| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08867876B2 |
Optical fiber splitter module and fiber optic array therefor
An optical fiber splitter has a higher density fiber optic array that allows for smaller packaging. The optical fibers that extend from the optical fiber splitter have one end connectorized and their spacing at the other end reduced, thereby eliminating components that were heretofore required. A method of making the fiber optic array includes interleaving the optical fibers to reduce the overall dimensions of the fiber optic array and the fiber optic splitter. A tool is used to reduce the spacing of the optical fibers in the fiber optic array. |
| US08867875B2 |
Semiconductor device using buried oxide layer as optical wave guides
A semiconductor optical wave guide device is described in which a buried oxide layer (BOX) is capable of guiding light. Optical signals may be transmitted from one part of the semiconductor device to another, or with a point external to the semiconductor device, via the wave guide. In one example, an optical wave guide is provided including a core insulating layer encompassed by a clad insulating layer. The semiconductor device may contain an etched hole for guiding light to and from the core insulating layer from a transmitter or to a receiver. |
| US08867873B2 |
Arrayed waveguide grating
An optical wavelength multi/demultiplexing circuit is provided in which temperature dependence at a transmission center wavelength remained in an athermalized AWG is compensated. An AWG according to an embodiment of the present invention is compensated for the main temperature dependence at the transmission center wavelength. The AWG comprises an optical splitter, a first and second arm waveguides, an optical mode combining coupler and a multimode waveguide between an input/output waveguide and a slab waveguide. The optical mode combining coupler couples fundamental mode light from the first arm waveguide as fundamental mode and the fundamental mode light from the second arm waveguide as first mode. The multimode waveguide is capable of propagating the fundamental and first mode light. This AWG is configured such that the temperature dependence remained in the arrayed waveguide grating is compensated by changing the optical path length difference between the first and second arm waveguides with temperature. |
| US08867868B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to an example of the present invention includes a chip substrate, first and second switches arranged on the chip substrate in which ON/OFF of an electrical signal path is directly controlled by an optical signal, a first light shielding layer arranged above the chip substrate, an optical waveguide layer arranged on the first light shielding layer, a second light shielding layer arranged on the optical waveguide layer, a reflecting plate arranged in the optical waveguide layer to change an advancing direction of the optical signal, and means for leading the optical signal to the first and second switches from an inside of the optical waveguide layer. The first and second light shielding layers reflect the optical signal, and the optical waveguide layer transmits the optical signal radially. |
| US08867867B2 |
Fiber optic switch
This disclosure is of a fiber optic switch, where an actuated plunger causes a snap-action mechanism to change rapidly from a first state to a second state and place a loaded member from a first strain condition into a second strain condition where the two conditions are substantially different. A strain sensor mounted on the loaded member senses the strain of the loaded member and transmits a corresponding signal on a fiber optic cable. |
| US08867866B2 |
Image matching system using topologically equivalent correspondences
A method, system and computer program product for matching images is provided. The images to be matched are represented by feature points and feature vectors and orientations associated with the feature points. First, putative correspondences are determined by using feature vectors. A subset of putative correspondences is selected and the topological equivalence of the subset is determined. The topologically equivalent subset of putative correspondences is used to establish a motion estimation model. An orientation consistency test is performed on the putative correspondences and the corresponding motion estimation transformation that is determined, to avoid an infeasible transformation. A coverage test is performed on the matches that satisfy orientation consistency test. The candidate matches that do not cover a significant portion of one of the images are rejected. The final match images are provided in the order of decreasing matching, in case of multiple images satisfying all the test requirements. |
| US08867860B2 |
Signal processors and methods for estimating transformations between signals with phase estimation
Signal processing devices and methods estimate transforms between signals, and in particular, utilize techniques for estimating phase between a reference signal and a suspect signal. A phase estimation method estimates the phase of reference signal components in a suspect signal using a point spread function. The method provides a set of feature locations representing a discrete reference signal, applies a transform to the reference signal to provide a set of transformed locations, and then uses a point spread function to sample phase from the suspect signal at discrete sample locations in a neighborhood around the transformed locations. This process provides an estimate of phase of the suspect signal at locations corresponding to the transformed locations. |
| US08867857B2 |
Method for restoration of blurred barcode images
A method for restoring an image of a blurred barcode includes capturing the image, restoring the image by selecting one Optical Transfer Function (OTF) in a database and performing deconvolution on the image, decoding the barcode in the restored image to return numbers represented by the barcode, and displaying the returned numbers. |
| US08867856B2 |
De-noising image content using directional filters for image de-blurring
Systems and methods are provided for providing improved de-noising image content by using directional noise filters to accurately estimate a blur kernel from a noisy blurry image. In one embodiment, an image manipulation application applies multiple directional noise filters to an input image to generate multiple filtered images. Each of the directional noise filters has a different orientation with respect to the input image. The image manipulation application determines multiple two-dimensional blur kernels from the respective filtered images. The image manipulation application generates a two-two-dimensional blur kernel for the input image from the two-dimensional blur kernels for the filtered images. The image manipulation application generates a de-blurred version of the input image by executing a de-blurring algorithm based on the two-dimensional blur kernel for the input image. |
| US08867850B2 |
Modeling human perception of media content
A system includes a content evaluation device is configured to receive reproduced media content and compare the reproduced media content to reference media content to determine a quality of the reproduced media content relative to the reference media content. The content evaluation device is configured to apply an entropy factor to the determined quality to model human perception of the reproduced media content. A method of determining the entropy factor includes converting the reference media content or the reproduced media content to a grayscale image, counting a number of unique luminance values in the grayscale image, determining the total number of possible luminance values, and defining the entropy factor to be the number of total pixels compared relative to the maximum number of pixels represented by any single luminance value multiplied by the number of possible luminance values. |
| US08867848B2 |
Display test device, display test method, and storage medium
A display test apparatus includes a determination information storage unit that stores a determination information for use in determining correctness of content displaying, a file acquisition unit that acquires a file, a content image creation unit that creates an image of content to be displayed on the basis of the file, a content image analysis unit that analyzes a displaying of the content on the basis of the image of content, a determination unit that determines whether the content is correctly displayed on the basis of the determination information and a result of the analysis by the content image analysis unit, and an output unit that outputs a determination result information indicating a result of the determination by the determination unit. |
| US08867845B2 |
Path recognition device, vehicle, path recognition method, and path recognition program
The recognition of a lane boundary line expressed by a stud-shaped lane mark is realized with high accuracy against noise and with a small calculation amount and a small memory consumption amount.A lane recognition device extracts a candidate position of a lane mark from a received input image. A vote value is weighted according to the elapsed time with regard to the extracted candidate position of the lane mark to cumulatively perform voting to a parameter space of an approximate curved line or an approximate straight line, and, thus, to generate a time-series cumulative voting feature image. A candidate of a lane boundary line position is extracted based on the generated time-series cumulative voting feature image to determine the lane boundary line position. The lane recognition device may be provided with an image output device which images an image and outputs the imaged image. |
| US08867840B2 |
Information processing device and method for controlling an information processing device
Provided is an information processing device that is capable of recognizing characters in an image quickly. The portable phone according to the present invention is a device that recognizes words and phrases from an image. The portable phone includes: an image capturing section that captures a moving image; a character string obtaining section, a character string collation section, and a word and phrase ID obtaining section, which successively obtains consecutive images that constitute the captured moving image and obtains an ID indicative of a word or a phrase at a predetermined position of the image; a FIFO buffer for storing the obtained ID; and a recognition determination section that determines, as a recognition result, an ID that is stored in the FIFO buffer by the most number. |
| US08867838B2 |
Method and system for a text data entry from an electronic document
A method for processing an electronic document is provided. The electronic document includes a plurality of text fields and a text label associated with each of the plurality of text fields. The method includes step of extracting the plurality of text fields from the electronic document. The method includes step of grouping the plurality of extracted text fields to generate a plurality of groups. The method includes step of labeling the plurality of groups based on a first pre-defined criteria to generate a plurality of labeled groups. The method includes step of distributing the plurality of labeled groups in a plurality of queues based on a second pre-defined criteria. The method includes step of transmitting the plurality of labeled groups from the plurality of queues to one or more crowdworkers based on a third pre-defined criteria. |
| US08867837B2 |
Detecting separator lines in a web page
A system and method of detecting separator lines in a web page may include determining coordinates of visible web elements on a web page, generating an edge image of the web page based on the coordinates of the web elements, filtering edges belonging to non-separator line elements within the edge image, detecting horizontal lines within the edge image, detecting vertical lines within the edge image, and filtering short lines within the edge image. A system for detecting separator lines in a web page may include a memory device, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, in which the processor determines coordinates of visible web elements on a web page, generates an edge image of the web page based on the coordinates of the web elements, filters edges belonging to non-separator line elements within the edge image, detects horizontal lines within the edge image, detects vertical lines within the edge image, and filters short lines within the edge image. |
| US08867836B2 |
Image registration methods and apparatus using random projections
According to some aspects, a computer-implemented method of registering a first image and a second image is provided. The method comprises computer-implemented acts of logically dividing the first image into a first plurality of regions, logically dividing the second image into a second plurality of regions, projecting the first plurality of regions and the second plurality of regions into a lower dimensional space using random projections, determining, for each of the projected first plurality of regions, at least one of the projected second plurality of regions that is closest according to first criteria, and determining a transform that brings each of the projected first plurality of regions into a closest correspondence with the respective at least one of the projected second plurality of regions according to second criteria, the transform indicating the registration of the first image and the second image. According to some aspects, at least one computer readable medium encoding instructions that when executed perform such a method and/or a system for providing such a method is provided. |
| US08867835B2 |
System and associated methods of calibration and use for an interactive imaging environment
In various embodiments, the present invention provides a system and associated methods of calibration and use for an interactive imaging environment based on the optimization of parameters used in various segmentation algorithm techniques. These methods address the challenge of automatically calibrating an interactive imaging system, so that it is capable of aligning human body motion, or the like, to a visual display. As such the present invention provides a system and method of automatically and rapidly aligning the motion of an object to a visual display. |
| US08867834B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program
An image processing device has an image input part to which a frame image of an imaging area taken with an infrared camera is input, a background model storage part in which a background model is stored with respect to each pixel of the frame image input to the image input part, a frequency of a pixel value of the pixel being modeled in the background model, a background difference image generator that determines whether each pixel of the frame image input to the image input part is a foreground pixel or a background pixel using the background model of the pixel, which is stored in the background model storage part, and generates a background difference image, and a threshold setting part. |
| US08867831B2 |
Image enhancement using modulation strength map and modulation kernel
An image enhancement system may generate a net signed fractional modulation value at each location in an image using a modulation strength map (MSM) in combination with a modulation kernel F(θ). The system may scale an image value at each location using the net signed fractional modulation value at each location. Application of the algorithm may not result in systematic clipping of peri-edge locations to maximum or minimum brightness values, or any other form of systematic homogenization of values at peri-edge locations. |
| US08867824B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method, and program
An image processing apparatus includes a depth control signal generation unit generating a depth control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region of an input image based on the depth position of a subject in each region of the input image; a face skin region control signal generation unit generating a face skin region control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region in the input image based on the human face skin region in the input image; a person region control signal generation unit generating a person region control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region in the input image based on the region of the person in the input image; and a control signal synthesis unit synthesizing the depth control signal, the face skin region control signal, and the person region control signal to generate a control signal. |
| US08867816B2 |
Method and system for performing X-ray inspection of a liquid product at a security checkpoint
A method, an apparatus and a system are provided for assessing at a security checkpoint the threat status of a liquid product, where the liquid product is comprised of a bottle at least partially filled with liquid. In accordance with a broad aspect, the level of fill is used as a factor in the determination of the threat status of the liquid product. In accordance with another broad aspect, an X-ray image of the liquid product is obtained and processed to derive a level of fill of the bottle and the threat status of the liquid product is determined at least in part based on the level of fill of the bottle. In accordance with yet another broad aspect, an X-ray image of the liquid product is processed to derive location information associated with a meniscus formed by the liquid in the bottle. An estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the bottle is derived in part based on the location information and is used to determine the threat status of the liquid product. |
| US08867807B1 |
Intelligent dynamic preloading and processing
Provided herein are various systems and methods of adjusting images of an image series that are preloaded (and/or otherwise processed) in view of behavior data associated with viewing of other previous exams having similar characteristics (e.g., same modality) and/or by the same user. |
| US08867796B2 |
Automated inspection of a printed image
Automated inspection method for detecting a defect in a printed image, comprising processing a raster image, sending the raster image to a print process, printing a printed image corresponding to the raster image onto a medium, capturing a target image from at least a part of the printed image at a lower resolution than the printed image, at least in a medium moving direction, converting at least a part of the raster image to a reference image, and comparing the reference image to the target image. |
| US08867794B2 |
Systems and methods for performing image inpainting based on texture analysis
Various embodiments are disclosed for performing image inpainting. One embodiment is a method for editing a digital image in an image editing device. The method comprises obtaining a restoration region in the digital image and determining texture information corresponding to the restoration region. Based on the texture information, a texture strength map is generated corresponding to the restoration region. Based on the texture strength map, an inpainting operation is applied to pixels in the restoration region. |
| US08867791B2 |
Gesture recognition method and interactive system using the same
A gesture recognition method for an interactive system includes the steps of: capturing image windows with an image sensor; obtaining information of object images associated with at least one pointer in the image windows; calculating a position coordinate of the pointer relative to the interactive system according to the position of the object images in the image windows when a single pointer is identified according to the information of object images; and performing gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the image window when a plurality of pointers are identified according to the information of object images. The present invention further provides an interactive system. |
| US08867784B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting a vertex of an image
Disclosed are an apparatus for detecting a vertex of an image and a method for the same detecting the vertex with the high degree of accuracy and reducing time to detect the vertex by minimizing the interaction operations of the user to detect the vertex even in a touch input part having the low degree of sensing precision. The method includes inputting a vertex position of an image, setting an ROI, detecting a plurality of edges, detecting a candidate straight line group based on the edges, and removing a candidate straight line forming forms an angle less than a critical angle with respect to a base candidate straight line set from the candidate straight line group, and determining an intersection point between a remaining candidate straight line and the base candidate straight line provided at a position making a minimum distance from the input vertex position as an optimal vertex. |
| US08867781B2 |
Two level cross-correlation based system for watermarking continuous digital media
A two level cross-correlation based system for watermarking continuous digital media at the system application level. It is a post-compression process for watermarking where no a priori knowledge of the underlying compression algorithm is required. Per each compressed media frame, a current unique digital signature is generated based on the data from the current compressed frame plus the digital signature that has been previously generated. The signature thus generated is then used in conjunction with the next compressed frame to generate the next unique digital signature. All digital signatures are correlated according to the above process until a “reset” signal is issued. A new chain of correlated digital signatures is produced by the system with a predetermined initial signature. |
| US08867779B2 |
Image tagging user interface
A global tag for an image is received identifies one or more objects in the image, and a region-specific tag for the image identifies one or more objects in a region of the image. The global tag and the region-specific tag are stored with the image. Displayed, along with the image, is an identifier for each of the one or more objects identified in the global tag, and an identifier for each of the one or more objects identified in the region-specific tag. Different users are able to maintain different names for the same person, allowing the same tag of the image to be used as the basis for displaying the image with different names for the different users. Additionally, the tags can be used as a basis for generating a credits list of people that are included in a compilation of images. |
| US08867775B2 |
Combined device audio panel
Aspects of the present invention may provide audio devices, which may be included in protective covers, suited for use with tablet computers and the like. Embodiments may include audio devices including a substantially tablet-shaped rigid housing. The housing may include a top surface, a bottom surface, and a recess in the top surface. A relatively flat audio speaker may be received in the recess of the housing, and may be pivotally mounted to the housing such that a free end of the speaker is movable between a closed position and an open position. |
| US08867772B2 |
Condenser microphone unit and condenser microphone
To stably obtain high acoustic resistance required for pressure equalization in a non-directional condenser microphone unit.A diaphragm 8 whose circumferential edge is attached to a diaphragm holder 4 and a fixed electrode 6 made of a metal material and arranged to face the diaphragm at a predetermined interval through an electrically insulating spacer 5 are provided, and the rear space of the above-mentioned diaphragm is closed to constitute the non-directional condenser microphone unit. A blind groove 16a is formed by an etching process at a portion which is in contact with the spacer 5 and in the fixed electrode 6 so that the rear space between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode may communicate with the outside, and a communication part formed between the groove 16a and the spacer 5 may be used as acoustic resistance for pressure equalization. |
| US08867770B2 |
Speaker-connector module and handheld electronic device
The disclosure provides a speaker-connector module and a handheld electronic device. The handheld electronic device includes a body and a speaker-connector module. The body has an opening. The speaker-connector module is assembled in the body and correspondingly disposed to the opening. The speaker-connector module includes a housing, a speaker and an electrical connector. The housing has a major sound passage, wherein the major sound passage has a major input end and a major output end. The speaker is assembled in the housing and has a sound outlet surface, wherein the major input end is communicated with the sound outlet surface. The electrical connector is disposed in the major sound passage and adjacent to the speaker, and the major input end is connected to the electrical connector. |
| US08867761B2 |
Multi-tier power supply for audio amplifiers
Techniques for providing multiple power supplies in electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an appropriate power supply is provided only to accommodate a volume setting. In other words, there are at least two power supplies, one with a low voltage and the other with a high voltage. The high voltage power supply is only applied when there is a need to accommodate a volume setting. Thus the power consumption of the amplifiers is well controlled. As a result, the designs of the device and heat dissipation therein can be simplified and lowered in cost. |
| US08867758B2 |
Headset electronics
A wireless headset device that includes an earbud assembly and a primary housing assembly, fixed to the earbud assembly, is provided. The earbud assembly can include an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon a receiver and processing circuitry. The primary housing assembly can include a microphone and a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud circuit board and the microphone. In some embodiments, the headset device can include at least one flexible circuit board and the primary housing can include a connector assembly. The at least one flexible circuit board can be electrically coupled to the connector assembly and can include Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuitry operative to process USB protocol communications and serial circuitry operative to process serial protocol communications. |
| US08867751B2 |
Method, medium, and system encoding/decoding a multi-channel audio signal, and method medium, and system decoding a down-mixed signal to a 2-channel signal
A method, medium, and system encoding and/or decoding a multi-channel audio signal, and a method, medium, and system decoding a signal down-mixed from multi-channels to a 2-channel signal. The method of encoding an audio signal may include generating spatial cues indicating directivity information of a virtual sound source generated by at least two channel sound sources among a plurality of channels, and down-mixing the plurality of channel signals. The method of decoding an audio signal may include receiving inputs of spatial cues indicating directivity information of a virtual sound source generated by at least two channel sound sources among sound sources of a plurality of channels, and a signal down-mixed from the plurality of channel signals, and restoring the down-mixed signal to a plurality of channel signals by using the spatial cues. According to such systems, media, and methods, a multi-channel audio signal can be accurately encoded and/or decoded regardless of frequency bands. |
| US08867747B2 |
Key generation for networks
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with key generation for networks are described. One example method includes configuring a key server with a pseudo-random function (PRF). The key server may provide keying material to gateways. The method may also include controlling the key server to generate a cryptography data structure (e.g., D-matrix) based, at least in part, on the PRF and a seed value. The method may also include controlling the key server to selectively distribute a portion of the cryptography data structure and/or data derived from the cryptography data structure to a gateway. The gateway may then encrypt communications based, at least in part, on the portion of the cryptography data structure. The method may also include selectively distributing an epoch value to members of the set of gateways that may then decrypt an encrypted communication based, at least in part, on the epoch value. |
| US08867746B2 |
Method for protecting a control device against manipulation
A method for protecting a control device against manipulation in which a number of set of keys for decoding cryptographic functions is provided, a key switch being additionally provided, via which the cryptographic functions access sets of keys. |
| US08867744B1 |
Security in wireless communication systems
Wireless security is enforced at L1, in addition to or in lieu of other layers. AP's can switch dynamically from serving to scanning. Scanners listen for authorized frame headers. Scanners either receive, or allow authorized frames to be received, at their destination. Scanners kill unauthorized frames while they are still transmitting; scanners continue listening for and killing unauthorized frame headers until frame ending time demands their return to serving, multiplying their effectiveness. AP's include dual-mode multi-frequency omni-directional antennae, used to prevent third parties from snooping messages received at those AP's. |
| US08867739B2 |
Integrated silicon circuit comprising a physicallly non-reproducible function, and method and system for testing such a circuit
A silicon integrated circuit includes a physically non-copyable function LPUF that generates a signature specific to the circuit. The function includes a ring oscillator composed of a loop traversed by a signal. The loop is formed of N topologically identical chains of lags connected in series and an inversion gate, a chain of lags being composed of M delay elements connected in series. The function also includes a control module generating N control words being used to configure the value of the delays introduced by the chains of lags on the signal traversing them. A measurement module measures the frequency of the signal at the output of the last chain of lags after updating the control words, and the control module can deduce from the frequency measurements the bits making up the signature of the circuit. A method and a system for testing such circuits are also provided. |
| US08867735B2 |
Echo cancelling device, communication device, and echo cancelling method having the error signal generating circuit
An echo cancelling device includes an adaptive filter which synthesizes a spurious echo signal from a receiving signal, a first subtractor which generates an echo cancellation signal based on an input signal including a voice signal of a speaker and the spurious echo signal, and an error signal generating circuit which generates an error signal based on the input signal and the echo cancellation signal. |
| US08867731B2 |
System and method for web-based real time communication with optimized transcoding
A system and method is provided to allow for real-time communication between a web browser application and a contact center resource, where media codecs supported by the two parties may differ. A processor is configured to bridge the media exchanged between the browser and contact center resource. In bridging the media, the processor transcodes the media based on a first media codec for media directed to and from the web browser application, and further transcodes the media based on the second media codec for media directed to and from a contact center resource. |
| US08867730B2 |
Contact center trend analysis and process altering system and method
A trend is identified by examining multiple communications in a contact center. For example, a trend can be a specific issue or problem related to a product. A communication related to the trend is identified. Based on identification of the trend, a process for routing the communications in the contact center is altered.In one embodiment, different menus/items in an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system are changed based on the identified trend. In other embodiments, communications related to the trend are identified and moved to different queues or held in queues until there is a valid response. The identified communications can be responded to automatically, by specific agents, by group mailings, and the like. In addition, prior communications that relate to the trend are identified. This allows additional responses to be sent or processes to be altered in order to provide the customer with a better quality of service. |
| US08867728B2 |
Managing reserve agents in a contact center
A reserve agent management system (“RAMS”) allows a user, such as a contact center agent or administrator, to access and edit a reserve schedule. In one embodiment, the reserve schedule indicates times, called reserve times, during the agent's off-hours when the agent would be willing to receive a recall invitation and potentially return to work. When, during operation of the contact center, a determination is made that additional agent resources are needed, agents having compatible reserve times are notified and invited to be recalled. Agents responding and agreeing to be recalled are then recalled by being scheduled to work at certain recall times. In another embodiment, agent's break times can be shifted to potentially accommodate unexpected changes in the required agent resources. The RAMS allows administrators and agents a limited amount of flexibility in adapting agent work schedules to accommodate unplanned needs for agent resources. |
| US08867726B2 |
Methods and systems for authorizing call forwarding
