| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08761753B2 |
Communication of an interference condition in wireless communications systems
Systems, devices, and methods for adjusting a transmission power at a femto node are described herein. According to the systems, devices, and methods herein, a measurement of a signal transmitted from a transmitting node may be communicated to the femto node, for example from a user equipment or a neighboring femto node, for use in adjusting the power. The transmitting node may comprise the femto node, a macro node, or a neighboring femto node. In addition, statistics regarding such measurements may be communicated to the femto node for use in adjusting the power. The femto node may also adjust the power based on unsuccessful registration attempts or interference communications received at the femto node. |
| US08761752B2 |
Method and system for dynamic adjustment of power and frequencies in a femtocell network
Aspects of a method and system for dynamic adjustment of power, antenna direction and frequencies in a femtocell network are provided. In this regard, a communication system may comprise a plurality of femtocells, one or more base stations, and a femtocell management entity that coordinates operation of the plurality of femtocells. One or more parameters may be communicated from one of the plurality of femtocells and/or one or more base stations to the femtocell management entity. The femtocell management entity may be enabled to utilize the one or more parameters to determine configuration information for one of the plurality of femtocells and/or for one or more remaining ones of the plurality of femtocells. One of the plurality of femtocells may be enabled to receive the determined configuration information from the femtocell management entity. One of the plurality of femtocells may be configured utilizing the received determined configuration information. |
| US08761747B2 |
Universal browser
A method, a computer readable medium and a system for universal browsing that comprises, sending a request for a service by a mobile terminal to a service portal, determining a protocol needed to fulfill the request by the service portal, if the protocol needed is resident on the mobile terminal, determining a sensor that can fulfill the request, sending the request by the service portal to the sensor, establishing a connection between the mobile terminal and the sensor, and sending a response to the request to the mobile terminal via the connection. |
| US08761744B2 |
Mobile virtual communication invitations
In general, in an aspect, the invention provides a method including prompting a first user of a first mobile communication device to invite a second user of a second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, sending a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, sending a second notification from the gateway to the second mobile communication device indicating that the first user is inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, and prompting the second user, upon receiving the second notification at the second mobile communication device, to become associated with the virtual community. |
| US08761739B1 |
Dynamically configurable IP based wireless devices and networks
A wireless communication and control system including a wireless device and a server configured as a primary repository or exchange to deliver various functions to the wireless device is disclosed. There is a server for storing communication protocols and control protocols and communicating the communication protocols and selectively communicating the control protocols between the wireless device and the central server. A communication protocol configures the system for communication and control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of intelligent appliance controllers. Alternately the control protocols configure the system as one of a selection of Internet terminals. The wireless device is any hand-held communication device, such as a hand-held computing device, wireless telephone, or cellular phone. |
| US08761738B2 |
Method and system for sending marketing messages to mobile-device users from a mobile-commerce platform
Methods and systems for sending marketing messages to mobile-device users from a mobile-commerce platform are described. In various illustrative embodiments, a marketing message is transmitted to a mobile-device user before, during, or after a transaction between the mobile-device user's mobile device and the mobile-commerce platform. The marketing message can be generated and timed based on rules input to the mobile-commerce platform by a merchant and can be based on historical transaction data associated with the mobile-device user, transaction parameters associated with a current or a most-recently-completed transaction involving the mobile-device user, a transaction type of a current or a most-recently-completed transaction involving the mobile-device user, or a combination thereof, depending on the particular embodiment. |
| US08761736B2 |
Modem signaling using speech components over a voice channel of a wireless communication system
A system and method of communicating with a modem via a voice channel of a wireless communication system. The method carried out by the system includes the steps of (a) establishing a voice channel connection between a vehicle telematics unit and call center via a wireless cellular network, (b) generating a modem signaling carrier comprising a single frequency tone together with a speech component, (c) sending the modem signaling carrier over the voice channel connection using an EVRC-B vocoder, (d) establishing a data communication session over the voice channel connection in response to the modem signaling carrier, and thereafter (e) carrying out data communications between the vehicle telematics unit and call center during the data communication session. |
| US08761735B2 |
Authenticating identity of caller
A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable medium for authenticating the identity of a caller. An authentication device authenticates a caller's identity based on received information of the caller and an identifier generation device generates an identifier containing the caller's identity. The authentication information is supplied to a mobile telephone user acting as a callee. Therefore, the callee knows the caller's identity, thereby providing a secure delivering channel. |
| US08761730B2 |
Display processing apparatus
A mobile terminal apparatus including an operation lock mode setting unit that sets an operation lock mode; an event container display control unit that displays, when a predetermined event occurs, an event container indicating the occurred predetermined event on a display unit; an event container display change control unit that sets an event container between an active state and an inactive state; a lock canceling operation unit that cancels the operation lock mode; and a canceling operation handling control unit that, when an active-state event container is displayed on the display unit and the operation lock mode is canceled, performs automatic activation and display of an application program corresponding to the event of the active-state event container, and when all event containers on the display unit are in the inactive state and the operation lock mode is canceled, displays a predetermined display screen on the display unit. |
| US08761729B2 |
Radio terminal apparatus, communication system, and method of controlling radio terminal apparatus
A radio terminal apparatus includes a transmission control unit transmitting an acquisition request for acquiring contract authentication information via a radio channel when a predetermined operation of acquiring the contract authentication information associated with a radio service provider providing a radio connection service is received; a reception unit receiving the contract authentication information transmitted via the radio channel in response to the acquisition request; and a control unit controlling writing the received contract authentication information in a retaining unit. |
| US08761722B1 |
Enhanced location data in emergency call handling
A telematics unit for use in a vehicle. The telematics unit comprises a cellular radio transceiver operable for placing an emergency call in a wireless access network, a location data generating unit operable to determine and output enhanced location information about the vehicle location, a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application builds an emergency call origination message, including at least some of the enhanced location information and transmits the emergency call origination message via the cellular radio transceiver. |
| US08761716B2 |
Device and method for processing emergency call in a portable terminal
Disclosed is a device and a method for processing an emergency call in a portable terminal regardless of a SIM card activated by a user's selection. The device includes a plurality of SIM cards, and a controller to make a control so that a SIM card capable of performing a communication service is automatically switched and the emergency call is transmitted when an emergency call transmission is generated. |
| US08761711B2 |
Pre-loading data
A battery-powered device comprising: a memory storing software essential to the provision of normal functions of the device; a first processing section (16) comprising a data processor capable of executing the software, the device being capable of operating the first processing section in a normal mode in which it can execute the software and a low power mode; a second processing section (5) having a clock (6) for maintaining a time, and being capable of triggering behavior of the device in response to the time of the clock preceding a user-set time by a pre-set advance interval; the device being configured to, in response to triggering by the second processing section when the first processing section is in the low power mode, cause the first processing section to enter the normal mode and to load the software. |
| US08761710B2 |
Portable computing device with a saw-less transceiver
A portable computing device includes an FEM, a SAW-less receiver, a SAW-less transmitter, and a baseband processing unit. The FEM isolates one or more outbound RF signals from one or more inbound RF signals. The SAW-less receiver converts the one or more inbound RF signals into one or more inbound intermediate frequency (IF) signals by frequency translating a baseband filter response to an IF filter response and/or an RF filter response. The SAW-less receiver filters the inbound RF signal(s) in accordance with the RF filter response and/or filters the inbound IF signal(s) in accordance with the IF filter response. The SAW-less receiver then converts the inbound IF signal(s) into inbound symbol stream(s). The SAW-less transmitter converts outbound symbol stream(s) into the outbound RF signal(s). The baseband processing unit converts outbound data into the outbound symbol stream(s) and convert the inbound symbol stream(s) into inbound data. |
| US08761708B2 |
Direct conversion receiver and calibration method thereof
A direct conversion receiver including a mixer, a measuring module and a calibration module is provided. When the calibration module adjusts the switch duty cycle of the mixer to being shorter than a standard duty cycle, a first second-order inter-modulation distortion is measured. When the calibration module adjusts the switch duty cycle to being longer than the standard duty cycle, a second second-order inter-modulation distortion is measured. According to the measured distortions, the calibration module determines a calibration signal and provides the calibration signal to the mixer, so as to allow the mixer to have a calibrated duty cycle. |
| US08761706B2 |
Passive RF devices that communicate using a wireless network protocol
Passive RF devices are disclosed that communicate using a wireless network protocol. The device includes an antenna operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from a RF source that transmits the RF signal based on a wireless network protocol. The device further includes circuitry operable to derive power from the RF signal. With the power derived from the RF signal, the circuitry is further operable to read data from a memory, to encode the data based on the wireless network protocol, and to modulate the RF signal to include the encoded data. The antenna is further operable to transmit the modulated RF signal based on the wireless network protocol for reception by the RF source or another passive RF device. |
| US08761705B2 |
Antenna, communication module, communication system, position estimating device, position estimating method, position adjusting device, and position adjusting method
An antenna includes: a differential linear antenna that includes two antenna elements, which have a predetermined length, arranged so as to be separated from each other for to be symmetrical with respect to a line that becomes a reference and provided with voltages having opposite polarities; and a patch antenna having a flat plate shape which is arranged to be parallel to a plane, on which the differential linear antenna is arranged, and in which a feeding point is disposed in an area interposed between virtual planes that are perpendicular to the plane and pass through extended lines of the antenna elements. |
| US08761702B2 |
Detection and mitigation of interference based on interference location
Embodiments include a novel receiver architecture to optimize receiver performance in the presence of interference. In various embodiments, the presence of interference is detected, and the relative frequency location of the interference is detected. The relative frequency location specifies whether the frequency of the interference is high side (above the desired signal, i.e., at a higher frequency) or low side (below the desired signal). The receiver is configured based on the detected interference and relative location thereof. For a device such as a cellular phone that operates in a dynamic and changing environment where interference is variable, embodiments advantageously provide the capability to modify the receiver's operational state depending on the interference. |
| US08761696B2 |
Highly linear and very low-noise down-conversion mixer for extracting weak signals in the presence of very strong unwanted signals
A method and system for wireless communication is provided and may include mitigating blocker signals in transmitted RF signals in a wireless device including a transmitter front end. The mitigation may include up-converting a baseband signal, mixing the up-converted baseband signal with a feedback signal, and amplifying the mixed up-converted baseband signal and the feedback signal to generate an output signal. The feedback signal may be generated by down-converting the output signal, low-pass filtering the down-converted output signal, and up-converting the filtered down-converted signal for the summing. The blocker signals may correspond to receive frequencies for the wireless device and may be converted to DC via the down-converting. The wireless devices may operate in accordance with at least a CDMA standard. The mixed up-converted baseband signal and the feedback signal may be amplified utilizing a source follower amplifier, where the gain and/or linearity may be configured by varying coupling capacitors. |
| US08761695B2 |
Transmitter
To provide a transmitter wherein even in a case of sharing a detector circuit between or among a plurality of transmitting circuits, a high degree of detection accuracy can be achieved without increasing the signal power supplied to the detector circuit. In a transmitter including a detector circuit shared by transmitting circuits and that deal with signals of different frequency bands, a capacitor C1, which constitutes an RF coupler disposed on an output signal line of the transmitting circuit, is directly connected to the input terminal of the detector circuit, while series coils L1 and L2 are inserted between a capacitor C2, which makes up an RF coupler disposed on an output signal line of the transmitting circuit which deals with signals of a lower frequency band than the transmitting circuit, and the input terminal of the detector circuit. |
| US08761694B2 |
Multiple antenna transceiver
Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of a multiple antenna transceiver are disclosed. One embodiment of the multiple antenna transceiver includes a multiport network having a plurality of first ports and a plurality of second ports, wherein at least one of the second ports is responsive to at least two of the first ports. The multiple antenna transceiver further includes a plurality of antennas, an antenna connected to each of the plurality of second ports. Another embodiment includes a multiple antenna subscriber unit architecture. |
| US08761685B2 |
Wireless network apparatus, wireless network system and wireless network node controlling method
The invention discloses a wireless network apparatus, wireless network system and wireless network node controlling method. The method applied in a wireless network including an aggregation node and a plurality of subnodes includes: randomly setting in advance sleeping time and working time for each subnode according to a predetermined strategy; judging a current state of each subnode, and recording monitor data of the subnode according to the current state of the subnode, wherein: when the subnode is currently in a working state, directly acquiring the monitor data currently reported by the subnode, and recording the acquired monitor data; when the subnode is currently in a sleeping state, estimating current monitor data of the subnode, and recording an estimate value of the monitor data. The embodiment of the invention can facilitate lowered energy consumption of a wireless ad hoc network and improve the robustness, reliability and real-time performance of the network. |
| US08761684B2 |
Method and apparatus for virtual desktop OTA
The present invention relates to testing a mobile device in a lab by providing test signals to the mobile device via a cabled connection which bypasses the actual physical antennas in the mobile device. The test signals emulate a wireless channel and incorporate representative and/or actual measured characteristics of the performance of the antennas in the mobile device. As such, the performance mobile device can be accurately measured without requiring placement in an anechoic chamber, which enables efficient testing over a large set of configurations and underlying conditions. |
| US08761677B2 |
Multiple stage hybrid spectrum sensing methods and systems for cognitive radio
Systems and methods for detecting unused channels in a cognitive radio system are described. In one method, data is communicated on a particular channel for a secondary receiver. In addition, a set of channels is iteratively scanned by collecting samples for each channel and for each iteration of the scanning. Here, iterations of the scanning progressively removes channels from the set of channels based on the collected samples and updates states of the channels in the set based on the collected samples to obtain a set of candidate channels. In response to detecting a pre-determined condition, communications on the particular channel are precluded and at least one of the candidate channels is evaluated by collecting additional samples on each of the channels. Further, at least one of the candidate channels is selected based on the evaluation for utilization by the one or more secondary receivers for data communication. |
| US08761674B2 |
Electronic communication system that mimics natural range and orientation dependence
A short range telephonic communications system that includes transceiving units for receiving a sound signal from a first user and for transmitting an RF signal representative of the sound signal and for receiving RF signals representing other users sound signals and presenting a sound signal reconstructed from the received RF signals to the first user's ears. Also, the transceiving units estimate relative position between one another and present the reconstructed sound signals to the users' ears in a manner related to the relative position estimate. |
| US08761670B2 |
Communication apparatus, method for controlling communication apparatus, and program
In a communication apparatus including a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to perform communication when the communication apparatus and an external apparatus are brought into close proximity with each other within a predetermined range, selection of a communication process is performed. Information on a plurality of operating units and information on communication processes to be performed by the communication apparatus are stored in association with each other. Control is performed in such a manner that a communication process that is associated with one of the plurality of operating units that is being operated when communication with the external apparatus is established is performed. |
| US08761668B2 |
Method of performing operation related to other device via near field communication and apparatus therefor
A method of performing an operation related to a second device, performed by a first device, via near field wireless communication, and an apparatus therefore. When a signal for wireless communication is received from the second device, the method includes calibrating the strength of the received signal; comparing the strength of the calibrated signal with operation signal information that is a result of calibrating a range of strengths of signals which are for the wireless communication and which are received from the second device moving between a plurality of points set to be within a predetermined distance from the first device; and as a result of the comparison, selectively performing the operation related to the second device. |
| US08761666B2 |
Shaped load modulation in a near field communications (NFC) device
A method and apparatus is disclosed to compensate for overshoot and/or undershoot in a transmission sequence by shaping the transmission sequence according to a shaping envelope to lengthen its rise time and/or fall time to provide a modified transmission sequence. The shaping envelope may represent a trigonometric function, a polynomial function, a piecewise function or any other function that lengthens the rise time and/or the fall time of the transmission sequence. The modified transmission sequence adjusts an impedance of an antenna to load modulate a carrier wave that is inductively coupled to it. |
| US08761663B2 |
Antenna system
A multi-band low-profile, low-volume two-way mobile panel array antenna system is described. Operation of the antenna may automatically switch between bands based on various user-entered parameters. |
| US08761658B2 |
System and method for a computerized learning system
There is a computerized learning system and method which updates a conditional estimate of a user signal representing a characteristic of a user based on observations including observations of user behavior. The conditional estimate may be updated using a non-linear filter. Learning tools may be generated using the computerized learning system based on distributions of desired characteristics of the learning tools. The learning tools may include educational items and assessment items. The learning tools may be requested by a user or automatically generated based on estimates of the user's characteristics. Permissions may be associated with the learning tools which may only allow delegation of permissions to other users of lower levels. The learning system includes a method for annotating learning tools and publishing those annotations. In-line text editors of scientific text allow users to edit and revised previously published documents. |
| US08761656B2 |
Edge detecting device and image forming apparatus including the same
An edge detecting device for detecting an edge of a moving recording medium includes a reflecting unit that includes a reflecting surface having reflectance higher than that of the recording medium, light sources that irradiate the recording medium and the reflecting surface of the reflecting unit with light, a light receiving unit that includes pixels of a photoelectric conversion element provided in a width direction of the recording medium and receives reflected light that has been emitted from the light sources and has been reflected by the recording medium and the reflecting surface of the reflecting unit on the pixels of the photoelectric conversion element, and a control unit that determines a region of the pixels of the photoelectric conversion element that make output higher than a previously set determination threshold value to be the edge of the recording medium on the light receiving unit. |
| US08761655B2 |
Waste toner recovery unit
A waste toner recovery unit includes a waste toner conveying screw, a coating member, and a waste toner storing portion. The waste toner conveying screw has a first end and a second end and conveys waste toner, the first end being linked with a driving portion and the second end being set as a free end. The coating member coats the free end of the waste toner conveying screw by being fitted in a processing unit, has an opening to which waste toner conveyed by the waste toner conveying screw falls down, and can rotate in such a way that the opening is positioned in a vertically lower part. The waste toner storing portion stores the waste toner which falls down from the opening. |
| US08761650B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member in a form of an endless belt; a pressing member pressing the fixing member; a contacting member in contact with the pressing member; a holding member holding the contacting member in a pressing direction of the pressing member; a heating unit heating the fixing member; and shape maintaining units maintaining a shape of the fixing member. Further, the heating unit is disposed on an upstream side of a horizontal line passing through the center of the pressing member and the holding member is disposed on a downstream side of a horizontal line passing through the arc axis of the shape maintaining units. |
| US08761649B2 |
Fixing device with drive unit for core unit, image forming apparatus and electromagnetic-induction heating unit
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a toner fusing unit that is operable to fix the toner image on the recording medium and that includes a pressure member and a heating member in contact with the pressure member to form a fixing nip therebetween; an electromagnetic-induction heating unit having a coil disposed along an outer surface of the heating member and configured to generate a magnetic flux for applying induction heating to the heating member, and a core unit disposed opposite the heating member with the coil interposed therebetween to provide for a magnetic path around the coil, the core unit being configured to rotate about an axis extending across the width of the recording medium; and a drive unit formed integrally with the electromagnetic-induction heating unit and configured to rotate the core unit. |
| US08761643B2 |
Cap configuration for a toner cartridge
Aspects described herein relate to a cap for a toner cartridge. In one example, the cap may be configured to close a toner supply opening of the toner cartridge. According to one or more aspects, the cap may include a sealing or covering portion configured to cover the toner supply opening and a shaft portion for rotatably supporting a to-be-detected rotary member. The to-be-detected rotary member 56 is rotatably supported around and fitted onto the shaft portion. Therefore, even if a toner supply opening of a cartridge is provided in a sidewall of the housing on a side where the to-be-detected rotary member is provided, e.g., a left sidewall, the toner supply opening and the to-be-detected rotary member can be provided in such a manner as to overlap each other. |
| US08761642B2 |
Developer supply apparatus having vibrating light transmitting members
A developer supply apparatus includes a buffer portion for storing a developer supplied from a developer container, a feeding device for feeding the developer, stored in the buffer portion, toward a developing device, and a pair of light transmitting members which permit light transmission for detecting the developer in the buffer portion. In addition, a vibrating device vibrates the pair of light transmitting members in an optical axis direction. |
| US08761640B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; a door openable relative to the main assembly; an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring the toner image onto a sheet; a fixing member for fixing the toner image, transferred by the transfer member, on the sheet; a discharging member for discharging the sheet, on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing member, from the main assembly. The sheet remaining in the main assembly without being discharged by the discharging member is capable of being removed from a space formed by opening the door. The image forming apparatus further includes a spacer unit capable of moving the cleaning member toward and away from the image bearing member. The spacer unit brings the cleaning member into contact with the image bearing member in a state in which the door is closed and image formation is effected, and moves the cleaning member away from the image bearing member in interrelation with an opening operation of the door. |
| US08761638B2 |
Toner storage device and multi-function printer
A toner storage device adapted to accommodate a printing toner and a recycling toner and multi-function printer using the same are provided. The toner storage device includes a body and a partition. The body has an accommodating cavity. The partition is installed in the accommodating cavity of the body to make the accommodating cavity partitioned into a first sub-accommodating space and a second sub-accommodating space, wherein a volume of the first sub-accommodating space and a volume of the second sub-accommodating space of the accommodating cavity are varied with an amount of the printing toner and an amount of the recycling toner. |
| US08761637B2 |
Attaching and detaching body and image forming apparatus
An attaching and detaching body includes: a main body of the attaching and detaching body that is attached to a to-be attached and detached apparatus; a memory that stores information concerning the attaching and detaching body; a memory support section that is provided in the main body of the attaching and detaching body and that supports the memory; and a restriction body that is attached to the main body of the attaching and detaching body and that, when attached to the main body of the attaching and detaching body, is arranged on a locus along which the memory departs from the memory support section. |
| US08761636B2 |
Component movement mechanism for an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus may include a photosensitive member, a developing device including a developing roller, pressing members configured to engage with the developing device and springs configured to urge the pressing members. In some examples, each of the pressing members may be configured to contact and move the developing device between various positions based on the urging of the springs. Additionally or alternatively, various ends of a contact surface of the developing roller configured to contact developer may be disposed relative to an axis line of the developing roller and pressing surfaces of the pressing members. |
| US08761634B2 |
Cartridge assembly of an image forming device including a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge detachably mountable on the drum cartridge
A cartridge assembly detachably mounted on a main casing of an image forming device includes a first cartridge having a first handle, a second cartridge having a second handle, and a lock member having a lock section and an operation section. The first handle and the second handle provide a relative position capable of realizing single-handed simultaneous access to the first handle and the second handle in case of an assembled state between the second cartridge and the first cartridge for integral attachment to or detachment from the main casing. The second handle and the operation section are configured to provide a relative position capable of realizing single-handed simultaneous access to the second handle and the operation section to move the lock section from the lock position to the unlock position for detachment of the second cartridge from the first cartridge. |
| US08761633B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a casing, photosensitive members arranged along an arrangement direction, and developing cartridges. Each developing cartridge includes a developer carrying member configured to supply a developer to a corresponding one of the photosensitive members. Each photosensitive member is configured to move between an image formation position where an image is formed on the photosensitive member and a retracted position where the photosensitive member is retracted from the developer carrying member. When the photosensitive member is in the image formation position, the photosensitive member is configured to close a path through which a corresponding one of the developing cartridges is attached to and removed from the casing. When the photosensitive member is in the retracted position, the photosensitive member is configured to open the path. |
| US08761630B2 |
Power control method, power control device, and image forming apparatus
A power control method for supplying AC power to a first load and a second load is provided. The method includes supplying, to the first load, AC power corresponding to a range of a phase angle 0 to a phase angle φ1 in each half cycle; and supplying, to the second load, AC power corresponding to a range of a phase angle φ2 to a phase angle π in each half cycle, wherein φ1 is larger than 0 and not more than π, φ2 is not less than 0 and smaller than π, and φ1 is larger than φ2. |
| US08761624B2 |
Image forming device, image forming method, and image forming system for controlling a position of an intermediate transfer body in a width direction
Disclosed is an image forming device that forms toner images on corresponding photosensitive bodies, and performs primary transfers for transferring the toner images on the corresponding photosensitive bodies onto an intermediate transfer body and performs a secondary transfer for transferring the toner images from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium. The image forming device includes a position detection unit that detects a position of the intermediate transfer body; a position control unit that controls movement of the intermediate transfer body; a speed determination unit that determines a speed of the intermediate transfer body; and an image forming control unit. The image forming control unit causes the image forming device to form the toner images, to perform primary transfers or to perform a secondary transfer, when the intermediate transfer body is moving at a constant speed. |
| US08761621B2 |
Fixation device and image formation apparatus
A fixation device includes a first roller, a second roller facing the first roller, a stretch member configured to travel to pass between the first roller and the second roller, a press member configured to press the stretch member against the first roller, a heater member configured to heat the stretch member, a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the first roller and the second roller in such directions that the first roller and the second roller come close to each other and are spaced away from each other, and a controller configured, depending on a type of a medium, to change a contact state between the first roller and the second roller by driving the movement mechanism. |
| US08761618B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method thereof, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus capable of counting use of components in the apparatus and managing the counted number of uses as counter information additionally registers in a management table, when it receives an input for newly adding a component whose counter information is to be managed, based on the input, counter information about a different component and setting information indicating that the counter information may be provided external to the image forming apparatus, in association with identification information about the new component, when the identification information about a related different component in the apparatus included in the input is already managed and a count-up condition for the managed different component matches a count-up condition included in the input. |
| US08761617B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus which is capable of reducing a time before an image formation operation is started after toner bottle replacement. When a toner sensor detects that toner is out, and further a door sensor detects that there is a possibility that a toner bottle has been replaced, a toner replenishment rate is calculated from the rotational speed of a motor for rotating the toner bottle, and timing in which image formation is to be resumed is determined based on the toner replenishment rate. |
| US08761611B2 |
Wavelength assignment for multiple operator support
An apparatus comprising a plurality of optical line terminals (OLTs) corresponding to different providers that share an optical distribution network (ODN), a plurality of optical network units (ONUs) coupled to the OLTs via the same ODN and configured to communicate with the different OLTs using different corresponding pairs of upstream and downstream channels, wherein the upstream and downstream channels are interleaved across a plurality of wavelength bands and comprise a sequence of alternating and contiguous upstream and downstream channels, are aligned with a plurality of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) channels, and satisfy a plurality of design requirements for the OLTs and ONUs. |
| US08761607B2 |
Optical system for reducing stimualted brillouin scattering by controllably changing polarization direction of an optical signal
An optical system having an input surface configured to receive an input optical signal having a polarization, and a polarization changer comprising the input surface and configured to generate two orthogonal polarization components from the input optical signal. The polarization changer also changes a direction of the polarization of the input optical signal in a controlled manner as a function of time while maintaining coherence of the two orthogonal polarization components in order to reduce stimulated Brillion scattering. |
| US08761606B2 |
Systems and methods for quantum illumination detection for optical communications and target detection
A detection system including a receiver, a transmitter, and a processor for stealthy target detection or optical communications is described. Optical communications may be spread spectrum encoded communications over a bright background communication channel. The transmitter includes a quantum frequency entanglement source for outputting a signal beam and an idler beam, and transmission optics for directing the signal beam towards a remote surface. Photons in the idler beam are quantum-mechanically entangled in frequency with photons the signal beam. The transmitter includes a first spectrometer for measuring a frequency band associated with photons in the idler beam. The receiver includes a second spectrometer for identifying the frequency band associated with the photons in the received return beam. The system includes a processor configured to process the output of the spectrometers to determine the presence of a target in a target region or a message encoded in the received return beam. |
| US08761600B2 |
In-band supervisory data modulation
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method of modulating supervisory data onto an optical signal includes receiving supervisory data and adjusting a characteristic of a carrier of the optical signal for at least one of a first polarization component of the optical signal and a second polarization component of the optical signal based on the received supervisory data. The characteristic may be adjusted such that there is a relative difference between the characteristic for the first polarization component and the second polarization component. The relative difference of the characteristic between the first polarization component and the second polarization component may indicate the supervisory data. Alternately, the characteristic may be adjusted such that there is a change in a polarization orientation of the carrier on a Poincaré sphere that indicates the supervisory data. |
| US08761594B1 |
Spatially dynamic illumination for camera systems
Systems and methods for providing spatially dynamic illumination in camera systems. A spatially dynamic illumination source enables the illumination of only desired objects in the field of view of the camera, thereby reducing the amount of light required from the illumination source. The spatially dynamic illumination source may include an array of illumination elements and a control component. Each illumination element in the illumination array may include a light-emitting element combined with an optical element. A camera and the spatially dynamic illumination source may be combined in a camera and illumination system. The camera and illumination system may dynamically detect, track, and selectively illuminate only desired objects in the camera field of view. |
| US08761593B2 |
Common focus energy emitter
The invention is directed towards common focus energy emitters having a common focus energy source and including two or more energy source units each having a 3D concave primary reflector for reflecting energy into an energy beam focused at the common focus energy source, and a secondary optical element for shaping the energy beam into an exit beam component of the exit beam. The 3D concave primary reflectors bound a minor 3D concave section of an imaginary primary reflector ellipsoid of revolution having a primary reflector axis of revolution non-coaxial with the energy emitter axis. Each primary reflector axis of revolution includes a first focal point disposed at the common focus energy source and a second focal point where its associated energy source is disposed thereat. |
| US08761592B2 |
Interchangeable lens, camera, and camera system
An interchangeable lens detachable from a camera includes a variator lens configured to change a focal length by moving in an optical axis direction, a focus lens configured to change a focusing state of an object image by moving in the optical axis direction, a diaphragm configured to adjust an amount of light, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an amount of change in image magnification corresponding to information about a position of the variator lens, a position of the focus lens, and an aperture value of the diaphragm, and a lens control unit configured to transmit the amount of change in image magnification to the camera. |
| US08761588B2 |
Bidirectional heating cooker
Provided is a bidirectional heating cooker that supplements and improves a function of a conventional infrared radiation cooker, in which the bidirectional heating cooker further includes a lower heating unit that is placed at the lower end of a cooking pan that is heated by radiant heat irradiated by an infrared lamp and that directly heats the cooking pan, to thereby heat the cooking pan quickly by the lower heating unit to thus make the upper and lower portions of food such as meat put on the cooking pan more quickly roasted than the conventional infrared radiation cooker and reduce a burden of electric charges based on a shortened heating time of the cooking pan, and to thereby make it possible to cook food rapidly by an upper heating unit with the infrared lamp and the lower heating unit that is placed on the cooking pan. |
| US08761585B2 |
Method and apparatus for restricting DVD content
Techniques described herein enable parents to establish a child-protective “kids zone” on a DVR. According to one technique, a DVR receives, from a parent, identities of DVD content items that the parent does not want children to view. The DVR maps the identities to a kids zone. During times that the DVR is set to operate in the kids zone operational mode, the DVR prevents itself from presenting any content from DVDs that are associated with the identities. At other times, during which the DVR is not set to operate in the kids zone operational mode, the DVR may allow itself to present DVD content that are associated with the identities. |
| US08761583B2 |
Computer-readable storage medium having moving image generation program stored therein, computer-readable storage medium having moving image reproduction program stored therein, moving image generation apparatus, and moving image reproduction apparatus
For lower load in image encoding, the present invention causes the CPU core to function as the following sections: an editing execution section for an editing process, including shifting process, of an unprocessed image which may undergo previous editing process, under user's input; a shift amount calculation section for calculating the shift amount of the resultant edited image; a difference data calculation section for obtaining difference data between the processed image and an image obtained through shifting of the unprocessed image by the calculated shift amount; and an image addition section for storing, in the image storage section, the calculated shift amount, and the obtained difference data, so as to be associated with each other. |
| US08761582B2 |
Video editing device and video editing system
A video editing device, which edits a video of an object on which image information is drawn, includes a moving-body-frame detecting unit that detects a frame on which a moving body obstructing the object is captured; a draw-frame identifying unit that identifies a frame at which drawing of the image information is started by comparing a post-detection frame that is an obstructed frame detected by the moving-body-frame detecting unit with each of detection frames that are not-obstructed frames detected by the moving-body-frame detecting unit; and a synthesis processing unit that performs a synthesis process of synthesizing image information included in the post-detection frame onto a frame anterior to the frame identified by the draw-frame identifying unit. |
| US08761581B2 |
Editing device, editing method, and editing program
An editing device includes an editing unit that partially edits content constituted of a plurality of clips using the clip as a unit, the clip including a moving image; a measurement unit that, each time the edited part of the content is reproduced by the editing unit, by measuring the part as each single reproduction of the clip which includes the interior portions or the connection points, measures the total count of the respective plurality of clips; a clip setting unit that sets each of the plurality of clips to at any of a plurality of types of clip based on the measured total count; a mark adding unit that performs an image process for adding a mark in accordance with the set type to at least a part of the content; and a reproduction control unit that controls reproduction of the content being subjected to the image process. |
| US08761575B2 |
Method and apparatus for searching replay data
A method for use with a computer simulation includes generating metadata that corresponds to replay data, and storing the generated metadata in a searchable text file. The replay data is generated in response to an execution of the computer simulation, and the metadata includes textual descriptions of one or more events that occurred during the execution of the computer simulation. A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program for use with a computer simulation, and an apparatus includes a processor based system. |
| US08761573B2 |
Recording device, imaging and recording device, recording method, and program
A recording device includes: an input portion to which data to be recorded is input; and a recording control portion which transfers the data input to the input portion to a recording medium to record the data in the recording medium by using a certain file system, and specifies a partial region or some files in the data recorded in the recording medium to set the partial region or the files as recording information of an additional information region prepared in the file system. |
| US08761571B2 |
Reproduction apparatus, mode setting apparatus and reproduction method
