a line buffer according to a serial clock signal of the image, wherein the serial data at least comprises a frame start code, and a row start code; detecting the frame start code of the serial data in the line buffer to trigger a vertical synchronous signal of the image; and detecting the row start code of the serial data in the line buffer to trigger a horizontal synchronous signal of the image. |
| US08570194B2 |
Clutch-height adjustment in an optical tracking device
Architecture for managing clutch height in an optical navigational device such as a computer mouse. In one embodiment for a mouse, a feature can be molded into the bottom case that limits the clutch height by occluding the reflected light to the image sensor when the device is lifted from the tracking surface. Tracking is disabled when the clutch height threshold is exceeded, and re-enabled when the device is brought under the distance clutch height threshold. The device includes firmware controlled algorithm adjustments to one or more correlation parameters. When employing a D-shaped aperture, a threshold can be placed on the z-axis height tracking distance using dimensional characteristics of the shaped aperture, such as a knife-edge (the straight portion of the “D” shaped aperture), to impose a shadow across the image sensor. The aperture can be custom designed to occlude a portion of the emitted light from an LED. |
| US08570193B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/identifying location based on local communication
Provided are an apparatus and method for transmitting/identifying a location based on local communication. The apparatus, includes: a location information calculating unit for receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal from a GPS satellite and calculating location information; own location transmitting unit for transmitting a signal, in which the calculated location information and recognition information are inserted, through a local communication antenna; a counterpart location receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted from another location transmitting/identifying apparatus located in a close range through the local communication antenna; and a counterpart location identifying unit for checking the received signal and identifying a location of another location transmitting/identifying apparatus. |
| US08570189B1 |
Multifunction traffic control and information system
A multifunction traffic control and information system of the present invention includes external condition sensors and various devices each having one or more display portions to display alphanumeric messages and a local communications module functionally linked to a local network. At least one device further includes a cellular communications module and a system controller. The controller receives a display data string including a message displayable by one or more of the devices, as transmitted from a remote source via a cellular network, determines at least one of the devices to display the message, and routes the message to at least one display portion associated with the one or more determined devices. The controller further generates a return data string based on external condition data sensed by the one or more sensors, and transmits the return data string across the cellular network to the remote source. |
| US08570186B2 |
Wireless sensor reader
A wireless sensor reader is provided to interface with a wireless sensor. The wireless sensor reader transmits an excitation pulse to cause the wireless sensor to generate a ring signal. The wireless sensor reader receives and amplifies the ring signal and sends the signal to a phase-locked loop. A voltage-controlled oscillator in the phase-locked loop locks onto the ring signal frequency and generates a count signal at a frequency related to the ring signal frequency. The voltage-controlled oscillator is placed into a hold mode where the control voltage is maintained constant to allow the count signal frequency to be determined. The reader uses an ambient reading or other information to select a subset of the possible ring signal frequencies, and tunes or adjusts its circuits and algorithms to focus on that subset. |
| US08570181B2 |
Method and apparatus for supervisory circuit for ground fault circuit interrupt device
An apparatus and method for a supervisory circuit for a ground fault detection device or ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) device is disclosed in which is a test stimulus signal for a self test of the GFCI device is generated on a second secondary winding on a toroid of a differential current transformer. The GFCI device includes line and neutral conductors configured to connect an AC power source and a load. A differential current transformer includes a toroid, through which the line and neutral conductors pass, a first secondary winding wound on the toroid to generate a current in response to an imbalance of magnetic flux in the toroid, and a second secondary winding wound on the toroid. A differential ground fault detector is electrically connected to the first secondary winding of the differential current transformer to compare current generated in the secondary winding to a trip threshold. A controller is configured to control a test stimulus signal to be generated in the second secondary winding wound on the toroid of the differential current transformer. |
| US08570180B2 |
Rack server system
A rack server system includes a rack, a number of servers, and a power center. The rack defines a receiving space that is divided into a plurality of units. Each of the servers includes a motherboard and is received in a corresponding unit. The power center is received in at least one unit. The power center includes a plurality of cables connecting to the motherboards, respectively. |
| US08570178B2 |
Coaxial cable connector with internal floating ground circuitry and method of use thereof
A coaxial cable connector is provided, the connector includes: a connector body and a ground isolation circuit positioned within the connector body. The ground isolation circuit is configured to generate a voltage signal comprising a positive voltage and a negative voltage. The ground isolation circuit is electrically isolated from the connector body. |
| US08570174B2 |
Pin alarm tag
An alarm tag comprising a first input unit for generating signals for setting (to ON) or resetting (to OFF) an alarm system of the alarm tag. The alarm tag further includes a second input unit for generating signals for arming the alarm tag and triggering an alarm, and an independent auxiliary input unit that generates independent signals that arm the alarm tag and trigger an alarm. When both the second and the auxiliary input units generate a first signal, the alarm system of the alarm tag is armed and set to ON, and when any of the second and third auxiliary input units generate a second signal while the alarm tag is armed and ON, the alarm system of the alarm tag triggers an alarm, thereby preventing tampering and bypassing of one of the second and auxiliary input units to disarm the alarm. |
| US08570173B2 |
Radio frequency tag and method of manufacturing the same
A metal-resistant radio frequency tag that has a broader band pass band (frequency versus communication range) characteristic compared to conventional techniques is achieved. For this purpose, the radio frequency tag according to the present invention includes a first resonator pattern, the first resonator pattern including a chip connecting section to which a chip is to be connected, and an inductance section that is capable of adjusting an impedance matching with the chip; and a second resonator pattern that is fed through electromagnetic induction coupling via the inductance section. |
| US08570172B2 |
RFID system with distributed transmitters
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system according to one embodiment includes a reader having a receive antenna in communication therewith, and a plurality of transmitters in communication with the reader and spatially separated from the reader. Methods of use are also presented. |
| US08570169B2 |
Portable asset dispensing device
A portable dispensing device is provided having a container configured to be moved to a plurality of locations. An access point at an opening of the container controls access into and out of the container. A scale is coupled to a bin within the container and is configured to measure a weight of the bin and contents of the bin. A computing device is in electrical communication with the access point and the scale and configured to allow or deny access to the container as well as receive the measured weight from the scale to determine a number of items in the bin. The computing device further associates an item removed from the bin with the individual or credits an item returned to the bin with the individual when the individual exits the container. |
| US08570163B2 |
Method and apparatus for sensory stimulation
An apparatus for producing an electrosensory sensation to a body member (120). The apparatus comprises one or more conducting electrodes (106), each of which is provided with an insulator (108). When the body member (120) is proximate to the conducting electrode, the insulator prevents flow of direct current from the conducting electrode to the body member. A capacitive coupling over the insulator (108) is formed between the conducting electrode (106) and the body member (120). The conducting electrodes are driven by an electrical input which comprises a low-frequency component (114) in a frequency range between 10 Hz and 500 Hz. The capacitive coupling and electrical input are dimensioned to produce an electrosensory sensation. The apparatus is capable of producing the electrosensory sensation independently of any mechanical vibration of the one or more conducting electrodes (106) or insulators (108). |
| US08570162B2 |
Input apparatus
An input apparatus capable of receiving inputs of a plurality of levels in accordance with pressed area varied in each operation by an operator is provided. An input apparatus 10 configured to receive the inputs of a plurality of levels in accordance with the pressed area has a area detection unit 40 configured to detect a pressed area of a pressing input and a control unit 20 configured to control to set a second standard area for receiving a second level input every time the area detection unit 40 detects the pressed area satisfying a first standard area for receiving a first level input. |
| US08570160B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling devices via power lines
Methods and systems are provided that control devices using signals transmitted over power lines in many different applications and configurations. They provide a lower cost approach for controlling devices via signals transmitted over power lines. The methods and systems may control intensity, spectral, and other characteristics of lighting devices, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or assemblies thereof, via power lines. They may also control other types of loads, such as motors, relays, valves or the like. Additionally, techniques for independently controlling intensity and spectral content of selected high efficiency lighting devices are also described. For example, the brightness and color of an LED may be controlled via the power lines that supply power to the LED. |
| US08570156B2 |
Pluggable small form-factor UHF RFID reader
A Pluggable small form-factor UHF Radio Frequency ID reader having in an enclosure: a host CPU; volatile memory; non-volatile memory; power inputs; digital circuitry comprising the CPU and supporting components; analog circuitry comprising power and Radio Frequency components; one or more antennas; networking components; user interface components; debug and test components; WiFi subsystem; Radio Frequency ID subsystem; wherein said enclosure comprises thermal dissipation capacity, radio frequency transparency with WiFi and Radio Frequency ID antennas, provides protection from physical and radiofrequency forces, is mountable to an AC outlet and can also be mounted flush to a solid wall or surface or at an angle to a solid wall or surface, connectable to PoE or DC inputs, having a capacity to convert AC/DC current; Radio Frequency ID setting configurable, employs intelligent filtering and smoothing algorithms and transmits only relevant summarized information back over a network, and permits firmware management and real-time monitoring. |
| US08570153B2 |
Metallic cover having IC tag, and metallic container
An IC tag can be mounted without deteriorating appearance of a container, breakage or the like of the IC tag can be prevented and excellent wireless communication between a reader/writer becomes possible by eliminating influence of the metal container by ensuring a long communication distance to the reader/writer by allowing excellent communication properties to be exhibited even when an existing IC chip is used and mounting an insulated and sealed IC tag on a metallic cover having a low possibility of being brought into contact with other goods and equipment and being hidden by the adjacent metallic containers. The metallic cover is provided with an IC chip (41), which has a pull-tab (33), and an IC tag (40) for the IC chip (41) mounted on the tab (33), an antenna for the IC tab (40) and a matching circuit (50) for matching impedances between the antenna and the IC chip. |