A call forwarding server in a telephony network is configured to provide an authorization function during activation of a call forwarding service. In response to receiving a forwarding request including initiating and terminating telephone numbers (TN), the call forwarding server generates and sends a request for the terminating TN to obtain authorization for the forwarding service. In response to receiving an authorization response for enabling call forwarding, the call forwarding server enables call forwarding for the initiating TN by updating a call forwarding record to include an entry including the initiating TN and the terminating TN. Communications placed to the initiating TN are automatically forwarded to the terminating TN once the forwarding service is enabled. |
| US08867724B2 |
Distinctive ring tones prompted by call urgency and context
Devices, methods and systems for enhanced ringing features on communications terminals. Flexible user-established rules, customized in a subscriber profile database, enable the ring-tone to vary based on caller-id, caller priority, call-urgency (as determined by caller), call context and so forth. Call set-up logic applies the profile rules prior to completing the call set-up. “Buzz-tones” extend the basic distinctive ringing feature to the “silent” mode that is currently available on cell-phones, which is of particular utility to subscribers with hearing disabilities. Other kinds of alerts (audio/motion/visual) like flashing colors on a display, moving pictures and the like, and any combination of notification modes, are contemplated by alternative embodiments. |
| US08867721B2 |
Automatic mute detection
A system and methodology for managing a mute function muting a connection to a conference call is disclosed. The system is implemented when the mute function is activated on a line connected to a conference call through a telecommunications network. The method includes receiving a sound, determining whether the sound meets predetermined criteria and if the sound meets predetermined criteria then performing a mute status operation. |
| US08867720B2 |
Method and system for enhanced conference call security
A method for controlling access by of communication devices to a conference call, the method comprising associating proximity settings with a conference call, the proximity settings indicating a acceptable proximity of other communication devices relative to a selected communication device; sensing by the selected communication device proximity of the other devices within its proximity of the communication device to obtain proximity information; and determining, by a processor, from the obtained proximity information and the proximity settings an action to be performed with reference to the conference call. |
| US08867717B2 |
Dynamic device pairing with control session establishment
A communication system, method, and components are described. Specifically, a communication method is disclosed which enables a media device and control device to be dynamically paired to one another and a control link call to be established between the media device and the control device. The control link call can be utilized to permit the media device to be controlled by the control device while the media device exchanges media with a communication device operated by another user. |
| US08867716B2 |
Telephone number sharing configuration
A system and a method are disclosed for providing telephone number sharing services to subscribers over public switched telephone network or data network. The disclosed system maintains a bank of reusable caller identifiers (IDs). The system receives call details of a call from a subscriber of the system. The call details include a caller identifier (ID) preference of the subscriber and a called number corresponding to the called party. The system stores the call details in a database. The system determines whether the call from the subscriber is a first call to the called number. In response to the call being the first call to the called number, the system assigns a call ID from the bank of reusable caller IDs that satisfies the reusable caller ID preference of the subscriber, and connects the call to the called number along with the caller ID. |
| US08867705B2 |
Display of AEC sensor location
A method for indicating a position of a radiation energy sensor element in a radiographic imaging system, the method executed at least in part by a computer, identifies the position of the radiation energy sensor element relative to a subject to be imaged and displays the identified position relative to the subject. |
| US08867704B2 |
Method for X-ray diffractometry analysis at differing wavelengths without exchanging the X-ray source
A method for performing an X-ray diffractometry analysis of a crystalline and/or amorphous sample, by means of an optical X-ray apparatus having an X-ray source with an X-ray anode constructed from a mixed configuration of at least two metals is characterized in that an energy-dispersive semi-conductor is used for acquiring detector events from the X-rays emanating from the sample, and that X-rays diffracted or scattered by the sample with different characteristic energy lines belonging to the metals of the mixed configuration of the X-ray anode used, are acquired simultaneously during an angle scan. With this method, X-ray diffractometry analysis with multiple characteristic energy lines are possible without any need for conversion or switchover. |
| US08867703B2 |
Multi-mode cone beam CT radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine with a flat panel imager
A multi-mode cone beam computed tomography radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine is disclosed. The radiotherapy simulator and treatment machine both include a rotatable gantry on which is positioned a cone-beam radiation source and a flat panel imager. The flat panel imager captures x-ray image data to generate cone-beam CT volumetric images used to generate a therapy patient position setup and a treatment plan. |
| US08867702B2 |
Radiographic image capturing system and radiographic image capturing method
An optical image of a subject is acquired with a camera while the subject is disposed between a radiation output device housing at least two radiation sources and a radiation detecting device. Doses of radiation to be emitted from the at least two radiation sources are weighted based on the optical image, and weighted doses of radiation are applied from the at least two radiation sources to the subject. A radiographic image of the subject is acquired by detecting radiation that has passed through the subject with the radiation detecting device. |
| US08867701B2 |
Apparatus for capturing radiation image, medical imaging system, and method of capturing radiation image
An apparatus for capturing a radiation image of a subject including at least two materials includes a radiation irradiating unit configured to irradiate multi-energy radiation including at least two energy bands to a calibration model including a plurality of thicknesses of each of the at least two materials; an attenuation-coefficient estimating unit configured to estimate attenuation coefficients for each of the at least two materials for each of the at least two energy bands based on values obtained by passing the multi-energy radiation through the calibration model; and an energy-band determining unit configured to determine an optimal combination of at least two energy bands to be included in multi-energy radiation to be irradiated to the subject from a plurality of different combinations of at least two energy bands based on the estimated attenuation coefficients and the values obtained by passing the multi-energy radiation through the calibration model. |
| US08867698B2 |
Counting circuit, delay value quantization circuit, and latency control circuit
A counting circuit includes: a clock division unit configured to divide a reference clock signal at a preset division ratio and generate a divided clock signal, a counting unit configured to count the divided clock signal, and a counting control unit configured to enable the counting unit during an enable period corresponding to the division ratio. |
| US08867697B2 |
Shift register
A shift register is provided in which leakage of charges from a voltage at a set node is prevented to stabilize an output from a stage. The shift register includes stages for sequentially outputting scan pulses. An nth one of the stages includes a node controller for controlling voltages at nodes, and an output unit for outputting any one of a corresponding one of the scan pulses and a first discharging voltage according to the voltages at the nodes. The nodes include set and reset nodes. The node controller of the nth stage includes a first switching device controlled by a voltage supplied to the reset node for supplying a second discharging voltage to the set node, and an inverter circuit controlled by a voltage supplied to the set node for supplying any one of a charging voltage and a third discharging voltage to the reset node. |
| US08867696B2 |
Fractional frequency divider
A fractional frequency divider including a frequency division unit for generating a reduced frequency timing signal having j pulses for every k pulses of an original timing signal, wherein j and k are each integers; and phase correction circuitry adapted to selectively shift each jth pulse of the reduced frequency timing signal by a first fixed time period. |
| US08867695B2 |
Clock signal rate management circuit
A prescalar counter may be configured to repeatedly increment once for each cycle of a clock signal at a first frequency and reset upon reaching a threshold counter value. The prescalar counter may also include toggling logic configured to generate a clock pulse of a global time base signal upon each reset of the prescalar counter. A frequency divider may be configured to divide the global time base signal into a plurality of separate clock signals with each of the separate clock signals having a different frequency. The frequency divider may also be configured to provide, to each of a plurality of timers, one of the separate clock signals. |
| US08867692B2 |
Systems and methods for treating material
Systems for treating material are provided that can include a vessel defining a volume, at least one conduit coupled to the vessel and in fluid communication with the vessel, material within the vessel, and NF3 material within the conduit. Methods for fluorinating material are provided that can include exposing the material to NF3 to fluorinate at least a portion of the material. Methods for separating components of material are also provided that can include exposing the material to NF3 to at least partially fluorinate a portion of the material, and separating at least one fluorinated component of the fluorinated portion from the material. The materials exposed to the NF3 material can include but are not limited to one or more of U, Ru, Rh, Mo, Tc, Np, Pu, Sb, Ag, Am, Sn, Zr, Cs, Th, and/or Rb. |
| US08867691B1 |
Seismic safe nuclear power plant
A system and method isolate a nuclear power plant from effects of seismic action. An artificial lake is formed as a depressed area in the ground surrounded by walls or banks to constrain a volume of water within the depressed area. The lake has a concrete reinforced bed. The lake is surrounded by a land-based support area. The lake is filled from a source of water in liquid communication with the lake. The source is controlled to release water into the lake to maintain the lake at a selected level. At least one vessel floats on the surface of the water. The vessel is connected to the walls or banks of the lake with a plurality of shock absorbers to dampen movement of the vessel. A nuclear power plant erected on the vessel includes at least one cooling tower that receives cooling water from the lake. |
| US08867683B2 |
Receiver and method for synchronizing and aligning serial streams
A receiver for receiving a stream of symbols clocked at a first rate, and providing the symbols at a second clock rate uses two buffers. Incoming symbols are written to a first dual clock buffer at the first rate, and read from the first and second buffer, at the second rate. Underflow of the first buffer is signaled to the second buffer, thereby avoiding the need to insert defined clock compensation symbols at the second rate. Symbols received at the second buffer while underflow is signaled may be ignored. Conveniently, the second buffer may also be used to align symbol data across multiple symbol streams using periodic alignment symbols. An exemplary embodiment conforms to the PCI Express standard. |
| US08867681B2 |
Transmission system, transmission device, and clock synchronization method
A transmission system which couples a plurality of transmission devices to a control device includes a first transmission device which is one of the plurality of transmission devices; a first calculation circuit which calculates a first difference value indicating a frequency difference value between a common clock supplied from the control device and a first clock as a clock used in the first transmission device; and a transmitter which reports the first difference value to a second transmission device other than the first transmission device, wherein the second transmission device comprises: a second calculation circuit which calculates a second difference value indicating a frequency difference value between the common clock and a second clock used in the second transmission device, and a frequency controller which controls an oscillator generating the second clock so that the second difference value approaches the first difference value reported from the first transmission device. |
| US08867680B2 |
Circuitry system and method for connecting synchronous clock domains of the circuitry system
A clock domain separation device and a method for operating the device is provided for separating two clock domains of a bus system in a system-on-chip (SoC). The clock domain separation device is a hardware module that acts as a guarding between the two clock domains that contain either bus end, and is generally applicable with handshake-type bus protocols. The clock domain separation module allows for each clock domain to switch its clock on and off independently from the state of the other clock domains, without risking data loss or protocol violation. |
| US08867678B2 |
Interference channel equalizer
An interference channel equalizer for receiving and processing at least two distinct RF data signals transmitted over the same frequency to a single receiving station that has at least one receiver for each distinct transmitted RF data signal. Each receiver processes an RF data signal received by its antenna and outputs an output data signal which corresponds to one of the distinct transmitted RF data signals. Each receiver includes an antenna configured to receive an RF data signal, a demodulator, a delay block to selectively delay the received RF data signal, an interference cancellation feed forward filter that uses the received signal from another receiver to remove co-channel due to another distinct RF transmitted data signal from the signal being processed, and a decision feedback equalizer to mitigate both intersymbol and multi-path interference from the received signal being processed. |
| US08867676B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling interference suppressing receivers
A wireless communication receiver is configured to suppress interference with respect to a received signal of interest on a selective basis responsive to evaluating whether the receiver currently is or is not operating in a colored noise/interference environment. For example, an exemplary Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile station activates or deactivates interference suppression responsive to determining and evaluating an orthogonality factor, which, in this context, serves as a measure of how much downlink power gets converted into same-cell interference via multipath propagation. The orthogonality factor thus serves as an indicator of noise plus interference coloration. In one or more exemplary embodiments, then, an exemplary receiver circuit is configured to determine the orthogonality factor, evaluate it, and selectively enable or disable received signal whitening based on that evaluation. The exemplary receiver circuit and associated selective whitening method can be applied to various receiver architectures and signal types. |
| US08867672B2 |
System and a method of regulating a slicer for a communication receiver
The invention is directed to a system and method of regulating a slicer for a communication receiver. A zero-crossing accumulator receives a slicer output from the slicer and accordingly determines a zero-crossing length of the slicer output. A threshold decision unit regulates at least one threshold value of the slicer according to the zero-crossing length. |
| US08867670B2 |
Method and device for decoding of signals transmitted over fading channels with multiplicative noise
A method of generating a reliability indicator for decoding an encoded signal transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver via a wireless channel subject to fading. The method comprises: receiving symbols of the encoded signal; generating a reliability indicator for decoding at least some of the symbols selectively based on one or both of a statistical model representing additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) in the encoded signal and a statistical model representing fading of the encoded signal; and selecting the statistical model based on signal characteristics of the wireless channel. |
| US08867668B2 |
Coupling system for data receivers
A data receiver, a method of operating a data receiver, and an integrated coupling system in a data receiver are disclosed. In one embodiment, the data receiver comprises an input terminal for receiving an input data signal, an input amplifier for amplifying selected components of the input data signal, and an input signal path for transmitting specified high-frequency components and a baseline component of the input data signal from the input terminal to the input amplifier. The data receiver further comprises a feed-forward resistive network connected to the input terminal and to the input amplifier. This feed forward resistive network is used to forward a low-frequency drift compensation signal from the input terminal to the input amplifier, using a passive resistive network, to compensate for low frequency variations in the input data signal, and to develop a desired bias voltage at the input amplifier. |
| US08867667B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring a wireless network
Systems, methods, and devices to enable monitoring of wireless networks are described herein. In some aspects, a low power receiver or a receiver operating in a low power mode scans for signals with a moderate or low duty cycle. If a signal identifying a device or user of the receiver, or a signal indicating that there will be a subsequent data communication, is received, a high power receiver or a receiver operating in a high power mode is activated to receive data communications. |
| US08867666B2 |
Device and method supporting multi-carrier waves
Provided are a device and method supporting multi-carrier waves. The device comprises: a multi-carrier control unit for receiving carrier wave allocation data including data relating to allocated carrier waves and deactivating a portion of the carrier waves included in the carrier wave allocation data or else receiving carrier wave control data including data relating to additional carrier waves; and a multi-carrier operation unit which operates using multiple carrier waves allocated on the basis of the carrier wave allocation data and the carrier wave control data. The base station scheduling burden can be reduced and the power consumption of the terminal can be reduced. |
| US08867663B2 |
OFDM signal transmission method and apparatus
An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal transmission apparatus which transmits OFDM signals by using a plurality of transmission antennas includes a subcarrier setting device which sets signals for subcarriers so as to use some of the subcarriers of the OFDM signals as pilot subcarriers to transmit pilot signals and use the remaining subcarriers as data subcarriers to transmit data signals, the subcarrier setting device changing polarities of signals for the pilot subcarriers for each transmission antenna. |
| US08867655B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting data using multiple antennas and beamforming
Provided are an apparatus and method for transmitting data using multiple antennas and beamforming. The apparatus of the present invention comprises: a modulation unit which performs constellation mapping on input bits to generate modulated symbols; a pre-coding unit which multiplies a pre-coding matrix and the modulated symbols to generate pre-coded symbols; and a plurality of transmitting antennas for transmitting the pre-coded symbols. According to the present invention, a beam width is maintained constant, regardless of a radiation angle, thus preventing a loss of power caused by an angular spread and preventing the generation of shadow zone at a large radiation angle. |
| US08867653B2 |
Physical layer frame format for long range WLAN
In a method for generating a physical layer (PHY) data unit for transmission via a communication channel, a first preamble portion and a data portion of the data unit is generated. The first preamble portion includes one or more long training fields. The first preamble portion and the data portion are modulated using a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. Symbol duration of each OFDM symbol is at least 8 μs. The data unit is generated to include the plurality of OFDM symbols. |
| US08867651B2 |
Systems and methods for providing signals of multiple active wireless transmitters
Systems and methods for combining signals from multiple active wireless transmitters are discussed herein. An exemplary system comprises a radio enclosure, a first transmitting RFU, a second transmitting RFU, and a combiner. The first transmitting RFU may be configured to receive a signal, upconvert the signal, compare a phase of the upconverted signal to a predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the signal based on the comparison to provide a first phase-adjusted upconverted signal. The second transmitting RFU may be configured to receive the signal, upconvert the signal, compare a phase of the upconverted signal to the predetermined phase value, and adjust the phase of the signal based on the comparison to provide a second phase-adjusted upconverted signal. The coupler may be configured to combine the first and second phase-adjusted upconverted signals to create an output signal and provide the output signal to an antenna for transmission. |
| US08867649B2 |
Antenna layer selection and soft demapping for MIMO decoder
A MIMO decoder is configured to obtain a channel matrix and generate a Hermitian transpose of the channel matrix. A product of the Hermitian transpose of the channel matrix and the channel matrix is generated to provide a first product having multiple diagonal elements. A partial matrix inversion of the diagonal elements of the first product is generated to provide a diagonal vector. From the diagonal vector, an antenna layer is selected from the multiple antenna layers and represents the antenna layer selected for a given processing iteration. The selected antenna layer will preferably correspond to that having the lowest inverse channel gain. A partial matrix inversion of the first product along the row corresponding to the selected antenna layer is generated to provide a row vector. A product of the row vector and the Hermitian transpose of the channel matrix is generated to provide an inverse channel gain vector. |
| US08867647B2 |
Transmit diversity using low code rate spatial multiplexing
A system is provided for transmitting a low code rate spatially multiplexed channel on multiple antennas. The system includes a transmitter and a processor. The processor is configured such that the processor encodes a block of information bits to form channel coded bits, wherein the ratio of the number of channel coded bits to the number of information bits is greater than one; and the processor maps the channel coded bits to modulation symbols, and each channel coded bit is mapped once to a modulation symbol. The transmitter is configured to transmit a first portion of the modulation symbols using a spreading sequence on a first antenna of the multiple antennas and to transmit a second portion of the modulation symbols using the spreading sequence on a second antenna of the multiple antennas. |
| US08867645B2 |
Use of orthonormal transformation for improving performance of digital transmission under heavily faded channels with doppler effects
The proposed invention teaches basic principles of “orthonormal transform” to be used to convert a set of discrete samples into a set of coefficient real samples that is contained in a finite field. The number of real values in each coefficient samples is finite and coded for transmission using digital modulation. It also teaches that handling of multi-path fading of Doppler effects implies that the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance as a function of Bit Energy/Noise (Eb/N0) is close to the performance of Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel. The effect of impairments is minimized and only the effect of thermal noise (AWGN) is maintained.The inventive apparatus is simple and maintains constant end-to-end response time, sustainable effective data rate and bounded error performance which is conducive to specify a Quality of Service (QoS) which is useful for service provisioning. |
| US08867644B2 |
Receiver for voice services over adaptive multi-user channels on one slot
A receiver, in particular a VAMOS receiver, is provided. The receiver is adapted to split the complex-valued baseband signal into its real and imaginary parts. The two branch system thus created is modeled as a real-valued Multiple Input Multiple Output, MIMO, system. The receiver is further adapted to use correlations of the noise, both in time and between branches of a channel to suppress the noise for multi-users in the same channel. In accordance with one embodiment the receiver is adapted to take into account the known symmetries present in a symbol constellation when more than one user exists in the same channel. This is for example the case in adaptive symbol constellation such as an adaptive alpha-QPSK constellation. Using the receiver in accordance with the above can provide the same performance as a joint detection receiver in the presence of Gaussian white noise, while giving better interference suppression than either SAIC or joint detection in the presence of GMSK modulated interference. |
| US08867639B2 |
Feedback method for virtual MIMO transmission in wireless ad-hoc communication system
A method for communicating between first multiple nodes and second multiple nodes in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The second multiple nodes may perform a first local sharing procedure for a virtual MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) feedback during a first predetermined time. And then, the second multiple nodes may transmit feedback of channel status information to the first multiple nodes during an integer multiple of a second predetermined time. Finally, the first multiple nodes may perform a second local sharing procedure for the virtual MIMO feedback during the first predetermined time. |
| US08867638B2 |
Variable-length cyclic prefixes in OFDM coaxial communications
A coax network unit (CNU) is coupled to a coax line terminal (CLT) by a cable plant. In a discovery mode of operation, the CNU receives from the CLT one or more message packets that include one or more orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols with cyclic prefixes of a first length. In a normal mode of operation subsequent to the discovery mode, the CNU receives data packets comprising OFDM symbols from the CLT. The OFDM symbols of the received data packets have cyclic prefixes of a second length that is less than the first length. |
| US08867631B2 |
Method for data communication between a wireless and an electronic device, and a data communication device
A method for wireless data communication between a wireless device having means for short-range data communication, and an electronic device includes mounting a data communication device having means for short-range radio frequency wireless data communication in a general purpose expansion memory location of the electronic device, activating a short-range radio frequency wireless data communication link between the wireless device and the data communication device, and transmitting data between the electronic device and the wireless device so that the wireless device operates as an ordinary expansion memory from the view point of the electronic device. |
| US08867628B2 |
Transmission apparatus and transmission method
An apparatus which generates a first correction packet to correct an error in a first moving image packet based a first combination which includes a first moving image packet and a second moving image packet and generates a second correction packet to correct the error in the first moving image packet based on a second combination which includes the first moving image packet and a third moving image packet. The apparatus further transmits the first, the second, and the third moving image packets and the first correction packet to a first and a second receiving apparatuses, respectively and transmits the second correction packet to the second receiving apparatus. |
| US08867626B2 |
Image encoding apparatus, image encoding method, image decoding apparatus, and image decoding method
The present invention provides an image encoding/decoding technique that is capable of achieving the higher compression efficiency. An image encoding method comprises: an intra prediction step which performs intra prediction on a block basis to generate a predicted image; a subtraction step which calculates the difference in prediction between the predicted image generated by the intra prediction step and an original image; a frequency conversion step which performs frequency conversion processing for the difference in prediction; a quantization step which subjects the output of the frequency conversion step to quantization processing; and a variable-length encoding step which subjects the output of the quantization step to variable-length encoding processing; wherein the intra prediction encoding step predicts a target pixel to be encoded by use of pixel values of two reference pixels between which the target pixel to be encoded is located. |
| US08867624B2 |
H.264/AVC based approach to scalable video compression
A scalable video compression method and apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames includes partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprise temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence are encoded, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence. |
| US08867623B2 |
Method for turbo transmission of digital broadcasting transport stream, a digital broadcasting transmission and reception system, and a signal processing method thereof
A digital broadcasting transmission/reception system, and a signal processing method thereof for turbo-processing digital broadcasting transport stream and transmitting the processed stream, includes a parity area generating unit preparing a first area for parity insertion with respect to a dual transport stream (TS) which includes a normal stream and a turbo stream as multiplexed, a first interleaver interleaving the dual TS which is transmitted from the parity area generating unit, a turbo processing unit detecting the turbo stream from the interleaved dual TS, exclusively encoding the detected turbo stream for turbo-processing, and stuffing the encoded turbo stream into the dual TS, a deinterleaver deinterleaving the dual TS which is processed by the turbo processing unit, and a transmitting unit transmitting the dual TS which is processed at the deinterleaver. |
| US08867620B2 |
Moving picture coding method, moving picture coding apparatus, moving picture decoding method, moving picture decoding apparatus, and moving picture coding and decoding apparatus
A moving picture coding apparatus includes an intra-inter prediction unit which calculates a second motion vector by performing a scaling process on a first motion vector of a temporally neighboring corresponding block, when selectively adding, to a list, a motion vector of each of one or more corresponding blocks each of which is either a block included in a current picture to be coded and spatially neighboring a current block to be coded or a block included in a picture other than the current picture and temporally neighboring the current block, determines whether the second motion vector has a magnitude that is within a predetermined magnitude or not within the predetermined magnitude, and adds the second motion vector to the list when the intra-inter prediction unit determines that the second motion vector has a magnitude that is within the predetermined magnitude range. |
| US08867615B1 |
Encoding image data
Devices, systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with encoding image data are described. In one embodiment, a method includes determining, using at least hardware, a first cost based on a first prediction mode of a macroblock of image data and determining a second cost based on a second prediction mode of the macro-block. Upon determining the first cost is less than the second cost, the method determines a third cost based on a third prediction mode of the macro-block. Upon determining the third cost is less than the first cost, the method determines a fourth cost based on a fourth prediction mode of the macro-block. Upon determining the third cost is less than or equal to the fourth cost, the method assigns the third prediction mode to the macro-block. |
| US08867614B2 |
Image coding method and image decoding method
According to an embodiment, an image coding method includes a transforming and quantizing step of orthogonally transforming and quantizing each of a plurality of blocks as a unit within a target region of an input image to obtain coefficients; and a variable-length coding step of coding a plurality of coefficient strings each having coefficients of same frequency component among the blocks within the target region by using a plurality of variable length coding schemes: The variable-length coding step includes switching among the variable-length coding schemes for each coefficient string. |