First position information indicating a position is acquired at a first time. Second position information indicating a position is acquired at a second time that is later than the first time. The first position information and the second position information are compared to determine whether or not a reproduction apparatus is moved. Information is stored in a recording medium in a first mode if it is determined that the reproduction apparatus is moved and the information is stored in the recording medium in a second mode different from the first mode if it is determined that the reproduction apparatus is not moved. The first mode is a reproduction mode having functions for use in reproduction more restricted than the second mode. |
| US08761567B2 |
Moving image reproducer reproducing moving image in synchronization with musical piece
A moving image reproducer includes a generation section, a calculation section, a determination section, a correction section and a control section. The generation section generates an interpolation frame image interpolating between two adjacent frame images among a plurality of frame images. The calculation section sequentially calculates a progress level of a predetermined musical piece between the two adjacent frame images reproduced in synchronization with the predetermined musical piece. The determination section determines whether the progress level has varied along with a change in a tempo of the predetermined musical piece defined in the tempo information. The correction section corrects the progress level so as to reduce the variation in the progress level along with the change in the tempo if the progress level is determined to have varied. The control section controls the generation section to generate an interpolation frame image corresponding to the corrected progress level. |
| US08761562B2 |
Multicore fiber and core placement method for multicore fiber
In a multicore fiber in which multiple single mode cores are stored in one optical fiber, the multicore fiber has a lattice-point arrangement in which multiple lattice points are periodically arranged two-dimensionally with translational symmetry and rotational symmetry or one of translational symmetry and rotational symmetry and, in that lattice-point arrangement, multiple cores are arranged with the lattice points of the lattice-point arrangement as reference positions. By giving different perturbations to the propagation constants of the cores, the propagation constants of the cores are each varied from the original propagation constants. Because of the variation in the propagation constants, the core-to-core coupling amount, which is dependent on the varied propagation constants, fall below a predetermined setting amount. Suppressing the coupling between homogeneous cores in this way reduces the distance between the homogeneous cores, thus increasing the core density of the multicore fiber without increasing the types of heterogeneous cores. |
| US08761561B2 |
Medical system including a flexible waveguide mechanically coupled to an actuator
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure features a system that includes a flexible waveguide having a hollow core extending along a waveguide axis and a region surrounding the core, the region being configured to guide radiation from the CO2 laser along the waveguide axis from an input end to an output end of the waveguide. The system also includes a handpiece attached to the waveguide, wherein the handpiece allows an operator to control the orientation of the output end to direct the radiation to a target location of a patient and the handpiece includes a tip extending past the output end that provides a minimum standoff distance between the output end and the target location. |
| US08761550B2 |
Optical taps for circuit board-mounted optical waveguides
A method for installing an optical tap into an optical waveguide formed in a printed circuit board which comprises obtaining a printed circuit board having an optical waveguide formed therein, cutting a transverse groove that has a front plane and a back plane into the optical waveguide, such that the back plane of the groove forms an oblique angle relative to the incident beam of light, and inserting a pre-fabricated beamsplitter into the groove so that the beamsplitter is positioned at the oblique angle of incidence relative to the beam of light to enable a predetermined portion of the beam of light to be directed out of the waveguide. |
| US08761546B2 |
Method of and system for enhanced data storage
A method of and system for enhanced storage allows more data to be backed up than would otherwise be possible. Instead of storing uncompressed base images and incremental images, differentials of non-current base images are compressed and stored. Furthermore, incremental images that are older than the current base image are removed. By only saving differential base images that are compressed, aside from the newest base image, and deleting older incremental images, a significant amount of space is saved. A removable drive is used as temporary storage in the process of generating a compressed differential base for previous base images. Additionally, a process ensures that previous base images are differentials of the most recent base image and not each other. |
| US08761545B2 |
Method and apparatus for identifying video program material or content via differential signals
A system for identification of video content in a video signal is provided by providing a difference signal between an input signal and the delayed input signal. An alternative embodiment includes providing frequency coefficients from one or more video frames along a curve, or from a region of the video frame. In another embodiment a filter bank provides a real time or near real time frequency analysis of a video signal to provide identification. Other attributes of the video signal or transport stream may be combined with closed caption data or closed caption text for identification purposes. Example attributes include DVS/SAP information, time code information, histograms, and or rendered video or pictures. |
| US08761539B2 |
System for high ambient image enhancement
A system for improving content visibility on a display under low-contrast viewing conditions using an image process technique. |
| US08761537B2 |
Adaptive edge enhancement
In at least one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for adaptive edge enhancement of a video signal includes a transient improvement module. The transient improvement module is configured to generate a first adjusted pixel value based on a window of pixel values for pixels surrounding a pixel-of-interest initially having an input pixel value. The apparatus includes an adaptive peaking module configured to generate a second adjusted pixel value based on the first adjusted pixel value and the input pixel value. In at least one embodiment of the apparatus, the adaptive peaking module comprises a high-pass filter configured to generate a pixel adjustment based on the first adjusted pixel value. In at least one embodiment of the apparatus, the adaptive peaking module further comprises a gain path configured to apply at least one adaptive gain value to the pixel adjustment to generate an adaptive adjustment value. |
| US08761532B2 |
Method and system for the selective application of automatic image enhancement to digital images
A method and system for selective application of AIE (Automatic Image Enhancement) based on the characteristic of an image. The image can be evaluated utilizing PDL data, object location data, image layering data, image overprint data and image raster data in combination with a weighting scheme to ascertain whether the image should be designated as a background or watermark. The designated images can be passed through a tag to a DFE (Digital Front End) application in order to determine the application of AIE to the images. |
| US08761531B2 |
Image data compression involving sub-sampling of luma and chroma values
Chroma values in image data may be sub-sampled, thereby obtaining sub-sampled chroma values. The sub-sampled chroma values may be compressed, thereby obtaining compressed, sub-sampled chroma values. Luma values in the image data may be compressed, thereby obtaining sub-sampled luma values. Edge information for the luma values that are discarded as part of the luma sub-sampling operation may be determined. |
| US08761526B2 |
Image data processing apparatus, image data processing method, and computer readable medium
An image data processing apparatus includes a configuration selecting unit, a loading unit, and a controller. The configuration selecting unit determines types of image characteristics of individual processing units in image data and selects plural pieces of circuit configuration data for individual processing units. The loading unit predicts a predetermined number of pieces of circuit configuration data in descending order of the likelihood of being selected for the processing unit currently being processed, and loads, before selection of the circuit configuration data for the processing unit, the predetermined number of pieces of configuration data into a circuit configuration memory for a reconfigurable circuit. If the selected circuit configuration data has already been loaded, the controller causes the circuit configuration to be reconfigured. If the selected circuit configuration data has not been loaded, the controller causes the selected circuit configuration data to be loaded and the circuit configuration to be reconfigured. |
| US08761523B2 |
Group method for making event-related media collection
A method for making a media collection associated with an event having an event location, includes receiving a specification of members in a group; using a processor to receive one or more media elements from each of a plurality of media-capture devices, each media element having a capture location; defining the event in response to receiving one or more media-capture-device signals having the event location from group members; and associating media elements having the event location received at the same time or after the event definition with a stored media event collection corresponding to the event for subsequent use. |
| US08761522B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus reduces image data on a first rank to generate image data on a second rank, and acquires an evaluation value of sharpness from the image data on the second rank. When the evaluation value is equal to or more than a threshold value, the image processing apparatus acquires a motion vector from the image data on the second rank. The image processing apparatus, based on the acquired motion vector, sets a detection area of correlation between the image data on the first rank, to detect the motion vector on the first rank. When the evaluation value of the image data on the second rank is less than the threshold value, the image processing apparatus does not need to acquire the motion vector in the image data on the second rank but detects the motion vector in the image data on the first rank. |
| US08761519B2 |
System and method for selecting an object boundary in an image
Disclosed are various embodiments for the selection of an object boundary shown in an image. An initial boundary probability map of an image is generated by one or more computing devices. A first input path segment is obtained, and a selection path is generated based on the first input path segment and the initial boundary probability map. A weighted boundary probability map is generated based on the selection path. A second input path segment is obtained, and a replacement selection path is generated based on the weighted boundary probability map and the second input path segment. |
| US08761517B2 |
Human activity determination from video
Automated analysis of video data for determination of human behavior includes segmenting a video stream into a plurality of discrete individual frame image primitives which are combined into a visual event that may encompass an activity of concern as a function of a hypothesis. The visual event is optimized by setting a binary variable to true or false as a function of one or more constraints. The visual event is processed in view of associated non-video transaction data and the binary variable by associating the visual event with a logged transaction if associable, issuing an alert if the binary variable is true and the visual event is not associable with the logged transaction, and dropping the visual event if the binary variable is false and the visual event is not associable. |
| US08761500B2 |
System and methods for arabic text recognition and arabic corpus building
A method for automatically recognizing Arabic text includes building an Arabic corpus comprising Arabic text files written in different writing styles and ground truths corresponding to each of the Arabic text files, storing writing-style indices in association with the Arabic text files, digitizing a line of Arabic characters to form an array of pixels, dividing the line of the Arabic characters into line images, forming a text feature vector from the line images, training a Hidden Markov Model using the Arabic text files and ground truths in the Arabic corpus in accordance with the writing-style indices, and feeding the text feature vector into a Hidden Markov Model to recognize the line of Arabic characters. |
| US08761499B2 |
System and method for detecting global harmful video
A system for detecting a global harmful video includes: a video determination policy generation unit for determining harmfulness of learning video segments from video learning information to analyze occurrence information of harmful learning video segments, and generating a global harmfulness determination policy based on the occurrence information; and a video determination policy execution unit for determining harmfulness of input video segments from information of an input video to analyze occurrence information of harmful input video segments, and determining whether the input video is harmful or not based on the occurrence information of the harmful input video segments and the global harmfulness determination policy. |
| US08761496B2 |
Image processing apparatus for calculating a degree of similarity between images, method of image processing, processing apparatus for calculating a degree of approximation between data sets, method of processing, computer program product, and computer readable medium
There is provided an image processing apparatus including a weight generating section that generates weight data in which a weight of a first region is larger than a weight of a second region, where the first region has a larger difference between a target image and at least one of a plurality of to-be-selected images than the second region, a calculating section that calculates a degree of similarity between the target image and each of two or more of the plurality of to-be-selected images with a difference between the target image and the to-be-selected image being weighted in each region in accordance with the weight data, and an image selecting section that selects, from the two or more to-be-selected images, one or more to-be-selected images that are more similar to the target image by referring to the degrees of similarity of the two or more to-be-selected images. |
| US08761495B2 |
Distance-varying illumination and imaging techniques for depth mapping
A method for mapping includes projecting a pattern onto an object (28) via an astigmatic optical element (38) having different, respective focal lengths in different meridional planes (54, 56) of the element. An image of the pattern on the object is captured and processed so as to derive a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object responsively to the different focal lengths. |
| US08761493B2 |
Method and system for tooth segmentation in dental images
A method for segmenting a feature of interest from a volume image acquires image data elements from the image of a subject. At least one view of the acquired volume is displayed. One or more boundary points along a boundary of the feature of interest are identified according to one or more geometric primitives defined by a user with reference to the displayed view. A foreground seed curve defined according to the one or more identified boundary points and a background seed curve encompassing and spaced apart from the foreground seed curve are formed. Segmentation is applied to the volume image according to foreground values that are spatially bounded within the foreground seed curve and according to background values that lie outside the background seed curve. An image of the segmented feature of interest is displayed. |
| US08761492B2 |
Depth correction apparatus and method
According to one embodiment, a depth correction apparatus includes a clusterer, a calculator and a corrector. The clusterer is configured to apply clustering to at least one of pixel values and depth values of a plurality of pixels in a calculation range corresponding to a correction target pixel, and to classify the plurality of pixels in the calculation range into a plurality of classes. The calculator is configured to calculate pixel value statistics of the respective classes using pixel values of pixels in the respective classes. The corrector is configured to determine a corresponding class of the correction target pixel based on a pixel value of the correction target pixel and the pixel value statistics of the respective classes, and to apply correction which replaces a depth value of the correction target pixel by a representative depth value of the corresponding class. |
| US08761491B2 |
Stereo-matching processor using belief propagation
In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor for performing stereo matching of a first image and a second image is described. The processor may include a first pipeline stage configured to generate data costs associated with a first tile selected from the first image, wherein the data costs is generated based on pixels in the first tile and corresponding pixels in the second image. The processor may include a second pipeline stage configured to generate disparity values associated with the first tile and an outbound message from the first tile to one of neighboring tiles in the first image, wherein the disparity values and the outbound message are generated based on the data costs and inbound messages from the neighboring tiles to the first tile. The processor may further include a third pipeline stage configured to store the disparity values and the outbound message in a memory, wherein the outbound message is used by the second pipeline stage as one of the inbound messages during processing of a second tile selected from the first image. |
| US08761490B2 |
System and method for automated borescope inspection user interface
A system and method for improving human-machine interface while performing automated defect detection is disclosed. The system and method may include an image capture device for capturing and transmitting data of an object, performing automated analysis of the data and reviewing results of the automated analysis by a human inspector and providing feedback. The system and method may further include refining the automated analysis of the data based upon the feedback of the human inspector. |
| US08761489B2 |
Method and apparatus for characterizing discontinuities in semiconductor devices
An approach is provided for characterizing discontinuities in semiconductor devices, for example in a metal silicide. An image of an integrated circuit is caused, at least in part, to be received. The image is analyzed for at least one discontinuity in the integrated circuit structure. A relative measure of the at least one discontinuity is determined in comparison to the integrated circuit structure based on analyzing the image. |
| US08761488B2 |
Image data processing method and image creating method
[Problem] Provided is a method of processing image data capable of, at the time of measuring a wafer in a circumferential direction thereof using a surface inspection device employing a laser scattering method to create a Haze map, reducing or removing occurrence of a noise resulting from change in detection sensitivity of the device. Further, provided is a method of creating an image by using the method of processing an image data.[Solving Means] There is provided a method of processing image data, including the steps of: measuring a haze value corresponding to each position on a wafer surface by using a wafer surface inspection device; and, subjecting image data formed by the haze value corresponding to each position on the wafer surface to an image data process along a direction in which the haze value is measured, to remove a noise component. Further, there is provided a method of creating an image, in which a Haze map after the image data process is created using the image data processed through the method of processing the image data. |
| US08761485B2 |
Method and system of processing multi-energy X-ray images
Provided is a method and system of processing a multi-energy X-ray image. Through the method and system, a plurality of target images may be acquired using an X-ray detector enabling an energy separation to be performed in a predetermined time interval, with respect to a target where a contrast agent is applied, and a signal processing may be performed on the acquired target images, thereby detecting and reading benign/malignant lesions or masses. |
| US08761483B2 |
Calibration system for focal spot shift in an X-ray CT device
In a state where a subject 5 is not present, a pre-processing unit 7 changes the focal spot position that becomes the position of an X-ray tube 2, acquires the X-ray incidence rate of each detection module at each focal spot position, approximates the X-ray incidence rate of each detection module by the X-ray incidence rate of a module in which a reference detector is present, and stores the coefficient of an approximate polynomial in a storage unit 8. When a scanning of the subject 5 is performed, the X-ray incidence rate of each detection module is calculated using the X-ray incidence rate of the module in which the reference detector is present and the stored coefficient, and sensitivity correction data relating to each focal spot position is obtained using the calculated X-ray incidence rate when the scanning of the subject is performed. |
| US08761479B2 |
System and method for analyzing and visualizing spectral CT data
A system and method for analyzing and visualizing spectral CT data includes access of a set of image data acquired from a patient comprising spectral CT data, identification of a plurality of target regions of interest (TROIs) and a reference region of interest (RROI) from the set of image data, extraction of a plurality of target spectral Hounsfield unit (HU) curves from image data representing the plurality of TROIs, extraction of a reference spectral HU curve from image data representing the RROI, normalization of the plurality of target spectral HU curves with respect to the reference spectral HU curve, and display of the plurality of normalized target spectral HU curves. |
| US08761478B2 |
System and method for tomographic data acquisition and image reconstruction
A tomographic system includes a gantry having an opening for receiving an object to be scanned, a radiation source, a detector positioned to receive radiation from the source that passes through the object, and a computer. The computer is programmed to acquire a plurality of projection datasets of the object, define a temporal subset of projection datasets from the plurality of projection datasets, reconstruct a working image of the object using the plurality of projection datasets, identify a region of motion in the working image, and minimize motion artifacts in the region of motion in the working image using the temporal subset of projection datasets. |
| US08761466B2 |
Methods of obtaining geometry from images
In one aspect, a method of detecting at least on feature associated with a blood vessel in at least one image of at least one blood vessel using a matched filter adapted to respond to the at least one feature is provided. The method comprises applying a scale detection filter to selected voxels in the at least one image to determine a scale for the matched filter at each of the selected voxels, determining an orientation for the matched filter at each of the selected voxels, wherein determining the orientation is assisted by using the scale determined at each of the selected voxels, applying the matched filter at each of the selected voxels at the scale and the orientation determined at each of the selected voxels to obtain a filter response at each of the selected voxels, and analyzing the filter response at each of the selected voxels to determine if the respective voxel corresponds to the at least one feature. |
| US08761463B2 |
System and method for matching faces
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for matching faces. The method includes receiving an image of a face of a first person from a device of a second person, comparing the image of the face of the first person to a database of known faces in a contacts list of the second person, identifying a group of potential matching faces from the database of known faces, and displaying to the second person the group of potential matching faces. In one variation, the method receives input selecting one face from the group of potential matching faces and displays additional information about the selected one face. In a related variation, the method displays additional information about one or more face in the displayed group of potential matching faces without receiving input. |
| US08761462B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus includes a face detector detecting face images from still-image frames successively extracted from a moving-image stream in accordance with image information items regarding the still-image frames, a face-feature-value calculation unit calculating face feature values of the face images in accordance with image information items regarding the face images, an identity determination unit determining whether a first face image in a current frame and a second face image in a previous frame represent an identical person in accordance with at least face feature values of the first and second face images, and a merging processor which stores one of the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image represent an identical person, and which stores the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image do not represent an identical person. |
| US08761458B2 |
System for iris detection, tracking and recognition at a distance
A stand-off range or at-a-distance iris detection and tracking for iris recognition having a head/face/eye locator, a zoom-in iris capture mechanism and an iris recognition module. The system may obtain iris information of a subject with or without his or her knowledge or cooperation. This information may be sufficient for identification of the subject, verification of identity and/or storage in a database. |
| US08761455B2 |
Road estimation device and method for estimating road
A road estimation device receives data including a core point assigned along a road and assigned with an attribute for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links each having an attribute corresponding to the attribute of the core point. A search region set unit sets a search region by using the core point as a reference point. An extraction unit extracts a link included in the search region from the links of the inputted map data. An estimation unit estimates the road represented by the core point according to an attribute of the extracted link and the attribute of the core point on a map. |
| US08761453B2 |
Method and device for the surface inspection of strip pieces
The invention relates to a method for the surface inspection of strip pieces (120). The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the method. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps: cutting off the strip pieces (120) from a metal strip (210), wherein the strip pieces (120) comprise a length less than twice the circumference of a work roll (230) by means of which the metal strip (210) has previously been rolled; automatically checking the upper and/or lower side of the cut-off strip pieces (120) with the aid of a camera system (150) and an analysis unit (300) in regard to any periodic types of faults that may be present and caused by the work roll; ending the surface inspection process if periodically occurring types of faults are detected, or; feeding the cut-off strip pieces (120) to a strip inspection unit (140) for checking by means of inspection personnel for non-periodic types of faults if no periodic types of faults had previously been detected. |
| US08761452B2 |
System, method and computer program product for video fingerprinting
A method for fingerprinting a video involving identifying motion within the video and using a measure of the identified motion as a fingerprint. Once videos are fingerprinted, these fingerprints can be used in a method for identifying video. This involves creating a motion fingerprint for unidentified videos; comparing the fingerprints of the known and unknown videos, and identifying whether the unknown video is a copy of the known video based on the step of comparing. |
| US08761450B2 |
Visual object appearance modelling using image processing
A computer-implemented method of generating a model from a set of images. The method comprises processing a plurality of data items, each data item representing an image of said set of images, to determine variability between said plurality of data items; and generating model data representing said model based upon said data items and said variability, wherein the influence of each of said data items upon the generated model is determined by a relationship between a respective one of said data items and said variability. |
| US08761447B2 |
Sustainable outdoor lighting system for use in environmentally photo-sensitive area
Provided herein are systems and methods for outdoor lighting, which generally include two or more light sources. One light source is a monochromatic light source producing a light with a peak wavelength of about 580 nm or above. A second light source is a polychromatic light source producing a green-tint white light. During a standby operational mode, a control system maintains the first light source illuminated. The control system, which includes an integrated imaging system, illuminates both the first light source and the second light source when the imaging system identifies a target in an illumination area. Methods of preparing and using such outdoor lighting system are also provided. |
| US08761446B1 |
Object detection with false positive filtering
Embodiments of this invention relate to detecting and blurring images. In an embodiment, a system detects objects in a photographic image. The system includes an object detector module configured to detect regions of the photographic image that include objects of a particular type at least based on the content of the photographic image. The system further includes a false positive detector module configured to determine whether each region detected by the object detector module includes an object of the particular type at least based on information about the context in which the photographic image was taken. |
| US08761444B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining kind of steel material
An apparatus for determining a kind of a steel material includes an image pickup device 11 for imaging a spark, which is produced when the steel material 18 is ground, continuously a plurality of times; a detection device 12 for detecting an alloy spark zone, which corresponds to an alloy spark produced by the grinding of an alloying component contained in the steel material, from each of picked-up images 2 imaged by the image pickup device; a calculation device 13 for calculating the total number of alloy spark zones detected by the detection device; and a judgment device 14 for determining that the steel material consists of a low-alloy steel if the total number is not smaller than a first threshold value, and determining that the steel material consists of a carbon steel if the total number is smaller than the first threshold value. |
| US08761440B2 |
Range image generation apparatus, position and orientation measurement apparatus, range image processing apparatus, method of controlling range image generation apparatus, and storage medium
A range image generation apparatus includes: a generation unit adapted to generate a first range image of a target measurement object at one of a predetermined in-plane resolution and a predetermined depth-direction range resolving power; an extraction unit adapted to extract range information from the first range image generated by the generation unit; and a determination unit adapted to determine, as a parameter based on the range information extracted by the extraction unit, one of an in-plane resolution and a depth-direction range resolving power of a second range image to be generated by the generation unit, wherein the generation unit generates the second range image using the parameter determined by the determination unit. |
| US08761435B2 |
Detecting geographic features in images based on invariant components
Systems, devices, features, and methods for detecting geographic features in images, such as, for example, to develop a navigation database are disclosed. For example, a method of detecting text from collected images includes collecting a plurality of images of geographic areas along a road or path. An image of the plurality of images is selected. Components that represent a feature about the road or path in the selected image are determined. In one embodiment, the components are independent or invariant to scale of the feature. The determined components are compared to reference components in a data library. If the determined components substantially match with the reference components, the feature in the selected image is identified to be a text character (e.g., of a road sign) corresponding to at least some of the reference components in the data library. |
| US08761430B2 |
Decorative signal transducing apparatus
The present invention provides an item of jewelry containing headphones, or a headset, enabling a wearer to interface with electronic devices. In particular, the present invention provides a necklace containing headphones or a headset, enabling a wearer to interface with electronic devices. |
| US08761428B2 |
Reversible behind-the-head mounted personal audio set with pivoting earphone
A behind-the-head mounted personal audio set that allows a mono-aural personal audio device to be worn in either a wearer's left or right ear without the need to remove or detach individual components of the personal audio sent and mount is disclosed. In a disclosed embodiment, the personal audio device has two earphone portions and the mount allows the audio device to operate in either mono or stereo modes wherein one of the earphones may be moved away from a wearer's ear when needed, such as when driving. A boom microphone is preferably pivotally secured to one of the earphone portions. |
| US08761426B2 |
Housing structure for sound generator
A housing structure for a sound generator includes a base portion having a separation wall; a case portion that defines a first space with the base portion; a covering portion that defines a second space with the base portion; a frame portion that projects toward the second space from the separation wall; a screen wall disposed on an outer side of the frame portion to define a groove between the screen wall and the frame portion; and a screen board arranged on an inner side of the screen wall. The screen board is distanced from the frame portion and the screen wall. |
| US08761423B2 |
Canal hearing devices and batteries for use with same
Hearing devices configured to fit within the bony portion of the ear canal and batteries that may be used with same. One such hearing device includes a hearing device core, defining a size and a shape, and including a battery and an acoustic assembly, with a microphone and a receiver with a sound port that is adjacent to a portion of the battery, and a flexible seal apparatus on the hearing device core. The size, shape and configuration of the hearing device core, and the flexibility of the seal, are such that the hearing device is positionable within the ear canal bony region with the entire microphone medial of the bony-cartilaginous junction. |
| US08761421B2 |
Portable electronic device and computer-readable medium for remote hearing aid profile storage
A portable electronic device includes a transceiver configurable to communicate with a hearing aid through a radio frequency (RF) communication channel and a memory configured to store a plurality of hearing aid profiles executable by a digital signal processor of the hearing aid to shape audio signals to compensate for a user's hearing deficiency. The portable electronic device further includes a circuit configured to receive a selection corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles and to provide the selected one to the hearing aid in response to receiving the selection. |
| US08761414B2 |
Reproduction device and reproduction method
A reproduction device includes an information reading unit that reads sensitivity information from a storage unit of a headphone device which has a speaker reproducing an electric signal of an audible signal as a sound and the storage unit storing the sensitivity information for the speaker, an adjustment unit that adjusts an output level of the electric signal supplied to the headphone device, and a control unit that reads the sensitivity information from the storage unit via the information reading unit, and controls the adjustment unit such that the electric signal lies in an allowable maximal output level based on the sensitivity information. |
| US08761408B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method
A signal processing apparatus includes: one or more detection means for detecting movement of a diaphragm of a speaker in correspondence with feedback methods that are different feedback methods; analog-to-digital conversion means for converting one or more detection signals acquired by the detection means into a digital form; feedback signal generating means for generating feedback signals corresponding to the feedback methods using the digital detection signals; synthesis means for combining an audio signal to be output as a driving signal of the speaker with the feedback signals; correction equalizer means for setting an equalizing characteristic to allow a sound reproduced by the speaker to have a target frequency characteristic by changing the digital audio signal; feedback operation setting means for setting feedback methods in which a feedback operation up to combining the audio signal with the feedback signal is performed and the feedback operation is not performed equalizing characteristic changing and setting means for changing the equalizing characteristic to be set by the correction equalizer means in accordance with a combination of the feedback methods. |
| US08761406B2 |
Audio signal processing device and audio signal processing method
An audio signal processing device includes: a microphone configured to collect noise; an analyzing unit configured to analyze an audio signal collected by the microphone to detect the level and frequency property of the collected audio signal; and a signal processing unit configured to subject an audio signal to be reproduced to signal processing based on the analysis results of the analyzing unit. |
| US08761405B2 |
Narrow directional stereo microphone
A narrow directional stereo microphone includes a narrow directional mid unit disposed such that the directional axis thereof aligns to the major axis of a microphone body, and a unidirectional right unit and a unidirectional left unit disposed symmetrically with respect to the major axis such that directional axes of the right and left units are perpendicular to the major axis, wherein signals output from the mid unit are sent to one of a diaphragm and a fixed electrode of the right unit and to one of a diaphragm and a fixed electrode of the left unit, and right channel signals are output from the other of the diaphragm and the fixed electrode of the right unit, and left channel signals are output from the other of the diaphragm and the fixed electrode of the left unit. |
| US08761401B2 |
System and method for secure key distribution to manufactured products
A system and method for securely distributing PKI data, such as one or more private keys or other confidential digital information, from a PKI data generation facility to a product in a product personalization facility that is not connected to the PKI data generation facility and is assumed to be a non-secure product personalization facility. The system includes a PKI data loader for securely transmitting the encrypted PKI data transferred from the PKI data generator to a PKI server at the product personalization facility. The PKI server then transfers the PKI data to the product of interest, typically via a PKI station acting as a proxy between the PKI server and the product. In each communication step, PKI data being transferred is encrypted multiple times and the system is designed such that if any intermediate node is compromised with all of its keys, the overall system has not yet been compromised. |
| US08761399B2 |
Keystore management system
A keystore management system is provided that manages a keystore. The keystore management system creates a mapping of a plurality of keystore identity parameters to a plurality of keystore repository parameters. The keystore identity parameters identify the keystore. The keystore repository parameters identify a repository that stores the keystore. The keystore is a storage entity stored on the repository. The keystore management system further stores the mapping within a configuration file. The keystore management system further translates the keystore identity parameters into the keystore repository parameters based on the mapping stored within the configuration file. |
| US08761398B2 |
Access to authorized domains
In a domain comprising a plurality of devices, the devices in the domain sharing a common domain key, a method of enabling a entity that is not a member of the domain to create an object that can be authenticated and/or decrypted using the common domain key, the method comprising providing to the entity that is not a member of the domain a diversified key that is derived using a one-way function from at least the common domain key for creating authentication data related to said object and/or for encrypting said object, the devices in the domain being configured to authenticate and/or decrypt said object using the diversified key. |
| US08761396B2 |
System and method for securing data for redirecting and transporting over a wireless network
A system and method for securing data for redirecting and transporting over a wireless network are generally described herein. In accordance with some embodiments, when it is determined that an electronic message that is protected with a first encryption algorithm is to be transported over a wireless network to a wireless device, the electronic message is converted to a data structure that is recognizable by the wireless device and the data structure is encrypted with a second encryption algorithm using a random session key. The second encryption algorithm has a stronger security than the first encryption algorithm. The random session key is encrypted with a public key and packets that comprise the encrypted data structure and the encrypted random session key are transmitted to the wireless device over the wireless network. |
| US08761393B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing secure internet protocol media services
A method and apparatus for securely and remotely enabling the playing of a media program encrypted by a content encryption key over the Internet is disclosed. A license encryption key and a content decryption key are separately and securely transmitted to the receiver. The license encryption key is stored in the CAM and later used to decrypt the content encryption key so that the media program may be recovered. |
| US08761392B2 |
Digital rights management protection for content identified using a social TV service
A method is provided for viewing a bookmarked video clip. The method includes establishing communication over a broadband network with a first network element on which at least one bookmark resides. The bookmark includes metadata identifying a bookmarked video clip of a video program and specifies a network address at which the bookmarked video clip is located. Upon user request, metadata associated with a specified bookmark is received. Communication is established with a second network element on which the specified bookmarked video clip is located using the network address of the specified bookmarked video clip provided in the metadata. The bookmarked video clip is received from the second network element. The bookmarked video clip is encrypted in accordance with a digital rights management scheme. The bookmarked video clip is decrypted and rendered. |
| US08761389B2 |
Memory
According to one embodiment, a memory includes a first storage region capable of storing first key (NKey) information, and secret identification information (SecretID) unique to the authenticate, reading and writing data from and to the first storage region from an outside of the authenticatee being inhibited at least after the authenticatee is shipped. |
| US08761386B2 |
Sound processing apparatus, method, and program
A sound processing apparatus includes: a sound output unit which outputs sound based on a first sound signal as first sound processing when execution of the first sound processing is instructed; a sound collecting unit which generates an echo signal by collecting surrounding sound; a filtering unit which performs filtering process with an adaptive digital filter on the first sound signal and generates a pseudo echo signal; a subtracting unit which removes a sound component, which is output from the sound output unit and reaches the sound collecting unit, from the echo signal by subtracting the pseudo echo signal from the echo signal to generate a residual signal; an updating unit which updates the adaptive digital filter based on the residual signal and the first sound signal; and an update resolution control unit which controls the resolution at which the adaptive digital filter is updated by the updating unit. |
| US08761385B2 |
Signal processing method, signal processing device, and signal processing program
A signal processing device includes an adaptive filter (5), a noise estimation circuit (10), and a double talk detection circuit (81) and operates so that the double talk detection circuit (81) detects a double talk by using the estimated noise obtained by the noise estimation circuit (10). The signal processing device further includes noise estimation means and detects a double talk by using an estimated noise, a microphone signal, and pseudo-echo. An echo removal method and device detect a double talk by using a reliability coefficient expressed as continuous values between 0 and 1. By using continuous values instead of two values 0 and 1, it is possible to reduce the affect of a detection error. |
| US08761381B2 |
Method for designing an automated speech recognition (ASR) interface for a customer call center
A method of designing a customer interface for a service center, such as an automated speech recognition (ASR) self-service center. Customer activity to an existing service center is monitored, providing customer model, which includes a collection of customer tasks. These tasks are assigned to action-object pairs, which are further assigned to routing destinations. Dialog modules are designed, based on the customer model data, including disambiguation dialogs. |
| US08761379B2 |
System and method for establishing voice and data connection
A system and method for improved voice and data communication is described. One embodiment includes a method for voice and data communication, the method comprising connecting to a session server; receiving a voice call from an end-user; receiving an end-user phone number for the end-user; transmitting a session request to the session server, wherein the session request is based on the end-user phone number; and communicating with the end-user over a session established through the session server. |
| US08761376B2 |
System for conversation quality monitoring of call center conversation and a method thereof
The present invention is related to improving a conversation quality of calls in a call center setup/environment. The system of the present invention allows monitoring of several live ongoing audio conversations to alert supervisor regarding vulnerable/deviations in the call being handled by a call center agent. The alerts are displayed on the supervisor console by way of providing graphical visual display in order to seek attention of the supervisor. The system also facilitates the supervisor to listen to the live conversation on his desktop by clicking on the visual display. |
| US08761375B1 |
Unpaid break time for contact center agents