| US08570148B2 |
Biological information acquiring apparatus, biological information acquiring method and biometric authentication apparatus
A biological information acquiring apparatus includes light source units configured to irradiate light onto a living body, a light receiving unit including a light receiving element, the light receiving element including pixels, each of the pixels receiving at least one of a transmission light and a reflection light, and a nonuniform filter disposed on the light receiving unit and on a light path of at least one of the transmission light and the reflection light, the nonuniform filter having a light transmittance that varies with area of the nonuniform filter. The light source units are disposed around the light receiving unit discretely, and the light transmittance of the nonuniform filter is set so that a light intensity of at least one of the transmission light and the reflection light is uniform over an entire surface of the light receiving element. |
| US08570141B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling a household appliance standby state
A method for monitoring and controlling a household appliance is provided. The method has the steps of: monitoring and sampling the power of the household appliance to obtain a first standby power range; monitoring and sampling the power of the household appliance to obtain a set of first real-time power data; calculating a first standby confidence level based on the number of times that the first real-time power data fall within the first standby power range; and determining that the household appliance is in a standby state if the first standby confidence level is greater than or equal to a standby confidence level threshold. |
| US08570140B2 |
Thin film resistor
The present disclosure relates to a thin film resistor that is formed on a substrate along with other semiconductor devices to form all or part of an electronic circuit. The thin film resistor includes a resistor segment that is formed over the substrate and a protective cap that is formed over the resistor segment. The protective cap is provided to keep at least a portion of the resistor segment from oxidizing during fabrication of the thin film resistor and other components that are provided on the semiconductor substrate. As such, no oxide layer is formed between the resistor segment and the protective cap. Contacts for the thin film resistor may be provided at various locations on the protective cap, and as such, are not provided solely over a portion of the resistor segment that is covered with an oxide layer. |
| US08570137B2 |
Transformer having laminar type on low voltage side
A transformer includes high and low voltage side parts. The high voltage side part includes a first base seat, a first isolator seat having a plurality of isolator grooves, and a plurality of coil sets. The first isolator seat has one end connect to the first base seat and another end with a positioning groove. The plurality of coil sets are wound around the first isolator seat, and are positioned in the plurality of isolator grooves. The low voltage side part includes a second base seat, a second isolator seat, and a plurality of sheet bodies. The second isolator seat has one end connected to the second base seat and another end defining a central column. The central column is positioned in the positioning groove. Each sheet body possesses an opening for containing the central column. The sheet bodies are mutually laminated and interlaced on the central column. |
| US08570134B2 |
Transformer
There is provided a thin transformer capable of being used in a thin display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a light emitting diode (LED) display device. The transformer includes: a bobbin part including a plurality of bobbins, each including a pipe shaped body part having a though-hole formed in an inner portion thereof, a flange part vertically protruding outwardly from both ends of the body part, and external connection terminals protruding from one side of a lower flange part formed at a lower end of the body part; a core inserted into the through-hole of the bobbin to thereby form a magnetic path; and a coil part including coils each wound around the plurality of bobbins, wherein the bobbin part includes an inner bobbin and an outer bobbin, and the inner bobbin is coupled to the outer bobbin such that the external connection terminals of the inner bobbin and the external connection terminals of the outer bobbin are opposed to each other. |
| US08570129B2 |
Complex machine including a classical simple machine and a magnetic system
A multilevel magnetic system and method for using the same are described herein. A wide-range of devices including a momentary snap switch, a cushioning device, and an exploding toy are also described herein that may incorporate one or more of the multilevel magnetic systems. |
| US08570127B2 |
High magnetic field superconducting magnet system with large crossing warm bore
A high magnetic field superconducting magnet system with large crossing warm bore is disclosed, a superconducting coil thereof includes a low temperature superconducting coil and a high temperature superconducting coil. The superconducting coils are connected to a thermal shield and a flange of a low temperature container by a supporting drawbar, thus the superconducting coils as a whole are supported inside the low temperature container. A thermal switch is connected to a primary cold head and a secondary cold head of the cryocooler. The secondary cold head of the cryocooler is connected to a magnet-reinforced supporting flange at the two ends of the low temperature superconducting coil and the high temperature superconducting coil by a cold conduction strip. The superconducting magnet system has a room temperature bore in horizontal direction and a room temperature bore in vertical direction. A thermal shield outside the room temperature bore in horizontal direction is used for preventing thermal radiation by the room temperature bore in horizontal direction to the superconducting coils. A separation supporting frame separates the low temperature superconducting coil and the high temperature superconducting coil into two parts, such that a two-dimensional room temperature space can be included inside the superconducting magnet when the superconducting magnet system is formed as a whole. |
| US08570125B2 |
Electromagnetic switch
An electromagnetic switch has a contact device having a pair of fixed contacts fixed thereof and maintaining a predetermined interval inside an arc-extinguishing chamber receptacle, and a movable contact disposed to be connectable with the pair of fixed contacts; and an electromagnetic device driving the movable contact. The electromagnetic device has a cylindrical exciting coil, a fixed core passing through center of the exciting coil, a magnetic yoke covering an outer side of the exciting coil, and a movable core facing the fixed core and the magnetic yoke, and armature surfaces of the fixed core and the magnetic yoke are formed on a side of the contact device than the exciting coil. |
| US08570120B2 |
Heat insulating waveguides separated by an air gap and including two planar reflectors for controlling radiation power from the air gap
A heat insulating transmission line includes a first waveguide with a first aperture end, a second waveguide with a second aperture end, and a reflector. The second waveguide is arranged coaxially with the first waveguide. The second aperture end faces the first aperture end through an air gap. The reflector is provided outside the air gap, and controls radiation power from the air gap. In addition, the reflector is substantially parallel to a portion of a virtual plane connecting an inner wall of the first aperture end of the first waveguide and an inner wall of the second aperture end of the second waveguide. When a mean frequency of a signal transmitting through the heat insulating transmission line is expressed as λ, a distance between the virtual surface and the reflector is not less than N×λ/2−0.05λ and not more than N×λ/2+0.2λ (N is a positive integer). |
| US08570119B2 |
Ultra wide pass-band, absorptive band-reject filter
An ultra wide band-pass, absorptive band-reject filter has a pair of quadrature hybrid couplers cascaded and coupled by a phase shifting element and a matched pair of band-reject filters in two parallel paths. The matched pair of band-reject filters each rejects signals in a desired reject frequency band. The quadrature hybrid couplers each have an insertion loss amplitude crossover for signals propagated to terminals across the coupler that coincides with the reject frequency band. The phase shifting element is configured to have a phase shift of 180 degrees at frequencies in the reject frequency band. In a preferred embodiment, the pair of quadrature hybrid couplers are identical in performance and the band-reject filters are identical in performance with respect to a center frequency fn of the reject frequency band. The absorptive band-reject filter thereby provides an absorptive rejection response in the reject frequency band while a very wide pass-band frequency range is maintained. |
| US08570114B2 |
Defected ground structure with shielding effect
A defected ground structure with shielding effect is provided. The structure includes a dielectric layer, a defected metal layer, a grounded metal layer and at least a conductive mushroom-like structure. The defected metal layer has a line-shaped opening and is disposed in the dielectric layer. The conductive mushroom-like structure is disposed between the defected metal layer and the grounded metal layer and is arranged along an extending direction of the line-shaped opening periodically. The conductive mushroom-like structure includes a laterally extending member and a vertically extending member. The laterally extending member is parallel to the defected metal layer and a distance is maintained away from the defected metal layer. The projection area of the laterally extending member on the defected metal layer covers a length of the line-shaped opening corresponding to the laterally extending member. The vertically extending member connects the laterally extending member and the grounded metal layer. |
| US08570107B2 |
Clock generating apparatus and frequency calibrating method of the clock generating apparatus
A clock generating apparatus includes: a time-to-digital converter (TDC) arranged to convert a timing difference between a reference clock and a variable clock to generate a digital value; a calibrating device arranged to generate a control signal according to the digital value and the reference clock; a controllable oscillator arranged to generate an oscillating signal according to the control signal and the digital value; and a feedback device arranged to generate the variable clock to the TDC according to the oscillating signal, and the calibrating device calibrates the controllable oscillator to make the oscillating signal have a target oscillating frequency. |
| US08570101B2 |
Variable duty cycle generation for out-phasing and PWM power amplifiers
Power reduction in transmitters is very important. One method to realize reduction is to make use of switching power amplifiers (PA) that have a better efficiency. Switching PA concepts are only possible in combination with suitable modulation methods like pulse width modulation (PWM) and out-phasing concepts. However, PWM and out-phasing concepts rely on accurate phase control and duty cycle of the signals. Digitally generation of signals of variable duty cycles and phase is proposed without sacrificing their accuracy. Accordingly, a out-phasing power amplifier arrangement is disclosed, where the generation of the out-phasing angle (θ) and duty cycles (d1 and d2) are controlled by a set of n-bit digital input words (D1, D2, D3, D4). The baseband phase information (φ(t)) is phase modulated back to radio frequency and used as the clock signal of digital circuitry for phase and duty cycle generation after being frequency multiplied by 2n-1. The resolution of the out-phasing angle and of the duty cycle is 2π/2n and 2π/2n-1 equivalently. The resolution of the phase information φ is dependent on the PM realization. |
| US08570100B2 |
Direct sampling circuit and receiver
A sampling circuit and a receiver, with relatively simple configurations, and clocks, exhibiting excellent frequency characteristics, are provided. In discrete time circuits, a charging switch is controlled on and off using one of four-phase control signals. A rotate capacitor shares electrical charge accumulated in an IQ generating circuit via the charging switch. A dump switch is controlled on and off using a different signal from the control signal used to control the charging switch on and off, among the four-phase control signals. A buffer capacitor shares electrical charge with the rotate capacitor via the dump switch to form an output value. |
| US08570099B2 |