| US08867612B2 |
Decoding method for decoding an incoming bitstream and method for performing the same
There is disclosed a decoding method for decoding an incoming bitstream entropy-encoded according to an encoding method based on either of arithmetic encoding algorithm and non-arithmetic encoding algorithm, the incoming bitstream including syntax elements. The decoding method includes a first converting step of converting the incoming bitstream into an intermediate bitstream according to the encoding method, the first converting being capable of being omitted, a buffering step of selecting, according to the encoding method, either the intermediate bitstream or the incoming bitstream to store the selected bitstream onto a memory, and a second converting step of reading the selected bitstream from the memory to convert the read bitstream into syntax elements, the read bitstream being either the intermediate bitstream or the incoming bitstream. |
| US08867601B2 |
System and method for iterative nonlinear compensation for intermodulation distortion in multicarrier communication systems
A receiver is provided that can receive a first signal transmitted on a first carrier and a second signal transmitted on a second carrier. The receiver includes a channel estimation portion, a multicarrier nonlinear equalizer, a first log likelihood computing portion and a second log likelihood computing portion. The channel estimation portion can output a first estimation. The multicarrier nonlinear equalizer can output a first equalized signal and a second equalized signal. The first log likelihood ratio computing portion can output a first log likelihood ratio signal based on the first equalized signal. The second log likelihood ratio computing portion can output a second log likelihood ratio signal based on the second equalized signal. The multicarrier nonlinear equalizer can further output a third equalized signal and a fourth equalized signal. The third equalized signal is based on the first signal, the second signal and the first estimation. The fourth equalized signal is based on the first signal, the second signal and the first estimation. |
| US08867597B2 |
Method, device and system for clock dejitter
The present invention discloses a clock dejitter method comprising: a data sending adapter module inputting data with a system clock and using a sending clock to send data; a clock dejitter module associating the system clock with the sending clock of the data sending adapter module using; and the clock dejitter module tracking variations in the system clock and a data enable signal reflecting data sending state by referring to the system clock, and dynamically generating the sending clock varying with the data sending state. The present invention also discloses a clock dejitter apparatus and a data transmission system. The present invention greatly improves the free scheduling processing ability of services and reduces the bit error rate of data transmission while increasing efficiency of large capacity data switch transmission by dynamically adjusting the sending clock. |
| US08867595B1 |
Reference voltage generation and calibration for single-ended signaling
A signal on a transmitter tracks noise on a ground node in a manner decoupled from a positive node of a power supply. The signal is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver. A reference voltage is generated on the receiver to track noise on a ground node in the receiver. Consequently, the received signal and the reference voltage have substantially the same noise characteristics, which become common mode noise that can be cancelled out when these two signals are compared against each other. In a further embodiment, the reference voltage is compared against a predetermined calibration pattern. An error signal is generated based on a difference between the sampler output and the predetermined calibration pattern. The error signal is then used to adjust the reference voltage so that the DC level of the reference voltage is positioned substantially in the middle of the received signal. |
| US08867592B2 |
Capacitive isolated voltage domains
In some embodiments, a receiver circuit is configured to receive a modulated signal from a transmitter that is galvanically isolated from the receiver circuit. The receiver circuit is configured to demodulate the modulated signal by using two comparator circuits that respectively detect the presence or absence of first and second signal states of a carrier signal. Based on the detection of the first and second states, the receiver circuit determines whether the carrier signal is present or absent in the modulated signal to determine a demodulated value of the modulated signal. |
| US08867589B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiplexing control and data channel
An approach is provided for performing control signaling. Data and control information are received. The control information is orthogonalized using block-level spreading. The data and the orthogonalized control information are multiplexed at a symbol-level. |
| US08867583B2 |
Excimer laser apparatus and excimer laser system
An excimer laser apparatus includes a gas supply unit, connected to a first receptacle that holds a first laser gas containing halogen gas and a second receptacle that holds a second laser gas having a lower halogen gas concentration than the first laser gas, that supplies the first laser gas and the second laser gas to the interior of the laser chamber. Gas pressure control in which the gas supply unit supplies the second laser gas to the interior of the laser chamber or a gas exhaust unit partially exhausts gas from within the laser chamber, and partial gas replacement control in which the gas supply unit supplies the first laser gas and the second laser gas to the interior of the laser chamber and the gas exhaust unit partially exhausts gas from within the laser chamber sequentially, may be selectively performed. |
| US08867580B2 |
Wavelength tunable laser
Described herein is a tunable optical filter (1). The filter includes a phase manipulation layer in the form of a liquid crystal material (3) and a diffractive layer in the form of a diffraction grating (5) sandwiched between an upper glass layer (7) and lower silicon layer (9). Grating (5) includes a grating structure (11) etched therein for angularly diffracting an input optical signal into a plurality of constituent wavelength components according to wavelength. Material (3) includes a two-dimensional array of independently addressable pixels (13), each pixel configured for receiving a drive signal and, in response to the drive signal, selectively modifying the phase of the wavelength components incident onto each pixel to directionally steer the components along respective angularly separated paths. By suitable steering of the wavelength components, at least one wavelength component is coupled along a predetermined collection path to an optical system such as a laser cavity. |
| US08867573B2 |
Transferring data between asynchronous clock domains
A device comprises an integrated circuit having first and second domains, the first domain having a first clock boundary module; and the second domain having a second clock boundary module. The first clock boundary module comprises: a buffer, for storing data for transfer to the second domain; and a first controller operable to send a first control signal to the second clock boundary module via a first synchronizer, the first control signal indicating the presence of a packet of data in a first storage location of the buffer. One of the first and second clock boundary modules comprises a multiplexer having an input connected to an output of the buffer and an output connected to circuitry forming part of the second domain. The second clock boundary module comprises: a second controller, operable in response to receiving the first control signal to control transfer of said data from the buffer by the multiplexer, and to send a second control signal to the first controller via a second synchronizer, the second control signal indicating transfer of said data. |
| US08867567B2 |
Generic access performance abstraction for access selection
The invention provides methods method for access selection in a Multi-Access Network offering a plurality of Access Technologies (AT). The device may comprises a Multi Access Management entity (MAM) and a plurality of Generic Link Layer Entities (GLL) associated to a plurality of Accesses (A) according to said plurality of Access Technologies (AT). The access selection comprises an Access determination and an Access configuration. In a first step a Generic Link Layer Entity (GLL) determines one or more Generic Performance Metrics (GPM) corresponding to one or more configurations of the Access (A). The Generic Link Layer Entity (GLL) sends the determined one or more Generic Performance Metrics (GPM) corresponding to one or more configurations of the access (A) to the Multi Access Management entity (MAM). The Multi Access Management entity (MAM) determines from received Generic Performance Metrics (GPM), which Access (A) offers a configuration (GPM), which is suited for an application/bearer requirements. Then, said Multi Access Management entity (MAM) sends the determined configuration to the Generic Link Layer Entity (GLL) associated to the determined Access (A). The determined Generic Link Layer Entity (GLL) configures the Access (A) based on the determined configuration received from the Multi Access Management entity (MAM). Furthermore, the invention relates to corresponding devices, modules and software. |
| US08867565B2 |
MIMO and SDMA signaling for wireless very high throughput systems
Apparatuses for communication are disclosed, including processing systems configured to generate and/or receive a plurality of streams, each of the streams having one or more data packets including a plurality of portions, in which each of the portions in each of the data packets is coded and modulated independently of the other portions in the same data packet, the processing systems being further configured to code and modulate and/or decode and demodulate the data packets. Also disclosed are methods for generating and/or receiving a plurality of streams, each of the streams having one or more data packets comprising a plurality of portions, and for coding and modulating and/or decoding and demodulating each of the portions in each of the data packets independently of the other portions in the same data packet. |
| US08867562B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing random access based on delay determined by network
A method for performing random access is provided. The method is performed for random access procedure based on a lower bound of back-off time and an upper bound of back-off time. Based on the proposed method, subsequent transmission of a random access preamble is determined by control information included in a random access response. The control information explicitly or implicitly indicates an upper bound and a lower bound of a back-off time value. An exact back-off time is selected from a uniform distribution between the lower bound and the upper bound. |
| US08867559B2 |
Managing starvation and congestion in a two-dimensional network having flow control
An apparatus that includes input ports, input buffers coupled with respective input ports, output ports, and routing control circuitry coupled with the input ports, the input buffers and/or the output ports. The plurality of input buffers and the plurality of output ports, the routing control circuitry to maintain a two-tier priority scheme having at least two queues for prioritizing requests stored in the plurality of input buffers. |
| US08867557B2 |
Method for providing selective service by selective service module and home gateway using the same
A selective service providing method using a selective service module, and a home gateway using the same are provided. A home gateway includes a module port for mounting a service module which provides a particular service; a communication interface for receiving a function result of the service module mounted to the module port; a display interface connected with a display; and a processor for sending the function result received from the service module through the communication interface, to the display through the display interface. Thus, the user's intended service can be selectively provided using the selective service module. |
| US08867554B2 |
Methods to route, to address and to receive a communication in a contact center, caller endpoint, communication server, document server for these methods
Click-to-dial function whereby the URL sent to the contact center is appended with additional information used within the contact center (ACD) for routing. Function is known under the terms such as: extended URL, URL Encoding, Percent-encoding and the query string (part of a URL that contains data to be passed to web applications such as CGI programs). The method to route a communication from a caller to a specific endpoint in a contact center comprises the routing (124) of the communication from an entry point of the contact center routing parameter contained in a hypertext link selected by a caller on his endpoint, this contact center routing parameter being irrelevant for routing the communication over Internet. Relates to use of RFC 3986 in call center environment. |
| US08867553B2 |
Performing interactive connectivity checks in a mobility environment
A network element, method and computer program product is enabled to perform interactive connectivity checks in a mobility environment. Specifically, a network element comprises a discovery unit configured to identify a candidate defined as a combination of an internet protocol address and a port which the network element can use to communicate with a particular other network element. The network further comprises a mobile internet protocol signaling unit configured to submit a candidate identified by the discovery unit and to receive a candidate related to the other network element, and a simple traversal underneath network address translators protocol enabled unit configured to perform a connectivity check for a pair constituted by the submitted candidate and the received candidate by using the simple traversal underneath network address translators protocol. |
| US08867551B2 |
Method for supporting coexistence considering while subchannel allocation in a broadband wireless access system
A method for supporting coexistence in a mobile station configured for supporting a coexistence mode of a primary wireless communication system and a secondary wireless communication system. The method comprises transmitting to a base station, via the mobile station, a registration request (REG-REQ) message comprising coexistence capability information, receiving a registration response (REG-RSP) message comprising information about support of the coexistence mode in response to the REG-REQ message, and transmitting to the base station, via the mobile station, a sleep mode request (MOB_SLP-REQ) message comprising first coexistence information for requesting a band adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) for adjacent subcarrier permutation. |
| US08867550B2 |
Sliced routing table management with replication
Techniques are provided for hash-based routing table management in a distributed network switch. A frame having a source address and a destination address is received by a switch module having bridge elements and a routing table divided into slices of buckets, each slice having a respective property and including one or more buckets. If a routing entry for the source address is found in a first slice of a first set of buckets of the routing table responsive to a lookup request for the source address, and the property of the first slice satisfies a replication condition, then the routing entry is replicated to a second set of buckets of the routing table. |
| US08867535B2 |
Relay apparatus, communication system and communication method
Relay apparatuses read the attribute values of data, i.e., numerical information representing measurement values, calculation values, control values, etc., from receive buffers in which data received from ECUs connected thereto is stored, and create trunk frames containing the numerical information and transmit and receive trunk frames via trunk lines. The relay apparatuses derive numerical information from trunk frames received from the other relay apparatuses and renew the numerical information on the data stored in their respective databases using the derived numerical information. |
| US08867533B2 |
Multi-tier switch interface unit arbiter
Systems and methods for arbitrating among traffic from a coherence point to a switch fabric. A multi-level arbiter is used to avoid starvation while providing fairness and high bandwidth on the connection path between the coherence point and the switch fabric. A first level of arbitration selects packets with enough available credits for forwarding from the switch fabric on a downstream channel. The second level of arbitration arbitrates among short packets at a first arbiter and arbitrates among long packets at a second arbiter. The selected short packet and the selected long packet are forwarded to a third level of arbitration. The third level of arbitration alternates between long and short packets and forwards the selected packet to the switch fabric. |
| US08867530B2 |
Signaling gateway for routing signaling messages
A method of operating a signaling gateway for routing signaling messages between a SS7 network and an IP-based network is provided. The signaling gateway has a signaling point code allocated as a network address. Further, a signaling gateway for routing signaling messages between a SS7 network and an IP-based network is provided. The signaling gateway comprises an interface towards the SS7 network and an interface towards the IP-based network. The signaling gateway comprises a processing unit which may implement a SS7 protocol stack and an IP protocol stack. The processing unit may be configured to translate a message delivered to an upper protocol layer of the SS7 protocol stack to a corresponding message conforming to a user adaptation protocol of the IP protocol stack. |
| US08867529B2 |
System and method for providing a fate sharing identifier in a network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a first portion of an identifier associated with a communication session involving a first endpoint that generated the first portion of the identifier. The method also includes receiving a second portion of the identifier associated with the communication session involving a second endpoint that generated the second portion of the identifier. The method can further include communicating a reservation request associated with a network resource to be allocated for the communication session. The reservation request includes the first portion and the second portion of the identifier. |
| US08867528B2 |
Method and apparatus for switching packet/time division multiplexing (TDM) including TDM circuit and carrier ethernet packet signal
Provided is a packet/TDM switch that may classify a type of a received signal based on slot recognition information received from an Ethernet mapping unit or a TDM mapping unit, and may process the received signal using a dedicated switch corresponding to each of the Ethernet mapping unit and the TDM mapping unit according to the type of the received signal. |
| US08867522B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method for multi-frame synchronization
The present invention discloses a multi-frame synchronization method, the method comprises: for each received sub-frame, a receiver determining a probability that the received sub-frame is each of sub-frames in a multi-frame, a sub-frame with maximum probability being a state of the currently received sub-frame after N sub-frames are received. The present invention further discloses a receiving apparatus for multi-frame synchronization comprising a calculation module; wherein the calculation module is configured to calculate a probability that a received sub-frame is each of sub-frames in a multi-frame, and determine a state of the currently received sub-frame based on a sub-frame with maximum probability after N sub-frames are received. The present invention effectively achieves a position for multi-frame synchronization and low calculation complexity. |
| US08867520B2 |
Using a network frequency reference to augment timing Synchronization in a wireless base station
A method and an apparatus for augmenting timing synchronization in a base station using backhaul network frequency synchronization are provided. When in a first mode an external time epoch reference synchronized with system time is used to synchronize the base station to system time. When in a second mode a network frequency reference recovered from a backhaul network link is used to maintain the timing synchronization. |
| US08867511B2 |
System and method for reducing resets during handovers in a single frequency dual carrier wireless communication system
A method, apparatus, and computer program product can provide for procedures at an access terminal for handling the delivery of packets from the MAC entity to the RLC entity, with an aim to reduce the occurrence of RLC resets that might otherwise be caused by out-of-order processing of control packets following a serving cell change. In one example, a MAC entity may insert an identifier into a packet delivered up to the RLC entity, to indicate whether the packet arrived from the current primary serving cell. In another example, a serving cell change procedure may include steps to flush a queue at the MAC entity and kill any running reordering release timers. In these ways potential problems caused by out-of-order control packets can be reduced or avoided. |
| US08867510B2 |
Methods and apparatus to utilize network coding in a wireless network
Methods and apparatus to utilize network coding in a wireless network are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a first packet flow at a first node from a second node that is one-hop away from the first node, the first packet flow originating at a first source, receiving a second packet flow at the first node from a third node that is one-hop away from the first node, the second packet flow originating at a second source, generating, for the first packet flow, first intra-session parity packets using intra-session network coding and generating, for the second packet flow, second intra-session parity packets using intra-session network coding, the first and second intra-session parity packets being generated based on loss rates of links between the first and second nodes and the first and third nodes, and between the first node and a fourth node and between the first node and a fifth node, the fourth and fifth nodes being one-hop away from the first node, and combining at the first node the first and second packet flows and the first and second intra-session parity packets into a combined packet flow using inter-session network coding. |
| US08867508B2 |
Method and system for wireless access point radios integrated in a cable
A wireless access point (AP) radio may be integrated in a cable. The cable may comprise one or more other integrated wireless AP radios. The cable may be communicatively coupled to a wireless controller and the wireless AP radio may receive power from the wireless controller via the cable. Feature information and/or configuration parameter settings may be received by the wireless AP radio from the wireless controller via the cable. The wireless AP radio may provide wireless communication services such as wireless access to a wired network for one or more client devices, based on the feature information and/or the configuration parameter settings. When one or more adjacent wireless AP radios in the cable become non-operational, the wireless AP radio may increase its transmission power to increase its coverage for covering at least a portion of coverage area associated with the one or more non-operational adjacent wireless AP radios. |
| US08867507B2 |
Split-plane wireless network architecture
A split-plane mobility network architecture separates control and data plane operations typically encapsulated in a conventional wireless controller. Configurations provide a unified split-plane mobility switch that separates the data transport and switching in a separate hardware element, and performs control plane operations via exchanges with a centralized topology, rather than simply by adjacent switches within range. In contrast to conventional switch deployment, in which the same switch handles processing demands of the control plane and the data plane, the disclosed approach separates the data plane processing base by employing a mobility agent to define adjacent switch visibility. Thus, the routing capabilities of the data plane may be enhanced, such as to handle increasingly bandwidth-hungry applications of the same user base, without uprooting the infrastructure defined by the control plane. |
| US08867503B2 |
Localized CoMP precoding
A system is provided for precoding in a coordinated multipoint (CoMP) joint transmission (JT) system. During operation, the system identifies, at a first base station (BS) of a first cell, a set of regular user equipments (UEs), which are located within the first cell and receive signals from the first BS; and one or more coordinated multipoint (CoMP) UEs, which are located within a second cell and receive signals. The CoMP UEs receive signals from both the first BS and a second BS of the second cell. The system obtains a first channel state information (CSI) associated with the regular UEs, receives a second CSI associated with the CoMP UEs from the second BS, and constructs a local precoder for the first cell in accordance with the first CSI and the second CSI. |
| US08867502B2 |
Method and apparatus for application of precoder information at the UE in closed loop transmit diversity
Apparatus and methods are described herein for applying precoding information updates at a user equipment (UE). The UE receives precoder information from a network component. The UE can them transmit packet data over a transmit time interval (TTI) of tow or more slots using transmit diversity. The UE updates the precoder for transmit diversity with the precoder information in a slot subsequent to the first slot in the TTI. The precoder information is applied to update the precoder at a slot boundary within the TTI. |
| US08867499B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a wireless communication system
A method for transmitting a signal in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: allocating a radio resource for transmitting a signal; and transmitting the signal to a destination station by using the radio resource, wherein the radio resource includes a plurality of symbols in a time domain, at least two symbols among the plurality of symbols include a guard time for switching transmission and reception of a signal, and the radio resource includes a partial symbol which is a radio resource other than the guard time in the symbol including the guard time. |
| US08867495B2 |
Feedback mechanisms for beamforming operation
A method for generating feedback data is described. A downlink message is received from a base station. It is determined whether full channel reciprocity or partial channel reciprocity is enabled at a transmitter. A mode for feedback data generation is determined. Feedback data is generated using the determined mode. The feedback data includes beamforming information. The feedback data is transmitted to the base station. The feedback data may include a channel quality indicator (CQI) and a rank. |
| US08867493B2 |
Scheduling algorithms for cooperative beamforming based on resource quality indication
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support techniques for cooperative beamforming based on inter-cell coordination. Signaling design allows coordinated downlink transmissions with reduced inter-cell interference. |
| US08867492B2 |
Radio network controller with IP mapping table
Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for routing data to mobile devices that undergo handovers from one access point to another. In one embodiment, a processor performs operations including receiving a network location of a mobile device from a network agent in communication with the mobile device, updating a mapping table with the network location of the mobile device, receiving a request to transfer a data packet to the mobile device, routing the data packet to the mobile device according to the mapping table, and forwarding the network location to a source of the data packet. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08867491B2 |
Method and system for maintaining multiple PDN network connection during inter-technology handover in idle mode
Supporting an optimized idle mode handoff of user equipment from a 3GPP to a non-3GPP system. Namely, during an idle mode registration of the user equipment with the non-3GPP system, the user equipment may provide an indication to the access node on the non-3GPP system so that the access point in that non-3GPP system contacts the appropriate entity (HSS or AAA) on the home network for the user equipment to download the addresses of the multiple PDN gateway addresses that are currently in use by the user equipment. This indication to the non-3GPP access node, the contact message from the access node to the home network, and the response from the home network to the access node on the non-3GPP system provide the access node with sufficient information to maintain multiple PDN connectivity to the user equipment during an idle mode handover. |
| US08867485B2 |
Multiple location retrieval function (LRF) network having location continuity
An IMS emergency call is reliably handed off within the PS domain or from the PS domain to the CS domain, by providing continuous support of location of a user device on behalf of a PSAP. The invention provides for handover of an IMS emergency call with EPS/GPRS access in a multi-LRF environment. Emergency location services for CS based emergency and/or IMS based emergency location services are often provided by multiple emergency location service providers. The information element that is critical for supporting Location Continuity in Multi-LRF environment can be either the assigned ESQK or the Serving LRF address. ESQK is assigned by the Serving LRF during IMS emergency call setup, and is used to uniquely identify the emergency service provider that operates the serving LRF. A simpler implementation uses the Serving LRF's address to identify the Serving LRF during and after the handover (PS-PS or PS-CS). |
| US08867481B2 |
WLAN channel allocation
In a method available frequency band for communication is determined and a frequency fc of a carrier is determined based on the available frequency band. The carrier is set to the frequency fc for communicating with one or more communication devices via a first communication channel within the available frequency band using. After communicating via the first communication channel, the carrier frequency fc is used for communicating with one or more communication devices via a second communication channel within the available bandwidth. A center frequency of the first channel is different than a center frequency of the second channel. |
| US08867480B2 |
Specification of a frequency agile dynamic spectrum access TDMA method
Dynamic spectral assignment in an ad hoc network of wireless network nodes (200) includes determining (306) a set of allowed frequencies that can be used by the ad hoc network and a corresponding index value for each of the allowed frequencies. An allowed list is created (308) and comprised of the index values (312) arranged in a deterministic order. A pointer (604) into the allowed list (600) is determined for each one of a total of Nhop frequency hops of a hopping sequence. Each pointer specifies one of the allowed frequencies (601) to be used for a corresponding one of the frequency hops. A wireless frequency hopping communication session is performed among a plurality of the nodes in the ad hoc network, using a frequency for each hop of the hopping sequence as specified by the pointers (604). |
| US08867479B2 |
Multi-dimensional network resource allocation
A method for allocating communication resources for communication includes, in a first communication system including a plurality of transmitters, allocating frequency and time bandwidth for communication with a second communication system; determining a first portion of the plurality of transmitters for communication with the second communication system based, at least in part, on information obtained from the second communication system; and allocating the first portion of the plurality of transmitters for communication with the second communication system utilizing the allocated frequency and time bandwidth. A second portion of the plurality of transmitters may be allocated for a purpose other than communication with the second communication system utilizing the allocated frequency and time bandwidth. The allocating of the second portion of the plurality of transmitters includes allocating the second portion of the plurality of transmitters for communication with a third communication system utilizing the allocated frequency and time bandwidth. |
| US08867473B2 |
Integrated self-optimizing multi-parameter and multi-variable point to multipoint communication system
The invention provides a method and system for adaptive point to multipoint wireless communication. The wireless physical layer and the wireless media-access-control (MAC) layer collectively include a set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by a base station controller for communication with a plurality of customer premises equipment. The base station controller adjusts communication with each customer premises equipment individually and adaptively in response to changes in characteristics of communication, including physical characteristics, amount of communication traffic, and nature of application for the communication traffic. |