An agent's request for a break is indicated by a pause request and pause code, where the pause code indicates the reason for the break. In one embodiment, a pause request is analyzed to determine if the agent is allowed to request a break associated with the pause code. The pause code may be further analyzed to determine if it is of an unpaid type, in which case the agent is requesting an unpaid break. If the break is of a paid type, then a threshold timer may be started at the beginning of the break that when expires indicates that any remainder of the break is processed as unpaid time. This can be accomplished by noting an event associated with the threshold timer in an agent work history log or by automatically logging off the agent at the expiry of the timer. |
| US08761374B2 |
Category based organization and monitoring of customer service help sessions
A method and computer readable medium are provided for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions. A request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions is received. A set of support categories is presented to the administrator. A selection of at least one support category is received from the administrator. A set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with at least one support session queued under the at least one support category which has been selected is presented to the administrator. |
| US08761369B2 |
Central services hub for a telecommunications network
Implementations of the present disclosure involve an apparatus, system and/or method for a central hub of a telecommunications network to provide varying services for a received communication intended for varying telecommunications networks. In one embodiment, the central service hub receives the communication and provides the varying services for the communication based on information concerning the communication, such as the intended telecommunication network. In another embodiment, the central service hub analyzes the communication and determines to which telecommunications network the communication should be routed to apply the appropriate network services. The central service hub may comprise a softswitch, media gateway controller device or other telecommunications device that includes programming, such as an application programming interface (API), configured to receive and process the incoming communications. |
| US08761358B2 |
Seamless call transfer
Techniques for providing for a seamless call transfer in a virtual desktop environment are supported. An apparatus may be capable of requesting access to a remote computer system for registration with a call manager, determining whether a call associated with the apparatus is active, automatically initiating suspension of the call in response to determining that the call is active and requesting registration of a telephone associated with the call, and resuming the suspended call. The seamless call transfer system may result in a more favorable calling experience during authentication with a virtual desktop environment and registration with a call manager. |
| US08761354B2 |
Call handling treatment for voicemail systems
A voicemail system (100) can include at least one processor (104) and at least one communication interface (102) operatively linked and in communication with the at least one processor (104) that is configured to receive an incoming call. The voicemail system (100) can further include at least one memory (108) operatively linked and in communication with the processor (104), wherein the at least one memory (108) is configured to store a call treatment application (112) that includes at least one rule for determining call handling treatment of the incoming call. A method (400) for operating the voicemail system (100) can include receiving (406) an address message (200) at the voicemail system (100), wherein the address message (200) identifies at least a called party number (206) of the incoming call. The method (400) can further include analyzing (406) the address message (200) to determine (408) which of a plurality of call handling treatment rules to apply, and applying (410) at least one of the call handling treatment rules. |
| US08761351B1 |
Automated management of information via an emergency operations center
Information received from a first responder on the scene of an emergency event is automatically distributed and managed by an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) via various combinations of emails, databases, Internet Protocol (IP) networks, speech to text converters, and distribution systems. In one example embodiment, information is provided by a first responder via an IP network. The first responder has access to various services such as, instant messaging, Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC), Presence information, location based services, wireless priority services, multimedia priority services, voice of IP (VoIP), or a combination thereof. The information provided by the first responder, via the IP network is stored in an EOC database for access by various EOC related entities. In another example embodiment, information provided by a first responder is converted from speech to text, and the text is stored in an EOC database for access by various EOC related entities. |
| US08761346B2 |
Multilayer total internal reflection optic devices and methods of making and using the same
A multilayer optic device having an input face and an output face is provided. The optic device includes a high-index material layer having a first real refractive index 1−δ1 and a first absorption coefficient β1, wherein the core comprises a first surface and a second surface, a low-index material layer having a second real refractive index 1−δ2 and a second absorption coefficient β2, and a grading zone disposed between the high-index material layer and low-index material layer, the grading zone comprising a grading layer having a third real refractive index 1−δ3 and a third absorption coefficient β3, such that 1−δ11>1−δ3>1−δ2, where at least a portion of one or more of the high-index material layer, the grading zone and the low-index layer comprises one or more corrugations along a first direction. |
| US08761345B2 |
X-ray tube
An X-ray tube has a cathode, an anode target to emit X-rays, and a vacuum envelope which houses the cathode and the anode target. The vacuum envelope has a first metal member connected to the anode target, a second metal member which is connected to the first metal member and has a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than that of the first metal member, and an electrically insulating annular ceramic member connected to the second metal member and the cathode. In addition, the X-ray tube has a cooling system which is connected to the first metal member and forms a cooling passage. Furthermore, the X-ray tube has an adapter which is in contact with the first metal member, surrounds the second metal member and has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the second metal member, and a heat-transfer medium placed between the ceramic member and the adapter. |
| US08761344B2 |
Small x-ray tube with electron beam control optics
An x-ray tube comprising an anode and a cathode disposed at opposing ends of an electrically insulative cylinder. The x-ray tube includes an operating range of 15 kilovolts to 40 kilovolts between the cathode and the anode. The x-ray tube has an overall diameter, defined as a largest diameter of the x-ray tube anode, cathode, and insulative cylinder, of less than 0.6 inches. A direct line of sight exists between all points on an electron emitter at the cathode to a target at the anode. |
| US08761341B2 |
X-ray imaging system
The X-ray imaging system includes an X-ray source, a console, an X-ray controller for controlling an operation of the X-ray source according to X-ray control parameters set by the console, and an X-ray detector for detecting X-ray radiated from the X-ray source and transmitted through a subject and thereby outputting an image signal of an X-ray image of the subject. The console includes an input unit for entering the X-ray control parameters, which are information for controlling the operations of the X-ray source and a controller for holding setting range information representing an allowable range of values of the X-ray control parameters and making a judgment as to whether values of the entered X-ray control parameters are settable values according to the setting range information and informing an user of the console of the judgment. |
| US08761336B2 |
Orthovoltage radiotherapy
Methods described herein include selecting a target disease having an associated therapeutic dose of radiation, determining a maximal energy in an x-ray radiation beam to be emitted from a radiotherapy system to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation associated with the target disease to target tissue in a patient, the selected disease of the plurality of diseases requiring differing maximal energies of the x-ray radiation beam to achieve the associated therapeutic dose of radiation than the maximal energy required to achieve the associated therapeutic dose of radiation for another disease, and outputting to an output module an indication of the determined maximal energy. Methods carried out in a system that can include a processing module that receives an input including a selection of a target disease, and an output module, coupled to the processing module, that outputs, an indication of the determined maximal energy. |
| US08761335B2 |
Multi-energy cargo inspection system based on an electron accelerator
A multi-energy cargo inspection system features a compact electron accelerator is used that is more compact, more efficient and less expensive than a single linear accelerator with the same energy. The system has enhanced capabilities to recognize the elemental content of a container which can be used to detect concealed explosive and fissionable materials. |
| US08761334B2 |
Method for determining spatial distribution and concentration of clay in a core sample
A water-soluble salt of a metal with a high atomic weight is selected as an X-ray contrast substance providing a selective ion-exchange reaction with a clay. The salt has a general formula R+M−, where R+ is selected from a group consisting of Ba2+; Sr2+; Tl+; Rb+ . . . , and M− is selected from a group consisting of Cln; NOn; OHn; CH3COO, SO4; . . . . The X-ray contrast substance is injected into a core sample. Upon completion of the selective ion exchange reaction a non-contrast displacing agent is injected into the sample. The sample is scanned by computer X-ray microtomography. An area of interest and a reference cross-section are selected at the obtained computer tomography image. Grayscale histograms in cross-sections of the sample are obtained. Spatial distribution and concentration of the clay is estimated by means of histograms analysis starting from the reference cross-section histogram. |
| US08761331B2 |
Control rod for boiling water reactor
A control rod for a boiling water reactor is provided with a structure element having mutually-perpendicular four blades. The four blades have a neutron absorber-filling region that neutron absorber is held, respectively. In the structure element, a plurality of regions formed in an axial direction of the control rod include a first region having a first cross-section that forms a first united cruciform cross-section of the four blades connected one another, a second region having a second cross-section that has each separated cross-section of the four blades, and a third region having a third cross-section that has a second united cross-section of continuous two blades of the four blades, disposed in a diametrically opposite direction and facing each other and each separated cross-section of remaining two blades of the four blades, disposed perpendicularly to the continuous two blades. |
| US08761330B2 |
Method of evaluating quantities relating to the distortion of a nuclear fuel assembly
A method of evaluating at least one quantity relating to the distortion of a nuclear fuel assembly, the method including the following steps: the nuclear fuel assembly is placed in a volume of water bounded by an upper free surface; a camera is placed outside the volume of water, above the free surface; at least one image of at least one lateral face of the nuclear fuel assembly is taken; the at least one image is analyzed graphically and the at least one quantity relating to the distortion of the nuclear fuel assembly is deduced therefrom. |
| US08761329B2 |
Rod position detection apparatus and method
An improved apparatus for determining the position of a drive rod within the interior of a drive rod housing includes a transmission antenna at one location on the housing and a receiving antenna at another location on the housing. An electromagnetic excitation signal sent to the transmission antenna is detected, at least in part, by the receiving antenna, and the received signal is processed with a vector network analyzer routine to model the drive rod housing as a wave guide having a filter response. A group delay is detected and is compared with a calibration data set which provides a current position of the drive rod that corresponds with the group delay. |
| US08761326B2 |
Compensating devices and methods for detecting and compensating for sampling clock offset
A compensating device for detecting and compensating for a sampling clock offset in a receiver. An SCO detector includes multiple calculation paths and a controller. Each calculation path receives a time domain signal and a hypothetic offset, calculates correlation coefficients between the time domain signal and a delayed version of the time domain signal according to a predetermined delay and the hypothetic offset, calculates correlation coefficient sums according to the correlation coefficients, and extracts a maximum correlation coefficient sum for the hypothetic offset from the correlation coefficient sums. The controller is coupled to the calculation paths for providing different hypothetic offsets to each calculation path and detects the SCO according to the maximum correlation coefficient sums obtained from the calculation paths. An SCO compensator receives the SCO and compensating for the SCO on a signal generated in a signal processing path of a receiver. |
| US08761324B1 |
Method and apparatus for phase signaling
Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses that use counter based phase signaling to transmit digital data. The counter based phase signaling uses a reduced number of transitions to transmit a large number of bits. A method of counter based phase signaling includes transmitting a reference transition to start multiple-bit data block transmissions from a transmitter module to a receiver module, starting a first counter to count in accordance with a first clock of the transmitter module, and transmitting a first data transition corresponding to transmitting a first multiple-bit data block from the transmitter module to the receiver module when a counted number by the first counter corresponds to the first multiple-bit data block. The first clock has a same frequency as a second clock in the receiver module. |
| US08761323B2 |
Impairment covariance and combining weight updates during iterative turbo interference cancellation reception
In a receive node of a wireless network, an iterative multi-user multi-stage interference cancellation receiver is used. After each stage of interference cancellation, interference characteristics change. An adaptive strategy is used in which after each stage of interference cancellation, impairment covariance is parametrically updated and combining weights of the receiver are adapted to reflect the updated impairment covariance. |
| US08761322B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for enhanced received signal processing based on a data-signal-aided channel impulse response estimation
The present disclosure presents methods and apparatuses for enhanced received signal processing using signal-based channel impulse response (CIR) estimation. For example, according to an example method presented herein, a user equipment (UE) or a component therein may receive a signal corresponding to a transmitted signal sent by a network entity, wherein the transmitted signal comprises at least a data channel, estimate chip contents of the transmitted signal, based on the received signal including the data channel, to obtain estimated chip contents, and compute an estimated channel impulse response (CIR) based on at least the estimated chip contents. Based on this estimated CIR, the UE may thereafter reprogram a received signal reconstruction filter, perform interference cancellation procedures, and/or adjust one or more equalizer taps. By performing such functions, the UE may exhibit improved communication characteristics and enable a more robust user experience. |
| US08761320B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatic frequency prediction control
An automatic frequency control apparatus and method are provided. If the number of frequency error measurements is smaller than a reference number for frequency estimation compensation, the automatic frequency control apparatus performs frequency compensation using a frequency error value, and if the number of frequency error measurements is equal to or greater than the reference number for frequency estimation compensation, the automatic frequency control apparatus performs frequency compensation by estimating a frequency value that is to be used until the next frequency control period. Therefore, since frequency errors are accurately corrected in a high-speed mobile environment, an excellent channel environment may be maintained, and accordingly an occurrence frequency of re-transmission may be lowered, resulting in ensuring a high data rate. |
| US08761314B2 |
Method of handling frequency-domain interpolation and related frequency-domain interpolator
A frequency-domain interpolator for estimating a plurality of channels corresponding to a plurality of subcarriers comprises an edge pilot estimation unit, for generating a plurality of pilots according to a plurality of input pilots, a pilot interval ratio and a complexity parameter; a first selection unit, for selecting a plurality of pilot groups from the plurality of pilots according to the pilot interval ratio and the complexity parameter; a second selection unit, for generating a plurality of coefficient groups corresponding to the plurality of channels according to a channel profile and a used pilot interval, wherein each of the plurality of coefficient groups corresponds to a set of the plurality of channels; and a filter unit, for generating the plurality of channels according the plurality of pilot groups, the plurality of coefficient groups, and a relation between the plurality of pilot groups and the plurality of coefficient groups. |
| US08761310B2 |
Decoupled data-aided carrier tracking loop and symbol timing recovery loop
A receiver is an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee)-receiver and comprises a staggered quadrature amplitude modulator for providing an staggered quadrature amplitude modulated (SQAM) signal from a received signal; an equalizer and a data-aided symbol timing recovery (STR) loop. The equalizer operates outside of the data-aided symbol timing recover loop. |
| US08761308B2 |
Estimation of channel impulse response in a communication receiver
Embodiments herein provide using extreme value theory (EVT) as a diagnostic to decide which taps are significant. In the low SINR scenario, embodiments herein also provide the following options; i) Fix the model order to a finite value smaller than the model order assumed for the initial CIR estimate. In the case of OFDM based systems, the model order of the CIR is fixed to a value much smaller that the cyclic prefix length. ii) Use the EVT based method to detect significant tap locations and only keep those tap locations such that the CIR length is again restricted to a value smaller than the model order of the initial channel estimate. |
| US08761307B1 |
Low-power narrow and wide band receiver system
A communications device and receiver system and method to efficiently distribute functions among radio frequency (RF), analog front end (AFE) and baseband modules for ultra-low power consumption comprising a wideband receiver subsystem selectively coupled to a signal input receiving a first frequency band, a narrowband received subsystem selectively coupled to the signal input receiving a second frequency band and, a controller configured to monitor the first frequency band using the first receiver subsystem and if a wake up signal is detected using the first receiver subsystem, connect the second receiver subsystem to the signal input and tune the second receiver subsystem to a channel transmitting the wake up signal, the wake up signal including channel selection information defining the channel for subsequent communications. Wherein, the two frequency bands overlap and center on different frequencies. |
| US08761306B2 |
Method to prevent phenomenon in vector modulator transmitter
One embodiment of the present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing remodulation in a transmission chain. A first offset generation circuit selectively introduces a first frequency offset into in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) equivalent baseband signals. A second offset generation circuit selectively introduces a second frequency offset into an oscillator output signal. The frequency of the offset oscillator output signal is divided by a divider to form offset local oscillator signals, which are provided to up-conversion mixers that modulate the offset equivalent baseband signals onto the offset local oscillator signals to generate a composite modulated output signal. The first and second frequency offsets are chosen to have values that cancel during modulation. However, because the second frequency offset shifts the offset oscillator output signal's frequency to a value that is no longer a harmonic of the composite modulated output signal's frequency, remodulation is prevented. |
| US08761298B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving signal in multiple input multiple output system
A method and apparatus for transmitting and/or receiving a signal in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system are provided. An apparatus for transmitting a signal in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system includes an input unit to receive NT symbol streams in parallel, where NT is an integer greater than or equal to 2, a multiple signal generating unit to generate NT multiple signals having a transmit diversity gain by applying a cyclic delay of a different pattern to each of the NT symbol streams, and a multiple signal providing unit to provide the generated NT multiple signals to NT transmit antennas, respectively, based on a predetermined transmit antenna index of each of the NT transmit antennas. |
| US08761297B2 |
Codebook adaptation in MIMO communication systems using multilevel codebooks
A method includes holding in a receiver a definition of a codebook including precoding matrices, and a definition of multiple sub-codebooks including different respective subsets of the precoding matrices in the codebook. A sub-codebook is selected in coordination with a transmitter, for use in a given time interval or frequency range. A Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) signal that is transmitted from the transmitter is received. Feedback is generated in the receiver based on the received MIMO signal. The feedback is indicative of one or more preferred precoding matrices, which are chosen from the selected sub-codebook and which are to be used in precoding subsequent MIMO signals in respective partitions of the given time interval or frequency range. The feedback is transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter. |
| US08761294B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing crosstalk
At least one example embodiment discloses a system including a processor configured to receive a plurality of upstream pilot signals from a plurality of remote transceivers, respectively, in a time domain, determine channel coefficients based on the plurality of upstream pilot signals, determine filter coefficients based on the channel coefficients and to control transmission of the upstream pilot signals in the time domain to physical layers of a plurality of processing devices, the plurality of processing devices configured to communicate with the plurality of remote transceivers through the processor. |
| US08761291B2 |
Implicit spatial matrix expansion determination for MIMO wireless communication systems
Techniques are provided to allow for implicit determination of the full spatial signature of a wireless channel between first and second wireless devices for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication between the first and second wireless devices. The first wireless device receives uplink signals at a plurality of antennas of the first wireless device that are transmitted via a plurality of antennas of a second wireless device. Values at a plurality of subcarriers of the received signals across the plurality of antennas of the first wireless device are derived. Using a sliding window for groups of adjacent subcarriers, downlink beamforming weights are computed for each group of subcarriers using channel information of one or more proximate groups of subcarriers. The downlink beamforming weights for the respective groups of subcarriers are applied to a number of spatial streams in a downlink transmission to be transmitted to the second wireless device. |
| US08761289B2 |
MIMO feedback schemes for cross-polarized antennas
A method includes receiving a Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) signal over multiple communication channels from an antenna array including a first set of antennas having a first polarization and a second set of the antennas having a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization. First feedback information is calculated relating to first interrelations between the antennas within either the first set or the second set. Second feedback information is calculated relating at least to second interrelations between the first set and the second set of the antennas. The first feedback information is transmitted at a first time/frequency granularity, and the second feedback information is transmitted at a second time/frequency granularity that is finer than the first time/frequency granularity. |
| US08761287B2 |
Beamforming to a subset of receive antennas in a wireless MIMO communication system
In a method for controlling transmission of an information signal to a plurality of receive antennas associated with one or more receivers, a steering matrix is developed using a subset of receive antennas, wherein the subset of receive antennas includes less than all of the plurality of receive antennas. Transmission of the information signal via a plurality of transmit antennas is controlled using the steering matrix. |
| US08761285B2 |
Application-aware dynamic bit-level error protection for modulation-based communication
In one embodiment, a device (e.g., a transmitter) determines a level of error protection of each bit position within symbols of a particular constellation map used for modulation-based communication, and also determines priority levels of application data bits to be placed into a communication frame. Application data bits may then be placed into symbols of the communication frame, where higher priority application data bits are placed into bit positions with greater or equal levels of protection than bit positions into which lower priority application data bits are placed. The communication frame may then be transmitted to one or more receivers with an indication of how to decode the placement of the application data bits within the symbols. In another embodiment, the particular constellation map may be dynamically selected from a plurality of available constellation maps, such as based on communication channel conditions and/or applications generating the data. |
| US08761283B2 |
MIMO channel matrix feedback in OFDM systems
A method of reporting channel state information (CSI) with reduced feedback overhead in a MIMO-OFDM system is provided. A receiver first estimates CSI of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel based on a sounding signal transmitted from a transmitter. The CSI comprises L channel response matrices, and each matrix corresponds to an OFDM tone in the MIMO channel. Each channel response matrix is then decomposed into a first CSI component and a second CSI component. The receiver selects a first subset of the first CSI component based on a first tone group size and a second subset of the second CSI component based on a second tone group size. Finally, the receiver transmits the selected subsets of the first and the second CSI components to the transmitter. The reduced feedback does not have significant loss in the information content of CSI because of the coherent bandwidth in typical OFDM systems. |
| US08761281B2 |
Method and arrangement for adapting a signal in a wireless communications network
According to an aspect of the present invention, the power efficiency of a precoded OFDM signal is improved by a method in a network node, e.g. a mobile terminal, for adapting a signal for multi-antenna transmission. In a first step, the network node receives at least a first parameter being related to the transmit power requirements of the network node. The network node then receives, a second parameter indicating a precoder W. In a further step, the network node determines a modified precoder {tilde over (W)}, having the same dimensions as W, using the precoder W and the at least first parameter; then, the network node adapts, the signal for multi-antenna transmission using the modified precoder {tilde over (W)}. |
| US08761280B1 |
Fragmentation channelizer
A fragmentation channelizer has a transmitter channelizing filter bank that fragments a continuous spectral span of a signal input into discrete spectral channels. The discrete spectral channels coincide with available bandwidth segments of a communications channel. A receiver has a receiver filter bank that inputs the discrete spectral channels after transmission over the communications channel and de-fragments the discrete spectral channels into a reconstructed continuous spectral span of the signal input so as to generate a signal output corresponding to the signal input. |
| US08761279B2 |
Reception apparatus and method, demodulation apparatus and method, and program
A reception apparatus includes: a reception section configured to receive a signal modulated by one of a single-carrier scheme and a multi-carrier scheme that are specified by a predetermined standard; a single-carrier demodulation section configured to execute single-carrier demodulation based on the single-carrier scheme onto the signal; a multi-carrier demodulation section configured to execute multi-carrier demodulation based on the multi-carrier scheme onto the signal; and a demodulation control section configured to control such that one of the single-carrier demodulation and the multi-carrier demodulation is tried on the received signal in accordance with a preset predetermined rule. |
| US08761277B2 |
OFDM channel estimation system and method components
Channel estimation for high mobility OFDM channels is achieved by identifying a set of channel path delays from an OFDM symbol stream including carrier data, inter-channel interference noise and channel noise; determining the average channel impulse response for the identified set of channel path delays in each symbol; generating a path delay curvature for each channel path delay in each symbol based on stored average channel impulse responses for the identified channel path delays; estimating the carrier data in the symbols in the OFDM symbol stream in the presence of inter-channel interference noise and channel noise from the OFDM symbol steam and the average impulse responses for the identified channel path delays; reconstructing the inter-channel interference noise in response to the path delay curvature, the identified set of channel path delays and estimated carrier data to produce a symbol stream of carrier data and channel noise with suppressed inter-channel interference noise. |
| US08761273B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving wireless signal in wireless communication system and apparatus for the same
A method for receiving a data frame by a receive station in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes: receiving a signal A field including a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) indicator and including a first signal A sub-field and a second signal A sub-field each transmitted as different orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols; determining a processing type of a subsequently transmitted signal based on the signal A field; receiving a data field; and obtaining data by interpreting the data field based on the processing type of the signal. Different modulation schemes are applied to a higher frequency region and a lower frequency region on a subcarrier of the first signal A sub-field. |
| US08761268B2 |
Selective local adaptive wiener filter for video coding and decoding
An adaptive Wiener filter may be applied to improve coding efficiency because of information lost during quantization of the video encoding process. The Wiener filter may be selectively applied globally to an entire picture or locally to portions of the picture. Histogram segmentation may be used to select pixels for Wiener filtering in some embodiments. The Wiener filter may be adaptively applied to histogram bins, improving coding efficiency in some cases. |
| US08761267B2 |
Noise estimator device of video decoder and related method
A noise estimator device of a video decoder includes a reception end, a low pass filter coupled to the reception end, a delay unit coupled to the reception end, a minimum level estimation unit coupled to the low pass filter for estimating a minimum of a specific number of low-pass results, a difference level estimation unit coupled to the low pass filter, the delay unit, and the minimum level estimation unit for determining a synchronization signal according to a plurality of low-pass results and the minimum of the specific number of the low-pass results, and for estimating a noise level according to the synchronization signal and signals outputted from the delay unit, and an output end coupled to the difference level estimation unit. |
| US08761266B2 |
Processing latticed and non-latticed pictures of a video program
In one embodiment, a method that includes receiving plural representations of a video signal, the video signal comprising plural sequenced pictures corresponding to at least a portion of a video program, wherein two or more of the plural representations of the video signal (PROTVS) includes a respective sequence of latticed pictures and one or more of the other PROTVS includes a respective sequence of non-latticed pictures; and providing in plural successive non-overlapping segments distribution interval (SDIs) compressed versions of the PROTVS in a single video stream, wherein each SDI consists of plural non-overlapping, consecutive segments, each of the plural non-overlapping consecutive segments originating from a respective one of the collective PROTVS. |
| US08761265B2 |
Hypothetical reference decoder for multiview video coding
A method and apparatus to define a Hypothetical Reference Decoder (HRD) for Multiview Video Coding (MVC) defines constraints for each possible interoperability point. Each combination of M views denotes an interoperability point. The principles of the present invention also allow for HRD constraints to be defined for a set of interoperability points and other sets are derived from the defined set. The method also allows for the HRD rules of the interoperability points to be derived from information in the bitstream syntax. |
| US08761260B2 |
Cut detection system, shot detection system, scene detection system and cut detection method
A cut detection system includes: an extractor configured to extract macroblock type information at least for every B frame from video compressed data including the macroblock type information; a calculator configured to calculate the number of intra-coded macroblocks for every frame from the extracted macroblock type information; and a detector configured to detect the B frame or a group of picture including the B frame to be a replay cut portion, which is a head portion or last portion of a replay shot, by using a frequency characteristic of the intra-coded macroblocks included in the B frame as determination conditions. |
| US08761259B2 |
Multi-dimensional neighboring block prediction for video encoding
The motion estimation techniques and video encoding device(s) described use a two dimensional pipeline to generate accurate motion estimation parameters for a current video block. The two dimensional pipeline uses previously calculated motion estimation parameters of relevant neighboring video blocks, including a preceding video block on a same row as the current video block, prior to the generation of the accurate motion vectors, motion vector predictors, and mode decision of the current video block. The use of the two dimensional pipeline allows accurate motion vector prediction from neighboring video blocks previously not available, in the computation of motion vectors. Three engines may be used in the two dimensional pipeline, a fetch engine, an integer search engine and a fractional and spatial search engine. While the fetch engine and fraction and spatial search engine operate on one row, the integer search engine operates on another row. |
| US08761257B2 |
Referenceable frame expiration
Coding techniques for a video image compression system involve improving an image quality of a sequence of two or more bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames, where each of the frames includes multiple pixels. One method involves determining a brightness value of at least one pixel of each bi-directionally predicted intermediate frame in the sequence as an equal average of brightness values of pixels in non-bidirectionally predicted frames bracketing the sequence of bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames. The brightness values of the pixels in at least one of the non-bidirectionally predicted frames is converted from a non-linear representation. |
| US08761256B2 |
Encoding apparatus and decoding apparatus
An encoding apparatus having a direct mode as a prediction mode, when a pixel with opposite parity from a top field to a bottom field, for example, is referred to for obtaining a reference vector in the direct mode, performs correction by adding or subtracting a value corresponding to a half pixel to or from a value of the obtained reference vector. The encoding apparatus, when a pixel with opposite parity is referred to for obtaining a first and a second direct vector by temporally scaling the corrected reference vector, performs correction by adding or subtracting a value corresponding to a half pixel to or from values of the obtained direct vectors. |
| US08761254B2 |
Image prediction encoding device, image prediction decoding device, image prediction encoding method, image prediction decoding method, image prediction encoding program, and image prediction decoding program
An object is to efficiently depress mode information for identification of a prediction method even if there are a lot of prediction methods provided as to methods of generating intra-frame prediction signals in a pixel domain. An image prediction encoding device 10 has a block dividing unit 102, an intra-frame prediction signal generation method determining unit 105, an intra-frame prediction signal generating unit 106, a subtractor 108, a transform unit 109, a quantization unit 110, and an entropy encoding unit 115; the intra-frame prediction signal generation method determining unit 105 derives an adjacent region prediction method for generation of an intra-frame prediction signal highly correlated with pixel signals of an adjacent region, using a proximate pixel group to a target region, out of a plurality of first prediction methods, and predicts a target region prediction method for target pixel signals, based on the derived adjacent region prediction method; the intra-frame prediction signal generating unit 106 generates an intra-frame prediction signal for the target region, based on the target region prediction method. |
| US08761253B2 |
Intra prediction mode search scheme
The following embodiments describe an approach for selecting an intra prediction mode for video encoding, such as occurs in the H.264 standard. One embodiment describes a method of selecting an optimum intra prediction mode. This method involves selecting a first intra prediction mode, which is used to determine a search order for a number of intra prediction modes. These intra prediction modes are then evaluated in order to identify the optimum intra prediction mode. |
| US08761250B2 |
Method of estimating motion in sequences of moving images using deformable meshes, video coder and decoder implementing the method
The invention concerns a method which consists in analyzing a field of motion of images, estimated by using a first mesh, to detect a faulty area in the first mesh, and in locating a rupture line in said area; then generating a second mesh including a faultless part consisting of meshes of the first mesh outside the faulty area and two sub-meshes which overlap in a region including the rupture line. Each of the two sub-meshes includes respective meshes delimited by nodes including nodes shared with the faultless part, located at the boundary of the faulty area, and additional nodes not belonging to the faultless part, the rupture line being located between the respective nodes of the two sub-meshes shared with the faultless part. Said second mesh is used to finally estimate the field of motion in the group of images concerned. |
| US08761249B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video color enhancement data, and method and apparatus for decoding video color enhancement data
A highly accurate reproduction of visual intensity and contrast rather than the conventional 8-bit color depth is more and more used, motivating the development of an enhanced dynamic range called high bit-depth. A method for encoding a first, low bit-depth image of M bit RGB pixels and a second, high bit-depth video image of N bit RGB pixels, M |
| US08761243B2 |
Technique to enable efficient adaptive streaming and transcoding of video and other signals
A method is described for efficiently determining total end-to-end distortion of a pre-compressed data stream, such as video streams or other media streams, at the time of delivery over a lossy-network, and for providing adaptive error-resilient delivery schemes based on distortion estimates. The methods can be utilized with single or multilayer packet streams and are particularly well suited for video streams. By way of example, distortion estimates are performed by generating side-information at the time of data stream compression, wherein the side-information is used in conjunction with information about the network status to determine an estimated distortion for the group of packets when the data stream is transported over the network to a destination end. This estimation may be utilized within described resiliency techniques in which the error correction mechanism is selected in response to the estimated distortion, which may be additionally refined in reference to cost factors. |
| US08761241B2 |
Method of transmitting data samples with reduced bandwidth
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for compressing and decompressing data to reduce bandwidth requirements in transmissions of predistorted signals between a processing node and a remote transmitting node of a power amplifier with digital predistortion (PA-DPD) system. In the processing node, predistorted signals are decomposed into a high-dynamic range signal of a first sample rate and a low-dynamic range signal of a second sample rate greater than the first sample rate. Samples of both signals are combined to generate a compressed signal for transmission to the remote transmitting node, which decompresses the compressed signal to restore the predistorted signal. |
| US08761239B2 |
Image coding apparatus, method, integrated circuit, and program
An image coding apparatus includes: a search range control unit which sets a search range that requires a small amount of data to be transferred; an obtaining unit which obtains data of pixels within the search range from an image memory storing the data; and a predicting unit which performs motion estimation. |
| US08761235B2 |
Digital transmitter
An equalizer provided in a digital transmitter compensates for attenuation in a signal channel to a digital receiver. The equalizer generates signal levels as a logical function of bit history to emphasize transition signal levels relative to repeated signal levels. The preferred equalizer includes an FIR transition filter using a look-up table. Parallel circuits including FIR filters and digital-to-analog converters provide a high speed equalizer with lower speed circuitry. The equalizer is particularly suited to in-cabinet and local area network transmissions where feedback circuitry facilitates adaptive training of the equalizer using signal levels in sequences to represent different frequencies. |
| US08761229B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiplexing frequency hopping in a communication system
A method and apparatus for multiplexing frequency hopping in a wireless communication system using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is provided. The frequency hopping multiplexing method and apparatus efficiently indicates time division multiplexing for global hopping and local hopping by indicating and using the number and positions of slots for global hopping and local hopping to time-division-multiplex global hopping and local hopping in a reverse link, depending on information the number of Distributed Resource CHannels (DRCHs), provided from a transmitting side over a Forward link Secondary Broadcast Control CHannel (F-SBCCH), which is one of the forward common channels. |
| US08761227B2 |
Apparatus and method for avoiding interference noise in FHSS system
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a group classification part for classifying the entire channels of the FHSS system into a certain number of groups according to the channel bandwidth unit of an FS interference signal; an FS interference elimination part for eliminating a group in which an FS interference exists from said certain number of groups based on the packet error rate (PER) of said certain number of groups that have been classified; and an FD interference avoidance part for avoiding interference by transmitting a packet only if an interference signal does not exist by estimating the existence of said FD interference signal based on a time sequence with respect to the channel to be used for the next frequency hopping (FH), when transmitting a signal by utilizing FH using channels wherein said FS interference signal does not exist. |
| US08761223B2 |
Laser apparatuses with large-number multi-reflection pump systems
A large number of passes of pump light through an active mirror in a solid state disk laser is realized using a pair of coupled imaging systems, where the optical axes of imaging systems are not coincident. Two imaging systems are optically coupled, so that an image of the first imaging system is an object of the second imaging system, and vice versa. An active mirror is disposed at the object or image plane, or at the focal plane of any one of the coupled imaging systems, where the position of the reflected pump beam during the multi-reflection between the first and second imaging systems is substantially unchanged. |
| US08761222B2 |
Light source with a diode laser and a large number of optical fibers
A light source, e.g., for optical excitation of a laser device, includes a diode laser having a large number of emitters and a light-guiding device, the light-guiding device including a large number of optical fibers. Each fiber has a first end and a lateral surface, the first ends being arranged relative to the emitters in such a manner that light generated by the emitters is coupled into the first ends of the optical fibers, the optical fibers being arranged in abutting relationship along their lateral surfaces at least in the region of their first ends. The optical fibers are connected in the region of their first ends to a fiber support. |
| US08761217B2 |
Modal filters for modulatable sources
