| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08706016B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating the fixing device
An elastic layer is provided on a surface of one of a metal core and a substrate. A fixing member and a pressure member press into each other and collectively create a nip therebetween. A toner image is conveyed and fixed when passing through the nip. A thickness of the elastic layer is different in at least two widthwise regions by the same amount from the other region. A pair of edges of a prescribed size of the transfer sheet pass through these two widthwise regions, respectively. |
| US08706014B2 |
Fixing unit and image forming apparatus reducing occurrence of wrinkles on recording medium
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms a developer image on a recording medium using a developer, and a fixing unit that fixes the developer image to the recording medium. The fixing unit includes a heating member that heats the recording medium on which the developer image is formed, a plurality of pressure members that press the recording medium against the heating member, and a fixing belt stretched around the plurality of pressure members and nipped between the heating member and the plurality of pressure members so as to form a plurality of nip portions. Each of the plurality of pressure members has a shape in which a center portion protrudes more outward than both end portions. |
| US08706013B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
In order that the air surrounding a fixing member is prevented from entering a blowing section for blowing separation air, a wind speed setting section is provided with switchable control modes, namely, a first control mode (control mode for operating the blower fan at a wind speed for separation) and a second control mode (control mode for operating the blower fan at a low speed). This structure allows the blower fan to be controlled in conformity to any one of these first and second control modes. |
| US08706000B2 |
Developer collecting device and image forming apparatus for preventing toner from escaping
A developer collecting device includes a housing provided with an opening opposed to a developer carrying member; a collecting member provided along an edge of the opening at a downstream end thereof in a transporting direction of the developer carrying member, the collecting member removing developer from the developer carrying member and collecting the developer into the housing when the collecting member is in contact with the developing carrying member; a suction unit that sucks air from the opening; a flow rate regulating member provided in a suction path between the suction unit and the housing, the flow rate regulating member changing a flow rate of the air; and an operation device that moves the collecting member and operates the flow rate regulating member such that the flow rate regulating member raises the flow rate before the separation of the collecting member from the developer carrying member. |
| US08705985B2 |
Fast optical receiver for unencoded data
A method and an optical receiver implementing this method suitable for robustly receiving unencoded optical data. The method sets the threshold for the receiver using values relating to the high and low values of a binary signal. However, for some data patterns these values may not be accurately determined, such as for extended periods of constant high or low values being transmitted. In this case the method, in one embodiment, assumes that the extinction ratio of the signal is substantially constant and is thereby able to track the threshold for the signal. |
| US08705980B2 |
Optical modulation device and optical modulation method
The present invention has an object to provide an optical modulation device and an optical modulation method that achieve an excellent spectral efficiency with a simple and compact configuration and low power consumption. An optical modulation device according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes a CW light source (11), a coupler (12), optical modulators (14a) and (14b), an optical frequency shifter (15b), a serial-to-parallel converter (21), and a delay circuit (24a). The serial-to-parallel converter (21) divides a data signal having a bit rate B into two data strings having a bit rate B/2, and extracts a clock signal (CLK). The delay circuit (24a) temporally synchronizes the two data strings. CW light emitted from the CW light source is split into two beams by the coupler (12). The optical modulators (14a) and (14b) generate optical signals by modulating the two split light beams according to the data strings. The optical frequency shifter (15b) shifts center frequencies of the optical signals by Δf=B/(2×2) according to the clock signal (CLK). |
| US08705979B2 |
LD driver with an improved falling edge of driving signal and optical transmitter providing the same
An LD driver to generate an asymmetrical driving current with a relatively faster falling edge and an optical transmitter having the LD driver are disclosed. The LD driver includes a primary driver and the sub-driver connected in parallel to the primary driver. The primary driver converts the input signal or the delayed signal delayed from the input signal into the primary current. The sub-driver generates a symmetrical current tracing the input or the delayed signal, and an asymmetrical current formed by the OR operation between the input and delayed signals. The driving current is formed by adding the primary current, the symmetrical current and the asymmetrical current. |
| US08705977B1 |
Equalizer tap correction and reseeding
Methods, systems, and devices are described for tap adjustment and reseeding in a digital filter. Filter and signal characteristics are measured and tap adjustments and reseeding of tap values may be performed based on the filter and signal characteristics. Filter characteristics that may be measured include a filter center of mass which may provide an indication that filter taps for a filter may be drifting toward a filter edge and thus reducing the dynamic range of the filter. Signal characteristics may include a timing offset between received input signals, and characteristics related to which of a particular input signal is present at a filter output. Filter taps, according to various embodiments, may be adjusted, and/or re-initialized responsive to one or more of the signal or filter characteristics. |
| US08705971B2 |
Three-way handshake (3WHS) optical network signaling protocol
A method for optical network signaling processing of a signal from a first node to an end node through intermediate nodes is presented. The method comprises determining, in a first pass from the first node to the end node, available wavelengths and wavelength conversion at each node, the end node optimizing wavelengths using the available wavelengths and wavelength conversions, at each node, dropping a cross-connect command, in a second pass from the end node to the first node, choosing wavelengths for connection based on the optimizing step, in a third pass from the first node to the end node, receiving at each node a signal message and releasing unused cross-connect commands, the end node identifying the chosen wavelengths and releasing the unused resources, and transmitting the signal on the chosen wavelengths. Restoration paths can also be determined. Optimizing can include selecting and marking one or more backup wavelengths. |
| US08705970B2 |
Method for data processing in an optical network, optical network component and communication system
A method for data processing in an optical network includes providing at least one main wavelength and processing a subcarrier modulation for the at least one main wavelength, wherein a portion of the subcarrier modulated signal is suppressed. An optical network component and a communication system having such an optical network component are also provided. |
| US08705966B2 |
Method, device and system for managing information of an optical node in an optical distribution network
The present invention discloses a method, device and system for managing information of an optical node in an optical distribution network, relates to management of information of an optical node in an optical distribution network, is capable of solving the problem of manual entry of information of an optical node being cumbersome, and is not limited by installation locations of the optical node. The method for managing information of an optical node in an optical distribution network includes: obtaining an identity code of an optical node; querying a pre-established optical node information table according to the identity code of the optical node, wherein the optical node information table comprises the identity code of the optical node and the installation location information of the optical node. The present invention is suitable for management of information of an optical node in an optical distribution network. |
| US08705964B2 |
Method and system for data synchronization in passive optical networks
A system and method for data synchronization in Passive Optical Networks are disclosed. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for providing upstream data synchronization in an optical communication network. The method includes sending data from an Optical Network Unit. The data includes a first data frame, which includes a header sequence, a synchronization segment, and a data segment. The synchronization segment includes 66 bits, which includes a first number of bits having nonzero values and a second number of bits having a value of zero. The first number is different from the second number. The method further includes receiving at least the first data frame by an Optical Line Terminal. The method also includes processing the first data frame. The method additionally includes selecting a first segment of the first data frame, the first segment including 66 bits. |
| US08705963B2 |
K-alternate channel selection for the routing, wavelength assignment and spectrum allocation in flexible optical WDM networks
A method implemented in an optical flexible wavelength division multiplexing FWDM network includes finding a first channel out of available channels with sufficient spectrum on a given route out of available channels in an optical FWDM network; finding a second channel at a lower wavelength out of the available channels for minimizing total spectrum on the given route; selecting a channel out of the available channels on K-distinct shortest routes; and finding line rates of channels using a predetermined channel selection. |
| US08705959B2 |
Optical network designing device, method, and program
An optical network designing device that designs a path of an optical network that includes an asymmetric optical hub site, comprising: a path calculating unit that calculates a requested traffic path without a limit to a number of connections of the asymmetric optical hub site; a violation determining unit that determines whether a limit to the number of connections is violated in the asymmetric optical hub site through which the traffic path calculated by the path calculating unit passes; a removal selecting unit that selects a removal connection to be removed from the determined asymmetric optical hub site when the violation determining unit determines that the limit to the number of connections is violated; and a path recalculating unit that recalculates a traffic path that passes through the asymmetric optical hub site from which the removal connection selected by the removal selecting unit has been removed. |
| US08705957B2 |
Optical line terminal
An optical line terminal (OLT) includes an optical receiving assembly and a processor (4). A current mirror (1), a current-voltage conversion circuit (2) and a switching circuit (3) are connected in sequence between the optical receiving assembly and the processor (4). An energy storage circuit connected to ground is connected between the switching circuit (3) and the processor (4). The optical receiving assembly generates a response current according to the optical signal received. The current mirror (1) processes the current and then transmits it to the current-voltage conversion circuit (2). The conversion circuit (2) converts the current into a voltage signal and transmits the voltage signal to the switching circuit (3). The switching circuit (3) transmits the voltage signal outputted by the conversion circuit (2) to the energy storage circuit. The voltage signal is sampled and held by the energy storage circuit and then outputted to the processor (4). The processor (4) monitors the average optical power of the voltage signal. The OLT can provide a more accurate detection of the average optical power of each burst signal pack in an upstream burst mode. |
| US08705953B2 |
Distance measurement
Provided in accordance with the invention is a method for measuring the distance of an object in which a transmitted signal (S) with a pulse train having a prescribed pulse repetition frequency (fw) is generated such that the transmitted signal has a frequency comb in the frequency domain, the transmitted signal is directed onto the object, and a reflected signal (R) reflected from the object is received, the phase difference (φMESS,1) between the transmitted signal and the reflected signal is determined for a prescribed spectral line of the frequency comb, and the distance is determined with the aid of the phase difference. |
| US08705946B2 |
3D authoring tool ensuring no buffer underrun upon jumps
Systems and methods are provided to implement a technique for providing 3D content, such as on optical media like Blu-ray® discs. In one implementation, a 3D authoring tool executing on a computer system manages how to construct an image for replication where the image handles jumps without buffer underruns, the jumps caused by layer switching or by moving from or to branches in a multi-branch story line. |
| US08705942B2 |
Methods and systems for processing digital data rate and directional playback changes
Various methods and systems permit digital data, such as video data, audio/video data, audio/video/subpicture data and the like, to be processed in a manner that permits playback at different speeds in both forward and reverse directions. Various embodiments are also directed to handling playback rate changes in a manner that can enhance the experience of a user. |
| US08705941B2 |
Apparatus and method of processing information and program
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program which are capable of rapidly and appropriately setting a format of an audio signal to be output to a display apparatus. When a monitor apparatus 12 is connected to an image processing apparatus 11 via an HDMI cable 13, the image processing apparatus 11 displays an audio format setup screen on the basis of EDID acquired from the monitor apparatus 12. Only the setup items of the audio signal, which the monitor apparatus 12 can receive, are enabled in the audio format setup screen. A user selects a format of the audio signal to be supplied from the image processing apparatus 11 to the monitor apparatus 12 on the audio format setup screen. The present invention is applicable to, for example, an information processing apparatus outputting an audio signal to a monitor. |
| US08705938B2 |
Previewing effects applicable to digital media content
Systems and apparatus are described to perform methods including receiving input to apply attributes that represent modifications to appearance of content of the video segment, to a video segment. Multiple modified video segments are generated, each modified video segment being associated with a corresponding attribute applicable to the video segment. The appearances of the multiple modified video segments vary based on corresponding attributes. A selection of a modified video segment associated with a first attribute is received, and a first video segment is generated by associating the first attribute with the video segment. |
| US08705929B2 |
Fiber optic enclosure with internal cable spool
A fiber optic enclosure assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a bearing mount disposed in the interior region of the housing. A cable spool is connectedly engaged with the bearing mount such that the cable spool selectively rotates within the housing. A termination module disposed on the cable spool so that the termination module rotates in unison with the cable spool. A method of paying out a fiber optic cable from a fiber optic enclosure includes rotating a cable spool, which has a subscriber cable coiled around a spooling portion of the cable spool, about an axis of a housing of the fiber optic enclosure until a desired length of subscriber cable is paid out. A termination module is disposed on the cable spool. |
| US08705921B2 |
Fiber optic drop cable
A fiber optic cable includes a subunit and an outer portion. The subunit includes a subunit jacket defining a passageway interior thereto, an optical fiber extending through the passageway, and a first reinforcement material constraining the optical fiber within the subunit jacket such that the optical fiber and the subunit jacket are coupled to one another by way of the first reinforcement material. The outer portion of the fiber optic cable includes an outer jacket defining an outer periphery of the cable and a second reinforcement material between the outer jacket and the subunit jacket. The second reinforcement material includes fiberglass yarn, and hoop stress applied to the fiberglass yarn by the outer jacket constrains the fiberglass yarn such that it is positioned and oriented to provide anti-buckling support to the fiber optic cable and mitigate effects on the optical fiber of jacket shrinkage due to low temperatures. |
| US08705916B2 |
Optical module, optical module connector, and optical deflection member
An optical module configured to perform conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal includes a board having a flat-plate shape; a light-receiving part and a light-emitting part attached on a surface of the board, the light-receiving part being configured to receive a first optical signal input from an optical cable and the light-emitting part being configured to output a second optical signal based on an input electrical signal; and an optical deflection member configured to deflect the first optical signal substantially 90 degrees and output the first optical signal to the light-receiving part and to deflect the second optical signal input from the light-emitting part substantially 90 degrees and output the second optical signal to the optical cable, the optical deflection member including multiple optical waveguides arranged in a first array and a second array. |
| US08705913B2 |
Intra-link spatial-mode mixing in an under-addressed optical MIMO system
The outage probability in an under-addressed optical MIMO system may be reduced by configuring an intra-link optical mode mixer to dynamically change the spatial-mode mixing characteristics of the link on a time scale that is faster than the channel coherence time. Provided that the MIMO system employs an FEC code that has a sufficient error-correcting capacity for correcting the amount of errors corresponding to an average state of the MIMO channel, this relatively fast dynamic change tends to reduce the frequency of events during which the number of errors per FEC-encoded block of data exceeds the error-correcting capacity of the FEC code. |
| US08705911B2 |
Bus-based scalable optical fabrics
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to arrangements of multiple optical buses to create scalable optical interconnect fabrics for computer systems. In one aspect, a multi-bus fabric (102) for transmitting optical signals between a plurality of nodes (108-111) comprises a plurality of optical buses (104-107). Each optical bus is optically coupled to each node of the plurality of nodes, and each optical bus is configured to so that one node broadcasts optical signals generated by the node to the other nodes of the plurality of nodes. |
| US08705910B2 |
Optical module manufacturing method and optical module
An optical module manufacturing method includes: forming a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer on a first substrate and a second substrate respectively, or forming a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer on a first surface of a first substrate and a second surface of the first substrate respectively; disposing the first substrate on the second substrate; disposing a filter at an end of the first waveguide layer and the second waveguide layer, so that the filter is aligned with the second waveguide layer; and disposing a prism on the filter, so that a first reflective surface of the prism is aligned with the first waveguide layer, and a second reflective surface is aligned with the second waveguide layer. Embodiments of the present application further disclose an optical module. |
| US08705907B2 |
Optical interconnect device and method for manufacturing the same
An optical interconnect device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an optical waveguide, an electrical wiring and a switching device. The first substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an electrical-optical converter for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and a light emitting device for emitting a light. The second substrate has an electrical wiring circuit, an optical-electrical converter for converting the optical signal to the electrical signal, and a light receiving device for receiving the light from the light emitted device. The optical waveguide optically connects the light emitting and light receiving devices. The electrical wiring electrically connects the electrical wiring circuits of the first and second substrates. The switching device determines a fast signal of data to be transmitted via the optical substrate and a slow signal of data to be transmitted via the electrical wiring. |
| US08705906B2 |
Photoelectric conversion module
There is provided a photoelectric conversion module in which an optical device and an optical waveguide are arrayed in a horizontal direction, thereby improving the optical coupling efficiency and therefore, reducing light loss. To this end, the present invention provides a photoelectric conversion module comprising: a printed circuit board; an integrated circuit board mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein an optical waveguide array is positioned within the integrated circuit board so as to pass from one side to the other side of the integrated circuit board, and first and second electrode pads are positioned at one sidewall of the integrated circuit board; an optical device array wherein first and second electrode bumps to be respectively connected to the first and second electrode pads are positioned at one sidewall of the optical device array facing the integrated circuit board and an optical device is positioned in a middle part of the optical device array; and a semiconductor chip mounted on the is integrated circuit board. |
| US08705905B2 |
Printed circuit board element and method for the production thereof
The invention relates to a printed circuit board element (10), comprising at least one flexible printed circuit board part (12) and at least one rigid printed circuit board part (11A, 11C; 34, 35; 37) having a component (17), which is accommodated in a cavity (14) and with a light-emitting or light-receiving part (17) projects over the edge (18) of the cavity (14), wherein the flexible printed circuit board part (12) has a flexible layer (15′) made of an optical, photo-polymerizable material (15), in which an optical fiber (15) is structured in alignment with the light-emitting or light-receiving part (17) of the optoelectronic component (17) by way of radiation. |
| US08705901B2 |
Method for making polarization rotator and the polarization rotator made thereby
A method for making a polarization rotator includes the steps of forming a structure including a semiconductor substrate and a mesa part, forming a first semiconductor layer on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the mesa part, forming a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, forming a semiconductor laminate by forming a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, forming a mask layer on the third semiconductor layer, forming a mesa including a first semiconductor core by etching the semiconductor laminate, and forming a first semiconductor cladding by forming a fourth semiconductor layer around the mesa. The first semiconductor core and the first semiconductor cladding form a polarization rotating unit. An inclined surface of a mesa-part-adjacent portion extends in a second direction forming an acute angle with the main surface. An inclined portion of the second semiconductor layer extends in the second direction. |
| US08705892B2 |
Generating three-dimensional virtual tours from two-dimensional images
Interactive three-dimensional (3D) virtual tours are generated from ordinary two-dimensional (2D) still images such as photographs. Two or more 2D images are combined to form a 3D scene, which defines a relationship among the 2D images in 3D space. 3D pipes connect the 2D images with one another according to defined spatial relationships and for guiding virtual camera movement from one image to the next. A user can then take a 3D virtual tour by traversing images within the 3D scene, for example by moving from one image to another, either in response to user input or automatically. In various embodiments, some or all of the 2D images can be selectively distorted to enhance the 3D effect, and thereby reinforce the impression that the user is moving within a 3D space. Transitions from one image to the next can take place automatically without requiring explicit user interaction. |
| US08705889B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method with geometric processing
An upstream image processing apparatus determines, when geometric conversion is instructed, whether the result of downstream correction processing changes due to the geometric conversion, and if it changes, the apparatus changes the conversion to geometric conversion that does not cause a change in the correction result. Then, the geometric conversion is performed on a target image, and the resultant image is transmitted to a downstream image processing apparatus. Together therewith, instruction information indicating an instruction for correction processing and instruction information indicating geometric transformation processing for performing geometric transformation processing to the instructed degree are transmitted to the downstream image processing apparatus. The downstream image processing apparatus adds an instruction for image processing as appropriate, and thereafter transmits the resultant data to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus forms an image by performing correction processing and geometric transformation processing that have been instructed. |
| US08705880B2 |
Image compression device, image expansion device, and image processing apparatus
An image compression device which compresses image data, including: a first quantization unit which performs a quantization mode 1 to quantize pixel values using two values A1 and B1 (A1 |
| US08705876B2 |
Improving performance of image recognition algorithms by pruning features, image scaling, and spatially constrained feature matching
A method for feature matching in image recognition is provided. First, image scaling may be based on a feature distribution across scale spaces for an image to estimate image size/resolution, where peak(s) in the keypoint distribution at different scales is used to track a dominant image scale and roughly track object sizes. Second, instead of using all detected features in an image for feature matching, keypoints may be pruned based on cluster density and/or the scale level in which the keypoints are detected. Keypoints falling within high-density clusters may be preferred over features falling within lower density clusters for purposes of feature matching. Third, inlier-to-outlier keypoint ratios are increased by spatially constraining keypoints into clusters in order to reduce or avoid geometric consistency checking for the image. |
| US08705875B1 |
Demographic analysis of facial landmarks
A facial image may be annotated with the plurality of facial landmarks. These facial landmarks may be points or regions of the face that are indicative, either alone or in combination with other facial landmarks, of at least one demographic characteristic. Demographic characteristics include, for example, age, race, and/or gender. Based on the demographic characteristic being analyzed, one or more of these facial landmarks may be selected and arranged into an input vector. Then, the input vector may be compared to one or more of the training vectors. An outcome of this comparison may involve in the given facial image being classified into a category germane to the analyzed demographic characteristic (e.g., an age range or age, a racial category, and/or a gender). |
| US08705872B2 |
Systems and methods for hand gesture control of an electronic device
Systems and methods of generating device commands based upon hand gesture commands are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment generates image information from a series of captured images, generates commands based upon hand gestures made by a user that emulate device commands generated by a remote control device, identifies a hand gesture made by the user from the received image information, determines a hand gesture command based upon the identified hand gesture, compares the determined hand gesture command with the plurality of predefined hand gesture commands to identify a corresponding matching hand gesture command from the plurality of predefined hand gesture commands, generates an emulated remote control device command based upon the identified matching hand gesture command, and controls the media device based upon the generated emulated remote control device command. |
| US08705871B2 |
Form image managing system and method
A form image managing system includes a master image storing unit configured to store a plurality of types of master images, a obtaining unit configured to obtain a form image, a searching unit configured to search the master image storing unit for a master image having the highest correlation with the form image obtained by the obtaining unit among the plurality of types of master images, a generating unit configured to generate differential data of the form image, obtained by the obtaining unit, from the master image searched by the searching unit, and a differential data storing unit configured to associate identification information for identifying the master image searched by the searching unit from the plurality of types of master images stored in the master image storing unit with the differential data generated by the generating unit, and to store the identification information and the differential data. |
| US08705870B2 |
Image searching by approximate κ-NN graph
This disclosure describes techniques for searching for similar images to an image query by using an approximate k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) graph. The approximate k-NN graph is constructed from data points partitioned into subsets to further identify nearest-neighboring data points for each data point. The data points may connect with the nearest-neighboring data points in a subset to form an approximate neighborhood subgraph. These subgraphs from all the subsets are combined together to form a base approximate k-NN graph. Then by performing more random hierarchical partition, more base approximate k-NN graphs are formed, and further combined together to create an approximate k-NN graph. The approximate k-NN graph expands into other neighborhoods and identifies the best k-NN data points. The approximate k-NN graph retrieves the best NN data points, based at least in part on the retrieved best k-NN data points representing images being similar in appearance to the image query. |
| US08705867B2 |
Devices and methods for processing images using scale space
Certain embodiments relate to processing images by creating scale space images from an image and using them to identify boundaries of objects in the image. The scale space images can have varying levels of detail. They are used to determine a potential map, which represents a likelihood for pixels to be within or outside a boundary of an object. A label estimating an object boundary can be generated and used to identify pixels that potentially may be within the boundary. An image with object boundaries identified can be further processed before exhibition. For example, the images may be two-dimensional images of a motion picture. Object boundaries can be identified and the two-dimensional (2D) images can be processed using the identified object boundaries and converted to three-dimensional (3D) images for exhibition. |
| US08705865B2 |
Image analysis method and image analysis apparatus
An image analysis method includes acquiring an image of an observation region including a plurality of pixels respectively having a plurality of time serially acquired data, setting an analysis region on the image of the observation region, setting a sub analysis region smaller than the analysis region, intermittently moving the sub analysis region in increments of a pixel interval over the entire analysis region, executing correlation analysis using data of pixels in the sub analysis region every time the sub analysis region is moved, so as to estimate at least a molecular number or a diffusion constant of the sub analysis region, and forming a molecular number or diffusion constant image by mapping the molecular numbers or the diffusion constants. |
| US08705861B2 |
Context processor for video analysis system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for mapping a scene depicted in an acquired stream of video frames that may be used by a machine-learning behavior-recognition system. A background image of the scene is segmented into plurality of regions representing various objects of the background image. Statistically similar regions may be merged and associated. The regions are analyzed to determine their z-depth order in relation to a video capturing device providing the stream of the video frames and other regions, using occlusions between the regions and data about foreground objects in the scene. An annotated map describing the identified regions and their properties is created and updated. |
| US08705856B2 |
Method and apparatus for color conversion based on LCH color space, and liquid crystal display device
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for color conversion based on LCH color space. The method includes: converting source plane Hn, Hn−1 to target plane Hn′, Hn−1′; computing Hx between Hn and Hn−1; computing Hx′ between Hn′ and Hn−1′ and at the same hue level as t Hx; computing conversion matrix Hn and Hn′; computing target color converted from color of any point of Hx and completing space color of target color. Through this method, it is possible to make the color performance closer to the actual object color or closer to expected effect than the actual object color. |
| US08705855B2 |
Color image processing method, color image processing device, and color image processing program
To provide a color image processing method and device to realize desired color reproduction of the object area of a specific object in a color image taken by a color imaging device and thereby to improve the texture. A color image processing device (100) comprises an image information acquisition unit (110) that detects an object area based on an input image, and obtains color information and 3D information of the object area, a reflection information restoration unit (120) that restores a specular component and a body reflection component containing shade of the object area based on the color information and the 3D information, an albedo calculation unit (130) that calculates an albedo by removing the specular component and the shade in the body reflection component from the color information, an albedo correction processing unit (140) that restores a surface reflectance by using the color information and the albedo, and calculates a corrected albedo by correcting the albedo using the surface reflectance, and a reproduced-color calculation unit (150) that calculates a reproduced color of the object area by adding the shade in the body reflection component and specular component to the corrected albedo, and thereby generating an output image. |
| US08705854B2 |
Method of processing image and image forming apparatus using the same
An image processing method and an image forming apparatus using the same. The method of processing includes dividing an image into a predetermined number of blocks, calculating an average of color signals of pixels existing in each of the blocks divided, classifying the blocks into color blocks and monochrome blocks using the calculated average, and determining whether the image is a color image or a monochrome image using a proportion of the color blocks. Accordingly, for a document wherein color and monochrome images are mixed, it is automatically determined whether an image is a color image or a monochrome image. |
| US08705853B2 |
Detecting skin tone
The disclosed implementations provide a system and method of detecting skin tone comprising receiving an image; determining a light intensity of the image; converting a color space of each pixel in the image into a converted value based on the light intensity; and selecting a classifier from a plurality of classifiers based on the light intensity; determining for each converted value, using the selected classifier, a probability that the converted value represents a skin tone; and detecting presence of skin tone in the image based on the determined pixel probabilities. |
| US08705850B2 |
Object determining device and program thereof
An object determining device includes imaging means for obtaining an image of the object, likelihood value calculating means for calculating a first likelihood value for the object shown in the image by use of the image obtained by the imaging means and a machine learning system and for calculating a second likelihood value for the object shown in the image by use of the image obtained by the imaging means and another machine learning system, the first likelihood value indicating a level of likelihood that the object is wearing the covering and the second likelihood value indicating a level of likelihood that the object is not wearing the covering, and determining means for determining whether or not the object, shown in the image obtained by the imaging means, is wearing a covering, on the basis of a ratio between the first likelihood value and the second likelihood value. |
| US08705844B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus therefor
An image processing method, including extracting compensation information comprising one from among a depth compensation value and a depth value compensated for by using the depth compensation value; when the compensation information comprises the depth compensation value, compensating for a depth value to be applied to a pixel of a two-dimensional (2D) image by using the depth compensation value, and generating a depth map about the 2D image by using the compensated depth value, and when the compensation information comprises the compensated depth value, generating the depth map about the 2D image by using the compensated depth value; obtaining positions in a left-eye image and a right-eye image by using the depth map, wherein the pixel of the 2D image is mapped to the positions; and generating the left-eye image and the right-eye image comprising the positions to which the pixel is mapped. |
| US08705841B2 |
Pattern inspection method, pattern inspection apparatus and pattern processing apparatus
A pattern inspection apparatus for detecting an abnormality includes a storage, a compensator and an abnormality judger. The storage stores data based on a reference pattern associated with an object pattern as an object to detect an abnormality and including a first pattern edge portion and a second pattern edge portion. The compensator partially compensates a location of the first pattern edge portion to be shrunk or expanded based on the reference pattern such that the first pattern edge portion is to be placed at a location of a third pattern edge portion while the second pattern edge portion maintains the same size. The abnormality judger sets a tolerance based on the location compensated based on the reference pattern, and judges the object pattern as abnormal when an outline of the object pattern is fallen outside of the tolerance. |
| US08705840B2 |
Defect inspection device and defect inspection method
A defect inspection device and an inspection method which can decide the quality of a pattern shape of a sample surface in a short time are provided. A defect inspection device 20 that inspects a defect of a substrate (wafer 10) on which a repeated pattern is formed includes an illumination optical system 21 that has an objective lens 9 and radiates light from a light source 1 onto the repeated pattern formed on the wafer 10 via the objective lens 9, a detection optical system 22 that detects an image of a pupil plane of the objective lens 9 produced by diffracted light of a plurality of orders caused by the repeated pattern and a detection section 23 that detects a defect of the repeated pattern of the wafer 10 from the pupil image obtained. |
| US08705838B2 |
Method for mask inspection for mask design and mask production
The invention relates to a mask inspection method that can be used for the design and production of masks, in order to detect relevant weak points early on and to correct the same. According to said method for mask inspection, an aerial image simulation, preferably an all-over aerial image simulation, is carried out on the basis of the mask design converted into a mask layout, in order to determine a list of hot spots. The mask/test mask is analysed by means of an AIMS tool, whereby real aerial images are produced and compared with the simulated aerial images. The determined differences between the aerial images are used to improve the mask design. The inventive arrangement enables a method to be carried out for mask inspection for mask design and mask production. The use of the AIMS tool directly in the mask production process essentially accelerates the mask production, while reducing the error rate and cost. |
| US08705837B2 |
Method for inspection and detection of defects on surfaces of disc-shaped objects and computer system with a software product for carrying out the method
An image (30) of a disc-shaped object (100) is recorded, wherein the entire surface (100O) is captured with a plurality of fields (60). A difference image (31) is formed, by subtracting a reference from each field (60) of the surface (100O) of the disc-shaped object (100), and subject to a color transformation, wherein by a suitable choice of transformation signals in one channel are maximized, while at the same time undesired variations, caused by production, of the fields (60) are moved to a different channel. That combination of transformation and detection channel is chosen for which the largest number of pixels of a field (60) with the defect to be found are located outside the spread of the pixels of the respective field (60) on the surface (100O) of the respective disc-shaped object (100) from production and provide the largest signals for the defect. |
| US08705834B2 |
Methods and apparatus for image analysis using threshold compactness features
A new family of morphological features, referred to herein as threshold compactness features, is provided, useful for automated classification of objects, such as cells, in images. In one embodiment, one or more thresholds and/or binary masks are applied to an image, and one or more provisional objects within a cell in the image are automatically identified. The threshold compactness of the cell is computed as a function of area S of the one or more provisional objects and border length P of the one or more provisional objects. Computation of threshold compactness allows cells in an image to be distinguished and characterized. Compared to previous techniques, the methods and apparatus described herein are more robust and computationally efficient. |
| US08705832B2 |
Registration of emission tomography and computed tomography
Emission tomography is registered with computed tomography or other modality in reconstruction. The anatomical information is used in the emission tomography reconstruction. In addition to an initial registration to use the anatomical information in the reconstruction, the registration is refined one or more times during other iterations refining the reconstruction of the emission volume. The registration is performed as part of the reconstruction. This multi-modal reconstruction may result in an emission tomography volume better aligned with the anatomical information. |
| US08705831B2 |
System and method for generating an image of a region of interest
The invention relates to an image generation system for generating an image of a region of interest. The image generation system comprises a measured data providing unit for providing measured data of the region of interest, a reconstruction unit (12) for reconstructing a first and a second image of the region of interest from the measured data using a first and a second reconstruction method, a noise determination unit (13) for determining first and second noise values for first and second image elements of the first and second image, and an image element combining unit (14) for combining corresponding first and second image elements into combined image elements forming a combined image based on the first and second noise values. By combining corresponding image elements of two differently reconstructed images based on determined noise values, a combined image of a region of interest can be generated with an improved quality. |
| US08705827B2 |
Scatter correction methods
Described herein are improved methods for correcting cone beam computed tomography signals to reduce scatter contamination contained therein. Generally, the improved methods involve generating a plurality of two-dimensional projection images of a subject from a three-dimensional multi-detector computed tomography image of the subject. This is followed by subtracting the plurality of two-dimensional projection images from a plurality of two-dimensional cone beam projection images of the subject to produce a plurality of two-dimensional estimated error projections that comprise an estimated error in the plurality of two-dimensional cone beam projection images. The plurality of two-dimensional estimated error projection images are subtracted from the plurality of two-dimensional cone beam projection images to generate a plurality of two-dimensional corrected cone beam projection images. A three-dimensional corrected cone beam computed tomography image of the subject is then constructed from the plurality of two-dimensional corrected cone beam projection images. |
| US08705825B2 |
Signal to noise ratio in digital pathology image analysis
A digital slide analysis system comprises an algorithm server that maintains or has access to a plurality of image processing and analysis routines. The algorithm server additionally has access to a plurality of digital slide images. The algorithm server executes a selected routine on an identified digital slide and provides the resulting data. Prior to the application of selected routine, the system employs a digital pre-processing module to create a metadata mask that reduces undesirable image data such that the image data processed by the selected routine has an improved signal to noise ratio. The pre-processing module uses a classifier that may be implemented as a pattern recognition module, for example. Undesirable image data is therefore excluded from the image data that is processed by the digital pathology image processing and analysis routine, which significantly improves the digital pathology image analysis. |
| US08705823B2 |
Software product for breast examination result mapping, recording, comparing, and/or tracking
A breast examination system is disclosed that facilitates normalized quantitative comparison of results from multiple examinations performed under differing conditions, such as different viewing angles. The proposed system can operate on a camera-equipped smart-phone, a camera-equipped desk-top computer, or on a dedicated device to perform a guided breast cancer examination, and then store results of the examination in a normalized format that allows effective quantitative comparison to historic results, thereby detecting changes and trends. The results can be stored on the local device, or on a web-based server, providing various data comparison, data management, and data interpretation services in a secure and controlled manner. |
| US08705816B1 |
Face recognition with discriminative face alignment