| US08867469B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) by user equipment in a wireless communication. The user equipment performs channel coding on information bits of the UCI to generate encoding information bits; performs modulation on the thus generated encoding information bits to generate complex modulation symbols; spreads the complex modulation symbols block-wise to a plurality of single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols based on an orthogonal sequence; and transmits the spread complex modulation symbols to a base station. |
| US08867467B2 |
Efficient transmission for low data rate WLAN
It is determined whether basic service set (BSS) information has changed, and when it is determined that BSS information has changed, one or more first BSS information elements (IEs) that include at least some of the BSS information that has changed are generated. A shortened beacon frame is generated that (i) includes the one or more first BSS IEs, and (ii) omits one or more second BSS IEs that correspond to BSS information that has not changed. The beacon frame is transmitted. |
| US08867463B2 |
Weighted soft buffer handling in radiocommunication systems
Weighting factor information can be transmitted from a base station toward a terminal. The weighting factor information can be used by the terminal to allocate a portion of a buffer for received codewords, or transport blocks, associated with each component carrier that has been assigned to that terminal. |
| US08867461B2 |
Method of transmitting or receiving uplink signals and equipment therefor
A method of transmitting or receiving uplink signals in a wireless communication system and an apparatus therefor are provided. In one aspect of the method of transmitting the uplink signals, a base station determines whether each of user equipments uses an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) scheme or a single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) scheme in uplink transmission. Further, the base station transmits scheduling information containing information regarding the determined multiple access scheme to the user equipments, and thus reports a multiplexing scheme to be used by each user equipment. In addition, each user equipment transmits the uplink data to the base station by multiplexing the uplink data by using the OFDMA scheme or the SC-FDMA scheme according to the scheduling information. |
| US08867459B2 |
Mobile subscriber information transmission over multiple uplink frames
Methods and apparatuses of a mobile subscriber transmitting information to a base station are disclosed. One method includes identifying an uplink transmission condition. If the uplink transmission condition is identified, the mobile subscriber transmits a message over multiple uplink frames. The mobile subscriber informs the base station that it is transmitting the message over the multiple uplink frames. |
| US08867458B2 |
Network controlled device to device / machine to machine cluster operation
Methods, apparatuses, and systems can permit network allocation of uplink resources. In one example, a method includes determining uplink resources to be granted to a cluster. The method can also include preparing, at an apparatus, an uplink resource grant, based on the determining, including a transmitter identifier. The method can further include transmitting the uplink resources grant to a plurality of cluster nodes of the cluster. The transmitter identifier identifies at least one node of the plurality of cluster nodes. |
| US08867457B2 |
Method of transmitting control information wireless
A method of transmitting control information includes generating a cyclically shifted sequence by cyclically shifting a base sequence by a cyclic shift amount, generating a modulated sequence based on a modulation symbol for control information and the cyclically shifted sequence, and transmitting the modulated sequence on a plurality of subcarriers, wherein available cyclic shifts of the base sequence are divided into a first part and a second part according to a type of the control information, and the first part and the second part are separated by at least one unallocated cyclic shift of the base sequence. |
| US08867453B2 |
System and method for subcarrier allocation signaling in a multicarrier wireless network
A base station for use in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) network that communicates with a plurality of subscriber stations in a coverage area of the OFDM network. The base station allocates subbands to the subscriber stations for communication in an uplink and in a downlink. Each subband comprises a group of subcarriers. The base station allocates one of: i) a plurality of consecutive subbands and ii) a plurality of non-consecutive subbands to a first subscriber station according to at least one selectable criteria. The at least one selectable criteria comprises a channel quality value or a mobility value associated with the first subscriber station, or an operating mode of the base station. The base station allocates non-consecutive subbands or consecutive subbands depending on the at least one selectable criteria. The base station allocates non-consecutive subbands using a bitmap indicator and allocates consecutive subbands using a start-end indicator. |
| US08867452B2 |
System for permitting control of the purging of a node B by the serving radio network controller
A system and method which permit the RNC to control purging of data buffered in the Node B. The RNC monitors for a triggering event, which initiates the purging process. The RNC then informs the Node B of the need to purge data by transmitting a purge command, which prompts the Node B to delete at least a portion of buffered data. The purge command can include instructions for the Node B to purge all data for a particular UE, data in one or several user priority transmission queues or in one or more logical channels in the Node B, depending upon the particular data purge triggering event realized in the RNC. |
| US08867447B2 |
Dynamic header compression based on attributes of traffic
A system may be configured to identify attributes of a bearer channel. Based on the attributes of the bearer channel, the system may identify a header compression policy associated with the bearer channel. The system may be configured to identify, based on attributes of traffic sent and/or received via the bearer channel, and further based on the header compression policy, that header compression should be performed on at least a portion of the traffic associated with the bearer channel. The system may be configured to perform header compression on the at least the portion of the traffic. |
| US08867442B2 |
Method and apparatus for fast assistive transmission operation
A method for coordinating discontinuous reception (DRX) operation between a primary serving cell and a secondary serving cell includes configuring DRX parameters for the primary serving cell and the secondary serving cell, performing a radio interface synchronization procedure to align a connection frame number (CFN) in both the primary serving cell and the secondary serving cell, and coordinating DRX reception patterns for the primary serving cell and the secondary serving cell using the aligned CFN. |
| US08867441B2 |
Wireless apparatus for a multi-carrier system
A wireless apparatus for a multi-carrier system is disclosed. The wireless apparatus comprises; a control channel unit which monitors a control channel transmitted via at least one carrier from among a plurality of carriers; and a data channel unit which transmits or receives data packets to or from a data channel using the resource allocation received from the control channel. The control channel unit monitors the control channel in a plurality of search space in a subframe. |
| US08867438B2 |
Data transmission apparatus and method for a high-speed packet access system
A data transmission method for a high-speed packet access system includes: sending, by a user equipment, packet data containing scheduling information having size information of a packet buffer through an uplink channel to a base station, and sending quality indicator information and acknowledgement information through another uplink channel to the base station; determining, by the base station, the value of a turbo mode flag by comparing amounts of data stored in the packet buffer of the user equipment and a packet buffer of the base station respectively with preset thresholds; and deactivating, by the user equipment when the turbo mode flag of an order message contained in received control data, packet data reception and control data transmission, and redirecting transmit power of a specified transmitter to a packet data transmitter to increase transmit power of the packet data transmitter for faster packet data upload. |
| US08867436B2 |
Support for optional system parameter values
Aspects describe conveying optional network signaled values that can be utilized for communication in a communications environment. A method that includes generating a first network signaled value and a second network signaled value and transmitting first network signaled value and second network signaled value to at least one mobile device is provided. A communications apparatus, comprising a memory that retains instructions related to obtaining a first network signaled value and a second network signaled value from an access point and applying first network signaled value or second network signaled value for communication in a network as a function of a priority is also provided. Also provided are optional network signaled values that can be utilized separately from a mandatory network signaled value. |
| US08867432B2 |
Processing uplink signal and downlink signal in radio unit
Described embodiments provide a method for processing an uplink signal in a radio unit. A first uplink signal may be received directly from user equipment. The received uplink signal may be delayed using uplink delay information. A second uplink signal may be received indirectly from user equipment through at least one repeater connected to the radio unit. The delayed first uplink signal and the second uplink signal may be combined and transmitted to a digital unit. |
| US08867431B2 |
Method and apparatus for multicell cooperative communication
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method in which a relay performs multicell cooperative communication comprises the steps of: receiving scheduling information and data from a base station; receiving a bypass indicator from the base station; performing protocol layer processing on the scheduling information and data in accordance with the bypass indicator; and transmitting the processed data to a user equipment in accordance with the processed scheduling information, wherein said bypass indicator indicates that the protocol layer processing should be performed for only a portion of the protocol layer of the relay. |
| US08867429B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication method thereof, repeater devices and wireless terminal devices
Plural repeaters (1111 to 111n) are connected one another via a system bus (115), and each of which detects the state of another repeater by checking a signal transmitted over the system bus (115). When stopping the operation of home repeater (e.g., the repeater (1111)) which performs relaying process among wireless terminal devices (TA) to (TH), a secondary repeater (e.g., the repeater (1112)) set beforehand detects that the home repeater breaks down as the secondary repeater becomes unable to detect the signal over the system bus (115). The secondary repeater responds to the detection and bears the relaying process instead of the home repeater. |
| US08867427B2 |
Communication system using hierarchical modulation scheme or network coding scheme
A communication system using a hierarchical modulation scheme and/or a network coding scheme is provided. A relay node included in the communication system may generate a relay packet by applying a network coding scheme to a hierarchically modulated source packet and to a destination packet received from a destination node. The relay packet is transmitted to a source node and a destination node, and the source node and the destination node may extract a desired packet from a relay packet. The communication system also may adaptively determine an optimal communication mode. |
| US08867425B2 |
Method and apparatus multimedia broadcast/multicast service coverage boost
A method of assigning Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (E-MBMS) bearers in a Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area in a 3GPP compliant wireless communication system is provided. An infrastructure device is operably coupled to a radio access network comprising one or more MBSFN areas, wherein each MBSFN area supports a plurality of E-MBMS bearers for transporting media streams to user equipments (UE). The infrastructure device receives, from a UE, an identifier of a preferred MBSFN area and a request for a boost to the quality of the transmissions. The infrastructure device assigns first and second E-MBMS bearers in an MBSFN area to support a call to the UE, the first and second E-MBMS bearers providing the same information to the UE in their media content streams. The UE may employ application layer time-diversity reception of the media content. |
| US08867424B2 |
Method, base station, and broadcast multicast service center for creating, updating, and releasing synchronization entities
The present invention provides processes of creating, updating, and releasing SYNC entities between eNB and BM-SC, and an eNB and a BM-SC for implementing the processes of creating, updating, and releasing the SYNC entities. According to a solution of the present invention, a method of creating SYNC entities is provided, including: creating, at a BM-SC, a plurality of SYNC entities whose amount is equal to the total amount of services, and associating the created plurality of SYNC entities with the services in a one-to-one correspondence manner; sending a SYNC entity creating instruction to all eNBs within an MBSFN area; creating, at each eNB, a plurality of SYNC entities whose amount is equal to the total amount of services based on the received SYNC entity creating instruction, and associating the created plurality of SYNC entities with the services in a one-to-one correspondence manner. |
| US08867414B2 |
Method and apparatus for interaction of cell-specific and user-equipment-specific sounding reference signal periodicity and offset
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for enabling transmission of sounding reference signals for uplink and downlink scheduling. |
| US08867413B2 |
Method of pre-equalization by time reversal in FDD
A method of pre-equalizing a data signal transmitted in frequency division duplex includes receiving via an originating reference antenna a first pilot sequence transmitted by a destination antenna through a first channel, and estimating a first impulse response of the first channel; receiving via a destination antenna a second pilot sequence transmitted by an originating antenna through a second channel, and estimating a second impulse response of the second channel; receiving, via the reference antenna, a third pilot sequence modulated by the second impulse response and transmitted by the destination antenna, and estimating a combined impulse response of the first and second channels in succession; time reversing the combined impulse response; combining the time-reversed combined impulse response and the first impulse response; re-iterating the steps for a portion of the destination and originating antennas; and determining pre-equalization coefficients for the data signal from a set of the impulse response combinations. |
| US08867410B2 |
Embedded MBMS status information reporting of idle UE in supporting LTE MBMS audience measurement
A simple and effective mechanism is shown to determine and utilize information about idle user equipment which received MBMS services for purposes of audience monitoring. The implementation can be done by defining a new information element (IE) for a proposed MBMS status information and embedding the new IE into a UE-originated message of a network control signaling procedure, e.g., RRC Connection Request which may be sent at the convenience of the UE when it transitions from the idle state to the active state for its own purposes, i.e., purposes primarily other than audience monitoring. |
| US08867408B2 |
Fast convergence on child link failures and weighted load balancing of aggregate ethernet/sonet bundles
A network device provides a selector list that includes indices of child nexthops associated with the network device, where each of the child nexthops is associated with a corresponding child link provided in an aggregated bundle of child links. The network device also receives an indication of a failure of a child link in the aggregated bundle of child links, and removes, from the selector list, an index of a child nexthop associated with the failed child link. The network device further receives probabilities associated with the child links of the aggregated bundle of child links. Each of the probabilities indicates a probability of a packet exiting the network device on a child link. The network device also creates a distribution table based on the probabilities associated with the child links, and rearranges values provided in the distribution table. |
| US08867405B2 |
Voice service discovery
In one implementation, voice service discovery may include a voice service discovery protocol (VSDP) and a VSDP device, which receives voice virtual local area network data and generates a packet including root voice service configuration data. The VSDP device may be in an enabled state, a listening state, or a disabled state. Receiving voice service configuration data may initiate the enabled state in the VSDP device, and the packet may be transmitted to a remote device. Voice service discovery may include advertising a voice service to a plurality of voice over internet protocol endpoints according to the root voice service configuration data. |
| US08867404B2 |
Node level vectoring synchronization
An apparatus for synchronizing a plurality of digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAMs) comprising a reference clock configured to generate a reference clock signal, and an interface configured to transmit the reference clock signal to the DSLAMs, wherein each of the DSLAMs is configured to align its system clock with the reference clock. |
| US08867402B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating topology tree
From an observed packet, the hop number, which is the number of nodes that the packet has passed through, and a bottleneck bandwidth, which is a bottleneck for transmitting the packet, are determined so as to detect loss failures. Thereby, the subnet that transmitted the observed packet is located as a node in a topology tree on the basis of the determined hop count and bottleneck bandwidth. When a loss failure, by which the packet is lost, is detected, subnets that are inappropriately arranged are extracted from the arrangement in the topology tree of the loss-failure-detected subnet, and the arrangement of the extracted subnets is modified in order to resolve the inappropriateness. |
| US08867401B1 |
Scheduled device communication
A server creates a schedule for each of multiple user devices based on a set of items associated with a corresponding user device, and allows each user device to obtain associated items in accordance with the schedule. |
| US08867395B2 |
Accelerating data packet parsing
Mechanisms are provided for a network processor comprising a parser, the parser being operable to work in normal operation mode or in repeat operation mode, the parser in normal operation mode loading and executing at least one rule in a first and a second working cycle respectively, the parser in repeat operation mode being operable to repeatedly execute a repeat-instruction, the execution of each repeat corresponding to one working cycle. |
| US08867384B2 |
Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system
A method in a terminal for providing an ACK/NAK message to a base station is provided. The terminal counts the number of assigned downlink subframes detected from the base station resulting in k. The terminal then establishes whether each of a number of transport blocks comprised in the counted k downlink subframes is correctly received or not. In the case when each one of the transport blocks, comprised in the k downlink subframes is estimated as correctly received the terminal provides to the base station an encoded ACK message for the k subframes, which comprises k, the number of subframes. |
| US08867367B2 |
802.1aq support over IETF EVPN
A method is implemented in a multiprotocol label swapping (MPLS) edge switch (PE) for interworking the 802.1aq control plane with an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) control plane. The method and system elect designated forwarders (DFs) for a given Backbone-Virtual Local Area Network Identifier (B-VID) in a local Provider Backbone Bridged Network (PBBN) and thereby determine which PE uniquely transfers specific I-Component Source Identifier (I-SID) and Media Access Control (MAC) information for the B-VID from an Intermediate System-Intermediate System (IS-IS) database into a BGP database and transfers I-SID and MAC information in the BGP database into the IS-IS database of the PE. |
| US08867365B2 |
Methods and computer program products for route determination
Methods and computer program products are provided for improved routing by evaluating routing alternatives based on multiple-path elements. The homing models provide a solution for improved access homing while balancing latency, load-balancing, and diversity needs by viewing each network in isolation or the combination of networks as a single network. |
| US08867360B2 |
Method and apparatus for lossless behavior for multiple ports sharing a buffer pool
Packets are colored and stored in a shared packet buffer without assigning fixed page allocations per port. The packet buffer is divided into three areas—an unrestricted area, an enforced area, and a headroom area. Regardless of the fullness level, when a packet is received it will be stored in the packet buffer. If the fullness level is in the unrestricted area, no flow control messages are generated. If the fullness level is in the enforced region, a probabilistic flow control generation process is used determine if a flow control messages will be generated. If the fullness level is in the headroom area, flow control is automatically generated. Quanta timers are used to control regeneration of flow control messages. |
| US08867359B1 |
Preventing buffer overflow by adjusting transmit window size
A network device including a port and a processor. The port is configured to receive a packet. The packet includes a first transmit window size for a first communication session handled by the network device. The processor is configured to modify the first transmit window size based on i) a size of a buffer of the network device, and ii) a second transmit window size for a second communication session handled by the network device. The buffer is used to store packets received by the network device. The second communication session is different than the first communication session. |
| US08867358B2 |
Energy control in a mobile communication network
In a mobile communication network, data traffic of a certain quality of service class is forwarded in accordance with a traffic forwarding policy associated with this quality of service class, e.g. by establishing dedicated bearers (52, 54). For implementing energy control, an energy control attribute is assigned to the quality of service class. On the basis of the energy control attribute, a data throughput for forwarding the data traffic is limited to a maximum limit. This may be accomplished by using a throughput limiter (150, 250) in one or more nodes (100, 110, 120, 200) participating in the transport of the data traffic. |
| US08867357B2 |
Processing network traffic at a network edge
A device, provided at a network edge, receives a radio frequency signal from a user equipment, and converts the radio frequency signal into an electrical signal. The device also receives, from a network controller, at least one of control information, schedule information, or congestion management information. The device performs baseband signal processing on the electrical signal, based on at least one of the control information, the schedule information, or the congestion management information, to create a modified signal. The device provides the modified signal to the network controller. |
| US08867354B2 |
Transmission control method, transmission control system, communication device and recording medium of transmission control program
A transmission control method includes performing communication between a transmission source communication device and a transmission destination communication device by using a transmission control protocol which includes a plurality of congestion control functions corresponding to a plurality of congestion control methods, respectively, and causing, when the transmission source communication device and the transmission destination communication device switch from a first congestion control function to a second congestion control function, at least one of a plurality of parameters for controlling operating states in the first congestion control function to be inherited by a parameter for controlling an operating state in the second congestion control function. |
| US08867349B2 |
Regulation of network traffic in virtual private networks
In an embodiment, a method is provided for regulating network traffic and virtual private networks. In this method, network traffic transmitted along multiple communication paths is received, and these communication paths are associated with forwarding identifiers. A portion of the forwarding identifiers is identified to match a particular forwarding identifier associated with a particular virtual private network. At the same time, the policy associated with the particular virtual private network is identified. A portion of the network traffic that is associated with the portion of the identified forwarding identifiers can then be regulated based on the policy. |
| US08867345B2 |
Intelligent electronic device with segregated real-time ethernet
An intelligent electronic device segregates urgent data frames from non-urgent data frames on reception so that the urgent data frames may be handled with greater priority. A switching device is disposed between an external network interface and multiple internal network ports. Based on a network data type indicia, urgent data frames are routed to one of the ports, and non-urgent data frames are routed to another port. A processor coupled to the internal network ports handles urgent data frames before handling any non-urgent data frames. |
| US08867334B2 |
Efficient convergence of grouped VPN prefixes
In one embodiment, a list of border node next hop options is maintained in a memory. The list of border node next hop options includes one or more of border nodes that may be utilized to reach one or more prefixes. An index value is associated with each border node of the list of border node next hop options. A list of labels is also maintained in the memory. The index value of each border node is associated with a corresponding label for a path to reach that border node. When a change to the one or more border nodes is detected, the list of border node next hop options is updated to remove a border node. However, a label for the path to reach the border node is maintained in the list of labels for at least a period of time. |
| US08867333B2 |
Restoration path calculation considering shared-risk link groups in mesh networks
A method for determining a restoration path for a new service in a mesh network involves selecting between candidate restoration paths corresponding to a primary path for the new service based on the shared-risk link groups (SRLGs) associated with links in the primary path. The method includes, for each of a plurality of candidate restoration paths associated with the primary path, (1) determining whether the primary path requires any additional restoration bandwidth to be reserved on any link of the restoration path based on whether, for each link of the restoration path, the primary path is SRLG-disjoint from each other primary path that is protected by that link, (2) generating a path cost for the restoration path, where the path cost is a function of whether any additional restoration bandwidth is required; and (3) selecting the restoration path for the new service based on the path cost. |
| US08867332B2 |
Method for transmitting data in multiple antenna system
An apparatus for data transmission in a multi-antenna system is provided. The apparatus includes: a modulation mapper for modulating codewords into modulation symbols that express a position on a signal constellation; a layer permutator for mapping the modulation symbols to different layers; a transform precoder for generating a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) symbol of a frequency domain by performing DFT on the modulation symbol mapped to the layer; a resource element mapper for mapping the DFT symbol to a physical resource element; and a signal generator for generating a single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) signal from the DFT symbol mapped to the resource element, wherein a modulation order of the modulation symbols is determined depending on the layer mapped by the layer permutator. |
| US08867329B2 |
Allowing a single transmitter to transmit multiple data frames in OFDM communication networks
In one embodiment, a transmitting device may determine a first data frame to a first destination and a second data frame to a second destination, and may assign subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames. Once assigned, the transmitting device may augment a transmission physical (PHY) header with a destination and tone map tuple for each of the first and second destinations, and transmits the transmission with the first and second data frames simultaneously on the assigned subcarriers. |
| US08867326B2 |
Apparatus for reproducing a signal from a disc-shaped information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers with different areas
A disc-shaped information recording medium includes a laminate of recording layers on and from which an information signal can be optically recorded and reproduced from one side of the medium. Data areas are provided in the recording layers, respectively. The information signal can be recorded on and reproduced from the data areas while a laser beam emitted from an optical pickup is applied to the data areas. Optical recording test areas are provided in the recording layers, respectively. A test signal can be recorded on and reproduced from the optical recording test areas to decide optimum power values of the laser beam for signal recording. The test areas are out of overlap as viewed in a direction of propagation of the laser beam. |
| US08867324B2 |
Reproducing device and reproducing method
A reproducing device includes a light generation and emission unit that obtains signal light as reflection light, which reflects recording signals of a land and a groove, by irradiating an optical recording medium with light and generates reference light so as to emit the signal light and the reference light in a superposed manner, a detection optical system that generates a first combination of signal light and reference light, a second combination of signal light and reference light, a third combination of signal light and reference light, and a fourth combination of signal light and reference light respectively, a light receiving unit in which the first to fourth combinations of signal light and reference light are respectively received by first to fourth light receiving elements, and a reproduction unit that reproduces the recording signals of the land and the groove on the basis of first to fourth light receiving signals. |
| US08867323B2 |
Controlling head-media spacing using a write coil
While a heat-assisted, magnetic recording media is not being written to, heat applied from a write head to the recording media to facilitate writing to the recording media is removed. Power is applied to a write coil of the write head to control spacing between the write head and the recording media when the recording media is not being written to. |
| US08867318B2 |
Sunrise alarm clock
An alarm clock including a rectangular base, a housing mounted on the base, an opaque portion on the front of the housing, a translucent portion on the front of the housing, a time display located on the front of the housing, and a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted inside the housing behind the translucent portion, wherein a first time prior to a set time for an alarm a first number of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, wherein on successive times prior to the set time for the alarm successive numbers of the plurality of light emitting diodes are lit, and wherein at the set time for the alarm the entire plurality of light emitting diodes are lit. |
| US08867312B1 |
Method for compressing the dynamic range of measured signals
A sonar system is provided with the system having comparatively reduced power consumption, data bandwidth and data storage requirements. A sensor array of the system is configured to a sleep mode, low-resolution mode and high-resolution mode. In the sleep mode, all sonar sensors are configured in the mode and no acoustic signals are detected or processed. In the low-resolution mode, a limited number of sonar sensors are powered and acoustic signals received by the sensors are processed with reduced bandwidth and dynamic range, and then stored on a data storage device. In the high-resolution mode, the acoustic signals detected by the sonar sensors are processed with full signal bandwidth and dynamic range and then stored on the data storage device. A 10 bit mu-Law encoding scheme is used to reduce the amplitude scale of measurement or dynamic range of the digitized acoustic signals. |
| US08867309B2 |
Method and system for transmission of seismic data