A system includes a modulatable source and matched modal filter. The modulatable source is associated with a plurality of source modes to provide a generated signal. The matched modal filter is coupled to the modulatable source to receive the generated signal. Filter modes are to match the source modes. The matched modal filter is coupleable to a link fiber to provide a signal to the link fiber. The filter modes are to match a subset of link fiber modes to couple the plurality of filter modes to the link fiber. |
| US08761206B1 |
Universal packer
Data packers having corresponding methods and tangible computer-readable media comprise: a controller configured to receive output information, wherein the output information specifies an output alignment; a first multiplexer configured to pass one of data received into the data packer, and data stored in a register of the data packer; a rotate shifter configured to rotate-shift, in accordance with the output alignment, data passed by the first multiplexer; a second multiplexer configured to pass at least one of the data output by the rotate shifter, and the data stored in the register. |
| US08761204B2 |
Packet assembly module for multi-core, multi-thread network processors
Described embodiments provide for processing received data packets into packet reassemblies for transmission as output packets of a network processor. A packet assembler determines an associated packet reassembly of data portions and enqueues an identifier for each data portion in an input queue corresponding to the packet reassembly associated with the data portion. A state data entry corresponding to each packet reassembly identifies whether the packet reassembly is actively processed by the packet assembler. Iteratively, until an eligible data portion is selected, the packet assembler selects a given data portion from a non-empty input queue for processing and determines if the selected data portion corresponds to a reassembly that is actively processed. If the reassembly is active, the packet assembler sets the selected data portion as ineligible for selection. Otherwise, the packet assembler selects the data portion for processing and modifies the packet reassembly based on the selected data portion. |
| US08761200B2 |
Home network system and method
A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module. |
| US08761199B2 |
Codeset communication format and related methods and structures
A codeset is described in a Public Codeset Communication Format (PCCF) as a format block including a plurality of fields having readily decipherable values, such as ASCII character values. One field is a mark/space information field that includes a sequence of mark time indicators and space time indicators for an operational signal of the codeset. A second field is a signal characteristic information field for the operational signal. Signal characteristic information may include carrier on/off information, repeat frame information, toggle control information, and last frame information. The PCCF is a codeset interchange format of general applicability. |
| US08761198B2 |
Telecommunication/access system for dealing with different address lengths
Telecommunication systems should be able to handle different protocols. Thereto, with a first protocol being Internet Protocol v6 using 128-bit addresses of a first kind and with a second protocol being Internet Protocol v4 using 32-bit addresses of a second kind, an access system is provided with a generating section for, in response to an address of one kind, generating a corresponding address of an other kind for a terminal-to-terminal communication and independently of which terminal has initiated said terminal-to-terminal communication. For a set-up phase, a replacing section replaces addresses of a second kind by corresponding addresses of a first kind, and an adding section adds, in addition to addresses of a first kind, corresponding addresses of a second kind, in set-up messages. For a communication phase, activating sections activate translating sections, which translating sections translate addresses of one kind into addresses of an other kind, in packets. |
| US08761195B2 |
Sounding reference signal arrangement
A method, apparatus, and computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium to create an uplink message to be transmitted to a base station, the created uplink message comprises a sounding reference signal based on accessed data. An uplink scheduling grant signal is received via downlink, from the base station, in response to the transmission of the uplink message. An uplink data transmission is transmitted to the base station responsive to the received uplink scheduling grant signal. |
| US08761194B2 |
Apparatus and method for signaling in a wireless communication system
A method of signaling in a wireless communication system (300) comprising a first network element (310) serving a wireless communication unit (325) with at least one packet data network (PDN) connection. The method comprises transmitting, by the first network element (310) to the wireless communication unit (325), a signaling message relating to a wireless communication unit (325) uplink (UL) PDN transmission, where the signaling message comprises a parameter indicative of at least one aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR) value. |
| US08761186B2 |
Telephone outlet with packet telephony adapter, and a network using same
An outlet for a Local Area Network (LAN), containing an integrated adapter that converts VoIP to and from analog telephony, and a standard telephone jack (e.g. RJ-11 in North America) for connecting an ordinary analog (POTS) telephone set. Such an outlet allows using analog telephone sets in a VoIP environment, eliminating the need for an IP telephone set or external adapter. The outlet may also include a hub that allows connecting both an analog telephone set via an adapter, as well as retaining the data network connection, which may be accessed by a network jack. The invention may also be applied to a telephone line-based data networking system. In such an environment, the data networking circuitry as well as the VoIP/POTS adapters are integrated into a telephone outlet, providing for regular analog service, VoIP telephony service using an analog telephone set, and data networking as well. In such a configuration, the outlet requires two standard telephone jacks and a data-networking jack. Outlets according to the invention can be used to retrofit existing LAN and in-building telephone wiring, as well as original equipment in new installation. |
| US08761183B2 |
System and method for core network topology router placement planning
Systems and methods for core network topology router placement planning are provided. The systems and methods may use existing network data to create a data set and use the data set to optimize a network for the placement of routers. |
| US08761176B2 |
Path control method adapted to autonomous system routing protocol for communication network
A path control method includes a procedure for developing a path control message including regional information in transmission on the network. The regional information designates a path and/or a path length for transmitting the path control message. The path control message includes a regional property for instructing each node as to how to process the regional information either in a strict manner or in a flexible manner. With reference to the regional information and/or the regional property, each node is capable of selecting a destination node to which the path control message is to be transmitted, stopping the further transmission of the path control message, or discarding the path control message. |
| US08761175B2 |
Distributed method for minimum delay multi-hop data delivery in vehicular networks
An inventive method for data delivery in a multi-hop vehicular network with multiple vehicles and intersections is presented. The method comprises, at each source vehicle, initiating packet flow, labeling packets with destination coordinates and a current location, and forwarding the packet flow, and at each intersection, selecting a header vehicle, computing a backlog indicator and listening for broadcasts with a matrix and delay information, updating the matrix in accordance with the backlog indicator if the matrix is present, otherwise initializing the matrix, forwarding the packet flow, and broadcasting the matrix from the header vehicle. In one embodiment, selection of the header vehicle is performed based on random countdown and vehicle ID. The method converges to the optimal (lowest latency) state irrespective of the initial starting point of the network and continues to tend towards the optimal state even as the network conditions alter. |
| US08761171B1 |
Reducing unnecessary upstream traffic in PIM-bidirectional mode
Techniques are described for reducing unnecessary upstream traffic toward a rendezvous point (RP) of a network using Protocol Independent Multicast Bidirectional Mode. The techniques include determining whether the RP needs to receive multicast traffic for a multicast group and, when the RP does not need to receive the multicast traffic, sending RP-prune control messages for the multicast group to downstream routers. Upon receiving an RP-prune control message, a downstream router may prune an outgoing interface for the multicast group to prevent the downstream router from forwarding multicast traffic for the multicast group toward the RP. The downstream router may terminate the RP-prune control message or propagate the RP-prune control message to a further downstream router. Routers that send RP-prune control messages also create or update a RP-prune state for the multicast group that includes interfaces for the downstream routers to which the RP-prune control messages were sent. |
| US08761169B2 |
Packet forwarding
A method includes inserting a vector in a packet that identifies a first device in a stack of packet forwarding devices to receive the packet. |
| US08761165B2 |
Network system
A connecting node in a first sub-network system reserves a transmission channel in a connecting network, reads waveform data having a designated signal name from a TL frame in the first sub-network system, and writes the read waveform data into the reserved transmission channel in a TL frame in the connecting network, and a connecting node in a second sub-network system reserves a transmission channel in the second sub-network system, reads the waveform data having the designated signal name from the TL frame in the connecting network, and writes the read waveform data into the reserved transmission channel in a TL frame in the second sub-network system. |
| US08761154B2 |
Methods and apparatuses to access advertisements through voice over internet protocol (VoIP) applications
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminals with integrated user interface for accessing and/or managing advertisements that provide telephonic contact information. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a user input in a user interface of a VoIP telephonic apparatus to specify one or more search terms; submitting the one or more search terms from the telephonic apparatus to a server; receiving one or more advertisements containing one or more references to telephonic contact information as a result of a search performed using the one or more search terms; displaying the one or more advertisements in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus; receiving a user indication in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus to call an advertiser of the one or more advertisements; and initiating a telephonic call to the advertiser according to the one or more advertisements using the VoIP telephonic apparatus. |
| US08761153B2 |
Remote configuration of a voice over internet protocol telephone for smart dial tone
An Internet Access Device (IAD) is pre-configured with first, generic configuration information designating the address of a configuration server with which it will establish a communication session when the IAD is first powered up and connected to the Internet. The configuration server then downloads a second, specific configuration to the IAD, such as a hotline number designating a specific speech server, and creates a network data record to link a unique identifier for the IAD, such as a serial number, with a user account. When the IAD goes off-hook, the IAD connects directly to a speech server using the second configuration. The speech server provides a smart dial tone, such as a voice prompt. The speech server responds to a verbal request spoken by a user by performing a corresponding activity, such as placing a telephone call or providing voicemail access. |
| US08761151B2 |
Uplink control signal design for wireless system
The present disclosure generally relates to an uplink control signal design for wireless system. One example method includes establishing communication with a mobile station in a multi-carrier wireless communication system using a primary carrier, providing a first control signaling via the primary carrier, the first control signaling assigning at least one secondary carrier, and receiving a channel quality indication of the secondary carrier via the primary carrier using a control channel. |
| US08761150B2 |
Method and apparatus for data-centric multiplexing and asynchronous command interface to the encoder and multiplexer modules
An apparatus and method for data centric multiplexing in a wireless communication system with a plurality of channels comprising assigning a first resource to a first of the plurality of channels; assigning a second resource to a second of the plurality of channels wherein the second resource is not the first resource; assigning a third resource to a third of the plurality of channels wherein the third resource is not the first or the second resource; and assigning a fourth resource to a fourth of the plurality of channels by puncturing at least one of the first, second or third resources and skipping the rest of unpunctured first, second or third resources. Further disclosed are apparatus and method for an asynchronous command interface to an encoder and multiplexer module in a wireless communication system. |
| US08761145B2 |
Wireless terminal apparatus and wireless base station apparatus
Both a wireless terminal apparatus and wireless base station apparatus are provided that can, in an operation of encoding the control signals of the upstream link transmitted from the multiple terminal stations while encoding with regard to each of the terminal stations, increase a number of the terminal stations to which different codes are respectively assigned. A wireless terminal apparatus includes: an encoding information receiving portion receiving encoding information which is used at the wireless terminal apparatus from the base station; a phase-shifting unit which conducts a phase-shifting operation on a predetermined first code based on the encoding information; a code selection unit which, based on the received encoding information, selects a second code from multiple codes orthogonally crossing each other; and a control signal encoding portion which conducts an encoding operation on the control signal that is going to be transmitted to the base station by using both the first code on which the phase-shifting operation has been conducted and the second code. |
| US08761142B2 |
Distributed seamless roaming in wireless networks
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for configuring an access point in a wireless network. During operation, the access point discovers one or more existing access points associated with the wireless network. The access point then obtains a set of configuration information from one existing access point, and synchronizes a local timestamp counter to a selected existing access point, thereby allowing the access point to be configured without using a centralized management station. |
| US08761138B2 |
Radio access technology selection
There is provided a method, including detecting, by a user terminal connected to a public land mobile net-work, PLMN, via a first radio access technology and having requested a circuit switched fallback service procedure, that a network controlled radio access technology change related to the circuit switched fallback service procedure is not performed; and selecting a second radio access technology to be applied on the basis of stored information, wherein the second radio access technology to be applied is capable to provide circuit switched services and the stored information associates at least one PLMN with at least one radio access technology. |
| US08761134B2 |
Access point transmit power schemes
In a multi-level power transmission scheme, an access point transmits at one power level, while repeatedly transmitting at a burst power level for short periods of time. For example, a femto cell may transmit a beacon with periodic high power bursts of short duration, while the femto cell transmit power also undergoes high power bursts aligned with the beacon bursts. In a network listen-based power control scheme, an access point listens for one or more parameters sent over-the-air by the network and then defines transmit power based on the received parameter(s). In some aspects, beacon transmit power may be set based on a defined outage radius parameter and the total received signal power on a channel. In some aspects, access point transmit power may be set based on a defined coverage parameter and the received energy associated with signals from access points of a certain type. |
| US08761131B2 |
Random access method, radio communication terminal device, receiving method, and base station apparatus
There are disclosed a random access method for establishing an individual channel between a radio communication terminal device and a base station device in a short time and a radio communication terminal device executing the random access method. In this device, in step ST320, a RACH sub-channel allocation unit (211) allocates a transmission packet inputted from a replication unit (202) to an arbitrary sub-carrier at the RACH arbitrary time slot at random. In step ST330, an allocation unit (210) judges whether an overlap is generated in the allocation result obtained by the RACH sub-channel allocation unit (211). When the allocation unit (210) judges that an overlap is generated in the allocation result, the allocation unit (210) causes one of the RACH sub-channel allocation units (211) which has caused the overlap to again perform allocation of step ST320. On the other hand, when judgment is made that no overlap is generated in the allocation result, step ST340 is executed. |
| US08761130B2 |
Control and data signaling in SC-FDMA communication systems
Apparatus and method for multiplexing control information bits and data information bits into sub-frame symbols depending on the location of symbols carrying a reference signal (RS), to provide an estimate for the channel medium and enable coherent demodulation for signals carrying information bits. The control information bits include ACK or NAK and/or channel CQI bits. The ACK/NAK bits are placed with priority in symbols around the symbols carrying the RS, to allow for improved accuracy of the channel estimate, followed by the CQI bits when both ACK/NAK and CQI bits exist. Moreover, the sub-frame resources required to achieve the desired reception reliability for the control information depend on the operating conditions and can varied to minimize the associated control overhead. |
| US08761124B2 |
Apparatus and methods for determination of gain factors for wireless communication transmission power
Apparatus and methods for wireless communication transmission power control are provided. Determination of gain factors and adjustments for physical channel reconfiguration in the context of transmission power control are addressed. Preferably, implementation is in conjunction with communication systems in which wireless communications are conducted between wireless transmit receive units (WTRUs) using multiple channels that are concurrently transmitted. |
| US08761120B2 |
Method of handling cell change in wireless communication systems and communication device thereof
A method of handling cell change for a mobile device employing a high speed downlink package access (HSDPA) technology in wireless communication systems. The method includes initiating a handover procedure to change a serving cell of the mobile device when the mobile device moves from a HSDPA cell into another HSDPA cell, performing a physical channel reconfiguration procedure from a high speed physical downlink shared channel (HS-PDSCH) to a dedicated physical data channel (DPDCH), wherein the physical channel reconfiguration procedure is initiated via a Radio Network Controller (RNC), and performing the handover procedure. |
| US08761119B2 |
Handover method, and mobile terminal and home agent used in the method
A technology is disclosed that provides a handover method and the like capable of improving communication efficiency by reducing tunnel overhead between a mobile node and a home agent. The technology includes: a step of transmitting, by a mobile node (UE) 107, a message including a home address allocation request in a network 102 of the handover destination and an allocated first address, to a home agent (HA) via an access router 104 before a handover; and a step of performing, by the HA, a predetermined process based on the received message and transmitting to the UE, a response message including a home address in response to the allocation request. |
| US08761117B2 |
Interference mitigation in downlink signal communication to a mobile terminal
In downlink signal communication to a mobile terminal (200), the mobile terminal (200) is associated with a serving access node (100-1). Signal communication to a further mobile terminal (200; 200′″) may interfere with the signal communication between the serving access node (100-1) and the mobile terminal (200). In order to allow interference mitigation at the mobile terminal (200), the serving access node (100-1) obtains scheduling information pertaining to the signal communication to the further mobile terminal (200; 200′″). The obtained scheduling information is then forwarded to the mobile terminal (200) to be used for interference mitigation. |
| US08761110B2 |
Real-time service transmission method and resource allocation method
The invention discloses a method for real-time service transmission and a method for resource allocation, wherein, the method for resource allocation of real-time service transmission includes the following processing: through the resource allocation control channels, the base station allocates the semi-static service channel resources to the terminal to be used for the initial transmission of hybrid automatic repeat request of the real-time service packets; wherein, before the base station reconfigures or releases the semi-static service channel resources, the terminal can use the semi-static service channel resources continuously; through the resource allocation control channels, the base station allocates the dynamic service channel resources to the terminal to be used for the retransmission of the hybrid automatic repeat request of the real-time service packets; wherein, the terminal can only use the dynamic service channel resources within the allocated time frame. |
| US08761109B2 |
Method and apparatus for receiving a control channel
Various methods and apparatuses for receiving a control channel involve a communication device monitoring a first control and receiving information from a network regarding the configuration of a second control channel. The communication device receives an uplink grant from the network; transmits a message to the network, in which the message indicates to the network that the communication device is capable of monitoring the second control channel. The communication device monitors the second control channel based on the configuration information receiving via the first control channel. |
| US08761107B2 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining traffic continuity
A method for maintaining traffic continuity through a Traffic Offload Function (TOF) entity includes the following steps: the TOF entity receives a downlink packet of offload traffic of a User Equipment (UE), where the downlink packet of the offload traffic is sent by a Packet Data Network (PDN); the TOF entity sends a Core Network (CN) paging message to the UE; the TOF entity receives a paging response sent by the UE to the CN, where the paging response includes a service request message of the UE; and the TOF entity forwards the service request message to the CN so that the CN sets up a Radio Access Bearer (RAB) after the service request message is received. With the method, the communication between the CN and the UE can be restored to guarantee the transmission of traffic. Accordingly, a TOF entity is also disclosed according to the present invention. |
| US08761106B2 |
Radio base station and communication control method
When allocating CCEs as a radio resource to a plurality of radio terminals within a predetermined sector, the disclosed radio base station (1) acquires an AL for each radio terminal within the predetermined sector, and sets a CCE allocating order for the radio terminals in descending order of corresponding AL size. Furthermore, the radio base station (1) allocates CCEs to predetermined radio terminals to be allocated to in accordance with the set allocating order. |
| US08761104B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting load information among nodes in a radio system
An apparatus includes means for providing load information, said load information for sending from one of an access node and a relay node associated with said access node to the other of said relay node and access node. |
| US08761102B2 |
Method and apparatus for planning radio frequency spectrum in a wireless network
A method and apparatus for selecting a bandwidth option for a cell in a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains, for the cell, network traffic data for a geographical area, and a physical characteristic of an antenna in the geographical area, determines busy time data traffic from the network traffic data, determines, for the cell, a cell range from the physical characteristic of the antenna, selects a bandwidth option from a plurality of bandwidth options, and determines an average throughput in accordance with the bandwidth option that is selected and the cell range. |
| US08761101B1 |
Network based machine-to-machine system for monitoring
Methods and systems are disclosed for remote monitoring of mobile computing devices. The method and systems can use cloud-type services to monitor the mobile computing devices. The cloud-type services can include a server configured to maintain a virtual link between one or more web-based computing devices and the mobile computing devices. So that, even if the mobile computing devices are not communicating with the server, the server can perform one or more actions to maintain the link between the web-based device and the mobile computing device. The cloud-type services can also include a server that authenticates the mobile computing devices, and that sends a link to the mobile computing device if the mobile computing device is authenticated, the link for use by the mobile computing device to connect to a back-end server that is separate from the server. |
| US08761099B2 |
Apparatus and method of scheduling resources for device-to-device communications
An approach is provided for scheduling resources for device-to-device communications. A resource of a network is granted to a group designated for device-to-device communications. The group then determines how the resource allocation is utilized to support the communication session and allocates the resource among the user equipment within the group independently of the base station. Further, a user equipment pair in the group determines transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) timeslot configuration to allow TDD mode operations, and further configure the modulation and coding for the device-to-device connection, and error control scheme for the pair via control signaling independently from the group. |
| US08761097B2 |
Systems and methods for enhancing uplink coverage in interference scenerios
A method and apparatus are for communication in a wireless network in which a User Equipment (UE) associated with a first evolved Node B (eNB) experiences interference from a second eNB. The method includes negotiating by the first eNB of the wireless network with a second eNB of the wireless network for a partitioning of subband resources on an uplink. A first subset of subband resources is assigned to the first eNB, and a second subset of subband resources is assigned to the second eNB. A method and apparatus are for communication in a wireless network. The method includes decoding a downlink control channel received during a protected downlink subframe to determine an uplink subframe n containing a protected subband for uplink transmission. The method also includes transmitting data during the uplink subframe n on the protected subband. |
| US08761096B2 |
Performing random access procedures using extended random access response
A random access procedure is performed by receiving information related to a random access preamble, the information indicating a first random access preamble related to a first format and a second random access preamble related to a second format; selecting a random access preamble according to the received information; transmitting the selected random access preamble; receiving a random access response; and decoding the received random access response according to the format associated with the selected random access preamble. |
| US08761093B2 |
Rate shaping triggered discontinuous transmission in wireless communications
A modified token bucket algorithm in a rate shaper in a wireless communication network allows for the “borrowing” of tokens, creating the possibility of a token debt, or a token bucket with a negative Token Bucket Counter (TBC) value. In this modified token bucket algorithm, an incoming packet is passed along so long as the TBC is positive, even if the packet must “borrow” some tokens, driving the TBC negative. Subsequent incoming packets are stalled until the TBC reaches a positive value. The token bucket refills at a known rate; accordingly, the duration of traffic stalling, when the TBC is negative, is known. During this time, the UE is forced into DRX mode, saving battery power by not monitoring DPCCH for traffic that has been halted. The DRX, or sleep, mode may be invoked in several ways. |
| US08761091B2 |
Apparatus and method for signaling in a wireless communication system
A method of signaling in a wireless communication system (300) comprising a first network element (310) serving a wireless communication unit (325) with at least one packet data network (PDN) connection. The method comprises transmitting, by the first network element (310) to the wireless communication unit (325), a signaling message relating to a wireless communication unit (325) uplink (UL) PDN transmission, where the signaling message comprises a parameter indicative of at least one aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR) value. |
| US08761086B2 |
Method and apparatus for hierarchical codebook design in wireless communication
A method for use in a multi-user, multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO) system includes generating a family of codebooks comprising at least one codebook set, the codebook set comprising a plurality of codebooks organized base on a transmission rank and providing the family of codebooks for use in a multiple description coding (MDC) channel feedback scheme. |
| US08761077B2 |
Control signal transmitting method and apparatus in relay station
A method of transmitting a control signal of a relay station is provided. The method includes: receiving a control signal and data from a base station in a first subframe; and transmitting an acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signal for the data to the base station in a second subframe, wherein a radio resource for transmitting the ACK/NACK signal is determined by a radio resource to which the control signal received in the first subframe is allocated and by a logical physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) index received by using a higher layer signal. |
| US08761075B2 |
Method for transmitting control signal to relay node at base station in MIMO wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
A method for transmitting a control signal to a relay node at a base station in a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises configuring relay-resource element groups (R-REGs) in a unit of four resource elements (REs) contiguous in the ascending order of subcarrier indexes, except for resource elements for a reference signal (RS); allocating transmission resources to the control signal in a unit of the relay-resource element group; and transmitting the control signal to the relay node by using the allocated transmission resources, wherein the resource elements for the reference signal include resource elements for channel state information-RS (CSI-RS), which include resource elements for a channel state information RS to which a transmission power of 0 is allocated. |
| US08761068B2 |
Supporting DL triggered HS-DPCHH in a cell in CELL—FACH
Apparatus and methods are described for initiating an operating a high speed uplink channel. A user equipment may receive an order from a Node B triggering a feedback response. The user equipment may perform a physical random access channel (PRACH) procedure in response to receiving the order, and may also initiate a collision resolution procedure The user equipment may transmit a current channel quality indicator (CQI) of the user equipment on a high speed dedicated physical control channel (HS-DPCCH) prior to achieving collision resolution. |
| US08761066B2 |
Reducing power consumption in a device operating as an access point of a wireless local area network
An access point communicates with a wireless station based on a point-to-point channel, to determine time instances of future communication to be received from the wireless station. In intervals between such future communications, the access point powers down at least some portions of a circuit contained within the access point for at least a partial duration between such future communications. In an embodiment, the powered-down portions include the receiver portions of the access point. The access point may be battery-powered, and the powering-down of the receiver portions enables reduction of power consumption in the access point. |
| US08761054B2 |
Method and apparatus for delivering IPP2T (IP-push-to-talk) wireless LAN mobile radio service
An access point comprising a first interface for communicating with a plurality of subscriber terminals wirelessly, wherein the access point supports an internet protocol push-to-talk service and supports a protocol for a quality of service enabled wireless local area network and a second interface for communicating with a broadband access network terminal is described. |
| US08761046B2 |
Communication system and method
A modem is disclosed that, in one embodiment, includes: first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver arranged to connect to a wireless cellular network; second interface apparatus arranged to connect to the terminal; and processing apparatus configured as a wireless cellular modem for accessing packet-based communications. The processing apparatus is arranged to receive at least one first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system. The processing apparatus is further configured to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address, to translate the second address into the first address, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address. |
| US08761045B2 |
Method for providing network failure independent links in a multilayer network
A method and apparatus for providing network failure independent links in a multilayer network comprising a client layer and a server layer, wherein each link of said client layer is served by a connection provisioned in said server layer, wherein mutually disjoint paths for said connections which serve links in said client layer that belong to the same predetermined mutually disjoint link group are calculated. |
| US08761044B2 |
Selection of multicast router interfaces in an L2 switch connecting end hosts and routers, which is running IGMP and PIM snooping
Multicast traffic received by a subnet that uses IGMP/PIM snooping may be efficiently processed so that only required multicast router interfaces are used. A router may, for example, receive a source-specific PIM join/prune message indicating that a multicast receiver of the multicast traffic is to join/leave a multicast group to receive/stop traffic from a multicast source; determine whether the router is a first hop router relative to a subnet of the multicast source; and forward, when the router is a first hop router relative to the subnet of the multicast source and is a non-designated router, the source-specific PIM join/prune message towards the subnet. |
| US08761041B2 |
Radio base station system and base station
A femto base station registers IDs of neighboring macro base stations and the ID of a terminal into a management device. When the femto base station detects that the communication state of a terminal in communication with the femto base station transited from active to idle, the femto base station hands off the communication session to one of the neighboring macro stations and enters the dormant state. When the macro base station detects that the communication state of the terminal transited from idle to active, the macro base station transmits an inquiry to the management device, identifies a femto base station to be started based on the terminal ID and the macro base station ID and starts the femto base station. When the femto base station is started, it is handed off from the macro base station to the femto base station to maintain the communication session of the terminal. |
| US08761030B2 |
Method and system of diagnosing a video condition experienced at a customer premises
A test controller can be operable to diagnose a video condition experienced at a customer premises. The test controller can include a port coupled to the customer premises. The test controller can also include a processor operable to activate a diagnosis sequence, send a set of questions to equipment at the customer premises, and isolate a cause of the video condition to a portion of the network, in response to receiving test a video access device can include a first port coupled to particular test equipment and a second port coupled to video access devices. The test controller can be part of a system that includes methods used to diagnose the video condition experienced at the customer premises. |
| US08761021B2 |
Load distribution in a network of small-cell base stations
A network device may make a determination that a first backhaul connection, which serves a first base station, is congested and that a second backhaul connection, which serves a second base station, is not congested. This determination may be made based on a first periodic data cap imposed (on the first backhaul connection, a traffic load on the first backhaul connection, a second periodic data cap imposed on the second backhaul connection, and a traffic load on the second backhaul connection. In response to the determination, the network device may configure a value of a cellular communication parameter utilized by one or both of the base stations. The configuration may comprise periodic adjustments of the value of the cellular communication parameter. The periodic adjustments may cause one or more mobile devices to be cyclically handed-over between the first base station and the second base station. |
| US08761020B1 |
Method and system for load balancing in InfiniBand switches and networks
A switch element and a method for routing packets in an IB Multi Level switch and network is provided. The method includes determining if alternate routing is enabled for a packet; determining an alternate route address for the packet, if alternate routing is enabled; and routing the packet using the alternate route address, if the alternate route address is valid. The switch element includes a routing table in a port that determines a base route address; and if alternate routing is enabled for a packet, the port determines an alternate route address for a packet; and routes the packet using the alternate route address. |
| US08761018B2 |
Systems and methods for throttling a fabric login in a Fibre Channel adapter
A fabric login (FLOGI) in a Fiber Channel (FC) adapter is throttled. The system includes a first tracking mechanism, a second tracking mechanism, a switch, and an FC adapter. The FC adapter comprises three or more FLOGIs and a controller. First and second FLOGI requests are transmitted to the switch and indicate, via a first tracking mechanism, that a first FLOGI associated with the first FLOGI request and a second FLOGI associated with the second FLOGI request are active. A third FLOGI request is queued until the first FLOGI request or the second FLOGI request is processed by the switch and indicates, via a second tracking mechanism, that a third FLOGI associated with a third FLOGI request is queued. |
| US08761013B2 |
Information processing apparatus and operation method thereof, computer program, and storage medium
In an information processing system in which a plurality of modules are connected to a ring bus, data transfer efficiency is enhanced by deleting an unnecessary packet from the ring bus. This invention relates to an information processing system in which a plurality of modules that execute data processing are connected to a ring bus. More particularly, this invention relates to a ring bus operation technique that allows efficient data transfer by monitoring a flag of a packet, and removing an unnecessary packet from the ring bus. |
| US08761012B2 |
Packet relay apparatus and method of relaying packet
The packet relay apparatus is provided. The packet relay apparatus includes a receiver that receives a packet; and a determiner that determines to drop the received packet without storing the received packet into a queue among the multi-stage queue. The determiner determines to drop the received packet at a latter stage, based on former-stage queue information representing a state of a queue at any former stage which the received packet belongs to and latter-stage queue information representing a state of a queue at the latter stage which the received packet belongs to. |
| US08761010B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method
When a transmitting terminal 2A and a receiving terminal 4B performs communication via a network 10, at a communication apparatus 1 controlling the bandwidth of the communication, a receiving bandwidth measuring unit 23 measures the bandwidth for the communication in at least one direction of the communication in two directions from the transmitting terminal 2A to the receiving terminal 4B and from the receiving terminal 4B and the transmitting terminal 2A. The session table 13 stores information regarding bandwidth adjustment including the target bandwidth required for the communication. The bandwidth adjusting unit 24 reads out, from the session table 13, the target bandwidth in the direction for which the bandwidth was measured, and throttling or enhancing of the bandwidth is performed by adjusting the transmission interval of packets based on the comparison of the bandwidth measured at the receiving bandwidth measuring unit 23 and the read out target bandwidth. |
| US08761009B2 |
Managed handover process
A method for providing information to a first terminal system and/or a second terminal system which connected to each other through a network and are subject to a potential or actual handover, provides convenience information about the execution of the potential or actual handover to at least one of the first and the second terminal systems, prior to or with the start of the handover, and provides in addition to at least one of the first and the second terminal systems a commercial communication relating to a commercial measure, whereby the commercial communication is provided in correlation with the provision of the convenience information. |
| US08761006B2 |
Method and apparatus for provisioning a backup signaling channel
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for provisioning a backup signaling channel. In one embodiment, a method for provisioning a backup D channel in a media gateway includes provisioning a primary D channel on a first media gateway card in the media gateway and provisioning the backup D channel on a second media gateway card in the media gateway that is different from the first media gateway card, wherein the backup D channel backs up the primary D channel. |
| US08761005B2 |
Multi-chassis link aggregation on network devices
A data communication network includes a client device and multiple aggregation devices coupled to each other and the client via links within a link aggregation group (“LAG”) across the aggregation devices. The aggregation devices appear to the client as a single device coupled thereto, and operate in conjunction with each other by assigning at least one different identifier to each of the plurality of separate aggregation devices and storing information including the identifiers to association tables located on each of the aggregation devices. The multiple aggregation devices can be separate switches, and the LAG can include multiple ports across the switches, with a different identifier being assigned to each of the ports in the LAG. A virtual link trunk interface can couple aggregation devices, which can reconfigure communication paths thereacross with respect to the client device using the identifiers in the stored association tables when a LAG link fails. |
| US08761003B2 |
Digital transmission method and digital transmission system
A transmission capacity of a transmitter is controlled by a signal input from a receiver through a propagation path. The receiver produces a control signal for controlling a system at the optimum transmission capacity which is obtained from monitored information such as transmission quality or reception C/N and the like, and outputs the control signal to the transmitter and a judging circuit. The judging circuit compares the transmission capacity of each line. When the transmission capacity of a first regular line is the lowest transmission capacity, a switching signal is output from the judging circuit. Then a transmission switching device and a reception switching device operate and the input signal on the first regular line is output through the spare line. The transmission capacity of the signal is that of the spare line. |
| US08760997B2 |
Network protection method and device
The invention discloses a network protection method and device, the method comprises: initiating a protection configuration request through a control plane of an automatically switched optical network (ASON); and realizing a protection configuration on each node of the network according to the protection configuration request. A safe and reliable recovery capability; a reliable efficiency guarantee and an effective guarantee of the coordination of the switching and recovery are provided. |
| US08760990B2 |
Objective lens for optical pickup apparatus, optical pickup apparatus, and optical information recording reproducing apparatus
An optical pickup apparatus including an objective lens capable of enhancing temperature characteristics and wavelength characteristics, and which enables compatibility for three types of optical discs of BDs, DVDs, and CDs by using the objective lens in common, an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus, and an objective lens suitable for it. In a first optical path difference providing structure in which at least a first basic structure and a second basic structure are superimposed on each other, an amount of a level difference in an optical axis direction can be reduced, whereby it becomes possible to suppress the lowering of a diffraction efficiency when wavelength changes. Further, in the first basic structure and the second basic structure deterioration of the spherical aberration due to the change of the refractive index of the objective lens can be corrected by utilizing a phenomenon that the wavelength of the light source rises similarly due to a rise in the environmental temperature. |
| US08760987B2 |
Optical disc drive device and interconnection structure
An optical disc drive device has a metallic exterior casing and an internal unit to be housed in the exterior casing. The internal unit further includes an optical pickup unit for performing recording or reproduction of information signals on an optical disc, and a printed wiring substrate on which a connector electrically connected to the optical pickup unit and serving for transmission and reception of electrical signals from and to external electronic equipment is mounted. The exterior casing has an opening for allowing the connector to be exposed outside, the printed wiring substrate has a ground pattern formed to surround the connector, and a fringe portion of the opening of the exterior casing and the ground pattern are in electrical contact with each other. Thus, radiation noise from around wiring lines contained in the optical disc drive device or the like is reduced. |