The present invention relates to systems and methods for face recognition. In an embodiment, a system for face recognition includes a face alignment module, a signature extractor and a recognizer. In another embodiment, a method for face recognition is provided. The method includes extracting signature features of a face in an image based upon face alignment localization. The method also includes generating reconstruction errors based upon the face alignment localizations. Face alignment models may be used. The method further includes identifying a person from the face in the image. According to a further embodiment, direct mixture recognition may be performed. According to another embodiment, iterative mixture recognition may be performed. |
| US08705813B2 |
Identification device, identification method, and storage medium
An identification device capable of improving identification accuracy. The identification device performs identification according to a face area contained in image data. Feature data is extracted from a face area in each of frames of image data. The extracted feature data is registered in a person database section. Identification is performed through comparison between the feature data registered in the person database section and the extracted feature data. A tracking section identifies an identical face area in consecutive frames. If a face area is identified in a first frame, but a face area in a second frame following the first frame, which is identified by the tracking section as identical to the identified face area in the first frame, is not identified, the extracted feature data associated with the face area in the second frame is registered as additional feature data in the person database section. |
| US08705811B1 |
Luminance adjusted face detection
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for adjusting luminance of a candidate window prior to facial detection processing. In one aspect, a method includes establishing a target region of an image that potentially contains at least a portion of a face. The method further includes establishing an inset region inside the established target region. The inset region is sized to include a predetermined fraction of the target region. Furthermore, the method includes detecting a face within the established target region of the image using the established inset region. |
| US08705810B2 |
Detecting and indexing characters of videos by NCuts and page ranking
Apparatuses, systems, and computer program products that detect and/or index characters of videos are disclosed. One or more embodiments comprise an apparatus an apparatus having a feature extraction module and a cast indexing module. The feature extraction module may extract features of a scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) for face sets of a video and the cast indexing module may detect one or more characters of the video via one or more associations of clusters of the features. Some alternative embodiments may include a cast ranking module to sort characters of the video, considering such factors as appearance times of the characters, appearance frequencies of the characters, and page rankings of the characters. The apparatus may associate or partition the clusters based on a normalized cut process, as well as detect the characters based on measures of distances of nodes associated with the features. Numerous embodiments may detect the characters based upon partitioning the clusters via solutions for eigenvalue systems for matrices of nodes of the clusters. |
| US08705809B2 |
Method and apparatus for image generation
Method and apparatus for image generation from biometric data is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the biometric data is in the form of IrisCode and the method comprises constructing a graph of filter responses and bits which define the biometric data; comparing the bits with corresponding bits of reference graphs of a trained database to obtain an optimal graph; updating the filter responses based on the optimal graph; and decompressing the IrisCode based on the updated filter responses to generate an image. The image may be a reconstruction of an original image which is defined by the IrisCode. |
| US08705806B2 |
Object identification apparatus and control method thereof
An object identification apparatus, which identifies a class of a plurality of registered classes to which an object included in an input image belongs, registers a plurality of registered images used in identification of an input image, and holds designation data required to designate partial areas used in identification. The apparatus extracts feature amounts of the partial areas designated by the designation data from the input image and each of the plurality of registered images, and identifies a class to which the input image belongs based on the extracted feature amounts. The apparatus determines based on the plurality of registered images whether or not is required to update processing contents of an identification unit. When it is determined that the processing contents are required to be updated, the apparatus updates the designation data based on registered images. |
| US08705804B2 |
Method for interpreting dipping natural fracture and fault planes identified from borehole images
A method of interpreting specific dipping surfaces in earth formations, namely, fracture and fault planes from borehole images. The method is applicable to borehole images obtained from any borehole imaging tool, regardless of tool physics or acquisition type. The interpretation method provides for detailed description of feature s in order to provide a robust framework for subsequent interpretation work. |
| US08705802B2 |
Providing a motion image in an ultrasound system
Embodiments for providing a motion image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to form transmit signals having different phases between a nth frame and a (n+1)th frame, transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from a target object based on the transmit signals to output ultrasound data; and a processing unit in communication with the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to form motion data corresponding to motion of the target object based on a phase difference between the ultrasound data corresponding to the nth frame and the ultrasound data corresponding to the (n+1)th frame, and form a motion image corresponding to the motion of the target object based on the motion data. |
| US08705801B2 |
Distance estimation device, distance estimation method, integrated circuit, and computer program
A distance estimation device (1x) prevents the variation in distance estimation accuracy that has been a problem in distance estimation performed using an all-in-focus image and an arbitrary-focal-depth image. The distance estimation device can estimate a focal distance of any subject with a high degree of accuracy, and includes: a first generation unit (10w) generating a first distance map indicating a focal depth determined from an all-in-focus image and a first focal-depth image; a second generation unit (11w) generating a second distance map indicating a focal depth determined from the all-in-focus image and a second focal-depth image; and a distance map synthesis unit (14) synthesizing the generated first distance map and the generated second distance map to generate a synthetic distance map. |
| US08705800B2 |
Profiling activity through video surveillance
Embodiments of the invention relate to profiling activity. Content is captured and keywords are identified in the captured content. In response to the keyword identification, rules associated with the keywords are identified. These rules are employed to identify and capture relevant content in real-time. |
| US08705793B2 |
Object tracking by hierarchical association of detection responses
Systems, methods, and computer readable storage media are described that can provide a multi-level hierarchical framework to progressively associate detection responses, in which different methods and models are adopted to improve tracking robustness. A modified transition matrix for the Hungarian algorithm can be used to solve the association problem that considers not only initialization, termination and transition of tracklets but also false alarm hypotheses. A Bayesian inference approach can be used to automatically estimate a scene structure model as the high-level knowledge for the long-range trajectory association. |
| US08705791B2 |
Method and system for utilizing GPS information to secure digital media
A device such as a set-top-box, digital TV, DVD player, multi-media player, cellular telephone or digital cinema player that may handle data such as multimedia data and/or audio/video signals, may determine its location. The device may determine its location based on GPS information and may send its location it to an external entity, for example, a service provider. The device may generate a watermark comprising its determined location and may embed or insert the watermark within the data. AlsoIn addition, the generated watermark may comprise one or more of a unique identifier for the device, a source of the data, for example, a service provider, a date and a time. The watermark may be secured via processing, for example, the watermark may be encrypted prior to being embedded. The data may be compressed when embedding the watermark. The watermark embedding process may be handled via a secure embedded processor and/or secure code. |
| US08705790B2 |
Speaker diaphragm, and speaker and handheld terminal device using said speaker diaphragm
A speaker diaphragm includes a body vibrating to generate a sound, an edge fusion-bonded to an outer circumference portion of the body, a projection provided on an upper surface of the edge, and a gasket provided on a lower surface of the edge. The edge is made of material different from that of the body. The projection is made of material identical to that of the edge. The gasket is made of material identical to that of the body. A speaker including the diaphragm has waterproof property by itself. |
| US08705788B2 |
Speaker and method for fabricating same
A method for fabricating a speaker is disclosed. The speaker is equipped with a case having a through cavity, an inner surface forming the cavity and an outer surface, a magnetic bowl coupled to the case, a magnet positioned in the magnetic bowl, a pole plate covering the magnet, a magnetic gap formed by the magnet and the magnetic bowl, a diaphragm supported by the case and vibrating along a vibrating direction, a voice coil connected to the diaphragm, and a hearing aid coil formed on the case. The method includes the steps of: providing a case made of thermoplastic doped with organometallic additive; activating the organometallic additive in the case by a laser beam for forming initial pattern of the hearing aid coil in the inner surface of the case; and bathing the case in copper solution for providing the initial pattern with copper plating layer. |
| US08705783B1 |
Methods and systems for acoustically controlling a cochlear implant system
An exemplary method of acoustically controlling a cochlear implant system includes acoustically transmitting, by a remote control subsystem, a control signal comprising one or more control parameters, detecting, by a sound processing subsystem communicatively coupled to a stimulation subsystem implanted within a patient, the control signal, extracting, by the sound processing subsystem, the one or more control parameters from the control signal, and performing, by the sound processing subsystem, at least one operation in accordance with the one or more control parameters. Corresponding methods and systems are also described. |
| US08705782B2 |
Wireless beacon system to identify acoustic environment for hearing assistance devices
A beacon device adapted to wirelessly communicate with a hearing assistance device, the beacon device comprising a sensor to sense a signal related to determination of an acoustic environment, a memory to store information relating to the signal, a processor in communication with the memory and the sensor, the processor adapted to process the information, a wireless transmitter in communication with the memory and an antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver to transmit information to the hearing assistance device. |
| US08705781B2 |
Optimal spatial filtering in the presence of wind in a hearing prosthesis
The present application discloses methods, systems, and hearing prostheses for reducing wind noise and/or thermal noise in an audio signal transmitted to the user of a hearing prosthesis. A method in accordance with the present disclosure includes utilizing delay-sum beamforming to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in an audio signal that contains wind noise and/or thermal noise. In the presence of at least one of wind noise and thermal noise, amplitudes and phases of at least two input signals are matched. The two signals are then added together, resulting in an average improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal transmitted to the user of about 3 dB. |
| US08705780B2 |
Audio apparatus, audio signal transmission method, and audio system
An audio apparatus, an audio signal transmission method, and an audio system are provided. The audio signal transmission method includes: wirelessly receiving an audio signal from a first external device; converting the received audio signal into audio signals of multi-channels; and wirelessly transmitting an audio signal of at least one of the multi-channels to at least one of second external devices. Therefore, the audio apparatus wirelessly communicates with a plurality of external devices, and thus a user can connect an audio device to an external device without using wired cables. |
| US08705777B2 |
MEMS microphone and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed are a MEMS microphone and a method of manufacturing the same. The MEMS microphone includes: a substrate; a rear acoustic chamber formed inside a front surface of the substrate; a vibrating plate formed on the substrate and having an exhaust hole; a fixed electrode formed on the vibrating plate; and a fixed electrode support supported by a bottom of the rear acoustic chamber and connected to the fixed electrode through the exhaust hole. |
| US08705774B2 |
Acoustic pressure transducer
Acoustic transducer means are provided. A monolithic semiconductor layer defines a plate, a pair of oppositely disposed torsional hinges, a flexible extension and at least a portion of a support structure. Acoustic pressure communicated to the plate results in tensile strain of the flexible extension. The flexible extension provides a varying electrical characteristic responsive to the tensile strain. An electric signal corresponding to the acoustic pressure can be derived from the varying electrical characteristic of the flexible extension. |
| US08705773B2 |
Audio amplifier
An audio amplifier includes a compensation unit, an output unit and a calibration unit. The compensation unit generates a compensation signal based on a digital input signal, a digital reference code, a mode signal and a digital approximation code. The output unit generates an output signal based on the compensated input signal. The calibration unit generates the digital approximation code based on the output signal and the mode signal. The digital approximation code includes a plurality of bits that are generated sequentially. |
| US08705770B2 |
Method, device, and system for mixing processing of audio signal
A method, a device and a system for mixing processing of an audio signal are provided in the embodiments of the present invention. The method includes: judging a channel type of a receiving terminal; for a single-channel receiving terminal, sending a mixed audio signal and meanwhile sending location information of a sending terminal that has maximum audio signal energy on each sub-band of the mixed audio signal to the single-channel receiving terminal; for a double-channel receiving terminal or a multi-channel receiving terminal, performing up-mixing to obtain double-channel or multi-channel audio data according to location information that is allocated to a single-channel sending terminal, performing mixing processing on audio data that participates in mixing to obtain double-channel or multi-channel mixed audio data, and sending the double-channel or multi-channel mixed audio data. |
| US08705769B2 |
Two-to-three channel upmix for center channel derivation
A frequency-domain upmix process uses vector-based signal decomposition and methods for improving the selectivity of center channel extraction. The upmix processes described do not perform an explicit primary/ambient decomposition. This reduces the complexity and improves the quality of the center channel derivation. A method of upmixing a two-channel stereo signal to a three-channel signal is described. A left input vector and a right input vector are added to arrive at a sum magnitude. Similarly, the difference between the left input vector and the right input vector is determined to arrive at a difference magnitude. The difference between the sum magnitude and the difference magnitude is scaled to compute a center channel magnitude estimate, and this estimate is used to calculate a center output vector. A left output vector and a right output vector are computed. The method is completed by outputting the left output vector, the center output vector, and the right output vector. |
| US08705766B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and method of controlling information processing apparatus
This invention allows changing the volume of a received specific input audio without influencing other audio output devices in a terminal apparatus to which a plurality of audio output devices is connected. This invention provides a terminal apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of audio output devices, and controls to output a plurality of audio data to any of the audio output devices, including a determination unit which determines the audio output devices used to output the plurality of audio data based on information indicating the relationship among audio input devices used to generate the plurality of audio data, and information indicating the relationship among the audio output devices, a mixing unit which mixes the plurality of audio data when it is determined that the plurality of audio data are output to one audio output device. |
| US08705763B2 |
In-vehicle audio device and in-vehicle audio system
An in-vehicle audio device and an in-vehicle audio system are disclosed. The in-vehicle audio device acquires and registers metadata of music data from multiple music possession devices, at least one of which is a portable music carrier device capable of performing wireless communication. Regarding the metadata acquired from the portable music carrier device, the in-vehicle audio device maintains the registration of the metadata after a communication connection between the portable music carrier device and the in-vehicle audio device is cut off. The in-vehicle audio device creates a playlist based on the registered metadata. |
| US08705760B2 |
Active noise control device
The active noise control device includes: a signal obtaining section that obtains an electric signal relating to the predetermined sound; a control section that adjusts an amplitude and a phase of the electric signal obtained by the signal obtaining section; a vibrating section having a diaphragm and a vibrator, the vibrator vibrating in accordance with an output from the control section. Because a sound radiated from the diaphragm toward the first region is substantially in opposite phase to that toward the second region, the control section controls the vibrator so that the diaphragm generates a sound that attenuates the predetermined sound in the first region, and causes the predetermined sound to have a desired frequency characteristic in the second region. |
| US08705759B2 |
Method for determining a signal component for reducing noise in an input signal
The invention provides a method for determining a signal component for reducing noise in an input signal, which comprises a noise component, comprising the steps of: estimating the noise component in the input signal, estimating a reverberation component in the noise component, and removing the estimated reverberation component from the estimated noise component to obtain a modified estimate of the noise component. |
| US08705756B1 |
Distributed audio system
An apparatus comprising a housing, a speaker, and an amplifier. The speaker may be mounted within the housing. A concave portion may be implemented in the housing and may be configured to hold a transformer. An amplifier may be implemented within the housing and may be configured to receive power through a connection to the transformer. |
| US08705754B2 |
Measuring transducer displacement
Displacement of a moving diaphragm in an electroacoustic transducer is measured by modulating an electrical signal based on changes in capacitance between the voice coil assembly and the magnetic structure resulting from relative motion between the voice coil and the magnetic structure. The modulated electrical signal is demodulated to produce an output signal having a value proportional to the displacement. |
| US08705750B2 |
Device and method for converting spatial audio signal
An audio processor for converting a multi-channel audio input signal, such as a B-format sound field signal, into a set of audio output signals, such as a set of two or more audio output signals arranged for headphone reproduction or for playback over an array of loudspeakers. A filter bank splits each of the input channels into frequency bands. The input signal is decomposed into plane waves to determine one or two dominant sound source directions. The(se) are used to determine a set of virtual loudspeaker positions selected such that the dominant direction(s) coincide(s) with virtual loudspeaker positions. The input signal is decoded into virtual loudspeaker signals corresponding to each of the virtual loudspeaker positions, and the virtual loudspeaker signals are processed with transfer functions suitable to create the illusion of sound emanating from the directions of the virtual loudspeakers. A high spatial fidelity is obtained due to the coincidence of virtual loudspeaker positions and the determined dominant sound source direction(s). Improved performance can be obtained in the case where Head-Related Transfer Functions are used by differentiating the phase of a high frequency part of the HRTFs with respect to frequency, followed by a corresponding integration of this part with respect to frequency after combining the components of HRTFs from different directions. |
| US08705746B2 |
Data security in an off-premise environment
A system that enables a cloud-based data repository to function as a secure ‘drop-box’ for data that corresponds to a user is provided. The ‘drop box’ can be facilitated through the use of cryptographic keying technologies. For instance, data that is ‘dropped’ by or on behalf of a particular user can be encrypted using a public key that corresponds to a user-specific private key. Thus, although the data resides within the large pool of ‘cloud-based’ data, it is protected since it can only be decrypted by using the private key, which is kept secret. The innovation can further facilitate user-centric secure storage by partitioning the cloud-based repository into multiple partitions, each of which corresponds to specific indexing criteria. |
| US08705744B2 |
Wireless sensor network key distribution
When installing and maintaining a wireless sensor network in a medical or factory environment, distribution of keying material to sensor nodes (18) is performed by a key material box (KMB) (12), such as a smartcard or the like. The KMB (12) has a random seed stored to it during manufacture, and upon activation performs an authentication protocol with a sensor node (18) to be updated or installed. The KMB (12) receives node identification information, which is used in conjunction with the random seed to generate keying material for the node (18). The KMB (12) then encrypts the keying material for transmission to the node (18), and transmits over a wired or wireless communication link in a secure manner. The node (18) sends an acknowledgement message back the KMB (12), which then updates the nodes status in look-up tables stored in the KMB (12). |
| US08705738B2 |
Selective security termination in next generation mobile networks
Systems and/or methods of selectively terminating security in mobile networks are presented. User equipment (UE) can specify cipher termination location capabilities for encrypting/decrypting data packets to a base station in a mobile network. The mobile network can subsequently determine at which node in the network to terminate the cipher in part according to the capabilities provided and deliver the determined location to the UE. The determined cipher termination location can be provided in response to a request to initiate communications, the initial request can specify the capabilities. The UE can utilize the location to support disparate types of networks and to intelligently deal with hand-offs and other functions of the mobile network. |
| US08705731B2 |
Selection of a lookup table with data masked with a combination of an additive and multiplicative mask
Processing of masked data using multiple lookup tables (LUTs), or sub-tables, is described. For each input value, an appropriate sub-table provides an output value that is the result of a non-linear transformation (e.g., byte substitution) applied to the input value. An additive mask can be applied to the input data. A transformation can be applied to the masked input data to transform the additive mask into a multiplicative-additive mask. Selected bits of the masked input data and the bits in the additive component of the multiplicative-additive mask can be used in combination to select one of the sub-tables. An entry in the selected sub-table, corresponding to a transformed version of the input data, can then be identified. |
| US08705730B2 |
Elliptic curve cryptography with fragmented key processing and methods for use therewith
A cryptography module includes a key store having a plurality of storage locations for storing a private key as k key fragments. One or more crypto-processing segments each operate based on corresponding ones of the k key fragments to process a message in accordance with elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) to produce a signed message. |
| US08705725B1 |
Member-initiated outbound call
A system and method employed in a call center provide a memory structure for use in maintaining a call queue including data representing a plurality of calls to be serviced, and the data is structured so as to represent an order in which the plurality of calls are to be serviced. The call queue data further indicates whether each call is to be handled as an inbound or an outbound call. When an incoming call is received by the call center and no service representative is currently available to service the call, the caller is prompted to elect to either wait on-line for a next available service representative or to disconnect the call and receive a call back at a later time. An aspect of this technology is that the caller does not lose his or her place in the queue and is not stuck on hold. |
| US08705723B2 |
Systems and methods for scheduling contact center agents
Systems and methods for scheduling workforces are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: generating a forecast requirement related to a volume of work to be handled by a first workforce and a second workforce, wherein the second workforce is remote from the first workforce; generating work schedules for personnel of the second workforce based on the forecast requirement and skills of the personnel of the second workforce; receiving information corresponding to the work schedules and the skills of the personnel of the second workforce that share work with the first workforce, wherein the work schedules comprise activities; correlating the skills contained in the information with skills that are to be used for scheduling personnel of the first workforce; correlating the activities contained in the information with activities that are to be used for scheduling the personnel of the first workforce; and generating work schedules for the personnel of the first workforce based, at least in part, on a correlation between the skills of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce and a correlation between the activities of the personnel of the second workforce and the first workforce. |
| US08705722B2 |
Automatic routing of communications to user endpoints
A system may receive configuration information relating to forwarding of communications in a network from a first endpoint to other endpoints. Presence information may also be received for the endpoints. The presence information may include proximity information indicating whether pairs of the endpoints are in physical proximity to one another. The system may forward communications destined for a first of the plurality of endpoints to a second of the plurality of endpoints based on the configuration information and the presence information. |
| US08705721B2 |
System and method of generating multimedia ringback based on deduced user intent
A system for providing ringback content. In the system, a user places a call on a communication device to a callee via a network. The network may store content information about the user and uses this content information to deduce the intent of the user's call. The callee provides ringback content to the user's communication device based on the deduced user call intent. |
| US08705717B2 |
Telephone relaying apparatus, telephone relaying method, and program
A telephone relaying apparatus 200 receives a request for connection to a second telephone terminal 300 from a first telephone terminal 100. The connection request includes telephone numbers of the first telephone terminal 100 and the second telephone terminal 300. The telephone relaying apparatus 200 stores a real number that is a telephone number used in the case of directly connecting to each telephone terminal and a published number that is a number published for a third party as a telephone number of the telephone terminal in correlation with each other. When receiving the connection request, the telephone relaying apparatus 200 makes a first call with respect to the first telephone terminal 100, and a second call with respect to the second telephone terminal 300. In a case where the telephone number, which is included in the connection request, of the second telephone terminal 300 is the published number, the telephone relaying apparatus 200 reads out the real number of the second telephone terminal 300, and then makes a second call with respect to the second telephone terminal 300. |
| US08705716B2 |
Interactive control of alarm systems by telephone interface using an intermediate gateway
An interface for interactive control of alarm systems using an intermediate gateway. A request for access to an account for interactive alarm system control is received from a remote device by an intermediate gateway. The request for access from the remote device is authenticated by the intermediate gateway based on an authentication parameter. After authenticating, the intermediate gateway identifies an alarm system and attributes of the alarm system associated with the request for access. Here, for example, the intermediate gateway identifies the operating characteristics for remote access to the alarm system. Further, the interactive gateway may receive a prompt from the remote device. Based on the prompt, the intermediate gateway may communicate with the alarm system according to its identified attributes and in response to the prompt, to query or update at least one setting of the alarm system. |
| US08705715B2 |
Home appliance, home appliance system, and diagnosis method of a home appliance
A home appliance system and an operation method thereof are disclosed. The home appliance outputs product information as a predetermined sound and transmits the sound through a connected communication network, thereby making it easier for a service center at a remote place to check a status of the home appliance. Further, the home appliance system and operation method thereof prevents noise or signal error generated in the procedure of converting product information into a signal of a predetermined frequency band in order to output the product information as a sound, thus enabling stable signal conversion and improving the accuracy of information transmission using the output of sound. |
| US08705713B2 |
System and method for processing messages
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Unified Messaging System (UMS) having a controller to receive one or more voicemail, video, or text messages directed to a subscriber of the UMS, present the subscriber one of a first option to convert one of the one or more voicemail messages received in a first media playback format to a second media playback format, and a second option to transfer at least a portion of one or more of the received voicemail, video or text messages received by the UMS to one of a set top box or digital video recorder. The controller is adapted to detect a selection of one of said options, and execute the selected option. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08705709B2 |
Visual voicemail (VVM) recovery
One or more devices in a visual voicemail system voicemail notification messages indicating voicemails are available for a user of the visual voicemail system and distribute the voicemail notification messages to a network device. The one or more devices receive an indication of a backlog processing requests for the visual voicemail system and stop, based on the indication, distributing the voicemail notification messages to the network device. After the stopping, the one or more devices receive another indication that the backlog processing requests for the visual voicemail system no longer exists and resume, based on the other indication, distributing the voicemail notification messages to the network device. |
| US08705708B2 |
Indicators for voicemails
Methods and systems to examine, in one embodiment, content of a voicemail to determine whether the voicemail is message-less. An indicator that indicates the voicemail is message-less can be presented in response to determining that the voicemail is message-less. A method in an embodiment can be performed on either a client system or on a voicemail server. In another embodiment, a method can determine whether a length of the content of a voicemail is less than a period of time and can display an indicator that the voicemail has either no content or is very short. |
| US08705701B2 |
Security system with call management functionality
A security system with call management functionality includes a security controller having at least one first interface to at least one user identification device and a second interface to a call management controller. The security controller also includes logic to determine a security status of a user based on identification information received from the at least one user identification device and to communicate the security status of the user to the call management controller. The call management controller enables, disables, or modifies a communication service based on the security status of the user. |
| US08705700B2 |
Portable radiation image capturing apparatus and radiation image capturing system
A portable radiation image capturing apparatus is described. In the portable radiation image capturing apparatus multiple image capturing elements are two-dimensionally arranged, the apparatus is provided with a current detecting means for detecting a current flowing in the apparatus, a read-out circuit having a power supply mode in which the charge generated in each image capturing element can be read out and converted into an electric signal and a stand-by mode in which charge is not read out and power is consumed less than in the power supply mode, and a control means for causing the read-out circuit to change from the stand-by mode to the power supply mode when detecting start of irradiation with radiation on the basis of an increase in the current value detected by the current detecting means while the read-out circuit is in the stand-by mode. |
| US08705699B2 |
Mobile X-ray device
A mobile X-ray device 1 is provided with a main body 2 having an X-ray generating part 10 and an image reader 50 for reading X-ray image information from an imaging plate storing the X-ray image information, a running part 60 for running the main body 2, a battery 70 for storing direct current electrical energy to be supplied to the running part 60 and discharging a direct current at a rated voltage of the running part 60, and a direct current power source voltage conversion part 80 for transforming direct voltage of the battery 70 to a rated voltage of the image reader 50, wherein the rated voltage of the image reader 50 transformed by the direct current power source voltage conversion part 80 is applied to the image reader 50. |
| US08705695B2 |
Region of interest determination for X-ray imaging
A radiography system allow for user determination of a region of interest on a subject prior to X-ray exposure. The region of interest is defined by user interaction with an image, a pointer system, or the like. The region of interest is then translated to the imaging coordinate system, such as in the plane of a digital detector. The region is then used for exposure control during an imaging sequence, either in an open or closed-loop manner. |
| US08705694B2 |
X-ray imaging system and method
The present invention provides systems and methods for x-ray imaging. In some embodiments, an aperture, or a plurality thereof, are configured to have image transfer functions lacking a zero within a usable spatial frequency range. In further embodiments, the image transfer function is determined according to the shape of the aperture and the usable spatial frequency range is determined according to a usable signal to noise ratio. |
| US08705692B2 |
Laser-based accelerator for interrogation of remote containers
A method and apparatus for generating high-energy beams of electrons or x-rays through laser wakefield acceleration to remotely examine containers is disclosed. By scanning the beam of electrons or x-rays across a container, an inspector can remotely determine whether the containers contain items of interest, such as special nuclear materials, without having to manually inspect the contents of the container. The invention can be compact enough to be portable, which provides for the flexibility to examine a variety of different containers under a variety of different conditions. |
| US08705689B2 |
Device for cushioning of compression surfaces
According to the present invention, improved methods and apparatus are provided for providing cushioning and other ergonomic surfaces on devices requiring the patient or tissue to be compressed, such as radiography machines, fluoroscopy units, mammography units and the like. In particular a radiolucent pad element is provided for releasable attachment to at least one surface of a compression device to be used under x-ray, for example, during mammography. The pad element of the present invention can be disposable or constructed to be reusable and in some cases may be applied directly to the patient's breast. Furthermore, a cushioned paddle is provided wherein the compression paddle and the cushion can be separately or integrally formed. |
| US08705688B2 |
Medical image processing apparatus, X-ray computed tomography apparatus, and medical image processing method
According to one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus includes an image storage unit, an estimation unit, a combination ratio determination unit, and a combined image generation unit. The estimation unit is configured to estimate an abundance ratio of one of a first and second substances to the other for each pixel based on attenuation coefficients of the first substance which correspond to a first and second energies, the attenuation coefficients of a second substance which correspond to the first and second energies, and pixel values of a first and second medical images. The combination ratio determination unit is configured to determine combination ratios of pixel values between the first and second medical images for each pixel based on the abundance ratios of the first and second substances and the attenuation coefficients of the first and second substances which are associated with a target energy. |
| US08705684B2 |
Renew process implementation for reactor bottom head
A surface conditioning scheduling process is used to mitigate susceptibility to crack initiation or crack growth in a boiling water nuclear reactor using a plurality of working crews. A plurality of working zones are defined in an annulus region of a reactor vessel flange, and a plurality working zones are defined in a core region of the reactor vessel. One of the working crews is positioned in each of the annulus region working zones, and one of the working crews is positioned in each of the core region working zones. The working crews perform surface conditioning in areas of the reactor vessel accessible from their respective working zones such that the surface conditioning process can be completed in no more than thirty days. |
| US08705683B2 |
Recycled fuel assembly storage basket and recycled fuel assembly storage container
A plurality of first plate members 10 is stacked with long side ends 10LT1 and 10LT2 thereof abutting to each other. Plate member joint bodies 100 are formed by attaching connecting members 30 to side surfaces 10S of the stacked first plate members 10, and connecting the first plate members 10. Further, the plate member joint bodies 100 are so disposed to face each other, and the connecting members 30 projecting from the side surfaces 10S of the first plate members 10 are inserted into recesses formed at both long side ends of second plate members 20. A recycled fuel assembly storage basket 1 is thus formed. Recycled fuel assemblies are stored in spaces surrounded by the first plate members 10 and the second plate members 20. |
| US08705682B2 |
Feedwater temperature control methods and systems
A system for controlling the power level of a natural circulation boiling water nuclear reactor (NCBWR) is disclosed. The system, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, may include a controller configured to control a power output level of the NCBWR by controlling a heating subsystem to adjust a temperature of feedwater flowing into an annulus of the NCBWR. The heating subsystem may include a steam diversion line configured to receive steam generated by a core of the NCBWR and a steam bypass valve configured to receive commands from the controller to control a flow of the steam in the steam diversion line, wherein the steam received by the steam diversion line has not passed through a turbine. Additional embodiments of the invention may include a feedwater bypass valve for controlling an amount of flow of the feedwater through a heater bypass line to the annulus. |
| US08705677B2 |
Multiple channel distributed system and method
A complex acquisition system and method for synchronizing components thereof. The complex acquisition system further including a master acquisition module. The master acquisition module further including an analog to digital acquisition signal generator for generating an analog to digital acquisition signal, a memory acquisition signal generator for generating a memory acquisition signal, a delay calibration signal for generating a delay calibration signal, a step source signal generator for generating a step source signal, and a synchronization module. The complex acquisition system further includes a plurality of slave acquisition modules, each also including a synchronization module. The complex acquisition system additionally includes a distribution system for distributing each of the analog to digital acquisition signal, memory acquisition signal, delay calibration signal and step source signal to each of the synchronization modules in the master and plurality of slave acquisition modules. |
| US08705675B2 |
Device and method for receiving RF signals based on heterodyne architecture using complex IF subsampling
An RF signal reception device including: a transposition device of signals of frequency fRF to a first intermediate frequency IF1 |
| US08705674B2 |
Multi-band single-carrier modulation
Multi-band single-carrier modulation. A novel approach is presented by which interference compensation may be performed for signals received by a piconet operable device. The piconet operable device may be implemented within a region that includes two or more SOPs (Simultaneously Operating Piconets). Estimation of the level and location of interference is performed and the input to a decoder (within the piconet operable device) is selectively weighted to ensure that the effect of any existent interference within the signal received by the piconet operable device is minimized. Different interference levels are dealt with differently. For one example, portions of the received signal having undergone a large amount of interference may be simply treated as erasures with respect to the input the decoder. For another example, portions of the received signal having undergone some smaller degree of interference, but some interference nonetheless, may be de-weighted before being provided to the decoder. |
| US08705672B2 |
Method of compensating for nonlinearity in a DFE-based receiver
A receiver has an input and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). The DFE couples to the receiver input and has at least one tap coefficient. An input signal, having a first amplitude level insufficient to cause significant non-linear distortion in the receiver, is applied to the receiver input. After the DFE adapts to the applied input signal having the first amplitude level by adjusting the at least one tap coefficient, the adaptation process is stopped. Then the at least one tap coefficient is scaled by a factor α and the amplitude of input signal is adjusted to a second amplitude level greater than the first amplitude level by the scale factor α. Although the second amplitude level might be sufficient to cause significant non-linear distortion in the receiver, the scaled tap coefficient has the correct values for proper DFE operation in the presence of the non-linear distortion. |
| US08705671B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing temperature compensation
Various methods for performing amplifier gain compensation to correct for variations in temperature are provided. One example method includes modifying a gain adjustment value based on a current temperature reading, receiving a signal,applying a gain adjustment to the signal based on the gain adjustment value, comparing the gain adjusted signal to a plurality of thresholds to generate respective comparison outputs, and selecting one of the comparison outputs for use in determining content and timing information of the received signal. Related systems and apparatuses are also provided. |
| US08705670B2 |
Receiver and method for the reception of a node by a receiver in a wireless network
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal; synchronizing the received RF signal with a preamble to determine a time base; determining a first energy value of the received RF signal by averaging received signal strength indication (RSSI) values of the received RF signal over a first period of time; determining a second energy value of the received RF signal over a second period of time; determining a difference value between the first energy value and the second energy value; comparing the difference value with a predetermined energy threshold value; determining a quality value of the received RF signal; comparing the quality value of the received RF signal with a predetermined quality threshold value; and, if the difference value exceeds the predetermined energy threshold value or the quality value is below the predetermined quality threshold value, then erasing the time base. |
| US08705664B2 |
Soft-input generation for soft-decision FEC decoding
A soft-decision forward error correction scheme for received optical signals is described. Differential decoding may be performed, for example, in each polarization after coherent QPSK detection. Hard decisions may be made based on judging the most likely transition between each pair of received input symbols. Soft-input generation is also described, representing the reliability of the hard decisions. The soft-input information may be generated through simplified algorithms that utilize the most likely transitions to determine a reliability assignment. |
| US08705661B2 |
Techniques for channel estimation in millimeter wave communication systems
A method for performing channel estimation in a millimeter wave wireless communication system. The method includes receiving complementary sequences at a receiver of the millimeter wave wireless communication system. The received complementary sequences are generated at a first sampling rate; producing special complementary sequences from the received complementary sequences; cross-correlating the special complementary sequences with an input signal related to the received complementary sequences. The cross-correlation is performed at a second sampling rate and the second sampling rate is higher than the first sampling rate; and analyzing the result of the cross-correlation to estimate at least characteristics of a channel between the receiver and a transmitter of the millimeter wave wireless communication system. |