The transmission method utilizes multiple seismic acquisition units within an array as intermediate short range radio receivers/transmitters to pass collected seismic data in relay fashion back to a control station. Any one seismic unit in the array is capable of transmitting radio signals to several other seismic units positioned within radio range of the transmitting unit, thus allowing the system to select an optimal transmission path. Utilizing an array of seismic units permits transmission routes back to a control station to be varied as needed. In transmissions from the most remote seismic unit to the control station, each unit within a string receives seismic data from other units and transmits the received seismic data along with the receiving unit's locally stored seismic data. Preferably, as a transmission is passed along a chain, it is bounced between seismic units so as to be relayed by each unit in the array. |
| US08867307B2 |
Method for acoustic imaging of the earth's subsurface using a fixed position sensor array and beam steering
A method for seismic surveying includes disposing a plurality of seismic sensors in a selected pattern above an area of the Earth's subsurface to be evaluated. A seismic energy source is repeatedly actuated proximate the seismic sensors. Signals generated by the seismic sensors, indexed in time with respect to each actuation of the seismic energy source are recorded. The recorded signals are processed to generate an image corresponding to at least one point in the subsurface. The processing includes stacking recordings from each sensor for a plurality of actuations of the source and beam steering a response of the seismic sensors such that the at least one point is equivalent to a focal point of a response of the plurality of sensors. |
| US08867303B2 |
Memory arbitration circuitry
An integrated circuit with memory elements is provided. The memory elements may be single-port memory cells that are used to provide multiport memory functionality. The integrated circuit may include an arbitration circuit operable to receive memory access requests from at least first and second request generators. The arbitration circuit may be configured to operate in a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. The arbitration circuit operating in the synchronous mode may perform port selection based on a predetermined logic table. The arbitration circuit operating in the asynchronous mode may execute a memory request as soon as it is received by the arbitration circuit. Requests received while a current memory access is being performed may be put on hold until the current memory access has been completed. |
| US08867291B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
A semiconductor apparatus including an equalizing unit configured to equalize voltages of a bit line and a bit bar line in response to an equalization signal; a precharge circuit unit configured to supply a voltage to the bit line and the bit bar line in response to first and second precharge signals; and a control unit configured to receive the equalization signal, and generate the equalization signal as the first and second precharge signals according to a control signal. |
| US08867283B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, operating method thereof, and data storage apparatus including the same
A semiconductor memory device includes memory cells arranged at regions where word lines and bit lines cross each other; a randomizing and de-randomizing circuit configured to perform a first randomizing operation on data to be programmed to the memory cells, based on a seed value, so as to generate first randomized data; a data reading/writing circuit configured to perform a second randomizing operation on the first randomized data using a data inverting operation so as to generate second randomized data and program the second randomized data to the memory cells; and a control logic configured to control the randomizing and de-randomizing circuit and the data reading/writing circuit. |
| US08867279B2 |
Flash memory apparatus with reference word lines
The invention provides a flash memory apparatus including at least one flash memory array block and a sense amplifying module. The flash memory array block comprises N storage columns, N reference word-line cell units and a reference storage column, wherein N is a positive integer. Each of the reference word-line cell units disposed in each of the storage columns, wherein, the reference word-line cell units further coupled to a reference word line and a dummy word line. The reference storage column includes a plurality of reference bit-line cells, the reference word line and the dummy word line, one of the reference bit-line cells which coupled to the reference word line is coupled to a reference bit line. The sense amplifying module compares currents from one of the bit lines and the corresponding reference bit line to generate at least one sensing result. |
| US08867275B2 |
Flash memory device and program method
Disclosed is a flash memory device and programming method that includes; receiving buffer data and determining between a high-speed mode and a reliability mode for buffer data, and upon determining the reliability mode storing the buffer data in a first buffer region, and upon determining the high-speed mode storing the buffer data in a second buffer region. The memory cell array of the flash memory including a main region and a separately designated buffer region divided into the first buffer region and second buffer region. |
| US08867274B2 |
Method of operating nonvolatile memory device controlled by controlling coupling resistance value between bit line and page buffer
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device includes determining whether a program operation is performed on even memory cells coupled to even bit lines of a selected page, setting a coupling resistance value between odd bit lines of the selected page and page buffers depending on whether the program operation for the even memory cells is performed, performing a program operation on the odd memory cells coupled to the odd bit lines, and coupling the odd bit line to the page buffer based on the set coupling resistance value and performing an verification operation for verifying whether threshold voltages of the odd memory cells on which the program operation is performed are a target voltage or more. |
| US08867262B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor device includes plural memory cells each having a first inverter and a second inverter, with an input of the first inverter being coupled to an output of the second inverter and an input of the second inverter being coupled to an output of the first inverter. The first and second inverters have drive transistors supplied with a source voltage where the source voltage is raised in response to a level shift of a control signal supplied to a switch of a control circuit. The control circuit further includes a resistance element in parallel with a MOS transistor connected as a diode. |
| US08867261B2 |
Memcapacitor devices, field effect transistor devices, and, non-volatile memory arrays
A memcapacitor device includes a pair of opposing conductive electrodes. A semiconductive material including mobile dopants within a dielectric and a mobile dopant barrier dielectric material are received between the pair of opposing conductive electrodes. The semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material are of different composition relative one another which is at least characterized by at least one different atomic element. One of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material is closer to one of the pair of electrodes than is the other of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material. The other of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material is closer to the other of the pair of electrodes than is the one of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material. Other implementations are disclosed, including field effect transistors, memory arrays, and methods. |
| US08867260B2 |
Reading circuit for a resistive memory cell
A reading circuit for a resistive memory cell is provided, the circuit including a current source, a precharge switch, a comparator circuit including a first input node (in-node), and a second in-node, the precharge switch configured to couple the current source to the first in-node to apply a precharge voltage during a first reading time period, and to decouple the current source during a second reading time period, the comparator circuit configured to operate during a third reading time period, a memory cell access switch to enable a current flow at least partially during the second and the third reading time periods through a memory cell, the comparator circuit configured to compare a voltage at the first in-node with a reference voltage at the second in-node and to determine a programming state of the memory cell based on the voltage at the first in-node during the third reading time period. |
| US08867256B2 |
Systems and methods for writing and non-destructively reading ferroelectric memories
Ferroelectric memory cell configurations, a system for controlling writing and reading to those configurations and a method for employing those configurations for writing and reading ferroelectric memories are provided. Ferroelectric memory cells according to the disclosed configurations are read without disturbing the stored data, i.e., not requiring any modification of the stored polarization state of the ferroelectric memory cell to read the stored data, thus providing a “non-destructive” reading process. Ferroelectric memory cells are read without requiring that a charge or sense amplifier be a part of the ferroelectric memory cell. Various transistor configurations provide a capability to read a signal effect through a transistor channel as an indication of capacitance of a ferroelectric memory cell polarization state. |
| US08867252B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, method of controlling read preamble signal thereof, and data transmission system
A system, includes a controller comprising a plurality of first external terminals configured to supply a command and an address, and communicate a data, and communicate a strobe signal related to the data; and a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of second external terminals corresponding to the plurality of first external terminals, at least one of the plurality of first external terminals and at least one of the plurality of second external terminals each being capable of supplying an information specifying a length of a preamble of the strobe signal before the semiconductor memory device communicates the data between the controller and the semiconductor memory device, the semiconductor memory device further including a preamble register configured to be capable of storing the information. |
| US08867251B2 |
Power supply device for solid state drive
A power supply device for a solid state drive (SSD) inserted into a slot of a computer includes a number of voltage input contacts, a diode, a first voltage regulating module and a second voltage regulating module connected in series. The slot includes a number of voltage output contacts and a number of signal transmitting contacts. The voltage input contacts are connected to the voltage output contacts and selectively connected to the signal transmitting contacts. The voltage input contacts obtains an initial voltage from the slot from the voltage output contacts or the signal transmitting contacts. The first voltage regulating module boosts the initial voltage. The second voltage regulating module regulates the boosted voltage to a preset voltage. The diode prevents a voltage outputting from the voltage input contacts to the signal transmitting contacts. |
| US08867250B2 |
High output current split package A/C adapter
A power adapter, including an AC input terminal, an AC-DC power converter, a DC-DC power converter, and an output terminal, wherein the AC-DC power converter and the DC-DC power converter are separate components, and wherein the power AC input terminal, AC-DC power converter, DC-DC power converter and the output terminal are connected sequentially via a plurality of cords. |
| US08867243B2 |
DC-DC converter for liquid crystal display device
A DC-DC converter of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus is provided comprising a first capacitor connected between a first node and a second node, a second capacitor connected between a third node and a fourth node, and a first diode connected between the input terminal and the first node. |
| US08867241B2 |
Method of upgrading a plant for transmitting electric power and such a plant
A plant for transmitting electric power through HVDC includes two converter stations interconnected by a monopolar direct voltage network and each having an alternating voltage side for feeding electric power from one of said alternating voltage sides to the other. Each station has a line commutated converter. The plant is upgraded by making the direct voltage network bipolar, providing each station with a Voltage Source Converter and providing two switches for both line commutated converters or both Voltage Source Converters and a device configured to control said four switches. |
| US08867237B2 |
Control device of the switching frequency of a quasi-resonant switching converter and related control method
A control device for a QR switching power converter is described; said power converter is adapted to convert an input signal to a DC output signal and comprises a power switch connected to said input signal and adapted to regulate said DC output signal and magnetic storage means. The control device is able to determine the switching frequency of the power switch and it is supplied by a feedback signal deriving from a feedback circuit coupled to the output signal of the power converter; said control device performs a control loop regulating the DC output signal by controlling a control variable. The control device comprises modulating means adapted to modulate said control variable as a function of at least one modulating signal having a frequency higher than the control loop bandwidth. |
| US08867236B2 |
Computer system with space for guiding cables
A computer system includes an enclosure, at least one cable holder, at least one data storage device, and at least one cable. The at least one cable holder is attached to the enclosure. A guiding space is defined between the at least one cable holder and a bottom wall of the enclosure. The at least one data storage device is installed in the enclosure and located above the at least one cable holder. The at least one cable is received in the guiding space. The at least one cable holder separates the at least one data storage device from the at least one cable thereby preventing the at least one data storage device and the at least one cable from interfering with each other. |
| US08867235B2 |
Configurable conduit body
A conduit body may include a body including a side and a bottom to form a cavity. The side of the body may include an outer surface and a recessed surface forming grooves. The conduit body may include a hub that includes an annular tube forming an opening to receive a cable. The body may be configured to receive the edges of the hub in the grooves such that movement of the hub in a linear direction may move the hub through the grooves to couple the hub to the body. When the hub is coupled to the body using the grooves, the conduit body may be configured to receive the cable through the annular tube of the hub and through the opening in the recessed surface into the cavity. |
| US08867234B2 |
Protective telecommunications enclosure systems and methods
Protective containers for electronic equipment, and methods of testing and manufacture thereof, are provided. Enclosure systems and methods for protecting telecommunications equipment from electromagnetic fields include cabinets having a maximum width dimension that does not exceed about 26 inches and a maximum depth dimension that does not exceed about 22⅜ inches. The cabinets provide a HEMP protection level to electronic equipment housed therein that meets a HEMP protection level according to MIL-STD-188-125-1. |
| US08867233B2 |
Smart meter protection system and methods
A smart meter protection system for decreasing intensity of radiation going into one's home from a smart meter associated with the building structure includes a redirection mechanism operably associable with the smart meter to partially enclose a smart meter so as to redirect radiation emitted from the smart meter away from the interior of the building structure. |
| US08867232B2 |
Display panel mounting adapter for industrial control system
A system for fittingly mounting a display panel onto a controller of an industrial control system is provided. The system includes a display panel adapter plate that attaches to a display panel, and a panel adapter plate that attaches to an industrial controller cabinet or door. The display panel adapter and the panel adapter plate includes complimentary tension connectors that mate to fixedly attach the display panel adapter to the panel adapter plate, thereby connecting the display panel to the controller cabinet. In at least one embodiment, the display panel adapter also includes a compute engine mount that attaches a compute engine to the display panel via the display panel adapter. In at least another embodiment, the display panel adapter also includes a tether mount that allows the display panel to interlace with a remote compute engine. |
| US08867228B2 |
Electrode bonding structure, and manufacturing method for electrode bonding structure
An electrode bonding structure sealed with a sealing resin, in which a flexible substrate is bonded to a first substrate via an adhesive, wherein: a region along a bottom face edge of an flexible substrate end part is bonded, via the adhesive, to an inner side region of a region along a top face edge of an first substrate end part; a gap is formed between an inner side region of the region along the bottom face edge of the flexible substrate end part and the region along the top face edge of the first substrate end part; the sealing resin is formed so as to enter, while covering a top face of the flexible substrate end part, at least a portion of the gap; and a height of the gap gets smaller towards the adhesive from the top face edge of the first substrate end part. |
| US08867226B2 |
Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) having conductor-backed coplanar waveguides and method of designing such MMICs
A MMIC having: a substrate; a plurality of active and passive electrical elements disposed on a top surface of the substrate; a plurality of coplanar waveguide transmission line sections disposed on the top surface of the substrate for electrically interconnecting the active and passive electrical elements; an electrical conductor disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate under the coplanar waveguide section. Edges of ground plane conductors of the coplanar waveguide (CPW) sections have slots therein in regions thereof connected to the active and passive devices. The design of such circuit includes mathematical models of the CPW with the pair of local ground planes and the strip conductor thereof have relatively narrow connectable ports. |
| US08867225B2 |
Wiring board
A wiring board includes: a core layer having a through hole therethrough and comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a first wiring layer formed on the first surface of the core layer and having a first opening which is communicated with the through hole, wherein an opening area of the first opening is larger than that of the through hole in a plan view; an electronic component disposed in the through hole and the first opening and having a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the electronic component further having a pair of terminal on the first surface thereof; and a first resin layer filled in the through hole, the first opening and a gap between the pair of terminals so as to cover the second surface and the side surface of the electronic component. |
| US08867224B2 |
Mounting structure of electronic component and method of manufacturing electronic component
A mounting structure includes: an electronic component including: a functional element having a predetermined function; a first resin protrusion section having a surface covered by a covering film including a conductive section electrically connected to the functional element; and a second resin protrusion section that is disposed inside an area surrounded by the first resin protrusion section, and has adhesiveness at least on a surface of the second resin protrusion section, and a base member having a connection electrode and adapted to mount the electronic component. In the structure, the second resin protrusion section mounts the electronic component on the base member in a condition in which the conductive section of the covering film has conductive contact with the connection electrode due to elastic deformation of the first resin protrusion section. |
| US08867218B2 |
Electronic apparatus and method of manufacturing holding member
An electronic apparatus includes a metal holding member. The holding member includes a first region, a second region formed by hemming the first region, and a third region formed by bending perpendicularly relative to the second region at a bending part. The first region has an opening part. A part of the opening part is blocked by the bending part. |
| US08867213B2 |
Server rack component with quick release mechanism
A quick lock and release mechanism is provided for securing and releasing a server or other computing asset, including a server tray, from a server rack. The server is equipped with a quick release tab that is biased to fit into an opening in the server rack. To install the server in the rack, the server is secured to the rack by aligning and inserting the quick release tab into the opening. The server can then be removed from the rack by retracting the quick release tab from the opening. The server rack may include a plurality of shelves cut out from the rack to hold multiple servers in the rack. |
| US08867211B2 |
Mounting a heat sink module
A heat sink module has a leg for tool-less engagement with a mounting structure on a circuit board. Engagement of the heat sink module with the mounting structure is to cause thermal contact between the heat sink module and a heat generating device. |
| US08867209B2 |
Two-phase, water-based immersion-cooling apparatus with passive deionization
Cooling apparatuses, cooled electronic modules and methods of fabrication are provided for fluid immersion-cooling of an electronic component(s). The cooled electronic module includes a substrate supporting the electronic component(s), and the cooling apparatus couples to the substrate, and includes a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a compartment about the electronic component(s). Additionally, the cooling apparatus includes a fluid and a deionization structure disposed within the compartment. The electronic component is at least partially immersed within the fluid, and the fluid is a water-based fluid. The deionization structure includes deionizing material, which ensures deionization of the fluid within the compartment. The deionization structure facilitates boiling heat transfer from the electronic component(s) to a condenser structure disposed in the compartment. Transferred heat is subsequently conducted to, for example, a liquid-cooled cold plate or an air-cooled heat sink coupled to the housing for cooling the condenser structure. |
| US08867207B2 |
Rack-mount server system
A rack-mounted server system includes a rack, a number of server units mounted in the rack adjacent to a front end of the rack, a fan module, and a number of power units located beside the server units. The rack includes a back wall defining an air outlet aligned with the server units. The fan module is fixed to the back wall and fitted in the air outlet. The power units are arranged in front of the fan module. An air-guide plate is mounted in the rack between the fan module and the power units to guide a part of the airflow generated by the fan module to flow through the power units. |
| US08867202B2 |
Docking station
A docking station for an electronic device includes a base at least partially configured to support the electronic device. The base includes a front face and a substantially orthogonal adjacent face. A guide rib extends normally between the front face and the adjacent face. An electrical connector is pivotally coupled to the base and configured to receive a mating connector of the electronic device. An edge portion of the guide rib engages a surface of the electronic device to facilitate alignment of the electrical connector with the mating connector. |
| US08867199B2 |
Bag computer two panel propping computer
The disclosed invention is a bag and computer combination where the computing unit is in a panel on the front of the bag. The display panel is pivotally attached near the top front of the bag and pivots to cover the computing unit. The display panel may be held in an operating angular position using a fabric flap or free sections on the display panel side edges to suspend the display panel from the bag while an extension on the display panel temporarily sticks to the computing unit panel. Several ways are described to provide access from the computer to the bag interior. As an alternative, the display panel may be pivotally attached in a similar manner directly to the computing unit panel which is attachable to the bag front. In this arrangement the computer is removable and usable on a desk top or on a wall. |
| US08867197B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a first right frame, a first left frame facing the first right frame, a second right frame positioned below the first right frame, a second left frame facing the second right frame and positioned below the second right frame. The image forming apparatus further includes an image forming unit positioned between the first right frame and the first left frame. The image forming apparatus still further includes a frame connecting unit configured to connect the first right frame, the first left frame, the second right frame and the second left frame. The first right frame and the second right frame are relatively slidable in an up-down direction, and the first left frame and the second left frame are relatively slidable in the up-down direction. |
| US08867194B2 |
Programmable landscape lighting controller with self-diagnostic capabilities and fail safe features
A lighting controller includes a housing and a power transformer mounted in the housing for stepping down an inputted AC power signal at a first higher voltage to at least one output AC power signal at a second lower voltage for powering a plurality of light fixtures. The controller further includes a switching device that can be closed and opened to connect and disconnect a primary winding of the power transformer to a source of AC power that can provide the inputted AC power signal. At least one wire connection terminal is connected to a secondary winding of the power transformer. A face pack is removably mounted in the housing and is operatively connected to the source of AC power and the switching device. The face pack includes a display, at least one manually actuable input device, a processor, a memory operatively connected to the processor, and an operational program stored in the memory. The operational program is executable by the processor for allowing a user to enter ON and OFF times via the manually actuable input device and for closing and opening the switching device in accordance therewith. The processor can detect and display the current draw, and can detect overheat and current overload conditions, and disconnect the power transformer from the source of AC power in response to the same. |
| US08867188B2 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component and fabricating method thereof
There are provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component and a fabricating method thereof. The multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a multilayer ceramic body including a first ceramic powder and having a plurality of ceramic sheets stacked therein, each ceramic sheet having a thickness of 1 μm or less; internal electrode patterns formed on the plurality of ceramic sheets; and dielectric patterns formed on the ceramic sheets to enclose the internal electrode patterns, the dielectric patterns including a second ceramic powder having a particle size smaller than that of the first ceramic powder and each having a thickness equal to or thinner than that of each of the internal electrode patterns. |
| US08867187B2 |
Apparatus for powering an accessory device in a refrigerated container
Power adapters for providing power to accessory devices in refrigerated containers are provided herein. The power adapter comprises a first connector communicatively coupled with a plurality of conductors; a second connector communicatively coupled with two or more of the plurality of conductors; and a shunt communicatively coupled with at least four of the plurality of conductors and configured to provide power to an accessory output in response to the accessory connection being communicatively coupled with an accessory device. |
| US08867186B2 |
Low power analog switch circuits that provide over-voltage, under-voltage and power-off protection, and related methods and systems
Analog switch circuits, methods for use with analog switch circuits, and devices and systems including analog switch circuits are disclosed herein. Such analog switch circuits include an analog switch input terminal (In), an analog switch output terminal (Out), and an analog switch control terminal (Ctl). During a normal-voltage condition, the input terminal (In) of the analog switch circuit is selectively connected and disconnected to/from the output terminal (Out) in dependence on a control signal received at the control terminal (Ctl). During an over-voltage condition, the input terminal (In) is disconnected from the output terminal (Out) regardless of the control signal received at the control terminal (Ctl). Additionally, during an under-voltage condition, the input terminal (In) is disconnected from the output terminal (Out) regardless of the control signal received at the analog switch control terminal (Ctl). In specific embodiments, symmetric protection and/or power-off protection is/are also provided. |
| US08867184B2 |
Electrical circuit with redundant trunk
An electrical circuit comprising a power supply, a load, first and second trunks disposed therebetween and control means adapted to control the electrical status of the first and second trunks, in which the control means comprises monitoring means adapted to monitor the current and/or voltage of the first and second trunks and to detect current and/or voltage events which are indicative of faults occurring thereon, and isolation means adapted to isolate the first or second trunk when the monitoring means detects a current and/or voltage event which is indicative of a fault occurring thereon, in which the first and second trunks are electrically connected and arranged in parallel such that the power supplied to the load is distributed substantially equally between them, and in which the control means comprises compensation means adapted to prevent the isolation means from isolating one of said first or second trunks when a current and/or voltage event which is indicative of a fault occurs thereon which is caused by a fault occurring on the other of the first or second trunks. |
| US08867181B2 |
Protection of motor drive systems from current sensor faults
Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting a phase current sensor fault in a multi-phase electrical motor. The method comprises, receiving an input torque command T* and measuring a set of feedback signals of the motor including a phase current Ix for each of the phases of the motor, generating direct and quadrature command phase currents Id*, Iq* for the motor corresponding to a value of the input torque command T*, determining a total command current Is=[(Iq*)2+(Id*)2]½, generating a negative sequence current Ineg, where for three phases Ineg=(⅓)[Ia+(α2)Ib+(α)Ic], where α=ej2π/3, combining Ineg and Is to provide a normalized negative sequence current Inn=Ineg/Is, comparing the normalized negative sequence current Inn to a predetermined threshold value INN* to determine the presence of a phase current sensor fault, and executing a control action when Inn>INN*. |
| US08867180B2 |
Dynamic current protection in energy distribution systems
An electric circuit, including an electric load operable from an operating current; an energy storage system providing the operating current at both a first mode and a second mode with the first mode having a first current in a first range of zero to a first particular current value and with the second mode having a second current in a second range of the first particular current value to a second particular current value; and an active protection coupled to the energy storage system, the active protection dynamically reconfigurable between a first mode and a second mode, the first mode applying a first overcurrent protection rating to the operating current when the operating current is operating in the first mode and the second mode applying a second overcurrent protection rating to the operating current when the operating current is operating in the second mode. |
| US08867173B1 |
Balanced multi-trace transmission in a hard disk drive flexure
Various embodiments concern a flexure comprising a base metal layer. The base metal layer can have a void between a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The flexure can further comprise a plurality of traces in an array. The plurality of traces can extend over the void and between the first and second lateral sides. The plurality of traces can comprise a pair of outer traces respectively located on lateral ends of the array and at least one inner trace between the pair of outer traces. The plurality of traces and the first and second lateral sides can be spaced relative to each other such that adjacent traces of the plurality of traces capacitively couple to each other and the pair of outer traces capacitively couple with each other through the first and second lateral sides. |