| US08760981B2 |
Optical disc device and optical disc recording/reproducing method
There are provided an optical disc device and its recording/reproducing method for managing the management information about plural optical discs efficiently. In the present invention, the management information about the plural optical discs is stored in a memory. Moreover, the management information about part or all of the optical discs stored in the memory is recorded in the optical disc. |
| US08760966B2 |
Joint interpretation of Rayleigh waves and remote sensing for near-surface geology
A computer implemented technique for use in seismic data interpretation and, more particularly, with respect to near-surface geological structures, includes a computer-implemented method, including: jointly interpreting a plurality of complementary data sets describing different attributes of a near-surface geologic structure; and ascertaining a near-surface geomorphology from the joint interpretation. In another aspect, the technique includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method. In yet another aspect, the method includes a computing apparatus programmed to perform such a method. |
| US08760963B2 |
Synchronous recording system and synchronous recording method
A synchronous recording system is configured with a first seismograph and a second seismograph. The first seismograph includes a sensor, a GPS receiver, a data buffer, and a synchronous information transmission program that transmits synchronous information to the second seismograph, the information designating recording start time. The second seismograph includes a sensor, a GPS receiver, a data buffer, a recorder, a synchronous information reception program that receives the synchronous information, and a recording control program that starts, based on the synchronous information, recording in the recorder of oscillation data, which is recorded in the data buffer, from the designated recording start time. |
| US08760961B2 |
Write command and write data timing circuit and methods for timing the same
Circuits, memories, and methods for latching a write command and later provided write data including write command and write data timing circuits. One such timing circuit includes internal write command latch to latch an internal write command in response to write command latch signal. The internal write command latch releases the latched write command in response to the write command latch signal after a latency delay. The timing circuit further includes a write leveling flip-flop (FF) circuit and a write data register. One such method includes generating and latching an internal write command. The latched internal write command is released after a latency delay responsive to the memory clock signal. The internal write command is propagated over an internal write command path. Write data is captured and internal write command latched in response to a write clock signal. The captured write data is released to be written to memory. |
| US08760960B2 |
Semiconductor memory apparatus and data input/output method thereof
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes: a first bit line of to a first memory bank; a first middle input/output line configured to be electrically connected to the first bit line; a second bit line of a second memory bank; a second middle input/output line configured to be electrically connected to the second bit line; and a shared local input/output line configured to be electrically connected to the first and second middle input/output lines. A bank selection signal controls both the electrical connection between the shared local input/output line and the first middle input/output line and the electrical connection between the shared local input/output line and the second middle input/output line. |
| US08760954B2 |
Protection of stored data using optical emitting elements
An integrated circuit device (20, 60) includes a plurality of memory cells (22), which are configured to store data. Multiple P-N junctions (24) are arranged so that a single, respective P-N junction is disposed in proximity to each memory cell and is configured to emit optical radiation during readout from the memory cell with a wavelength matching an emission wavelength of the memory cell. |
| US08760953B2 |
Sense amplifier with selectively powered inverter
A sense amplifier includes a first inverter responsive to a first output of a latch. The first inverter is powered by a sense enable signal. The sense amplifier also includes a second inverter responsive to a second output of the latch. The second inverter is also powered by the sense enable signal. |
| US08760950B2 |
Digit line equilibration using access devices at the edge of sub-arrays
A method of equilibrating digit lines, a memory array, device, system and wafer for digit lines configured in an open digit line architecture. The digit lines are equilibrated by coupling a terminated end of a first digit line to an equilibration reference and coupling an unterminated end of a second digit line to the terminated end of the first digit line. The memory array is configured with the first and second digit lines arranged directly adjacent to each other. |
| US08760948B2 |
Multiple bitcells tracking scheme semiconductor memory array
A read tracking system and method for advanced memory devices are provided. The read tracking system and method include tracking multiple tracking bit cells in multiple segments and columns to incorporate device performance variation of bit cells in the memory array. The tracking path mimics the worst-case read path with some built-in margins to sufficiently and efficiently cover the read times of bit cells in a memory array without unnecessarily sacrificing the read speed performance of the memory array. A number of tracking cells may be placed at different segments and both sides of the memory array to cover read time variation across memory array. |
| US08760945B2 |
Memory devices, systems and methods employing command/address calibration
During a command/address calibration mode, a memory controller may transmit multiple cycles of test patterns as signals to a memory device. Each cycle of test pattern signals may be transmitted at an adjusted relative phase with respect to a clock also transmitted to the memory device. The memory device may input the test pattern signals at a timing determined by the clock, such as rising and/or falling edges of the clock. The test pattern as input by the memory device may be sent to the memory controller to determine if the test pattern was successfully transmitted to the memory device during the cycle. Multiple cycles of test pattern transmissions are evaluated to determine a relative phase of command/address signals with respect to the clock for transmission during operation of the system. |
| US08760944B2 |
Memory component that samples command/address signals in response to both edges of a clock signal
A memory component has a signaling interface, data input/output (I/O) circuitry and command/address (CA) circuitry. The signaling interface includes an on-die terminated data I/O and an unterminated CA input. The data I/O circuitry is dedicated to sampling write data bits at the data I/O timed by a strobe signal and to transmitting read data bits timed by a first clock signal, each of the write and read data bits being valid for a bit time at the data I/O. The CA circuitry samples CA signals at the CA input in response to both rising-edge and falling-edge transitions of a second clock signal, the CA signals indicating read and write operations to be performed within the memory component. |
| US08760938B2 |
Writing bit alterable memories
A bit alterable memory may include current generators in a periphery outside the main memory core. Current may be generated in the periphery and driven into the core. As a result, the capacitance of the memory cells has a lowered effect. The current may be generated using the chip supply voltage and then mirrored using a pump voltage. In some embodiments, the mirroring may be ratioed at the partition level and multiplied at the plane level. A delay may be provided before applying the currents to the cell to accommodate for transients. |
| US08760937B2 |
Semiconductor memory device with bit line charging circuit and control method thereof
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including memory cells, each of which is arranged at a position of between a word line and a bit line, a row decoder, and a bit line control circuit. And when data is to be read out from the memory cell, a charge control circuit controls the gate voltages of a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor, respectively, so that the bit line is charged in accordance with a first characteristic obtained by increasing a current driving capacity of the first transistor during a desired period after start of charge of the bit line, and the bit line is then charged in accordance with a second characteristic obtained by returning the current driving capacity of the first transistor to the lower current driving capacity after elapse of the desired period. |
| US08760936B1 |
Multi-rank partial width memory modules
A system is provided for multi-rank, partial-width memory modules. A memory controller is provided. Additionally, a memory bus is provided. Further, a memory module with a plurality of ranks of memory circuits is provided, the memory module including a first number of data pins that is less than a second number of data pins of the memory bus. |
| US08760935B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A block dividing unit groups one-word lines into p groups, to divide a block into p divisional blocks. An erasing unit has an erasing operation performed on data stored in memory cells in a memory cell array, on a divisional block basis. An erasing verifying unit has an erasing verifying operation performed on memory cells subjected to the erasing operation, on a divisional block basis. |
| US08760931B2 |
Semiconductor device
It is an object to provide a semiconductor device in which power consumption can be reduced. It is another object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device using a programming cell, such as a programmable logic device (PLD). In accordance with a change in a configuration of connections between basic blocks, power supply voltage furnishing to the basic blocks is changed. That is, when the structure of connections between the basic blocks is such that a basic block does not contribute to a circuit, the supply of the power supply voltage to this basic block is stopped. Further, the supply of the power supply voltage to the basic blocks is controlled using a programming cell formed using a field effect transistor whose channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor, the field effect transistor having extremely low off-state current or extremely low leakage current. |
| US08760929B2 |
Method and apparatus for reading data stored in flash memory by referring to binary digit distribution characteristics of bit sequences read from flash memory
A method for reading data stored in a flash memory includes at least the following steps: controlling the flash memory to perform a plurality of read operations upon a plurality of memory cells included in the flash memory; obtaining a plurality of bit sequences read from the memory cells, respectively, wherein the read operations read bits of a predetermined bit order from the memory cells by utilizing different control gate voltage settings; and determining readout information of the memory cells according to binary digit distribution characteristics of the bit sequences. |
| US08760928B2 |
NAND flash biasing operation
A charge storage memory is configured in a NAND array, and includes NAND strings coupled to bit lines via string select switches and includes word lines. A controller is configured to produce a bias for performing an operation on a selected cell of the NAND array. The bias includes charging the bit line while the string select switches are closed, such as to not introduce noise into the strings caused by such bit line charging. The semiconductor body regions in memory cells that are on both sides of the memory cells in the NAND strings that are coupled to a selected word line are coupled to reference voltages such that they are pre-charged while the word lines of the strings in the array are transitioned to various voltages during the operation. |
| US08760926B2 |
Memory circuit
Provided is a memory circuit in which erroneous writing is less likely to occur at the time of power-on. A memory circuit (10) includes: a P-channel non-volatile memory element (15) for writing, to which a voltage is applied between a source and a drain thereof only during writing so as to write data; and an N-channel non-volatile memory element (16) for reading, which has a control gate and a floating gate provided in common to a control gate and a floating gate of the P-channel non-volatile memory element (15) and to which a voltage is applied to a source and a drain thereof only during reading so as to read the data. |
| US08760925B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
Plural memory-strings are arranged in each memory-blocks, the memory-strings extending perpendicular to a substrate. Each memory-string includes plural memory-transistors and dummy-transistors connected in series. The drain-side select gate line and source-side select gate line are supplied with a voltage from the control circuit through the transfer-transistors when corresponding one of the memory blocks is selected. The drain-side select gate line and source-side select gate line are set in a floating state by the transfer-transistors that are rendered non-conductive when corresponding one of the memory-blocks is not selected. The dummy word-line is supplied with a voltage from the control circuit through a first transfer-transistor that are rendered conductive when corresponding memory block is selected. The dummy word-line is supplied with a voltage through a second transfer transistor different from the first transfer-transistor when corresponding memory-block is not selected. |
| US08760924B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of data write therein
A memory cell comprises a first semiconductor layer, and a first conductive layer. The first semiconductor layer extends in a perpendicular direction with respect to a semiconductor substrate. The first conductive layer sandwiches a charge storage layer with the first semiconductor layer. A control circuit executes a first program operation and then executes a second program operation. The first program operation supplies a first voltage to the body of the memory cell and supplies a second voltage larger than the first voltage to the gate of the memory cell. The second program operation renders the body of the memory cell in a floating state and supplies a third voltage which is positive to the gate of the memory cell. |
| US08760922B2 |
System and method for micro-tiering in non-volatile memory
In a storage device such as a solid state disk (SSD), a central controller communicates with a plurality of multi-chip memory packages. Each multi-chip memory package comprises a plurality of memory dies and a local processor, wherein the plurality of memory dies includes different memory tiers. The central controller may handle management of the virtual address space while the local processor in each MCP manages the storage of data within memory tiers in the memory dies of its respective MCP. |
| US08760921B2 |
Storage device and control method of nonvolatile memory
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a nonvolatile memory, a controller configured to copy data stored in a first page in a first block to a second page in a second block, and an ECC circuit. The controller reads data from a part of the first page by using an upper limit voltage and lower limit voltage, performs a direct copy operation in the nonvolatile memory without via the ECC circuit if the number of error cells having threshold voltages higher than the lower limit voltage and lower than or equal to the upper limit voltage is less than or equal to a specified value, and performs error correction by using the ECC circuit if the number of error cells exceeds the specified value. |
| US08760915B2 |
High speed low power magnetic devices based on current induced spin-momentum transfer
A high speed, low power method to control and switch the magnetization direction and/or helicity of a magnetic region in a magnetic device for memory cells using spin polarized electrical current. The magnetic device comprises a reference magnetic layer with a fixed magnetic helicity and/or magnetization direction and a free magnetic layer with a changeable magnetic helicity and/or magnetization direction. The fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer are preferably separated by a non-magnetic layer. The fixed and free magnetic layers may have magnetization directions at a substantially non-zero angle relative to the layer normal. A current can be applied to the device to induce a torque that alters the magnetic state of the device so that it can act as a magnetic memory for writing information. The resistance, which depends on the magnetic state of the device, is measured to read out the information stored in the device. |
| US08760914B2 |
Magnetic memory write circuitry
A sensing circuit includes a sense amplifier circuit having a first and second nodes through which a magnetic memory element is sensed. A first current source is coupled to the first node a second current source is coupled to the second node. A reference magnetic memory element has a resistance associated therewith and is coupled to the first node, the reference magnetic memory element receives current from the first current source. At least one memory element, having a resistance associated therewith, is coupled to the second node and receives current from the second current source. Current from the first current source and current from the second current source are substantially the same. The logic state of the at least one memory element is sensed by a comparison of the resistance of the at least one memory element to the resistance of the reference magnetic memory element. |
| US08760913B2 |
Magnetic detecting element and magnetic sensor utilizing same
A magnetic detecting element includes a laminated structure where a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer are laminated through a non-magnetic material layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is a self-pinned type where a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer are laminated through a non-magnetic intermediate layer and the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are antiparallelly magnetization-fixed, and the second magnetic layer is in contact with the non-magnetic material layer. The first magnetic layer is formed using FeCo serving as a material having a higher coercive force than the second magnetic layer. The film thickness of the first magnetic layer falls within a range greater than or equal to 10 Å and less than or equal to 17 Å, and is thinner than the film thickness of the second magnetic layer. The non-magnetic intermediate layer is formed using Rh. |
| US08760912B2 |
Eight transistor soft error robust storage cell
A storage cell is provided with improved robustness to soft errors. The storage cell comprises complementary core storage nodes and complementary outer storage nodes. The outer storage nodes act to limit feedback between the core storage nodes and are capable of restoring the logical state of the core storage nodes in the event of a soft error. Similarly the core storage nodes act to limit feedback between the outer storage nodes with the same effect. This cell has advantages compared with other robust storage cells in that there are only two paths between the supply voltage and ground which limits the leakage power. An SRAM cell utilizing the proposed storage cell can be realized with two access transistors configured to selectively couple complementary storage nodes to a corresponding bitline. A flip-flop can be realized with a variety of transfer gates which selectively couple data into the proposed storage cell. |
| US08760911B2 |
Memory system configured for use in a binary predictor
A memory system includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first storage cell including a first capacitor configured to store a first analog charge representing a first Boolean value, a second storage cell including a second capacitor configured to store a second analog charge representing a second Boolean value, and a charging path configured to apply, for a first time duration, a voltage to the first capacitor or the second capacitor during a write operation. Each memory cell includes a voltage comparator configured to output a Boolean value based upon a comparison of the first analog charge and the second analog charge during a read operation. |
| US08760910B2 |
Arrays of vertically stacked tiers of non-volatile cross point memory cells, methods of forming arrays of vertically stacked tiers of non-volatile cross point memory cells, and methods of reading a data value stored by an array of vertically stacked tiers of non-volatile cross point memory cells
An array of vertically stacked tiers of non-volatile cross point memory cells includes a plurality of horizontally oriented word lines within individual tiers of memory cells. A plurality of horizontally oriented global bit lines having local vertical bit line extensions extend through multiple of the tiers. Individual of the memory cells comprise multi-resistive state material received between one of the horizontally oriented word lines and one of the local vertical bit line extensions where such cross, with such ones comprising opposing conductive electrodes of individual memory cells where such cross. A plurality of bit line select circuits individually electrically and physically connects to individual of the local vertical bit line extensions and are configured to supply a voltage potential to an individual of the global horizontal bit lines. Other embodiments and aspects are disclosed. |
| US08760909B2 |
Memory and manufacturing method thereof
A memory and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A plurality of stacked structures extending along a first direction is formed on a substrate. Each of the stacked structures includes a plurality of first insulating layers and a plurality of second insulating layers. The first insulating layers are stacked on the substrate and the second insulating layers are respectively disposed between the adjacent first insulating layers. A plurality of trenches extending along the first direction is formed in each of the stacked structures. The trenches are respectively located at two opposite sides of each of the second insulating layers. A first conductive layer is filled in the trenches. A plurality of charge storage structures extending along a second direction is formed on the stacked structures and a second conductive layer is formed on each of the charge storage structures. |
| US08760908B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array which has a plurality of first lines, a plurality of second lines intersecting the plurality of first lines and a plurality of memory cells which store an electrically rewritable resistance value as data in a non-volatile manner; a first decoder which is connected to one ends of the plurality of first lines and selects the first lines; a second decoder which is connected to the plurality of second lines and selects the second lines; and a voltage applying circuit which is connected to one of the first and second decoders and which applies a predetermined voltage between the first and second lines selected by the first and second decoders. The second decoder sequentially selects the second lines in a direction from the other ends to the one ends of the first lines. |
| US08760903B2 |
Storage circuit
A storage circuit includes a volatile storage portion in which storage of a data signal is controlled by a clock signal and an inverted clock signal, and a nonvolatile storage portion in which a data signal supplied to the volatile storage portion can be held even after supply of power supply voltage is stopped. A wiring which supplies a power supply voltage and is connected to a protective circuit provided for a wiring for supplying the clock signal is provided separately from a wiring which supplies a power supply voltage and which is connected to the storage circuit. The timing of stop and restart of supply of the power supply voltage supplied to the wiring which is connected to the protective circuit is different from that of stop and restart of supply of the power supply voltage supplied to the wiring which is connected to the storage circuit. |
| US08760902B2 |
Semiconductor system
A device that includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip. The first semiconductor chip includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first circuit electrically coupled to the second terminal, a second circuit electrically coupled to the first terminal and the first circuit, and a third circuit electrically coupled to the second circuit. The second semiconductor chip includes a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a fourth circuit electrically coupled to the fourth terminal, a fifth circuit electrically coupled to the third terminal and the fourth circuit, and a sixth circuit electrically coupled to the fifth circuit. |
| US08760900B2 |
Content addressable memory
A memory includes a plurality of content-addressable memory (CAM) cells and a summary circuit associated with the plurality of CAM cells. The summary circuit includes a first level of logic gates and a second level of logic gates. The first level of logic gates have inputs each configured to receive an output of a corresponding one of the plurality of CAM cell. The second level of logic gates have inputs each configured to receive an output of a corresponding one of the first level of logic gates. |
| US08760897B2 |
DC-AC converter and conversion circuit
A DC-AC converter is provided. The DC-AC converter includes a time-varying DC power generating circuit, an AC power generating circuit and a transmission capacitor. The time-varying DC power generating circuit is controlled by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to transform a DC source into a time-varying DC power. With reference to the time-varying DC power, the AC power generating circuit is controlled by a first polarity switching and a second polarity switching signal to generate an AC power. The transmission capacitor, coupled to the time-varying DC power generating circuit and the AC power generating circuit, transmits the time-varying DC power from the time-varying DC generating circuit to the AC power generating circuit. |
| US08760895B2 |
Method and apparatus for distributed power generation
A method and apparatus for generating AC power. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a DC/AC inversion stage capable of generating at least one of a single-phase output power, a two-phase output power, or a three-phase output power; and a conversion control module, coupled to the DC/AC inversion stage, for driving the DC/AC inversion stage to selectively generate the single-phase output power, the two-phase output power, or the three-phase output power based on an input power to the DC/AC inversion stage. |
| US08760892B2 |
Method and apparatus for operation of a converter circuit having plural phase modules and sub-converter systems for the phase modules
A method is provided for operation of a converter circuit. The converter circuit has at least two phase modules, where each phase module has a first and a second sub-converter system, and the sub-converter systems for each phase module are connected in series with one another. Each sub-converter system includes a plurality of series-connected two-pole switching cells. In the method, the control signals for the switching cells are additionally formed from a damping signal. The damping signal is formed from a measured current through the respective sub-converter system and from a predeterminable resistance value, in order to attenuate undesirable currents in the sub-converter systems. |
| US08760889B2 |
Over-current detecting apparatus for switching element
An over-current detecting apparatus for a switching element includes a reference power source, a comparator circuit, a current converting element, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The comparator circuit includes a first input terminal that receives a voltage corresponding to a current flowing in the switching element and a second input terminal that receives a reference voltage supplied from the reference power source. The current converting element converts a voltage of a temperature detecting element (4) that detects a temperature of the switching element into a current corresponding to the voltage of the temperature detecting element. The first resistor is connected in series to a reference power supply side of the second input terminal of the comparator circuit. The second resistor is connected in series to a ground side of the second input terminal of the comparator circuit. |
| US08760888B2 |
HVDC system and method to control a voltage source converter in a HVDC system
A method to control a voltage source converter in a HVDC system includes controlling a frequency and a voltage amplitude of an AC voltage generated by the voltage source converter independently of the conditions in an AC network connected to the voltage source converter. The method is performed by a control unit of an HVDC system. The method may form a basis of a method to black start an AC network. The AC network includes transmission lines and is connected to at least two AC power stations. One of the at least two AC power stations is connected via a HVDC system to the AC network. |
| US08760884B2 |
Portable information apparatus
The present disclosure provides a portable information apparatus, including, an apparatus main body, an incidental article mounted on the apparatus main body when the portable information apparatus is used, a solid-state magnetic memory provided at a portion of the apparatus main body at which the incidental article is mounted and adapted to retain information in accordance with a magnetization state of a magnetic material, and a magnetic shield provided on the incidental article including a portion opposed to the solid-state magnetic memory when the incidental article is mounted on the apparatus main body. |
| US08760882B2 |
Wiring structure for improving crown-like defect and fabrication method thereof
A wiring structure for improving a crown-like defect and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate, on which a seed layer and a patterned photoresist layer with an opening are formed, is provided. A copper layer, having a bottom covering the seed layer, is formed in the opening. A barrier layer covering at least one top portion of the copper layer is formed on the copper layer. An oxidation potential of the barrier layer is greater than that of the copper layer. The patterned photoresist layer is removed to perform an etching process, wherein the copper layer and a portion of the seed layer exposed are etched to form a wiring layer. An immersion process is performed to form an anti-oxidation layer comprehensively on exposed surfaces of the barrier layer and the wiring layer. |
| US08760881B2 |
Plug-in unit
A plug-in unit includes: a printed circuit board on which a connector is mounted; and a cover in which the printed circuit board is accommodated; wherein the cover allows the connector to be exposed when the plug-in unit is inserted into a housing and to be covered when the plug-in unit is in a standalone state in which the plug-in unit is not inserted into the housing. |
| US08760880B2 |
Display device mountable on an automotive vehicle and method
A display device mountable on an automotive wiper arm positioned on the rear of an automotive vehicle, comprising a display panel having a front side for presentation of text or graphics and a back side for mounting a connector; an arm-connector for affixing said display device to said automotive wiper arm; a shaft for linking said arm-connector to said display panel; a shaft-connector for affixing said shaft to said display panel, said shaft-connector comprising part of said shaft; a display-connector for affixing said shaft to said display panel, said display-connector comprising said connector positioned on said display panel backside; wherein said shaft-connector and said display-connector are configured to lock together after one is connected to the other, substantially preventing separation of said display panel from said shaft during motion of said automotive wiper arm during operation, and wherein said arm-connector is configured to clasp said automotive wiper arm and maintain sufficient pressure to avoid substantial rotation of said shaft around said automotive wiper arm as a result of airflow pressure on said display panel during vehicular motion. |
| US08760879B1 |
Grounded partitioning for a multiplexer
The present invention provides a box-type housing for a multiplexer having a generally flat base plate, a circuit board disposed on the base plate, and at least one partition member arranged on top the circuit board to isolate components of the circuit board and to mechanically secure the circuit board to the base plate. The invention also provides a method of isolating components of a circuit board in a box-type housing for a multiplexer and a method of providing a ground connection to a base plate of a box-type housing for a multiplexer. |
| US08760875B2 |
High density digital signal cross-connect system
A telecommunication panel may comprise a chassis configured to receive insertable Digital Signal Cross-connect (DSX) modules and a backplane connected to the chassis. The DSX module is compact to fit into the telecommunication panel. A ratio of the number of the insertable 6-port DSX modules over the backplane surface area at least about 0.37 modules per square inch is achieved. The DSX module may include a printed circuit board and a light emitting diode (LED) light pipe on the printed circuit board to minimize the width of the DSX module. The DSX module may be inserted into the telecommunication panel horizontally or vertically so that the telecommunication panel receives a maximum number of DSX modules. |
| US08760870B2 |
Pluggable module and method of inserting electronic module
A pluggable module, includes: an insertion gate through which an electronic module is inserted and removed; a guide rail, including a spring support unit provided with a spring unit and a bearing unit located near the insertion gate, to guide the electronic module; and a heat sink plate, including, at one end portion, a fulcrum bar to be inserted into the bearing unit so as to move in a pressing direction of the spring unit, the heat sink plate being pushed up at the other end portion by a leading end of the electronic module so as to be pressed against the electronic module. |
| US08760865B2 |
Computer casing having liquid cooling unit
A computer casing includes several electronic components, a first heat sink, a side plate, a second heat sink, a container, a pump, and a tube. The first heat sink is attached to an electronic component, and defines a channel including an inlet and an outlet. The side plate defines an opening. The second heat sink is fixed to the side plate and covers the opening. The second heat sink includes a first side facing the opening and an opposite side external to the side plate. The container is used to store coolant and is fixed to the first side of the second heat sink. A pump is connected to the container. The tube includes a first end connected to the pump and a second end connected to the inlet of the channel of the first heat sink, and stays in contact with the first side of the second heat sink. |
| US08760864B2 |
Heat-dissipation structure for a portable folding electronic apparatus
A heat-dissipation structure for a portable folding electronic apparatus includes a hinge support and a heat-conducting device. The portable folding electronic apparatus includes a first casing, a second casing, a hinge, a panel module, and the heat-dissipation structure. The first casing and the second casing are pivotally connected by the hinge. The panel module includes a frame and a light source disposed at a corner of the frame. The hinge support is connected to the hinge and the frame. The heat-conducting device is fixed on the hinge support near the light source. Therefore, heat produced by the light source can be dissipated through the heat-conducting device for improving the optical effect of the panel module; deformation of the heat-conducting device can be reduced by use of the stiffness of the hinge support. |
| US08760861B2 |
Mouse structure
A mouse structure includes a housing defining an opening and accommodating space therein, a pair of track devices fixed onto the housing in the accommodating space, a sliding device slidably coupled with the pair of track devices. Each track device has a sliding channel, a first position portion, and at least a second position portion. A limiting side is formed at an end of the sliding channel. The sliding device includes a base portion and an operating portion, the operating portion having a first rod and at least a second rod. When the sliding device slides along the sliding channels for use, the first rods are firstly retained by the limiting sides, and then moved upwards to allow the first and second rods to be located at the first and second position portions respectively, where the base portion is in alignment with an upper wall of the housing. |
| US08760859B2 |
Electromagnetically-shielded portable storage device
Electromagnetically shielded portable storage devices are disclosed. One such device includes an electromagnetically shielded enclosure having an interior volume, the electromagnetically shielded enclosure including a plurality of shielded walls and sized to be manually carried by a person. The interior volume of the enclosure is isolated from high-frequency electromagnetic energy generated external to the enclosure. The device includes at least one storage device positioned within the interior volume, and at least one communicative connection extending from the at least one storage device to a communicative socket accessible external to the electromagnetically shielded enclosure. The at least one communicative connection is configured to allow access to the storage device by a computing system external to the electromagnetically shielded enclosure. The device also includes an electrical filter positioned at least partially within the electromagnetically shielded enclosure, and including a low-pass filter selected to prevent spurious or intentional conductive high-frequency electromagnetic energy from entering the interior volume via the communicative connection. |
| US08760858B2 |
Information processing apparatus and nonvolatile semiconductor storage device
An information processing apparatus may include a housing, a board accommodated inside the housing, a plurality of memories mounted on the board, a temperature sensor mounted on the board to be adjacent to one of the memories, and a memory controller mounted on the board to be adjacent to the temperature sensor and configured to acquire temperature information detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may be mounted on a central portion of the board so as to be positioned between one side of the memory controller and one side of the one of the memories. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08760857B2 |
USB device with rotatable head
An exemplary USB device includes a base including a body and a pair of arms extending from the body, a head rotatably positioned between the pair of arms, and a pair of wheels fixed to the head. When the base is gripped by a user and oriented at an oblique angle relative to an external surface, with the at least one wheel contacting the surface, and the base is moved by the user in a direction generally parallel to the surface, the head is capable of rotating relative to the base by reason of friction between the wheels and the surface, and the head is opened out from the base and is secured in position at a desired angle with respect to the base when the user ceases moving the base. |
| US08760848B2 |
Concentrated capacitor assembly
A capacitor assembly with a substrate having a first face and a second face. A multiplicity of capacitors are mounted on the first face wherein each capacitor has a first lead and a second lead of opposite polarity to the first lead. A bridge is in electrical contact with multiple first leads. A tree is in electrical contact with the bridge wherein the tree passes through a via of the substrate and is in electrical contact with a first trace of the second face. A second trace is on the second face wherein the second lead is in electrical contact with the second trace. |
| US08760846B1 |
Apparatus and method for capacitors having engineered electrodes with very high energy density
An apparatus and associated method for an energy-storage device (e.g., a capacitor) having a plurality of electrically conducting electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a non-electrically conducting region, and wherein the non-electrically conducting region further includes a non-uniform permittivity (K) value. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a substrate; fabricating a first electrode on the substrate; and fabricating a second electrode such that the second electrode is separated from the first electrode by a non-electrically conducting region, wherein the non-electrically conducting region has a non-uniform permittivity (K) value. The capacitor devices will find benefit for use in electric vehicles, of all kinds, uninterruptible power supplies, wind turbines, mobile phones, and the like requiring wide temperature ranges from several hundreds of degrees C. down to absolute zero, consumer electronics operating in a temperature range of −55 degrees C. to 125 degrees C. |
| US08760844B2 |
Devices having a diamond-like-carbon dielectric
A structural capacitor includes a first carbon fiber material layer, a second carbon fiber material layer, and an interlayer dielectric including a diamond-like-carbon material layer. |
| US08760841B2 |
High aspect ratio openings
A capacitor forming method includes forming an electrically conductive support material over a substrate, with the support material containing at least 25 at % carbon. The method includes forming an opening through at least the support material where the opening has an aspect ratio of at least 20:1 within a thickness of the support material. After forming the opening, the method includes processing the support material to effect a reduction in conductivity, and forming a capacitor structure in the opening. |
| US08760836B2 |
Method and control unit for controlling an electrical component
An electrical component having a primary winding, a first field-effect transistor, configured as a switch of the primary winding, for switching the primary winding, a quench winding for quenching the inductive load of the primary winding when switching off the primary winding, and a second field-effect transistor, configured as a switch of the quench winding, for switching the quench winding. In the process, the first field-effect transistor is operated in linear operation and the second field-effect transistor is operated in linear operation or in a clock-pulsed operation between the linear operation and a switched-off state during a switching-off process of the quench winding. |
| US08760835B2 |
Arrester
To include a serial member, a pair of first electrodes sandwiching the serial member, a pair of second electrodes arranged on both outer sides of the first electrodes in a stacking direction, a plurality of insulating clamp members, and a wedge-shaped member tapered in the stacking direction. An annular member that presses the wedge-shaped member is provided on an axial-direction inner end surface of an outer circumferential edge of the second electrode, and the wedge-shaped member is pressed by the annular member by a leading edge portion of a bolt inserted from an axial-direction inner end surface of the annular member being tightened in the second electrode, thereby pressing an axial-direction outer surface of the insulating clamp member. |
| US08760833B2 |
Apparatus and methods for limiting surges in load current
Apparatus and methods related to limiting surge current are provided. An under-voltage condition on a node is sensed and respective signals are provided in response. The under-voltage condition correlates to a surge in load current drawn from the node. A foldback signal is provided to a power controller to adjust the voltage on the node. The foldback signal is nullified when the surge current condition has been curtailed. Printers, computers and other apparatus can include surge current-limiting accordingly. |
| US08760832B2 |
Load circuit protection device
To provide a protection circuit for a load circuit which can distinguish between an overcurrent generated at a load and a rush current generated at the time of turning on a semiconductor switch or switches provided on the downstream side of the semiconductor switch and can turn the semiconductor switch off only when the overcurrent is generated to thereby protect the load circuit. A comparator CMP1 compares a detection current I1 detected by an ampere meter 15 with a threshold current Iref set in advance. When the detection current I1 reaches the threshold current Iref, the semiconductor switch 11 is turned off to thereby protect the load circuit. Further, a voltage Vd on an electric wire coupling between a battery VB and the semiconductor switch 11 is measured. When a counter electromotive force is generated and the voltage Vd reduces, the threshold current Iref is reduced according to the voltage reduction. Thus, at the time of the occurrence of a dead short, the detection current I1 immediately reaches the threshold current Iref to thereby turn the semiconductor switch 11 off. At the time of the generation of a rush current, since the detection current I1 does not reach the threshold current Iref, the generation of the erroneous turning-off can be prevented. |
| US08760831B2 |
Bi-directional back-to-back stacked SCR for high-voltage pin ESD protection, methods of manufacture and design structures
Bi-directional back-to-back stacked SCRs for high-voltage pin ESD protection, methods of manufacture and design structures are provided. The device includes a symmetrical bi-directional back-to-back stacked silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). An anode of a first of the back-to-back stacked SCR is connected to an input. An anode of a second of the back-to-back stacked SCR is connected to ground. Cathodes of the first and second of the back-to-back stacked SCR are connected together. Each of the symmetrical bi-directional back-to-back SCRs include a pair of diodes directing current towards the cathodes which, upon application of a voltage, become reverse biased effectively and deactivating elements from one of the symmetrical bi-directional back-to-back SCRs while the diodes of another of the symmetrical bi-directional back-to-back SCRs direct current in the same direction as the reverse biased diodes. |
| US08760830B2 |
ESD protection device
A highly reliable ESD protection device that prevents failure of discharge and variation of a discharge start voltage even when protection from static electricity is repeatedly performed includes a cavity provided in a ceramic multilayer substrate. First and second discharge electrodes are provided in the ceramic multilayer substrate and face each other across a gap. A tip of the first discharge electrode and a tip of the second discharge electrode are positioned at edges of the cavity or at positions receded from the edges. |
| US08760828B2 |
Electro-static discharge clamp (ESD) for NxVDD power rail
A circuit with an electro-static discharge clamp coupled to a first power source and second power source. The electro-static discharge clamp includes an NMOS stack and an electro-static discharge detector. The NMOS stack has a first NMOS transistor with gate node ng1 and a second NMOS transistor with gate node ng2. The electro-static discharge detector is configured to control the NMOS stack, and may include three switches. A first switch is configured to switch the gate node ng1 to the second power source. A second switch is configured to switch the gate node ng1 to the gate node ng2. A third switch is configured to switch the gate node ng1 to the ground. |
| US08760823B1 |
Method and system for providing a read transducer having soft and hard magnetic bias structures