| US08705660B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for data transmission and reception
Provided is a data transmission system of providing preambles of different classes according to a characteristic of a terminal. A terminal having constraints on using a power with respect to a data reception may receive only a preamble of a particular class and thus decrease a power consumption. A general terminal may receive preambles of plural classes and quickly receive data. |
| US08705657B2 |
Digital signal processing circuit for generating output signal according to non-overlapping clock signals and input bit streams and related wireless communication transmitters
A digital signal processing circuit includes a combining stage and an output stage. The combining stage is arranged to receive a plurality of non-overlapping clock signals having a same frequency but different phases, receive a plurality of first input bit streams, and generate a first output bit stream by combining the first input bit streams according to the non-overlapping clock signals. The output stage is arranged to generate an output according to the first output bit stream. A digital signal processing method includes: receiving a plurality of non-overlapping clock signals having a same frequency but different phases; receiving a plurality of first input bit streams; generating a first output bit stream by combining the first input bit streams according to the non-overlapping clock signals; and generating an output according to the first output bit stream. |
| US08705651B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication method
A wireless communication system is disclosed. The system performs data transmission from a first terminal including N antennas to a second terminal including M antennas using spatially multiplexed streams (N and M are integers larger than or equal to 2). |
| US08705650B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication method
A wireless communication system is disclosed. The system performs data transmission from a first terminal including N antennas to a second terminal including M antennas using spatially multiplexed streams (N and M are integers larger than or equal to 2). |
| US08705648B2 |
Diversity schemes for 2-D encoded data
A method for communication includes receiving a signal carrying data including multiple data units using at least first and second reception channels. The data units are encoded with first and second codes such that, when the data units are arranged in rows and columns, the rows are encoded with the first code and the columns are encoded with the second code. The data units received by the first and second reception channels are selectively combined to produce composite data, which includes at least one row or column that includes a first data unit received from the first reception channel and at least a second data unit received from the second reception channel. The first and second codes for the composite data are decoded, including the at least one row or column, so as to reconstruct the data. |
| US08705646B1 |
Matrix operations for communications channel
Matrix operations are simplified by precalculating and storing certain portions of the operation. This reduces the computational burden, while requiring a modest increase in memory usage. The operations may be performed in a Multiple-Input/Multiple-Output (“MIMO”) configuration of an LTE system, where a number of equalizer functions require matrix operations such as derivation of a covariance matrix, which involves matrix multiplication, as do other operations. The operations may be performed on a programmable integrated circuit device configured for that purposes. |
| US08705641B2 |
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-code division multiple access system
An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-code division multiple access (CDMA) system is disclosed. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver. At the transmitter, a spreading and subcarrier mapping unit spreads an input data symbol with a complex quadratic sequence code to generate a plurality of chips and maps each chip to one of a plurality of subcarriers. An inverse discrete Fourier transform is performed on the chips mapped to the subcarriers and a cyclic prefix (CP) is inserted to an OFDM frame. A parallel-to-serial converter converts the time-domain data into a serial data stream for transmission. At the receiver, a serial-to-parallel converter converts received data into multiple received data streams and the CP is removed from the received data. A discrete Fourier transform is performed on the received data streams and equalization is performed. A despreader despreads an output of the equalizer to recover the transmitted data. |
| US08705640B2 |
Digital broadcast transmission and receiving system having an improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof
A digital broadcast transmitter comprising: a randomizer to receive a data stream of which stuff bytes are inserted into a specified position and to randomize the received data stream; a stuff-byte exchange unit to generate known data having a predefined pattern and to insert the known data into the specified position of the data stream into which the stuff bytes are inserted; an encoder to encode the data stream output from the stuff-byte exchange unit for an error correction; and a modulator and RF converter to modulate the encoded data stream, RF-convert the modulated data stream and transmit the RF-converted data. |
| US08705639B2 |
Signal monitoring platform
Aspects of the disclosure relate to signal monitoring at edge of a network domain in a network. A monitoring device can evaluate communication quality of information streams in downstream frequency channels, and operation conditions in a telecommunication network. In one aspect, communication quality can be evaluated at the physical layer level or at a higher-layer level containing payload data. In response to an operation issue, the monitoring device can transmit a notification to a node of a distribution platform of the telecommunication network. |
| US08705638B2 |
Method for signal transmission and user equipment
The present invention discloses a method for signal transmission and a user equipment (UE), wherein said method comprises: user equipment UE calculating an MSE of a first layer of signal and an MSE of a second layer of signal; the UE selecting a pre-coding matrix from a plurality of pre-coding matrices according to the sum of the MSE of the first layer of signal and the MSE of the second layer of signal; and the UE informing a base station to use the selected pre-coding matrix to transmit signals. By way of the present invention, the correct transmission of signals is ensured, the block error rate of the system is reduced, and the throughput of the system is improved. |
| US08705635B2 |
Method, medium, and system compressing and/or reconstructing image information with low complexity
A system, medium, and method compressing and/or restoring images. Such a data compression method may include selecting a mode from among a plurality of modes for compressing current data, according to predetermined criteria, and calculating a difference between the current data and reference data, according to the selected mode, and compressing the current data, or truncating a part of the current data and compressing the current data. Accordingly, it is possible to significantly lower the complexity of an image encoder/decoder system and exactly meet a picture-based CBR required by LCD DCC devices/systems. |
| US08705633B2 |
Method and apparatus for transporting an 8B/10B coded video stream across a 64B/66B coded link
A video transport system is provided for transporting as 8B/10B coded video stream across a 64B/66B coded link, wherein forward error correction is provided without the overhead of the prior art. The system also provides a system with the ability to recover 64B/66B Encoded blocks that have corrupt Sync bits. |
| US08705632B2 |
Decoder architecture systems, apparatus and methods
An apparatus includes a decoder to receive a compressed bit stream that is based on a coding standard. The decoder includes a hardware accelerator to decode a part of the compressed bit stream that is based on an operation that is common across multiple coding standards that includes the coding standard. The decoder also includes a programmable element to decode a part of the compressed bit stream that is based on an operation that is specific to the coding standard. |
| US08705629B2 |
Image information encoding method and encoder, and image information decoding method and decoder
An image decoding method includes decoding encoded image data to generate a decoded image signal including a luma signal and a chroma signal. The method further includes scaling, when a reference field has a different parity from a current field for motion compensation and when the decoded image signal is in a format in which the number of chroma pixels is vertically different from the number of luma pixels, a chroma motion vector of the chroma signal according to an accuracy for a luma motion vector of the luma signal so that a reference frame will coincide in phase of the chroma signal with a current frame. The method also includes performing motion compensation of the decoded image signal using the scaled chroma motion vector according to the accuracy of the luma motion vector of the luma signal. |
| US08705628B2 |
Method and device for compressing moving image
A still block detector is provided at a stage before a moving image encoder. The still block detector divides a frame to be processed into a plurality of blocks, sorts the blocks in the frame in ascending order of movement amount, and sets the first one or more blocks the number of which is specified by a “corresponding block setting number” input from the outside of an encoding device, to “still blocks.” For the still blocks, the moving image encoder performs an inter-encoding process with respect to a moving image by forcibly setting motion vectors to zeros without performing a motion search or by forcibly setting DCT coefficients to zeros without performing DCT or quantization. |
| US08705627B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method that allow the generation of a high-accuracy prediction image without increasing the processing load.A difference image between motion compensation images MC0 and MC1 extracted from different reference frames is calculated. A low-pass filter is applied to the difference image, and the gain of an obtained image is adjusted. A high-pass filter is applied to an image obtained by the application of a low-pass filter, and the gain of an obtained image is adjusted. An image obtained by adding the output of a gain adjustment circuit 53 and the output of a gain adjustment circuit 55 is added with the motion compensation image MC0, and a prediction image is generated. The present invention can be applied to an apparatus that performs prediction encoding, and an apparatus that decodes information encoded through prediction encoding. |
| US08705626B2 |
Motion estimation method
A motion estimation method applied to a video signal having a first frame and a second frame is provided. The motion estimation method includes: capturing a matching window from the first frame; capturing a searching area from the second frame, the searching area including a plurality of searching blocks each having a size equal to that of the matching window; selecting one of the searching blocks; calculating a difference between pixel data of the selected searching blocks and pixel data of the matching window, so as to obtain N total differences corresponding to N searching blocks; and determining a motion vector corresponding to the matching window according to the N total differences. |
| US08705618B2 |
Method and device for coding a video image with a coding error estimation algorithm
The method comprises a coding of a source block according to a coding mode wherein the selection of the coding mode is carried out, for a source block, according to coding error estimations and source block coding cost estimations for the different coding modes tested, the coding error being estimated, for a coding mode, according to the sum of the absolute values of coefficients obtained after a mathematical transformation in the frequency domain of the residue block related to this coding mode and as a function of the sum of absolute values of quantized coefficients corresponding to this coding mode. An application is the decision of the coding mode for data using the MPEG 2 or MPEG4-AVC standard. |
| US08705616B2 |
Parallel multiple bitrate video encoding to reduce latency and dependences between groups of pictures
A multiple bitrate (MBR) video encoding management tool utilizes available processing units for parallel MBR video encoding. Instead of focusing only on multi-threading of encoding tasks for a single picture or group of pictures (GOP), the management tool parallelizes the encoding of multiple GOPs between different processing units and/or different computing systems. With this parallel MBR video encoding architecture, different GOPs can be encoded in parallel. To facilitate such parallel encoding, data dependencies between GOPs are removed. The management tool can adjust the number of GOPs to encode in parallel on a computing system so as to favor parallelism of encoding for different GOPs at the expense of parallelism of encoding inside a GOP, or vice versa, and thereby set a suitable balance between encoding latency and throughput. |
| US08705614B2 |
Motion estimation using camera tracking movements
Presented herein are system(s) and method(s) for motion estimation using camera movements. In one embodiment, there is presented a video camera system for providing video data. The video camera system comprises a video camera, and a circuit. The video camera captures video data. The circuit records information that indicates tracking movements of the video camera. |
| US08705612B2 |
Method for generating downlink signal in downlink MIMO system
A method for generating a downlink signal in a downlink MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) comprises the steps of: mapping at least one transport block to at least one codeword; mapping at least one layer to each codeword; classifying at least one layer mapped to each codeword into a certain number of layer groups and performing layer permutation by the layer groups; and generating an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) symbol using a signal which is permutated by the layer groups. A CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) is attached by the layer groups. |
| US08705610B2 |
Apparatus for encoding and decoding key data and key value data of coordinate interpolator and recording medium containing bitstream into which coordinate interpolator is encoded
A method of encoding a coordinate interpolator that includes key data and a key header including information regarding encoding of the key data, the key data representing the position of a key frame on a time axis. The method includes, encoding the key header and encoding the key data according to the result of the encoding performed in the encoding the key header. The encoding of the key data includes performing quantization on the key data according to the quantization bit size and generating differential data by performing differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) on the result of the quantization according to a DPCM order. The encoding of the key data also includes performing a divide-and-divide (DND) on the differential data so that a difference between a maximum and minimum of the differential data can be minimized and performing entropy encoding on the result of the DND. |
| US08705605B1 |
Technique for providing loopback testing with single stage equalizer
Devices and methods for serial loopback testing in an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. To implement loopback testing, an equalizer stage of a receiver of the IC is powered down. In addition, the common-mode voltage of the equalizer stage is reduced and/or a bulk node of the equalizer stage is connected to ground. Doing so may reduce the impact of capacitive coupling from the input pins of buffer, thereby improving the quality of the loopback output signal. |
| US08705599B2 |
Apparatus and method for quantification of the desynchronization between the clocks of two HBC active implants
A method for quantification of the desynchronization between the clocks of two medical devices communicating wirelessly, for example, by HBC signals. The devices are separately clocked by slow clocks (CLK1/32k, CLK2/32k) and include selectively activated fast clocks (CLK1/10M, CLK2/10M). The method comprises: a) on a predetermined transition (T1) of a slow clock, transmission by one device of a synchronization query signal (SYNC) to the other device, b) counting of the pulses of the activated fast clock to detect a predetermined transition (T3) of the first slow clock, then c) transmitting from the other device to the first device a response signal (D1) and d) upon reception of the response signal, computing a temporal shift (OFFSET) according to the result (D1, D2) of the counting of the pulses of the fast clock. Two fast clocks, one on each device, also can be used. |
| US08705598B2 |
Signal-sensitive data compression
A test and measurement instrument includes an input for receiving an input test signal and a separator that separates a data array of the input test signal into a number of different data bins. Each data bin includes a number of data points. A selector is included that determines whether the data points within a present bin of the total bins represent signal or noise. When the present bin contains noise, a processor generates a first output for the present bin. Instead, when the present bin contains signal, the processor generates a second output for the present bin. The bin outputs can then be combined to make an output array, such as a waveform display, for the instrument. |
| US08705596B2 |
System and method for physical layer device enabled clock diagnostics
A system and method for physical layer device enabled clock diagnostics. The physical layer device can monitor the performance of a clock recovery module. Performance monitoring can be performed on the output clock signal or the control components used to generate the output clock signal. In one embodiment, the performance monitoring is correlated to particular data patterns to provide an accurate determination of variations or other inconsistencies within the clock recovery module. |
| US08705592B2 |
Data transmission apparatus, data reception apparatus, and data transmission method
Disclosed herein are a data transmission apparatus, a data reception apparatus, and a data transmission method. The data transmission apparatus, the data reception apparatus, and the data transmission method are capable of simplifying the circuit structure of a decoder because an assumption of the time related to a request signal and a data signal is not necessary and an additional logic for generating a clock signal for the decoder is not necessary by using a Finite State Machine (FSM) logic without storing a state via a delay device. |
| US08705591B2 |
Global navigation receiver
A signal processing system and method for a GNSS digital signal wherein a carrier-stripped GNSS signal, is sampled according to a variable rate, determined by the code NCO, and including a timing circuit arranged to generate a timestamp code determining the sampling time of at least one of the samples in the buffer memory. By taking code samples in this way it is possible to transfer the samples asynchronously to a separate processor for the search task to be performed, for example an asynchronous parallel correlator implemented in the same silicon in hardware, or a media processor such as a graphics accelerator implemented in the same device or a separate physical device. |
| US08705587B2 |
Method for forming a laser resonator so that optical components of the laser resonator are aligned
A laser resonator and method for forming the laser resonator are provided. The method comprises placing a housing for the laser resonator in an alignment fixture, attaching a bond plate to an optical component of the laser resonator, attaching a first end of an alignment arm to the bond plate attached to the optical component, attaching a second end of the alignment arm to the alignment fixture such that the optical component is disposed over the housing, aligning, via the alignment fixture and the alignment arm, the optical component relative to the housing, and bonding the aligned optical component to the housing. The first end of the alignment arm may removed once the aligned optical component is bonded to the housing. |
| US08705583B2 |
Semiconductor laser
A semiconductor laser includes an active region including an active layer, and a diffraction grating and a phase shift which determine an oscillation wavelength, and a distributed reflector region including a light guide layer and a refection diffraction grating. The distributed reflector region has an effective diffraction grating period which varies along a direction of a cavity. |
| US08705580B2 |
Aggregating multiple wireless channels
Extending wired networks by aggregating multiple wireless links. Multiple wireless links are used to bridge wired networks, such as wired Ethernet networks. Each wireless link applies a hash function to the destination MAC address of presented traffic and uses the result of the hash function to determine if the traffic is passed by that wireless link or is dropped. For broadcast and multicast frames, the hash function is calculated on the source MAC address. Dynamic source MAC rewriting may be performed to prevent port flapping or out-of-order arrival of frames. Establishing one link as a master and communicating among links allows for load balancing and link failure detection. |
| US08705575B2 |
Methods and arrangements in a wireless communication system using multi-codeword transmission and ACK/NACK compression
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in a wireless communication system that enable the use of multi-codeword transmission and ACK/NACK compression with low performance loss. It also enables the use of advanced receivers of reasonable complexity. This is achieved by a solution based on the even distribution of the symbols of separately coded blocks of information bits over the available physical resources before transmission. Each physical resource will thus carry a mixture of symbols from all blocks of information bits, which results in a more similar channel quality for the blocks of information bits. A compressed ACK/NACK message corresponding to the blocks of information bits will thus be more accurate and the performance loss due to the ACK/NACK compression can be reduced. |
| US08705570B2 |
Communication device and communication method
A communication device includes a control signal generating unit to generate a control signal for each of a plurality of second frames, and a mapping unit to map a payload signal of the plurality of second frames in a payload area of a first frame, and map at least some of the control signals generated by the control signal generating unit in a control signal area of the first frame. |
| US08705569B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating an MPEG-2 transport packet having a variable packet length
Provided is a transport packet generating apparatus that generates a transport packet having a variable length, and the length of the transport packet is indicated by a field included in a header of the transport packet or a synchronization area of the transport packet, in the field indicating a length of the transport packet. A transport depacketizing apparatus depacketizes the transport packet by decoding the field or detecting a starting point of the transport packet based on a predetermined rule with respect to the synchronization area to decode the transport packet. |
| US08705567B2 |
Upstream channel bonding using legacy maps in a cable communications system
A method for increasing upstream bandwidth per cable modem user in a cable communications system that includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a plurality of cable modems is provided. The method permits a cable modem to transmit data to the CMTS on multiple upstream channels simultaneously using a technique called “channel bonding.” Bandwidth allocation is achieved by transmitting from a CMTS to a cable modem a unique bandwidth allocation message for each upstream channel in a bonded group of upstream channels, wherein the combination of unique bandwidth allocation messages collectively allocates requested bandwidth across the bonded group. |
| US08705566B2 |
Method and apparatus in which call signaling messages bypass in-transparent switching nodes or networks
A method is disclosed for initiating a call in a communication network between a first signaling entity and a second signaling entity each connected to a respective node and the nodes connected to a network wherein communications between the signaling entities and the nodes are conducted using a first protocol and communications are carried over the network using a second protocol. Call setup information is also exchanged between the first node and the second node over a separate connection. |
| US08705564B2 |
Multi-network shared PHY layer
A system and method is provided for processing a physical (“PHY”) layer signal. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a PHY layer signal, analyzing a non-content characteristic of the PHY layer signal, and determining a communication protocol associated with the PHY layer signal. The PHY layer signal may be processed according to the communication protocol to obtain a processed PHY layer signal. In one embodiment, when the communication protocol is a first communication protocol, the PHY layer signal may be processed according to the first communication protocol. When the communication protocol is a second communication protocol, the PHY layer signal may be processed according to the second communication protocol. The processed PHY layer signal may be outputted. |
| US08705558B2 |
Swapping bandwidth reservations
A network includes reservation agents for reserving bandwidth for communication sessions and swapping bandwidth reservations from one communication session to another communication session. After a swap, the recipient communication session proceeds using the bandwidth originally reserved for the donor communication session, while the donor communication session no longer utilizes that bandwidth reservation. By swapping bandwidth reservations, a network may more efficiently use bandwidth in an environment where bandwidth is a limited resource. |
| US08705556B2 |
Notifying a UL/DL configuration in LTE TDD systems
A method for configuring a Time Division Duplex (TDD) Uplink/Downlink (UL/DL) allocation of a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network may include receiving an indicator, from an enhanced NodeB in the LTE network, on a physical channel identifying a TDD configuration for the UE and automatically updating the TDD UL/DL allocation of the UE in accordance with the TDD configuration. |
| US08705554B2 |
Method for reducing power consumption of WAPI mobile terminal and WAPI mobile terminal
A method for reducing power consumption of a Wireless Local Area Networks Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) mobile terminal and a WAPI mobile terminal are provided. Said method includes: caching received WAPI service data into a dynamic cache module, and in a process of caching WAPI service data, when data quantity of cached WAPI service data accumulates to a data quantity threshold set by said WAPI mobile terminal, a processor module of said WAPI mobile terminal processing the cached WAPI service data. Said WAPI mobile terminal includes: a WAPI communication module and a processor module connected with each other, and a storage module connected with said processor module, and a dynamic cache module connected with said WAPI communication module and said processor module respectively. |
| US08705551B2 |
Method and system for management of flood traffic over multiple 0:N link aggregation groups
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method and system may include receiving a plurality of packets comprising flood traffic of a bridged VLAN domain at an ingress line card port. The system and method may further include splitting the packets into multiple internal streams and forwarding the packets associated with the internal streams to a switch fabric. The system and method may further include forwarding each packet associated with a particular internal stream to one or more egress line cards associated with the internal stream. The system and method may further include mapping each internal stream to a single egress port of the egress line card, the single egress port comprising one of a plurality of egress ports associated with a LAG. The system and method may further include recovery from a port failure. |
| US08705546B2 |
Redundancy switch
A redundancy switch includes at least three data ports and a control input. Each data port includes a data input and a data output. The redundancy switch operates in one of at least three states. In a first state, a first data port is communicatively coupled with a second data port. In a second state, the first data port is communicatively coupled with a third data port. In a third state, the second data port is communicatively coupled with the third data port. The state of the redundancy switch can be controlled based on a signal received at the control input. The redundancy switch can further include transconductance switching elements that convert a voltage input to a current output. |
| US08705545B2 |
N-way routing packets across an intermediate network
A system and method for routing packets. The method includes receiving a first packet from an intermediate network by a first network interface card (NIC) operatively connected to a host, where the first packet originates from a first remote network, where the first NIC is operatively connected to the intermediate network, and where the first packet, the intermediate network, and the first NIC use a first network protocol. The method further includes classifying, by the first NIC, the first packet based on the first remote network, sending the first packet to a first receive ring in the first NIC, sending the first packet from the first receive ring to a first non-global container, and converting the first packet, using a first converter located in the first non-global container, to obtain a first converted packet, where the first converted packet and the first remote network use a second network protocol. |
| US08705544B2 |
Method and apparatus for routing in a single tier switched network
A method and apparatus for more efficient routing of packets in a network is provided. The apparatus may include dynamic routing of packets or portions of packets which avoids congestion and blocking by making local decisions within the network. The apparatus may further include creating and updating routing tables which map switch outputs to available network output ports. Additionally the header of packets entering the network are processed prior to entry or as part of the entry to the network to produce a processed packet. The processed packets or portions of packets preferably include complete route information or a final destination address that enables rapid routing through the network without further processing of the packet header. One or more aspects of the inventions may be implemented in combination with other aspects of the invention to further improve network efficiency. |
| US08705537B1 |
Eventually-consistent data stream consolidation
One embodiment of a computer-implemented method for eventually-consistent data stream consolidation comprises associating an application-generated undo record with each packet and supplying undo records to the application in order to rewind the application state prior to effecting a merge operation on the packet stream. Other embodiments are described. |
| US08705536B2 |
Methods of operating forwarding elements including shadow tables and related forwarding elements
A method may be provided to operate a forwarding element in a forwarding plane of a network including the forwarding plane and a control plane. The method may include receiving a packet through an input/output port of the forwarding element and attempting to match the packet with a flow table of the forwarding element. Responsive to the packet missing a match with the flow table, the forwarding element may attempt to match the packet with a shadow table of the forwarding element. Responsive to the packet matching with the shadow table, a new flow rule may be installed in the flow table based on a matching shadow rule from the shadow table. Related forwarding elements are also discussed. |
| US08705535B2 |
Method for processing packets of the IP type intended to be carried over a communications channel of a wireless network, and equipment for same
A method for processing packets of the IP type within equipment of a wireless communications network comprising an encapsulation of the packets within frames carried over a communications channel of the wireless network. The said encapsulation comprises a first encapsulation of the signalling packets of the IP type within a frame of a first type containing an indication associated with this type of packet, then an additional encapsulation of the said frame of the first type within a frame of a second type different from the first type, and a second encapsulation of the packets transporting the user data of the IP type within a frame of a third type then an additional encapsulation of the said frame of the third type within a frame of the second type. |
| US08705532B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for selective layer 2 port blocking using layer 2 source addresses
Methods, systems, and computer program products for selective layer 2 port blocking using layer 2 source addresses are disclosed. According to one method, a layer 2 frame is received. An I/O port block list is identified based on a layer 2 source address in the layer 2 frame. A set of ports to which the layer 2 fame should be forwarded is identified. The frame is blocked from being forwarded to ports in the set that are also in the I/O port block list. |
| US08705531B2 |
Multicast address learning in an input/output adapter of a network processor
An apparatus for supporting multicast address learning in a network processor includes a task parameter decoder receiving the packet and determining parameters of the packet, a plurality of unlearned address counters recording a number of the packets to be multicast, a correlator determining destination addresses of the packet, a multicast replicator replicating the packet multiple times, and a task generator generating a generated packet with a bitmap and sending out the generated packet to an I/O adaptor over a task ring interface of the network processor. If the packet is unlearned, the unlearned address counter is then incremented and the unlearned packet is sent back to a special queue in the I/O adaptor over the task ring interface with an index to the bitmap for replicating by the multicast replicator, after replicating, the unlearned address counter is decremented. Methods for replicating unlearned/learned multicast packets within a network processor are included. |
| US08705530B2 |
Methods and apparatus to implement multipoint and replicated communication paths using upstream and recursive downstream label mappings
Methods and apparatus to implement multipoint and replicated communication paths using upstream and recursive downstream label mappings are disclosed. An example method to aggregate multipoint communication paths disclosed herein comprises sending an upstream label assignment request to an upstream router in response to receiving a first downstream message for building a first inner multipoint communication path between a root node identified in the first downstream message and a leaf node originating the first downstream message, and receiving an upstream-assigned label from the upstream router in response to the upstream label assignment request, the upstream-assigned label to identify the first inner multipoint communication path among a plurality of inner multipoint communication paths conveyed via an outer multipoint communication path aggregating the plurality of inner multipoint communication paths. |
| US08705529B2 |
Message processing engine with a virtual network interface
A message processing engine may intercept outgoing and incoming messages by bridging an interface between a virtual network interface and a physical network interface. The message processing engine may have a raw packet analyzer that may determine if a packet is to be processed based on a policy, and then may decode the packet using a first set of protocols, perform a translation in the decoded state, then encode the packet using the same or a different set of protocols. The message processing engine may be used to perform translations to enable two otherwise incompatible devices to communicate as well as apply various protocols including security protocols to communications with another device similarly configured. In many embodiments, the raw packet analyzer may be a service with administrative privileges, but the decoder, encoder, and translator may be operated with user privileges. |
| US08705527B1 |
System and method for internal networking, data optimization and dynamic frequency selection in a vehicular environment
A system includes an on-board unit (OBU) in communication with an internal subsystem in a vehicle on at least one Ethernet network and a node on a wireless network. A method in one embodiment includes receiving a message on the Ethernet network in the vehicle, encapsulating the message to facilitate translation to Ethernet protocol if the message is not in Ethernet protocol, and transmitting the message in Ethernet protocol to its destination. Certain embodiments include optimizing data transmission over the wireless network using redundancy caches, dictionaries, object contexts databases, speech templates and protocol header templates, and cross layer optimization of data flow from a receiver to a sender over a TCP connection. Certain embodiments also include dynamically identifying and selecting an operating frequency with least interference for data transmission over the wireless network. |
| US08705526B1 |
Extending VPLS support for CE lag multi-homing
Techniques are described for forwarding packets in a VPLS using multi-homing PE routers configured in an “active-active” link topology. As described herein, a PE router receives a packet from a multi-homed VPLS customer site, and processes the packet to determine a portion of a MAC domain to which the packet corresponds. When the packet is determined to correspond to a portion associated with the PE router, the PE router forwards the packet to the destination in accordance with forwarding protocols executing on the PE router. When the packet is determined to correspond to a portion associated with a second PE router, the PE router forwards the packet to the second PE router via a pseudowire that is external to the VPLS domain, and the second PE router forwards the packet to the destination in accordance with forwarding protocols executing on the second PE router. |
| US08705524B1 |
Systems and methods for embedding metadata in data packets
A system for embedding metadata in data packets has logic that is configured to insert metadata into a data packet after the payload data and padding, if any. The logic further adjusts the packet's overhead, such as a frame check sequence, to account for the added length of the packet. The packet remains compliant with applicable protocols, such as Ethernet, and can be successfully communicated in accordance with such protocols while carrying the metadata. In this regard, the insertion of the metadata is transparent to protocol stacks such that the metadata data does not cause an error or the protocol stacks to render the packet invalid. In particular, the protocol stacks view the inserted metadata as part of the packet's pad field, and the inserted metadata should not cause any errors in the operation of the protocol stacks or prevent the protocol stacks from processing the packet. |
| US08705520B2 |
Methods and apparatus to protect and audit communication line status
Methods and apparatus to protect and audit communication line status are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a set of available communication lines from a media gateway, associating a plurality of destination numbers with respective ones of the available communication lines, and dialing the plurality of destination numbers from the media gateway to identify the communication line status information. |
| US08705511B2 |
System and method for synchronous transmission of content
A synchronous transmission of a content is provided capable of providing a content seamless when a mobile terminal transfers from a currently connected network to another network. The synchronization of contents is ensured to achieve a seamless communication across a plurality of networks. |
| US08705509B2 |
Time synchronizer
An object of this invention is to realize stable control in a time synchronizer utilizing GPS satellites so that a long operational time is ensured for the system even if any of the GPS satellites becomes unable to be captured. When a base station becomes unable to capture any of the GPS satellites and if there is a mobile station which is in a relationship capable of performing handover from the base station to another base station, a radio wave input/output unit receives a frame transmitted by the other base station being able to normally receive the GPS satellite via the mobile station, and a frame timing detection unit estimates a deviation from the UTC. A 1PPS correction circuit unit transmits a signal to correct the deviation, and a control unit causes a GPS receiver to change and adjust the frame timing. A frame generation unit generates a frame based on the corrected 1PPS signal. |
| US08705503B2 |
Apparatus and method of automatically provisioning a femtocell
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a femtocell having a controller operable to establish communications with a gateway and transmit authentication information to the gateway. The gateway transmits the authentication information and a gateway identifier to a remote server to authenticate the femtocell. The controller is also operable to detect enablement of services responsive to the remote server identifying a subscriber account according to the gateway identifier, and the remote server authenticating the femtocell by comparing the authentication information to information retrieved from the subscriber account. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08705501B2 |
Method and apparatus for facilitating a communication between an access point base station and a neighboring base station
Aspects are disclosed for self-configuring an access point via a backhaul connection. A backhaul connection is established between an access point base station and a neighboring base station. Information associated with an external neighbor parameter is then received via the backhaul connection, and an internal neighbor parameter is self-configured based on the external neighbor parameter. |
| US08705488B2 |
Method for supporting idle mode in wireless local area network system
Disclosed is a method for supporting an idle mode of a terminal in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system. In the method, a first request message for starting an idle mode is transmitted to a first access node to which the terminal is currently connected and a first response message with respect to the first request message is received from the first access node, and in this case, when the first response message includes acceptance information with respect to the start of the idle mode, the idle mode starts. |
| US08705482B2 |
Method and device for reporting channel state information
The present invention discloses a method and device of reporting channel state information, including: user terminal selects the codebook used in reporting precoding matrix indicator (PMI) from double-stage codebook and selects PMI from the codebook; double-stage codebook involves codebook reflecting long-term/broadband information and that reflecting short-term/frequency selective channel information; and user terminal calculates channel quality indication; therein, when reporting through physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the parameter used in calculating channel quality indication (CQI) includes the precoding matrix indicator (PMI) reported by user terminal through physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); when reporting through physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), the parameter used in calculating CQI includes the precoding matrix indicator (PMI) reported by user terminal through physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); user terminal selects the PMI and calculates CQI according to the specified reporting mode and reporting RI. The present invention can realize double-stage feedback by using the present feedback channel. |
| US08705479B2 |
Communications apparatus and communications system using multicarrier transmission mode
A communications system that includes a transmission data generator configured to generate frequency band information indicating which frequency band is to be used for transmission of data information between said communication apparatuses; a transmitter configured to transmit the frequency band information by using a specific frequency band, set from among a plurality of frequency band assigned to the communications system, to transmit data information using at least one frequency band set from among said plurality of frequency bands; a receiver configured to receive the frequency band information, using the specific frequency band. The frequency band set as said at least one frequency band set from among said plurality of frequency bands, other than the specific frequency band, is made variable, at the time of establishing the wireless channel, the frequency band usable by the communications apparatus is restricted. |
| US08705470B2 |
Radio base station and communication control method
A radio base station includes a power estimate unit configured to estimate a transmission power of an uplink signal in a mobile station (UE), a transmission format determination unit configured to determine a transmission bandwidth and a transmission frequency of the uplink signal as a transmission format of the uplink signal transmitted by the mobile station (UE), and a transmission instruction unit configured to instruct the mobile station (UE) to transmit the uplink signal by using the determined transmission format. The transmission format determination unit is configured to determine the transmission bandwidth of the uplink signal based on an estimation value of the transmission power, and to determine the transmission frequency of the uplink signal based on information relating to a cell with which the mobile station communicates. |
| US08705468B2 |
System, apparatus and method for downlink and uplink grant design in wireless communication systems
In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for wireless communication. The method, apparatus, and computer program product may be configured to provide at least one control channel for downlink grant information, provide at least one other control channel for uplink grant information, and adjust time apportioned for the downlink and uplink grant information in the control channels. |
| US08705466B2 |
Method and apparatus for conveying precoding information in a MIMO system
Method and apparatus for conveying precoding information in a control message from a first node to a second node, with information on properties of an associated wireless data transmission (D) between the first and second nodes employing spatial multiplexing and precoding for the data transmission. The first node determines precoding parameters for signal transmission to the receiving node, optionally based on feedback reports from the receiving node. The first node encodes control information bits in precoding information fields of the control message by means of values in TBS fields of the control message, such that the TBS field values determine the interpretation of the bits in the precoding information field(s). The control message is then sent to the second node. |
| US08705463B2 |
Reference signal design for wireless communication system