Single-ended-to-differential filter using common mode feedback
A filter including common mode feedback can provide single-ended to differential-ended conversion with minimum loss of performance. |
| US08570091B2 |
Level shifter
A level shifter, converting an input signal into an output signal for level shifting, including a leakage blocking circuit having cascaded P-channel transistors and one N-channel transistor. The P-channel transistor at a beginning stage provides a gate for receiving the input signal and a source coupled to a gate of the P-channel transistor at a secondary stage. At intermediate stages, each P-channel transistor provides a source coupled to a gate of the subsequently cascaded P-channel transistor. At a final stage, the P-channel transistor provides a source coupled to a voltage source and a drain coupled to an output terminal of the leakage blocking circuit for the outputting of the output signal. The N-channel transistor has a gate which is coupled to receive the input signal as well, a source coupled to a common voltage, and a drain coupled to the output terminal of the leakage blocking circuit. |
| US08570090B2 |
Electronic component protection power supply clamp circuit
Electronic component protection power supply clamp circuits comprising a plurality of p-type channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) and n-type channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistors are described. These clamp circuits use a feedback latching circuit to retain an electrostatic discharge (ESD)-triggered state and efficiently conduct ESD current that has been diverted into the power supply, in order to dissipate ESD energy. The feedback latching circuit also maintains a clamp transistor in its off state if the clamp circuit powers up untriggered, thus enhancing the clamp circuit's immunity to noise during normal operation. Passive resistance initialization of key nodes to an untriggered state, as well as passive resistance gate input loading of a large ESD clamping transistor, further enhances the clamp circuit's immunity to false triggering. This also lengthens the time that the clamp circuit remains in the ESD-triggered state during human body model (HBM) or other long duration detected ESD events. |
| US08570088B2 |
3D integrated circuit stack-wide synchronization circuit
There is provided a synchronization circuit for a 3D chip stack having multiple circuits and multiple strata interconnected using a first and a second stack-wide broadcast connection chain. The synchronization circuit includes the following, on each stratum. A synchronizer connected to the first connection chain receives an asynchronous signal therefrom and performs a synchronization to provide a synchronous signal. A driver is connected to the second chain for driving the synchronous signal. A latch connected to the second chain receives the synchronous signal driven by the driver on a same or different stratum within a next clock cycle from the synchronization to provide the stack-wide synchronous signal to a circuit on a same stratum. An output of a single driver on one stratum is selected at any given time for use by the latch on all strata. |
| US08570082B1 |
PVT-free calibration circuit for TDC resolution in ADPLL
The present disclosure relates to an all digital phase locked loop (APDLL) that can account for variations in PVT conditions, and a related method of formation. In some embodiments, the ADPLL has a controllable time-to-digital converter (TDC) having a plurality of variable delay elements. The controllable TDC is determines a phase difference between a frequency reference signal and a local oscillator clock signal and to generate a phase error therefrom. A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) varies a phase of the local oscillator clock signal based upon the phase error. A calibration unit determines an effect of variations in PVT (process, voltage, and temperature) conditions based upon the phase error and to generate a TDC tuning word that adjusts a delay introduced by one or more of the plurality of variable delay elements to account for the variations in PVT conditions. |
| US08570080B2 |
Frequency-control circuits and signal generation devices using the same
A signal generation device is provided to generate an output signal with constant frequency. The signal generation device includes a frequency-control circuit and a voltage-controlled delay line. The frequency-control circuit is arranged to charge/discharge a voltage-control node according to a comparison result signal. The voltage-controlled delay line is arranged to generate a control signal according to the comparison result signal and a control voltage of the voltage-control node to control the output signal. A frequency of the control signal is modulated by the voltage-controlled delay line according to the control voltage of the voltage-control node. The comparison result signal is generated according to a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage level of the output signal. |
| US08570079B2 |
Reducing phase locked loop phase lock time
There is provided a method for reducing lock time in a phase locked loop. The method includes detecting a saturation condition on a path within the phase locked loop. The method further includes temporarily applying saturation compensation along the path when the saturation condition is detected. |
| US08570077B2 |
Methods and implementation of low-power power-on control circuits
Methods and implementation of low-power power-on control circuits are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an apparatus includes a power detector circuit powered by a first voltage supply. At least one voltage level-shifting device is coupled to a second voltage supply and a test input is provided to the power detector circuit. An optional leakage self-control device may reduce unwanted leakage currents associated with the first supply and the second supply. |
| US08570076B2 |
Parallel path frequency divider circuit
A parallel path frequency divider (PPFD) includes a low power frequency divider and a high speed latch. A first portion of an oscillating input signal present on an input node of the PPFD is communicated to the divider and a second portion is communicated to the latch. The divider generates a frequency divided enable signal that is communicated to the latch. The latch generates a divided down output signal based on the oscillating input signal and the enable signal. The output signal is insensitive to phase noise present on the enable signal as long as the phase noise on the enable signal is less than one-half of the period of oscillation of the oscillating input signal. Because the noise generated by the low power frequency divider is not propagated to the output signal generated by the PPFD, the PPFD generates low noise, frequency divided signals with relatively low power consumption. |
| US08570068B2 |
Circuit for reducing negative bias temperature instability
A circuit includes an operational PMOS transistor of a logic gate driver. A control circuit is configured to turn off the operational PMOS transistor during a standby mode. The circuit also includes a sacrificial PMOS transistor coupled to an output node. The operational PMOS transistor is coupled to the output node. The sacrificial PMOS transistor is configured to keep the output node at a logical 1 during the standby mode. |
| US08570064B1 |
Methods and systems for programmable implementation of on-chip termination calibration
Methods, circuits, and systems for termination calibration are provided. Differential input buffer circuitry is used to compare a signal level at an input/output pad and a first reference signal level. Control circuitry is used to control a controllably variable impedance based on the output of the differential input buffer circuitry. Optionally, second differential input buffer circuitry is used to compare the signal level at the input/output pad to a second reference signal level. The control circuitry is used to control the controllably variable impedance based on the output of both the first and the second differential input buffer circuitry. |
| US08570063B2 |
Methods and apparatuses including an adjustable termination impedance ratio
Methods of adjusting a centerline voltage of a data signal are described, along with apparatuses to adjust the centerline voltage. In one such method, portions of a termination circuit coupled to a node are selectively programmed to adjust an impedance of the termination circuit to adjust the centerline voltage of the data signal driven to the node. One such apparatus includes pull-up impedances and pull-down impedances that can be programmed to adjust the centerline voltage of the data signal. Additional embodiments are also described. |
| US08570054B2 |
Device for detecting a capacitance variation and capacitive sensor for detecting the presence of a user using such a device
A device for detecting a variation in the capacitance of a variable capacitive structure, wherein the device generates voltage pulses, charges the variable capacitive structure using the voltage pulses, discharges the variable capacitive structure toward a reference capacitor, detects a voltage threshold across the terminals of the reference capacitor, determines a number of charges and/or discharges of the variable capacitive structure corresponding to the voltage threshold, and detects a variation in the number of charges and/or discharges with respect to a number of charges and/or discharges previously obtained. |
| US08570048B2 |
Inspection jig for display panel, inspection system using the same, and method for inspecting the display panel using the same
An inspection jig for a display panel, used in an inspection system for the display panel and in a method for inspecting the display panel, includes a plate, a ground plate and at least one side holder. The ground plate is disposed on the plate and receives the display panel. The at least one side holder is disposed at a side surface of the plate to control the angle of the plate. |
| US08570043B2 |
System and method for self-sealing a coldhead sleeve of a magnetic resonance imaging system
Systems and methods for self-sealing a coldhead sleeve of a magnetic resonance imaging system are provided. One coldhead sleeve arrangement includes a coldhead sleeve configured to receive therein a coldhead of an MRI system and having an open end. The coldhead sleeve arrangement also includes a sealing member coupled at the open end of the coldhead sleeve and configured in a normally closed position covering the open end. |
| US08570040B2 |
MRI image distortion reduction for MRI images of a recipient having an implantable medical device
A method for generating a new set of MRI images of a region of a recipient in which an implanted medical device having magnetic properties is located. The method includes scanning a plurality of scan slices of the recipient with an MRI machine set at a first fat shift direction to generate a first set of MRI images and rescanning the plurality of scan slices with a fat shift direction different than the first fat shift direction to obtain a second set of MRI images. At least one of the MRI images of the first set and the second set including an artifact resulting from the implanted medical device. The method further includes comparing respective artifacts of the MRI images of the first and second sets, and selecting one of the compared MRI images based on the distortion to the respective MRI image created by the respective artifact. |
| US08570037B2 |
RF coil for MR imaging which is not visible in X-ray image
An RF coil used for MR imaging is designed so that it remains in place in the field of view of an X-Ray imaging system and comprises a support board on which copper conductive traces and copper printed capacitors are carried. The attenuation of the X-Rays caused by the copper traces is visible in the radiation image but this is compensated by arranging the non-conductive material of the support board such that the attenuation of substantially the whole of the RF coil located within the field of view is substantially constant throughout the field of view. |
| US08570035B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging of living systems by remote detection
A novel approach to magnetic resonance imaging is disclosed. Blood flowing through a living system is prepolarized, and then encoded. The polarization can be achieved using permanent or superconducting magnets. The polarization may be carried out upstream of the region to be encoded or at the place of encoding. In the case of an MRI of a brain, polarization of flowing blood can be effected by placing a magnet over a section of the body such as the heart upstream of the head. Alternatively, polarization and encoding can be effected at the same location. Detection occurs at a remote location, using a separate detection device such as an optical atomic magnetometer, or an inductive Faraday coil. The detector may be placed on the surface of the skin next to a blood vessel such as a jugular vein carrying blood away from the encoded region. |
| US08570032B2 |
Systems and methods of reducing a component of a signal caused by vibration