A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a first shield, a read sensor, at least one soft magnetic bias structure and at least one hard bias structure. The read sensor includes a sensor layer that has at least one edge in the track width direction along the ABS. The soft magnetic bias structure(s) are adjacent to the edge(s) of the sensor layer. The soft magnetic bias structure has a first permeability. The soft bias structure(s) are between the read sensor and the hard bias structure(s). The hard bias structure(s) are adjacent to a portion of the soft bias structure(s) and have a second permeability. The first permeability is at least ten multiplied by the second permeability. |
| US08760821B1 |
Higher stability read head using a read sensor with a flat back edge
According to one embodiment, a method for forming a magnetic head having a current perpendicular to plan (CPP) sensor, includes forming a magnetoresistance effect film, performing a subtractive process for defining a back edge and a height length of the magnetoresistance effect film, depositing an insulating film adjacent the back edge of the magnetoresistance effect film, and ion milling at least an upper surface of a first portion of the insulating film located closest to the magnetoresistance effect film, where the upper surface of the first portion of the insulating film lies substantially along a plane. After the ion milling, the insulating film has no overlap of the insulating film above and/or onto the magnetoresistance effect film and no bulging in a region immediately adjacent a boundary between the insulating film and the magnetoresistance effect film. |
| US08760818B1 |
Systems and methods for providing magnetic storage elements with high magneto-resistance using heusler alloys
Systems and methods for providing magnetic storage elements with high magneto-resistance using Heusler alloys are provided. One such method includes depositing a substrate including NiFe, depositing a seed layer on the substrate, depositing a buffer layer on the seed layer, and growing, epitaxially, an upper layer on the buffer layer, the upper layer including a Heusler alloy. |
| US08760817B2 |
Three-terminal design for spin accumulation magnetic sensor
A spin accumulation sensor having a three terminal design that allows the free layer to be located at the air bearing surface. A non-magnetic conductive spin transport layer extends from a free layer structure (located at the ABS) to a reference layer structure removed from the ABS. The sensor includes a current or voltage source for applying a current across a reference layer structure. The current or voltage source has a lead that is connected with the non-magnetic spin transport layer and also to electric ground. Circuitry for measuring a signal voltage measures a voltage between a shield that is electrically connected with the free layer structure and the ground. The free layer structure can include a spin diffusion layer that ensures that all spin current is completely dissipated before reaching the lead to the voltage source, thereby preventing shunting of the spin current to the voltage source. |
| US08760811B2 |
Asperity and head-media contact detection using multi-stage temperature coefficient of resistance sensor
A multi-stage sensor is situated on the head transducer and configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium. A first sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor has a temperature coefficient of resistance. A second sensor stage of the multi-stage sensor is coupled to the first sensor and has a temperature coefficient of resistance. The first sensor stage is configured to preferentially sense asperities of the media relative to the second sensor stage, and the second sensor stage configured to preferentially sense proximity to, and contact with, a surface of the media relative to the first sensor stage. The first and second sensor stages may be connected in series or in parallel. |
| US08760805B2 |
Thin film magnetic head, thin film magnetic head device, and magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus
A thin-film magnetic head includes a slider substrate and a write element. The slider substrate has an air bearing surface at one side thereof. The write element has a recording magnetic pole film. The recording magnetic pole film is disposed on a plane crossing the air bearing surface over the slider substrate and has a large-width portion and a small-width portion continuously arranged in the named order toward the air bearing surface. The small-width portion has a smaller width than the large-width portion. Of the large-width portion and the small-width portion, at least the small-width portion has a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is continuous with an upper end of the first portion and has both side faces inclined in such a direction as to increase the width. An external angle of the first portion formed by a plane parallel to a bottom face and the side face is larger than an external angle of the second portion formed by a plane parallel to the bottom face and the side face. |
| US08760800B1 |
Sealing member for constraining balance weights
A disk drive assembly including a disk hub including a substantially cylindrical portion having an end surface and a side wall, and a recessed portion formed in the end surface of the substantially cylindrical portion, a disk clamping element configured to engage the side wall of the substantially cylindrical portion, a disk media disposed between the disk hub and the disk clamping element, a balance weight configured to be inserted into the recessed portion of the disk hub, and a sealing member configured to attach to the end surface of the substantially cylindrical portion of the disk hub and at least partially cover the recessed portion. |
| US08760798B2 |
Storage device
In a storage device provided with a plurality of recording devices, the vibrations which propagate to the recording devices through a board can be reduced with a small number of parts. A storage device equipped with a plurality of recording devices having: a canister equipped with the recording device; a board equipped with a circuit that transmits a signal to the recording device or processes a signal; a chassis equipped with the board and the canister; a plate-like piezoelectric element attached to part of the board; a vibration detection sensor attached to part of the board; and a control unit that controls a drive signal given to the piezoelectric element in accordance with a sensor output of the vibration detection sensor is proposed. |
| US08760797B1 |
Contamination control for a disc drive
Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a disc drive apparatus having an inner enclosure structure that resides within an outer disc drive enclosure. The inner enclosure structure includes an environment-adsorption material, an inner volume of gas, and an aperture-defining membrane. The environment-adsorption material combines a first-type of molecules with a second-type of molecules that are present in the outer disc drive enclosure. Additionally, the aperture-defining membrane facilitates diffusion of the second-type of molecules into the inner enclosure structure and into contact with the environment-adsorption material to adsorb the second-type of molecules into the first-type of molecules, which reduces the volumetric pressure in the outer disc drive enclosure. |
| US08760795B2 |
Linear recording tape with a reduced servo band width, and system and method for using the same
In one embodiment, a linear magnetic recording tape includes at least one servo band having a servo pattern readable by a servo reader of a magnetic head for positioning thereof, wherein the servo pattern is adapted to substantially fill a width b of the servo band, the servo band width h is less than or equal to about 1.2 B/N, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and B corresponds to a distance between data read/write transducers of the magnetic head in a direction transverse to a longitudinal length of the tape. In another embodiment, a method includes providing the linear magnetic recording tape, formatting the tape, and positioning the magnetic head within a first lateral tape region. Other linear magnetic tapes, systems, and methods are described according to other embodiments. |
| US08760793B1 |
Writing in hard disk drives
Embodiments provide a method for a method comprising causing data to be written on a first track located on a disk; while writing the data on the first track, buffering, in a buffer module, the data; determining that while writing the data on at least a portion of the first track, a portion of a write head was offset with respect to the first track, such that at least the portion of the write head infringed on a second track; determining a direction of movement of the write head; and based on determining that the portion of the write head was offset and determining the direction of movement of the write head, selectively performing one of (i) using the data buffered in the buffer module to recover data of the second track, or (ii) discarding the data buffered in the buffer module. |
| US08760787B2 |
Magnetic head having a thermal fly-height control (TFC) structure under a flat lower shield
In one embodiment, a method includes forming a conducting material above an insulating film, applying a mask to portions of the conducting material in a shape of a TFC structure, removing exposed portions of the conducting material to form the TFC structure, depositing an insulating film above the TFC structure, and planarizing the insulating film to form a planar upper surface of the insulating film. In another embodiment, a magnetic head includes a TFC structure positioned between insulating films and a magnetic element positioned above the TFC structure, the TFC structure configured for providing localized thermal protrusion of the magnetic head on a media facing surface thereof, wherein an upper surface of an upper of the insulating films is planar, the magnetic element includes at least one of a main magnetic pole and a read sensor, and the TFC structure is configured for providing thermal protrusion of the magnetic element. |
| US08760781B2 |
System utility for controling data synchronization in a tape data storage system
A computer-implemented method, apparatus and computer-program product for writing data to a tape data storage medium. The method comprises providing a system service that an application invokes to handle data synchronization events associated with writing a group of files to the tape medium; keeping track of the files and data blocks in each file while writing the files to the tape medium based on file boundaries; and responsive to a data writing failure, invoking the system service to determine the files affected by the data writing failure. |
| US08760780B1 |
System and method for disk sector failure prediction
A system and method for predicting the likelihood of failure of the individual sectors of a magnetic storage disk based upon the monitoring of adjacent sector performance in responding to access requests. The prediction for a specific target sector's fidelity can be made through the gathering of sector performance data that occurs during normal read/write actions to the adjacent sectors, without a recent access request necessarily being made to the target sector. Scrubbing of the sectors can also be directed based upon the needed sector access data for target sector fidelity prediction. |
| US08760778B2 |
Lens device
Disclosed is a rear-focus-type lens device in which a switch assembly including a plurality of switches can be provided in an attachment frame having, for example, a focus lens accommodated therein and which is capable of ensuring the strength of the attachment frame and the accuracy of the parts. A mounting frame provided on the rear side of a lens barrel body includes: an inner wall that partitions the inside of the mounting frame into a first space which accommodates an internal structure including, for example, a focus lens and a second space which accommodates a switch assembly including a plurality of switches for operating the lens device; and an opening of the second space which is formed in the side surface of the mounting frame and to which the switch assembly is attached. The strength of the mounting frame is ensured by the inner wall. |
| US08760777B2 |
Positioning unit and apparatus for adjustment of an optical element
The disclosure provides a positioning unit for an optical element in a microlithographic projection exposure installation having a first connecting area for connection to the optical element, and having a second connecting area for connection to an object in the vicinity of the optical element. |
| US08760774B2 |
Six-piece optical lens system
A six-piece optical lens system comprises, in order from the object side to the image side: a stop, a first lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a second lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a third lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a fourth lens element with a positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a fifth lens element having a convex image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a sixth lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface. Thereby, the total track length of the system will not be too long. |
| US08760773B2 |
Zoom lens
A zoom lens includes sequentially from an object side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens group having a negative refractive power. The zoom lens satisfies given conditions to implement a compact, wide angle, large aperture ratio zoom lens having excellent optical performance and compatible with solid state image sensors capable of recording full high vision images. |
| US08760763B2 |
High refractive index material
Disclosed is a high refractive index material having a high refractive index, which enables the formation of a waveguide by a simpler method. Also disclosed are a high refractive index member made from the high refractive index material, and an image sensor. The high refractive index material contains a resin (A) having a structural unit represented by the following general formula (a-1) [In the formula, R1 is a hydrocarbon group, R2 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group, and m is an integer of 0 or 1.]. |
| US08760761B2 |
Display panel, display device, and terminal device
A translucent liquid crystal display panel (2) includes pixel pairs as display units each formed by a left-eye pixel (4L) and a right-eye pixel (4R) and arranged in a matrix shape. A through hole (4Ld) arranged in a color layer (4Lc) of a color filter has a slit shape whose longitudinal direction is identical to the orientation direction of a cylindrical lens (3a) constituting a lenticular lens (3). Similarly, a through hole (4Rd) arranged in a color layer (4Rc) of a color filter has a slit shape whose longitudinal direction is identical to the orientation direction of the cylindrical lens (3a) constituting the lenticular lens (3). This suppresses the phenomenon that a hue is changed by a field-of-view angle and/or an external light condition on the translucent display panel capable of displaying an image directed to a plurality of viewpoints. |
| US08760754B2 |
Wavelength-tunable laser system
A wavelength-tunable laser system includes an optical fiber collimator array having at least two ports, an optical amplifier connected to one port of an optical fiber, an optical coupler for coupling light incident from the optical amplifier and transmitting the coupled light to another port, a diffraction grating plate for guiding each wavelength component of light incident from the optical fiber collimator array in a different direction, and an Opto-Very Large Scale Integration (Opto-VLSI) processor. |
| US08760750B2 |
Thermally switched absorptive window shutter
The thermally switched absorptive optical shutter may be a self-regulating “switchable absorber” device that may absorb approximately 100% of incoming light above a threshold temperature, and may absorb approximately 50% of incoming light below a threshold temperature. The shutter may be formed by placing a thermotropic depolarizes between two absorptive polarizers. This control over the flow of radiant energy may occur independently of the thermal conductivity or insulation of the shutter device and may or may not preserve the image and color properties of incoming visible light. This has energy-efficiency implications as it can be used to regulate the internal temperature and illumination of buildings, vehicles, and other structures without the need for an external power supply or operator signals. The shutter device has unique optical properties that are not found in traditional windows, skylights, stained glass, light fixtures, glass blocks, bricks, or other building materials. |
| US08760741B2 |
Image scanning device, image forming device, and method for correcting pixel value for pixel corresponding to position of rod lens array joint
An image scanning device has an image sensor including a plurality of arrayed light receiving elements; a light source for shining light upon a scanning object; a lens unit for guiding reflected light from a scanning object to the image sensor and having a plurality of rod lens arrays, in which a plurality of rod lenses are arrayed, joined together; and a correction unit for generating image data based on the output values from the light receiving elements of the image sensor and correcting the pixel values of pixels in the image data corresponding to a position of a joint section between rod lens arrays so that the pixel values become darker. |
| US08760740B2 |
Image forming apparatus, control method therefor, and computer program
When color data and monochrome data are mixed in a piece of bit map data rasterized from the job data, an image forming apparatus allows a user to set whether to perform pre-color conversion processing on the monochrome data to enable performing color conversion processing on the monochrome data using a color conversion table for color, or whether to disable printing the job data including the bit map data in which color data and monochrome data are mixed. |
| US08760739B2 |
Dynamic scanner with width sensing and single point sensor
A scanner apparatus and method includes an optical scanner, at least one movable carriage associated with the optical scanner, and a point sensor that rides the movable carriage to measure a slow scan document width associated with a document scanned by the optical scanner. The point sensor moves in a slow scan direction with respect to the document scanned by the optical scanner. The point sensor also includes a single moving size sensor that improves a resolution by which a size associated with the document is determinable. |
| US08760729B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information management method, and information management program
An information processing apparatus, including a reading apparatus which reads an electronic recording card, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a reading unit which reads the electronic recording card via the reading apparatus and obtains read information; a generating unit which generates user management information of a user who owns the electronic recording card based on the read information obtained by the reading unit; and a holding unit which holds the user management information generated by the generating unit in a predetermined storage area. |
| US08760725B1 |
Tone dependent threshold perturbation error diffusion halftone
A method and system for generating a halftone image from an input image is disclosed. The method and system use error distribution and threshold perturbation that is based on the incoming tone value. A threshold bias table may be generated in real time for each incoming tone value. The values of the threshold bias tables are selected so that certain positions are forced to include a dot, in the case of light tone values, or not include a dot, in the case of dark tone values. A halftone process that uses threshold bias tables based on the incoming tone can reduce unnatural patterns in the image apparent to the casual observer, which results in a more pleasing image. |
| US08760724B2 |
Gradation correction for an image forming apparatus
There is provided an image forming apparatus that performs gradation correction, including a pattern forming unit that forms, on an image carrier, rows of area coverage modulation patterns having patterns of different gradation values in steps by area coverage modulation method; a toner adhering amount detecting unit that measures toner adhering amount of each pattern of the rows of area coverage modulation patterns formed by the pattern forming unit, the gradation correction being performed based on a detection result of the toner adhering amount detecting unit; and a pattern type selecting unit that selects a single pattern type formed on the image carrier from a plurality of pattern types, when carrying out gradation correction control by forming the rows of the area coverage modulation. |
| US08760722B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing images
An area designation unit designates a processing area within an input image. An image processing unit performs predetermined processing on the processing area. A marker area detection unit detects a marker area in the input image, the marker area being capable of accommodating a marker that demarcates the processing area. A marking unit determines a position in the marker area for placing the marker, based on priority conditions. |
| US08760721B2 |
Image processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium
An image processing apparatus includes plural auxiliary processing devices and a distribution section. The plural auxiliary processing devices perform predetermined processing on image data. The distribution section divides image data for one page into plural processing units, and distributes the plural processing units respectively to the auxiliary processing devices. The distribution section calculates the number of divisions indicating the number of pieces into which image data for one page is to be divided, in accordance with the number of auxiliary processing devices, the number of processing units that one auxiliary processing device is capable of simultaneously receiving and processing, and a degree of page parallelism indicating the number of pages of image data to be input while one auxiliary processing device processes image data for one page; divides the image data for one page into processing units; and distributes the processing units respectively to the auxiliary processing devices. |
| US08760720B2 |
Image processing apparatus
A pixel extracting unit extracts pixels belonging to a previously designated color range from the image data of a correction object. A target color selection receiving unit receives a selection of one target color by a user, from among a plurality of target colors stored in a target color storage unit. A color correction executing unit executes color correction on correction object image data, based on the color of the pixel extracted by the pixel extracting unit and the target color selected through the target color selection receiving unit. A target color extracting unit extracts the target color of a registration object from target color registration image data stored in a registration image storage unit. A target color registration unit registers the target color of the registration object extracted by the target color extracting unit in the target color storage unit to be associated with a previously designated color range. |
| US08760715B2 |
Print job management system, print job management apparatus, and print job management method for managing print jobs including acquiring process completion time and displaying information regarding processing completion time for each of image forming apparatuses as a list
A print job management system according to an embodiment has a transmission unit, a time calculation unit, and a list display unit. The transmission unit transmits a print job. The time calculation unit acquires the print job transmitted from the transmission unit and calculates a processing completion time taken for each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses to complete a process for the print job for each of the image forming apparatuses. The list display unit acquires the process completion time for each of the image forming apparatuses calculated by the time calculation unit and displays information regarding the processing completion time for each of the image forming apparatuses as a list. |
| US08760702B2 |
Device cooperation system, image forming apparatus, function providing method
A device cooperation system includes a first device including an acquiring unit for acquiring image data, an output condition receiving unit for receiving output conditions used by the first and second devices when outputting the image data, a first important document determining unit for determining whether first important information is included in the image data, a first operation information recording unit for recording operation information of a first output unit when it is determined that the first important information is included in the image data, and a second device including a second operation information recording unit for recording operation information of a second output unit when the determination result indicating that the first important information is included in the image data is acquired from the first device. |
| US08760699B2 |
Printing system, printing control method for printing system, printing apparatus and server
A terminal transmits a first e-mail to which a file to be printed is attached to a server, and the server temporarily saves the file attached to the first e-mail. The server transmits a second e-mail for confirming a user to the terminal, and the terminal returns information on the user to the server in response to the second e-mail. When the server has acquired the information on the user, the server converts the file temporarily saved into a file for printing and registers the converted file in the server. The server transmits the registered file for printing to a printing apparatus to cause the printing apparatus to print the file. |
| US08760697B2 |
Printer
A printer may receive a predetermined notification from a print mediation server. The predetermined notification may be a notification to be sent to the printer by the print mediation server when the print mediation server has stored specific print data and specific condition data indicating a specific print condition to a storage unit according to an instruction from a terminal device. The printer may acquire the specific print data and the specific condition data from the storage unit in a case where the predetermined notification is received. The printer may cause a print executing unit to execute printing of an image represented by the specific data according to the specific print condition indicated by the specific condition data. |
| US08760696B2 |
Image processing apparatus for executing image processing in accordance with operation condition method for controlling the same, and storage medium
According to the present invention, a user can switch an operation condition of an image processing apparatus while confirming a power saving effect. To this end, the image processing apparatus determines usage status of a print mode, determines an operation condition to be changed based on the determined usage status, and determines the electric energy to change if the operation condition is changed. The image processing apparatus shows the user the operation condition to be changed and how much the amount of electric energy is changed. |
| US08760695B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer readable medium
An image processing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives print control information input by a user, a unit that stores, in a memory, the print control information received by the receiving unit, and a print controller that causes a printing unit to print an image representing an image to be printed on a sheet to be imaged on the basis of the print control information stored in the memory when a predetermined operation is performed. The print control information includes first information indicating whether the sheet to be imaged is an envelope and second information indicating the size of the sheet to be imaged. |
| US08760692B2 |
System, apparatus, method, and computer program for information processing resource adjustment
A state acquisition unit is configured to acquire information relating to a state of an apparatus making processing requests regarding jobs. Resources are adjusted by an adjusting unit configured to adjust increase or decrease of each of the first resource and the second resource, based on the basis of the information acquired by the state acquisition unit. |
| US08760691B2 |
Devices and methods for print job tracking
Devices and methods for tracking the status of a print job using electronic devices on a print service provider (PSP) production floor are provided. One such method includes reading a radio frequency identification (RFID) code from an RFID badge assigned to, attached to, and traveling with a print job through production using an electronic device and sending an indication of the RFID code a PSP controller. In response, workflow instructions may be received from the PSP controller. The electronic device may display a representation of the workflow instructions and a user-selectable representation of job status information. When the representation of the job status information is selected, the electronic device may send an indication of the job status information to the print service provider controller. |
| US08760688B2 |
Image processing system and apparatus for storing job information used for later acquiring corresponding image data upon job processing
An image processing system includes a first image processing apparatus and a second image processing apparatus connected to the first image processing apparatus. The first image processing apparatus includes a reader reading image data, a storage storing job information, a request unit transmitting a job request as a job to the second image processing apparatus to execute the job corresponding to the job information based on a job execution scheduling, and an introducing unit introducing the job information to the second image processing apparatus. The second image processing apparatus includes a receiver receiving the job request from the first image processing apparatus as the job, a job executing unit executing the job corresponding to the job information, a determining unit determining whether to acquire the job information based on the job execution scheduling, and an acquiring unit acquiring the job information based on a determined result from the determining unit. |
| US08760685B2 |
Image forming device and management system for image forming
An image forming device includes an image forming unit configured to execute an image formation process to form an image on a recording medium based on an image formation job, and an information writing control unit configured to write history information based on the image formation job into an external storage device connected to the image forming device via a network, wherein the information writing unit writes the information into the external storage device before completion of the image formation process based on the image formation job by the image formation unit. |
| US08760684B2 |
Stacking print jobs before final print
A system for producing continuous print jobs, which includes a printing unit which prints an image and a client computer having executable instructions for creating a print job for producing a continuous print job. The executable instructions include activating a continuous print mode from a list of print properties within a printer driver user interface, and wherein the continuous print mode stacks at least two print jobs in a print job queue until instructed to print; sending at least two print jobs to the print job queue; selecting a final print format for each of the at least two print jobs; processing and formatting each of the at least two print jobs into a single combined print job; and printing the single combined print job. The printing unit and the client computer are connected via a network and/or direct connection. |
| US08760683B2 |
Techniques for scheduling and guaranteeing print jobs
Techniques for scheduling and guaranteeing print jobs are presented. Print jobs are scheduled to process on a selected printer at user-defined dates and times. A print queue for the selected printer is managed to ensure that no subsequent print job begins on the printer when that subsequent print job cannot finish before a scheduled start time of a scheduled print job that has been guaranteed the scheduled start time on the printer. |
| US08760681B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image processing method
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus which communicates with a first terminal device includes a first display unit which displays display data, a storage unit which stores first ability information relating to a display ability of the first display unit, an operation panel management unit which is provided at the first terminal device, obtains second ability information relating to a display ability of a second display unit which displays display data, and compares the obtained second ability information to the first ability information which is stored in the storage unit; and a control unit which determines whether to display display data as a display target on the first display unit, or on the second display unit. |
| US08760676B2 |
Feed and scan module and multifunctional printer using the same
A feed and scan module and a multifunctional printer (MFP) using the same are provided. The MFP includes a body with a paper-feeding path therein and a feed and scan module, the feed and scan module is disposed in the body and adjacent to an entrance of the feeding path. The feed and scan module includes a feeding roller chain and an image processing component, the feeding roller chain includes a driving unit and a transparent hollow driving tube assembled with the driving unit. The image processing component is in bar-shape and disposed in the hollow driving tube, and the image processing component is fixed and faces the paper-feeding path. When the hollow driving tube rotates, the image processing component is not driven by the hollow driving tube. |
| US08760672B2 |
Time measuring apparatus and image forming apparatus
The present invention teaches and claims an image forming apparatus using a time measuring apparatus to accurately measure the time in which the image forming apparatus stays in one or more modes. The image forming apparatus comprises a first CPU which outputs a pulse signal to a receiving second CPU. The second CPU calculates, by using the received pulse signal, a timer error of a second clock signal. The time measuring apparatus measures time in one or more modes based on the second clock signal and then corrects the measured time using the calculated timer error. |
| US08760671B2 |
Image forming apparatus
One aspect of the present invention can include an image forming apparatus including an external storage medium, a judging part configured to determine whether or not the storage medium contains non-printed file, an extracting part configured to extract the non-printed file as a print target from the storage medium if the judging part determines that the non-printed file is present, and a printing part configured to execute print processing on the non-printed file extracted by the extracting part. |
| US08760669B2 |
Method of measuring the thickness of a moving web
Dual mounting head scanner system measures the thickness of a flexible continuous moving web such as paper by employing an optical senor positioned in the upper head to determine the distance between the optical sensor and the upper surface of the paper while a displacement sensor positioned in the lower head determines the distance between the displacement sensor, which includes an RF coil, and a reference surface on the upper head. An air clamp and vacuum source assembly on the operative surface of the lower head maintains the moving web in physical contact with a measurement surface that is incorporated in the operative surface. The optical sensor directs incident radiation onto the web at the measurement surface. Thermal isolation of the two sensors eliminates thermal interactions. |
| US08760668B1 |
Methods for determining wear volume of a tested polycrystalline diamond element
Embodiments of methods are disclosed for characterizing a tested polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) element, such as a PDC cutting element. In an embodiment, a method for characterizing a tested PCD element is disclosed. An initial volume of a PCD element is measured using a coordinate measuring machine (“CMM”). A workpiece is cut with the PCD element so that the PCD element develops a wear flat. A post-cut volume of the PCD element is measured after cutting the workpiece using the CMM. A wear volume of the PCD element is determined at least partially based on the post-cut volume and the initial volume of the PCD element. |
| US08760667B2 |
Method and device for the detection of a substrate edge in a printing machine
The present invention relates to a method and a device for the detection of a substrate edge in a printing machine comprising a substrate transport unit that defines a substrate transport path (8). In this method, at least one light value of a first section of a sensor line (10) and a dark value of a second section of the sensor line are determined, and a threshold value is calculated based thereon. When the threshold value on one pixel is exceeded and the threshold value on another pixel is not reached, it is possible to calculate a position of the substrate edge. The device comprises a light source arrangement (5) for generating diffuse light, and comprises a sensor line for the detection of light from the light source arrangement. Furthermore, a gradient lens arrangement (15) is provided, said gradient lens arrangement being arranged between the light source and the sensor line in such a manner that, on the one hand, a focus is located on a central position of the substrate transport path between the light source and the gradient lens arrangement, and, on the other hand, on the sensor line. |
| US08760663B2 |
Method and apparatus for optical imaging via spectral encoding
Exemplary method, apparatus and arrangement can be provided for obtaining information associated with a sample such as a portion of an anatomical structure. The information can be generated using first data, which can be based on a signal obtained from a location on the sample, and second data, where the second data can be obtained by combining a second signal received from the sample with a third reference signal. An image of a portion of the sample can also be generated based on the information. For example, the first data can be associated with spectral encoding microscopy data, and the second data can be associated with optical coherence tomography data. |
| US08760657B2 |
In-situ detection and analysis of methane in coal bed methane formations with spectrometers
Disclosed is a system for measuring a chemical in a subsurface formation comprising housing component traversable within the well, a guide extending down the well from a fixed location being operatively connected to the housing, a radiation source, and an optical pathway between a sample and detector wherein the detector is located at the ground surface. Also disclosed is a method for reducing long distance transmission of radiation comprising placing a radiation source in a housing, placing a housing down in a well bore, lowering a spectrometer down the well bore, and controlling movement of a spectrometer by a guide wire controller at the ground surface. Further disclosed is a method of radiating a sample comprising, transmitting the radiation through at least one optical pathway, interacting a sample with the radiation, producing characteristic radiation from the sample, and transmitting by an optical pathway to a detector located in a spectrometer. |
| US08760656B2 |
Fluorescence detection apparatus
Fluorescence detection apparatus detects fluorescence from a fluorescent object. The apparatus includes a light source configured to irradiate the fluorescent object with light, a shutter configured to block the light, from the light source, directed to the fluorescent object, an optical output measuring unit arranged in an optical path between the shutter and the light source, an image pickup element configured to detect the fluorescence from the fluorescent object and to capture a noise image, and a changing unit configured to change at least one of an accumulation time of the image pickup element and an open-close time of the shutter. The changing unit calculates the accumulation time for capturing the noise image using the measurement result of the optical output measuring unit, and corrects a captured fluorescent image generated by detecting the fluorescence, using the noise image captured during the accumulation time calculated by the calculation unit. |
| US08760655B2 |
Die inspection method
A method is disclosed for inspecting a mold which has a porous alumina layer over its surface. The method includes providing, based on a relationship between a first parameter indicative of a thickness of the porous alumina layer and a color parameter indicative of a color of reflected light from the porous alumina layer, first color information which represents a tolerance of the first parameter of a porous alumina layer which has an uneven structure that is within a tolerance; providing a mold which is an inspection subject, the mold having a porous alumina layer over its surface; obtaining a color parameter which is indicative of a color of reflected light from the porous alumina layer of the inspection subject mold; and determining a suitability of the first parameter of the inspection subject mold based on the obtained color parameter and the first color information. |
| US08760652B2 |
Aperture system for multi-angle light scattering detectors
An apparatus for measuring the light scattering properties of a sample in a liquid medium, wherein the liquid medium with the sample is illuminated by a laser beam in a measuring cell transversely to the direction of filling the liquid medium in the measuring cell or transversely to the flow direction of the liquid medium within the measuring cell, comprising a laser, a cylindrical measuring cell, a first inner aperture system, a second outer aperture system and at least two detectors, wherein the detectors are arranged outside of the second outer aperture system so that they collect the light scattered on the sample within set, different angle ranges, wherein the first inner aperture system and the second outer aperture system are formed and arranged circularly and concentrically around the axis of the measuring cell. Use of the apparatus and a method that makes use of the apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US08760648B2 |
Integrated microbial collector
A system for real-time sizing of fluid-borne particles is disclosed. The system further determines, in real time, whether the detected particles are biological or non-biological. As the fluid is being tested, it is exposed to a microbe collection filter which is cultured to determine the type of microbes present in the fluid being tested. |
| US08760644B2 |
Systems and methods for cleaning an inline optical fluid analyzer
Disclosed are systems and methods for cleaning optical windows used in an inline optical fluid analyzer. One system includes a sampling module having an inlet and an outlet and a flow path extending therebetween, the flow path being fluidly coupled to a pipeline containing a fluid, at least one optical computing device arranged within the sampling module in optical communication with the flow path and configured to monitor a sample flow of the fluid for one or more characteristics of the fluid, the at least one optical computing device having one or more optical sampling windows in contact with the sample flow of the fluid, and a solvent dispenser fluidly coupled to the flow path and configured to provide a solvent to the flow path to remove a residue built up on the one or more sampling windows. |
| US08760637B2 |
Optical sensing system including electronically switched optical magnification
Disclosed is an exemplary optical sensing system including at least one light source for emitting light in a first wavelength range and light in a second wavelength. An image sensor is provided for detecting light emitted from the at least one light source. The optical sensing system also includes a first optical filter disposed in a first optical path extending between the light source and the image sensor, the first optical filter configured to pass light emitted in the first wavelength range, and to substantially block light emitted in the second wavelength range. A second optical filter is disposed in a second optical path extending between the light source and the image sensor, the second optical filter configured to pass light emitted from the at least one light source in the second wavelength range, and to substantially block light emitted in the first wavelength range. |
| US08760634B2 |
Optical synthetic aperture radar
An optical SAR transmits toward a target an amplitude modulated optical signal. Modulation of optical signals may be performed using light emitting devices such as semiconductor laser diodes driven by a modulation signal so that the emitted optical signal intensity is amplitude modulated. Transmitted optical signals are reflected from a target, and reflected optical signals are detected by light detecting devices such as photodiodes that detect and automatically demodulate the reflected optical signals. Optical elements such as a polarizer, a lens, and a frequency filter such as a color filter may optically process the amplitude modulated optical signal before transmission and detection. This technique achieves the potential benefits of an optical SAR, such as high resolution, better image quality, and elimination of electromagnetic interference, while circumventing many of the problems traditionally associated with optical SARs, such as the requirement for optical coherence and extremely accurate platform motion measurements. |
| US08760622B2 |
Movable body apparatus, exposure apparatus and pattern formation apparatus, and device manufacturing method
A movable body apparatus is equipped with a Y measuring system equipped with an encoder and an interferometer that measure the position of a stage in one axis (Y-axis) direction. The interferometer irradiates a reflection surface arranged on the stage with a measurement light close to a measurement light of the encoder, and receives its reflected light. In this case, the encoder and the interferometer commonly use an optical member fixed to the stage. Accordingly, the Y interferometer and the Y encoder have substantially the equal measurement axis. |
| US08760621B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and method
A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system constructed and arranged to condition a beam of radiation, and a support structure constructed and arranged to support a patterning device. The patterning device is configured to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus also includes a substrate table constructed and arranged to hold a substrate. The substrate table includes a substrate support plate that is in thermal contact with a thermal conditioning plate. The apparatus further includes a projection system constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate. |
| US08760616B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and surface cleaning method
An apparatus and method for cleaning a contaminated surface of a lithographic apparatus are provided. A liquid confinement structure comprises at least two openings used to supply and extract liquid to a gap below the structure. The direction of flow between the openings can be switched. Liquid may be supplied to the gap radially outward of an opening adapted for dual flow. Supply and extraction lines to respectively supply liquid to and extract liquid from the liquid confinement structure have an inner surface that is resistant to corrosion by an organic liquid. A corrosive cleaning fluid can be used to clean photo resist contamination. |
| US08760614B2 |
Optical biometric security element
This invention relates to an optical element for the purpose of identification and/or prevention of forgery or copying, including at least one layer with anisotropic optical properties, wherein the anisotropic optical properties are patterned, characterized in that the pattern represents biometric information. In addition, this invention relates to a method for the preparation of an optical element for the purpose of identification and/or prevention of forgery or copying. |