A method and system for identifying a reference signal pattern in contiguous resource blocks received by a user agent (UA) in a wireless communication system where any of one through N contiguous resource blocks may be assigned to a UA, the method performed by a UA and comprising the steps of storing resource block reference signal patterns in a UA memory where the patterns include a separate reference signal pattern for each possible number of contiguous resource blocks that may be assigned to a UA, receiving a resource grant indicating a number contiguous resource block is assigned to the UA, based on the number of contiguous resource blocks assigned to the UA, identifying one of the reference signal patterns in the memory and using the identified one of the reference signal patterns to identify reference signals in contiguously received resource blocks. |
| US08705458B2 |
Wireless communication systems
A wireless communication system in which base stations communicate with subscriber stations by exchange of data packets contained within frames. The frames, which occupy a certain time duration as well as frequency range, each include a downlink subframe from a base station to subscriber stations, and an uplink subframe used by the subscribers to send data to the base station. Each subframe includes a plurality of zones, and each base station maintains a plurality of simultaneous connections with the subscribers by transmitting packets within the zones to the relevant subscriber stations. The zones allow frequency reuse when subscribers are located in different cells served by the same base station. In addition, each connection has an associated service level requiring more or less resources within the system. |
| US08705456B2 |
Fast uplink response to downlink shared channel transmission without a dedicated uplink channel
A method and apparatus for uplink transmission over a non-contentious shared feedback channel are disclosed, wherein the parameters of the uplink transmission are determined by the parameters of a downlink transmission. A new uplink channel, called a physical shared uplink feedback channel (PSUFCH) is used for uplink transmission such as feedback information in response to a downlink transmission on a fast shared data channel. The content of the feedback information may be general, e.g. an ACK/NACK or a channel quality indicator (CQI). The PSUFCH is transmitted using power ramping that terminates upon reception of a downlink ACK (DLACK) from a Node-B. No ambiguity resolution is required due to the non-contentious and deterministic mapping of the uplink channel resources. |
| US08705455B2 |
System and method for improved use of voice activity detection
The present invention is a system and method for packetizing actual noise signals, typically background noise, received by an access gateway from a speaking party and transmitting these packetized noise signals via a network to an egress gateway. The egress gateway converts the packetized noise signal into noise signals suitable for output and transmits the output noise signals to a listening party. When the access gateway detects that no voice signal is being received and only a noise signal is being received for a predetermined period of time, the access gateway instructs the egress network to continually transmit output noise signals to the listening party and ceases to transmit packetized noise signals to the egress gateway. |
| US08705453B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring a channel state when receiving system information on a neighboring cell in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method for receiving system information on a neighboring cell by means of a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising the steps of receiving a system information read command for a neighboring cell from a serving cell over a certain period of time; ending communication with the serving cell, and reading system information from the adjacent cell; and relaying the system information to the serving cell after the certain period of time elapses, wherein a reference signal from the adjacent cell is received over the certain period of time to measure a channel state value. If the channel state value is reduced to a preset value or less, a further step may comprise ending the reading of the system information. |
| US08705452B2 |
Simulcasting MIMO communication system
A wireless multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) communication system includes signaling simulcasting. Base stations include a plurality of transmit antennas and terminals include a plurality of receive antennas to form MIMO channels. In one embodiment, a simulcasting MIMO wireless communication system includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). This arrangement achieves the spectral efficiency advantages of OFDM and simulcasting. |
| US08705437B2 |
Providing neighbor cell transmission information in a long-term evolution single frequency network
A system for providing control channel information is provided. The system comprises a processor programmed to promote transmission of a multicast control channel (MCCH). The MCCH includes information related to a service notifying user equipment when transmission on a resource is blocked by one or more cells within a plurality of cells. The MCCH further includes information notifying user equipment when the service is transmitted at less than full power by one or more of the cells of the plurality of cells. |
| US08705435B1 |
Device and method for nodal multiple access into communications channels
A nodal division multiple access technique for multiple access to a communications channel such as a satellite transponder. The present invention provides multiple access into a communications channel where each accessing site utilizes one signal from a composite amplitude/phase digital signal constellation, such that demodulators receive the composite signal without changes in the system design related to the multiple access operation. |
| US08705430B2 |
MBS data transmission method, base station, MBS data receiving method, and user equipment
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for signaling, to user equipment, the number and position of frequency resources allocated to each of the plurality of E-MBS zones, using a zone allocation bitmap including bits corresponding to the number of resources allocated for one or more E-MBS zones. The method and apparatus of the present invention are advantageous in that signaling overheads required for specifying the number and position of frequency resources allocated to each of E-MBS zones can be reduced. |
| US08705429B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for transmitting multimedia broadcast multicast service notification message
The present invention discloses a method, apparatus and system for transmitting a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service notification message, relates to the wireless communication field, and solves the problem that there is not a MBMS notification message transmission mechanism. The technical scheme of the present invention is: receiving a Radio Resource Control signaling, reading subframe configuration information of the MBMS notification message included in said Radio Resource Control signaling; and using a subframe selection rule corresponding to said subframe configuration information to receive said MBMS notification message. The technical scheme provided by the present invention is suitable for the MBMS service. |
| US08705428B2 |
Method for multimedia broadcast and multicast service, MBMS, notification indicator detection, computer program, and user equipment apparatus
A method for multimedia broadcast and multicast service, MBMS, notification indicator detection from multiple MBMS notification-indication channel, MICH, frames in a User Equipment operating in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access system is disclosed. The method comprises determining a desired number of MICH frames; upon connection with a NodeB, receiving an available number of MICH frames within a modification period; decoding notification indications of the received MICH frames; determining a majority value being the number of notification indications having a most frequent value of the decoded notification indications; and if a ratio between the majority value and the desired number of MICH frames is above a threshold value, determining the correct notification indicator to be the most frequent value, or if the ratio between the majority value and the desired number of MICH frames is less than the threshold value, connecting to the NodeB; receiving further MICH frames; and decoding notification indications of the received MICH frames such that the correct notification indicator is achieved. A computer program and a User Equipment apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US08705425B2 |
Wireless receiving apparatus and transmitting apparatus having a sleep control unit
A wireless receiving apparatus includes a receiving unit, a buffer, a prediction unit, a sleep control unit, an access control unit, a generation unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive data to extract a payload data. The buffer is configured to generate a buffer-full signal if a payload data size is larger than a free area size. The prediction unit is configured to generate predicted latency. The sleep control unit is configured to generate sleep information based on the predicted latency. The access control unit is configured to generate a sleep-frame parameter including the sleep information. The generation unit is configured to generate a sleep-frame. The transmitting unit is configured to transmit the sleep-frame. The sleep control unit keeps the power supply in the sleep state for indicating the sleep information after receiving an acknowledgment of receiving of the sleep-frame. |
| US08705422B2 |
Wireless communication terminal
According to one embodiment, a wireless communication terminal including a receiver, a first processor, a first storage, a second storage, a second processor, and a transmitter is provided. The receiver receives one physical packet that includes at least one frame body field, a first field including information on a length of the frame body field, a second field used to detect an error of the frame body field, and a sequence number field including a sequence number corresponding to the frame body field. The second storage retains a successively and successfully received maximum sequence number on the basis of a result of the first processor. The transmitter transmits a response frame indicating the successively and successfully received maximum sequence number when the first processor extracts at least one correct frame body. |
| US08705418B1 |
Methods and systems for detecting a preamble of a data packet in wireless communication systems
Methods and systems for detecting a preamble of a data packet in wireless communication systems is provided. To determine a preamble from a received signal, which may include a noise-altered preamble bit sequence, linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) can be used to generate a count of the received preamble, and the count is compared to pre-generated scores to identify a match. Example methods include for each of a number of different preamble orientations of a preamble, generating a count value based on a comparison of bits of the preamble with a random bit sequence to produce a sequence of count values, and comparing the sequence of count values with m sequences of count values. A sequence of count values is identified that includes a maximum number of matching elements, and the received preamble is determined to be one of the m preambles corresponding to the identified sequence. |
| US08705417B2 |
In-network home gateway for hybrid fiber-coax network
A network gateway function that is provided at a coaxial tap of a hybrid-fiber coaxial broadband network that feeds a customer location. A Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) modem may be embedded in the tap wherein the DOCSIS protocol is terminated. A network functionality such as firewall and network address translation is provided at a network termination point that may use Multimedia over Coax (MoCA) or other similar technology using an existing coaxial cable drop to a customer location that effectively extends a home network to the tap. |
| US08705415B2 |
Communication system, information processing apparatus, controlled device, information processing method and program
A communication system including a controlled device to be controlled and an information processing apparatus, in which the controlled device includes a transmission means for transmitting a message indicating that an event has occurred to the information processing apparatus and a control means for performing processing according to a request from the information processing means, and in which the information processing apparatus includes a receiving means for receiving the message indicating that the event has occurred at the controlled device, which has been transmitted from the controlled device and a request means for deciding processing performed by the controlled device according to the event indicated by the message received by the receiving means and requesting the controlled device to perform the decided processing. |
| US08705411B2 |
MUROS modulation using linear baseband combinations with linear gaussian pulse shaping for two users on one timeslot used by non-DARP and DARP remote stations
The present patent application improves DARP by allowing multiple users on one time slot (MUROS). It comprises means, instructions and steps for combining two signals. In one example, it comprises at least one baseband modulator, a plurality of amplifiers where the signals are multiplied by a gain; at least one combiner operably connected to the amplifiers where the signals are combined; and a phase shifter where one of the signals is phase shifted with respect to the other signal. In another example; the apparatus further comprises a phase shifter operably connected to the at least one baseband modulator to provide a π/2 phase shift between the two signals. In another example, the at least one baseband modulator comprises a BPSK baseband modulator on an I axis and a BPSK baseband modulator on a Q axis. |
| US08705409B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexing network path search method and system
The present invention discloses a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network path search method and system. The method includes: step A, searching out a network element linked list from a source network element of a service to a destination network element according to a inter-network element connection; step B, performing a port search on the network element linked list, performing a validity check on a found node, and ending the search when an invalid node is found; and step C, sorting out a path linked list of all possible paths according to path topology structure data searched out. The searching efficiency is improved by the present invention. |
| US08705407B2 |
Efficient protocols against sophisticated reactive jamming attacks
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for deactivating reactive jamming attacks and other sophisticated attacks in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In one system, trigger nodes (nodes whose transmissions invoke jammer nodes) are identified and communications between the sensor nodes of the WSN are routed to avoid sending (e.g., transmitting) information from identified trigger nodes. For example, identified trigger nodes are routed as receivers only. One method of identification uses an advanced randomized error-tolerant non-adaptive group testing technique and a clique-independent set problem solution. Another method of identification uses a hexagon tiling coloring and sequential group testing scheme. |
| US08705391B2 |
Reducing latency of at least one stream that is associated with at least one bandwidth reservation
An embodiment may include circuitry to determine, at least in part, whether to delay transmission, at least in part, of at least one frame in favor of transmitting at least one other frame. The at least one other frame may belongs to at least one packet stream that is associated with at least one bandwidth reservation. The transmission of the at least one frame may be timed to occur prior to the transmitting of the at least one other frame. The at least one frame, at the time that it is selected for transmission, may have a relatively higher transmission priority than a relatively lower transmission priority of the at least one other frame. Many modifications, variations, and alternatives are possible without departing from this embodiment. |
| US08705379B2 |
Multipoint relay set selection methods and their application to multicast channel reservation in overlapping basic service sets in wireless networks
A method and apparatus are described including communicating with neighbor nodes in a wireless network, determining one-hop neighbor nodes and two-hop neighbor nodes responsive to the communication, determining a minimum multipoint relay set responsive to the first working channel determination and communicating over the wireless network using the minimum multipoint relay set. |
| US08705378B2 |
Multiple upstream channel descriptor messages pointing to single upstream channel ID for more efficient operation of a DOCSIS system
In a DOCSIS-based communications system, different upstream channel descriptors (UCDs) all identify a single logical upsteam channel identifier (UCID) regardless of the type of cable modem (CM) to which the UCDs are sent. Different CMs having different capabilities (e.g., CMs configured according to the different DOCSIS standards 1.x, 2.0, and 3.0) receive their respective UCDs from an upstream headend. All the UCDs, however, refer to the same logical upstream channel. The different CMs therefore share this single logical upstream channel. |
| US08705377B2 |
Combined short-range and long-range radio communication
A multivoice radio system allows users to speak and listen, at the same time, to others using multivoice radios without using a base station. Several embodiments of the present invention are directed toward combining a multivoice radio with push-to-talk (PTT), long-range radio. Other embodiments combine two or more multivoice systems and/or use an extender to increase a distance that multivoice radios can communicate with each other. Combining multivoice systems, in some embodiments, creates a voice and/or data mesh network. Switch-to-talk (STT) functionality can be added to systems to increase a number of users and promote radio discipline. Additionally, a combined in-ear microphone and speaker is disclosed. Further embodiments are directed to combining duplex radios, such as mobile phones, to multivoice systems, and/or PTT systems. |
| US08705376B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
It aims to provide the technique capable of reducing the process to be executed on the reception side and shortening the time from the occurrence of an error to the sending of a retransmission request. To achieve this, the image data is encoded in units of block by the encoding unit, the reference information representing whether or not the block is referred when another block is encoded is generated by the reference map generation unit, and then the encoded block and the reference information are transmitted by the transmission unit. |
| US08705368B1 |
Probabilistic distance-based arbitration
Probabilistic arbitration is combined with distance-based weights to achieve equality of service in interconnection networks, such as those used with chip multiprocessors. This arbitration desirably used incorporates nonlinear weights that are assigned to requests. The nonlinear weights incorporate different arbitration weight metrics, namely fixed weight, constantly increasing weight, and variably increasing weight. Probabilistic arbitration for an on-chip router avoids the need for additional buffers or virtual channels, creating a simple, low-cost mechanism for achieving equality of service. The nonlinearly weighted probabilistic arbitration includes additional benefits such as providing quality-of-service features and fairness in terms of both throughput and latency that approaches the global fairness achieved with age-base arbitration. This provides a more stable network by achieving high sustained throughput beyond saturation. Each router or switch in the network may include an arbiter to apply the weighted probabilistic arbitration. |
| US08705366B2 |
Dynamic load balancing without packet reordering
Flows of packets are dynamically mapped to resource queues. Flows of packets are received at a network device to be routed from the network device in a network. Each flow comprises packets to be sent from a source to a connection. Data is stored for a queue allocation table that maintains a plurality of buckets to which received packets for a flow are assigned and indicating which of a plurality of resource queues are allocated for respective buckets. For each packet in a flow, a hash function is computed from values in a header of the packet and the packet is assigned to one of the plurality of buckets based on the computed hash function. One of a plurality of resource queues is allocated for each bucket to which packets are assigned based on the computed hash function. |
| US08705361B2 |
Method and apparatus for traffic management in a wireless network
Currently, network utilization and performance are diminished due to capacity issues, which may be resolved by adding hardware/software to spread traffic uniformly according to network element usage information. Disclosed is a method of and corresponding apparatus for resolving network element capacity issues in a wireless network by inspecting data traffic content for information about wireless network elements and data traffic content, collecting said information, and managing (e.g., shaping and steering) the incoming traffic based on the information. Examples of said information include radio bearer resource information for network elements and traffic associated with a wireless access portion of the wireless network and radio access bearer information for network elements and traffic associated with a backhaul portion of the wireless network. By employing embodiments of the invention, network utilization and performance may be increased using existing wireless network elements in a manner overlaid on existing network optimization techniques (e.g., load balancing). |
| US08705359B2 |
Tool for predicting capacity demands on an electronic system
Method of predicting capacity demands on a desired device used to support services for a number of subscribers within a market area having a number of devices. The method includes predicting the capacity demands as a function of historical capacity demands for the desired device and average subscriber capacity demands on the number of devices in the market area. |
| US08705358B2 |
Traffic arbitration
The invention provides an arbitration method and an arbiter circuit by which equal arbitration of output cells can be achieved with a comparatively simple configuration even where a very great number of queues are involved. The arbiter circuit includes a plurality of queues for storing output cells, and a plurality of round robins for successively providing the right of outputting output cells to the queues. The round robins are arranged in a multi-stage tree link configuration, and the queues are distributed under those of the round robins which are in the lowest order stage. Each of the round robins in the lowest order stage has a rate information holding function of holding rate information representative of a rate of cells inputted thereto. Meanwhile, each of the round robins in the higher order stage or stages has a rate information holding function of holding rate information regarding those of the round robins which are subordinate to the round robin and a subordinate selection function of selecting one of the subordinate round robins based on the rate information of the subordinate round robins. A queue is added as a subordinate to the selected round robin in the lowest order stage when a connection is to be added newly. |
| US08705354B2 |
Communication system and communication control method
A node on a core network, in accordance with a connection state of a terminal, releases a transmission path resource which is made unnecessary due to LIPA (Local IP access) or SIPTO (Selected IP traffic offload) connection configuration. |
| US08705353B1 |
Automatic configuration of virtual network switches
In general, techniques are described in which a plurality of network switches automatically configure themselves to operate as a single virtual network switch. A virtual switch is a collection of individual switch devices that operate like as single network switch. As described herein, network switches in a network that are capable of participating in a virtual switch may automatically discover one another. The participating network switches may then elect one of the participating switches as a master switch. The master switch may generate forwarding information and store the forwarding information in the participating switches, including the master switch. The forwarding information causes the participating switches to act like a single network switch. |
| US08705352B2 |
Prioritized random access method
Prioritized random access methods are proposed. According to an embodiment, random access attempts are classified into the priority levels according to delay requirements, and adedicated random access opportunities are reserved for different priority levels. A congestion detecting mechanism is introduced for such dedicated ranging (random access) opportunities. When congestion is detected by the base station, parameters or configurations of random access can be dynamically or temporarily modified through random access response message. Furthermore, a prioritized contention resolution is introduced to guarantee a high priority access is processed earlier than a low priority access. According to another embodiment, another prioritized contention resolution is introduced to reduce the impact of random access of a low priority M2M device upon H2H traffic. |
| US08705349B2 |
Destination-based congestion control
A method for communication includes sending communication packets over a network from a first network interface. A notification, which originates from a second network interface and indicates a network congestion encountered by one or more of the packets, is received in the first network interface. A network address of the second network interface is identified based on the notification. A transmission rate of subsequent packets addressed to the network address is regulated responsively to the notification, irrespective of a transport service instance on which the subsequent packets are sent from the first network interface. |
| US08705347B2 |
Method for electing ring manager of ring topology network, and node
A method for electing a ring manager of ring topology network and a node are disclosed, where, to this end, a node responsible for electing the ring manager periodically requests each node of diagnostic information on packet traffic and receives the diagnostic information on packet traffic from each node, newly elects a node capable of performing a ring manager role, and informs each node of information on the newly elected ring manager, whereby, the ring network can be more effectively operated because the ring manager is elected based on network load status that changes in real time even in the course of a ring network being initially set up and operated responsive to structural conditions including hop count of each nod and MAC node. |
| US08705346B2 |
Method and system for joint detection of Ethernet part segment protection
The present invention discloses a method for detection of Ethernet segment protection, and this method includes: configuring a detection point in two segment protection domains with a shared link; configuring a joint monitor group on the shared link of said two segment protection domains; and judging whether the configured detection point and the joint monitor group receive a Continuity Check Message (CCM) in a certain period, if the CCM message is received, determining a detected segment corresponding to this CCM message is normal; if the CCM message is not received, determining the detected segment corresponding to this CCM message has a fault. The present invention further discloses a system for detection of Ethernet segment protection, including: a detection point configuration unit, a joint monitor group configuration unit and a judgment unit. The method and system of the present invention can solve the problem of the segment protection in the case of the multi-node fault and greatly improve the network performance. |
| US08705345B2 |
Network protection using network coding
A method for protecting against link failures in a communications network having a plurality of paths between senders and receivers is provided. The method includes sending data units by the senders over the communications network on working circuits, applying network coding to form a combination of data units from data units from a plurality of the senders, and sending the combination of data units over the communications network on a backup circuit. If one or more link failures occur in the working circuits resulting in loss of one or more of the data units, then the method further includes recovering the one or more of the data units from the combination of data units transmitted on the backup circuit. The backup circuit used to carry the combination of data units may be implemented in-band with user data or may be implemented as out-of-band backup circuits. |
| US08705343B2 |
Double ring network system and communication control method thereof, and transmission station, and program for transmission stations
A double ring network system configured with two or more transmission stations each including a pair of bi-directionally communicative communication ports, including any adjacent two transmission stations as terminal stations, and any transmission station as a base, as mutually connected in a ring form by communication ports through a transmission line, for intercommunications between transmission stations, in which the transmission stations are each adapted to determine whether or not frame signals are received from adjacent transmission stations, transmit route identifying frame signals for identification of routes to adjacent transmission stations, when having failed in reception, and set own station as a terminal station substituting for a current terminal station, when having received no responses to the route identifying frames from adjacent transmission stations, so they are kept from arriving at ring-like connected subsequent transmission stations. |
| US08705341B2 |
Power over ethernet management devices and connection between ethernet devices
In one embodiment, a connection is maintained between a pair of ethernet ports that have circuitry connected in series with the ports and receiving power-over-ethernet (PoE) from one of the ports, by providing a controllable bypass circuit coupled to the pair of ethernet ports in parallel with the circuitry receiving power-over-ethernet, sensing a preselected condition, and opening and closing the bypass circuit in response to the presence or absence of the preselected condition. Power sourcing equipment (PSE) may supply the one of the ports with power over ethernet, and the circuitry may transports data between the pair of ethernet ports. The circuitry may also supply the switch with a control signal in response to the detection of the preselected condition. |
| US08705340B2 |
Packet-loss handling for downlink multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output wireless network
Techniques for packet-loss handling for downlink Multi-User Multiple-input and Multiple-Output (DL MU-MIMO) wireless networking environment are described herein. The techniques described herein help define how a wireless access point should behave when faced with a packet-loss situation of a DL transmission burst in a MU-MIMO wireless network. |
| US08705337B2 |
Efficient Zadoff-Chu sequence generation
The present application discloses methods and apparatus for generating a Zadoff-Chu sequence for use by a mobile station. One embodiment discloses generating exponents oof elements of a Zadoff-Chu sequence representing a preamble for uplink synchronization of a mobile station or a mobile station reference signal by first obtaining a preamble index defining the Zadoff-Chu sequence. Then an initial exponent of the first element in the Zadoff-Chu sequence and an initial first difference between exponents of consecutive elements of the Zadoff-Chu sequence are determined. Finally the embodiment discloses determining exponents of the remaining elements in the Zadoff-Chu sequence from the initial first difference and the initial exponent in an iterative procedure that avoids multiplication operations. |
| US08705333B2 |
Super-resolution optical recording medium on which information is recorded using train of prepits, optical recording medium reproduction device, and control method
A super-resolution optical recording medium includes: a medium information region on which medium identification information is recorded; a content region on which content information is recorded; and a blank region provided between the medium information region and the content region and in which at least two tracks are provided so as to connect a train of prepits in the medium information region and a train of prepits in the content region. No information is recorded on the blank region. Thus a super-resolution optical recording medium is provided in which a region on which medium identification information is recorded and a region on which content information is recorded are different in track pitch and in which a reproduction error hardly occurs when reproduction shifts from the region on which the medium identification information is recorded to the region on which the content information is recorded. |
| US08705332B2 |
Information storage medium, reproducing method, and recording method
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field. |
| US08705326B2 |
Copy protection method for optical storage device
A copy protection method includes the steps of providing an optical storage device having a substrate layer and a data structure layer coated on the substrate layer and containing a set of raw data codes; forming on the data structure layer at least one polarizing layer capable of causing a change in a light beam; and forming on the polarizing layer a scratch protection layer. The polarizing layer is located between the data structure layer and an optical reading device to influence a light beam irradiated thereon by the optical reading device, so that the set of raw data codes being optically accessed is conditionally converted into a different set of physical data codes. By providing the polarizing layer on the optical storage device to change the data codes that can be obtained by the optical reading device, it is able to stop illegal copying of the optical storage device. |
| US08705322B2 |
Timepiece device with multiple-hand
A timepiece device with multiple-hand which can be miniaturized and made thin as a whole has a configuration where a hour hand hour wheel positioned close to an hour hand to which a rotation movement of a 3rd motor via an hour hand gear train mechanism and a functional hand hour wheel positioned close to a functional hand to which a rotation movement of a 4th motor via a functional hand gear train mechanism are arranged on a front side of a support plate, and a 4th wheel positioned close to a second hand and a 2nd wheel positioned close to a minute hand are arranged on a rear side of the support plate. |
| US08705320B1 |
Audio localization using multilateration
Systems and methods for providing audio localization are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving phase offsets of a plurality of fixed transmitters from a source other than the plurality of fixed transmitters, detecting an audio localization signal from each of the plurality of fixed transmitters, determining a received phase of the audio localization signal from each of the plurality of fixed transmitters, determining time differences of flight from the mobile receiver to the plurality of fixed transmitters using the received phases, determining distance differences from the mobile receiver to the plurality of fixed transmitters using the time differences of flight, and determining the location of the mobile receiver by performing multilateration using the distance differences. |
| US08705318B2 |
Data aggregation for drilling operations
A method for aggregating data for a drilling operation. The method includes acquiring the data from a number of data sources associated with the drilling operation, synchronizing a timing of the data for aggregating the data to generate synchronized aggregated data, determining a drilling context based on the synchronized aggregated data, and assigning the determined drilling context to the synchronized aggregated data. The method further includes analyzing the synchronized aggregated data in the drilling context to generate an analysis and presenting the analysis to at least one user. |
| US08705317B2 |
Method for imaging of targeted reflectors
Techniques are disclosed for performing time-lapse seismic monitor surveys with sparsely sampled monitor data sets. A more accurate 3D representation (e.g., image) of a target area (e.g., a hydrocarbon bearing subsurface reservoir) is constructed using the sparsely sampled monitor data set (11). The sparsely sampled monitor data set may be so limited that it alone is insufficient to generate an accurate 3D representation of the target area, but accuracy is achieved through use of certain external information (14). The external information may include information accurately identifying a shape of the seismic reflector(s) present in the target area. The shape may be predetermined from a fully sampled base survey, and used to enable an accurate 3D representation (12) of the target area to be later generated for a monitor survey using a sparsely sampled monitor data set. |
| US08705305B2 |
Sense amplifier scheme for low voltage SRAM and register files
In at least one embodiment, a sense amplifier circuit includes a pair of bit lines, a sense amplifier output, a keeper circuit, and a noise threshold control circuit. The keeper circuit is coupled to the pair of bit lines and includes an NMOS transistor coupled between a power node and a corresponding one of the pair of bit lines. The keeper circuit is sized to supply sufficient current to compensate a leakage current of the corresponding bit line and configured to maintain a voltage level of the corresponding bit line. The noise threshold control circuit is connected to the sense amplifier output and the pair of bit lines. The noise threshold control circuit comprises a half-Schmitt trigger circuit or a Schmitt trigger circuit. |
| US08705303B2 |
Semiconductor device and control method of the same
The present invention provides a semiconductor memory and a control method therefor, the semiconductor device including a first current-voltage conversion circuit connected to a core cell provided in a nonvolatile memory cell array, a second current-voltage conversion circuit connected to a reference cell through a reference cell data line, a sense amplifier sensing an output from the first current-voltage conversion circuit and an output from the second current-voltage conversion circuit, a compare circuit comparing a voltage level at the reference cell data line with a predefined voltage level, and a charging circuit charging the reference cell data line, if the voltage level at the reference cell data line is lower than the predefined voltage level during pre-charging the reference cell data line. According to the present invention, the pre-charging period of the reference cell data line can be shortened, and the data read time can be shortened. |
| US08705302B2 |
Semiconductor memory devices having self-refresh capability
A semiconductor memory device includes at least one memory bank including a plurality of memory cells and a self-refresh controller configured to generate a refresh address and to output a row address for a page to be refreshed based on the refresh address. The semiconductor memory device drives the at least one memory bank based on the row address and selectively refreshes pages in the at least one memory bank in response to the row address. |
| US08705300B1 |
Memory array circuitry with stability enhancement features
Integrated circuits such as programmable logic device integrated circuits are provided that have memory arrays with memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Address lines may be associated with each row of memory cells and data lines may be associated with each column of memory cells. Precharge driver circuitry may be used to precharge the data lines to a precharge voltage prior to performing read operations. The integrated circuit may contain core logic that is powered using a core logic power supply voltage. The precharge voltage may be reduced with respect to the core logic power supply voltage. Each address transistor may have a body bias terminal. The integrated circuit may contain programmable voltage regulator circuitry that produces a body bias for the address transistors based on a body bias setting stored in nonvolatile memory on the integrated circuit. |
| US08705299B2 |
Replacing defective memory blocks in response to external addresses
An apparatus has a controller. The controller is configured to address a non-defective memory block of a sequence of memory blocks in place of a defective memory block of the sequence of memory blocks such that the non-defective memory block replaces the defective memory block. The non-defective memory block is a proximate non-defective memory block following the defective memory block in the sequence of memory blocks that is available to replace the defective memory block. The controller is configured to apply a voltage-delay correction to the non-defective memory block that replaces the defective memory block based on the actual location of the non-defective memory block. |
| US08705298B2 |
Method and apparatus for memory fault tolerance
One or more circuits may include an array of memory cells corresponding to a particular memory address. The one or more circuits may be operable to discover a location of a faulty memory cell in the array of memory cells. The one or more circuits may be operable to arrange the order in which the bits of a data block are stored to said array of memory cells based, at least in part, on said discovered location of said faulty memory cell. |
| US08705290B2 |
Memory device having improved programming operation
Some embodiments include methods and devices having a module and memory cells. The module is configured to reduce the amount of electrons in the sources and drains of the memory cells during a programming operation. |
| US08705289B2 |
Flash memory apparatus with programming voltage control generators
A flash memory apparatus is provided. The flash memory apparatus includes a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of programming voltage control generators. Each of the memory cells receives a programming control voltage through a control end thereof, and executes data programming operation according to the programming control voltages. Each of the programming voltage control generators includes a pre-charge voltage transmitter and a pumping capacitor. The pre-charge voltage transmitter provides pre-charge voltage to the end of each of the corresponding memory cells according to pre-charge enable signal during a first period. A pumping voltage is provided to the pumping capacitor during a second period, and the programming control voltage is generated at the control end of each of the memory cells. |
| US08705286B2 |
Method for non-volatile memory with background data latch caching during read operations
Part of the latency from memory read or write operations is for data to be input to or output from the data latches of the memory via an I/O bus. Methods and circuitry are present for improving performance in non-volatile memory devices by allowing the memory to perform some of these data caching and transfer operations in the background while the memory core is busy with a read operation. A read caching scheme is implemented for memory cells where more than one bit is sensed together, such as sensing all of the n bits of each memory cell of a physical page together. The n-bit physical page of memory cells sensed correspond to n logical binary pages, one for each of the n-bits. Each of the binary logical pages is being output in each cycle, while the multi-bit sensing of the physical page is performed every nth cycles. |
| US08705285B2 |
Sequence detection for flash memory with inter-cell interference
A system including a read module and a sequence detector module. The read module is configured to read a plurality of memory cells located along a bit line or a word line of a memory array and to generate a plurality of read signals. The sequence detector module is configured to detect a sequence of data stored in the plurality of memory cells based on (i) the plurality of read signals and (ii) a plurality of reference signals associated with the plurality of memory cells. One of the plurality of reference signals associated with a first memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes (i) a first signal and (ii) a second signal. The first signal is free of interference from a second memory cell adjacent to the first memory cell along the bit line or the word line. The second signal includes interference from the second memory cell. |
| US08705284B2 |
Flash memory device and method of programming same
A flash memory device includes a memory cell array made up of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. A first page of data is programmed in selected memory cells of the memory cell array, and a second page of data is subsequently programmed in the selected memory cells. The first page of data is programmed using a program voltage having a first start value, and the second page of data is programmed using a program voltage having a second start value determined by a programming characteristic of the selected memory cells. |
| US08705280B2 |
Electrically programmable floating common gate CMOS device and applications thereof
A programmable CMOS device includes a PFET and an NFET that have a common floating gate. Depending on the configuration, the programmable CMOS device can be programmed, erased, and re-programmed repeatedly. The programming, erasure, and/or reprogramming can be effected by injection of electrons and/or holes into the floating gate. The programmable CMOS device can be employed as a fuse or an antifuse, to program a floating gate of another device, and/or to function as a latch. The programmable CMOS device can be formed employing standard logic compatible processes, i.e., without employing any additional processing steps. |
| US08705270B2 |
Semiconductor memory
A semiconductor memory has a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit. The semiconductor memory has a row decoder that controls a voltage of a word line. The semiconductor memory has a first writing circuit including a first signal terminal connected to one end of the first switch circuit to input and output a writing current. The semiconductor memory has a second writing circuit including a second signal terminal connected to a one end of the second switch circuit to input and output the writing current. The semiconductor memory has a select transistor including a control terminal connected to the word line. The semiconductor memory has a resistance change element that is connected in series with the select transistor between the first bit line and the second bit line and varies in resistance value depending on an applied current. |
| US08705269B2 |
Magnetoresistive element and magnetic memory
A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a first and second magnetic layers having an easy axis of magnetization in a direction perpendicular to a film plane; and a first nonmagnetic layer interposed between the first and second magnetic layers, at least one of the first and second magnetic layers including a structure formed by stacking a first and second magnetic films, the second magnetic film being located closer to the first nonmagnetic layer, the second magnetic film including a structure formed by repeating stacking of a magnetic material layer and a nonmagnetic material layer at least twice, the nonmagnetic material layers of the second magnetic film containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, W, Hf, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ti, V, and Cr, one of the first and second magnetic layers having a magnetization direction that is changed by applying a current. |
| US08705265B2 |
Ionic devices containing a membrane between layers
A device contains a first layer, a second layer; and a membrane between the first and second layers. Mobile ions are in at least one of the first and second layers, and the membrane is permeable to the ions. Interfaces of the conductive membrane with the first layer and the second layer are such that charge of a polarity of the ions collects at the interfaces. |
| US08705262B1 |
Stacked memory device for a configurable bandwidth memory interface