| US08867171B2 |
Medium, method of fabricating a medium, recording system and method of controlling a recording system
A medium may be provided. The medium includes a servo layer, a data recording layer, and a heat sink layer disposed between the servo layer and the recording layer. |
| US08867168B2 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having a write shield
A magnetic head includes a main pole, a write shield, and a return path section. The write shield includes first and second shield portions located on opposite sides of the main pole in the track width direction. The return path section includes first and second yoke portions located on opposite sides of the main pole in the track width direction. The first yoke portion is connected to the first shield portion. The second yoke portion is connected to the second shield portion. A coil surrounds at least part of the entire outer periphery of the main pole when viewed from a medium facing surface. |
| US08867166B2 |
Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
A spindle motor includes a flat stator, a rotor magnet arranged above the stator, and a magnetic portion made of a ferromagnetic material. The magnetic portion is positioned lower than the stator and the magnetic portion are axially overlapped with coils. A magnetic attraction force is generated between the magnetic portion and the rotor magnet. Since the magnetic portion is positioned lower than the stator, it is possible to cause magnetic fluxes to efficiently flow between the rotor magnet and the stator. Further, the stator includes a protrusion protruded radially outward beyond an outer circumferential portion of a rotor hub. Accordingly, in a plan view, the stator is positioned radially outward of the rotor hub. |
| US08867160B2 |
Reducing total seek time for determining an access sequence of data stored on a tape medium
A first data group in an access sequence is selected based on which data group in the data groups has a beginning closest to a current position of the tape medium. Those data groups located in specified regions of the tape medium are separated from other data groups located in alternative specified regions of the tape medium. The distance from the current position of the tape medium is set to be a logical distance value, determined by a calculation function, that is substituted for the physical distance value for the data groups that are located in the specified regions as compared with other data groups located in the alternative specified regions. A second data group in the access sequence is selected based on which remaining data group in the data groups has a beginning closest to an end of the first data group in the access sequence. |
| US08867158B2 |
Quiet field and synchronization field data format
Data format that allows for format-efficient data storage, particularly on bit-patterned media. The data format allows for variations in the data storage device, such as reader-to-writer gap variations. A medium can also have at least a pair of a synchronization field and a quiet field with a length greater than a length of the synchronization field. These can be implemented in a bit patterned media system. |
| US08867156B2 |
Systems and methods for P-distance based priority data processing
The present inventions are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for priority based data processing. |
| US08867153B1 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic track squeeze in a hard drive
A method for writing information to a magnetizable disk surface on a disk drive includes designating a plurality of regions on a disk where information is to be stored, writing information representing data to a first track in at least one of the plurality of regions, writing information representing data to a second track in the at least one of the plurality of regions, the information written to the second track overwriting a portion of the first track, and determining an amount of the first track that is overwritten based on a performance factor. Determining an amount of the first track that is overwritten is done or accomplished on the fly. The amount to overwrite the track is done in the field rather than in a factory or manufacturing facility. |
| US08867152B2 |
Optical barrel and optical apparatus
The optical barrel includes a first barrel member having a guiding portion to guide an optical element holding member in an optical axis direction, and a second barrel member disposed around the first barrel member and being relatively rotatable with the first barrel member. The second barrel member is provided with a cam portion to move the holding member, and with a bayonet engagement portion in an outer circumferential portion of the second barrel member. The first barrel member is provided with a flange portion, and with overhang portions and bayonet protrusion portions in plural areas of the flange portion. Each overhang portion extends along an outer circumferential surface of the second barrel member in the optical axis direction. Each bayonet protrusion portion extends inward in the radial direction and engaging with the bayonet engagement portion. |
| US08867139B2 |
Dual axis internal optical beam tilt for eyepiece of an HMD
An eyepiece includes a display module for providing display light, a concave end reflector, and a viewing region including a partially reflective surface to redirect at least a portion of the display light out of an eye-ward side of the eyepiece along an emission path. The partially reflective surface is obliquely angled with an offset from 45 degrees relative to the eye-ward side to cause the emission path to have a first oblique angle in a horizontal dimension relative to a first normal vector of the eye-ward side. The concave end reflector is tilted such that a second normal vector from a center point of the concave end reflector is obliquely angled relative to a top or bottom surface of the eyepiece to cause the emission path to have a second oblique angle in a vertical dimension relative to the first normal vector of the eye-ward side. |
| US08867134B2 |
Optical system demonstrating improved resistance to optically degrading external effects
A system for projecting one or more synthetic optical images, which demonstrates improved resistance to optically degrading external effects, is provided. The inventive system serves to lock the focal length of the focusing elements in place. In other words, no other transparent materials or layers brought into contact with the inventive system will serve to materially alter the focal length or the optical acuity of synthetic images formed by the system. |
| US08867133B2 |
Polarization converting device and method for manufacturing the same
The present disclosure relates to a polarization converting device and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the polarization converting device includes a polarization separation unit aligned with a plurality of unit blocks including an optical separator transmitting a first polarization between an upper surface and a lower surface and reflecting a second polarization, and a phase retarder aligned in correspondence to an upper surface of each unit block of the polarization separation unit where a first region and a second region are alternately formed, wherein any one of the first and second regions of the phase retarder converts the polarized light while the other region emits the polarized light as it is. |
| US08867132B2 |
Thermochromic filters and stopband filters for use with same
Thermochromic filters use combinations of absorptive, reflective, thermoabsorptive, and thermoreflective elements covering different portions of the solar spectrum, to achieve different levels of energy savings, throw, shading, visible light transmission, and comfort. Embodiments include stopband filters in the near-infrared spectrum. |
| US08867131B1 |
Hybrid polarizing beam splitter
A polarizing beam splitter (“PBS”) includes a glass wedge having a first oblique surface, a multi-layer polarizing coating disposed on the first oblique surface of the glass wedge, and a plastic wedge having a second oblique surface. The first oblique surface of the glass wedge is mated to the second oblique surface of the plastic wedge with the multi-layer polarizing coating sandwiched between the first and second oblique surfaces. |
| US08867128B2 |
Binocular system
A binocular system includes a first monocular, a second monocular, a first arm coupled to a base plate via a first hinge and coupled to the first monocular, and a second arm coupled to the base plate via a second hinge and coupled to the second monocular. Each of the monoculars rotates about a corresponding one of the hinges along an axis of rotation that is not parallel to an axis of collimation of each of the monoculars. The monoculars are collimated when rotated into a deployed position. The binocular system may also include a mounting bracket coupled to the base plate, a tilt base, interposed between the mounting bracket and the base plate and a tilt lever, having a cam that is operatively engaged with the tilt base, where actuation of the lever causes the base plate to tilt with respect to the mounting bracket. |
| US08867123B2 |
High-power pulsed light generator
A high-power pulse light generator includes: a master oscillator generating oscillated pulse light in synchronization with a master clock signal; an optical amplifier amplifying the oscillated pulse light output from the master oscillator and outputting high-power pulsed light; a driving unit driving a pumping semiconductor laser in synchronization with the master clock signal; and a control unit controlling the driving unit so that the driving current to be supplied to the pumping semiconductor laser becomes lower than or equal to a set value at which the pumping semiconductor laser is not in a laser oscillation state when returning light from an irradiated body with the high-power pulsed light reaches the pumping semiconductor laser connected to the optical amplifier, the control unit determining a timing of the control in accordance with an optical path length between the irradiated body and the pumping semiconductor laser. |
| US08867122B2 |
Optical parametric oscillator
The present invention relates to an optical parametric oscillator. In particular, the present invention relates to a more optimal rotating image optical parametric oscillator. More specifically, there is described an optical parametric oscillator comprising six mirrored surfaces; wherein two of the mirrored surfaces are provided by a penta prism and the sequence of mirrors is operable to provide a predetermined rotation of a beam passing therethrough. |
| US08867117B2 |
Single-layer reflective display utilizing luminescence
A reflective display device has multiple display pixels. Each pixel has at least three color sub-pixels disposed side-by-side for three primary colors respectively. At least one color sub-pixel has a light shutter with adjustable transmission, a luminescent layer containing a luminescent material that emits light of a selected color, and a mirror for reflecting light corresponding to that selected color. |
| US08867114B2 |
Vibrating mirror element
This vibrating mirror element (100) includes a mirror portion (10), a first driving portion (41), being cantilevered, including a first fixed end (41a) formed on a first side of a first direction and a first free end (41b) formed on a second side thereof, and linearly extending, a first mirror support portion (46) capable of supporting the mirror portion (10) in an inclined state, a second driving portion (51), being cantilevered, including a second fixed end (51a) formed on the second side of the first direction and a second free end (51b) formed on the first side thereof, being point-symmetrical to the first driving portion with respect to the center of a mirror, and linearly extending, and a second mirror support portion (56) being point-symmetrical to the first mirror support portion with respect to the center of the mirror and capable of supporting the mirror portion in an inclined state. |
| US08867111B2 |
Document reader
A document reader is provided that includes a document table at least part of which is configured to swing around a first axis, between a first position to function as the document table and a second position to be more slanted with respect to a first guide than when in the first position, a swing portion configured to form a part of a feeding surface forming a second guide and configured to swing around a second axis, between a third position to function as the second guide and a fourth position to expose a part of a feeding path that is formed by the second guide to the outside of the document reader, and a switching mechanism for swinging the swing portion from the third position to the fourth position with the swing motion of the at least part of the document table. |
| US08867109B2 |
Light guide, illumination device, and image reading apparatus
Provided is a light guide, in which: at least one of a reflecting part or a light exit part has a light condensing action in a direction intersecting a predetermined direction; the at least one of the reflecting part or the light exit part includes diffusing parts arranged in the predetermined direction; the diffusing parts include: a first curved surface having a first degree of diffusion in the predetermined direction for a sparse region of light sources; and a second curved surface having a second degree of diffusion, which is lower than the first degree of diffusion, in the predetermined direction for a dense region of the light sources; and each of the first curved surface and the second curved surface has a shape corresponding to a part of a cylinder extending in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction in which the light sources are arrayed. |
| US08867108B2 |
Image reading device and image forming device
An image reading device, includes an illumination optical system which has a light source unit configured to emit light being illuminating light to an illuminated object; an optical member configured to have a plurality of reflecting plates and collect the light emitted from the light source unit; and a plurality of reflecting members, the light emitted from the light source unit being collected by the optical member, and the collected light being reflected by the plurality of reflecting members to illuminate a reading target area on the illuminated object, and at least one reflecting surface of the optical member or the plurality of reflecting members having a relief structure. |
| US08867107B1 |
Image reading apparatus and reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a transporting member that transports a document, a light source that irradiates the document at a reading position with light, a light receiving unit that receives light reflected at the reading position, a background member that is inclined with respect to the document at the reading position such that, upon reflecting the light emitted from the light source toward the light receiving unit when the document is not present at the reading position, a difference between an incident angle and a reflection angle thereon is less than a difference between an incident angle and a reflection angle on the document at the reading position, and an adjusting unit that adjusts a position or attitude of an acting member such that the light reflected from the background member is received with a greater intensity than light reflected from white paper at the reading position. |
| US08867106B1 |
Intelligent print recognition system and method
A system and method for interactive printed media are disclosed in which a mobile or wearable computing device has an application that captures an image of a piece of printed media and associates a link to the piece of printed media using a backend component to make the piece of printed media interactive. The system and method may be used to generate a piece of printed media that is interactive that may be sent to third parties or to make an existing piece of printed media interactive. |
| US08867098B2 |
Recording apparatus having data concealment processing function
When executed by a controller of recording apparatus, the instructions causes the recording apparatus to perform: calculating at least one of a first recording ratio and a second recording ratio based on an image data of an image recorded on a recording medium; controlling a depositing device of recording apparatus to perform a concealment process when at least one condition is satisfied, the at least one condition including a condition that the at least one of the first recording ratio and the second recording ratio is smaller than a threshold value; and controlling the depositing device not to perform the concealment process when the at least one of the first recording ratio and the second recording ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold value. |
| US08867095B2 |
Printing system and image forming apparatus including defect detection
A printing system includes the following elements. An image forming unit forms an image. An image reader reads an image. A first color converter creates second image data. A second color converter creates fourth image data. A determining unit determines whether a pixel value of each of pixels in the first image data or the second image data is located inside or outside an input color gamut that is readable by the image reader. A correction unit corrects pixels located at the same position as a pixel having a pixel value located outside the input color gamut. An inspection unit performs inspection to find a defect of an image. The correction unit performs correction on the pixels located at the same position as a pixel having a pixel value located outside the input color gamut so that the inspection unit does not detect a difference between the corrected pixels. |
| US08867094B2 |
Printing system, image forming apparatus, and printing method for detecting image defects
A printing system includes following components. An image forming section forms an image on a recording medium using first image data. A first image creation section creates the first image data by performing first image processing including correction of a characteristic unique to the image forming section and first processing, on original image data. The second image creation section creates second image data by performing second image processing including the first processing but not including the correction of a characteristic unique to the image forming section, on the original image data. The image reading section reads the image on the recording medium to obtain read image data. The detection section detects a defect in the image on the recording medium, by comparing on a pixel-by-pixel basis the read image data or comparison image data obtained by processing the read image data with the second image data. |
| US08867091B2 |
Image processing system, image processing apparatus, image scanning apparatus, and control method and program for image processing system
To store image data scanned by an image scanning unit in a way that corresponds to each page group, an image processing system scans an original and generates image data, and stores the image data in a storage unit separately from image data previously stored in the storage unit if a scan command is given via a first command input unit, and stores the image data in the storage unit by associating the image data with image data previously stored in the storage unit if a scan command is given via a second command input unit. |
| US08867088B2 |
Information processing apparatus for selecting a template in which at least one image is to be arranged, control method of information processing apparatus for selecting a template in which at least one image is to be arranged, and storage medium storing a program for selecting a template in which at least one image is to be arranged
An information processing apparatus recommends a template having a sense of unity through an entirety to each image when a user creates an album. The information processing apparatus includes a selection unit configured to select a template for arranging any one of the plurality of images based on imaging locations of a plurality of images to be used in the album, and an arranging unit configured to arrange the plurality of images to the plurality of templates selected by the selection unit, respectively. |
| US08867084B2 |
Management system for managing an image forming apparatus, control method thereof, print system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium
A system comprises: a processing unit which performs layout processing on data of a job; a holding unit which holds, in a storage unit, identification information of an image forming apparatus, identification information of the job and content of the layout processing performed on the data of the job by the processing unit in association with each other; a unit which transmits the data that has undergone the layout processing to the image forming apparatus and obtains history information of the processed job; and a tally unit which performs tally processing with respect to the processed job, by using the history information and the content of the layout processing held in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the history information and identification information of the job in the history information. |
| US08867083B2 |
Image processing apparatus and its control method for processing image data according to whether a process includes an input job or an output job
An image processing apparatus includes a job execution unit configured to execute at least one of an input job accompanied by inputting of image data and an output job unaccompanied by inputting of image data, an image data storage unit configured to store image data in a predetermined memory, a reference information storage unit configured to store reference information to the image data stored in the memory in the same memory, and a control unit configured to control the image data storage unit to newly store image data in the memory when the job executed by the job execution unit is an input job, and the reference information storage unit to store the reference information to the image data stored in the memory without newly storing image data in the memory when the job executed by the job execution unit is an output job. |
| US08867081B2 |
Printing method and apparatus for dividing each of the two or more print jobs into a plurality of sub-print jobs
A method of managing plural print jobs is disclosed, the method includes receiving two or more print jobs on an image forming apparatus; dividing each of the two or more print jobs into a plurality of sub-print jobs for printing by a print engine of the image forming apparatus; determining an estimated processing time and an estimated delay to print time for each of the sub-print jobs; managing the printing of each of the two or more print jobs based on the estimated processing time and the estimated delay to print time for each of the sub-print jobs by determining a printing priority for the two or more print jobs based on a printing sequence, which reduces down time of the print engine of the image forming apparatus; and printing the two or more print jobs based on the determined printing priority. |
| US08867077B2 |
Information processing apparatus, system
An information processing apparatus includes an operation receiving unit for receiving an operation; a setting receiving unit for displaying a setting condition for printing or transmission and receiving a change to the setting condition, after the operation receiving unit receives an instruction to start printing or transmitting; and a storage unit in which the setting condition is stored by the setting receiving unit via an operating system by using, as a key, identification information acquired by the setting receiving unit, the identification information identifying a printing or transmission process and being generated by the operating system according to the instruction to start printing or transmitting. An image processing unit acquires the identification information from the operating system, and reads, from the storage unit, the setting condition using the identification information as a key, and converts document data into print data of a printing device based on the setting condition. |
| US08867075B2 |
Print data processing apparatus for consolidating print objects
A print data processing apparatus performs detection as to whether or not an identical resource is duplicated and described within print data. In a case where there is duplicated description, the duplicated resource is deleted from its second occurrence onward and the print objects are consolidated, the duplicated resources are deconstructed into individual resources and registered in a format that can be referenced in common from multiple print objects. |
| US08867067B2 |
Controlling device and computer program for controlling device
A controlling device may be configured to perform a wireless setting process for connecting a target wireless printer to a wireless network according to an automatic wireless setting mode, acquire unique identification information of the target wireless printer from the target wireless printer by performing a communication without usage of an IP layer when the wireless setting process is performed, acquire one or more unique identification information of one or more printers from the one or more printers by performing a communication with usage of the IP layer after an IP address has been set to the target wireless printer, determine a specific printer among the one or more printers as the target wireless printer, generate a print port, which is different from a WSD port, for the specific printer determined as the target wireless printer, and install a printer driver for the specific printer. |
| US08867065B2 |
Page parallel RIP printing methods and systems
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for operating a page parallel RIP printing system including a plurality of image marking engines (IMEs). According to an exemplary method, a print job is split into a plurality of job chunks, each job chunk grouped by its destination IME; and the job chunks are processed into a printer ready format by a plurality of RIP nodes associated with the job chunk group's respective destination IME. |
| US08867064B2 |
Image forming apparatus having human-body communication function and method for authentication in image forming apparatus
When a key input unit or a touch panel is pressed, a control unit identifies the commanded function. Then, the control unit causes a human-body communication unit to start processing for establishing human-body communication with a portable device worn by a user. On receiving user information from the portable device, the control unit makes reference to an authentication table and determines whether or not there is an entry for the received user information therein. Further, the control unit determines whether or not use of the identified function, out of the functions corresponding to the received user information, is allowed. The control unit performs display on the touch panel, according to the result of the determination. |
| US08867059B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of transferring administrative authority of authentication print data
An image forming apparatus includes a print administration unit for printing authentication print data; a server unit for providing a service; an authentication unit for controlling the server unit; and a notification transmission unit for transmitting a notice. The authentication unit obtains individual identification information. The server unit controls the external operation unit to display the authentication print data and an input screen. The print administration unit rewrites the identification information. The notification transmission unit transmits a first notification to the authority transferred person. After the authentication print data is printed, the notification transmission unit transmits a second notification to the authority transferred person and the print data creating person. |
| US08867053B2 |
Image forming apparatus, control method, and program
A method is provided for appropriately controlling, if paper information of a paper to be used in printing is not registered, registration of the paper information and the printing process. An image forming apparatus which stores in a storage area, attribute information of a recording medium used in printing analyzes, before printing, print data, determines before printing the print data whether attribute information matching the acquired attribute information is stored in the storage area, and registers in the storage area the acquired attribute information which is not stored in the storage area. |
| US08867046B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring a position of a particle in a flow
A method and an apparatus of measuring a position of a particle in a flow are disclosed. An embodiment of the method comprises temporally modulating and spatially pattering an illumination beam propagating along a first dimension, passing a particle across the modulated illumination beam, detecting a temporal profile of scattered light produced by the particle's passing through the modulated illumination beam, and determining the position of the particle based, in part, on the temporal profile of the detected scattered light. |
| US08867042B2 |
Method for evaluating characteristic of optical modulator having mach-zehnder interferometer
A method for evaluating a characteristic of, especially, each of Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) of an optical modulator. The method includes a step of measuring the intensity of the output of the optical modulator containing MZIs and a step of evaluating a characteristic of each MZI by using the sideband. The output intensity measuring step is the one of measuring the intensity Sn,k of the sideband signal contained in the output light from the optical modulator. The characteristic evaluating step is the one of evaluating a characteristic of the MZIk by using the Sn,k. |
| US08867034B2 |
Spectrometer flip top sample head
A spectrometer sample head including a housing, at least one source of radiation in the housing, and a flip top sample cell including first and second hinged plates and a window through the first plate with a pane in the window, the pane for receiving a sample thereon. The housing includes a channel for receiving the plates when coupled together for placing the sample in the optical path of the radiation. |
| US08867031B2 |
Anesthesia vaporizer system
An anesthetic vaporizer system is disclosed herein. The anesthetic vaporizer system may include a sump adapted to retain an anesthetic agent. The anesthetic vaporizer system may also include a level sensor disposed at least partially within the sump. The level sensor is configured to generate an optical beam, and to estimate the amount of anesthetic agent within the sump based on a measured characteristic of the optical beam. |
| US08867025B1 |
Aerial, landing, and takeoff aircrafts crash avoidance system
An aerial, landing, takeoff, aircraft collision avoidance system (10) that automatically operates an audible and visual display warning system within an aircraft by sensing when there is an intruder aircraft approaching on the same runway, intersecting runway, or same airway during climb, descent, and midair flight by employing a five-way interactive communication system using laser and radio wave technology and, thereby, providing added safety and protection for users of the system and oncoming aircrafts while being designed to automatically open a simultaneous three-way line of communication between pilots and air traffic controllers during crisis; identify and alert aircrafts what runways are presently in use during landings, taxiing, and takeoffs; and identify what runways are in use to taxiing aircrafts that may inadvertently cross a runway without clearance from air traffic control. |
| US08867023B2 |
Method for determining exposure condition and computer-readable storage media storing program for determining exposure condition
A method for determining an exposure condition for use in projecting an image of a pattern of an original on a substrate includes a setting step of setting an exposure condition, an image calculating step of calculating a dimension of an image to be projected on the substrate under the set exposure condition, an electrical characteristic calculating step of calculating an electrical characteristic of at least one of a portion for use as an interconnection and a portion for use as a transistor in a pattern to be formed on the substrate in accordance with a result calculated in the image calculating step, a determining step of determining whether the electrical characteristic calculated in the electrical characteristic calculating step satisfies a requirement, and an adjusting step of adjusting the set exposure condition when the electrical characteristic is determined not to satisfy the requirement in the determining step. |
| US08867021B2 |
Illumination system, lithographic apparatus and method of adjusting an illumination mode
An illumination system is disclosed that had a plurality of moveable reflective elements and associated actuators which may be configured to form an illumination mode. One or more of the actuators is arranged to move between first, second and third positions, and so move an associated moveable reflective element between first, second and third orientations, the first and second orientations being such that radiation reflected from the moveable reflective element forms part of the illumination mode, and the third orientation being such that radiation reflected from the moveable reflective element does not form part of the illumination mode. |
| US08867013B2 |
System and method for measuring video quality degradation using face detection