| US08760612B2 |
Display device
On a first light transmissive substrate, a first scale mark portion is formed inside an opening portion, and on a second light transmissive substrate, a second scale mark portion is formed. On the second light transmissive substrate, a first metal layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second metal layer are laminated. A thin film transistor is formed so as to include a part of the first metal layer, a part of the semiconductor layer, and a part of the second metal layer. The second scale mark portion is formed of another part of the second metal layer. Under the second scale mark portion, another part of the semiconductor layer is formed so as to extend off from the second scale mark portion. Below the second scale mark portion and the semiconductor layer, another part of the first metal layer is formed in a size capable of shielding the opening portion. |
| US08760607B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel and method of manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel includes a display substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The display substrate includes a pixel electrode and a first cured layer. The first cured layer has various pretilt angles. The opposite substrate includes a common electrode and a second cured layer. The second cured layer has various pretilt angles. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules pretilted at the various pretilt angles by the first and second cured layers. |
| US08760598B2 |
Thin film transistor array panel, liquid crystal display, method for repairing the same, color filter array panel and method for manufacturing the same
A thin film transistor array panel includes: a substrate; a gate line and a storage electrode that are disposed on the substrate; a data line that crosses the gate line and storage electrode line; a thin film transistor that is connected with the gate line and data line; and a pixel electrode that is connected to the thin film transistor. The storage electrode includes a first storage electrode that is parallel to the gate line, second storage electrodes that extend on opposing sides of the data line from the first storage electrode, a connection part that crosses the data line and connects pairs of the second storage electrodes, and a connection bridge that crosses the gate line and connects a second storage electrode to a second storage electrode of an adjacent pixel. |
| US08760597B2 |
Switching device of active display device and method of driving the switching device
Example embodiments are directed to a switching device of an active display device and a method of driving the switching device, such that electrical reliability of the active display device is improved. The switching device of the active display device includes a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) that are connected in series. Except for a refresh time duration during which the plurality of TFTs of the switching device are simultaneously turned ON, a positive voltage is applied to at least one of the plurality of TFTs of the switching device so that a reliability of the switching device may be improved. |
| US08760587B2 |
Remote control device for 3D video system
A remote control device is operative to enable and facilitate user control of video systems that are operative to provide one or more three-dimensional (3D) viewing effects. According to an exemplary embodiment, the remote control device includes a user input terminal having an input element operative to receive user inputs to adjust at least one of a volume setting and a channel setting of a video system, and further operative to receive user inputs to adjust a three-dimensional (3-D) viewing effect of the video system. A transmitter is operative to transmit control signals to the video system in response to the user inputs. |
| US08760582B2 |
Method for selecting an input media source
System and method for changing a current input terminal of a user device. In one embodiment of the invention, a method includes receiving an input terminal change request, requesting that a current input terminal be changed from a first input terminal to a second input terminal. The method may further include determining if an external device is connected to the second input terminal. In one embodiment of the invention, the second input terminal includes a connection detection switch. The method may also include switching to the second input terminal when the connection detection switch indicates an external device connection and skipping the second input terminal when the connection detection switch indicates no external device connected according to one embodiment of the invention. |
| US08760580B2 |
Image sharpness device and method for the same
An image sharpness device and a method for the same are disclosed. The image sharpness device includes a DC removal unit, at least one filter, at least one noise estimation unit, at least one soft threshold processing unit, and a summing unit. The DC removal unit receives a luminance signal of a field of a frame and removes a DC component of the luminance signal. The filter passes a component of an output of the DC removal unit within a predetermined frequency band. The noise estimation unit estimates a noise value of the field. The soft threshold processing unit forms a sharpness signal according to the noise value. The summing unit sums the luminance signal and the sharpness signal to output a resultant luminance signal. The present invention is capable of avoiding the problem that a noise in the luminance signal is enhanced. |
| US08760575B2 |
Adaptive videodescription player
The computer readable storage medium includes computer executable instructions for implementing a videodescription player module. The computer executable instructions implementing a user interface for selecting one or more videodescription output options among a plurality of videodescription output options. A videodescription player module generates a videodescription output that includes vocal communication information according to the selected output option. |
| US08760572B2 |
Method for exploiting structure in sparse domain for magnetic resonance image reconstruction
A method for constructing an image includes acquiring image data in a first domain. The acquired image data is transformed from the first domain into a second domain in which the acquired image data exhibits a high degree of sparsity. An initial set of transform coefficients is approximated for transforming the image data from the second domain into a third domain in which the image may be displayed. The approximated initial set of transform coefficients is updated based on a weighing of where substantial transform coefficients are likely to be located relative to the initial set of transform coefficients. An image is constructed in the third domain based on the updated set of transform coefficients. The constructed image is displayed. |
| US08760568B2 |
Image pickup and focus detection apparatus, control method, and storage medium
An image pickup apparatus capable of achieving in-focus photographing with a reduced time lag. A system controller of the image pickup apparatus detects an in-focus state of image while moving a focus lens in an optical axis direction, and detects a state of a photographing scene at image acquisition. When detecting a change in photographing scene, the system controller moves the focus lens to a movement start position. When detecting that a photographing scene has been decided by a photographer, the controller detects an in-focus state while moving the focus lens. |
| US08760567B2 |
Photographing apparatus and method to reduce auto-focus time
Photographing apparatus and method to reduce auto-focus time are disclosed. A photographing apparatus is provided that includes two imaging optical systems; an imaging device that converts images of subjects formed by the imaging optical systems into respective image signals; a subject distance calculation unit that calculates subject distances between the imaging device and the subject based on two images generated by the imaging device; and an in-focus position detection unit that detects an in-focus position based on contrast evaluation values of the image signals obtained for a plurality of focusing positions, performs preparatory focusing driving by moving the focusing positions close to the in-focus position based on the calculated subject distances, and scans the focusing positions from the position close to the in-focus position to the in-focus position. |
| US08760566B2 |
Video refocusing
The present invention operates in connection with refocusable video data, information, images and/or frames, which may be light field video data, information, images and/or frames, that may be focused and/or refocused after acquisition or recording. A video acquisition device acquires first refocusable light field video data of a scene, stores first refocusable video data representative of the first refocusable light field video data, acquires second refocusable light field video data of the scene after acquiring the first refocusable light field video data, determines a first virtual focus parameter (such as a virtual focus depth) using the second refocusable light field video data, generates first video data using the stored first refocusable video data and the first virtual focus parameter, wherein the first video data includes a focus depth that is different from an optical focus depth of the first refocusable light field video data, and outputs the first video data. |
| US08760555B2 |
Display control apparatus, image pickup apparatus, display control method, and storage medium
A display control apparatus that enables to reliably and quickly search for a desired image. When a wheel is operated by a user by an amount less than a predetermined operation amount, image feeding is made in a first display mode where a plurality of images are displayed on an image display unit. When the wheel is operated by the user by an amount equal to or greater than the predetermined operation amount, image feeding is made in a second display mode where a larger number of images than in the first display mode are displayed on the image display unit in a smaller size than in the first display mode. |
| US08760554B2 |
Information processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, image display control method and computer program
An apparatus for processing image, includes an input unit for inputting user operation information, a recording medium for recording moving image data, a data processor for retrieving data recorded on the recording medium and generating display data in response to an input to the input unit, and a display unit for displaying the display data. The data processor selects a frame containing an image of a person's face from a scene as a moving image recording unit recorded on the recording medium, generates a thumbnail image of a face region extracted from the selected frame and displays on the display unit a list of generated thumbnail images arranged in a time-series order. |
| US08760552B2 |
Shooting apparatus
A shooting apparatus includes a camera main body, a determination unit, a display, a display controller, a touch panel. The camera main body is connectable with an independent recorder including a sound collecting range of collecting a sound. The determination unit determines whether or not the recorder is connected. The display controller displays an operation information for operating the recorder in accordance with the determined result by the determination unit, and if the recorder is connected, displays the sound collecting range of the recorder in a state that the range is overlapped on the image on the display. The touch panel receives an operation according to the operation information displayed on the display, and sends an operation instruction corresponding to the operation to the recorder. |
| US08760543B2 |
Dark reference in CCD image sensors
In various embodiments, image sensors include an imaging array of optically active pixels, a dark-reference region of optically inactive pixels, and two light shields disposed over the dark-reference region and having openings therein. |
| US08760541B2 |
Shooting apparatus and mode setting method for controlling a shooting mode of a shooting apparatus
A shooting apparatus includes: an image-pickup section outputting a picked-up image obtained by picking up an image of a subject; and a control section performing acceptance of a still image shooting operation and acceptance of a part specification operation of specifying a partial area of the picked-up image during video image pickup by the image-pickup section. |
| US08760536B2 |
Camera device, color calibration method, and program
A camera device (1) includes: an imaging unit (2) having a complementary color filter; a color temperature estimating unit (8) that estimates a color temperature on the basis of a video signal obtained from the imaging unit (2); a color parameter calculating unit (9) that calculates a color parameter value corresponding to the estimated color temperature; and a color calibrating unit (7) that performs color calibration using the calculated color parameter value. The color parameter calculating unit (9) calculates the color parameter value corresponding to the estimated color temperature on the basis of color parameter values (a first color parameter value and a second color parameter value) at two reference color temperatures (a first color temperature 2000 K and a second color temperature 3200 K). This allows performing color calibration with high color reproducibility using suitable color parameter values according to a change in an illumination condition as well as allows substantially reducing an amount of data required to determine the suitable color parameter values. |
| US08760535B2 |
Reducing computational complexity in determining an illuminant of a scene
In an embodiment, computational complexity of estimating the actual illuminant of a scene is reduced by examining only a subset of the pixel values generated for a received image frame. In another embodiment, number of rotations of color values is minimized by selecting an area which contains the color cue values of a color in an original/unrotated coordinate space and has boundaries which parallel the axis of the original coordinate space, and rotating a color value only if the color value is within the selected area. In another embodiment, such an area is used in conjunction with a histogram-based approach to determine the actual illuminant. |
| US08760530B2 |
Image capturing apparatus, image capturing method and electronic apparatus
The present invention discloses an electronic apparatus, an image capturing apparatus and a method thereof. The image capturing method comprises the steps of: capturing a plurality of temporal images by an image capturing module; setting one of the temporal images as a base image by a processing module; determining whether the difference between the temporal images and the base image is over a predetermined range by the processing module; if yes, deleting the temporal image by the processing module; combining the else temporal images and the base image and correspondingly generating an output image. |
| US08760528B2 |
Image capture apparatus and control method thereof
An image capture apparatus capable of auto bracketing. When a capture count for the auto bracketing is N (N is an integer of not less than three), a total of N−1 correction values are set by at least one on each of a positive side and negative side with respect to a reference value, and the apparatus sequentially expands or narrows a correction width serving as a difference between the reference value and each of the N−1 correction values in accordance with user's operation. When the capture count is two, the reference value and one correction value are set, and the apparatus sequentially increases or decreases the one correction value within the predetermined range in accordance with user's operation. |
| US08760526B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method for correcting vibration
A plurality of image capturing data time-divisionally exposed by a capturing unit are input, and are divided into synthesis images or motion detection images. A motion amount of the capturing unit at the time of time-division exposure is detected from the image capturing data of the motion detection images, and synthesized image capturing data is generated by synthesizing the synthesis images. Then, a vibration of the synthesized image capturing data is corrected based on a divide pattern indicating divisions, and the motion amount. |
| US08760519B2 |
Threat-detection in a distributed multi-camera surveillance system
A method is provided for detecting a threat in a distributed multi-camera surveillance system. The method includes: monitoring movement of an object in a field of view of a first camera using software installed at the first camera; detecting a suspicious object at the first camera when movement of the object does not conform with a motion flow model residing at the first camera; sending a tracking request from the first camera to a second camera upon detecting the suspicious object at the first camera; monitoring movement of the object in a field of view of the second camera using software installed at the second camera; assigning threat scores at the second camera when the movement of the object does not conform with a motion flow model residing at the second camera; and generating an alarm based in part on the threat scores detected at the first camera and the second camera. |
| US08760518B2 |
Photographing apparatus, photographing system and photographing method
A photographing apparatus of the invention which is capable of photographing a desired object by making a plurality of photographing apparatuses cooperative with one another includes: an image pickup section; a detection section for acquiring photographing information related to an image acquired by the image pickup section; a transmission section for transmitting the photographing information acquired by the detection section; a reception section for receiving an image photographed and transmitted by another photographing apparatus based on the photographing information; and a memory control section for storing the image acquired by the image pickup section and the image received by the reception section in association with each other. |
| US08760517B2 |
Polarized images for security
One embodiment may take the form of a method for providing security for access to a goal including storing a first image and receiving a second image comprising polarized data. The method also includes comparing the first image with the second image to determine if the first image and the second image are substantially the same. In the event the first and second images are not substantially the same, the method includes denying access to the goal. In the event the first and second images are substantially the same, the method includes determining, utilizing the polarized information, if the second image is of a three-dimensional object. Further, in the event the second image is not of a three-dimensional object, the method includes denying access to the goal and, in the event the second image is of a three-dimensional object, permitting access to the goal. |
| US08760512B2 |
Wireless video transmission device and wireless video reception device
A technique is provided for using, in a wireless video transmission device and a plurality of wireless video reception devices which intermittently perform signal reception processing within standby periods, a human body detection unit to accelerate the start-up of the wireless video transmission and reception devices. When the presence of a person is detected by the human body detector, a person detection signal is sent to a wireless video reception device or the transmission device to thereby limit usable communication channel candidates in number. The limited number of usable channel candidates are then used to perform intermittent signal reception, thereby shortening the searching time cycle of such intermittent reception within a standby period, thus lessening the startup time from the standby state between the wireless video transmission and reception devices and also reducing standby power thereof. |
| US08760505B2 |
Image display device for displaying two-dimensional plane image and three-dimensional stereoscopic image
An image display device including an image display panel configured to display a 2D image and a 3D image, a driving circuit configured to apply a data voltage of a 2D data format or a data voltage of a 3D data format to the image display panel, a controller configured to control the driving circuit in a 2D mode for displaying the 2D image or a 3D mode for displaying the 3D image, and a patterned retarder including a first retarder and a second retarder that are arranged line by line, the patterned retarder configured to divide the 3D image from the image display panel into a first polarization component and a second polarization component, the patterned retarder being aligned so that boundary portions of the first and second retarders are positioned in a center of pixels positioned on odd-numbered horizontal lines or even-numbered horizontal lines of the image display panel. |
| US08760504B2 |
Shutter glasses, and electronic apparatus and method for adjusting ambient brightness received by shutter glasses operative under two-dimensional image viewing mode
A method for adjusting an ambient brightness received by a pair of shutter glasses which are operative under a two-dimensional image viewing mode includes: generating an ambient brightness control signal; and adjusting a shutter-open period of eyeglass (s) of the shutter glasses according to the ambient brightness control signal, for adjusting a length of the shutter-open period of the eyeglass (s) to be longer than an activation time length of a backlight of a display device so as to adjust the received ambient brightness. |
| US08760502B2 |
Method for improving 3 dimensional effect and reducing visual fatigue and apparatus enabling the same
A method and an apparatus for improving three dimensional (3D) effect of a 3D image collected by a 3D photographing apparatus, and reducing visual fatigue, are provided. A feature point of a left-eye image entering through a left-eye lens and of a right-eye image entering through a right-eye lens is acquired, a disparity between the left- and right-eye images is detected, a distance between the left- and right-eye lenses is controlled so that the disparity between the left- and right-eye images becomes a previously-set reference disparity, and at least one of the left- and right-eye images is shifted so that a convergence point is placed on an object located within the left- and right-eye images. |
| US08760495B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing video signal
In a method for processing video signals acquired from multiple cameras, the present invention provides a method for processing video signals including receiving a multiview video coded bit stream including color pictures and depth pictures, wherein the depth picture indicates a group of digitalized information on a distance between a base camera and an object; acquiring data type identification information from the multiview video coded bit stream, wherein the data type identification information indicates whether or not depth-coded data are included in the multiview video coded bit stream; acquiring reference information between views of the depth picture based upon the data type identification information, wherein the reference information between views of the depth picture includes a number of depth-view reference pictures, and a view identification number of the depth-view reference picture; acquiring an estimation value of the depth picture by using the reference information between views of the depth picture; recovering the depth picture by using the estimation value of the depth picture; and acquiring a 3-dimensional image by using the recovered depth picture. |
| US08760494B1 |
UV detection of objects hidden in foliage
An imaging system for identifying camouflaged or concealed objects includes an image sensor for receiving at least a portion of reflected light from an interrogation region having foliage including at least an ultraviolet (UV) including band. The image sensor includes a 2-D photodetector array that has a plurality of photodetector pixels that provides sensitivity to the UV band. The 2-D photodetector array generates at least a first detection signal from at least the UV band. A green light filter can be added to exclude green light in the background from being detected. A processor for data processing is coupled to an output of the photodetector array that forms processed image data from at least the first detection signal. The processed image data can be used to generate a visual image that reveals camouflaged or concealed objects, or be used for automatic detection of camouflaged or concealed objects. |
| US08760492B2 |
Method and system for switching between video streams in a continuous presence conference
An MRC system includes an MRM and an MRE that handle needs for Intra frames in an efficient way, improves the conferees experience, and reduces the load on the resources associated with that MRC videoconference by reducing the number of Intra frames and lowering the impact of Intra frames when they are needed. In some embodiments, when a requiring MRE requests an Intra frame for a video stream received from a presenting MRE, an MRM may respond by requesting the presenting MRE to send a temporary video stream toward the requiring MRE while sending in parallel a normal stream toward the rest of the MREs. |
| US08760487B2 |
Apparatus and method to bridge telephone and data networks
In one embodiment, an adaptor includes a first interface configured to connect to a telephone handset and configured to receive signals from, and transmit signals to, the telephone handset. The adaptor includes a second interface configured to connect to a telephone base and configured to receive signals from, and transmit signals to, a telephone network. The adaptor also includes a third interface configured to connect to a computer and to receive signals from, and transmit signals to, a data network, via the computer. The adaptor also includes a user input mechanism configured to receive a start meeting command which causes the adaptor to initiate an online meeting between a user that utilizes the telephone handset and computer, and one or more other users. |
| US08760486B2 |
Method for providing phone book using business card recognition in mobile communication terminal and mobile communication terminal using the method
Provided is a method for providing a phone book using business card recognition in a mobile communication terminal. An image of a business card is captured and recognized character fields from the captured image are searched. Any one of the searched character fields to be set as a name is selected. The selected character field is converted to text and set as the name. The captured image is stored with the name in a predetermined directory. In addition, it enables to use all functions available in an existing phone book, thereby being more convenient to the user. |
| US08760483B2 |
Exposure device and image forming apparatus including same
In an exposure device, a light source device having multiple light emitting devices arranged in one-dimensional or two-dimensional directions projects light against an image bearing member. A light source holding member holds the light source device in place. An optical device condenses the light projected from the light source device onto the image bearing member. An optical device holding member holds the optical device to maintain a predetermined gap between the optical device and the light source device on the light source holding member. A positioning member supports the light source holding member above the image bearing member to maintain a predetermined gap between the image bearing member and the light source device on the light source holding member. When seen from a light emitting point of the light source device, a position at which the positioning member supports the light source holding member is opposite the image bearing member. |
| US08760481B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for flash printing
An apparatus, system, and method to flash print an image. The apparatus includes an energy source that delivers energy. The apparatus includes an energy pulse width modulator coupled to the energy source. The energy pulse width modulator may receive energy from the energy source and modulate the energy received from the energy source. The energy pulse width modulator may be driven by a logic module. The apparatus also includes a plurality of imaging pixels modulated by the energy pulse width modulator and conveying modulated energy to a host material. The host material may be in close proximity to a receiving medium and the modulated energy may release the dye from the host material into the receiving medium. |
| US08760473B2 |
Map display method
This method is an improvement to a method used to enlarge the display of a first portion of a map, without hiding a first peripheral portion of this map. This improvement involves detecting an event which appears in said first peripheral portion (SPP4′). The improvement further involves defining a second portion to be enlarged (SPA5), centered on the position (BS2) of this event, defining a second peripheral zone (SPP5) associated with this second portion to be enlarged, displaying (SPA5′) the second portion to be enlarged (SPA5) by applying respective enlargement ratios greater than 100% to at least some elements of that portion, so as to make the event more legible, and displaying (SPP5′) the second peripheral portion (SPP5) by applying at least to some elements of this portion respective enlargement ratios lower than 100% so as to save surface area to avoid hiding a portion of the map. |
| US08760472B2 |
Pixel transforms
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for performing a set of operations on an object defined in an image coordinate system to produce a representation of the image defined in a pixel coordinate system. The set of operations include one or more perspective transform operations. The method embeds at least one these perspective transform operations within a pixel transform matrix. The method then uses the pixel transform matrix to produce pixel data in the pixel coordinate system for the object. |
| US08760471B2 |
Information processing system, information processing method and program for synthesizing and displaying an image
A failure analysis apparatus obtains information associated with an operational status of a data center, determines information regarding fault repair work for the data center, based on the information associated with the operational status, and transmits the information regarding the fault repair work to a head mounted display (HMD). The HMD synthesizes and presents computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with an image of real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work. After the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the HMD, if the information associated with the operational status of the data center is newly obtained, the failure analysis apparatus newly determines the information regarding the fault repair work for the data center based on the information associated with the operational status, and transmits the information to the HMD. |
| US08760469B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing marketing
A method that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, the steps of transmitting media content to a group of set top boxes for presentation with an overlay superimposed onto the media content, receiving a first comment from a first set top box of the group of set top boxes where the first comment is presentable with the overlay and the media content by the group of set top boxes, determining a first advertisement based on the first comment, and transmitting the first advertisement to the first set top box for presentation with the overlay and the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08760468B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus and an image processing method are provided. The image processing apparatus includes: a first receiving unit which receives a first image data and an auxiliary information for receiving a second image data forming an improved image in cooperation with the first image data; a second receiving unit which receives the second image data; an image processing unit which generates an image; and a controller which controls the second receiving unit to receive the second image data based on the auxiliary information and controls the image processing unit to generate the improved image based on the first image data and the second image data. |
| US08760466B1 |
Coherent noise for non-photorealistic rendering
A method for generating two-dimensional image space noise. The method includes receiving a first frame of a rendered animation sequence; receiving a second frame of the rendered animation sequence; and generating a frame of noise that is associated with at least one object moving between the first frame and the second frame and is to be applied to the second frame, where generating the frame of noise comprises applying, for each pixel in the second frame, a causal filter based on a depth associated with the pixel and a velocity associated with the pixel. |
| US08760463B2 |
Automatic color adjustment of a template design
The present invention generates a color template design to format a presentation. According to one aspect, a plurality of template designs are provided on a visual display. A selection of one of the plurality of template designs is received from a user. A plurality of source images that are separate from the plurality of template designs are provided on the visual display. A selection of a color from one of the plurality of source images is received from the user. Colors of the selected template design are automatically adjusted to match the selected the color from the source image. The selected template design may include framing, mat, background, and foreground portions, at least one of which is adjusted. After automatically adjusting the colors, the selected template design may be displayed and/or stored for use as a template. |
| US08760461B2 |
Device, system, and method for wide gamut color space support
Methods, chips, systems, computer program products and data structures are described for conducting modification of color video signals from a first color format associated with an originating format to a second format compatible with a display media of a display device. |
| US08760457B2 |
Data access tool for programmable graphics hardware
Methods and apparatuses for accessing data within programmable graphics hardware are provided. According to one aspect, a user inserts special log commands into a software program, which is compiled into instructions for the programmable graphics hardware to execute. The hardware writes data to an external memory during runtime according to a flow control protocol, and the software driver reads the data from the memory to display to the user. |
| US08760456B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for remote graphics processing
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for remote rendering of computer graphics. The system includes a graphics application program resident at a remote server. The graphics application is invoked by a user or process located at a client. The invoked graphics application proceeds to issue graphics instructions. The graphics instructions are received by a remote rendering control system. Given that the client and server differ with respect to graphics context and image processing capability, the remote rendering control system modifies the graphics instructions in order to accommodate these differences. The modified graphics instructions are sent to graphics rendering resources, which produce one or more rendered images. Data representing the rendered images is written to one or more frame buffers. The remote rendering control system then reads this image data from the frame buffers. The image data is transmitted to the client for display or processing. In an embodiment of the system, the image data is compressed before being transmitted to the client. In such an embodiment, the steps of rendering, compression, and transmission can be performed asynchronously in a pipelined manner. |
| US08760454B2 |
Graphics processing architecture employing a unified shader
A graphics processing architecture in one example performs vertex manipulation operations and pixel manipulation operations by transmitting vertex data to a general purpose register block, and performing vertex operations on the vertex data b a processor unless the general purpose register block does not have enough available space therein to store incoming vertex data; and continues pixel calculation operations that are to be or are currently being performed the processor based on instructions maintained in an instruction store until enough registers within the general purpose register block become available. |
| US08760452B2 |
Integrated graphics processor data copy elimination method and apparatus when using system memory
A method and apparatus for processing data in a system comprising a central processing unit (CPU), a system memory, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) includes determining whether the GPU is an integrated graphics processor (IGP). Based upon a determination that the GPU is an IGP, data stored in the system memory is accessed by the GPU without copying the data to a memory on the GPU. Processing is performed on the data in the GPU. |
| US08760450B2 |
Real-time mesh simplification using the graphics processing unit
A graphics-processing unit is used to perform mesh simplification. A vertex shader receives a dataset for an input mesh that portrays a three-dimensional graphics object. The vertex shader generates from the dataset vertices for primitives that make up the input mesh. The input mesh is divided into a grid of cells. A geometry shader receives the vertices from the vertex shader and generates from the received vertices a simplified mesh that portrays the three-dimensional graphics object in less detail than the input mesh. Before the input mesh is divided into grid cells, a warping function can be applied to the input mesh based on a weighting function to warp the input mesh, thereby increasing sampling at a region of interest. A projective warping can be performed on the grid to produce grid cells of different volumes in accordance with a camera position. |
| US08760447B2 |
Method of determining the profile of a surface of an object
A method of determining the profile of a surface of an object is disclosed that does not require that the video inspection device be at a certain angle relative to the surface when an image of the surface is obtained (e.g., allows non-perpendicular captures of the image 30). The method determines a reference surface and a reference surface line. The reference surface line is then used to determine a surface contour line on the surface of the object. The profile is then determined by determining the distances between the reference surface and the surface contour line. |
| US08760445B2 |
Method of correcting brightness of electronic display
The present invention discloses a method of brightness correction for the electronic display, which consists of the following steps: take pictures of the electronic display; get the characteristic values of all the light-emitting components in the pictures; calculate the correction values of each light-emitting component with the characteristic values; correct the brightness of the display with the correction values. The present invention reduces the time cost of measuring the actual brightness values of the light-emitting components, and improves the efficiency of correcting the brightness uniformity of the electronic display. |
| US08760443B2 |
Low-leakage gate lines driving circuit for display device
A gates-line driving circuit of a display device includes a plurality of stages that are serially connected to each other, where each stage includes a plurality of transistors and a plurality of capacitors and receives a scanning start signal, a plurality of clock signals, and first and second gate-off voltages Voff1 and Voff2 of different magnitudes, where some of the transistors are turned off with the first gate-off voltage, and others of the transistors are turned off with the second gate-off voltage. |
| US08760436B2 |
Mutual capacitive touch panel
Disclosed herein is a mutual capacitive touch panel, including: a first transparent substrate; a first bar-shaped transparent electrode formed on the first transparent substrate and divided in a length direction; first wiring whose one set of ends are connected to the first bar-shaped transparent electrode and whose the other set of ends are arranged on one side of the first transparent substrate; a second transparent substrate; a second bar-shaped transparent electrode formed on the second transparent substrate and divided in a length direction; second wiring whose one set of ends are connected to the second bar-shaped to transparent electrode and whose the other set of ends are arranged on one side of the second transparent substrate; and an adhesive layer disposed between the first bar-shaped transparent electrode and the second bar-shaped transparent electrode such that the first bar-shaped transparent electrode and the second bar-shaped transparent electrode face each other. The mutual capacitive touch panel is advantageous in that, since transparent electrodes are divided, low resistance can be realized even when the transparent electrodes are made of a conductive polymer, thus keeping up with the trend of manufacturing large touch panels. |
| US08760431B2 |
Display apparatus
An embodiment of the present invention provides a display apparatus including: a first substrate; an optical layer on the first substrate, the optical layer comprising a plurality of pixels for displaying an image and an array of optical sensors for detecting a contact location on the display apparatus; and a contact detector detecting whether or not the display apparatus is touched. |
| US08760426B1 |
Dominant hand detection for computing devices
Disclosed are various embodiments for dominant hand detection in a computing device such as a mobile computing device. A dominant hand preference of a user of the computing device is automatically detected. A user interface rendered by the computing device is automatically adapted based at least in part on the dominant hand preference. |
| US08760422B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
Provided is an information processing apparatus including a position detection unit for detecting positions of a plurality of operating tools pressing a screen, a pressure intensity detection unit for detecting pressure intensity of each of the operating tools, a storage unit having recorded thereon predetermined relative information indicating a relative position and a pressure intensity ratio between operating tools, a relative information detection unit for detecting the predetermined relative information that is approximate to the relative position between operating tools obtained from information on the positions detected by the position detection unit and the pressure intensity ratio between operating tools obtained from information on the pressure intensity detected by the pressure intensity detection unit, and a function providing unit for providing a predetermined function corresponding to the predetermined relative information detected by the relative information detection unit. |
| US08760421B2 |
Method for increased accessibility to a human machine interface
A method is defined for providing an individual increased accessibility to a touch screen displaying first and second elements. The individual initially engages the touch screen with a contact point at a first location. The contact point is dragged across the touch screen into engagement with the first element and the first element is highlighted in response thereto. Thereafter, the individual may drag the contact point across the touch screen from the first element into engagement with the second element whereby the second element is highlighted on the touch screen and the highlight is removed from the first element. Audible announcements may accompany the contacting of the first or second elements with the contact point. |
| US08760417B2 |
Touch-enabled circle control for time and date entry
In a system and a method, a selection of an input data field is detected. In response to the selection of the input data field, a user interface having an inner concentric circle and an outer concentric circle is generated. A contact point corresponding to a location of a touch gesture submitted via a touch-enabled input device within one of the inner concentric circle and the outer concentric circle is detected. An angular velocity of circular movement from the contact point around one of the concentric circles is measured. An input data value is adjusted at a granularity based on the contact point and at a rate based on the measured angular velocity of circular movement. |
| US08760414B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a first body, a second body slidably coupled with the first body such that the second body is slidably moved in a widthwise direction to implement an opened and closed configuration with respect to the first body, first and second keypads disposed separately on a front surface of the second body, a display disposed on a front surface of the first body and configured to display content input through manipulation of the first or second keypads, and a touch screen disposed between the first and second keypads and being linked with the first and second keypads so as to display information that can be input and displayed on the display and that is not included on the first or second keypads. |
| US08760413B2 |
Tactile surface
In one or more embodiments, a device includes a surface and an actuator mechanism operably associated with the surface. The actuator mechanism is configured to provide tactile feedback to a user responsive to an electrical signal. In at least some embodiments, the actuator mechanism comprises a pair of spaced-apart substrates each of which supports a conductive layer of material. A dielectric material and an adjacent air gap may be interposed between the substrates. Drive circuitry is operably connected to the spaced-apart substrates and is configured to drive the conductive layers of material with an electrical signal. This signal may be responsive to sensing a touch input on the surface or other appropriate event. |
| US08760412B2 |
Dual configuration for display data lines
A display having data lines that can be configured between a display mode and a touch mode is disclosed. The display can have sense regions for sensing a touch or near touch on the display during the touch mode. These same regions can display graphics or data on the display during the display mode. During display mode, the data lines in the sense regions can be configured to couple to display circuitry in order to receive data signals from the circuitry for displaying. During touch mode, the data lines in the sense regions can be configured to couple to corresponding sense lines in the regions, which in turn can couple to touch circuitry, in order to transmit touch signals to the circuitry for sensing a touch or near touch. Alternatively, during touch mode, the data lines in the sense regions can be configured to couple to ground in order to transmit residual data signals to ground for discarding. |
| US08760410B2 |
Apparatus and method for improvement of usability of touch screen
Provided are an apparatus and method for improving usability of a touch screen. The apparatus includes a touch sensing unit that senses a first touch and a second touch and detects the touched locations of the sensed touches, a pointer setting unit that sets a pointer to the detected location of the first touch, and a coordinate transforming unit that transforms movement of a touched location, which is caused by movement of the second touch, into movement of a location of the pointer. |
| US08760406B2 |
Edge to edge qwerty keypad for a handheld device
An improved handheld electronic device is provided with a display and a unique edge to edge qwerty keypad. The specially arranged qwerty keypad has special side keys and intermediate keys which cooperate with the housing to provide a waterproof casing (case) and sealing system to seal and protect the keys, backlighting, flexes, domes and printed circuit board (PCB) from water. |