A vibration detection circuit. The circuit includes an accelerometer, a combining filter, an amplifier, and an analog to digital converter. The accelerometer generates one or more signals indicative of movement along an axis. The combining filter filters a component of the one or more signals not associated with movement and combines the components of the one or more signals indicative of movement to create a combined signal. The amplifier amplifies the combined signal and creates an amplified signal. The analog to digital converter converts the amplified signal into a digital value. |
| US08570030B2 |
Magnetic sensor for determining wear
An apparatus and method for detecting wear of a surface of an object or part, and directing the measured amount of wear to an interface such that an operator may be apprised of this value are described. One end of the sacrificial wear sensor hereof is disposed such that it experiences the same wear as the surface of the part to be monitored. One embodiment of the present sensing element includes a permanent magnet fixedly sandwiched between two plates having high magnetic permeability material, wherein magnetic poles are oriented perpendicular to the plates. The plates extend beyond the magnet on the side thereof opposite the wear edge, forming thereby an air gap such that magnetic flux is concentrated in the plates with the magnetic circuit being completed through the air gap between the plate extensions. A magnetic flux monitoring device may be disposed in the air gap of the sensing element for measuring the magnetic flux density in the gap. As the magnet and the plates of the sensing element are worn away by the same mechanism that causes wear on the part being monitored, the magnet volume decreases, thereby decreasing the flux density in the air gap. This decrease in flux density can be related to the wear of the surface under investigation. |
| US08570029B2 |
Metering apparatus for liquids and method for metering liquids
A metering apparatus for liquids and a method for metering liquids which facilitate the operation of a further metering after detaching the pipette point or syringe. |
| US08570023B2 |
System and method for phase load discovery
A system and method for determining the relative phase of each of a plurality of load meters connected to a three-phase power distribution system. The system includes a gateway that communicates information to and from each of the individual load meters. The gateway generates a timing pulse that is received by each of the load meters. Based upon the delay from the receipt of the timing pulse to the next zero crossing of the single phase power supply received by the meter, the utility can determine the phase of the individual meter. The system can include a feeder meter connected to each phase of the electrical supply system to determine the energy consumption for each of the meters connected to a specific phase. The utility can compare the energy consumption information from the feeder meter to all of the load meters connected to the same phase to determine whether any energy theft is occurring. |
| US08570021B2 |
DC/DC converter having a delay generator circuit positioned between a comparator and a pulse generator and a DC/DC converter control method
A DC/DC converter includes a first comparator configured to compare an output voltage to a reference voltage; a pulse generator circuit configured to generate a pulse signal when triggered by an output signal from the first comparator; a first switch circuit configured to open and close on the basis of the pulse signal; an output voltage generator configured to generate the output voltage on the basis of an input voltage supplied via the first switch circuit; a delay generator circuit configured to delay the output signal from the first comparator before outputting; and an error amplifier configured to control a delay time of the delay generator circuit on the basis of a potential difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage. |
| US08570018B2 |
Hot swappable synchronous buck regulator
A synchronous buck regulator includes a voltage regulator, a sample unit, a switch element, a comparison unit, a time delay unit, and a control unit. The sample unit is connected to the external power source for sampling a voltage drop in the external power source. The comparison unit is connected to the sample unit for outputting a result-high signal when the current passing through the sample unit is greater than a predetermined current rating. The time delay unit is connected to the comparison unit for outputting a first result-low signal. The control unit is connected to the time delay unit and outputs a first a low level signal to the switch element according to the result-low signal. The switch element connects the sample unit and the voltage regulator and can isolate the voltage regulator from the external power source when the low level signal is received. |
| US08570015B2 |
DC-DC converter
A dual-mode switching voltage regulator has a duty cycle that varies with the input and output voltages so as to dynamically compensate for changes in the operating conditions. The switching voltage regulator uses input and output voltages/currents to optimize the duty cycle of the signals applied to a pair of switches disposed in the regulator. In the PFM mode, a control block senses the time that a first switch used to discharge an inductor is turned off. If the control block senses that the first switch is opened too early, the control block increases the on-time of a second switch used to charge the inductor. If the control block senses that the first switch is opened too late, the control block decreases the on-time of the second switch. |
| US08570012B2 |
Diode for use in a switched mode power supply
A tunable depletion diode is provided. Within this depletion diode, there is a depletion mode transistor that is coupled to the anode terminal at its gate and the cathode terminal at its drain. A diode is coupled between the source of the depletion mode transistor and the anode terminal, and a variable capacitor is coupled between the source of the depletion mode transistor and the anode terminal, where the capacitance of the variable capacitor is controls the reverse recovery time of the tunable depletion diode. |
| US08570011B2 |
DC-DC converter circuit
An embodiment of a voltage conversion unit comprising a switching DC-DC converter including an input terminal for receiving an input voltage from a source, a control terminal adapted to receive a pulse width modulated driving signal oscillating at a first frequency, and an output terminal for providing to a load an output voltage generated from the input voltage according to the driving signal. The switching DC-DC converter and the switching control unit form a feedback loop having a loop gain defining a corresponding operating bandwidth. The load is configured to d rain a current pulse train having a second frequency; the values of the first and second frequencies are such to cause the occurrence of beat oscillations at frequencies comprised within the operating bandwidth. The switching control unit comprises means for reducing the beat oscillations by increasing the loop gain at least for a frequency interval comprised within the operating bandwidth. |
| US08570007B2 |
Phase doubling for switching power supply
A switching power supply control system may include logic to generate a greater number of second switching control signals in response to a first number of original switching control signals. For example, the logic may increase the number of phases that may be controlled by an existing switching power supply controller. The logic may be configured to steer feedback signals from the increased number of phases back to original feedback inputs on the controller. |
| US08570005B2 |
Direct current link circuit
A device for converting power from a floating source of DC power to a dual direct current (DC) output, the device includes: positive and negative input terminals connectible to the floating source of DC power; and positive and negative, and ground output terminals connectible to the dual DC output that may feed an inverter. The inverter may be either a two or three level inverter. A charge storage device may be connected in parallel to, and charged from, the positive and negative input terminals. A resonant circuit may be also connected between the charge storage device and the dual DC output. The resonant circuit may include an inductor connected in series with a capacitor. The charge storage device may discharge through the resonant circuit by switching through to either the negative output terminal or the positive output terminal. |
| US08570003B2 |
Double fed induction generator converter and method for suppressing transient in deactivation of crowbar circuit for grid fault ridethrough
A double fed induction generator (DFIG) system and controller are presented in which the rotor side converter is preloaded with one or more initial values for resuming regulated operation to counteract transients upon deactivation of the crowbar protection circuit to provide grid fault ride through. |
| US08570000B2 |
Vehicle power-generation control apparatus
When an estimated charging rate of an electric storage device is lower than a target rate, and a regenerative power generation controller performs power-generation control of an electric power generator when the speed of a vehicle is being reduced and fuel supply to an engine is stopped, a regenerative charging amount predictor predicts a regenerative charging rate in accordance with vehicle speed, as the vehicle speed is being reduced, and the target charging rate of the electric storage device is decreased as the regenerative predicted charging amount increases. The regenerative power generation controller limits a power-generation amount toward reduction in such a way that in the electric power generator, a difference between torque required for power generation when the electric storage device is charged and torque required for power generation when the electric storage device is not charged falls within a predetermined torque difference. |
| US08569999B2 |
Battery charger and method
The present invention relates to a method for compensating for temperature effects in a pulsed battery-charging scheme with an average charging current less than the root-mean-square (rms) current. The method comprises varying the ratio of the average charging current to rms current as a function of the battery ambient temperature. The method may also comprise varying an upper threshold charging voltage as a function of the battery ambient temperature.The invention also relates to a battery charger. |
| US08569996B2 |
Power management circuit to manage distribution of received power and a portable apparatus having the same
A portable apparatus includes a system configured to receive a system current and perform a function, a charging battery configured to be charged with a charging battery current and supply power to the system, and a power management circuit configured to receive an externally supplied power, supply the system current to the system, and supply the charging battery current to the charging battery based on a sensed level of the system current, wherein the charging battery current decreases in proportion to the system current. |
| US08569992B2 |
Stepper motor controller and method for controlling same
A stepper motor controller includes control circuitry with control outputs and individual driver pulse width modulation (PWM) circuitry with individual driver PWM outputs and modulation control inputs coupled to the control outputs. There is a group of individual drivers, each one having an input coupled to one of the PWM outputs, and an output coupled to an individual driver terminal of the controller. There is common driver PWM circuitry having a common driver PWM output. A common driver having a common driver input is coupled to the common driver PWM output and a common driver output is coupled to a common driver terminal of the controller. When a coil is connected between respective driver terminals and the common driver terminal, individual PWM driver currents are supplied to the coils from the individual driver terminals and a common PWM driver current is supplied to the coils from the common driver terminal. |
| US08569991B2 |
Stepping motor control circuit and analogue electronic watch
A stepping motor control circuit includes a rotation detection circuit that detects an induced signal and detects whether or not the induced signal exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage in a detection segment having a plurality of detection areas, and a control unit that determines the state of rotation of a stepping motor on the basis of a pattern indicating whether or not the induced signals exceed the reference threshold voltage and, on the basis of the result of detection, controls the driving of the stepping motor with anyone of a plurality of main drive pulses different from each other in energy or a correction drive pulse having larger energy than the main drive pulse. An ineffective area is provided between at least the two detection areas, and the control unit determines the state of rotation of the stepping motor without considering the induced signal. |