A stacked memory device for a configurable bandwidth memory interface includes a first number of contact pads arranged in a pattern on a first surface of the memory device and a second number of contact pads arranged in the same pattern on a second surface. Each of the second contact pads may be electrically coupled to a corresponding contact pad on the first surface using a via. When the memory device is oriented in a first orientation and stacked in vertical alignment and electrical connection upon a second memory device having the same pattern of contact pads, each data signal of the memory bus is coupled to a corresponding data signal of both the memory devices. When the memory device is oriented in a second orientation, a given data signal of the memory bus is coupled to the corresponding data signal of only one of the memory devices. |
| US08705259B2 |
Resettable memory apparatuses and design
In one aspect of the present invention, a memory apparatus comprises a plurality of resettable memory cells, a plurality of memory units, and a reset information propagation logic coupled to the resettable memory cells and the memory units. The reset information propagation logic designed to write reset information into a portion of the memory units in response to one of the resettable memory cells having a reset value when one of the memory units is written into. |
| US08705258B2 |
Combined power switch and data distribution unit
A communication device for use with a power distribution module. The communication device allows multiple different DMX universes to be handled over the same cable that also handles power distribution. A front of house module is provided for powering consoles and receiving DMX inputs from the consoles. Two different consoles can be powered and provide their inputs, and either console can be used to control any or all of the universes. |
| US08705250B2 |
Fixing mechanism for fixing at least one interface card and fixing rod thereof
A fixing mechanism includes a casing, a bracket structure, and a fixing rod. The bracket structure is disposed at a side of the casing corresponding to an interface card and has a positioning member and a pivot member. The fixing rod is movably disposed on the bracket structure and includes a clamping portion, a hook portion, and a torsion-spring portion. The clamping portion is used for clamping an end of a bending board of the interface card cooperatively with the bracket structure. The hook portion is connected to a first end of the clamping portion for hooking the positioning member when the clamping portion moves to a fixing position. The torsion-spring portion is connected to a second end of the clamping portion and pivotally connected to the pivot member for driving the clamping portion to a releasing position to separate the clamping portion from the end of the bending board. |
| US08705249B2 |
Method for manufacture of a fuse for a printed circuit board
Some invention embodiments relate to a method for forming a fuse which electrically connects two metal surfaces (2) that are arranged on a printed circuit board (4) next to each other and spaced apart from each other. It is provided according to the invention that the two metal surfaces (2) are each partially covered with a protective coating (5), wherein a partial region forming a contact region (2a) remains uncovered, liquid soft solder material (1) which bridges the gap between the two metal surfaces (2) is applied onto the two uncovered partial regions (2a), and the protective coating (5) in a surrounding area of the solder material (1) is removed after the soft solder material (1) has solidified, in order to form receiving regions (2b) which are wetted by the solder material (1) when the latter fuses, with the result that the solder material (1) flows off from a printed circuit board region (3) between the two metal surfaces (2) and the electrical contact formed by the solder material (1) is interrupted. Furthermore, other invention embodiments relate to a printed circuit board with such a fuse. |
| US08705246B2 |
Electronic part and connection structure of the electronic part
An electronic part includes an electronic part body, an electrode terminal that protrudes from the electronic part body, and that electrically connects the electronic part to an external electrode when a flexible conductor is joined to an electrode surface, and a holder made of an insulating material, and joined to the electronic part body. The holder is interposed between a mounting plate and the electronic part body when the electronic part is mounted to the mounting plate, and the holder is in contact with a surface of the electrode terminal opposite from the electrode surface. |
| US08705242B2 |
Inverter device and drive unit using the same
In two systems of three-phase alternating-current inverter devices that drive a motor, power elements on power supply sides of bridge circuits are mounted on unit bases to constitute upper arm units. Power elements on ground sides of the bridge circuits are mounted on unit bases to constitute lower arm units. The upper arm units and the lower arm units are arranged separately on upper surfaces and outside surfaces of heat dissipation blocks of a heat sink. Heats generated by the power elements do not interfere with each other and are emitted to the heat sink, whereby heat dissipation performance of the power elements constituting the bridge circuits is improved. |
| US08705240B1 |
Embossed heat spreader
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a heat spreader module for dissipating thermal heat generated by electronic components. The assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), electronic components disposed on the PCB, a thermal interface material (TIM) thermally coupled to the electronic components, and a heat spreader plate thermally coupled to the TIM. The heat spreader plate includes an embossed pattern. Consequently, surface area available for heat conduction between the heat spreader plate and surrounding medium may be increased relative to the prior art designs. |
| US08705235B2 |
Fan unit assembly
A fan unit assembly includes a fan rack, fan units and handles. The fan rack includes a carrier and parallel partition boards erected on the carrier to define fan-disposing regions. The partition board has at least one first positioning part and at least one first guiding part facing the corresponding fan-disposing region. The fan unit has two side surfaces and a front surface. The front surface connects the side surfaces. The side surfaces respectively have a second guiding part engaged with the first guiding part. The fan unit is suitable to move along the first guiding part through the second guiding part. The handles are disposed at the front surface and both ends thereof are bent to form two pivot portions respectively pivoted on the side surfaces. Each pivot portion has a second positioning part. When the handle rotates towards the front surface, the positioning parts interfere with each other. |
| US08705230B2 |
Hard disc device
A hard disc device including a frame, a hard disc, a pushing rod and a door is provided. The frame has a pair of troughs interior. The hard disc is movably disposed in the frame and leans against the troughs. The pushing rod disposed outside the frame has a first end and a second end. The second end extends along external of the frame. The door has a third end and a fourth end, wherein the fourth end is disposed at the frame, such that the third end rotates relative to the fourth end. The fourth end has a cam leaning against the second end of the rod. |
| US08705227B2 |
Latching mechanism, wrist rest and keyboard assembly
A latching mechanism for latching a wrist rest to a keyboard defining two latching holes, includes an actuating member slidably coupled to the wrist rest, and two hook members rotatably coupled to the wrist rest. The actuating member includes an abutting post, sliding between an unlatching position extending out of the wrist rest and a latching position hidden in the wrist rest. When the wrist rest contacts the front sidewall, the actuating member slides to the latching position, the hook members extend out of the wrist rest; when the actuating member returns to the unlatching position, the hook members disengage from the latching hole to retract into the wrist rest. A wrist rest and a keyboard assembly having the latching mechanism are also provided. |
| US08705223B2 |
Method for producing insulated electrodes for applying electric fields into conductive material
The present disclosure relates to a method for producing an insulated electrode comprising a conductive material coated with an electrically insulating material. The method includes at least the following steps of: forming a mold in an electrically insulating material, the mold including at least one channel, the mold being adapted to confine a conductive material, introducing the conductive material in a liquid state into the channel of the mold, the conductive material having a melting point that is lower than the melting point of the electrically insulating material. |
| US08705222B2 |
Compensating temperature effects in magnetic actuators
Methods and apparatus for adjusting the amount of current provided to a magnetic actuator to compensate for a temperature change associated with the magnetic actuator are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus includes an actuator, which has at least one magnet and an associated force constant. The apparatus also includes a temperature sensing arrangement and a control arrangement, the temperature sensing arrangement being arranged to determine or measure a temperature of the magnet. The control arrangement adjusts the current provided to the actuator based on the temperature of the magnet. The current is adjusted to maintain a correct or desired force in light of temperature-induced variations to a force constant. |
| US08705220B2 |
Surge arrester and gas-insulated electric apparatus
A surge arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a switching unit connected to a gas-insulated electric equipment in which insulating gas is sealed, and switching a limited voltage of the surge arrester into a limited voltage smaller than a low-temperature critical voltage indicating a withstand voltage generating a dielectric breakdown when the insulating gas is liquefied. |
| US08705219B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a first power line; a second power line; a ground line; two stack transistors connected in series between the first power line and the ground line; a first resistor connected between the first power line and a first node; a first transistor and a capacitor connected in series between the first node and the ground line; a second transistor connected between the second power line and a second node; a third transistor connected between the first power line and a third node; an inverter, connected between the third node and the ground line, and having an input connected to the second node; a fourth transistor, connected to the first power line, and having a gate connected to the second node; and a fifth transistor, connected between the second power line and the third node, and having a gate connected to a terminal of the fourth transistor. |
| US08705215B2 |
High voltage fault current limiter having immersed phase coils
A fault current limiter including: a ferromagnetic circuit formed from a ferromagnetic material and including at least a first limb, and a second limb; a saturation mechanism surrounding a limb for magnetically saturating the ferromagnetic material; a phase coil wound around a second limb; a dielectric fluid surrounding the phase coil; a gaseous atmosphere surrounding the saturation mechanism. |
| US08705212B2 |
Magnetic element with enhanced coupling portion
An apparatus and associated method may be used to produce a magnetic element capable of detecting changes in magnetic states. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a magnetically responsive lamination of layers with a first portion and a laterally adjacent second portion. The second portion having a predetermined roughness between at least two layers capable of producing orange-peel coupling. |
| US08705211B2 |
Interleaved circuit of flexure for disk drive
An interleaved circuit has first branch conductors branching from a first conductor, second branch conductors branching from a second conductor, a metal base, an insulating layer of a dielectric, and a cover resin layer. The metal base comprises an opening. The first branch conductors and the second branch conductors are arranged alternately in a transverse direction of the insulating layer. A slit is formed in the insulating layer and the cover resin layer. The slit comprises a pair of opposite walls and an air gap between the opposite walls. Air introduced into the air gap forms an air layer. The slit extends longitudinally relative to the interleaved circuit along at least a part of the branch conductors. |
| US08705204B2 |
Recording head with high-frequency oscillator and bi-layer main pole height/width arrangement
According to one embodiment, a main pole of a recording head includes a first magnetic pole layer and a second magnetic pole layer laminated on the trailing side of the first magnetic pole layer. The first magnetic pole layer includes a tapered portion and a first tip portion. The second magnetic pole layer includes a tapered portion and a second tip portion. A width in a track direction of the second tip portion is smaller than that of the first tip portion. The high-frequency oscillator is between the second tip portion and the trailing shield and includes a width in the track direction substantially equal to the width in the track direction of the second tip portion, and a height of the first tip portion is taller than that of the second tip portion. |
| US08705203B2 |
Spindle motor and disk driving device
There is provided a spindle motor for a 2.5″ type disk driving device, including: a base having a stator core seating part protruding upwardly in an axial direction; a stator core including a ring-shaped coreback part, a tooth part, and a front end part; and a coil wound around the stator core, wherein when a length of the stator core from an inner end portion of the coreback part to the endmost part of the front end part is defined as L and a height of the wound coil from the lowermost edge of the coil in an axial direction to the uppermost edge thereof is defined as H, a ratio (H/L) of the height of the wound coil to the length of the stator core in which back electromotive force (B-EMF) is 0.35 V/Krpm or more when the supply of power is stopped satisfies 0.524≦H/L≦0.703. |
| US08705201B2 |
Information storage device with a damping insert sheet between a housing bay and a disk drive
A novel information storage device is disclosed and claimed. The information storage device includes a device housing with a generally rectangular bay to accommodate a disk drive. The generally rectangular bay includes a base portion and a plurality of side portions. The information storage device further includes a damping insert sheet disposed between the disk drive and the base portion. The damping insert sheet has a plurality of elastomeric cushions, for example with a cushion thickness in the range 0.5 mm to 10 mm, and a spanning sheet, for example having a sheet thickness in the range 0.02 mm to 0.35 mm. Each of the plurality of elastomeric cushions is attached to the spanning sheet. Each of the plurality of elastomeric cushions contacts and is compressed between the generally rectangular bay and the disk drive. |
| US08705200B2 |
Magazine latch for a storage library
Embodiments include systems and methods for securing a magazine in a housing using a latching system. Embodiments operate in context of a storage library having removable magazines that store data cartridges. For example, a floating, two-part latching system operates in either an operable state or an unlatched state. The latching system includes a setter and a latch, where the latch is configured to float on the setter and to be biased into a latched position. When the setter is in a first position, it permits the latch to float between at least a fully latched position and a fully unlatched position. When the setter is moved to a second position, it moves the latch into the fully unlatched position and restricts the latch from moving into the latched position. |
| US08705194B2 |
Method and system for reading from or writing to multiple surfaces of a disk
A system includes a management module transferring sectors between an interface or a memory and ports. The management module transfers a first portion of a first sector to or from a first port while transferring to or from a second port a second portion of the first sector or a first portion of a second sector. A first channel module reads from or writes to a first surface of a disk via a first head by transferring the first portion of the first sector to or from a first amplifier module. A second channel module, while the first channel module transfers the first portion of the first sector to or from the first amplifier module, reads from or writes to a second surface of the disk via a second head by transferring to or from a second amplifier module the second portion or the first portion of the second sector. |
| US08705193B2 |
Magnetic disk control device, magnetic disk apparatus, magnetic disk control method and computer program
A magnetic disk control device according to an exemplary of the invention includes a write controller to control, in a magnetic disk having tracks, the track being a storage area made by concentrically dividing a magnetic recording layer formed onto a disk into a plurality of areas, the track being divided into a plurality of areas in a rotative direction as sectors, writing information into the each sector; and a substitution controller to make, by detecting the sector or the track written at a frequency higher than a writing frequency based on a number of times of writing by the write controller to the sector or the track and by moving information recorded in an adjacent track adjacent to a high-writing-frequency track including the detected high writing frequency sector or to a high-writing-frequency track which is detected as a high writing frequency track to a track of a substitution area. |
| US08705192B1 |
Enhanced quality-sorting scheduler
Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a read channel system and method for providing sector prioritization for promoting improved sector processing performance. The system and method, during processing of sectors of data, prioritize each of the sectors for further processing based upon: a global iteration index of each sector, trapping set characteristics of each sector and processing latency of each sector. |
| US08705191B1 |
Null servo demodulation for short servo wedge in disk storage systems
In a disk storage system, the disk may include a full null servo position error signal (“PES”) wedge, followed by a data wedge, and then a short null servo PES wedge. To improve the accuracy with which information read from the short null servo PES wedge can be used to help keep the read head centered over the information track being read, the short null servo PES wedge may include a calibration field. Information read from the calibration field can be used to compensate the subsequently read PES information in the short wedge for possible sampling phase error that may have accumulated since the full null servo PES wedge was read. This type of short null servo PES wedge also has other possible uses. |
| US08705190B2 |
Method for determining whether defect on disk is recess or protrusion and magnetic disk drive
According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for determining whether a defect on a disk in an apparatus includes head is a recess or a protrusion. The method detects a first defect on the disk using a read element provided in the head. The method detects a second defect on the disk using a head disk interference sensor provided in the head. The method further determines whether a third defect is a recessed defect or a protruding defect based on a ratio between a first width of the first defect in a radial direction on the disk and a second width of the second defect in the radial direction of the disk. The third defect is identified based on the first defect and the second defect. |
| US08705189B2 |
Emergency vision apparatus with closable hand opening
An emergency vision apparatus comprises an inflatable first enclosure, the first enclosure being made of airtight material and having an expanded form when deployed and a deflated form when not in use; and first and second clear members disposed at respective first and second ends of the first enclosure to enable a user to see through the first enclosure when expanded and observe a source of information at a distal end of the first enclosure while smoke or other particulate matter is in the environment. The first enclosure includes a closable opening configured for insertion of a user's hand to allow the user to operate a touch sensitive screen or hardware disposed in front of the first clear member; and a sealable closure for closing the opening and sealing the opening around the user's hand. |
| US08705187B2 |
Lens apparatus and image-pickup apparatus
A lens apparatus includes a first lens barrel member and a second lens barrel member coupled with the first lens barrel member via a cam mechanism. The first lens barrel member includes a stopper portion and a gear portion. The stopper portion comes into contact with a first contact surface formed in the second lens barrel member, when the first lens barrel member protruding from the second lens barrel member in the optical axis direction receives the external force from a front end side of the first lens barrel member in its protruding direction, to restrict a displacement of the first lens barrel member with respect to the second lens barrel member due to the external force. The gear portion comes into contact with a second contact surface formed in the second lens barrel member to restrict the displacement due to the external force. |
| US08705185B2 |
Optical element
An optical element has at least one additional element fitted thereon which dissipates the vibrational energy of the optical element by friction. |
| US08705182B1 |
Photographing lens assembly
A photographing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex at a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being concave at a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex at a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave at a paraxial region thereof and being convex at a peripheral region thereof, wherein the fifth lens element is made of plastic material and has at least one surface being aspheric. |
| US08705181B2 |
Image capturing system
An image capturing system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has positive refractive power. The fourth lens element with negative refractive power has a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, wherein at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is aspheric. The fifth lens element with refractive power has a concave image-side surface, wherein at least one of an object-side surface and the image-side surface of the fifth lens element is aspheric, and the fifth lens element has at least one inflection point on the image-side surface thereof. |
| US08705174B2 |
Antiglare film, polarizing plate, and image display device
An antiglare film is provided, the antiglare film including a transparent plastic film substrate; an antiglare layer having fine recesses and projections on the surface thereof; and an abrasion resistant layer provided at an uppermost surface of the antiglare film, the abrasion resistant layer having an average film thickness of from 0.03 to 0.4 μm, wherein the abrasion resistant layer is formed from a curable composition containing at least following components (A), (B), and (C): (A) an inorganic fine particle containing silicon oxide as a main component and having an average particle size of from 1 to 300 nm; (B) an ionizing radiation-curable resin; and (C) a polymer thickener. |
| US08705173B2 |
Optical rangefinder and reticle system for variable optical power sighting devices
A reticle system for a variable optical power sighting device includes front and rear reticles proximate respective front and rear focal planes of the device. Range-compensating features are provided, such as a scale and a pair of bracketing marks formed in the rear reticle which cooperate with an indicator mark formed in the front reticle. The indicator mark is radially offset from the optical axis it appears to move in the field of view along the scale in response to adjustment of the optical power to thereby indicate a measurement corresponding to a size of a distant target subtended in the field of view by the bracketing marks. A two-part electronic reticle system is also disclosed utilizing similar principles of operation. The rear reticle and scale may be electroformed to reduce cost and improve light transmission relative to a glass reticle. |
| US08705168B2 |
Signal light monitoring apparatus, optical amplification apparatus and optical reception apparatus, and signal light monitoring method
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an apparatus includes an optical branching unit for branching an input signal light in four directions, a polarization component extraction unit extracting four polarization components having mutually different polarization parameters from lights branched in four directions by the optical branching unit, and a determination unit determining input/non-input of the signal light based on the four polarization components extracted by the polarization component extraction unit. |
| US08705165B2 |
Optical wavelength conversion element, wavelength conversion laser device, and image display device
An optical wavelength conversion element includes: a wavelength conversion waveguide that has a periodic polarization reversal structure having alternately and cyclically formed domains of which polarization directions are inverted, that guides light as a fundamental wave corresponding to the periodic polarization reversal structure, and performs a wavelength conversion of the guided fundamental wave; a first clad that is made of a dielectric having a refractive index lower than that of the wavelength conversion waveguide and is provided in contact with the domains; a second clad that is made of a dielectric having a refractive index lower than that of the wavelength conversion waveguide and is provided in contact with the domains such that the second clad is opposed to the first clad film; a first conducting unit that electrically connects the domains in parallel via the first clad; and a second conducting unit that electrically connects the domains in parallel via the second clad. |
| US08705161B2 |
Method of manufacturing a reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly
A method of manufacturing a reflective element for a vehicle rearview mirror assembly includes providing front and rear glass substrates and establishing an uncured trace material at least at the rear glass substrate and establishing an uncured seal material along a perimeter region of at least one of the second surface of the front glass substrate and the third surface of the rear glass substrate. The front and rear glass substrates are joined with the uncured seal material disposed therebetween. The uncured seal material and the uncured trace material are cured via a common curing process. The curing of the uncured trace material forms an electrically conductive trace at the rear glass substrate and the curing of the uncured seal material forms a perimeter seal of the reflective element. The electrically conductive trace is in electrical continuity with the electrically conductive mirror reflector. |
| US08705159B2 |
Microelectromechanical system with a center of mass balanced by a mirror substrate
MEMS and fabrication techniques for positioning the center of mass of released structures in MEMS are provided. In an embodiment, a mirror substrate is affixed to a member partially released from a first substrate and a through hole formed in the second substrate is accessed to complete release of the member. |
| US08705158B2 |
Scanning optical device and image forming apparatus using the same
A scanning optical device wherein, on the basis of positional information concerning a spacing in a main-scan direction between imaging positions of a plurality of light beams passed through resin-made imaging optical elements and detected by a photodetecting device and a spacing between the imaging positions in a sub-scan direction of the plurality of light beams, a focal shift direction and a focal shift amount in the main-scan direction as well as a focal shift direction and a focal shift amount in the sub-scan direction are determined, and wherein an optical element of an input optical system is moved in an optical axis direction based on the determination, to correct the focal shift in the main-scan direction and the focal shift in the sub-scan direction. |
| US08705155B2 |
Multiple monochromatic print cartridge printing method separating distinct colour plane into plurality of fake colour planes to form fake colour image
A printing method includes the steps of: receiving a color image and separating the color image into a plurality of distinct color planes; dithering a first distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the first distinct color plane; dithering a second distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the second distinct color plane; providing the dot data for the first distinct color plane to a first print head cartridge for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the first print head cartridge; and providing the dot data for the second distinct color plane to a second print head cartridge positioned downstream from the first print head cartridge in a direction of print media propagation, the dot data for the second distinct color plane for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the second print head cartridge. |
| US08705152B2 |
System, medium, and method calibrating gray data
A system, medium, and method calibrating gray data. The system calibrating gray data includes a transformation unit to transform red, green, and blue (RGB) data of a source device into transformed color data of a different color space using a color appearance model, and a calibration unit to map a chroma value of gray data, corresponding to the transformed color data, in the different color space to a predetermined value to generate calibrated color space data. |
| US08705148B2 |
Print and scan sharing paper pick and paper motion control in a multi-function printer
A multi-function printer having a compact size and portable configuration while providing printing, scanning and copying functionalities is disclosed herein. The multi-function printer includes a printer assembly and a scanner assembly configured to cooperatively utilize the same pick and paper movement systems along a common feed or paper path to perform these printing, scanning and copying functions. Thus, the disclosed multi-function printer may require a less complex paper movement and control system which, in turn, reduces the printer's overall weight while increasing its flexibility and/or portability. |
| US08705144B2 |
Image processing method for three-dimensional printing
A relief print master is created by printing a sequence of layers on top of each other by an inkjet printing system. The top layer corresponds with the binary halftoned image that is to be printed by the print master and the lower intermediate layers are supporting layers. The features in a lower supporting layer have an area that is larger than the corresponding features in a higher supporting layer. A circular spread function is applied on the features of a higher intermediate layer to increase the area of the features in a lower intermediate layer. By using a sequence of two non-circular spread functions, the circular spread function is approximated and the number of required calculations can be reduced. |
| US08705139B1 |
Method for creating high resolution print media
A method for creating a high resolution print media using a display resolution screen image approval process, web-based ordering, web based checkout and payment, by an unskilled user to create a message of pre-process data and a display resolution image for rendering a high resolution image on a substrate. |
| US08705137B2 |
Apparatus that performs calibration for maintaining image quality
To add an arbitrary recording medium as a recording medium that can be used for calibration to maintain the quality of an image to be formed, an image forming unit forms a pattern image on each of a specific recording medium that can be used for the calibration and the arbitrary recording medium. A creating unit creates second conversion setting information applied to the arbitrary recording medium to convert luminance information into density information, using first luminance information obtained from the pattern image formed on the specific recording medium, second luminance information obtained from the pattern image formed on the arbitrary recording medium, and first conversion setting information applied to the specific recording medium for converting luminance information into density information. A determining unit determines a common image formation condition applied to the specific recording medium and the arbitrary recording medium based on the second conversion setting information. |
| US08705134B2 |
Method of processing an image to clarify text in the image
An image file representing at least a portion of a printed document is processed to highlight the differences between foreground material (e.g., text or other characters) from background. The method includes selecting a neighborhood of pixels, determining a weighted average of an attribute values (e.g., luminance) for each pixel, and modifying each pixel's value based on the weighted average. Graylevel scaling, error diffusion, and a bit level conversion are also performed each pixel ends up with either a first attribute value level (e.g., luminance of 0) or a second attribute value level (e.g., luminance of 255). |
| US08705133B2 |
High dynamic range display systems
A display system and method of producing images with high dynamic range are provided. The display system employs multiple light valves for projecting a portion of the image onto another. |
| US08705132B2 |
Printing apparatus, data processing method for printing apparatus and storage medium
A printing apparatus and method for processing data in the printing apparatus includes estimating a printing time by adding an intermediate data generation time and a rendering time, determining whether the estimated printing time of each page keeps up with a timing at which an image needs to be formed on a conveyed sheet for each page. If it is determined that the estimated printing time does not keep up with the timing at which the image needs to be formed, further determining whether an idle time is present by comparing the intermediate data generation time and the rendering time. If it is discriminated that the idle time is present, the changing an optimization level for determining whether to perform processing on a particular object in the document image data during rendering, or to perform the processing during intermediate data generation. |
| US08705125B2 |
Printing system and print setting proposal method
A recommendation set content in a print setting item is proposed based on a print setting history of a print job in which a print instruction is given from an information processing apparatus and printing is performed in an image forming apparatus at time of print setting in the information processing apparatus. A printing system accumulates set contents of print setting items at time of print instruction in the information processing apparatus as a print setting history, for example, in a server, and at start of print setting or at time of print setting change in the information processing apparatus, searches recommendation setting candidates based on a predetermined recommendation basis from the set contents of print setting items at the start of the print setting or at the time of the print setting change, and displays the searched recommendation setting candidates on the information processing apparatus. |
| US08705124B2 |
Image forming apparatus, color-misregistration correcting method, and computer program product
An image forming apparatus includes recording heads for ejecting recording liquids of colors onto a recording medium. The apparatus includes a reference-patch forming unit that records a reference patch, the reference patch being formed by overlaying dot array patterns recorded with the recording liquids of different colors, the dot array patterns having no correlation therebetween; a detection-patch-group forming unit that records a detection patch group including detection patches, each of the detection patches being formed by overlaying dot array patterns recorded with the recording liquids of the different colors, the dot array patterns having a same cycle of regular dot array, the detection patches being allocated with different misregistration amounts of the dot array patterns; and a color-misregistration correcting unit that corrects color misregistration based on results of comparison between color tone of the reference patch and color tone of each of the detection patches. |
| US08705119B2 |
Applications, systems and methods for identifying and monitoring critical colors in customer print jobs
Applications, systems and methods for identifying and monitoring critical colors in a print job and using an embedded color sensing device to measure critical color printed actually printed. The application permits the user to interact with a print job and to select of one or more critical colors from within the print job. In one embodiment, an application is configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate the user in selecting critical colors. A printing system and method are disclosed for automatically monitoring critical colors in a print job and using an embedded color sensing device to measure critical color printed. |
| US08705114B2 |
Apparatus for jetting droplet and apparatus for jetting droplet using nanotip
The present invention provides a droplet jetting apparatus which jets fluid in a droplet shape. The apparatus includes a main body (100), which has a chamber (110) for containing fluid. The main body further has at least one nozzle (120) which communicates with the chamber and jets a droplet onto a printable matter, and a first electrode (130) which is formed on the inner surface of at least one selected from between the nozzle and the chamber by patterning treatment to make electrical contact with the fluid. The apparatus further includes a second electrode (140), which is provided between the nozzle and the printable matter and has a through hole, through which the droplet is jetted from the nozzle onto the printable matter, a power supply (200) which supplies a voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a control unit (300) which controls the power supply. |
| US08705113B2 |
Apparatus and method for recording a maintenance pattern
A recording apparatus using a recording head having a first recording element array and a second recording element array for one color component includes a first memory configured to store a plurality of first patterns which correspond to first, second, and third gradation values and in which dot data is allocated to the first recording element array or the second recording element array, a second pattern which corresponds to fourth gradation value and in which dot data is allocated to the first recording element array, and a third pattern corresponds to fifth gradation value and in which dot data is allocated to the second recording element array, a data acquisition unit configured to acquire multi-valued data at the first, the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth gradation value, a generation unit configured to generate dot data based on the multi-valued data generated by the acquisition unit. |
| US08705112B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling color registration sensors
A method and apparatus for controlling registration sensors are provided, in which a transfer unit transfers an electrostatic latent image onto a printing medium, at least one registration sensor senses image alignment errors by irradiating light to the transfer unit to sense reflected light, a sensor data storage unit stores characteristics data of the respective registration sensors, and a sensor control unit controls the registration sensors based on the characteristics data of the respective registration sensors, wherein the registration sensors are placed into the transfer unit. Accordingly, time for performing an algorithm of color registration can be reduced, and registration can be achieved correctly in a short time, irrespective of a set frame of the image forming apparatus. |
| US08705107B2 |
Servicing a print request from a client system
A method and associated system for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems. A network connection between the specific client system and at least two printer server systems is set up response to receiving the print request from the specific client system. Client-specific information from a client profile is read from database accessible to each printer server system. At least one best-suited printer of the at least two printers is ascertained to be used for servicing the print request, utilizing the client-specific information, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile. The print request is serviced by the at least one best suited printer. |
| US08705105B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus outputs, when both bookbinding printing for outputting a book and a number of pages arranged on a surface of a sheet are set, a print product that a user can easily read by synchronizing an opening direction and an arrangement order. |
| US08705104B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of controlling the same
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the same which may prevent brokenness of data displayed on a display are provided. The image forming apparatus performs a read operation on data previously stored at a specific address of a storage unit of an LCD module or on data stored through a write operation. The image forming apparatus compares data acquired through the read operation and known data. If the data acquired through the read operation and the known data are different, the image forming apparatus adjusts a setup time of an enable signal to prevent brokenness of data due to incorrect timing of the enable signal. |
| US08705097B2 |
Internet applications and services for rendering digital content
Digital content rendering services provided over the Internet are disclosed. The service enables multiple concurrent users to log on and access server and applications in separate and protected sessions. The server may receive content objects and instructions for manipulating the content with an information apparatus operated by a user. The server may further receive job objects including at least one of authentication, payment, and subscription information. The server may generate output data related to the rendering job and the content, and send the output data to an output controller or media box, internally included or externally connected, to an output device for rendering, the output device may be a television, a display device, a sound device, or a printer. The service may send service confirmation to the information apparatus. The service may also store user's digital content at a node over the Internet for later access by the user. |
| US08705096B2 |
Image forming apparatus and display method for displaying different component information based on a type of user of the image forming apparatus
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a plurality of components, a display section to display information of the components, a storage section to store replacing person information of the components and a control section to make the information of the components which are displayed in the display section be different according to the replacing person information of the components. |
| US08705092B2 |
Method and system for repurposing E-mail correspondence to save paper and ink
E-mail correspondence is repurposed to save paper and ink. An indication that a printout of e-mail correspondence from a printer has been requested is received. Further, a plurality of e-mail messages that belong to an e-mail conversation tree is detected. In addition, the plurality of e-mail messages in the e-mail conversation tree is reordered according to a respective timestamp associated with each e-mail message in the plurality of e-mail messages. The respective timestamp indicates a time of transmission. A root e-mail message is determined according to an earliest respective timestamp. The root e-mail message is a root node of the e-mail conversation tree. Further, a plurality of content blocks from the root e-mail message is recorded as a set of print blocks. In addition, a plurality of subsequent e-mail message content blocks with the set of print blocks. |
| US08705091B2 |
Image forming device generating screens for remote and local access, information processing method, and computer-readable recording medium
In an image forming device including a processor unit, a first screen generating part generates a screen to be displayed on an operation panel and displays the screen on the operation panel. A second screen generating part generates screen data to be displayed on an information processing device and transmits the screen data to the information processing device. An application managing part selects, in response to a request of execution of an application, one of the first and second screen generating parts as a candidate for use of the application based on a source inputting the request. The first and second screen generating parts are configured to receive a request of generation of a screen using a common interface, and the application inputs through the common interface the request to the selected one of the first and second screen generating parts. |
| US08705082B2 |
Image forming apparatus monitoring system and method therefor
A monitoring server that monitors an image forming apparatus and detects an error if any has occurred thereon, identifies a type of firmware that has caused the error, and issues an instruction for replacing a version of the identified type of firmware. The image forming apparatus issues, to a transmission server, a request for transmitting a replacement version of the identified type of firmware. The transmission server refers to a firmware version list table to determine another type of firmware whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the identified type of firmware. The transmission server transmits the replacement version of the identified type of firmware and the determined another type of firmware to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus receives each firmware transmitted from the transmission server and applies the received firmware to the image forming apparatus. |
| US08705074B2 |
Processing device and processing method
A processing device has a requesting section that issues a request to transmit processing data to a server; a receiving section that receives the processing data transmitted from the server in response to the request; a processing section that sequentially makes the received processing data a processing object, and conducts processing based on the processing data that is made a processing object; and a measuring section that measures a data amount of the processing data that has been made a processing object among the received processing data. In a case where a session between the server is disconnected before all the processing data is made a processing object and thereafter the session is reconnected, the processing section conducts processing with respect to a portion that is not yet made a processing object based on the data amount have measured when the server is disconnected. |
| US08705065B2 |
System, device and storage device storing a program for selectively preventing scanned images from being displayed
An image scanning system includes (1) an image scanning device, which includes an input unit configured to acquire an instruction by a user, an image scanner configured to scan an image and generate image data and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the image data; (2) a display lock judging unit configured to judge whether a display lock is necessary based on whether a predetermined instruction is acquired by the input unit; and (3) a data processing device which includes a first reception unit configured to receive the image data transmitted by the transmitting unit of the image scanning device, a first display unit configured to display the image data received by the first reception unit and a display control unit configured to control the first display unit so as not to display the image data if the display lock judging unit judges that the display lock is necessary. |
| US08705063B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium
A next generation application issues a status information request for acquiring status information from a print device. A next generation driver executes status information acquisition processing from the print device and generates coupled information by coupling the acquired status information each time the status information is acquired to thereby determine whether or not a specific code was acquired based on the coupled information. When the specific code was not acquired from the image forming device, the next generation driver determines whether or not the number of execution times of status information acquisition processing is within a threshold value. The next generation driver acquires information corresponding to a status designated by the status information request from the coupled information when the next generation driver determines that the number of execution times of the status information acquisition processing exceeds the threshold value and responds the information to a requesting unit. |
| US08705058B2 |
Print/copy control system including a processing unit with a display unit for displaying a listing of advice information for comparison
A print/copy control system including a processing unit which includes a first unit that receives a set of print/copy conditions selected by a user, a second unit that receives a standard set of print/copy conditions of an image forming device designated by the user, a third unit that receives other selectable sets of print/copy conditions of the image forming device, and a display unit that displays a listing of each of the standard set of print/copy conditions of the image forming device, the set of print/copy conditions selected by the user, and the other selectable sets of print/copy conditions of the image forming device for comparison. |
| US08705055B2 |
Print job completion estimation mechanism
A method disclosed. The method includes receiving a print job, transmitting a query to two or more printers requesting a time estimate to print the print job at each of the two or more printers, receiving the time estimates from the two or more printers and selecting a first of the two or more printers at which the print job is to be printed based on the received time estimates. |
| US08705053B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and method for controlling image processing apparatus and accessing storage device employing emulation
Attachment of a USB memory is sensed and whether the USB memory can be recognized or not is determined based on data information output from the USB memory. When the USB memory cannot be recognized, an emulation transition screen is displayed. Thereafter, when an instruction to start transition to an emulation mode is given, an emulation mode transition instruction signal and an IP address of an MFP on a network are output. Receiving the input of the emulation mode transition instruction signal, an emulation mode start-up/end unit starts up the emulation mode. |
| US08705046B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing optical imaging using frequency-domain interferometry
An apparatus and method are provided. In particular, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation may be provided to a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a non-reflective reference. A frequency of the first and/or second radiations varies over time. An interference is detected between at least one third radiation associated with the first radiation and at least one fourth radiation associated with the second radiation. Alternatively, the first electro-magnetic radiation and/or second electro-magnetic radiation have a spectrum which changes over time. The spectrum may contain multiple frequencies at a particular time. In addition, it is possible to detect the interference signal between the third radiation and the fourth radiation in a first polarization state. Further, it may be preferable to detect a further interference signal between the third and fourth radiations in a second polarization state which is different from the first polarization state. The first and/or second electro-magnetic radiations may have a spectrum whose mean frequency changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond. |
| US08705041B2 |
Coaxial interferometer and inspection probe
An optical probe has optical components of an interferometer and includes an optical axis, at least one optical source for emitting light along an illumination path that is at least partially coaxial with the optical axis, a first beam splitter and a first lens. The first beam splitter intersects the optical axis and splits the light from the at least one optical source into a first beam for traveling along a reference path that is coaxial with the optical axis to a reference surface and a second beam for traveling along a test path that is coaxial with the optical axis to a specimen. The first lens is interposed along the reference path. |
| US08705040B2 |
Methods and apparatus for determining particle characteristics by measuring scattered light
An apparatus and method for determining characteristics of particles, by measuring characteristics which are related to the velocity of the particles. Particle size distribution is determined from motion of the particles in an acceleration field, or from Brownian motion of the particles. Zeta potential and particle mobility are determined by measuring velocity related characteristics of charged particles in an electric field. Particle velocity characteristics are determined by measuring dynamic properties of light, which is scattered by the particles. A light source illuminates the particles. Scattered light, from the particles, is mixed with light, from the light source, onto at least one light detector. The detector produces a signal, which is indicative of velocity related characteristics of the particles. The velocity characteristics are also determined by measuring light scattered from particles moving through an illumination pattern, with a periodic intensity structure. In addition, the velocity characteristics of particles are utilized to separate particles into different ranges of particle size, for size analysis using dynamic and static light scattering methods. |
| US08705034B2 |
Evaluation device and evaluation method
In an evaluation device, an analyzer is rotated so that the azimuth of the transmission axis of the analyzer has an inclination angle of 90 degrees±3 degrees with respect to the transmission axis of a polarizer. An imaging camera captures a regularly reflected image of a wafer under each condition, and an image processing unit evaluates the shape of a repeating pattern and detects dose defects and focus defects on the basis of the two images of the wafer captured by the imaging camera. |
| US08705033B2 |
Multi-channel surface plasmon resonance sensor using beam profile ellipsometry
Provided is a multi-channel surface plasmon resonance sensor using beam profile ellipsometry; and, more particularly, to a high sensitive measuring technology, which is coupled with a vertical illumination type focused-beam ellipsometer using a multi-incident angle measurement method, and a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing part deposited with a metal thin film. The multi-channel surface plasmon resonance sensor includes a vertical illumination type focused-beam ellipsometer in which light is polarized; a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing part which is provided at the objective lens part of the focused-beam ellipsometer; and a multi-channel flow unit which supplies a buffer solution containing a bio material binding to or dissociation from a metal thin film generating surface plasmon. |
| US08705030B2 |
Optical sample detection system and sample analysis device
An optical sample detection system is provided, including a light source; a convergence projection component for converging light rays emitted by the light source; a sample accommodation component for accommodating a detected sample; a light beam collection component for receiving light rays carrying sample characteristic information and transmitted from the sample accommodation component; a light splitting component for splitting polychromatic lights collected by the light beam collection component into independent spectrums or spectral bands; and a photoelectric detection component for receiving optical signals of different wavelengths separated through the light splitting component. |
| US08705027B2 |
Optical defect amplification for improved sensitivity on patterned layers
A method for wafer defect inspection may include, but is not limited to: providing an inspection target; applying at least one defect inspection enhancement to the inspection target; illuminating the inspection target including the at least one inspection enhancement to generate one or more inspection signals associated with one or more features of the inspection target; detecting the inspection signals; and generating one or more inspection parameters from the inspection signals. An inspection target may include, but is not limited to: at least one inspection layer; and at least one inspection enhancement layer. |
| US08705019B2 |
Structural material with embedded sensors
The structural material with embedded sensors provides of diagnostics and measurement of static and/or dynamic strains in structures and structural elements formed from the structural material. The structural material includes an array of fiber Bragg grating sensors or the like embedded therein for strain measurement and monitoring. An array of linear channels is formed in the structural element, and the plurality of fiber Bragg grating sensors are respectively disposed therein. The plurality of fiber Bragg grating sensors communicate with a signal analyzer, which receives the signals generated by the fiber Bragg grating sensors, the signals being representative of a magnitude of a strain placed on the structural element. The signal analyzer may, in turn, transmit a conditioned signal to a computer or the like for presentation of strain data to the user. |
| US08705018B2 |
Arrangement for and method of examining gemstones
An arrangement for, and a method of, accurately determining at least one optical property, such as coverage and/or symmetry, of a gemstone, employ an energizable, stationary light source for directing light rays at different orientations to an uncovered table of the gemstone, and an energizable, stationary backlight spaced away from a culet of the gemstone. A controller energizes the light source to generate return light from the gemstone for each light ray, and energizes the backlight to illuminate the gemstone from behind. An imager images the return light as a plurality of frontlit images, and images the backlit gemstone as a backlit image. The controller processes at least one of the images to determine the optical property of the gemstone. |
| US08705017B2 |
Photonic fence
A system for tracking airborne organisms includes an imager, a backlight source (such as a retroreflective surface) in view of the imager, and a processor configured to analyze one or more images captured by the processor to identify a biological property of an organism. |
| US08705012B2 |
Device for optically scanning and measuring an environment
With a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, which is designed as a laser scanner, with a light emitter, which emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam which is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner or scattered otherwise, and with a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines at least the distance to the object, the laser scanner has a cooling device with a space between a carrying structure and a shell which serves as a housing, said space opening to the outside by means of an air inlet and otherwise being sealed with respect to the interior of the carrying structure and to the shell. |
| US08705011B2 |
Digital stereo imaging photosensitive device for a grating and a photosensitive material and its method
A digital stereo imaging photosensitive device for a grating and a photosensitive material, includes: a photosensitive platform (8), connected with a base via a platform moving mechanism; a compressing mechanism (7) mounted on the photosensitive platform, wherein a grating (5) is positioned on the compressing mechanism; a LCD displayer (2) suspending above the photosensitive platform; and a lens suspending above the photosensitive platform via a lens moving mechanism, wherein the lens is under the LCD displayer. And a method for digital stereo projection is also provided. |
| US08705009B2 |
Heat pipe, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A lithographic apparatus is provided that includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, and a heat pipe to maintain the substrate holder at a substantially uniform temperature. The heat pipe has a chamber containing a liquid reservoir and a vapor space, and a heating element at least partly in contact with liquid in the chamber. |
| US08705004B2 |
Lithographic method and apparatus
A method is disclosed. A change in position of a substrate in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of propagation of a radiation beam that is, or is to be, projected on to that substrate is determined, which change in position would result in a lithographic error in the application of a pattern to that substrate using that radiation beam. The change in position of the substrate is used to control a property of the radiation beam when, or as, the radiation beam is projected onto the substrate in order to reduce the lithographic error. |
| US08705002B2 |
Stage drive method and stage unit, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table to hold a substrate, a projection system to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate and a liquid confinement structure to confine a liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate, the substrate, the substrate table, or both, to form a part of a boundary of the space. In addition, a closing plate forms a part of a boundary of the space in place of the substrate, the substrate table, or both, when moved without substantially disturbing the liquid, the liquid confinement structure, or both. |
| US08705000B2 |
Illumination optics and projection exposure apparatus
An illumination optics illuminates an object field of a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography. The illumination optics include a condenser group of optical components which guide a bundle of useful light. An objective group of bundle-guiding components is arranged downstream of the condenser group. At least one component of the condenser group and at least one component of the objective group are displaceable for compensation of deviations of the object field, which is in an actual illumination state, from a desired illumination state. |
| US08704999B2 |
Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device
A lithographic apparatus is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate through a liquid confined in a space adjacent the substrate. The apparatus includes a structure substantially parallel to a surface of a substrate table configured to hold the substrate, to divide the space into two parts. The structure has an aperture to allow transmission of the pattern and a recess at the bottom side of the structure to extract a fluid from the space. |
| US08704996B2 |
Cholesteric liquid crystal device with reflection electrodes and partition structures
A cholesteric liquid crystal device is provided. The cholesteric liquid crystal device includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, a first reflective layer disposed over the first substrate, a second reflective layer disposed over the second substrate, facing the first reflective layer, and a partition structure disposed between the first and the second substrates, wherein a cavity is formed by the partition structure, the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer, and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer is filled in the cavity. |
| US08704994B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of spacers maintaining a distance between a first display panel and a second display panel, an insulating layer formed on the first display panel, and a plurality of contact holes formed in the insulating layer, and each contact hole connecting an upper conductive layer with a lower conductive layer, in which the pixel areas include a first pixel area group of pixel areas having the contact holes and a second pixel area group of pixel areas not including the contact holes, and the spacers are positioned in respective pixel areas of the second pixel area group and disposed at portions corresponding to where the contact holes are positioned in the pixel areas of the first pixel area group. |
| US08704990B2 |
Electro-optical display apparatus
An electro-optical display apparatus includes a display area in which sub-pixel columns formed of sub-pixels of the same color that are linearly arranged in a single direction are disposed in a stripe arrangement together with sub-pixel columns of other colors. An aperture ratio of each sub-pixel in at least one sub-pixel column located at one edge of the display area in an arrangement direction of the sub-pixel columns and at least one sub-pixel column located at another edge of the display area in the arrangement direction of the sub-pixel columns are configured to be lower than those of sub-pixels of the same color located in a center portion of the display area. |
| US08704982B2 |
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. |
| US08704979B2 |
Optical filter for reducing color shift in a display device and method of manufacturing the same
An optical filter for reducing color shift in a display device includes a background layer made of a light-transmitting material and a light-diffusing pattern formed over the background layer to diffuse light. The light-diffusing pattern is a thin film coating applied along the cross section of the background layer in the depth direction thereof. The light-diffusing pattern is a self-assembled thin film in which the light-diffusing particles are self-assembled. A method of manufacturing the optical filter includes forming a concave-convex pattern layer made of a first light-transmitting material and having a concave-convex pattern, and forming the light-diffusing pattern along the sidewall surface of the concave section of the concave-convex pattern. After the light-diffusing pattern is formed, the concave section is filled with a second light-transmitting material, and the light-diffusing particles are removed from the upper surface of the convex section. |
| US08704978B2 |
LCD panel and fabricating method thereof
A LCD panel includes a gate driver, an active-matrix array and a switching circuit. The gate driver is disposed on a thin film transistor substrate, and includes a shift register, wherein the shift register has plural output terminals for successively outputting plural gate driving signals. The active-matrix array is disposed on the thin film transistor substrate, and includes plural gate lines, wherein the gate lines are connected with the output terminals of the shift register. The switching circuit is disposed on the thin film transistor substrate, and includes plural switching units, wherein each of the switching units has a first terminal electrically connected with one of the output terminals of the shift register, a control terminal electrically connected with a first input pad, and a second terminal electrically connected with a second input pad. |
| US08704977B2 |
Homeotropic and hybrid bulk alignment of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals
The invention provides a liquid crystal cell and method thereof. The cell comprises two opposed substrates and a surfactant-free lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLC) material disposed therebetween. By using an ammonium compound with LCLC or surface treatment on the substrates, the alignment of the LCLC material can be manipulated as a homeotropic bulk alignment; or a hybrid bulk alignment in which the LCLC alignment is changed from homeotropic bulk alignment in the vicinity of one substrate to planar alignment in the vicinity of another substrate. The cell can be used in biosensing, detection and amplification of ligands, optical devices, and photovoltaics etc. |
| US08704974B2 |
Backlight assembly comprising a light-sourcing unit fixing frame with a lateral extension portion and a fixing protrusion which interlocks the light-sourcing unit fixing frame to a housing
A backlight assembly of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is provided with improved heat dissipation capabilities. The improved dissipation capabilities come from one or more light-sourcing unit fixing frames that have extensions which protrude to outside a housing that houses light sourcing units of the LCD. The light-sourcing unit fixing frames mechanically interlock with the housing. |
| US08704972B2 |
Connector for light source module and backlight assembly having the same
A connector for a light source module includes a body portion and a terminal portion. The body portion includes a first opening portion and a second opening portion. The first opening portion receives a portion of the light source module. The second opening portion receives a portion of a light source driver which drives the light source module. The terminal portion includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal is in the first opening portion of the body portion. The second terminal is connected to the first terminal. The second terminal is in the second opening portion of the body portion. |
| US08704970B2 |
Liquid crystal module and liquid crystal display
The present disclosure discloses a liquid crystal module and a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal module includes a plastic frame, a front frame as well as a liquid crystal display panel positioned therebetween. The front frame is a square frame made of a sheet formed by vacuum molding. The front frame and the plastic frame are cooperated with each other in order to fix the liquid crystal display panel. The front frame includes an elastic buckling part/elastic clamping buckle, and the plastic frame includes a clamping buckle/buckling part being interference fit with the elastic buckling part/elastic clamping buckle for fixing the liquid crystal display panel. The front frame of the present disclosure, shortens the developing period so as to reduce the cost for opening module of the liquid crystal module and further reduce the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal display. |
| US08704967B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a substrate, a display region having a pixel switch, and a transparent common electrode, a peripheral region having a gate signal line connected to the pixel switch, and a predetermined connection line, an insulating layer disposed on the gate signal line and the predetermined connection line, a conductive layer, a first semiconductor film disposed between the insulating layer and the conductive layer, and a second semiconductor film disposed between the insulating layer and the conductor layer and separated from the first semiconductor film. The conductor layer is connected to the gate signal line via a pair of diodes. The gate signal line is arranged in the display region and the peripheral region, the predetermined connection line is arranged in the peripheral region, and the transparent common electrode is arranged in the display region. The predetermined connection line is shorter in length than the gate signal line. |
| US08704963B2 |
Thin film transistor array wherein both an auxiliary electrode and a storage electrode are shaped as an octagonal ring
A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate includes a TFT including a drain electrode having an end configured as an auxiliary electrode, a protection layer covering the thin film transistor, a storage electrode forming on the protection layer and opposite to the auxiliary electrode, a passivation layer covering the storage electrode, and a pixel electrode formed on the passivation layer. The pixel electrode is electrically coupled to the auxiliary electrode via a hole passing through the passivation layer and the protection layer. A method of manufacturing the TFT array substrate and an associated liquid crystal display are also provided. |
| US08704961B2 |
Display element having a lens being formed as part of a translucent support substrate having a display disposed thereon
A display element and electronic element module according to the present invention is described, in which a lens is formed as part of a translucent support substrate having a display disposed thereon, the lens being formed on a part other than where the display is disposed, where an electronic element is disposed for the lens. |
| US08704960B2 |
Deployment system and method for user interface devices
A deployment system for user interface devices with enhanced interface capabilities and methods for manufacturing and using same. The deployment system includes a main rotating joint system and a device mounting assembly that are coupled via an extension support system. The main rotating joint system enables the deployment system to be installed at any suitable installation location, such as an armrest; whereas, the device mounting assembly is configured to receive a selected user interface device. Advantageously, the deployment system provides an enlarged internal channel for accommodating larger communication cables and a progressive clutch system for supporting the increased weight of the user interface devices. The deployment system thereby can maintain near-constant tension during deployment of the user interface devices, inhibiting drop injuries to users and damage to the user interface devices. |
| US08704956B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling infrastructure based on broadcasting signals
An apparatus for transmitting broadcasting content including a control signal in a broadcasting network, the apparatus includes: a modulator configured to modulate broadcasting content by a predetermined modulation method; a control signal generator configured to generate a control signal for remote control of infrastructure; an adder configured to add the control signal to the modulated broadcasting content; and a DTV transmitter configured to convert the added signal to a DTV broadcasting signal and transmit the DTV broadcasting signal. |
| US08704955B2 |
Communication system, transmission device, reception device, communication method, program, and communication cable
The present invention relates to a communication system, a transmission device, a reception device, a communication method, a program, and a communication cable, whereby high-speed communication can be executed while maintaining compatibility. In the event that an HDMI® source 71 and an HDMI® sink 72 execute two-way IP communication using a CEC line 84 and a signal line 141, a switching control unit 121 controls a switch 133 to select a partial signal making up the differential signal from a conversion unit 131 at the time of transmitting data, and controls the switch 133 to select a partial signal making up a differential signal from a receiver 82 at the time of transmitting data, and in the case of executing two-way communication using the CEC line 84 alone, the switching control unit 121 controls the switch 133 to select the CEC signal from the HDMI® source 71 or receiver 82 with the switch 133. The present invention may be applied to HDMI®, for example. |
| US08704952B2 |
Video decoder
A video decoder that separates and analyzes analog video signals includes a hue and saturation separator and a video signal determiner. The hue and saturation separator demodulates from a component video signal chroma signal, which includes a hue signal and a saturation signal. The video signal determiner determines at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal. The video signal determiner may include a mode determiner that determines the encoding standard of the video signal, and a color burst determiner that determines a location of a color burst signal with the video signal. The mode determiner may include a signal lock detector, a sequence matcher, and an encoding mode selector. The color burst determiner may include an absolute value determiner and a burst position determiner. |
| US08704949B2 |
Video processing apparatus and video processing method
Disclosed herein is a video processing apparatus for performing video processing compatible with a dual link progressive scheme, said video processing apparatus including: two video processing circuits; and a control section. |
| US08704947B2 |
Wireless AV transmission and receiver modules, portable wireless AV transmission and receiver devices, and AV source and playback devices
A wireless audio-video (AV) transmission module is to be disposed in an AV source device. The AV source device includes an AV source unit for generating an AV signal. The wireless AV transmission module includes a video scaler unit and a wireless transmission unit. The video scaler unit is to be coupled electrically to the AV source unit, upscales a video signal of the AV signal from the AV source unit, and outputs an upscaled AV signal including the upscaled video signal. The wireless transmission unit is coupled electrically to the video scaler unit and wirelessly transmits the upscaled AV signal that includes the upscaled video signal. |
| US08704946B2 |
Method and system for enhanced modulation of video signals
A method for encoding a carrier signal in a video signal, the video signal having one or more frames, the frames each having a first field and a second field, the first field and the second field of each frame having a plurality of scan lines, each having a plurality of pixels with an intensity value indicating brightness, the method comprising selectively designating the plurality of scan lines of the first field of the one or more frames as up lines or down lines, calculating an optimum amount of adjustment to the pixels of the up lines and the down lines, and selectively increasing the intensity value of pixels of the up lines and decreasing the intensity value of pixels of the down lines by the optimum amount of adjustment thereby modulating the video signal with a carrier signal and creating a modulated video signal. |
| US08704942B2 |
Imaging device having an image generation pixel and a phase difference detection pixel
An imaging device includes a micro lens that collects light from a subject, a light sensing element that generates a signal for performing focusing determination through phase difference detection by sensing subject light collected by the micro lens, a first light blocking unit that performs pupil division by blocking a portion of the subject light, and a second light blocking unit that is disposed between the first light blocking unit and the micro lens, and blocks the portion of the subject light which is incident to the first light blocking unit, wherein an aperture area of the second light blocking unit is smaller than an aperture area of an image generation pixel. |
| US08704941B2 |
Focus detecting apparatus and control method thereof
An external AF focus detecting apparatus capable of achieving both good focus detection accuracy for a subject in a short distance and an appropriate amount of processing for a subject in a long distance is provided. In the case where the distance to the subject is less than a predetermined threshold value, with respect to accumulation pixels SA5 to SA25 selected in one of a pair of line sensors, pixels are selected in the other line sensor so as to include more pixels in the direction of shift of an optical image of a field of view, namely, pixels SB5 to SB29 are selected as accumulation pixels. Alternatively, pixels included in a range obtained by shifting by a predetermined number of pixels from the range of the accumulation pixels that have been selected in the one line sensor are selected as the accumulation pixels in the other line sensor. |
| US08704939B1 |
Mobile device and method for controlling the same
A portable device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, which senses an image including a pattern code. The mobile device includes a camera unit configured to sense an image; a display unit configured to display the image; a sensor unit configured to detect an input signal and transmit the detected input signal to a processor; and the processor configured to control the display unit, the camera unit and the sensor unit, wherein the processor further configured to: provide an image capturing interface, wherein the image capturing interface displays the image sensed by the camera unit and an image capturing trigger for storing the image, simultaneously display a pattern code trigger for storing information of a pattern code in the image capturing interface only when the pattern code is recognized from the image. |
| US08704938B2 |
Optical device and image pickup device and image pickup system using the same
An optical device where an image of an object is formed on an image pickup element and where an image restoration process is performed on the image obtained by the image pickup element, comprising a MTF that satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 0.001 |
| US08704937B2 |
Imaging optical system, imaging device, and digital apparatus
An imaging optical system, an imaging device, and a digital apparatus have a four lens construction with positive, negative, positive, and negative refractive powers. A surface position at the maximum effective diameter of the second lens element is located on the object side than a surface vertex thereof. The fourth lens element has an inflection point at a position other than the intersection of the optical axis and the fourth lens element. The optical system satisfies the following conditions. 0.7 |
| US08704935B2 |
Imaging systems with arrays of aligned lenses
An imaging system may include an array of lenses, each of which is aligned over a respective one of a plurality of imaging pixels. The array of lenses may be formed in two layers. The first layer may include a first set of non-adjacent lenses and centering structures between the first lenses. The centering structures may be aligned with the first set of lenses as part of a mask design with a high level of accuracy. The second layer may include a second set of lenses, each of which is formed on a respective one of the centering structures. Forming the second set of lenses may include a reflow process in which surface tension forces center the second set of lenses on their respective centering structures, thereby aligning the second set of lenses with the first set of lenses with a high level of accuracy. |
| US08704933B2 |
Focus detection apparatus
A focus detection apparatus comprises photo-electric conversion means comprising a first pixel group which receives a light beam passing through a first pupil area of an image forming optical system that forms an image of an object, and a second pixel group which receives a light beam passing through a second pupil area of the image forming optical system; focus detection means for detecting a focus state of the image forming optical system based on a first object image generated by the first pixel group and a second object image generated by the second pixel group; a correction calculator for performing correction calculation for the first object image and the second object image based on the output from the focus detection means; and determination means for determining, based on the output from the focus detection means, whether to perform the correction calculation again. |
| US08704931B2 |
Apparatus and method of photographing moving image
An apparatus and method to generate a thumbnail image in a moving image photographing mode, and storing the generated thumbnail image are disclosed. The apparatus to photograph the thumbnail image generates a thumbnail image at intervals of a predetermined time simultaneously with photographing the moving image. In addition, the apparatus selects a thumbnail image to be preserved and a thumbnail image to deleted from among generated thumbnail images in such a manner that the number of generated thumbnail images does not exceed a predetermined number, thereby limiting the number of generated thumbnail images. |
| US08704929B2 |
System and method for user guidance of photographic composition in image acquisition systems
A method for capturing an image using an image acquisition device, includes determining that at least one area of an image to be captured has been selected, analyzing geometrical and compositional properties of an area surrounding the at least one area, providing a dynamic compositional guideline based on a result of analyzing the geometrical and compositional properties, and indicating when the image to be captured should be captured based on a position of the dynamic compositional guideline relative to the image to be captured. |
| US08704928B2 |
Pixel, pixel array, image sensor including the same and method for operating the image sensor
Disclosed are a pixel, a pixel array, an image sensor including the pixel array and a method for operating the image sensor. The pixel includes a photo-electro conversion unit; a capacitor for storing charges converted by the photo-electro conversion unit; an output switching device for outputting an electric potential of the capacitor; and a removal unit for removing a part of the charges converted by the photo-electro conversion unit. |
| US08704926B2 |
CMOS image sensor with selectable hard-wired binning
A CMOS image sensor allows for selectively outputting one of two vertical resolutions, e.g. 1080 to 720 lines. The scan conversion is implemented completely on the image sensor chip by using smaller sub-pixel cores, which can be electrically combined via switch transistors. A basic circuit of the CMOS image sensor has a number of pixel cells arranged in lines and columns. Each pixel cell has a photosensitive element that converts impinging light into electric charge and a first transfer element. The first transfer elements of m pixel cells arranged consecutively in the same column are arranged for transferring the charge generated in the respective m photosensitive elements during exposure to a single first charge storage element provided for the respective group of m pixel cells. In an exemplary embodiment the switching scheme allows for combining the signal information of either two or three vertically adjacent sub-pixel cores. |
| US08704918B2 |
Image correction apparatus and image correction method
A line memory stores sequentially image data captured through optical lenses. A distortion correction value storage stores distortion correction values used in the correction of optical distortion occurring in the image data due to distortion aberration present in the optical lens. An image data control unit selects pixels of image data stored in the line memory as pixels to be corrected for the correction of optical distortion respectively. Then the image data control unit determines a region for use in correction, having the fixed number of pixels horizontally and the fixed number of lines vertically, based on the positions of the pixels to be corrected and the distortion correction values obtained from the distortion correction value storage. Here, the region contains a plurality of pixels for use in correction of the pixels to be corrected. Then the image data control unit reads out the image data from the line memory. A distortion correction unit determines pixel values for the pixels to be corrected, based on (1) the pixels for use in correction, which are contained in the image data, within the region for use in correction, and (2) the distortion correction values. |
| US08704915B2 |
Information processing apparatus with different save destination for wireless communication and control method thereof
When a connected recording medium has a wireless communication function, the save destination is changed to store received data in a save destination set for data transmitted from the recording medium by wireless communication. The save destination of data received from the connected recording medium having the wireless communication function can be set appropriately. |
| US08704914B2 |
Apparatus to automatically tag image and method thereof
An apparatus to automatically tag an image and a method thereof conveniently classifies images by acquiring information of a tag image when an image is photographed and stored, automatically adding tag information to the photographed image based on the information of a tag image, generating an image file, and storing the image file. The apparatus and method acquire an image and record a photographed image based on classification information of an image which is automatically tagged when the image is acquired and stored. |
| US08704910B2 |
Apparatus and method for classifying images
An image classification apparatus and method for Automatic White Balance (AWB) are provided. An input image is divided into blocks including pluralities of pixels. A hue value and a chroma value are calculated for each of the blocks. A color-changed block is detected by calculating, for each one of the blocks, differences between the hue and chroma values calculated for all blocks adjacent to the one of the blocks and the hue and chroma values calculated for the one of the blocks. A hue variance and a chroma variance are calculated for the entire input image if a number of the detected color-changed blocks is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The input image is determined as a non-monochromatic image, if the hue variance is greater than or equal to a second threshold or the chroma variance is greater than or equal to a third threshold. |
| US08704909B2 |
Systems and methods for efficiently coding and processing image data
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for efficiently coding and processing image data using an electronic device are provided. While both image-quality processing and coding operations may be performed for a frame of captured image data, the electronic device may leverage information generated during one operation in order to more efficiently conduct another operation. For example, an image coding operation may be performed on a first frame of image data by partitioning the image data into blocks of data and transforming the blocks of data into a frequency domain representation or format. Color component statistics from one or more of the blocks of data may be obtained, and an image-quality processing operation may then be performed on the first frame of image data or a subsequent frame of image data using the obtained color component statistics. |
| US08704908B1 |
Method and apparatus for multiple zone statistics collection for digital image/video capture systems
A system includes a block module, a zone module, a statistics module, and a control module. The block module is configured to associate pixel values generated by pixel sensors of an image sensor with M regions. The zone module is configured to define N zones in the M regions. Each of the N zones includes an adjustable number of the M regions. N and M are integers greater than one and N is less than or equal to M. The statistics module is configured to gather statistics corresponding to the N zones. The control module is configured to adjust pixel values generated by the pixel sensors based on the statistics. |
| US08704904B2 |
Portable system for high quality video recording
This invention relates to the automatic pointing of a pointing device, such as a camera, without the assistance of a person who operates the camera. Systems and methods are disclosed wherein the system is substantially stationary during recording but is portable to the venue of recording. For the purpose of recording, the camera turns automatically to optically follow the person, animal, or object that is being recorded. The present invention provides for high quality video recording; the high quality video recording here refers to features of the inventive systems and methods that provide for smooth camera motion necessary to take enjoyable videos for personal or for commercial use. This invention provides a portable system that automatically records videos from the vantage point of a sports fan, of a spectator or of a competition judge. |
| US08704901B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
There is provided an image processing device including a motion compensation section which compensates motion between a target image and a reference image, an image compositing section which generates a composited image by compositing the target image and the reference image, the motion therebetween having been compensated, and a spatial filtering section which performs spatial filtering of the composited image. The spatial filtering section may perform spatial filtering of the composited image by using an ε-filter. |
| US08704900B2 |
Imaging apparatus and imaging method
An imaging apparatus and an imaging method able to obtain images having no blurring with a small number of images under different exposure conditions and capable of shortening a processing time, wherein an imaging apparatus 10 captures a plurality of images including an image having a short exposure time and high resolution, but having much noise and an image having a long exposure time, but having little noise and low resolution by an optical system 11 and an imaging element 12. After the signal processing of a signal processing part 13, a CPU 14 detects positional deviation among the captured images and blurring, changes the ratio of the plurality of images according to the distances from the edge, and combines these to thereby form an image free from blurring and reducing noise. |
| US08704899B2 |
Digital photographing apparatus and method for live view optical image stabilization
A digital photographing apparatus includes an optical system, an optical image stabilization (OIS) unit adapted to move the optical system, and a digital signal processor in communication with the OIS unit. The digital signal processor sets an operating ratio of the OIS unit by reducing the operating ratio to a previously set value of 100% or below after a still image or a moving picture is captured, and the OIS unit moves the optical system while a live view mode is turned on. |
| US08704897B1 |
Camera communication systems and methods
Various systems and methods are provided to implement a flexible approach to the remote control of camera systems. For example, camera systems and related methods may be implemented to recognize a protocol that supports a multi-tiered configuration of camera system components. In one example, routing tables may be maintained at various tiers of a camera system to facilitate the selective routing or execution of commands at different tiers in a hierarchical manner. In one example, the routing tables may be dynamically built and may include routing information related to lower level tiers but not higher level tiers. |
| US08704890B2 |
Inspection apparatus and measuring method
An inspection apparatus includes: an insertion portion which is inserted into a device under inspection; a projection unit which projects a striped pattern including a plurality of linear patterns onto an object; an imaging unit which is provided in the insertion portion and images the object onto which the striped pattern is projected and generates image data; a specification unit which specifies an area of interest of the object in an image based on a position of the striped pattern in the image based on the image data; and a measurement unit which measures the area of the object using the image data. |
| US08704888B2 |
Imaging device and image analysis method
An imaging device includes a separability calculating portion for calculating a separability of a frame image by filtering the frame image containing a ball image elliptically deformed using an ellipse separability filter having an inside region and an outside region located outside of the inside region, an estimating portion for estimating a set of a center position, major axis, minor axis and inclination angle of the inside region, the set resulting in a maximum separability by changing the center position, major axis, minor axis and inclination angle of the inside region, as a set of a center position, major axis, minor axis and inclination angle of the ball image, and a speed calculating portion for calculating a speed of the ball based on a difference between the center positions of the ball images estimated by the estimating portion, a number of frames between the frame images and a frame rate. |
| US08704885B2 |
Electronic endoscope signal-processing device and electronic endoscope system
An electronic endoscope signal-processing device is provided that includes a gradation compensation processor. The gradation compensation processor compensates for R, G and B gradations by controlling R, G and B tone curves defining relationship between input values and output values of each of the R, G and B signals. The R tone curve is shaped so as to squash the output values of the R signal when the R signal input values are in a relatively low range and to expand the output values when the input values are in a relatively high range. The G and B tone curves are shaped so squash the output value of the respective signals when the input signals are in high or low ranges, and the G tone curve and the B tone curve are identical. |