| US08760404B2 |
Method and apparatus pertaining to a touch typing-friendly grid-patterned keyboard
A keyboard can be comprised of a plurality of alphabetic keys that are disposed in an evenly-spaced grid pattern with respect to one another. In any event, these keys have keycaps configured to comport with touch typing as with a keyboard having a plurality of alphabetic keys that are disposed in an offset pattern (such as the classic QWERTY offset-pattern typewriter-styled keyboard). By one approach, these keycaps can have keycaps having bilaterally-nonsymmetrical tactile features that at least substantially match standard touch-typing finger positions. By one approach these tactile features can comprise an indentation. If desired, these keycaps can share a same form factor. In such a case, some of the keycaps for the alphabetic keys can be disposed on the keyboard at a 180 degree rotation as compared to others of the alphabetic character keycaps. |
| US08760402B2 |
Mouse used with mouth
A mouse includes a main body and a control circuit. A left button, a number of pressure sensors, a right button, and a control button are positioned on the main body. The control circuit includes a control unit, an acceleration sensor, and a wireless transmitter. The left button, the pressure sensors, the right button, the control button, the acceleration sensor, and the wireless transmitter are connected to the control unit. When the mouse is placed in the mouth of a user, the left button, the pressure sensors, and the right button are operated by the tongue of the user. The control button is bitten by the teeth of the user, to turn on the acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor senses movement of the head of the user, and cooperates with the control unit and the wireless transmitter to control a cursor of a computer to move. |
| US08760400B2 |
Gui applications for use with 3D remote controller
A remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system is provided. The wand may be operative to control the movement of a cursor displayed on screen by the position and orientation at which the wand is held. As the user moves the wand, the on-screen cursor may move. The user may use the wand to control a plurality of operations and applications that may be available from the media system, including for example zoom operations, a keyboard application, an image application, an illustration application, and a media application. |
| US08760396B2 |
Stereoscopic image display device
Disclosed is a stereoscopic image display device which detects movement of moving viewers from among multiple viewers and enables the multiple viewers to observe a stereoscopic image even if the moving viewers change positions, the stereoscopic image display device includes a display panel corresponding to one switchable region to emit two-dimensional images, the number of which is more than the number of N views (N being a natural number over 3), a switchable panel located on the display panel to convert the two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images and to emit the three-dimensional images when voltage is applied thereto, a detection unit to detect movement of moving viewers from among multiple views and final positions of the moving viewers, and a control unit to output a control signal to shift the views of the two-dimensional images according to the movement and the final positions of the moving viewers. |
| US08760395B2 |
Gesture recognition techniques
In one or more implementations, a static geometry model is generated, from one or more images of a physical environment captured using a camera, using one or more static objects to model corresponding one or more objects in the physical environment. Interaction of a dynamic object with at least one of the static objects is identified by analyzing at least one image and a gesture is recognized from the identified interaction of the dynamic object with the at least one of the static objects to initiate an operation of the computing device. |
| US08760385B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for local dimming driving using spatial filter of the same
A liquid crystal display device capable of improving a contrast ratio and of reducing a halo phenomenon with low power consumption and a method for local dimming driving the same are disclosed. A method for local dimming driving a liquid crystal display includes determining a local dimming value for each of light-emitting blocks based on analyzing input image data by the unit of light-emitting block provided in a backlight unit; determining a halo degree by analyzing a total light quantity of black pixels having black gradations in the input image data; adjusting the number of spatial filtering repetitions based on the determined halo degree; compensating the local dimming value by performing spatial filtering for the local dimming value an adjusted number of times; and controlling brightness of the backlight unit for each of the blocks by using the compensated local dimming value. |
| US08760384B2 |
Image display apparatus and image display method
An image display apparatus includes: a backlight configured to emit light; a liquid crystal panel configured to modulate light emitted from the backlight to make an image display; a backlight luminance calculating unit configured to calculate a light-emission luminance of the backlight such that a center value of a luminance range displayable on the liquid crystal panel defined depending on the light-emission luminance of the backlight substantially agrees with a center value of luminances of pixels forming an input image; a backlight controlling unit configured to control light emission of the backlight so that the light from the backlight is emitted with the calculated light-emission luminance; a luminance correcting unit configured to correct the luminance of each pixel in the input image in accordance with the calculated light-emission luminance; and a liquid crystal controlling unit configured to control modulation of the liquid crystal panel based upon the corrected input image. |
| US08760381B2 |
Display device and driving method
There is provided a display device including an array substrate including pixels arranged in a matrix manner and gate control circuits that scan gate lines of the pixels and that are provided on the array substrate such that the gate control circuits correspond to the respective gate lines of the pixels. Each of the gate control circuits includes a first output terminal that outputs a signal to each of the gate lines, and a second output terminal that outputs a signal that is supplied to a gate control circuit in a subsequent stage. When adjacent two of the gate lines are scanned simultaneously from an upper part of a screen by the signal output from the first output terminal of each of the gate control circuits, a gate on period is provided during which outputs from the first output terminals of adjacent two of the gate control circuits are the same. |
| US08760373B2 |
Pixel circuit, display device, and method of driving pixel circuit
A pixel circuit, display device, and method of driving a pixel circuit enabling source-follower output with no deterioration of luminance even with a change of the current-voltage characteristic of the light emitting element along with elapse, enabling a source-follower circuit of n-channel transistors, and able to use an n-channel transistor as an EL drive transistor while using current anode-cathode electrodes, wherein a source of a TFT 111 as a drive transistor is connected to an anode of a light emitting element 114, a drain is connected to a power source potential VCC, a capacitor C111 is connected between a gate and source of the TFT 111, and a source potential of the TFT 111 is connected to a fixed potential through a TFT 113 as a switching transistor. |
| US08760372B2 |
Pixel circuit and display device, and a method of manufacturing pixel circuit
The display device including a pixel circuit has a first line, a transistor, a light emitting element, and a second line. The transistor is located between the second line and an electrode of the light emitting element. Either the first line or the second line is wired in a region that overlaps a light emitting region of the light emitting element in a lamination direction of layers. The second line intersects the first line outside of the light emitting region and overlaps a non-light emitting region of the light emitting element. |
| US08760370B2 |
System for generating non-homogenous light and associated methods
A lighting system including a plurality of luminaires capable of generating polychromatic light having a dominant wavelength in the visible spectrum and arranged into an array and a computerized device electrically coupled to the plurality of luminaires so as to selectively operate each individual luminaire to produce source light varying with each other and with time. The computerized device operates the luminaire such that each luminaire emits a source light, the source lights combining to form a combined light having selected characteristics. The source lights, when perceived directly, recreate a lighting scenario having varying lighting characteristics. |
| US08760369B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a panel portion, on which a plurality of sub-pixels with a discrete bus line form each individual pixel, the plurality of sub-pixels that form the individual pixel being sequentially arranged in a horizontal and a vertical direction, the panel portion displaying a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image by application of a signal via the bus line; and a filter portion, provided on a front surface of the panel portion, that alternately changes, for each of predetermined horizontal regions, a polarization state of light passing through the panel portion. A boundary of each of the horizontal regions of the filter portion is positioned within a range of a first sub-pixel of each of the plurality of sub-pixels. The first sub-pixel displays a different image when the two-dimensional image is displayed on the panel portion to when the three-dimensional image is displayed on the panel portion. |
| US08760368B2 |
Three-dimensional display device, image producing device and image display system
A three-dimensional display device comprises pixel blocks where pixels having a plurality of dots are arranged to be matrix, respectively, a display body formed in a matter that the pixel blocks are arranged in a matrix, lens blocks where a plurality of lenses are arranged to be matrix corresponding to the pixels, respectively, and a lens panel formed in a manner that the lens blocks are arranged in a matrix. A three-dimensional image is displayed by maintaining the display body and the lens panel at predetermined intervals so as to correspond the arrangement positions of the pixel blocks with those of the lens blocks on the matrix, concurrently, and by spatially matching virtual images of the dots, the virtual images being produced by a plurality of the lenses whose arrangement positions are the same among a plurality of the lens blocks. |
| US08760364B2 |
Portable multi-display device
A separable portable multi-display device is provided. A portable multi-display device includes a main body panel housing having a first display, a sub-panel housing having a second display, and a coupling device for coupling the main body panel housing to the sub-panel housing such that at least one sides of the first display and the second display can contact each other. The panel housings are separable from and connectable to each other, a range of a border between the displays when the panel housings are interconnected being minimized so that the displays can be shown as if it is driven as a single screen. |
| US08760363B2 |
Systems and methods for switching between an electronic paper display and a video display
Systems and methods for switching between an electronic paper display and a video display are provided. Control circuitry in an electronic device can analyze visual content to determine one or more features of the visual content. For example, the control circuitry can analyze visual content to determine the rate of change and/or color composition of the visual content. Based on the one or more features, the control circuitry can selectively enable the device's electronic paper display or the device's video display. |
| US08760352B2 |
Mobile device and antenna array thereof
A mobile device at least includes a dielectric substrate, an antenna array, and a transceiver. The antenna array includes a first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna. The third antenna is disposed between the first and second antennas so as to reduce coupling between the first and second antennas. The first, second and third antennas are all embedded in the dielectric substrate and substantially arranged in a straight line. Each of the first and second antennas is a transmission antenna and the third antenna is a reception antenna, or each of the first and second antennas is a reception antenna and the third antenna is a transmission antenna. The transceiver is coupled to the antenna array and is configured to transmit or receive a signal. |
| US08760348B2 |
Multi-band antenna
A multi-band antenna includes a base plate of which a feeding portion, a connection section and a ground portion are connected with rear, front and left edges of the base plate respectively, a first radiating element connected with a right edge of the base plate and coplanar with the base plate, a second radiating element coplanar with the base plate and the connection section and connected with an upper portion of a left rim of the connection section with a free end thereof adjacent to the ground portion, and a third radiating element connected with a lower end of the left rim of the connection section. Wherein the second radiating element is apart located between the ground portion and the third radiating element. |
| US08760343B2 |
Detection and correction of anomalous measurements and ambiguity resolution in a global navigation satellite system receiver
A global navigation system includes a first navigation receiver located in a rover and a second navigation receiver located in a base station. Single differences of measurements of satellite signals received at the two receivers are calculated and compared to single differences derived from an observation model. Anomalous measurements are detected and removed prior to performing computations for determining the output position of the rover and resolving integer ambiguities. Detection criteria are based on the residuals between the calculated and the derived single differences. For resolving integer ambiguities, computations based on Cholesky information Kalman filters and Householder transformations are advantageously applied. Changes in the state of the satellite constellation from one epoch to another are included in the computations. |
| US08760340B2 |
Processing radar return signals to detect targets
In certain embodiments, an apparatus comprises range matched filters and a Doppler-acceleration matched filter system. The matched filters are configured to receive radar return signals detected by an antenna and range match filter the radar return signals to place the radar return signals into range cells. The Doppler-acceleration matched filter system is configured to Doppler-acceleration process the radar return signals in the range cells to facilitate identification of one or more targets. |
| US08760338B2 |
Compapator and analog-to-digital convertor
A comparator includes: a differential amplifier circuit to operate based on a clock signal and output a first intermediate output and a second intermediate output corresponding to a first input signal and a second input signal respectively; and a differential latch circuit to operate based on the clock signal and vary a state based on the first intermediate output and the second intermediate output, the differential latch circuit having a controllable sensitivity with respect to a state variation of the first intermediate output and the second intermediate output. |
| US08760334B2 |
Receiver for use in an ultra-wideband communication system
In an ultra-wideband (“UWB”) receiver, a received UWB signal is periodically digitized as a series of ternary samples. The samples are continuously correlated with a predetermined preamble sequence to develop a correlation value. When the value exceeds a predetermined threshold, indicating that the preamble sequence is being received, estimates of the channel impulse response (“CIR”) are developed. When a start-of-frame delimiter (“SFD”) is detected, the best CIR estimate is provided to a channel matched filter (“CMF”) substantially to filter channel-injected noise. |
| US08760332B2 |
Digital-analog conversion apparatus and method
An apparatus and a method for digital-analog conversion are provided. The apparatus includes a first cell matrix for outputting a current of a signal corresponding to a number of Most Significant Bits (MSBs) of an input digital signal, a second cell matrix for outputting a current of a signal corresponding to a number of Least Significant Bits (LSBs) of the input digital signal, an amplifier for amplifying the output current of the second cell matrix at a preset amplification, and an adder for adding the output current of the first cell matrix and the output current of the amplifier. |
| US08760330B2 |
Analog-to-digital converter, signal processor, and method for analog-to-digital conversion
An analog-to-digital converter for converting an input signal includes a sigma-delta modulator for receiving an analog modulator input signal and for providing a digital modulator output signal and an interference cancellation loop. The interference cancellation loop includes a digital filter, a digital-to-analog converter, and a signal combiner. The digital filter is configured to amplify the sigma-delta output signal in a frequency band, attenuate the sigma-delta output signal outside the frequency band and a transition band surrounding the frequency band, and provide a filtered digital feedback signal. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to convert the filtered digital signal to a cancellation signal. The signal combiner is configured to combine the input signal with the cancellation signal resulting in the modulator input signal, in order to at least partially cancel interference signal portions within the input signal. |
| US08760329B2 |
Asynchronous analog-to-digital converter
A method is provided. An analog signal is received. The analog input signal is compared to first and second reference signals to generate a first comparison result, and the first comparison result and a first time stamp corresponding to the first comparison result are registered. A first portion of a digital signal is generated from the first comparison result. If the comparison result remains substantially the same for a predetermined interval, an ADC is enabled to generate a second comparison result at a sampling instant. A second time stamp that corresponds to the sampling instant is generated. The second comparison result and a second time stamp corresponding to the first comparison result are registered, and a second portion of the digital signal is generated from the second comparison result. |
| US08760328B1 |
Interface circuitry for an integrated circuit system
An integrated circuit system may include a first integrated circuit (IC), a second IC, and interface circuitry. The first IC is operable to output a parallel data stream at a first data rate. The second IC is operable to output a serialized data stream at a second date rate. The second data rate may be different than the first data rate. The interface circuitry may be coupled between the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit. The interface circuitry may be operable to convert the parallel data stream received from the first IC into a serialized data stream with the second data rate. The interface circuitry may be also operable to convert the serialized data stream received from the second IC to a parallel data stream with the first data rate. |
| US08760326B2 |
Method for data transmission to an electronic control unit
A method for data transmission from a programming device to a control unit, the data being compressed by Huffman coding and transmitted with a Huffman coding tree for decoding from the programming device to the control unit, are decompressed and stored in the control unit, by performing, for a predetermined number of data words of N-bits, a first Huffman coding with a first coding tree; performing, for the remaining data words consisting of M-bits, a second Huffman coding with a second coding tree, N greater than M, the predetermined number of data words of N-bits and the remaining data words of M-bits consisting of more than two data words, generating coding trees for the N-bit and the M-bit data words, and transmitting them to the control unit, and providing all coded N-bit data words and N/M of successive M-bit data words with a preceding code bit. |
| US08760324B1 |
Synchronous multi-clock protocol converter
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of transferring data from a fast clock domain associated with a fast clock signal to a slow clock domain associated with a slow clock signal, the method comprising receiving first fast data from the fast clock domain during a first fast clock cycle, wherein the first fast clock cycle is a first full fast clock cycle in a first slow clock cycle; and propagating, during the first full fast clock cycle in the first slow clock cycle, the received first fast data to the slow clock domain. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08760318B2 |
Method for traffic monitoring and secure processing of traffic violations
A method for monitoring of traffic patterns and securely processing events of violations of traffic regulations on at least one designated surface incorporating steps of positioning at least one mobile traffic monitoring and recording module arranged to monitor traffic on at least one designated surface, to detect events of potential violations of traffic regulations, to store information pertinent to the monitored traffic and detected events of potential violations of traffic regulations, and to transmit, using a secure wireless method, at least a portion of the stored information for further processing. The method also include establishing at least one traffic information processing center arranged to securely receive and process transmitted portion of the stored information, to process received portion of the stored information pertinent to traffic regulations violations, and to generate actionable portfolio of documents for communication to subjects having interest in the processed traffic regulations violations. |
| US08760317B2 |
High occupancy vehicle lane enforcement system using an information system for reduced false positives
An upstream vehicle detection system captures images of a vehicle as it travels through a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane or high occupancy vehicle tolling (HOT) station and generates an hypothesis as to whether the vehicle is complying with HOV or HOT rules based on image analysis. A database of historical information about various vehicles' compliance with HOV or HOT rules is consulted to determine whether the vehicle has previously been identified as a potential violator and pulled over by law enforcement as a result. If the vehicle was previously pulled over by law enforcement and determined to be complying with HOV or HOT rules (a false positive), then the violation hypothesis may be weighted in favor of not pulling the vehicle over. |
| US08760316B2 |
Enhanced transponder programming in an open road toll system
A transponder communication system and method for communicating with a transponder in an electronic toll collection system. A roadside reader attempts to program the transponder in a normal mode in which a programming signal is transmitted to a first coverage area. If the programming attempt in the normal mode is unsuccessful, the reader attempts to program the transponder in an enhanced mode in which a programming signal is transmitted to a second coverage area. The coverage area is adjusted after the programming attempt in the normal mode by using an adjacent antenna to the antenna used to transmit in the normal mode or by increasing the power of the programming signal to a level that is greater than the level used to transmit the programming signal in the normal mode. |
| US08760313B2 |
Display device for an actuator and actuator for an armature
The invention relates to a display device (54) for an actuator having at least one mechanical display element (10, 11) and a variable speed gear unit, particularly a signal gear unit designed as a variable speed gear unit, having at least two gears with differing transmission ratios, wherein there is a mechanical switching arrangement with which the different gears and/or transmission ratios of the variable speed gear unit can be selected and/or switched even when the display device is mounted operationally ready in a housing without intervention into the housing and without opening the housing from outside, and/or wherein the resolution of the display device (54) and/or the movement of the at least one display element (10, 11) on the actuating path to be displayed of a respective actuator and/or a respective armature can be selectively adjusted. The invention furthermore relates to an actuator having a said type of display device (54). |
| US08760310B2 |
Clip-worn device with DON/DOFF sensor
Clip-worn apparatuses having sensor clips configured to detect whether electronic devices, such as communications headsets, are being worn (i.e., “donned” or “DON'd”) or are not being worn (i.e., “doffed” or “DOFF'd”) by a user. An exemplary clip-worn apparatus includes a DON/DOFF sensor clip having a clip with a first end and an opposing second end. The first end includes a source (e.g., a light source). The opposing second end includes a detector (e.g., a light detector). When the clip-worn apparatus is DOFF'd, a detection path between the source and the detector is clear and unobstructed. When the clip-worn apparatus is DON'd (by clipping the DON/DOFF sensor clip to a target object, e.g., a user's ear), the target object becomes positioned between the source and the detector, thereby obstructing the detection path between the source and the detector. |
| US08760309B2 |
Fuel cell compressor air bearing wear sensor
A wear sensor system, compressors using the wear sensor system and methods of detecting wear on a bearing. The wear sensor system includes a stationary housing-mounted circuit comprising a first inductor electrically connected to a voltage source and a rotating shaft-mounted circuit comprising a second inductor electrically connected to a capacitor. When there is no metal-to-metal contact between the shaft of the compressor and the housing into which the shaft is mounted, the housing-mounted circuit inductively charges the shaft-mounted capacitor and reduces a current level when the shaft mounted capacitor is charged. Likewise, when there is metal-to-metal contact between the shaft and the housing (which is indicative of bearing wear), the shaft-mounted circuit is grounded; this causes the housing-mounted circuit to increase the current level. This increased current level may be output to a suitable device for display or other indicia of bearing wear. |
| US08760305B2 |
Method of determining a remaining capacity of an energy source of an information tag for agriculture
The invention relates to a method of determining a remaining capacity of an energy source of an agricultural information tag. The method includes adjusting, such as increasing or decreasing, a counter at the occurrence of an event which leads to a consumption of energy from the energy source, and determining a remaining capacity of the energy source from a value of the counter. The event may include the elapsing of a predetermined period of time and a transmission of information by the information tag. |
| US08760301B2 |
LED strobes with fixed pulse width
An LED strobe notification device and method for operating an LED strobe notification device is provided. The LED strobe notification device is configured to generate an output at two or more candela settings and is configured to generate the output at the two or more candela settings having a human-perceived pulse duration with a fixed width. The LED strobe device includes: an LED strobe element; and an LED controller in communication with the LED strobe element with the LED controller configured to: receive a candela selection for the LED strobe element, the candela selection selected from the two or more candela settings; receive a command to activate the LED strobe element of the LED strobe notification device; and in response to receiving the command, control the LED strobe element in order to generate the output from the LED strobe element having the human-perceived pulse duration with the fixed width. |
| US08760298B2 |
Real-time event notification
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the real-time notification of user events. According to various embodiments described herein, a user initiates a notification process in which the geographic location of a device associated with the user, as well as any desired activity data, is generated into a real-time notification for another party. The location of the user device is determined upon the initiation of the notification process. Original or pre-programmed messages may be posted on a website or delivered along with the location of the user device to any number of communication devices. The various embodiments provide an efficient manner of updating selected individuals with the location of a user and of providing those individuals with desired information. |
| US08760293B2 |
Wireless sensor having a variable transmission rate
A sensing device transmits wireless signals when an error between at least one sampled parameter value and at least one predicted parameter value is too great, such that the sensing device transmits wireless signals to a load control device using a variable transmission rate that is dependent upon the amount of change in a value of the parameter. The sensing device uses the one or more estimators to determine the predicted parameter value, and may transmit the estimators to the load control device if the error is too great. The load control device uses the estimators to determine at least one estimated parameter value and controls the electrical load in response to the estimated parameter value. The sensing device may comprise, for example, a daylight sensor for measuring a total light intensity in the space around the sensor or a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature around the sensor. |
| US08760291B1 |
Notification apparatus, system, and method
A notification apparatus, system, and method that provides up-to-the-minute status information for a facility or a group of facilities to an administrator and to persons who work at or otherwise frequent such facility or group of facilities. |
| US08760287B1 |
Location aware reminders
Disclosed are various embodiments employed to generate location and proximity based reminders. To this end, a device is configured to generate its geographical location using a positioning system. The device detects when it impinges upon at least one geographical trigger based upon its geographical location. A predefined reminder is generated in the device when the device impinges upon the geographical trigger. |
| US08760286B2 |
System and method for communication with a tracking device
A system and method for providing communication with a tracking device are disclosed. An example tracking device includes a location detector, a communication device, memory, a processor, and a configuration routine. The location detector is operative to determine locations of the tracking device. The communication device is operative to communicate with a remote system. The memory stores data and code, the data including location data determined by the location detector and configuration data. The processor is operative to execute the code to impart functionality to the tracking device. The functionality of the tracking device depends at least in part on the configuration data. The configuration routine is operative to modify the configuration data responsive to communications from the remote system. Thus, functional access to the tracking device is provided to the remote system. |
| US08760284B2 |
Listening system comprising an alerting device and a listening device
A listening system that eases the acknowledgement of ‘alarm signals’, as e.g. issued by alarm indicators, in the environment of a user in difficult listening situations. The listening system is adapted to issue specific ALARM mode signals to the user corresponding to said external alarm signals, when said listening system is in an ALARM mode. An advantage of the present system is that a user is able to take notice of alarms from normal indicators even in case of a hearing impairment and/or when located in a noisy environment. The system may e.g. be used for the hearing instruments, ear protection devices, earphones, headsets or combinations thereof. |
| US08760282B2 |
Monitoring remote environmental conditions
A server system for remote monitoring includes a wireless communication interface, a processor, and a storage device. The wireless communication interface receives at least one data packet over wireless communications from a remote monitoring system. The processor processes the data packet including sensor information from a sensor coupled to the remote monitoring system. The storage device stores the sensor information. |
| US08760281B1 |
System triggered travel alerts
A travel alert manager receives travel data from a plurality of data sources and identifies an alert data type from the travel data. The travel alert manager generates an alert for the alert data type based on a primary alert condition, the alert to provide a notification that the travel data will affect a travel property. The travel alert manager determines a priority of the alert and issues the alert if alerts matching the priority of the alert are authorized by system settings. |
| US08760280B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating with non-addressable notification appliances
A non-addressable fire alarm system, with a fire alarm control panel and one or more non-addressable devices, is provided. The fire alarm control panel sends a broadcast command to the one or more non-addressable devices in the fire alarm system. In response thereto, the one or more non-addressable device modify at least one aspect of one or more communication lines in the fire alarm system. For example, the non-addressable device may generate an open circuit, a closed circuit, or put a current on the one or more communication lines. As another example, the non-addressable device may send a communication back to the fire alarm control panel. |
| US08760275B2 |
Obstacle warning system and method
As a user is interacting with a mobile device, the user is sometimes distracted from impending obstacles that may be approaching the user. The mobile device can detect an approaching obstacle and can determine that the user is also interacting with the mobile device. Upon detecting these two events, the user of the mobile device is notified of the approaching obstacle using various notification methods, such as displaying a message to the user or using an audible sound or message. The notification can also include interrupting an application on the mobile device, such as a video game, to display a message to the user of the approaching obstacle.The system and method also comprise a distributed architecture where detection of the approaching obstacle is accomplished external to the mobile device. For example, a detection module in an automobile or airplane can be used to detect approaching obstacles. |
| US08760274B2 |
System for communicating between a trailer tracking device, a truck tracking device, and a central monitoring station
When a cargo trailer is coupled to a truck, a trailer tracking device on the trailer acquires an identifier of a truck tracking device attached to the truck. The trailer tracking device then transmits a message to a central server indicating that the trailer is coupled to the truck, which message includes the identifiers of the two tracking devices. The central server associates the identifiers of the two tracking devices in a database. When the trailer is decoupled from the truck, the trailer tracking device transmits a message to the central server indicating that the trailer is decoupled. The trailer tracking device then goes into a sleep mode until the trailer is again coupled to a truck, a predetermined time interval expires, a motion sensor indicates trailer movement, location coordinates indicate a geofence violation, or a low battery voltage condition occurs. Upon any of these events, the trailer tracking device wakes up and transmits to the central server a message indicating which situation caused the transmission and including the location coordinates of the trailer. |
| US08760270B2 |
Intercom system controlling method
An intercom system controlling method stores intercom system location information in an electronic device, and sets a reply interface which is displayed on a screen to provide alert messages and operable buttons regarding different communication statuses between the electronic device and an intercom system, which has an outdoor installed at an entrance of a building and an indoor intercom installed with the building. After receiving a request data packet that is generated and sent by a network device of the intercom system, the method displays the intercom system location information, the alert messages and operable buttons of a waiting-for communication status on the reply interface. |
| US08760269B2 |
Control system for augmenting a portable touch screen device
Presented is a control system for augmenting a portable touch screen device having integral processing capability. The control system includes an enclosure configured for housing the portable touch screen device, an internal docking connector configured for communicatively mating with the portable touch screen device, and hard buttons. At least one of the hard buttons is functionally configured for use with an application program running on the portable touch screen device. The control system further includes first and second cameras disposed on the enclosure. The control system further includes a processor configured for converting button actuations into a digital format, and a first facility for communicating the digital format to the portable touch screen device via the internal docking connector. The application program is configured such that, during operation, the application program communicates the status of the one hard button to at least one external device. |
| US08760266B1 |
Systems and methods to deliver information to a member
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media deliver a variety of personalized information to a member of an association. In embodiments, information intended for delivery to a member, with or without request by the member, may be delivered via a television transmission, a telematic transmission to a vehicle, or a read-only memory. A password or biometric may be used to authenticate the intended viewer of the delivered information prior to displaying it. |
| US08760264B2 |
Article conveying system and sample processing system
An object of the present invention is to provide a sample processing system, wherein writing to each RFID is equalized to eliminate unevenness in the use of sample containers.The configuration of the present invention can be realized by controlling the numbers of times (write counts) data is written to RFIDs, and by skipping data writing according to frequencies in the use of sample containers.Setting use information (count) of each IC tag, and comparing the use information with an average value of the use of the IC tags, make it possible to limit the write counts, which enables the equalization of writing to the IC tags, thereby making it possible to uniform the use of the sample containers in the system. |
| US08760263B2 |
System for recovering data from an unreadable tag
A system includes a population of items each including a tag, each tag including a plurality of identification bits and a plurality of redundancy bits, and a tag reader configured to read tags and determine the identification bits of at least one unreadable tag in the population based on the identification bits and the redundancy bits of at least one readable tag in the population. |
| US08760260B2 |
Method for tracking cyclical procedures performed on personal protection equipment
A method for tracking procedures performed on an article of PPE includes the steps of providing an article of PPE configured with a first smart tag to a first individual prior to performance of a first task; processing the article of PPE in a first cycle after the first individual performs the first task; and retrieving first information from the first smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE in the first cycle. The method further includes the steps of providing the article of PPE configured with a second smart tag to a second individual prior to performance of a second task; processing the article of PPE in a second cycle after the second individual performs the second task; and retrieving second information from the second smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE in the second cycle. |
| US08760255B2 |
Contactless communications using ferromagnetic material
A communications structure comprises a first semiconductor substrate having a first coil, and a second semiconductor substrate having a second coil above the first semiconductor substrate. Inner edges of the first and second coils define a boundary of a volume that extends below the first coil and above the second coil. A ferromagnetic core is positioned at least partially within the boundary, such that a mutual inductance is provided between the first and second coils for wireless transmission of signals or power between the first and second coils. |
| US08760251B2 |
System and method for producing stacked field emission structures
A stacked field emission system having an outer surface includes at least three field emission structure layers having a stacked relationship that defines a field characteristic of the outer surface. The mechanisms holds the at least three field emission structure layers such that a plurality of interface surfaces of the at least three field emission structure layers correspond to a plurality of interface boundaries between adjacent field emission structure layers. Each of the at least three field emission structure layers includes a plurality of field emission sources having positions, polarities, and field strengths in accordance with a spatial force function that corresponds to a relative alignment of the at least three field emission structures layers in the stacked relationship. A movement of at least one of the at least three field emission structures varies the field characteristics of the outer surface. |
| US08760236B2 |
Drift stabilization of magnetically tunable filter by temperature regulation and mechanical isolation of elctromagnet coil
An electromagnet structure comprises a magnetic shell having a cavity, a magnetic pole located within the cavity and having a magnetic gap for focusing a magnetic field on a magnetically tunable filter, a conductive coil located within the cavity of the magnetic shell and forming multiple turns around the magnetic pole, and a heater located within the cavity of the magnetic shell and configured to maintain the conductive coil at a substantially constant temperature when the magnetically tunable filter is tuned to different frequencies. |
| US08760234B2 |
MEMS vibrator and oscillator
A MEMS vibrator includes: a substrate; a first electrode disposed above the substrate; and a second electrode disposed in a state where at least one portion of the second electrode has a space between the first electrode and the second electrode, and having a beam portion capable of vibrating, in the thickness direction of the substrate, with electrostatic force and a supporting portion supporting one edge of the beam portion and disposed above the substrate, wherein a supporting side face of the supporting portion supporting the one edge has a bending portion which bends in plan view from the thickness direction of the substrate, and the one edge is supported by the supporting side face including the bending portion. |
| US08760233B2 |
Frequency selection and amplifying device
A frequency selection device comprises an oscillator, which comprises a resonator mass which is connected by a spring arrangement to a substrate, and a piezoresistive element for controlling oscillation of the resonator mass, which comprises a piezoresistive element connected to the resonator mass. A current is driven through the piezoresistive element to control oscillation of the resonator mass. An input is provided for coupling a signal from which a desired frequency range is to be selected, to the resonator mass; and a detector is used for detecting a signal amplified by the oscillator. |
| US08760232B2 |
Atomic oscillator
An atomic oscillator includes an atom that generates interaction with first and second lights in accordance with an energy level of a three-level system; and a light source that emits the first light having a first plurality of lights of a first plurality of frequency components different from each other and the second light having a second plurality of lights of a second plurality of frequency components different from each other, wherein when the first and second lights are irradiated to the atom, an electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon occurs in accordance with one of the first plurality of lights and one of the second plurality of lights. |
| US08760231B2 |
Piezoelectric device and electronic apparatus
A piezoelectric device includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a piezoelectric resonator element, a part of the piezoelectric resonator element being disposed so as to overlap with a part of the IC chip when viewed in plan. The IC chip includes: an inner pad disposed on an active face and in an area where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator when viewed in plan; an insulating layer formed on the active face; a relocation pad disposed on the insulating layer and in an area other than a part where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator element, the relocation pad being coupled to an end part of a first wire; and a second wire electrically coupling the inner pad and the relocation pad, the second wire having a relocation wire and a connector that penetrates the insulating layer, the relocation wire being disposed between the insulating layer and the active face. |
| US08760228B2 |
Differential power management and power amplifier architecture
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuitry, which includes non-inverting path power amplifier (PA) circuitry, inverting path PA circuitry, and RF transformer circuitry. The non-inverting path PA circuitry provides a non-inverting RF signal and a first power supply (PS) signal to the RF transformer circuitry, such that the first PS signal has a first ripple voltage. The inverting path PA circuitry provides an inverting RF signal and a second PS signal to the RF transformer circuitry, such that the second PS signal has a second ripple voltage. The RF transformer circuitry additively combines the non-inverting RF signal and the inverting RF signal to provide an RF output signal, such that effects of the first ripple voltage and the second ripple voltage are substantially cancelled from the RF output signal. |
| US08760224B2 |
Amplifying circuits and calibration methods therefor
An amplifying circuit is provided and includes a signal processor, an edge detector, and a calibration controller. The signal processor transforms amplitude information of a first and second input signals into time domain to provide first and second output signals respectively. The edge detector detects a polarity of a voltage offset from a timing relationship of the first and second output signals. The calibration controller compensates the voltage offset according to a change of the detected polarity. |
| US08760219B2 |
Current providing circuit and voltage providing circuit
A current providing circuit, for providing an output current at an output terminal, comprising: a current providing module, coupled to a first predetermined voltage level, for providing the output current according to the first predetermined voltage level and a control voltage transmitted to the current providing module; and a control voltage generating module, for generating the control voltage corresponding to the first predetermined voltage level and a threshold voltage of the current providing module. |