| US08569990B2 |
Block switch controller comprising a closed loop vector controller incorporating a delay state having a feedback gain
A block switch controller for a linear motor is disclosed, the linear motor having a plurality of motor blocks, a shuttle which is propelled by the magnetic forces generated by a motor current passing through the motor blocks, a plurality of motor block switches selectively passing the motor current through the motor blocks, and a plurality of position sensors determining the position of the shuttle relative to the motor blocks, wherein the controller comprises a closed loop vector controller that incorporates a delay state having a feedback gain. |
| US08569988B2 |
Elastic rotary actuator, particularly for robotic applications, and method for controlling the same
An actuator and a method for controlling the actuator are described. The actuator comprises: an output member rotatable around an axis of rotation; an input member rotatable around the axis and connected for rotation with the output member via a plurality of cylindrical helical springs; a motor assembly arranged to drive the input member to rotate around the axis of rotation; first and second sensors for detecting the angular position of the input member and the relative angular position between the input member and the output member; and an electronic control unit arranged to determine a desired angular velocity of the input member on the basis of a desired value for the impedance of the actuator and to control the motor assembly on the basis of the error between the desired angular velocity of the input member and the angular velocity of the input member. |
| US08569987B2 |
Configurable multi-axis electric drive system concept
The present invention includes techniques for configuring an electric drive module designed for various multi-axis drive system configurations. Embodiments include techniques for integrating a three phase dual converter with a diode bridge and drive controller within a single drive module. Further integrating the diode bridge directly within the drive module may result in an integrated, modular building block for multiple electric drive system configurations. In some embodiments, multiple electric drive modules are connected by a DC bus to form a system configured for higher energy efficiency. |
| US08569985B2 |
Wiper control apparatus
In a wiper control apparatus, a water drop detector outputs an output signal in accordance with water drops adhering to a windshield of a vehicle. When a traveling determination portion determines that the vehicle is traveling, a first level setting portion sets a sensitivity for detecting the output signal to a first sensitivity. When the traveling determination portion determines the vehicle is not traveling, a second level setting portion sets the sensitivity for detecting the output signal to a second sensitivity that is larger than the first sensitivity. A water drop adhesion determination portion determines that water drops adhere to the windshield when a determination waiting time elapses in a state where detection of the output signal continues. A driving control portion controls a wiper driving portion to drive the wiper when the water drop adhesion determination portion determines that water drops adhere to the windshield. |
| US08569984B2 |
Motor controller
A motor controller controlling a rotational speed of a motor and including a thermal detector, a capacitor, an operational amplifier (OP), a charging/discharging circuit, a flip-flop and a logic circuit. The thermal detector detects environmental temperature of the motor to set a first reference voltage. The capacitor has one terminal coupled to a second reference voltage while another terminal thereof is charged/discharged by the charging/discharging circuit, controlled by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, to provide a third reference voltage. The OP compares the first and third reference voltages and outputs the comparison result to a ‘set’ terminal of the flip-flop. The flip-flop further uses a ‘reset’ terminal to receive a clock signal and the output signal thereof is utilized in generating the PWM signal. The PWM signal is further provided to the logic circuit for setting a duty cycle of a driving current of the motor. |
| US08569981B2 |
Motor drive and electric power steering apparatus using the same
In a multi-system motor drive apparatus, a power supply relay is interrupted when a first power supply system fails at time t0. A power control unit doubles a current supplied to an inverter of a second power supply system thereby to supplement the electric power, which has been supplied by an inverter of the first power supply system. The total output of inverters is thus maintained before and after the failure. After an elapse of a predetermined period, the electric power supplied by the second power supply system is reduced gradually so that the inverter of the second power supply system will not be operated to supply the doubled power for a long period. |
| US08569979B2 |
Charged particle accelerator and charged particle acceleration method
A cascade of accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28) that apply an accelerating electric potential to a charged particle (2) are provided. With a controller (8) appropriately controlling timings to apply an accelerating voltage to the accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28), accelerating energy can be gained each time the charged particle (2) passes through gaps between the accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28). |
| US08569975B2 |
Control circuit for switching power supply
A control IC controls a switching power supply configured to supply a driving voltage Vout to one terminal of an LED string which is driven in an intermittent manner. A sample-and-hold circuit performs sampling of a detection voltage Vs that corresponds to a driving voltage Vout in the on period, and holds the sampled detection voltage Vs in the off period. In the off period, a pulse modulator generates a pulse signal having a duty ratio adjusted such that a hold detection voltage VsH output from the sample-and-hold circuit matches the detection voltage Vs. A driver drives a switching transistor according to the pulse signal. |
| US08569972B2 |
Dimmer output emulation
A lighting system includes a dimmer output voltage emulator to cause a power converter interface circuit to generate an emulated dimmer output voltage. In at least one embodiment, the emulated dimmer output voltage corresponds to an actual dimmer output voltage but is unaffected by non-idealities in the dimmer output voltage, such as premature shut-down of a triac-based dimmer. By generating an emulated dimmer output voltage, the energy delivered to a load, such as a lamp, corresponds to a dimming level setting. |
| US08569967B2 |
LED backlight module and backlight driving circuit
A LED backlight module includes a substrate, a heat-dissipating plate, a LED string and a backlight driving circuit. The LED string includes plural LEDs. The LED string further includes a positive driving terminal, a negative driving terminal and a connecting terminal. A positive output terminal, a negative output terminal and a zero voltage terminal of the backlight driving circuit are respectively connected with the positive driving terminal, the negative driving terminal and the heat-dissipating plate, so that a positive driving voltage and a negative driving voltage are generated by the backlight driving circuit to drive illumination of the LED string. A first number of LEDs of the LED string are electrically connected between the connecting terminal and the positive driving terminal. A second number of LEDs of the LED string are electrically connected between the connecting terminal and the negative driving terminal. |
| US08569965B2 |
Driving circuit of light emitting element, light emitting device using the same, and electronic device
The present disclosure provides a driving circuit of a light emitting element including a switching power source for supplying a driving voltage to a first terminal of the light emitting element to be driven and a current driver connected to a second terminal of the light emitting element for supplying a driving current to the light emitting element while a burst dimming pulse is being asserted. |
| US08569960B2 |
Conformal power adapter for lighted artificial tree
A conformal power adapter for insertion into a lighted artificial tree and for converting power received from an external power source to a power usable by the lighted artificial tree. The power adapter includes an elongated housing including a first end, and a second end; a printed circuit board assembly including power-converting circuitry for converting an input electrical power to an output electrical power for use by a lighted artificial tree having a hollow trunk section, the printed circuit board assembly located substantially within the elongated housing; a power cord secured to the first end of the housing and in electrical connection with the power converting electronics, the power cord adapted to transmit power from an external power source to the power-converting circuitry. The elongated housing enclosing the printed circuit board assembly is sized to fit substantially within the hollow trunk portion of the lighted artificial tree. |
| US08569955B2 |
Plasma generator
A plasma generator generates a plasma by ionizing a gas with a high-frequency discharge in a plasma generating chamber so that electrons from the plasma are emitted outside the plasma generator through an electron emitting hole. The plasma generator includes an antenna that is provided in the plasma generating chamber and that emits a high-frequency wave, and an antenna cover that is made of an insulating material and that covers an entire body of the antenna. A plasma electrode having the electron emitting hole is made of a conductive material. A frame cover with a protrusion ensures conductivity by preventing an insulating material from accumulating on a surface of the plasma electrode on a plasma side in sputtering by the plasma. |
| US08569953B2 |
Multi-function vehicle light assembly
A multi-function vehicle light assembly (MVLA) that incorporates in a single enclosure a plurality of LED modules. Each module produces a white light that indicates that a vehicle is in reverse, an amber light that indicates that a vehicle is making a right or a left turn, and a red light that functions as a vehicle tail-light and to indicate that the brakes are being applied. Two embodiments are disclosed, in the first embodiment the plurality of LED modules directly produce a set of white, amber and red lights. In the second embodiment an LED module is utilized that includes blue, green and red LEDs that are selectively combined by an LED control circuit to produce the white, amber and red lights. Each embodiment also includes a set of control units for selecting which of the input signal lines are to be activated. |
| US08569951B2 |
Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
In an organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, the organic light-emitting display apparatus comprises: a substrate; a light-emitting unit formed on the substrate; and an encapsulation film, which covers the light-emitting unit on the substrate, and which includes a plurality of organic layers and a plurality of inorganic layers which are alternately stacked. |
| US08569950B2 |
Light emitting display device and method for fabricating the same
Disclosed are a light emitting display device and a method for fabricating the same. The light emitting display device according to the present embodiments includes a first substrate including a pixel region and a non-pixel region surrounding the pixel region; a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in the pixel region of the first substrate, and each including a first electrode, a light emitting layer, and a second electrode; and a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate. Also, the light emitting display device according to the present embodiments includes a sealant by coupling the first substrate to the second substrate to encapsulate the pixel region; and a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and provided in a non-light emission region arranged between the adjacent light emitting diodes. In this case, the spacer is disposed on the second electrode of the non-light emission region to be in contact with the second substrate. |
| US08569948B2 |
Electroluminescent devices and methods of making electroluminescent devices including an optical spacer
An electroluminescent device and a method of making an electroluminescent device that includes one or more optical spacers are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an electroluminescent element on a substrate. The method further includes selectively thermally transferring an optical spacer. |
| US08569945B2 |
Organic light emitting device having cathode including a magnesium-calcium layer and method for fabricating the same