System and method to detect video quality degradation in a video stream received by a telecommunications endpoint, the method including: locating reference features characteristic of content in the received video stream; calculating reduced reference features from the located reference features; receiving reduced reference features of a transmitted video stream, the transmitted video stream corresponding to the received video stream; calculating a distance between the reduced reference features in the received video stream and the reduced reference features of the transmitted video stream; and detecting video quality degradation when the calculated distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08867011B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate having a display region which has first and second electrodes, a plurality of TFTs and a plurality of scanning signal lines connected to the plurality of TFTs, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT and counter substrates, and sealed by a sealant, a plurality of scanning line leads connected to the plurality of scanning signal lines formed in a region outside of the display region, and a shield electrode formed on the TFT substrate covering the plurality of scanning line leads. The second electrode is connected to one of the plurality of TFTs, and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field, which is generated between the first and second electrodes. The shield electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode and overlapped with the sealant in plan view. |
| US08867009B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
An LCD device provides enhanced display quality. An insulating layer is formed on a first substrate. The insulating layer covers the contact portion of a switching device in which the switching device is electrically connected to a transparent electrode and has an opening for exposing a portion of the transparent electrode. A reflection electrode is electrically connected to the transparent electrode through the opening. The insulation layer covers a first portion of a driving circuit formed on the first substrate. A sealant is interposed between the first and second substrate to engage the first and second substrate and to cover a second portion of the driving circuit. Therefore, the driver circuit may operate normally, and the distortion of the signal outputted from the driver circuit may be prevented. |
| US08867004B2 |
Thin-film-transistor array substrate and manufacturing method thereof
The present invention discloses a thin-film-transistor array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The array substrate includes a thin-film transistor and a compensation electrode. A gate electrode of the thin-film transistor is a portion of a scan-signal line and has an opening, and the opening extends to a side of the scan-signal line. A drain electrode of the thin-film transistor is disposed correspondingly to the opening. A source electrode of the thin-film transistor extends from a side of a data-signal line and surrounds the drain electrode. The compensation electrode extends from another side of the scan-signal line and corresponds to the gate electrode. Therefore, the present invention is capable of reducing parasitic capacitance between the drain electrode and the gate electrode without increasing the resistance value of the scan-signal line. |
| US08867002B2 |
Polymer composition having photoalignable group, liquid crystal alignment film formed of the polymer composition, and liquid crystal display device having phase difference plate formed of the liquid crystal alignment film
To provide a photoalignable material that can yield a photoalignable film having a high optical uniformity and no alignment defect, and allows photoalignment with exposure in a short period of time. A photoalignable polymer composition containing a specific photoalignable polymer having a silicone group or a fluorine-substituted alkyl group, and a photoalignable group, and a specific non-photoalignable polymer is manufactured, and the photoalignable film is manufactured by applying the polymer composition onto a base material or the like, drying an applied surface thereon, and irradiating the applied surface with light. |
| US08866999B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same
Disclosed is an LCD device which facilitates to improve transmittance for each colored light by a design capable of realizing an optimal cell gap for each of sub-pixels, and a method for manufacturing the same. The LCD device comprises first and second substrates confronting each other; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; and first, second, and third sub-pixels, wherein a cell gap of the first sub-pixel is larger than a cell gap of the third sub-pixel. |
| US08866997B2 |
Patterned electronic and polarization optical devices
Linear photo-oriented polymer (LPP) layers are situated to align liquid crystals in a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) layer situated at or on the LPP layers. The LCP layer can include a guest such as a fluorophore that aligns with the liquid crystal so as to emit polarized fluorescence in response to an excitation beam. Layer LPP/LCP structures can be provided as light emitters, patterned polarizers, patterned retarders and other devices based on selection of one or more guest materials included in the LCP and alignable with the liquid crystal. |
| US08866993B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
In a liquid crystal display device having a display region defined by an area where a TFT substrate and an opposing substrate are superposed on each other, the present invention realizes a structure for avoiding breakage of a mechanically weak terminal section where the TFT substrate only extends. The terminal section where the TFT substrate only extends is mounted on a resin mold. Inside the resin mold, partition walls are formed to accommodate LEDs. By providing two partition walls in a pair at least in a center portion, an external pressure exerted on the center portion of the resin mold is distributed between the two partition walls and a maximum stress exerted on the terminal section of the TFT substrate is reduced. |
| US08866992B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a display panel configured to display information; a plurality of light source parts spaced apart from each other and configured to output light; a light guide plate provided under the display panel and configured to guide the light output by the light source parts to the display panel; and a quantum dot filter part including a light entrance plane to which light is input and a light exit plane from which the light is wavelength-transformed and discharged. Further, at least one of the light entrance plane and the light exit plane of the quantum dot filter part includes a surface having a predetermined shape characteristic configured to increase an amount of the light input on and passed through the light entrance plane and to increase an amount of the light discharged from the light exit plane. |
| US08866989B2 |
Portable computer display structures
An electronic device housing may have upper and lower portions that are attached with a hinge. At least one portion of the housing may have a rear planar surface and peripheral sidewalls having edges. A display module may be mounted in the housing. The display module may have glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor substrate. The color filter glass layer may serve as the outermost glass layer in the display module. The edges of the display module may be aligned with the edges of the peripheral housing sidewalls to create the appearance of a borderless display for the electronic device. The display module may be provided with an opening that allows a camera or other electronic components to receive light. Traces may be provided on the underside of the thin-film transistor substrate to serve as signal paths for the electrical components. |
| US08866987B2 |
Flat panel display device and stereoscopic display device
The present invention provides a flat panel display device of a flat panel display device, which comprise backlight system and a display panel. The backlight system includes a light source, a first primary assembling piece, a second primary assembling piece, a third primary assembling piece, a fourth primary assembling piece, a fifth primary assembling piece, a sixth primary assembling piece, and at least one secondary assembling piece. The first primary assembling piece, the second primary assembling piece, the third primary assembling piece, and the fourth primary assembling piece are joined to form a main frame structure of the back frame of the backlight system. The secondary assembling piece is arranged inside the main frame structure and joined to the main frame structure. The light source is arranged on the second primary assembling piece and the fourth primary assembling piece. The fifth primary assembling piece, the first primary assembling piece, the sixth primary assembling piece, and the third primary assembling piece are joined to form a central frame of the backlight system. The present invention also provides a stereoscopic display device. The flat panel display device and the stereoscopic display device of the present invention have a simple backlight structure, save the material for back frame, and thus lower down the cost of flat panel display device. |
| US08866986B2 |
Display device with support member having two lugs
In a display device which includes a display panel in which a plurality of pixels are arranged on a substrate two-dimensionally and which is configured to display an image thereon, and a support member which supports the display panel, the support member possesses anisotropy in bending strength so as to encourage one-dimensional deformation (bending along only the X direction) of the display panel while suppressing two-dimensional deformation (bending in the X direction as well as in the Y direction) of the display panel. |
| US08866982B2 |
Display device
A display device is disclosed. According to the present invention, the display device comprises a bottom substrate, a plurality of interlayers, a first passivation layer, a bottom electrode, a second passivation layer, a top electrode and a top substrate. The interlayers are formed on the bottom substrate, including a patterned polysilicon layer, a data line and a gate line disposed therein. The first passivation layer is formed on the interlayers. The bottom electrode is formed on the first passivation layer. The second passivation layer is formed to cover the bottom electrode. The top electrode is formed on the second passivation layer at a position corresponding to the bottom electrode to form a storage capacitance. |
| US08866981B2 |
Vertical alignment liquid crystal panel
The invention provides a vertical alignment liquid crystal panel, which includes a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, and a liquid crystal layer that includes negative liquid crystal containing liquid crystal molecules having a pre-tilt angle of 0°-7°, chiral agent, and a photo- or heat-polymerizable polymer. The first glass substrate includes a liquid crystal panel driving circuit, which includes a gate driver, a source driver, a plurality of gate lines, and a plurality of data lines. The gate lines and the data lines define a plurality of pixel units, each of which includes a thin-film transistor, a common electrode, and a pixel electrode. The source driver applies a driving voltage of 0-6V via the thin-film transistor to the pixel electrode. The present invention improves elastic energy between the liquid crystal molecules and thus avoids image sticking caused by long term displaying of the same image at the same location. |
| US08866980B2 |
Display device having a barrier section including a spacer arrangement
A display device includes: a display section including a plurality of display pixels; and a barrier section including a plurality of sub-regions that allow light to transmit therethrough and block the light. The barrier section includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates, and a plurality of spacers interposed between the substrates. An array direction of the spacers adjacent to each other of the plurality of spacers is different from an array direction of the display pixels. |
| US08866976B1 |
Projector and method of controlling projector
A projector capable of notifying the user of the fact that the installation angle has been varied when the projector is in operation is provided. The projector includes an angle detector adapted to detect an installation angle of the projector, a keystone distortion correction device adapted to perform a keystone distortion correction of a projection image projected on the projection surface based on the installation angle detected by the angle detector, and a controller adapted to record a variation in the installation angle as installation angle variation information on the storage device in a case in which the angle detector detects the variation when the projector is in operation, and then announce occurrence of the variation in the installation angle in a case in which the installation angle variation information is recorded on the storage device in a power-OFF sequence of the projector. |
| US08866974B2 |
Method of and apparatus for utilizing video buffer in a multi-purpose fashion to extend the video buffer to multiple windows
The present invention includes a method and device that allows efficient mixing of multiple video images with a graphics screen while utilizing only one video buffer. The present invention partitions the sole video buffer, pre-scales the plurality of video images and inserts them into the partitioned video buffer in a predetermined range of buffer addresses. The present invention mixes the partitioned video including the pre-scaled video images with the graphics screen to produce a video display including both a video screen and a graphics screen. |
| US08866973B1 |
Method for zooming picture with single key
A method for zooming a picture on a display without a touchscreen is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: a) displaying a picture and a zoom key on a screen; b) defining a rectangular coordinate system in the picture with an origin at a center of the picture; c) defining the zoom key as a point P (x, y) in the perpendicular coordinate system; d) drawing a line through the point P and a reflection point Q at (−x, −y); e) defining points Q1 and Q2 on the line beside the point Q, wherein a distance d between the points Q and Q1 is the same as that between the points Q and Q2, and double the distance d is defined as a simulated operating distance; and; and f) creating a zoom event object corresponding to the simulated operating distance. |
| US08866972B1 |
Method for transmitting spectrum information
A method for transmitting spectrum information is provided. The method includes: sampling a first video of a scene by a first sampling device and sampling a spectrum video of a sampling point in the scene by a second sampling device, and processing the spectrum video to obtain a spectrum information of the sampling point; calculating estimated transmission ratio coefficients of the spectrum video according to color integral curves of the first sampling device; estimating a location of the sampling point in each frame of the first video; and transmitting the spectrum information of the sampling point to a plurality of scene points in the first video according to the estimated transmission ratio coefficients and the location of the sampling point in each frame of the spectrum video through a trilateral filtering algorithm. |
| US08866966B2 |
Image editing apparatus, image editing method, and storage medium storing image editing program
An image editing apparatus capable of easily setting an aspect ratio for use when edited image data are output. The image editing apparatus includes a determination unit for determining, among a plurality of images, which of vertically long images or horizontally long images are larger in the number of images, a decision unit for deciding an aspect ratio of images which are the largest in the number of images among the vertically or horizontally long images, whichever are determined as being larger in number by the determination unit, and an output unit for outputting the plurality of images at the aspect ratio decided by the decision unit. |
| US08866965B2 |
Imaging device for adjusting a distance between an image sensor and a lens
There is provided an imaging device including a lens mount on which a lens is mounted, an image sensor that has an imaging face on which a subject image is formed by the lens, an image sensor holder on which the image sensor is mounted, biasing members that bias the image sensor holder in a direction of the lens mount, and an adjustment mechanism that is provided between the image sensor holder and the lens mount to adjust a distance between the imaging face and the lens mount. |
| US08866963B2 |
Terminal having plurality of operating modes
There is set forth herein a terminal having an image sensor array and a plurality of operator selectable operating modes. The image sensor array can have an associated light source bank. The operator selectable operating modes can include at least one camera operating mode and at least one flashlight operating mode. In the at least one camera operating mode the image sensor array and light source bank can be controlled for optimization of frame capture. In the at least one flashlight operating mode the image sensor array and the light source bank can be controlled for optimizing illumination of an operators viewing area with reduced average power consumption. |
| US08866961B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
The invention relates to an image pickup apparatus including a pixel section in which plural pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, an exposure amount control section that determines an exposure amount and controls the pixel section to be continuously exposed plural times, a memory section that can store a pixel signal from the pixel section for plural frames of an output image, a vertical scanning circuit that reads out the pixel signal of the pixel section and stores the pixel signal in the memory section, and a column processing section that reads out the pixel signal stored in the memory section. The vertical scanning circuit sequentially reads out respective pixel signals related to the plural times of exposures and stores the pixel signals in the memory section. |
| US08866956B2 |
Image capturing apparatus and control method therefor
In an image capturing apparatus that carries out TV-AF type autofocus control by setting an AF frame on a predetermined object, for example a person's face, that is detected in an image, in a case in which a in-focus position search direction cannot be determined from an AF evaluation value, changes in the size of the region of the object are detected and focus detection is carried out by determining the in-focus position search direction based on the changes in the size of the region of the object. |
| US08866955B2 |
Focus detection apparatus, method for controlling the same, and image capturing apparatus having a focus detection apparatus
A focal position is searched for by contrast evaluation method, the focus lens is stopped once it is detected that the focus lens has passed the focal position, and the defocus amount at the stopping position is found. The defocus amount corresponding to the difference between the focal position and the stopping position is subtracted from this defocus amount to compute a correction value for the defocus amount. Consequently, a correction value for the focus detection result by phase-difference detection method can be obtained accurately in a focus detection apparatus capable of automatic focus detection by phase-difference detection method and contrast evaluation method, as well as a method for controlling this apparatus. |
| US08866954B2 |
Digital camera
A solid-state imaging device has normal pixels, first phase difference pixels, and second phase difference pixels. “R”, “G”, and “B” denote colors of color filters provided for the respective pixels. A color dependence characteristic calculator averages output signals from the normal pixels located at the center of a screen, on a color basis, and thereby calculates average output signals. A color determination section determines a main color of a subject, out of three primary colors, based on the average output signals. An AF controller performs focus adjustment of a taking lens based on the output signals of the determined main color, out of the output signals from the first phase difference pixels and the second phase difference pixels. |
| US08866950B2 |
Imaging device and imaging apparatus having plasmon resonator
An imaging device includes: an imaging area in which a plurality of pixels used to acquire an image are provided; a spectrum area in which a plurality of pixels used to acquire a color spectrum are provided; and a filter that is formed above the pixels provided in the spectrum area and allows an electromagnetic wave with a desired wavelength to pass, wherein the filter is formed of a plasmon resonator that is a conductive metal structure having an unevenness structure at a predetermined pitch, and the imaging area and the spectrum area are provided on a single chip. |
| US08866945B2 |
Color image sampling and reconstruction
An image capture apparatus that includes an array of color filters for green, red, and magenta colors arranged over a semiconductor substrate in the manner of a primary color Bayer pattern except a magenta color replaces the blue color. Light passing through the magenta color filter is integrated separately in a magenta pixel for a shallow photodiode signal and a deep photodiode signal in a first photodiode and a deeper second photodiode in the substrate, respectively. A mezzanine photodiode may be disposed between the first and second photodiodes and held at a fixed voltage level or reset multiple times during charge integration. A red pixel value for the magenta pixel is a function of the deep photodiode signal and an adjacent red pixel's red pixel signal. A minimum exists in its derivative with respect to the former at a value of the former that varies with the latter. |
| US08866943B2 |
Video camera providing a composite video sequence
A digital camera system including a first video capture unit for capturing a first digital video sequence of a scene and a second video capture unit that simultaneously captures a second digital video sequence that includes the photographer. A data processor automatically analyzes first digital video sequence to determine a low-interest spatial image region. A facial video sequence including the photographer's face is extracted from the second digital video sequence, and inserted into the low-interest spatial image region in the first digital video sequence to form the composite video sequence. |
| US08866941B2 |
Solid state imaging device with wiring lines shifted for pupil correction and simplified wiring pattern and method of manufacturing the same
A solid-state imaging device is provided. The solid-state imaging device includes an imaging area that includes arrayed pixels having photoelectric converting units and transistor elements; and a peripheral circuit, in which a wiring line in the imaging area that is shifted based on pupil correction amount and a wiring line in the peripheral circuit that is not shifted are connected through a connection expanded portion integrally formed with one or both of the wiring lines. |
| US08866940B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup device that outputs pixel signals picked up by a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional manner for picking up an image of an object; a white spot positional information storage portion that stores positional information of a white-spot pixel that exists in the image pickup device; an image pickup device drive portion; and a white spot correction portion that, based on positional information of the white-spot pixel that is read out from the white spot positional information storage portion, performs correction with respect to the pixel signal of the pixel that is determined to be the white-spot pixel based on a white spot correction value calculated based on seven pixels that surround a pixel that is determined to be the white-spot pixel. |
| US08866935B2 |
Drive unit, camera system, and non-transitory machine readable medium
Provided is a drive unit which, if an amount of driving to rotate the imaging optical system during the preset mode is smaller than a threshold value in accordance with an imaging field angle of the imaging optical system, the control unit is further configured to control the driving to rotate at a speed in accordance with a change rate per unit time of imaging field angle and the imaging field angle by the zooming of the imaging optical system and, if the amount of driving to rotate the imaging optical system during the preset mode is greater than the threshold value, the control unit is further configured to control the driving to rotate at a speed irrespective of a change rate per unit time of the imaging field angle and the imaging field angle by the zooming of the imaging optical system. |
| US08866928B2 |
Determining exposure times using split paxels
A plurality of images of a scene may be captured. Each image of the plurality of images may be captured using a different total exposure time (TET). The images in the plurality of images may be downsampled. A pixel value histogram based on pixel values of the downsampled images may be constructed. The pixel value histogram may be compared to one or more reference pixel value histograms. A payload TET may be determined based on comparing the pixel value histogram to the one or more reference pixel value histograms. |
| US08866926B2 |
Multi-core processor for hand-held, image capture device
A multi-core processor for installation in a hand-held device that has first and second image sensors. The multi-core processor has a first sensor interface for receiving data from the first image sensor, and a second sensor interface for receiving data from the second image sensor. Multiple processing units in the multi-core processor are configured to operate in parallel for processing data from the first and second sensor interfaces. The multiple processing units and the first and second sensor interfaces are all integrated onto a single chip. |
| US08866924B2 |
Local image feature descriptors according to circular distribution information
A method and system characterizes an image of an object. A plurality of interest points are detected within a first image and a local image feature descriptor is built for at least some of the interest points, including mapping information about the interest points according to at least circular distribution information. |
| US08866920B2 |
Capturing and processing of images using monolithic camera array with heterogeneous imagers
Systems and methods for implementing array cameras configured to perform super-resolution processing to generate higher resolution super-resolved images using a plurality of captured images and lens stack arrays that can be utilized in array cameras are disclosed. An imaging device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes at least one imager array, and each imager in the array comprises a plurality of light sensing elements and a lens stack including at least one lens surface, where the lens stack is configured to form an image on the light sensing elements, control circuitry configured to capture images formed on the light sensing elements of each of the imagers, and a super-resolution processing module configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using a plurality of the captured images. |
| US08866916B2 |
Image output apparatus, control method, and computer-readable storage medium for providing an output operation regardless of a connection state between apparatuses
There is provided an image output apparatus characterized by comprising: first communication control means for controlling communication using a first protocol; second communication control means for controlling communication relating to an image using a second protocol; image output means for executing image outputprocessing based on an image supplied under the communication control by the second communication control means; and link control means for performing control relating to disconnection of the communication by each of the first communication control means and the second communication control means. When disconnection of the communication by the first communication control means is detected, the link control means holds disconnection processing of the communication by the second communication control means based on a state of the communication control relating to the image by the second communication control means. |
| US08866915B2 |
High speed, real-time, camera bandwidth converter
Image data from a CMOS sensor with 10 bit resolution is reformatted in real time to allow the data to stream through communications equipment that is designed to transport data with 8 bit resolution. The incoming image data has 10 bit resolution. The communication equipment can transport image data with 8 bit resolution. Image data with 10 bit resolution is transmitted in real-time, without a frame delay, through the communication equipment by reformatting the image data. |
| US08866912B2 |
System and methods for calibration of an array camera using a single captured image
Systems and methods for calibrating an array camera are disclosed. Systems and methods for calibrating an array camera in accordance with embodiments of this invention include the capturing of an image of a test pattern with the array camera such that each imaging component in the array camera captures an image of the test pattern. The image of the test pattern captured by a reference imaging component is then used to derive calibration information for the reference component. A corrected image of the test pattern for the reference component is then generated from the calibration information and the image of the test pattern captured by the reference imaging component. The corrected image is then used with the images captured by each of the associate imaging components associated with the reference component to generate calibration information for the associate imaging components. |
| US08866907B2 |
Camera for mounting on a vehicle
A camera for mounting on a vehicle includes a front housing member having a first mating portion, a lens member and a circuit board having a plurality of individual front electrical connectors. The camera also includes a rear housing member having a second mating portion and a plurality of individual rear electrical connectors with first connector portions of the individual rear electrical connectors extending from the rear housing member to make electrical connection with an electrical connector of the vehicle. Second connector portions of at least some of the rear electrical connectors are configured for making electrical connection to a respective at least some of the front electrical connectors when the first and second mating portions are mated together and an alignment structure aligns second connector portion of the rear connectors with respect to the plurality of individual front electrical connectors. |
| US08866903B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program
The invention provides an image processing apparatus, capable of detecting even a defect that exists in proximity to a contour line with high accuracy and determining a non-defective item with high accuracy. Edge intensities in two different directions are calculated for each pixel in the obtained first multivalued images, and a mean value of the edge intensities is calculated for each pixel in the first multivalued images. An intercorrelation distribution region of the edge intensities is calculated for each pixel in first multivalued images with the calculated mean value being the center. Edge intensities are calculated for each pixel in a second multivalued image of a determination target object, and determination is made as to whether the calculated edge intensities for each pixel in the second multivalued image are included in the calculated intercorrelation distribution region of the edge intensities for each pixel in the first multivalued images. |
| US08866901B2 |
Motion calculation device and motion calculation method
A motion calculation device includes an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a range including a plane and outputs the captured image, an extraction unit configured to extract a region of the plane from the image, a detection unit configured to detect feature points and motion vectors of the feature points from a plurality of images captured by the image-capturing unit at a predetermined time interval; and a calculation unit configured to calculate the motion of the host device based on both of an epipolar constraint relating to the feature points and a homography relating to the region. |
| US08866900B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method of controlling same
An information processing apparatus for extracting a more appropriate representative frame image from moving image data that includes a plurality of frames of image data arranged in a time series includes: an input unit configured to input moving image data; a detecting unit configured to detect a frame image, which includes an image similar to a prescribed image pattern; a tracking unit configured to detect a frame image, which includes an image similar to the image included in the detected frame image; a storage unit configured to store the successive frame images in association with time information; a splitting unit configured to split the moving image data into a plurality of time intervals with starting time and end time of each of one or more image sequences; and an extracting unit configured to extract a representative frame image. |
| US08866889B2 |
In-home depth camera calibration
A system and method are disclosed for calibrating a depth camera in a natural user interface. The system in general obtains an objective measurement of true distance between a capture device and one or more objects in a scene. The system then compares the true depth measurement to the depth measurement provided by the depth camera at one or more points and determines an error function describing an error in the depth camera measurement. The depth camera may then be recalibrated to correct for the error. The objective measurement of distance to one or more objects in a scene may be accomplished by a variety of systems and methods. |