| US08704884B2 |
Autostereoscopic display device
A switchable autostereoscopic display device comprising: a display panel having an array of display pixels for producing a display, the display pixels being arranged in rows and columns; an array of lens elements arranged over the display panel for directing the light output of the display pixels so as to provide a stereoscopic image, the lens elements comprising an electro-optic material whose refractive index is switchable by selective application of an electric field between a first value that maintains the light output directing function and a second value that removes the light output directing function; and electrode arrangements provided above and below the lens elements for applying the electric field across the lens elements. At least one of the electrode arrangements comprises first and second electrode layers separated by a dielectric layer, and each electrode layer comprises a plurality of parallel elongate electrodes separated by gaps. The electrodes of each electrode layer are aligned with the gaps of the other electrode layer. In this way, the effect of the gaps on the electric field in the lens elements is reduced. |
| US08704881B2 |
Stereoscopic image display apparatus
A stereoscopic image display device according to the present invention includes: an image generating section 4, which uses first and second images, captured by two image capturing sections arranged at a first optical axis interval, to generate two images to be viewed from two viewing points that are spaced by a wider interval than the first optical axis interval; and a display section 10 for presenting the two images generated by the image generating section 4 to a user's left and right eyes, respectively. The generating section 4 includes: a coordinate transformation section for transforming, on a unit element basis, the coordinates of at least one of the first and second images captured so that the amount of parallax of the two images generated by the image generating section 4 becomes equal to the amount of parallax between the two viewing points; and an image interpolation section for generating, by interpolation, image information for some pixels that have lost their own image information as a result of the coordinate transformation. |
| US08704880B2 |
Optical measuring apparatus and method of stereoscopic display device
An optical measuring apparatus and method for a stereoscopic display device are capable of measuring optical characteristics of the stereoscopic display device. The optical measuring apparatus includes a test image supplier for generating a 3D test signal, a 3D display for displaying left-eye image and/or right-eye image based on the 3D test signal supplied from the test image supplier, an image selection member for selectively transmitting the left-eye image and right-eye image to be displayed on the 3D display, and a light measuring device that measures luminance of the image transmitted via the image selection member and calculates 3D image crosstalk of the left eye image and the right eye image based on the measured luminance. |
| US08704878B2 |
Image display apparatus and image display method
An image display apparatus for displaying an image of an object on a screen by using a projector includes a three-dimensional image display unit having a plurality of screens overlaid but spaced apart from one another, each of the screens diffusing and reflecting part of the light incident thereon and transmitting the remainder of the light, and an image projection unit having a plurality of projectors, each of the projectors is assigned to the corresponding one of the screens and projects an image of the object on the screen. The image projection unit displays a three-dimensional image of the object in the three-dimensional image display unit by projecting on the screens the shapes of the object in sectioning positions corresponding to the positions of the screens. |
| US08704877B2 |
Systems and methods for presenting three-dimensional content using apertures
Systems and methods are presented for presenting three-dimensional video content to one or more viewers. In an exemplary embodiment, a system comprises a display comprising a plurality of pixels, an opaque material interposed in a line-of-sight between the display and the viewer, and a processor coupled to the display. The opaque material comprises a plurality of apertures formed therein. The processor and the display are cooperatively configured to display right channel content on a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of the viewer through the apertures and display left channel content on a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the viewer through the apertures. |
| US08704876B2 |
3D video processor and 3D video processing method
A 3D video processor that outputs a left-eye image and a right-eye image to be superimposed on main video includes: a left-eye object processing unit that outputs the left-eye image; a right-eye object processing unit that outputs the right-eye image; and an image output control unit that controls the left-eye object processing unit and the right-eye object processing unit so that the images are synchronously outputted. The left-eye object processing unit determines if image output preparation of the left-eye image is completed. The right-eye object processing unit determines if image output preparation of the right-eye image is completed. The image output control unit instructs to skip the output of both the images, when the image output preparation of one of the left-eye image and the right-eye image is not completed. |
| US08704871B2 |
Method and system for creating a continuous presence video-conference
One or more horizontal stripes are defined in a continuous presence video conferencing image, comprising one or more segments of the video image. The horizontal stripes may have different heights. A horizontal stripe builder associated with a continuous presence videoconferencing port composes and compresses the horizontal stripe from two or more video images received from a plurality of endpoints of the video conferencing system. A continuous presence image stream generator organizes compressed horizontal strips into a plurality of compressed continuous presence video streams for sending toward sites of the video conferencing system. |
| US08704869B2 |
Videoconferencing systems with recognition ability
A videoconferencing system which encodes different streams of information. The information may include video, audio, speech recognized versions of the audio, and language translated versions of the audio. Text may be sent as part of the videoconference. |
| US08704865B2 |
System and method for re-access of wireless video conference terminal
The invention discloses a system for re-access of a wireless video conference terminal, including: a protection module configured to record relevant information of a conference in the event of terminal disconnection, log in to the video conference network according to the relevant information of the conference upon recovery of the network signal, and send a terminal reentering module the information for reentering the conference, wherein the relevant information of the conference contains a username and a password; and the terminal reentering module configured to determine that the terminal passes authentication according to the username as well as the information for reentering the conference and admit the terminal into the conference. The invention further discloses a method for re-access of a wireless video conference terminal. Adoption of the system and the method improves the user experience and facilitates the promotion of the wireless video conference. |
| US08704863B2 |
Transitioning between circuit switched calls and video calls
Transitioning between an audio only circuit switched call and a video call. A client device, which is currently connected to one or more other client devices through an established audio only circuit switched call, receives input from a user to transition from the audio only circuit switched call to the video call. A video call invitation message is transmitted to the other client devices. The client device receives a video call accept message from the other client devices and begins transmitting video captured by its front facing camera to the other client devices. Responsive to receiving at least a video frame from each of the one or more other client devices, the client device transitions from the audio only circuit switched call to the video call. After transitioning to the video call, the circuit switched call is dropped. |
| US08704860B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus, liquid crystal display apparatus driving method, and television receiver
An overshooting process is carried out, in an LCD device (1) whose LC layer thicknesses meet pixel R>pixel G>pixel B, so as to respectively set first through third output gray scales of current frame based on (i) first through third input gray scales of the current frame (current frame data) and (ii) first through third gray scales of frame which is one frame before the current frame (previous frame data). The first through third output gray scales are respectively set for the first through third pixels based on the thicknesses of the respective first through third liquid crystal layers so as to meet pixel R>pixel G>pixel B. This equalizes liquid crystal response speeds of the respective pixels R, G, and B, and therefore allows an improvement in display quality of the LCD device (1) having a multi gap structure. |
| US08704856B2 |
Image display apparatus, image-taking apparatus and image display method
The image display apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an image input device which inputs an image signal; a particular target detection device which detects a particular target included in the image signal based on a particular target evaluation value indicating the feature of the particular target; a frame display information generation device which generates frame display information indicating a frame surrounding the detected particular target and which causes the frame to change continuously or by stages according to the particular target evaluation value; and a display device which displays the frame based on the generated frame display information. That is, by causing the frame to change continuously or by stages according to the evaluation value of a particular target, it is possible to avoid sudden change in the frame display. |
| US08704854B2 |
Multifunction multimedia device
A method for interpreting messages, user-defined alert conditions, voice commands and performing an action in response is described. A method for annotating media content is described. A method for presenting additional content associated with media content identified based on a fingerprint is described. A method for identifying that an advertisement portion of media content is being played based on a fingerprint derived from the media content is described. A method of one media device recording particular media content automatically in response to another media device recording the particular media content is described. A method of concurrently playing media content on multiple devices is described. A method of publishing information associated with recording of media content is described. A method of deriving fingerprints by media devices that meet an idleness criteria is described. A method of loading, modifying, and displaying a high definition frame from a frame buffer is described. A method of recording or playing media content identified based on fingerprints is described. |
| US08704853B2 |
Modifying graphical paths
A computing device includes a memory configured to store images and associated timing data. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute instructions to perform a method that includes producing a graphical path on a digital map that represents positions associated with the images. The positions are estimated from the timing data associated with the images. The method also includes modifying the graphical path based upon data that represents user provided adjustments to the estimated positions of the images. The method also includes presenting the modified path. |
| US08704852B2 |
Methods for generating one or more composite image maps and systems thereof
A method, computer readable medium, and system for generating a composite image map includes obtaining a plurality of sprites for an application page and determining coordinates of each of the obtained plurality of sprites. A composite image map is generated based on the obtained plurality of sprites and the determined coordinates. |
| US08704849B2 |
Display control apparatus and display control method
A display control apparatus displays image data pieces based on an array in which the image data pieces are sorted in accordance with a specified rule. The display control apparatus extracts, with use of one image data piece from the array as a reference, image data pieces at a set interval from the image data pieces arranged in the array, and arranges and displays the extracted image data pieces that include the reference image data piece on a screen of a display unit based on an order of the array. If the reference image data piece or the interval used in the extraction of the image data pieces has been changed based on an instruction from a user, the display on the display unit is changed with use of the new reference and interval. |
| US08704847B2 |
Pre-subpixel rendered image processing in display systems
Display systems and image processing methods process pre-subpixel rendered images embedded in input color image data. The display systems include a pre-subpixel rendered (P-SPR) image detector that detects locations of a marking code that marks the portion of the input data that has been pre-subpixel rendered and which is ready for direct display. Several display system embodiments comprise first and second image data paths; the input data that requires subpixel rendering proceeds along the first path while the P-SPR image data proceeds along the second path. Another display system embodiment processes the combined input and P-SPR data along a single data path. Techniques for marking and detecting P-SPR image data using two distinct marking codes are presented in the context of the subpixel layout of the display. Techniques for using P-SPR data to display high-quality graphical symbols (e.g., font glyphs) are suitable for small, low-cost display devices. |
| US08704842B1 |
System and method for histogram computation using a graphics processing unit
A method and system for obtaining a histogram and related statistical values from a data set of texels is disclosed. A processing device receives from a first buffer, a data set of texels. The data set has a dimensionality D of at least two and each texel contains a value. The processing device sorts the data set into a point list of coordinates, wherein a point in the point list corresponds to a texel location in the data set. The processing device reduces the dimensionality of the point list by arranging points in the point list according to an N−1 dimensional dominancy. The processing device performs a raster operation on each associated value of the arranged points to obtain at least one value. The processing device is to output the at least one value to a second buffer. The processing device may be a graphics processing unit. |
| US08704840B2 |
Memory system having multiple address allocation formats and method for use thereof
A memory system having multiple address allocation methods for graphics data in a computer graphics processing system. The memory system includes a plurality of memory arrays, and a format register having a programmable format flag. The status of the format flag indicates the memory address allocation format in which the memory addresses for each of the memory arrays are allocated. An address decoder is coupled to the format register to obtain the status of the format flag in order to determine the address allocation method for an array being accessed. The address decoder is further coupled to receive a requested address for a memory location in one of the memory arrays and then provide a requested memory address to the memory arrays to access. The requested address is translated by the address decoder to the requested memory address according to the memory address allocation format indicated by the format flag status for the memory array. |
| US08704838B2 |
Load balancing in multiple processor rendering systems
Methods and systems for allocating workloads in a pixel sequential rendering system comprising a plurality of processors are disclosed. Such workloads typically comprise a raster pixel image comprising a plurality of graphical objects. For each scan line (540) of the raster pixel image (510), edges of the plurality of graphical objects (520, 525) that intersect with a current scan line (540) of the raster pixel image (510) are identified in a predetermined order. Spans of pixel locations on the current scan line, each defined by an adjacent pair of edges of the identified edges, are divided into segments (503, 504), one of which comprises varying pixel values. The segments (503, 504) are allocated independently of existing workloads of the processors to respective ones of the processors or processor cores for rendering. |
| US08704836B1 |
Distributing primitives to multiple rasterizers
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for parallel distribution of primitives to multiple rasterizers. Multiple, independent geometry units perform geometry processing concurrently on different graphics primitives. A primitive distribution scheme delivers primitives from the multiple geometry units concurrently to multiple rasterizers at rates of multiple primitives per clock. The multiple, independent rasterizer units perform rasterization concurrently on one or more graphics primitives, enabling the rendering of multiple primitives per system clock. |
| US08704833B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying a video signal on a computer system
A system that displays a video signal on a display for a computer system is presented. During operation, the system receives a signal to switch from displaying a video signal from an internal video source to displaying a video signal from an external video source. In this system, the internal and external video sources are coupled to a bi-directional video port for the computer system, wherein the internal video source generates an output video signal and the external video source generates an input video signal. The system then determines whether the external video source is coupled to the bi-directional video port. If so, the system couples the external video source to the display and determines whether the external video source is a valid video source. If the external video source is a valid video source, the system displays the video signal from the external video source on the display. |
| US08704832B2 |
Interactive design, synthesis and delivery of 3D character motion data through the web
Systems and methods are described for animating 3D characters using synthetic motion data generated by generative models in response to a high level description of a desired sequence of motion provided by an animator. An animation system is accessible via a server system that utilizes the ability of generative models to generate synthetic motion data across a continuum to enable multiple animators to effectively reuse the same set of previously recorded motion capture data to produce a wide variety of desired animation sequences. An animator can upload a custom model of a 3D character and the synthetic motion data generated by the generative model is retargeted to animate the custom 3D character. |
| US08704827B2 |
Cumulative buffering for surface imaging
The description relates to surgical computer systems, including computer program products, and methods for cumulative buffering for surface imaging. A display image is buffered that has been saved from a previous update. A model representing a tool is subtracted from the buffered display image. The subtracted display image is displayed using a CSG technique at a fixed angle. The subtracted display image is saved. This process is repeated so that the displayed image is cumulatively changed with each change in location of the model representing the tool. |
| US08704822B2 |
Volumetric display system enabling user interaction
A volumetric display system which enables user interaction is described. In an embodiment, the system consists of a volumetric display and an optical system. The volumetric display creates a 3D light field of an object to be displayed and the optical system creates a copy of the 3D light field in a position away from the volumetric display and where a user can interact with the image of the object displayed. In an embodiment, the optical system involves a pair of parabolic mirror portions. |
| US08704819B2 |
Display device and method for driving same
There is provided a display device capable of displaying an image that barely changes with low power consumption on the basis of video data included in a transmitted command, and there is also provided a method for driving the same. A display timing controller (31) determines every frame period whether or not an externally transmitted command includes updated video data. As a result, when it is determined that no updated video data is included, screen refreshing is paused by not reading video data stored in frame memory (36). Moreover, when it is determined that updated video data is included, the screen refreshing is performed by reading video data stored in the frame memory (36). |
| US08704816B2 |
Control circuit for adjusting an initial value of a driving voltage being transferred to a liquid crystal panel
A control circuit includes a power supply, a control IC, a liquid crystal panel, a driving integrated chip arranged between the control IC and the liquid crystal panel, and a number of voltage adjusting sub-circuits. The driving integrated chip includes a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of driving voltages respectively. Each voltage adjusting sub-circuit is arranged between the corresponding output port of the driving integrated chip and the liquid crystal panel for adjusting an initial value the voltage outputted from the corresponding output port before the driving voltage is transferred to the liquid crystal panel. With the voltage adjusting sub-circuits, the driving voltages received by the liquid crystal panel have the same value to avoid the color deviation of the images displayed in the liquid crystal panel. This improves the display effect of the liquid crystal panel under without increasing the layout area. |
| US08704814B2 |
Driving device of flat panel display and driving method thereof
A driving device and a driving method of a flat panel display are provided. The driving device includes a driving circuit, an output buffer and a buffer control module. The driving circuit outputs a pixel data during a valid data period, and an input terminal of the output buffer receives the output of the driving circuit. The buffer control module turns off the output buffer during a blanking data period, and turns on the output buffer during the valid data period in order to reduce power consumption of the output buffer, and maintain an image quality of the flat panel display. |
| US08704811B2 |
Image display apparatus
The present invention provides an active matrix image display apparatus including an organic EL element capable of efficiently arranging a wiring pattern on an insulating substrate compared to the related art. The present invention provides a dummy region arranged at the outermost periphery of a display unit as a scanning line coupling region or a pitch conversion region. A power supply scanning line is commonly used by a pixel circuit of an odd-numbered line and a pixel circuit of a following even-numbered line. |
| US08704805B2 |
System and method for handling image data transfer in a display driver
In a display driver, image data are assembled with synchronization information to form a stream of digital data. The stream of digital data is transmitted from a timing controller to a data driver along with a timing signal having phase-delayed pulses obtained from an external clock received by the timing controller. In response to the timing signal, the data driver can extract a synchronizing signal from the synchronization information embedded in the stream of digital data, and use the synchronizing signal for generating an internal clock signal. Encoded image data in the stream of digital data then can be retrieved according to the internal clock signal. |
| US08704804B2 |
Display apparatus and display method
A display apparatus and display method are provided. The display apparatus capable of displaying an image and receiving light simultaneously or alternately, the display apparatus including: a plurality of display devices laid out to form a matrix; a plurality of light receiving devices for receiving light hitting a display screen; a received-light image generation unit for generating image data representing the state of a substance brought into contact with the display screen or brought to a position in close proximity to the display screen; an image processing/evaluating unit for evaluating the position and size of a substance as well as evaluating changes in the position and in the size; and a command determination unit for recognizing a command entered by an operator. In the display apparatus, predetermined processing according to a command recognized by the command determination unit is carried out. |
| US08704801B2 |
Touch display apparatus and backlight module
A touch display apparatus including a light guide plate, a light emitting module, a display panel, a plurality of prism structures, an image transmission unit, and an image detector is provided. The light guide plate has a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a light incident surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The light emitting module includes at least one visible light source and at least one invisible light source. The prism structures are disposed between the first surface and the display panel. The image transmission unit includes a wedge portion and a light guide portion. The wedge portion is disposed between the prism structures and the display panel. The image detector is disposed beside the light guide portion for receiving the invisible light beam from the light guide portion. A backlight module is also provided. |
| US08704800B2 |
Photo element and driving method thereof and liquid crystal display
A photo element includes a capacitor, a switch thin film transistor (TFT), a charge thin film transistor, and a photo thin film transistor. A voltage is charged to the capacitor through the charge TFT, and the output voltage of the capacitor is read through the readout line. The photo-induced current will affect the output voltage of the capacitor; therefore it is employed to determine whether the photo element is touched. Later, a reverse-biased voltage is applied to the photo TFT, such that the threshold voltage and sensitivity of the photo TFT can be maintained. |
| US08704795B2 |
Touch panel and touch panel display device
A touch panel includes a first substrate having a first resistance film, a second substrate having a second resistance film and a wiring electrode. The first resistance film and the second resistance film are arranged to face each other. A conductive connection member is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and electrically connects the first resistance film to the first wiring electrode. The touch panel further-includes auxiliary electrodes partially covered with the first wiring electrode and in contact with the conductive connection member. The resistivity of the auxiliary electrodes in the contact surface with the conductive connection member is lower than the resistivity of the first wiring electrode in the contact surface with the conductive connection member. |
| US08704790B2 |
User interface system
One embodiment of the user interface system comprises: a volume of fluid; a tactile layer; a retaining wall substantially impermeable to the fluid; a permeable layer; a displacement device; and a touch sensor. The tactile layer, with a back surface, defines a second region, operable between: a retracted state, wherein the second region is substantially flush with a first region; and an expanded state, wherein the second region is substantially proud of the first region. The permeable layer, joined to the back surface of the first region, includes a plurality of fluid ports that communicate a portion of the fluid through the permeable layer to the back surface of the second region. The displacement device directs the fluid through the fluid ports to the back surface to transition the second region from the retracted state to the expanded state. The touch sensor detects a user touch on the tactile layer. |
| US08704789B2 |
Information input apparatus
An information input apparatus including a user interface that detects a first input operation and a processor that assigns information to each of a plurality of directions from a position centered at the first input operation detected by the user interface. The user interface detects a second input operation corresponding to one of the plurality of directions, and the processor selects information assigned to the one of the plurality of directions as an input. |
| US08704788B2 |
Electrostatic capacity type touch screen panel and method of manufacturing the same
A touch screen panel and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The touch screen panel includes a substrate, an electrode forming part positioned on the substrate, and a routing wiring part positioned on the substrate outside the electrode forming part. The electrode forming part includes a plurality of first electrode serials arranged parallel to one another in a first direction and a plurality of second electrode serials arranged to cross the first electrode serials. The routing wiring part includes a plurality of first routing wires respectively connected to the first electrode serials and a plurality of second routing wires respectively connected to the second electrode serials. A plurality of first connection patterns are formed on the same level layer as the first and second routing wires to be separated from one another. |
| US08704787B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a contact detection unit capable of detecting a plurality of contact coordinates on an operation surface, and outputting a contact detection signal as a detection result, a load detection unit for detecting a load applied to the operation surface, and a coordinate estimation unit, wherein when a load detection result provided by the load detection unit satisfies a pressed coordinate retrieval condition, the coordinate estimation unit estimates a pressed coordinate from among the plurality of contact coordinates on the operation surface, on the basis of at least the contact detection signal. |
| US08704786B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes a first substrate, a second substrate with a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, a first spacer, and a second spacer. The first substrate includes a display area and a peripheral area. The first spacer is arranged in the peripheral area to maintain a distance between the first and second substrates, and the second spacer is arranged in the display area. A driving circuit includes a first signal line, a second signal line insulated from the first signal line, a protective layer, and a bridge electrode. The protective layer has a first contact hole exposing a portion of the first and second signal lines. The peripheral area includes a contact area corresponding to the first contact hole and a non-contact area proximal to the contact area. The first spacer is disposed in the non-contact area. |
| US08704783B2 |
Easy word selection and selection ahead of finger
The described embodiments allow for the selection of content in a touch screen display. The method includes detecting a single tap on a word of text in a text editing field in a touch screen, and responsive to the single tap selecting the word of text in whole. In another embodiment additional content can be selected. Contact with selected content displayed in a touch screen can be detected. The contact with the touch screen can be detected moving in a direction along the selected content. Additional content is selected by selecting a word of text adjacent to the selected content being contacted. |
| US08704781B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
An information processing apparatus includes a first touch panel, a second touch panel, a touch sensor, and a controller. The first touch panel displays an object and detects a first touch operation of a user on the object. The second touch panel detects a second touch operation of the user. The touch sensor is provided between the first touch panel and the second touch panel and detects a third touch operation of the user. The controller moves the object displayed on the first touch panel in accordance with the first touch operation, and displays the object on the second touch panel when the third touch operation is detected within a first time period since the first touch operation has become undetected and the second touch operation is detected within a second time period since the third touch operation is detected. |
| US08704780B2 |
Haptic feedback device and electronic device
A haptic feedback device includes: a haptic device receiving a contact pressure applied thereto; and an actuator provided to the haptic device and excited according to a change in the contact pressure of the haptic device to generate vibrations. |
| US08704778B2 |
Display apparatus, display method and program
A display apparatus is provided which includes a display control unit which displays predetermined information on a display screen, a position detecting unit which detects a touch position on the display screen touched by a touch substance, and a display splitting unit which, when the position detecting unit detects at least two touch positions, splits the display screen into at least two display areas according to movement of at least one of the at least two touch positions. |
| US08704777B2 |
Digital display devices having communication capabilities
A digital display device having two or more displays that are coupled at angles to each other for displaying content associated with multiple sets of sources of content is described herein. Each display has one or more display regions in which content is displayed. A first display region on one display may be merged with a second display region on the same or a different display to form a merged display region in which content is displayed. The displays may be touch-sensitive. Display regions may be merged by, for example, receiving a first touch from a user of a first touch-sensitive display region and a second touch of a second touch-sensitive display region. In some embodiments, the digital display device has the form of a cube with six displays. |
| US08704776B2 |
Terminal for displaying objects and method of controlling the same
A mobile terminal is presented. The mobile terminal includes a touchscreen for displaying an object, an output unit for outputting a vibration when the object is selected and moved along a display area of the touchscreen, and a control unit for controlling a characteristic of the vibration according to at least one of an attribute of the object, an attribute of the display area, or a combination thereof. |
| US08704770B2 |
Ambidextrous mouse
An ambidextrous mouse is disclosed. The ambidextrous mouse is configured for both left and right handed use. The mouse may include right handed buttons on the front side of the mouse and left handed buttons on the back side of the mouse. The user may change the handedness of the mouse by rotating the mouse about a vertical axis of the mouse such that the left hand can use the left hand buttons and the right hand can use the right hand buttons. The mouse may include a handedness selection system for configuring the mouse for right handed or left handed use even though the mouse has the capability for both right and left hands. |
| US08704763B2 |
Image contrast enhancement in depth sensor
Embodiments related to the enhancement of contrast in an image pattern in a structured light depth sensor are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, in a structured light depth sensor system comprising a structured light depth sensor, a method comprising projecting a light pattern onto an object, detecting via an image sensor an image of the light pattern as reflected from the object, increasing a contrast of the light pattern relative to ambient light present in the image of the light pattern as reflected from the object to form a contrast-enhanced image of the light pattern as reflected from the object, and based upon a motion of the object as detected via the contrast-enhanced image of the light pattern, controlling an application that is providing output to a display. |
| US08704753B2 |
Electrophoresis display device and a method for controlling the driving electrophoresis display elements of an electrophoresis display device
An electrophoresis display device includes electrophoresis display elements, corresponding to pixels of a display unit, each having a structure where a dispersion medium containing electrophoresis particles is interposed between a common electrode and a pixel electrode, a driving unit that applies a voltage between the common electrode and the pixel electrodes and drives the electrophoresis display elements, and a control unit that controls the driving unit. An image rewrite period, during which a rewrite display operation is performed on the electrophoresis display elements, includes a reset period and an image signal introducing period. During the image signal introducing period, the electrophoresis display elements are driven with a first data input pulse and a second data input pulse. |
| US08704747B2 |
Liquid crystal display device, driving method for liquid crystal display devices, and inspection method for liquid crystal display devices
Using technology which uses a single shift register and simultaneously generates multiple pulses, this invention is a liquid crystal display device which rapidly drives data lines. It is possible to increase the frequency of the shift register output signal without changing the frequency of the shift register operation clock. If the shift register output signals, by means of analog switches, are used to determine the video signal sampling timing, high speed data line driving can be realized. Additionally, if the output signals of the shift register mentioned above are used to determine the video signal latch timing in a digital driver, high speed latching of the video signal can be realized. Consequently, even if the driving circuits of the liquid crystal display matrix are composed of TFTs, high speed operation of the driving circuits is possible without increasing power consumption. The shift register can also be used to inspect the electrical characteristics of the data lines and analog switches. |
| US08704746B2 |
Liquid crystal display having a voltage stabilization circuit and driving method thereof
A line-on-glass liquid crystal display device includes data lines for supplying data signals to drive sub-pixel units on a substrate, gate lines for supplying gate signals, and a gate low voltage stabilization circuit connected to a gate low voltage line from a data printed circuit board for applying a gate low voltage signal to the sub-pixel units. |
| US08704744B2 |
Systems and methods for temporal subpixel rendering of image data
Methods are disclosed to render image data over time. In one embodiment, a mapping from image data values to first and second sets of subpixels in a plurality of output frames uses brightness versus viewing angle performance measures to reduce color error when the image is viewed on the display panel at an off-normal viewing angle. In another embodiment, temporal subpixel rendering is used to improve the viewing angle in LCD displays or to improve subpixel rendering in other display technologies. |
| US08704739B2 |
Display panel, method of driving the display panel and display apparatus for performing the same
In a method of driving a display panel which includes a unit pixel including a first liquid crystal capacitor and a second liquid crystal capacitor, the first liquid crystal capacitor and the second liquid crystal capacitor are respectively charged with a high voltage and a low voltage which is less than the high voltage, during a first interval of a frame. The first liquid crystal capacitor and the second liquid crystal capacitor are both charged with a voltage between the high voltage and the low voltage, during a second interval of the frame after the first interval of the frame. |
| US08704731B2 |
Display control device, display control method, control program, and storage medium
A display control device of this invention controls a plurality of display devices included in a multi display system, including: a status obtaining section for obtaining, from the plurality of display devices, luminance setting values of the respective plurality of display devices, the luminance setting values defining luminance levels of the respective plurality of display devices; and a luminance control section for (i) determining a standard luminance setting value according to the luminance setting values obtained from the plurality of display devices and (ii) changing each of the luminance setting values of the respective display devices to the standard luminance setting value. |
| US08704730B2 |
Metamaterial antenna device with mechanical connection
A wireless device incorporating an antenna made of Composite Right Left Hand (CRLH) structures, having a connection element coupling a portion of the antenna to a ground electrode. In some embodiments a wireless device has one or more mechanical connection units made of electrically conductive materials to provide both mechanical engagement and electrical conduction for the antenna devices. |
| US08704725B2 |
Capacitive grounded RF coaxial cable to airstrip transition, and antenna thereof
The present invention provides a capacitive grounded RF coaxial cable to airstrip transition which comprises a conductive ground plane, an insulating gasket, a reflector plate and an insulating fixing component. The conductive ground plane, the insulating gasket and the reflector plate are attached uniformly and tightly in sequence and fixed together by the insulating fixing component. The outer surface of the conductive ground plane is connected conductively with the outer conductor of the RF coaxial cable. Preferably, the conductive ground plane is a metal plate and the insulating gasket is a plastic gasket. The capacitive grounded RF coaxial cable to airstrip transition further comprises at least one perforation penetrating the conductive ground plane, the insulating gasket and the reflector plate in sequence. The insulating fixing component includes at least one insulating rivet and at least one conductive supporting piece is arranged on the outer surface of the conductive ground plane. The present invention further provides an antenna comprising this transition. Therefore the present invention is designed skillfully, simple in structure, simple and convenient to assemble, has a low cost, avoids metals' direct contact to obviate the difficulty of maintaining the constant surface pressure, and realizes the grounding without producing third-order intermodulation, to completely eliminate unstable factors, and therefore is suitable for large-scale popularization. |
| US08704718B2 |
Waveguide to dipole radiator transition for rotating the polarization orthogonally
A radiating element having a transition from a waveguide to a dipole radiator. The radiating element utilizes the electric field of electromagnetic waves propagating in the waveguide to excite a section of a microstrip transmission line that is collinear with the waveguide's propagation direction. A waveguide septum guides the electric field of the electromagnetic waves into the transmission line and provides impedance matching. The transmission line can be formed on a first side of a dielectric substrate having a ground plane on a second side of the substrate. A first dipole leg is formed by making a ninety degree turn in the transmission line. A second dipole leg is extended from the ground plane and turned opposite from the first dipole leg. The transmission line includes a transformer having stepped or gradual changes in width of the transmission line leading to the dipole to provide additional impedance matching. |
| US08704717B2 |
Satellite dish snow shield
The satellite dish snow shield is an add-on device that is designed to fit most commercially produced satellite dish sizes and shapes, and self-aligns as it is installed. This snow shield is a solid curved hood-shaped barrier that attaches at the top of the satellite dish and extends out at a relatively perpendicular angle from the face of the satellite dish. In this way, the snow shield prevents snow build-up and signal disruption by catching and diverting failing snow before it reaches the face of the satellite dish. This satellite snow shield does not, in any way, shroud the actual face of the satellite dish (antenna). Snow falling on these shroud type devices can themselves collect snow in a way that will eventually cause signal loss. However, no matter how much snow accumulates on the snow shield, my device continues to allow for a clear and unobstructed satellite signal to reach the dish (antenna). Due to the unique tab and clip system, my snow shield is a true snap-on device that requires no screws, nuts, bolts or tools of any kind to install and secure into place. |
| US08704713B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for use in identifying wireless transmitting devices for use in estimating a location of a mobile device
Techniques for provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses to allow a mobile device to identify and select certain wireless transmitting devices for use in estimating a location of the mobile device. For example with one method, a mobile device may identify a plurality of wireless transmitting devices from which measurements are obtainable to estimate a location of the mobile device, and select a set of wireless transmitting devices based, at least in part, on a location reliability indicator. |
| US08704712B2 |
System and method of generating a radio frequency signal
A system and method of generating a radio frequency signal adapted for allowing a receiving device to calculate a navigational indicator relative to a plurality of antennas. The system comprising a radio frequency generator unit for generating: a primary signal for driving at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to provide a primary transmission; and an actively derived secondary signal to complement the primary signal for driving at least one other antenna of the plurality of antennas to provide, collectively with the primary transmission, the combined transmission, wherein the combined transmission, relative to the primary transmission only, provides a reduced observed distortion at the receiving device. |
| US08704711B2 |
Wireless cable
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for enhancing link integrity between two wireless cable devices through automatic link acquisition and tracking. Embodiments of the invention utilize inexpensive motors and control components to automatically enhancing signal strength between a first wireless cable device and a second wireless cable device. Either the first wireless cable device, the second wireless cable device, or both may include an omnidirectional wireless antenna. Alternatively, the first wireless cable device, the second wireless cable device, or both may include a directional antenna. In another embodiment, the first wireless cable device, the second wireless cable device, or both may include both an omnidirectional antenna and a directional antenna. |
| US08704706B2 |
Radar return signal processing apparatus and method
According to one embodiment, a radar return signal processing apparatus includes a detector, an estimation unit and an extraction unit. The detector detects an average Doppler frequency, a spectrum width, and a received power of each of echoes, from a radar return signal obtained repeatedly at regular intervals. The estimation unit estimates an optimum mixed density function by learning modeling a shaped of the frequency spectrum by calculating repeatedly a sum of density functions of each of the echoes. The extraction unit extracts information on any one of the echoes included in the radar return signal, from a parameter of the estimated mixed density function. |
| US08704704B2 |
Motor vehicle radar system, and method for determining speeds and distances of objects