An organic light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The organic light emitting device includes an anode and a cathode that comprises a magnesium-calcium layer. An organic layer having at least an organic emission layer is interposed between the anode and the cathode. The organic light emitting device may have reduced driving voltage characteristics, increased luminous efficiency characteristics, and improved lifespan characteristics without forming a separate electron injection layer because of the excellent electron injection characteristics. |
| US08569942B2 |
Vehicle headlamp and illuminating device
A headlamp 1 includes a laser diode 3 that emits a laser beam, a light emitting part 7 that emits light upon receiving the laser beam emitted from the laser diode 3, and a reflection mirror 8 that reflects the light emitted from the light emitting part 7. According to the headlamp 1, the light emitting part 7 has a luminance greater than 25 cd/mm2, and an area size of an aperture plane 8a perpendicular to a direction in which an incoherent light travels outward from the headlamp 1 is less than 2000 mm2. |
| US08569941B2 |
Diamondoid monolayers as electron emitters
Provided are electron emitters based upon diamondoid monolayers, preferably self-assembled higher diamondoid monolayers. High intensity electron emission has been demonstrated employing such diamondoid monolayers, particularly when the monolayers are comprised of higher diamondoids. The application of such diamondoid monolayers can alter the band structure of substrates, as well as emit monochromatic electrons, and the high intensity electron emissions can also greatly improve the efficiency of field-effect electron emitters as applied to industrial and commercial applications. |
| US08569935B1 |
Piezoelectric shoe insert
An electrical generating device for use with a shoe worn by a user may include a shoe insert to be positioned within the shoe, and the shoe insert may include an elastomer electrode to apply an electrical signal to the user. The elastomer electrode may include a metal integral conductive silicon rubber conductive surface. The elastomer electrode may include silver, silver plated copper, or conductive metal plated material filled silicon filled silicon sheet or a conductive adhesive gel layer. The elastomer electrode may include a conductive carbon film or a conductive metal sheet. The elastomer electrode may include a conductive silver sheet or may include a conductive metal sheet. |
| US08569930B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator and audio components
One object of the present invention is to an achieve increase of amplitude of vibrations and/or flattening of frequency dependence of the amplitude of a piezoelectric actuator. Piezoelectric actuator (100) has first piezoelectric vibrator (102), second piezoelectric vibrator (104), and vibrating membrane (106). First piezoelectric vibrator (102) includes first pedestal (116) and first piezoelectric element (112) connected to the first pedestal. Second piezoelectric vibrator (104) includes second pedestal (118) and second piezoelectric element (114) connected to the second pedestal. Vibrating membrane (106) has opening (108). First piezoelectric vibrator (102) is connected to one surface of vibrating membrane (106) straddling opening (108) of the vibrating membrane. Second piezoelectric vibrator (102) is connected to another surface of vibrating membrane (106) straddling opening (108) of the vibrating membrane. |
| US08569927B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator unit and liquid transporting apparatus
A piezoelectric actuator unit includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode and a second electrode which are arranged to be sandwiching the piezoelectric layer, and which form an active portion of the piezoelectric layer by sandwiching the piezoelectric layer, a capacitor which is connected in series to the active portion, and a voltage applying mechanism which applies a first voltage to the capacitor, and a second voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode to cause a piezoelectric deformation in the active portion of the piezoelectric layer. |
| US08569926B2 |
Manufacturing method for boundary acoustic wave device and boundary acoustic wave device
A manufacturing method for a boundary acoustic wave device is capable of certainly providing the boundary acoustic wave device with desired target frequency characteristics. The manufacturing method for the boundary acoustic wave device includes a process for preparing a laminated body that includes a first medium, a second medium laminated on the first medium, and an IDT electrode that is disposed at an interface between the first and second media, and a process for implanting ions from an outer portion of the second medium and adjusting a frequency. |
| US08569924B2 |
Rotating electric machine and compressor
A rotating electric machine includes a case, a plurality of teeth, coils and insulating films. The teeth are circumferentially arranged around a predetermined axis forming a center of the teeth. Each tooth has a first end disposed radially at an opposite side thereof from the predetermined axis. The a back yoke has a circular outer periphery, and a cylindrical inner periphery connecting the first ends of the teeth. The outer periphery has a plurality of concave parts opening radially inwardly toward the teeth at positions overlapping with the teeth as viewed radially. A minimum distance measured from an exposure surface of each tooth to the concave part overlapping therewith is smaller than a radial width of the back yoke at a portion where the concave parts are not provided. The exposure surfaces extend radially inwardly of the inner periphery. |
| US08569923B2 |
Rotating electric machine with interlocking inner and outer press plates
A rotating electric machine includes a rotor configured to rotate about an axis. The rotor includes a rotor laminate stack having layered laminations pressed in an axial direction to form a composite, the rotor laminate stack being radially divided into an inner mechanical region and an outer electrical region. A rotor winding is disposed in the electrical region of the rotor laminate stack. A stator concentrically surrounds the rotor. A press plate is configured to press the layered laminations in the axial direction, the press plate being radially divided into a separate inner press plate and a separate outer press plate so as to correspond to the radial division of the rotor laminate stack. |
| US08569922B2 |
Electric motor
A novel electric motor rotor structure, particularly desirable for use with brittle rare-earth-magnets, offers improved resistance to rattling and axial shifting. This is achieved by forming the rotor with an annular central yoke connecting to a plurality of pole shoes along the periphery of the rotor and defining a magnet-receiving recess or pocket 160 between each pole shoe and the central yoke. Spaced circumferentially between adjacent magnets 38 are regions 146 of reduced magnetic conductivity, which include relatively thin metallic holding segments, which connect adjacent pole shoes to each other and to the central yoke. During manufacturing, tools are applied to upset or crimp the holding segments, and thereby form spring elements, to hold the magnets in stable positions and resist any tendency of the magnets to rattle or axially shift during motor operation. One obtains the same power level from a smaller, and therefore lighter, motor than was previously possible. |
| US08569917B2 |
Motor drive device
A motor drive device comprises a motor, a gearbox mounted to the motor and a control module. The gearbox comprises a gearbox housing that has an opening facing the motor. The motor has a shaft that extends into the gearbox housing through the opening to drive a worm gear of the gearbox. The control module has a PCB mounted to the gearbox and most of the PCB is accommodated in the opening of the gearbox housing. The PCB extends in a plane substantially parallel to the shaft. |
| US08569916B2 |
Electrical machine apparatus
A mover includes a permanent magnet array including permanent magnets magnetized in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to a motion direction of the mover such that magnetic poles having different polarities alternately appear on magnetic pole surfaces of the permanent magnets along the motion direction. A stator includes first and second magnetic pole portion assemblies disposed on both sides of the permanent magnet array in the perpendicular direction and each including magnetic pole portions facing the magnetic pole surfaces, and a single phase winding that excites the magnetic pole portions forming the first and second magnetic pole portion assemblies. The winding has a hollow structure formed by winding a winding conductor into a coil such that the magnetic pole portions included in the first magnetic pole portion assembly and the magnetic pole portions included in the second magnetic pole portion assembly are located in an internal space of the winding. |
| US08569914B2 |
Wireless energy transfer using object positioning for improved k
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a method and system comprising a source resonator optionally coupled to an energy source and a second resonator located a distance from the source resonator, where the source resonator and the second resonator are coupled to provide near-field wireless energy transfer among the source resonator and the second resonator, and where a loss inducing object is positioned to increase the coupling the coupling factor among the resonators. |
| US08569912B2 |
Paralleling of two transfer switches
A backup power management system connectable to a primary power source and a secondary power source, and a method of operating the same. The system includes a single controller that is connected to both a first transfer switch contactor and a second transfer switch contactor. Both the primary power source and a secondary power source are broken into two separate output supplies. The two separate output supplies from the primary power source and the secondary power source are each provided to one of the first and second transfer switch contactors. The single controller sends signals to the first and second transfer switch contactors to control the movement of the contactors between first and second positions. In this manner, the single controller controls both the first transfer switch contactor and the second transfer switch contactor. |
| US08569905B2 |
Power generator
The present invention relates to a vertical axis turbine 1 apparatus for converting movement of a fluid into electrical power and a method of manufacture of a turbine. The turbine can be installed on a flexible line 2, such as a cable, rope or stay. It could be used on the stay of a yacht. The main rotor 13, 14 of the turbine has least two helical blades arranged about the longitudinal axis with rotational symmetry, the blades being substantially identical in shape and having a lift-producing cross-sectional shape at least along a part of their longitudinal length. A generator 22 coupled to the main rotor 13, 14 and is contained in a generator housing 23. |
| US08569903B2 |
Methods and systems for improved engine speed control during engine starting
A system for improving engine starting is disclosed. In one example, an engine starting is improved by providing a variable load to the engine during engine starting. The variable load may be provided by controlling alternator field current during the engine start. |
| US08569902B2 |
Methods and systems for engine starting
A system for improving engine starting is disclosed. In one example, an engine starting is improved by providing a predictable load to the engine during engine starting. The predictable load may be provided by controlling alternator field voltage during the engine start. |
| US08569899B2 |
Device and method for alignment of vertically stacked wafers and die
A device is provided that includes a first die having a first alignment structure that includes a plurality of first transmission columns arranged in a pattern and a second die positioned on the first die, the second die having a second alignment structure that includes a plurality of second transmission columns arranged in the same pattern as the first transmission columns. The first and second transmission columns are each coplanar with a first surface and a second surface of the first and second die, respectively. |
| US08569896B2 |
Active area bonding compatible high current structures
A semiconductor structure comprises a top metal layer, a bond pad formed on the top metal layer, a conductor formed below the top metal layer, and an insulation layer separating the conductor from the top metal layer. The top metal layer includes a sub-layer of relatively stiff material compared to the remaining portion of the top metal layer. The sub-layer of relatively stiff material is configured to distribute stresses over the insulation layer to reduce cracking in the insulation layer. |
| US08569892B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device includes: at least one semiconductor element having electrode terminals; a metal plate supporting the semiconductor element; and a wiring board covering the semiconductor element and including a plurality of insulating layers and wiring layers alternately stacked and external connection terminals on a surface, the wiring layers being electrically connected to each other by vias. The electrode terminals and the external connection terminals are electrically connected via at least one of the wiring layers and the vias. At least one of the electrode terminals, the is wiring layers, and the vias is electrically connected to the metal plate. |
| US08569885B2 |
Stacked semiconductor packages and related methods
The present stacked semiconductor packages include a bottom package and a top package. The bottom package includes a substrate, a solder mask layer, a plurality of conductive pillars and a die electrically connected to the substrate. The solder mask layer has a plurality of openings exposing a plurality of pads on the substrate. The conductive pillars are disposed on at least a portion of the pads, and protrude from the solder mask layer. |
| US08569883B2 |
Package for high power devices
A semiconductor device package is formed of DBC in which thinned MOSgated and/or diode die are soldered to the bottom of an etched depression in the upper conductive layer. A via in the insulation layer of the DBC is filled with a conductive material to form a resistive shunt. Plural packages may be formed in a DBC card and may be separated individually or in clusters. The individual packages are mounted in various arrays on a support DBC board and heat sink. Integrated circuits may be mounted on the assembly and connected to the die for control of the die conduction. |
| US08569873B2 |
Mitigation of plating stub resonance by controlling surface roughness
Plating stub resonance in a circuit board may be mitigated by increasing surface roughness of the plating stub conductor. Roughening the plating stub increases its resistance due to the skin effect at higher frequencies, which decreases the quality factor of the transmission line and consequently increases the damping factor, to reduce any resonance that would occur in the plating stub as formed prior to roughening. The surface roughness can be increased in a variety of ways, including chemical processes, by selectively applying a laser beam, or by applying an etch-resistance material in selected locations. |
| US08569868B2 |
Device having and method for forming fins with multiple widths
A structure for a semiconductor device is disclosed. The structure includes a first feature and a second feature. The first feature and the second feature are formed simultaneously in a single etch process from a same monolithic substrate layer and are integrally and continuously connected to each other. The first feature has a width dimension of less than a minimum feature size achievable by lithography and the second feature has a width dimension of at least equal to a minimum feature size achievable by lithography. |
| US08569867B2 |
Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device that has a rectification element includes a semiconductor substrate, a first well region of a first conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate, a second well region of a second conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of fins arranged over the first well region and the second well region at a first pitch in the same direction. In the semiconductor device, the rectification element includes a cathode region, an anode region, a well contact region, and a trigger region that are configured using fins. These regions are connected to each wiring portion to form a PNP-type bipolar transistor and an NPN-type bipolar transistor. |
| US08569857B2 |
Diode bolometer and method for producing a diode bolometer
A bolometer has a semiconductor membrane having a single-crystalline portion, and spacers so as to keep the semiconductor membrane at a predetermined distance from an underlying substrate. The complementarily doped regions of the single-crystalline portion form a diode and the predetermined distance corresponds to a fourth of an infrared wavelength. |
| US08569856B2 |
Pad design for circuit under pad in semiconductor devices
Embodiments of a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor substrate and a cavity disposed in the semiconductor substrate that extends at least from a first side of the semiconductor substrate to a second side of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes an insulation layer disposed over the first side of the semiconductor substrate and coating sidewalls of the cavity. A conductive layer including a bonding pad is disposed over the insulation layer. The conductive layer extends into the cavity and connects to a metal stack disposed below the second side of the semiconductor substrate. A through silicon via pad is disposed below the second side of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the metal stack. The through silicon via pad is position to accept a through silicon via. |
| US08569854B2 |
Semiconductor imaging instrument and manufacturing method thereof, and camera and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor imaging instrument is disclosed, including a prescribed substrate, an imaging device array provided on the substrate and having plural semiconductor imaging devices and electrodes for outputting a signal charge upon photoelectric conversion of received light, and a color filter layer provided on the imaging device array, with an infrared light absorbing dye being contained in the color filter layer. |
| US08569853B2 |
Semiconductor light-receiving device
A semiconductor light-receiving device includes a semiconductor light-receiving element that has a first electrode and a second electrode, a first wiring coupled to the first electrode, and a second wiring coupled to the second electrode, a width of the second wiring being smaller than a width of the first wiring. |
| US08569852B2 |
Magnetic oscillation element and spin wave device
According to one embodiment, a magnetic oscillation element includes a first electrode/a second magnetic layer/a nonmagnetic spacer layer/a first magnetic layer/a second electrode, stacked in this order. The first magnetic layer has variable magnetization direction. The second magnetic layer has fixed magnetization direction. A thickness of the first magnetic layer in a direction connecting the first and second electrodes is greater than 2 times a spin penetration depth of the first magnetic layer. The thickness of the first magnetic layer is less than a maximum width of the second electrode. The first magnetic layer has edge portion provided outside the first surface when viewed along the direction. A width of the edge portion in a direction perpendicular to a tangent of an edge of the second electrode is not less than an exchange length of the first magnetic layer. |
| US08569847B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in one embodiment includes a select gate switch transistor having a gate insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film, and first and second source/drain regions provided in the semiconductor substrate so as to face each other across the gate electrode. The first source/drain region includes a first n-type impurity layer and a second n-type impurity layer which has a higher impurity concentration and has a shallower depth than the first n-type impurity layer. The second source/drain region has a third n-type impurity layer which has a lower impurity concentration and has a shallower depth than the first n-type impurity layer and a fourth n-type impurity layer which has a higher impurity concentration and has a deeper depth than the third n-type impurity layer. |
| US08569845B2 |
Strained silicon device
A method of manufacturing a microelectronic device includes forming a p-channel transistor on a silicon substrate by forming a poly gate structure over the substrate and forming a lightly doped source/drain region in the substrate. An oxide liner and nitride spacer are formed adjacent to opposing side walls of the poly gate structure and a recess is etched in the semiconductor substrate on opposing sides of the oxide liner. Raised SiGe source/drain regions are formed on either side of the oxide liner and slim spacers are formed over the oxide liner. A hard mask over the poly gate structure is used to protect the poly gate structure during the formation of the raised SiGe source/drain regions. A source/drain dopant is then implanted into the substrate including the SiGe regions. |
| US08569839B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
To provide a semiconductor device that can be manufactured using a simple process without ensuring a high embedding property; and a manufacturing method of the device. In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device according to the invention, a semiconductor substrate having a configuration obtained by stacking a support substrate, a buried insulating film, and a semiconductor layer in order of mention is prepared first. Then, an element having a conductive portion is completed over the main surface of the semiconductor layer. A trench encompassing the element in a planar view and reaching the buried insulating film from the main surface of the semiconductor layer is formed. A first insulating film (interlayer insulating film) is formed over the element and in the trench to cover the element and form an air gap in the trench, respectively. Then, a contact hole reaching the conductive portion of the element is formed in the first insulating film. |
| US08569835B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a first pad, and a sub-trunk line elongated in a first direction; a main-trunk line arranged between the first pad and the sub-trunk line and elongated in the first direction. The semiconductor device further includes a first plug line elongated in a second direction crossing the first direction, the first plug line being connected between the first pad and the main-trunk line without being direct contact with the sub-trunk line. The semiconductor device further includes a second plug line elongated in the second direction, the second plug line being connected between the main-trunk line and the sub-trunk line, and a first element coupled to the sub-trunk line. |
| US08569834B2 |
Accumulation field effect microelectronic device and process for the formation thereof
A gated microelectronic device is provided that has a source with a source ohmic contact with the source characterized by a source dopant type and concentration. A drain with a drain ohmic contact with the drain characterized by a drain dopant type and concentration. An intermediate channel portion characterized by a channel portion dopant type and concentration. An insulative dielectric is in contact with the channel portion and overlaid in turn by a gate. A gate contact applies a gate voltage bias to control charge carrier accumulation and depletion in the underlying channel portion. This channel portion has a dimension normal to the gate which is fully depleted in the off-state. The dopant type is the same across the source, drain and the channel portion of the device. The device on-state current is determined by the doping and, unlike a MOSFET, is not directly proportional to device capacitance. |
| US08569833B2 |
LDMOS device structure and manufacturing method of the same
The present invention discloses an LDMOS device structure, including a MOS transistor cell, wherein an isolation region is formed on each outer side of both a source region and a drain region of the MOS transistor cell; each isolation region includes a plurality of isolation trenches and isolates the MOS transistor cell from its surroundings; the height of the isolation region is smaller than that of a gate of the MOS transistor cell. The present invention also discloses a manufacturing method of the LDMOS device structure, including forming isolation trenches by lithography and etching processes, then forming isolation regions of SiO2 by depleting silicon between isolation trenches through high-temperature drive-in. The present invention can reduce parasitic capacitance, surface unevenness and difficulty of subsequent process and realize the production of small-size gate devices by forming a thicker field oxide layer and a gap structure of isolation trenches. |
| US08569831B2 |
Integrated circuit arrays and semiconductor constructions
Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays may have digit lines under vertically-oriented transistors, with the digit lines interconnecting transistors along columns of the array. Each individual transistor may be directly over only a single digit line, with the single digit line being entirely composed of one or more metal-containing materials. The digit lines can be over a deck, and electrically insulative regions can be directly between the digit lines and the deck. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory arrays. A plurality of linear segments of silicon-containing material may be formed to extend upwardly from a base of the silicon-containing material. The base may be etched to form silicon-containing footings under the linear segments, and the footings may be converted into metal silicide. The linear segments may be patterned into a plurality of vertically-oriented transistor pedestals that extend upwardly from the metal silicide footings. |