Presented is a method for determining speeds (vr14, vr16) and distances (r14, r16) of objects (14, 16) relative to a radar system (12) of a motor vehicle (10), wherein a coverage area (EB) of the radar system (12) is divided into at least two part-areas (TB1, TB2, TB3), the coverage area (EB) is examined for reflecting objects (14, 16) in successive measuring cycles (MZ1, MZ2; MZi, MZi+1), wherein radar signals received in a measuring cycle (MZ1, MZ2; MZi, MZi+1) are processed separated in accordance with part-areas (TB1, TB2, TB3) and processed signals are assembled to form a total result differentiated in accordance with spatial directions. The method is characterized in that from signals received in a first measuring cycle (MZ1; MZi), hypotheses for the distance (r14, r16) and speed (vr14, vr16) of reflecting objects (14, 16) are formed and the hypotheses are validated in dependence on signals received in at least one further measuring cycle (MZ2; MZi+2). Furthermore, a radar system (12) is presented which carries out such a method. |
| US08704702B2 |
Method for estimating an object motion characteristic from a radar signal, a computer system and a computer program product
The invention relates to a method for estimating an object motion characteristic from a radar signal. The method comprises the step of receiving radar data of an object from a multiple beam radar system. Further, the method comprises the steps of associating radar data with estimated height and/or cross-range information of object parts causing the corresponding radar data and fitting an object model with radar data being associated with a selected estimated height and/or cross-range information interval. The method also comprises the step of determining an object motion characteristic from the fitted object model. |
| US08704701B2 |
Automatic monitoring of flight related radio communications
The present disclosure is generally directed to processing air traffic controller (“ATC”) communication directed to aircraft other than the current aircraft. ATC communication is processed using speech recognition and the call sign and augmented flight information for other aircraft is identified. The corresponding aircraft icon on the display representing the aircraft on the display may be augmented by emphasizing the icon and displaying augmented flight information, along with an insignia. This information is displayed for a configurable time duration, after which the display reverts to displaying a conventional aircraft icon and associated flight information on the display. The pilot can subsequently select the aircraft icon and may be presented with a log of past ATC communications for the aircraft. |
| US08704697B2 |
Integration and analog to digital conversion circuit with common capacitors and operating method thereof
The present invention provides an integration and analog to digital conversion circuit sharing common capacitors. The circuit comprises a first capacitor array module, a second capacitor module, an integration circuit, an analog to digital conversion (ADC) logic. The first capacitor array module has a plurality of capacitors. The second capacitor array module has a plurality of capacitors. The integration circuit is configured to integrate an analog signal by said first or said second capacitor array module. The ADC logic is configured to convert the output of said first or said second capacitor array module to a digital signal. The ADC logic performs conversion by said first capacitor array module while said integration circuit performs integration by said second capacitor array module, and said ADC logic performs conversion by said second capacitor array module while said integration circuit performs integration by said first capacitor array module. |
| US08704696B2 |
AD conversion circuit and imaging apparatus
An AD conversion circuit includes a reference signal generation unit, which generates a reference signal, a comparison unit, which ends a comparison process at a timing at which the reference signal has satisfied a predetermined condition with respect to the analog signal, a first path in which a signal is transferred through each of n delay units, a clock signal generation unit, which outputs a lower-order phase signal, a latch unit, which latches the lower-order phase signal, a higher-order count unit including a first counter circuit, which acquires a higher-order count value by performing a count operation using a signal output from any one of the delay units, a calculation unit, which generates a lower-order count signal, and a lower-order count unit, which acquires a lower-order count value by performing the count operation using the lower-order count signal. |
| US08704693B1 |
Signal interface system and method
A signal interface system and method of interfacing signal input sources with user output destination devices are provided. The signal interface system is configurable to accept one of a plurality of types of inputs. The signal interface system includes a common section, and a module section including two or more monitor modules. The two or more monitor modules condition a received signal for consumption by a user output destination device. The common input section allows monitor modules to be removed without impacting the function of other monitor modules in the system. The signal interface accepts either discrete inputs or process variable current inputs. |
| US08704689B2 |
Method of processing data samples and circuits therefor
The present invention relates to data manipulation and in particular incrementing, decrementing and comparing binary coded numbers, notably the manipulation of thermometer codes and the performance of arithmetic operations thereon. A method of processing data is provides which comprises receiving a series of data samples, each sample being represented as an N-bit thermometer code, wherein the most significant bit thereof represents the sign of the data sample value Y(n) and the remaining N−1 bits represent the magnitude of the data sample and executing a predetermined sequence of arithmetic operations directly on the series of N-bit thermometer code data samples to determine one of two values for each data sample, without any recoding of the thermometer code data samples. |
| US08704688B2 |
Implantable medical device diagnostic data acquisition and storage
Physiological data is generated from signals received from one or more leads associated with the IMD. The physiological data is sampled to generate a plurality of data samples. A predictive encoding algorithm is applied to the plurality of data samples to generate a plurality of encoded data samples each corresponding to one of the plurality of data samples. An entropy encoding algorithm is then applied to the plurality of encoded data samples to generate a plurality of code words each corresponding to one of the plurality of encoded data samples. The code words are then stored in a memory in the IMD. |
| US08704685B2 |
Encoding method, encoding apparatus, decoding method, decoding apparatus, and system
An encoding method includes searching a search target symbol string within a specific range from the end of a symbol string, which has been utilized for encoding, for a match symbol string corresponding to a beginning symbol string of a symbol string to be encoded, encoding the beginning symbol string based on a distance between the match symbol string and the beginning symbol string, and a length of the match symbol string. |
| US08704678B2 |
Systems and methods for modifying utility usage
A receiver assembly for managing an appliance comprises a receiver that receives a first datacast comprising utility information, a processor that controls the appliance based on the utility information, a display that notifies a user of the utility information, and an input interface that receives instructions from the user on whether to alter appliance usage based on the utility information. When an instruction is received by the input interface to alter usage of the appliance based on the utility information, the appliance is regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until an override instruction occurs. When an override instruction is received, the appliance is not regulated by the utility information in the first datacast and subsequent datacasts until an instruction is received by the input interface from the user to alter usage of the appliance as a function of the utility information. |
| US08704677B2 |
Reliable downhole data transmission system
A downhole signal transmission system provides electric radiofrequency signals that are coupled to electrically conductive or non-conductive fluids through electrical insulators. A plurality of signal repeaters are tuned to the frequencies of the radiofrequency signals, and a plurality of transmission lines terminated by resonance circuits are also provided such that the terminating resonance circuits resonate on the frequencies of the electric radiofrequency signals. The plurality of signal repeaters and plurality of transmission elements are arranged to be redundant such that a failure of one or more of the signal repeaters or a failure of one or more of the transmission elements does not substantially affect the operation of the data transmission system. The signal repeaters and transmission elements also are arranged such that a failure of any of the signal repeaters or a failure of any of the transmission elements is communicated to the surface. |
| US08704676B2 |
Dynamic road markers to provide visual feedback as to vehicle speed
Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and method to utilize road markers to control vehicle speeds. The road markers may be commanded to emit a light for a pre-determined period of time. Further, the road markers may be controlled such that they are commanded to emit the light based upon a timing sequence associated with a desired speed so that the road markers emit light in a strobe pattern. In this way, if a vehicle is traveling at the desired speed, then the strobe pattern appears static to a driver of the vehicle. Additionally, a message may be transmitted from a traffic authority to increase or decrease the timing sequence of the strobe pattern to increase or decrease the speed to the desired speed. |
| US08704672B2 |
Filter change alert system for an HVAC system
Methods and systems for indicating a status of an air filter of an HVAC system may include receiving a measure that is related to an amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in an HVAC system, using the measure to determine whether the air filter does not need replacing, the air filter needs to be replaced soon, or the air filter should be replaced now, and displaying on a display of an HVAC controller an air filter status indicator, wherein the air filter status indicator includes a stop-light metaphor. In one example, the air filter status indicator may display a green color when the air filter does not need replacing, display a yellow color when the air filter needs to be replaced soon, and display a red color when the air filter should be replaced now. In some cases, the air filter status indicator may also include a qualitative term indicative of the current status of the air filter. |
| US08704666B2 |
Medical device interface customization systems and methods
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to customization of user interfaces for medical devices. According to certain embodiments, patient monitors may include a device body designed to interface with interchangeable and removable faceplates. The faceplates may include input devices for controlling the patient monitor. Further, the properties of the input devices, such as the size, shape, labels, type, and location, may vary between faceplates. Further, in certain embodiments, the faceplates may include a memory for storing preferences associated with the user interface. |
| US08704665B2 |
Multiple technology EAS tag and system
An electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag incorporates alternative theft deterrence systems. The security tag incorporates both a benefit-denial ink-based system and two independent EAS detection elements operating at two different frequencies such that the tag can alternatively be operated in two different systems. The security tag is further adapted to be reusable after ink ampoule breakage and includes a visual indication of ink to serve as a further visual deterrence to shoplifters. |
| US08704664B1 |
Anti-theft tag for a product having a ridged portion and method of use
An anti-theft tag for use with a product having one or more ridges includes a base for supporting an EAS sensor, a body including a product engagement portion having an opening, a locking member, and a detachment section. The locking member engages and secures the tag to a product having a ridged portion during use. The locking member can flex in a first direction as the product is received within the engagement member, and locks into engagement with the product to prevent removal of the tag. Detachment allows removal of the tag by cutting the detachment section and allowing the opening to be expanded and the product removed. |
| US08704661B1 |
Personal situational awareness system
Methods and apparatus may allow for personal situational awareness. An optical relay may be mounted to a mounting component joined to an article worn on an individual's person, such as glasses, headgear, clothing, and the like. Optical information may be relayed from an individual's blind spot to an individual's line of sight. Relayed optical information may be transformed, including by isolating relevant optical information and eliminating extraneous optical information. |
| US08704660B2 |
Chemical-selective device
A smartcard or other media that detects the presence of chemical and/or biological compounds or other items of interest on individuals handling by using chemical-selective devices. These chemical-selective devices can include non-linear (e.g., diode and/or transistor) and/or time non-linear (e.g., controlled resistor) electrical components and can indicate exposure to an item of interest through a change in one or more electrical characteristics. The exposure of the chemical-selective devices to items of interest is stored such that, when the smartcard or other media is presented to a card reader, the detection data can be transmitted to the card reader for appropriate processing by the system. |
| US08704657B2 |
Method for reminding objects being away and communication device and computer readable medium using the same method
A method for reminding objects being away, a communication device and a computer readable medium using the same method are proposed. The proposed method is adapted to the communication device, and includes the following steps. Location information of the communication device is recorded. A connection between the communication device and a specified object is established. A safety zone of the specified object is configured according to a user configuration signal. It is determined whether the specified object is away from the communication device, which is carried by the user. It is further determined whether the specified object is not in the safety zone. When the specified object is determined to be away from the communication device and is not in the safety zone, an alarm signal is provided to the user. |
| US08704656B2 |
Improvements to body area networks
A method of operating a wireless sensor network having a plurality of network devices including sensors (11E, 13) for monitoring a plurality of parameters, and a coordinator (10) for communicating with the network devices either directly in a star protocol or indirectly in a peer-to-peer protocol, the method comprising: arranging the coordinator (10) for communication over a low-priority link with at least a subset of the network devices; gathering sensor data by sensors of the network devices and transferring the data to the coordinator; detecting existence of an emergency state with respect to at least one of the network devices (11E); and establishing a high-priority link with the devices (11E) in the emergency state, the high-priority link having higher priority for network resources than the low-priority link. The method may be applied, for example, to monitoring of patients in a hospital using MBANs operating in accordance with IEEE 802.15.6. |
| US08704653B2 |
Enhanced road vision on full windshield head-up display
A method to selectively project graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle based upon a need for enhanced vision includes monitoring informational inputs describing an operational environment for the vehicle, processing the informational inputs to generate display requirements, generating the graphical images to be projected based upon the display requirements, and projecting the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display. Processing of the informational inputs can include determining the need for enhanced vision based upon the informational inputs and generating the display requirements based upon the informational inputs and the need for enhanced vision. |
| US08704649B2 |
Vibrotactile device and method using the same
Disclosed herein is a vibrotactile device intuitively providing information by inducing a tactile sense to a user, and a method using the same. The device according to an embodiment includes a vibrating contact panel contacting with a user's hand; a plurality of vibratory modules that are attached to the lower part of the vibrating contact panel and vibrate with different intensities according to the amount of supplied power; and a plurality of vibration isolating links that are coupled, respectively, to an end of each of the modules to support the modules and to isolate the vibration from the modules. |
| US08704648B2 |
Reconfigurable keyfield on a communication device
A handheld communication device having a reconfigurable keyfield and a display screen upon which characters are displayed. A plurality of actuable input keys makeup the keyfield, and each has at least one character associated therewith and an engageable top surface for actuation. A microprocessor is configured to receive data indicative of an actuated input key and to output data indicative of an associated character determined to correspond to the indicated input key. At least one of the plurality of actuable input keys is mounted to the handheld communication device by an adjustable interconnection configurable between at least first and second operating orientations. In the first operating orientation, the engageable top surface of the at least one input key faces a first direction and in the second operating orientation the engageable top surface of the at least one input key faces a second direction. |
| US08704647B2 |
Haptic feedback case for electronic equipment
Disclosed is a haptic feedback case for electronic equipment, including: a main body configured to accommodate the electronic equipment; a communication unit configured to receive haptic generation information from the electronic equipment; a filmy type actuator configured to generate haptic sensations; and a control unit configured to operate the film type actuator according to the haptic generation information input from the communication unit. |
| US08704645B2 |
Remote controller and remote controller control method
According to one embodiment, a remote controller includes first operation keys, a first illumination module, second operation keys, a second illumination module, a cover, an open-close detector, and a controller. The first illumination module illuminates the first operation keys. The second operation keys are arranged in different location than the first operation keys. The second illumination module illuminates the second operation keys. The cover is capable of covering the second operation keys. The open-close detector detects whether the cover is open or closed. The controller controls the first illumination module and the second illumination module individually to turn on or off according to whether the cover is open or closed detected by the open-close detector. |
| US08704639B2 |
Management control of household appliances using RFID communication
A method and system for communicating with an associated home appliance having a micro-controller includes providing a master device that emits a signal in response to data indicative of energy operational costs. One or more RFID tags receive the master device signal. The RFID tag(s) are connected to the associated home appliance micro-controller to control the operational mode of the home appliance. Preferably, four RFID tags are responsive to four distinct frequency signal emitted by the master device and are representative of different modes of operation for the associated home appliance. |
| US08704637B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication method, program, information management apparatus and communication system
An apparatus and method provide logic for managing positional information within a communication network. In one implementation, an information management apparatus includes a history information registration unit, a registration determination unit, and a base station information registration unit. The history information registration unit may be configured to register first and second history information within a storage unit. The registration determination unit may determine whether a difference value between time information associated with the first and second history information is less than a threshold value. The base station information registration unit may subsequently register at least position information associated with a communications apparatus and a base station, when the difference value is less than the threshold value. |
| US08704636B2 |
Information processing apparatus, communication apparatus, and program
An information processing apparatus includes: a storage block configured to store a first region as part of a layer structure; an execution block which, in response to a designation command transmitted by a communication apparatus to designate the creation of a second region as a lower layer of the first region, performs a region creation process for creating the second region as the lower layer of the first region; and a transmission block which, if the region creation process is stopped, then transmits first information indicating whether or not the second region is already created to the communication apparatus, in response to a request from the communication apparatus. |
| US08704634B2 |
System for creating, collecting, storing and providing access to data from an electric power device which contains a cooling or operating liquid
A system is provided for creating and/or collecting, storing and providing access to data from an electric power device which contains a cooling or operating liquid. A sensing device is mounted on the electric power device. The sensing device includes a microprocessor/microcontroller, a memory, a display panel, an input panel, and a tag read/write apparatus. A sampling container for holding a liquid sample to be taken from the electric power device has a container tag mounted thereon. The tag read/write apparatus uses a wireless communication link, when a sample has been taken, to transmit (i) administrative data denoting the electric power device, and (ii) diagnosis data denoting the sample taken to the container tag. The diagnosis data can be input directly using the input panel of the sensing device when a sample has been taken. |
| US08704630B2 |
Apparatus and methods for temperature-based control of communication device operations
In one or more embodiments, an intelligent communications device is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed for controlling the operations of temperature-sensitive electronic devices in an enclosure, based on a requisite temperature range. The apparatus includes a main circuit board with a plurality of secondary circuit board connectors that are operative to connect secondary circuit boards to the main circuit board. The apparatus also includes one or more temperature sensors that are operative to sense temperature within the enclosure, and one or more selectively actuatable heating elements that are mounted to the main circuit board in proximity to the plurality of secondary circuit board connectors. Each heating element is operative to emit heat when actuated. The apparatus further includes a programmable processor that is programmed to cause the temperature sensors to sense the temperature within the enclosure and, if the sensed temperature is above or below the requisite temperature range, selectively actuate or shut down at least one of the heating elements. |
| US08704612B2 |
Antenna sharing device
The antenna sharing device has a first elastic-wave filter for passing signals of a first frequency passband and a second elastic-wave filter for passing signals of a second frequency passband higher than the first frequency passband. The first elastic-wave filter is a ladder-type filter including a first series resonator and a second series resonator having an antiresonant frequency point higher than that of the first series resonator. The first series resonator has a first IDT electrode and a first dielectric film covering the electrode. The second series resonator has a second IDT electrode and a second dielectric film covering the electrode. The first and the second dielectric films have a first projection and a second projection, respectively, so as to be formed above the electrode fingers of each IDT electrode. The cross-sectional area of the first projection of the first series resonator is larger than that of the second projection of the second series resonator in the excitation direction of the elastic wave. The structure satisfies both of steepness in a crossband and low loss in a passband. |
| US08704610B2 |
Apparatus for improving grounding for an electrical component and method of making same
A multi-layer cradle comprises a first layer comprising first and second contact pads configured to be electrically coupled to a signal input and a signal output of the electronic component, respectively. The first layer also comprises a first ground plane configured to be electrically coupled to a ground of the electronic component and a first fence positioned about the first ground plane. The first ground plane is positioned at least between the first and second contact pads. A second layer comprising a second ground plane is also included. The cradle further comprises a first dielectric material positioned between the first and second layers, a ground plane via extending through the first dielectric material and electrically coupled to the first and second ground planes, and a plurality of fence vias extending through the first dielectric material and electrically coupled to the first fence and to second ground plane. |
| US08704605B1 |
Class-AB XTAL circuit
A resonant element driver circuit includes a NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor that are configured to drive a resonant element. The resonant element driver circuit includes biasing circuitry that is configured to bias the PMOS transistor. The biasing circuitry receives a reference signal that is used to set the biasing on the PMOS transistor. The resonant element driver further includes mirror circuitry that tracks current flowing through the NMOS and PMOS transistors. |
| US08704601B2 |
Class E power amplifier
The present invention includes a class-E power amplifier, comprising a driver stage (DS) including a first power amplifier with transistors, to which an input signal is inputted; a main stage (MS), including a second power amplifier with transistors, whose input is connected to the output of the DS; and a first LC resonator whose one end is connected to the output of the DS and the other end to the ground as an AC equivalent circuit and a second LC resonator whose one end is connected to the input of the MS and the other end to the ground as an AC equivalent circuit. In accordance with the present invention, as the voltage stress is reduced on the CMOS class-E power amplifier, the application of the high power supply voltage may be allowed and therefore the load impedance may be high while the same efficiency is maintained. |
| US08704599B2 |
Switching power supply circuit
A highly power-efficient switching power supply is realized. A switching power supply circuit of the present invention comprises: a pulse generation unit configured to generate a pulse for alternately opening and closing a first and a second switching elements; and a switching unit configured to input a voltage to the pulse generation unit in accordance with the detected power consumption level in the external load, wherein the pulse generation unit is configured so as to reduce the pulse width of the pulse that is generated if the voltage input from the switching unit is higher than a reference voltage, and to increase the pulse width of the pulse that is generated if the voltage input from the switching unit is lower than the reference voltage. |
| US08704594B2 |
Dual rail out-phased envelope tracking modulator
A drain modulator circuit for operation with a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, includes a pair of AC signal sources each of the AC signal sources having an output at which an AC signal is provided. The drain modulator circuit further includes a pair of tapped delay elements, each of which is configured to receive an AC signal from a respective one of the AC signal sources and a control element coupled to provide one or more control signals to the pair of tapped delay elements such that the tapped delay elements provide a selected instantaneous differential voltage to the RF amplifier. |
| US08704592B2 |
Traveling wave amplifier with pre-emphasis function
A traveling wave amplifier (TWA) primarily for driving a semiconductor optical device is disclosed. The TWA of an embodiment provides a plurality of differential amplifiers of the first type and an additional differential amplifier of the second type, where are they are connected between the input and the output of the TWA. The differential amplifiers of the first type provide a first delay from the input to the output, while, the differential amplifier of the second type provide a second delay longer than the first delay between the input and the output of the TWA. |
| US08704588B2 |
Circuit for generating a reference voltage
A bandgap voltage reference circuit for generating a bandgap voltage reference. An embodiment comprises a current generator controlled by a first driving voltage for generating a first current depending on the driving voltage, and a first reference circuit element coupled to the controlled current generator for receiving the first current and generating a first reference voltage in response to the first current. The circuit further comprises a second reference circuit element for receiving a second current corresponding to the first current; said second reference circuit element is adapted to generate a second reference voltage in response to the second current. The circuit further comprises an operational amplifier having a first input coupled to the first circuit element and a second input coupled to the second reference circuit element. The circuit also comprises a control circuit comprising first capacitive element and second capacitive element. |
| US08704587B2 |
Configurable multistage charge pump using a supply detect scheme
A configurable multistage charge pump including multiple pumpcells, at least one bypass switch and control logic. The pumpcells are coupled together in series including a first pumpcell receiving an input voltage and at least one remaining pumpcell including a last pumpcell which generates an output voltage. Each bypass switch is coupled to selectively provide the input voltage to a pumpcell input of a corresponding one of the remaining pumpcells. The control logic is configured to determine one of multiple voltage ranges of the input voltage, to enable each pumpcell for a first voltage range and to disable and bypass at least one pumpcell for at least one other voltage range. A method of operating a multistage charge pump including detecting an input voltage, selecting a voltage range based on an input voltage, and enabling a number of cascaded pumpcells corresponding to the selected voltage range. |
| US08704586B2 |
Capacitance detecting apparatus and capacitive touch control system using the same
A capacitance detecting apparatus, coupled to a capacitor to be measured, includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a control module and a judging module. The first and second capacitors are coupled to the capacitor to be measured via an input node. The control module provides a first voltage-drop variation to the first capacitor and a second voltage-drop variation to the capacitor to be measured to introduce a third voltage-drop variation to the second capacitor. The first and second voltage-drop variations cause charge flowing from the first capacitor to the input node have a same sign with charge flowing from the input node to the capacitor to be measured. The judging module determines capacitance of the capacitor to be measured according to capacitance of the first and second capacitors as well as the first, second and third voltage-drop variations. |
| US08704584B2 |
Output driver device for integrated circuit
A driver device drives a load circuit by a common output signal from a first driver transistor and a second driver transistor. The driver device includes a first pre-driver unit that outputs a first driver control signal to the first driver transistor in response to the input signal; and a second pre-driver unit that outputs a second driver control signal to the second driver transistor in response to the input signal. The first pre-driver unit controls the first driver control signal in such a manner that the first driver control signal is rounded in the vicinity of a threshold of the first driver transistor and is sharply changed in a region exceeding the threshold. |
| US08704581B2 |
Switched capacitor integration and summing circuits
A switched capacitor circuit employs a single operational amplifier to implement both an integrator and a summer. One input signal is routed to the input of the operational amplifier through (1) one or more integration branches, and (2) one or more first summing branches. A second input signal is routed to the input of the operational amplifier through one or more second summing branches. Each of the branches includes a capacitor and a number of switches controlled by different clock phases. The switched capacitor circuit may be single-ended or differential. The circuit may be used in an access terminal of a cellular communication system. The access terminal may operate under a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication standard. |
| US08704577B2 |
Clock mesh synthesis with gated local trees and activity driven register clustering
A clock mesh network synthesis method is proposed which enables clock gating on the local sub-trees of the clock mesh network in order to reduce the clock power dissipation. Clock gating is performed with a register clustering strategy that considers both i) the similarity of switching activities between registers in a local area and ii) the timing slack on every local data path of the design area. The method encapsulates the efficient implementation of the gated local trees and activity driven register clustering with timing slack awareness for clock mesh synthesis. With gated local tree and activity driven register clustering, the switching capacitance on the mesh network can be reduced by 22% with limited skew degradation. The method has two synthesis modes as low power mode and high performance mode to serve different design purposes. |
| US08704574B2 |
SSPC distribution system and control strategy
A power distribution system includes the use of a master digital signal processor (DSP) and two slave DSPs connected to the master DSP. The slaves DSPs may be connected to each of a plurality of solid state power channels (SSPC) controlling power distribution functions to each of the channels. A power control strategy may use one power supply for the master DSP, a second power supply shared between the slave DSPs, and a third power supply shared between each of the SSPC channels. |
| US08704573B2 |
Data latch circuit
A serial-format data signal is input to a data input terminal. Each of n (n represents an integer of two or more) multiple clock input terminals is configured to receive a clock signal as an input signal. An input flip-flop latches the data signal at each timing that corresponds to the corresponding clock signal. A serial/parallel converter converts the serial-format data signal into a parallel-format intermediate data signal using the corresponding clock signal. A data selector selects one from among the n intermediate data signals according to a selection signal. |
| US08704571B2 |
Phase-locked-loop with quadrature tracking filter for synchronizing an electric grid
Methods and systems for synchronizing an electric grid having unbalanced voltages are provided. A voltage vector may be filtered in a quadrature tracking filter (QTF) to generate a quadrature signal. A phase-locked-loop (PLL) operation may be performed on the quadrature signal to monitor a voltage vector between the grid and a connected power converter. The QTF and PLL methods are suitable for either single-phase applications or n-phase (any number of phases) applications. A frequency estimator estimates the grid frequency of the electric grid and outputs the estimated frequency to the QTF algorithms. The frequency estimator may include a three-phase phase-locked-loop (three-phase PLL) suitable for estimating the center frequencies of multiple phases of the electric grid. The frequency estimator may also include means for reducing the harmonics in the grid system. |
| US08704568B1 |
Sub-gate delay adjustment using digital locked-loop
A delay locked loop (DLL) includes a delay line that delays a clock signal to generate a delayed clock signal, a phase frequency detector (PFD) for detecting a phase and/or frequency difference between the clock signal and the delayed clock signal, and a charge pump having an adjustable bias current for converting the phase and/or frequency difference taking into account a bias current adjustment into a control voltage, in which the control voltage controls an amount of delay in the delayed clock signal. |
| US08704567B2 |
Hybrid phase-locked loop architectures
Phase locked loop (PLL) architectures are provided such as hybrid PLL architectures having separate digital integrating control paths and analog proportional control paths. An analog proportional control path can be implemented with a charge pump circuit that includes resistors in series with CMOS switches to generate control currents (e.g., Up/Down control currents) which are used to adjust a control voltage applied to a digitally controlled oscillator. A digital integrating control path can be implemented with a series of sigma-delta modulators that operate at different frequencies to convert higher bit data signals to lower bit data signals along the digital integrating control path. A single phase frequency detector may be implemented to generate control signals that separately control the analog proportional and digital integrating control paths. |
| US08704566B2 |
Hybrid phase-locked loop architectures
Phase locked loop (PLL) architectures are provided such as hybrid PLL architectures having separate digital integrating control paths and analog proportional control paths. An analog proportional control path can be implemented with a charge pump circuit that includes resistors in series with CMOS switches to generate control currents (e.g., Up/Down control currents) which are used to adjust a control voltage applied to a digitally controlled oscillator. A digital integrating control path can be implemented with a series of sigma-delta modulators that operate at different frequencies to convert higher bit data signals to lower bit data signals along the digital integrating control path. A single phase frequency detector may be implemented to generate control signals that separately control the analog proportional and digital integrating control paths. |
| US08704565B2 |
Lock detection circuit, DLL circuit, and receiving circuit
According to one embodiment, a lock detection circuit includes an initial state response circuit. The initial state response circuit is configured to output a third control signal to delay lines and cause a charge pump to stop an output of a second control signal when a pulse width modulation signal is not input, the third control signal is configured to control a delay amount to cause a delay amount of an entire delay circuit to be within one selected from a range in which an OVER signal generation circuit is operable, a range in which an UNDER signal generation circuit is operable, and a range that is greater than an UNDER threshold and less than an OVER threshold. |
| US08704561B2 |
Delay locked loop
A delay locked loop includes a delay adjusting unit configured to delay a first clock signal in outputting a second clock signal phase-locked with the first clock signal and generate a delay control signal in response to the first clock signal and the second clock signal and a variable delay line configured to output a third clock signal by delaying the first clock signal in response to the delay control signal. |
| US08704556B2 |
Integrated circuit-based drive circuit for driving voltage-controlled switching device and method of manufacturing the drive circuit
A drive circuit supplies a charging current via a charging path to drive the control terminal of a voltage-controlled switching device, with a resistor and a switching device being connected in series in the charging path. A control circuit in an integrated circuit of the drive circuit operates an internal switching device such as to selectively enable/interrupt the charging current and to regulate the voltage drop across the resistor to a fixed value. The switching device connected in the charging path can be readily changed from the internal switching device to an external switching device, in accordance with the operating requirements of the driven switching device. |
| US08704543B2 |
Test head moving apparatus and electronic component testing apparatus
A test head moving apparatus includes elevating arms that move a test head up and down, a frame that horizontally moves the test head, and an interlock mechanism that prohibits the horizontal movement of the frame on the basis of a height of the test head. The interlock mechanism has a limit switch that detects that the test head is positioned at the lowermost limit and stoppers capable of pressing the pressing units onto a floor plane. |
| US08704535B2 |
Layout for antenna loops having both functions of capacitance induction and electromagnetic induction
The present invention relates to a layout for antenna loops having both functions of capacitance induction and electromagnetic induction, and particularly relates to the layout for antenna loops having both functions of capacitance induction and electromagnetic induction, wherein the capacitance detection elements are integrated with the antenna loops. In this layout for antenna loops, each of the antenna loops therein is separated into three sections, and there are several geometric structures fabricated in two of these sections. These geometric structures are capacitance detection elements. Therefore, the two sections are directly fabricated to be the capacitance detection elements because of these geometric structures. By this way, the antenna loops can be integrated with the capacitance detection elements and the capacitance detection elements do not prevent the antenna loops from receiving the electromagnetic signals. |
| US08704533B2 |
Method and apparatus to measure differential phase and frequency modulation distortions for audio equipment
A testing method or apparatus utilizes multiple frequencies applied to a device under test for measuring newly discovered frequency modulation effects. An embodiment may include a lower frequency signal with a smaller amplitude higher frequency signal to test a dynamic change in frequency response, gain, and or phase. This dynamic test can reveal frequency modulation effects. Another embodiment may include the use of a multiple frequency signal to dynamically induce a time varying phase or frequency distortion for the device that has differential phase distortion. The device's output is then measured with an FM detector or spectrum analysis system to measure a shift in one of the frequencies used in the test signal or to measure frequency modulation effects of any signals, including distortion products, from the device. Yet another embodiment of the invention may include biasing a device with a voltage to span the output voltage range of the device while measuring harmonic or intermodulation distortion or phase or frequency response at the various operating points. |
| US08704532B2 |
System and method for determining power supply noise in an integrated circuit
A system for determining power supply noise in an integrated circuit includes a circuit system comprising a circuit element and a power delivery network, the power delivery network comprising at least one impedance, a channel formed by input and output portions of the circuit element, the channel having the impedance of the power delivery network, a signal source for providing an aggressor signal having a known spectrum to the input portion of the circuit element, and an analysis device for measuring the aggressor signal at the output portion of the circuit element, whereby the aggressor signal at the output portion of the circuit element is influenced by the impedance of the power delivery network and indicates power supply noise. |
| US08704530B2 |
Lead adapter for testing pacing thresholds across multiple vectors at implant
An adapter is used in conjunction with a testing device to test pacing thresholds of an implanted lead. A main body of the adapter includes a plurality of adapter contacts that are configured to electrically couple to the plurality of connector contacts. A connector module includes a first port configured to couple to a first testing device connector and a second port configured to couple to a second testing device connector. A switch assembly includes a plurality of actuatable elements each associated with one of the adapter contacts. The actuatable elements are each selectably actuatable between a first state that electrically couples the associated adapter contact to the first port, a second state that electrically couples the associated adapter contact to the second port, and a third state that electrically decouples the associated adapter contact from the first and second ports. |
| US08704529B2 |
Circuit test interface and test method thereof
A circuit test interface and a test method are disclosed. The circuit test interface may include a test voltage input pad, a test voltage output pad, and a plurality of input buffers. Each of the plurality of input buffers may have a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminal of each respective input buffer may be coupled to one of a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs). The circuit test interface may further include a plurality of switch units. Each of the plurality of switch units may have a first terminal and a second terminal. The circuit test interface may further include a scan chain, coupled to both the output terminal of each of the plurality of input buffers and to the test voltage output pad. |
| US08704525B2 |
Current based overvoltage and undervoltage detector
With batteries or cells, particularly lithium ion cells, it is important to determine when one or more cells have entered a fault condition (i.e., overvoltage or undervoltage). Conventional circuits employ measuring circuits that use multiple bandgap circuits and high voltage components. These conventional circuits, however, consume a great deal of area because of the use of these multiple bandgap circuits and the high voltage components. Here, a circuit is provided that reduces the number of bandgap circuits and reduces the number of high voltage components, reducing the area consumed and reducing the overall cost of production compared to conventional circuits. |
| US08704524B2 |
Connection method of replaceable sensors for resistivity arrays
An apparatus and method for conducting resistivity logging in a borehole. The apparatus may include a housing configured for fluid isolation, an electrical conductor penetrating the housing and a sealing interface. The apparatus may also include at least one of: an electrical component inside the housing and an electrode disposed on the exterior of the housing. The apparatus is configured to allow the electrical conductor to be moved, while maintaining the sealing interface, between an electrically connected state and an electrically disconnected state with at least one of: the electrical component and the electrode. The method may include using the apparatus for resistivity logging operations. |
| US08704521B2 |
NMR analyzers for clinical evaluation of biosamples
The clinical analyzers automatically electronically monitor selected parameters and automatically electronically adjust parameters to maintain the analyzer within desired operational ranges. The clinical NMR analyzers can be configured as a networked system with a plurality of clinical NMR analyzers located at different use sites. |