| US08569826B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a stacked structure, a select gate electrode, a semiconductor pillar, a memory layer, and a select gate insulating film. The stacked structure includes a plurality of electrode films stacked in a first direction and an interelectrode insulating film provided between the electrode films. The select gate electrode is stacked with the stacked structure along the first direction and includes a plurality of select gate conductive films stacked in the first direction and an inter-select gate conductive film insulating film provided between the select gate conductive films. The semiconductor pillar pierces the stacked structure and the select gate electrode in the first direction. The memory layer is provided between the electrode films and the semiconductor pillar. The select gate insulating film is provided between the select gate conductive films and the semiconductor pillar. |
| US08569824B2 |
Semiconductor device and fabrication method for the same
The semiconductor device includes: a plurality of bit lines formed in stripes in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, each of the bit lines being a diffusion layer of an impurity of a second conductivity type; a plurality of gate insulation films formed on regions of the semiconductor substrate between the bit lines; a plurality of word lines formed on the semiconductor substrate via the gate insulating films, the word lines extending in a direction intersecting with the bit lines; and a plurality of bit line isolation diffusion layers formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate between the word lines, each of the bit line isolation diffusion layers being a diffusion layer of an impurity of the first conductivity type. The bit line isolation diffusion layer includes a diffusion suppressor for suppressing diffusion of an impurity. |
| US08569822B2 |
Memory structure
A memory structure having a memory cell including a first dielectric layer, a gate, a semiconductor layer, a first doped region, a second doped region and a charge storage layer is provided. The first dielectric layer is on the substrate. The gate includes a base portion on the first dielectric layer and a protruding portion disposed on the base portion and partially exposing the base portion. The semiconductor layer is conformally disposed on the gate, and includes a top portion over the protruding portion, a bottom portion over the base portion exposed by the protruding portion and a side portion located at a sidewall of the protruding portion and connecting the top and bottom portions. The first and second doped regions are respectively in the top and bottom portions. The side portion serves as a channel region. The charge storage layer is between the gate and the semiconductor layer. |
| US08569821B2 |
Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same. The method may include forming a gate dielectric layer including a plurality of elements on a substrate; supplying a specific element to the gate dielectric layer; forming a product though reacting the specific element with at least one of the plurality of elements; and removing the product. |
| US08569820B2 |
Capacitor having a plurality of parallel conductive members
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a capacitor plate includes a plurality of first parallel conductive members, and a plurality of second parallel conductive members disposed over the plurality of first parallel conductive members. A first base member is coupled to an end of the plurality of first parallel conductive members, and a second base member is coupled to an end of the plurality of second parallel conductive members. A connecting member is disposed between the plurality of first parallel conductive members and the plurality of second parallel conductive members, wherein the connecting member includes at least one elongated via. |
| US08569818B2 |
Blocking layers for leakage current reduction in DRAM devices
A method for forming a DRAM MIM capacitor stack having low leakage current involves the use of a first electrode that serves as a template for promoting the high k phase of a subsequently deposited dielectric layer. The high k dielectric layer comprises a doped material that can be crystallized after a subsequent annealing treatment. An amorphous blocking is formed on the dielectric layer. The thickness of the blocking layer is chosen such that the blocking layer remains amorphous after a subsequent annealing treatment. A second electrode layer compatible with the blocking layer is formed on the blocking layer. |
| US08569817B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
A semiconductor device comprises: a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined as a device isolation film; a bit line hole disposed over the top portion of the semiconductor substrate; an oxide film disposed at sidewalls of the bit line hole; and a bit line conductive layer buried in the bit line hole including the oxide film. A bit line spacer is formed with an oxide film, thereby reducing a parasitic capacitance. A storage node contact is formed to have a line type, thereby securing a patterning margin. A storage node contact plug is formed with polysilicon having a different concentration, thereby reducing leakage current. |
| US08569815B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device includes defining a first area by forming a separating area on a substrate, and forming a tunnel film in the first area, a floating gate on the tunnel film, a first electrode in the separating area, a first film on the floating gate, a second film on the first electrode, a control gate on the first film, a second electrode on the second film, and source and drain areas in the first area. The method includes forming a first interlayer film to cover the control gate and the second electrode, forming, in the first interlayer film, a conductive via plug reaching the second electrode, and forming, on the first interlayer film, a second wiring electrically coupled to the second electrode via the conductive via plug, and a first wiring that is capacitively-coupled to the second wiring and to the second electrode. |
| US08569810B2 |
Metal semiconductor alloy contact with low resistance
A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided that includes forming a gate structure on a channel portion of a semiconductor substrate, forming an interlevel dielectric layer over the gate structure, and forming a opening through the interlevel dielectric layer to an exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate containing at least one of the source region and the drain region. A metal semiconductor alloy contact is formed on the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate. At least one dielectric sidewall spacer is formed on sidewalls of the opening. An interconnect is formed within the opening in direct contact with the metal semiconductor alloy contact. |
| US08569804B2 |
Light receiving device
A light receiving device comprises a photoelectric conversion element formed on a first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate, and further comprises a plurality of photoelectron distributors formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate. The photoelectron distributor has a first transfer unit for transferring photoelectrons generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a photoelectron hold unit for temporarily holding the photoelectrons generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a second transfer unit for transferring the photoelectrons held in the photoelectron hold unit, and a floating diffusion layer for storing the transferred photoelectrons and converting the photoelectrons to a voltage. A first-conductivity-type impurity region, which has a first-level, first-conductivity-type impurity concentration higher than the first-conductivity-type impurity concentration of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate, is formed in the vicinity of a surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor substrate in the photoelectron hold unit. |
| US08569801B2 |
Three-dimensional CMOS circuit on two offset substrates and method for making same
A three-dimensional CMOS circuit having at least a first N-conductivity field-effect transistor and a second P-conductivity field-effect transistor respectively formed on first and second crystalline substrates. The first field-effect transistor is oriented, in the first substrate, with a first secondary crystallographic orientation. The second field-effect transistor is oriented, in the second substrate, with a second secondary crystallographic orientation. The orientations of the first and second transistors form a different angle from the angle formed, in one of the substrates, by the first and second secondary crystallographic directions. The first and second substrates are assembled vertically. |
| US08569797B2 |
Field effect transistor and method of manufacturing the same
A field-effect transistor includes a first semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, and a second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer has a containing region provided as an isolation region which contains non-conductive impurities, and a non-containing region which contains no non-conductive impurities. A first region is defined by a vicinity of a portion of the interface between the containing region and the non-containing region, the portion of the interface being below a gate electrode, the vicinity including the portion of the interface and being included in the containing region. The second semiconductor layer includes a second region which is located directly above the first region. The concentration of the non-conductive impurities of the second region is lower than that of the first region. |
| US08569795B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes: a silicon carbide substrate including first and second principal surfaces; a first conductive-type first silicon carbide layer provided on the first principal surface of the silicon carbide substrate; a second conductive-type first silicon carbide region formed on a surface of the first silicon carbide layer; a first conductive-type second silicon carbide region formed on a surface of the first silicon carbide region; a second conductive-type third silicon carbide region formed on the surface of the first silicon carbide region; a gate insulating film continuously formed on the surfaces of the first silicon carbide layer, the first silicon carbide region, and the second silicon carbide region; a first electrode formed of silicon carbide formed on the gate insulating film; a second electrode formed on the first electrode; an interlayer insulating film for covering the first and second electrodes; a third electrode electrically connected to the second silicon carbide region and the third silicon carbide region; and a fourth electrode formed on the second principal surface of the silicon carbide substrate. |
| US08569794B2 |
Group III nitride semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same, group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device and method for manufacturing the same, and lamp
A Group III nitride semiconductor device of the present invention is obtained by laminating at least a buffer layer (12) made of a Group III nitride compound on a substrate (11), wherein the buffer layer (12) is made of AlN, and a lattice constant of a-axis of the buffer layer (12) is smaller than a lattice constant of a-axis of AlN in a bulk state. |
| US08569792B2 |
Silicone resin sheet, producing method thereof, encapsulating sheet, and light emitting diode device
A method for producing a silicone resin sheet includes the steps of forming a first coating layer by applying a first silicone resin composition which contains a first organopolysiloxane and a second organopolysiloxane; forming a precursor layer from the first coating layer by reacting the first organopolysiloxane with the second organopolysiloxane so as to have a conversion ratio of 5 to 40%; and forming a second layer on at least one surface in a thickness direction of the precursor layer by applying a second silicone resin composition which contains a third organopolysiloxane, a fourth organopolysiloxane, a hydrosilylation catalyst, and a curing retardant containing tetraalkylammonium hydroxide. |
| US08569789B2 |
Light emitting diode package with reflective layer
An LED package includes a substrate, a transparent base, an LED chip and a reflective layer. The substrate has an upper surface. The transparent base is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate. The transparent base includes a first surface away from the substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The LED chip is arranged on the first surface of the transparent base. The reflective layer is arranged between the substrate and the second surface of the transparent base. |