| US08866886B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing and receiving digital broadcast signal for 3-dimensional subtitle
The disclosed method for processing a digital broadcast signal including a 3-dimensional, 3D, content comprises encoding 3D video data for the 3D content, the 3D video data including a left picture for a left view and a right picture for a right view for a 3D image, generating signaling data including a subtitle segment having information for signaling 3D subtitles for the 3D content, and transmitting the digital broadcast signal including the encoded 3D video data and generated signaling data. |
| US08866885B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, and program
The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program, which allow an author to handle regarding a video plane to store a video image, which is a storage region where two images worth of storage regions of an L region to store an image for the left eye, and an R region to store an image for the right eye are collaterally disposed, only one of the L region and the R region. Of an API for L to set the size and position of an image to be stored in the L region, and an API for R to set the size and position of an image to be stored in the R region, one API sets the same size and same position as the size and position of said image set by the other API. Also, a graphics plane offset value and a PG offset value are subjected to scaling with a scaling ratio of an image to be stored in the video plane. The present invention may be applied to a BD player for playing a BD, or the like. |
| US08866884B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and program
An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit that inputs a two-dimensional image signal, a depth information output unit that inputs or generates depth information of image areas constituting the two-dimensional image signal, an image conversion unit that receives the image signal and the depth information from the image input unit and the depth information output unit, and generates and outputs a left eye image and a right eye image for realizing binocular stereoscopic vision, and an image output unit that outputs the left and right eye images. The image conversion unit extracts a spatial feature value of the input image signal, and performs an image conversion process including an emphasis process applying the feature value and the depth information with respect to the input image signal, thereby generating at least one of the left eye image and the right eye image. |
| US08866883B2 |
Synchronized views of video data and three-dimensional model data
Tools are described for preparing digital dental models for use in dental restoration production processes, along with associated systems and methods. Dental modeling is improved by supplementing views of three-dimensional models with still images of the modeled subject matter. Video data acquired during a scan of the model provides a source of still images that can be displayed alongside a rendered three-dimensional model, and the two views (model and still image) may be synchronized to provide a common perspective of the model's subject matter. This approach provides useful visual information for disambiguating surface features of the model during processing steps such as marking a margin of a prepared tooth surface for a restoration. |
| US08866879B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of controlling an image photographing therein
A mobile terminal including a first camera configured to receive an input of a first image; a second camera configured to receive an input of a second image; a touchscreen configured to display a photograph command key including a first zone, a second zone and a common zone; and a controller configured to set a photograph mode selected from a 3D photograph mode and a 2D photograph mode, to control the first and second cameras to respectively capture the first and second images upon receiving a photograph command touch action on the common zone, and to perform either a 3D image processing or a 2D image processing on the photographed first and second images according to the set photograph mode. |
| US08866873B2 |
System for distributing video conference resources among connected parties and methods thereof
The present disclosure relates to a system for distributing video conference resources among connected parties and methods thereof. In an illustrative embodiment, an ad-hoc network providing conferencing resources is presented. The network can include a master device and a number of slave devices. Each of the slave devices can present their bandwidth capabilities to the master device. End devices can be connected to the master device. When no additional connections can be made to the master device, slave devices can be used to add the end devices into the conference. The slave device can thus share its resources to the conference. In one embodiment, individual slave devices can handle different types of codecs. |
| US08866872B2 |
Conferencing and collaboration system and methods thereof
A conference device and an application for enabling geographically dispersed individuals to collaborate with one another are disclosed herein. Communication protocols can be used to invoke actions within the conference device and the application. Files can be transferred between the application and conference device. The application can remotely control connected conference devices. The application along with the conference device can offer a range of capabilities from multi-party audio conferencing to three hundred and sixty degree microphone pick-up for in-room participants. Multi-party video conferencing capabilities and in-room presentation displays via a built-in video interface to the in-room projector or monitor are provided. The conference device can include features such as Bluetooth™ or other connection that enables detection of wireless devices when meeting participants are present by virtue of their mobile device being within range. |
| US08866871B2 |
Image processing method and image processing device
An image processing method and an image processing device are provided. The image processing method includes: determining a first width and a second width, where the second width is the width of a gap between display devices of target images on N screens, the first width is the width of a blind spot between source images corresponding to the N screens, N is an integer greater than 1, and the N screens are of a same size and are arranged side by side at a same height; and when the first width is different from the second width, adjusting the source images according to the determined first width and second width so as to obtain the target images, so that no mismatch exists in the stitched target images on the N screens. |
| US08866869B2 |
Parolee communication and control system and method
A communication and control system and method for a parolee includes a communication device including a visual alert component capable of providing one-way communication to the parolee, an auditory link capable of providing two-way verbal communication to and from the parolee, and a visual link capable of providing two-way visual communication to and from the parolee, and a GPS tracking device configured to indicate the location of the parolee. The communication device and the GPS tracking device are configured to be controlled remotely. |
| US08866868B2 |
Negotiated call delivery capability
According to the invention, a method for establishing a personal communication between an originating end and a terminating end of a communication system is disclosed. In one step, a first number of personal communication modes associated with the originating end is retrieved. A determination is made if a second number of personal communication modes associated with the terminating end comprises any personal communication modes compatible with the first number of personal communication modes. A compatible personal communication mode from the first number of personal communication modes and the second number of personal communication modes is chosen to indicate the compatible personal communication mode to the terminating end. |
| US08866864B2 |
Printer and platen roller for printer
A printer 1 comprising, a feed section 3 capable of feeding a print paper having a first sheet 50 and a second sheet 51 laminated to the first sheet 50 through a gap 58, and a print section 5 for printing the print paper, wherein the print section 5 comprises a thermal head 18 and a platen roller 17 being opposed to the thermal head 18, wherein the platen roller 17 comprises a shaft 30 being rotatably supported in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the print paper, a cylindrical body roller 31 disposed to the shaft 30, and a projecting portion 32 protruding outward in a radial direction of the body roller 31 for filling the gap 58 by pressing the print paper. |
| US08866863B2 |
Portable thermal printer
A portable thermal printer includes a housing and an anti-skew unit. The housing is provided with a thermal printer head and a platen roller, and is configured to convey a paper between the thermal printer head and the platen roller. The anti-skew unit inside the housing is configured to contact both side edges of the paper in a width direction to prevent the paper, which is being conveyed, from skewing, and the setting of the width of the paper by the anti-skew unit is configured to be adjustable from outside the housing. |
| US08866862B2 |
Image forming apparatus
According to the above-described embodiment, provided is an image forming apparatus that has an image forming function of forming an image on a recording medium and an erasing function of erasing an image formed on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a delivery unit, and an image erasing unit. The delivery unit delivers information requiring users to supply a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an erasable color material to the apparatus. |
| US08866856B2 |
Image processing program and image processing device for moving display area
A video game device calculates a difference vector extending from a predetermined reference position on the screen to an input position. Moreover, the video game device calculates movement parameter data used for moving, with respect to a fixed point in the virtual space uniquely determined based on a position of the controlled object, the point of sight to a position that is determined by a direction in the virtual space based on a direction of the difference vector and a distance in the virtual space based on a magnitude of the difference vector. The point of sight is moved based on the movement parameter data. The video game device produces an image based on a virtual camera, which has been moved according to the movement of the point of sight, and displays the image on the screen of a display device. |
| US08866852B2 |
Method and system for input detection
Methods and devices for applying at least one manipulative action to a selected content object are disclosed. In one aspect, a head-mounted-device (HMD) system includes at least one processor and data storage with user-interface logic executable by the at least one processor to apply at least one manipulative action to a displayed content object based on received data that indicates a first direction in which the HMD is tilted and an extent to which the HMD is tilted in the first direction. The at least one manipulative action is applied to a degree corresponding to the indicated extent to which the HMD is tilted in the first direction. |
| US08866851B2 |
Displaying a sequence of images and associated character information
According to an illustrative embodiment, a display controller is provided. The display controller includes a control section for controlling a display to display a sequence of images, first character information corresponding to a first displayed image of the sequence of images, and other character information corresponding to an image in the sequence of images which is prior to the first displayed image, wherein the control section controls display of the first character information and the other character information in response to a user operation. |
| US08866848B2 |
Image processing device, control method for an image processing device, program, and information storage medium
Background object disposing means (88) disposes a background object (74) representing a background, which is photographed outside a target region (62) of a photographed image (60), on a virtual space (70). Subject object disposing means (90) disposes a subject object (74) between a viewpoint (72) and the background object (76) so that a position at which the subject object (76) is displayed to be superimposed on the background object (74) in a virtual space image (64), and a position of the target region (62) in the photographed image (60), correspond to each other. Composition target object disposing means (92) disposes a composition target object (78) representing a composition target, which is to be displayed to be combined with a real-world space (70) in the virtual space image (64), between the background object (74) and the subject object (76). |
| US08866847B2 |
Providing augmented reality information
A system, method and computer program product for providing augmented reality information is disclosed. The method includes capturing an image of a set of items with an image capturing component coupled to a network-enabled computing device associated with a user identifier. The captured image is processed to identify each item of the set of items while a predefined list of user's preferences is retrieved using the user identifier. For each identified item, checking is made if the item matches a condition related to the predefined list of user's preferences. And based on the matching result, item information is conveyed to the network-enabled computing device and overlaid on the image. |
| US08866845B2 |
Robust object recognition by dynamic modeling in augmented reality
Technologies are generally described for providing a robust object recognition scheme based on dynamic modeling. Correlations in fine scale temporal structure of cellular regions may be employed to group the regions together into higher-order entities. The entities represent a rich structure and may be used to code high level objects. Object recognition may be formatted as elastic graph matching. |
| US08866844B2 |
Image processing apparatus displaying processed image representing result of sepia image process
In an image processing apparatus, a process display unit displays on the display a plurality of candidate image processes to be performed on the image data. The plurality of candidate image processes includes a sepia image process. A process receiving unit receives an instruction indicating the sepia image process selected from among the plurality of candidate image processes. A process storing unit stores the selected sepia image process. An image display unit displays a display image corresponding to the image data on the display. An image designating unit designates a display image. The image display unit displays a processed display image that represents a result of the selected sepia image process performed on the image data corresponding to the designated display image before performing the selected sepia image process on the image data corresponding to the designated display image. |
| US08866839B2 |
High efficacy lighting signal converter and associated methods
A signal adapting chromacity system to control that may include a signal conversion engine to receive a source signal designating a color of light defined by a two spatial plus luminance dimensional color space, such as the xxY color space. The signal conversion engine may convert the source signal to a three dimensional color space defined within a subset gamut of a full color gamut, such as an RGW, RBW, or GBW color space. The subset gamut may include a first color light, a second color light and a high efficacy light. The signal conversion engine may perform a conversion operation to convert the source signal to an output signal, using the output signal to drive light emitting diodes (LEDs). The conversion operation may be a matrix, angular or linear conversion operation. |
| US08866837B2 |
Enhancement of images for display on liquid crystal displays
The enhancement of images to be displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) comprises remapping initial pixel values to remapped pixel values in accordance with an equation that raises an initial pixel value to an exponent of a modified gamma value ratio. The modified gamma value ratio is based on a backlight level, an ambient light level and/or other light levels associated with the LCD. The enhancement can selectively increase image brightness in response to a reduction in the backlight level or an increase in the ambient light level, or selectively reduce image brightness in response to a reduction in the ambient light level. The image or a portion of the image can be enhanced. An image portion to be enhanced can be a user-specified bounding box or one or more windows selected by a user or associated with one or more applications running on a computing device. |
| US08866831B2 |
Shared virtual memory between a host and discrete graphics device in a computing system
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a device that has a device processor and a device memory. The device can couple to a host with a host processor and host memory. Both of the memories can have page tables to map virtual addresses to physical addresses of the corresponding memory, and the two memories may appear to a user-level application as a single virtual memory space. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08866823B2 |
In-betweening interactive states
Automatically creating a series of intermediate states may include receiving a start state and an end state of a reactive system, identifying one or more components of the start state and the end state and determining one or more events associated with the one or more components. One or more intermediate states between the start state and the end state, and one or more transitions from and to the one or more intermediate states are created using the one or more components of the start state and the end state and the one or more events associated with the one or more components. The one or more intermediate states and the one or more transitions form one or more time-based paths from the start state to the end state occurring in response to applying the one or more events to the associated one or more components. |
| US08866819B2 |
Systems and methods for social networking influenced map generation
Various embodiments for social networking influenced map generation are disclosed. One embodiment is a method for generating a map that comprises retrieving, by a computing device, location data from a mobile computing device. The method further comprises determining, by the computing device, at least one attribute corresponding to the mobile computing device according to the retrieved location data and retrieving, by the computing device, information relating to a messaging event occurring on the mobile computing device. The method further comprises generating, by the computing device, a map displaying a path of traversal of the mobile computing device based on the retrieved location data, the map further comprising at least one graphical representation relating to the messaging event, the at least one graphical representation being displayed on the path of traversal. |
| US08866816B2 |
Dimension reducing visual representation method
In a data visualization system, a method of arranging, in n dimensions, data points representing n or more variables, the method including the steps of: a data point ranking module ranking a set of data points with respect to a first axis of a visual representation using a first variable; and based on a second variable, a data point distribution module distributing the set of data points along the first axis while retaining information relating to the ranking of data points determined in step i). |
| US08866815B2 |
Automated treemap configuration
Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention provide for representing a plurality of source data values as graphical elements in a default treemap visualization, where each data value is associated with a plurality of data dimensions. A first data dimension is selected to be mapped to an area cell characteristic based on the first data dimension having a quality of numeric and a quality of non-negative. A second data dimension is selected to be mapped to a color cell characteristic based on the second data dimension having a quality of numeric and a quality of previously unmapped. The default treemap visualization is generated based on the selected first data dimension and the selected second data dimension. |
| US08866814B2 |
Systems and methods for photogrammetric rendering
Systems and methods are provided for producing a rendered drawing or rendering from a detailed image of an object (e.g. photograph) resulting in a rendering that is photogrammetric and that preserves detail in the said image of said object. The combination of the metric nature and image detail preservation in a rendering resulting from the process enhances the usefulness of the rendering to users. The invention is useful in particular for large format renderings such as wire frame style drawings used for blueprints in the architecture, engineering and construction industry (AEC industry) when used for existing structures. The processes combine graphic arts techniques with photogrammetric techniques to preserve, fully or partially, information about an object as captured in image detail of said object and to present said information in photogrammetrically correct rendering, which rendering may be incorporated into drawings useful to and/or familiar to end users of said drawings. |
| US08866813B2 |
Point-based guided importance sampling
A computer-animated scene illuminated by indirect light is shaded. The scene is comprised of sample locations on a surface element of an object in the scene. A point cloud representation of the scene is generated. Optionally, an importance map of the scene, based on the point cloud representation, is generated. The importance map is generated by rasterizing one or more points in the point cloud and designating areas of interest based on the energy value of the one or more points in the point cloud. A ray tracing engine is biased, based on the importance map. The biased ray tracing engine calculates the path of the ray to the sample locations in the scene to an area of interest. The scene is shaded using the output from the biased ray tracing engine. |
| US08866811B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
Position and orientation information of a specific part of an observer is acquired (S403). It is determined whether or not a region of a specific part virtual object that simulates the specific part and that of another virtual object overlap each other on an image of a virtual space after the specific part virtual object is laid out based on the position and orientation information on the virtual space on which one or more virtual objects are laid out (S405). When it is determined that the regions overlap each other, an image of the virtual space on which the other virtual object and the specific part virtual object are laid out is generated; when it is determined that the regions do not overlap each other, an image of the virtual space on which only the other virtual object is laid out is generated (S409). |
| US08866806B2 |
Method and apparatus for supplying power to an electronic device using a solar battery
A power supply apparatus includes a storage battery, a power part and a solar battery part. The storage battery provides a charged voltage to an electronic device. The power part provides an external voltage to the electronic device and simultaneously charges the storage battery, upon determining that the external voltage is provided to the power supply apparatus. The solar battery part charges the storage battery using a voltage output by a solar battery upon determining that the external voltage is not provided to the power supply apparatus and the electronic device is not in use, and provides the voltage output by the solar battery and the charged voltage output by the storage battery to the electronic device, upon determining that the external voltage is not provided to the power supply apparatus and the electronic device is in use. |
| US08866805B2 |
Stereoscopic image display
A stereoscopic image display includes a display panel which includes a plurality of pixels each including a main display unit and an auxiliary display unit, is divided into a first screen block and a second screen block, and includes a first discharge control line connected to auxiliary display units of the first screen block and a second discharge control line connected to auxiliary display units of the second screen block, a control voltage generator which generates a first discharge control voltage of a first AC waveform and a second discharge control voltage of a second AC waveform, of which a phase is later than a phase of the first AC waveform by a half frame period, and a control voltage delay unit which delays the first and second discharge control voltages. |
| US08866798B2 |
Capacitive stylus with disc tip
A stylus assembly for a capacitive touch screen provides input via conventional handwriting action. A stylus is attached at a contact end to a disc providing ample capacitive proximity with the touch screen. A layer of capacitive material is embedded within the disc, and may be formed with a distinct shape, layout, or outline to provide a uniquely recognizable capacitive signature. The stylus terminates at the contact end in a received portion, attached to the disc by a receiving portion formed thereon. Free rotation of the received portion within the receiving portion accepts positioning of the stylus body at any angle with no degradation of capacitive proximity, allowing natural handwriting action. The receiving portion can be formed with sufficient flexibility to allow disengagement and re-engagement thereof, enabling simple and low-cost replacement of the disc. |
| US08866793B2 |
Capacitive touch screen having dynamic capacitance control and improved touch-sensing
Methods and apparatus for improving the sensing performance of a capacitive touch screen sensing device. The electrical potential of conductive structures proximate capacitive touch pads of the sensing device is altered to compensate for the effect of parasitic capacitance, based on external conditions such as water on the touch screen or an intervening user worn glove. The compensation for parasitic capacitance improves the signal to noise ratio and therefore the sensing performance of the device. |
| US08866791B2 |
Portable electronic device having mode dependent user input controls
Improved approaches to provide user interaction with a portable electronic device operating to in a particular mode, such as an e-reader mode, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device is a multi-function portable electronic device that can be configured differently based on a particular mode being used. Based on the mode of operation or application being used, the user inputs to the device can be characterized differently. Advantageously, with mode-based configurations, the portable electronic device can operate to make use of user interface controls in an efficient manner. The mode-based configuration can save power, increase efficiency, and/or speed up operation of the device. |
| US08866784B2 |
Apparatus and method for operation according to movement in portable terminal
An apparatus and method operate a portable terminal according to touch and movement. When a touch is sensed, an angle of the portable terminal is determined. When the determined angle belongs to a grip zone, the portable terminal is transitioned to a wake up state. |
| US08866782B2 |
Display device
An electrostatic-capacitance touch panel includes of X electrodes which are formed above a front surface of the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel, Y electrodes which intersect with the X electrodes, a back-surface electrode which is formed above a back surface of the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel, X-electrode signal lines which supply signals to the X electrodes from both ends of each X electrode, Y-electrode signal lines which supply signals to the Y electrodes from both ends of each Y electrode, a flexible printed circuit board connected to the X-electrode signal lines and the Y-electrode signal lines at a connection portion, intersecting portions where the X electrodes and the Y electrodes overlap with each other, and electrode portions each of which is formed between two intersecting portions. A back-surface-connection-use terminal is formed outside of the connection portion, and the back-surface-connection-use terminal and the back-surface electrode are connected to each other using a conductive member. |
| US08866773B2 |
Remote control apparatus, remote control system, remote control method, and program
Provided is a remote control apparatus which includes a display panel, a control detecting part for detecting a swipe of a contact point by a continuous contact control to the display panel, a command generating part for finding a first direction from a positional relationship between a contact starting point and a first swipe point swiped from the contact starting point, generating a control command indicating start of a swipe in the first direction, finding a second direction from a positional relationship between the contact starting point and a second swipe point swiped from the first swipe point, and generating a control command indicating stop of the swipe in the first direction and start of a swipe in the second direction in the case where the second direction differs from the first direction, and a command transmitting part for transmitting the generated control command to a television. |
| US08866769B2 |
Device cover with drawing pad input device
A cover for an electronic device and associated method. A case body has an outer and an inner surface, the inner surface defines at least part of a case compartment that receives an electronic device. A drawing pad is attached to the case body and has a touch sensitive input region, which senses drawing gestures thereon, and a detachable data communications interface that detachably connects a communications link to the electronic device. The communications link conveys indication data corresponding to sensed drawing gestures to the electronic device. |
| US08866765B2 |
Light emitting unit, manufacturing method thereof and touch panel having the same
A manufacturing method of light emitting units is shown below. First step is providing a substrate with multi circuit areas. A light emitting diode is mounted on the circuit area respectively. Next step is forming a package structure to cover the light emitting diode. Next step is dicing the package structure to form a biconic package structure. The package structure is diced twice in two directions, respectively. As above-mentioned, the light emitting unit has asymmetric light radiation pattern. |
| US08866764B2 |
Swipeable key line
Methods and devices for the display of virtual keyboards are provided. More particularly, virtual keyboards that include selectable sets of virtual keys that can be selected or changed through direct input by a user are provided. The user input can include a touch screen input or gesture applied to an area of a display in which a selectable set of virtual keys is presented. The touch screen input or swipe can cause the displayed selectable set of virtual keys to be replaced by an alternate selectable set of virtual keys. |
| US08866755B2 |
Touch-controlled electronic apparatus and related assembly method
A touch-controlled electronic apparatus includes a loading plate, a touch panel, a flexible PCB, a sensor pad, and a control circuit. The loading plate has a display touch area, a wire area, and a hot bonding area. The touch panel is disposed on the display touch area of the loading plate. The flexible PCB has a touch button area and a control circuit area. The sensor pad is disposed on the touch button area of the flexible PCB and is used as touch buttons. The control circuit is disposed on the control circuit area of the flexible PCB. The flexible PCB is disposed and bonded to the loading plate, wherein the touch button area is disposed on at least one of the wire area and the hot bonding area. |
| US08866754B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and information processing program
An information processing apparatus includes: touch operation sections provided to be spaced from each other by a specified distance and detect a position touched by an operating part; a drag detection section to detect a drag moved in a state where the operating part touches the touch operation sections; a vibration detection section to detect a vibration amount of the touch operation sections; a vibration acquisition section to acquire the vibration amount in a period after the drag detection section detects that an arbitrary touch operation section is dragged among the touch operation sections and before the drag detection section detects that another touch operation section adjacent to the arbitrary touch operation section is dragged; and a drag determination section to determine, based on the vibration amount, whether the drag on the arbitrary touch operation section is continuous with the drag on the another touch operation section. |
| US08866753B2 |
User interface
The present invention relates to a user interface (1) which can be employed in household appliances such as cooking appliances, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and all appliances which make use of tablets (2), screens etc. with symbols thereon. |
| US08866751B2 |
Display device and method of driving the same
A display device includes a display panel, a source driving part, a gate driving part, a readout part and a pulse generating part. The display panel includes an array substrate on which a source line and a gate line are formed, and an opposite substrate on which a common electrode is formed. The readout part is electrically connected with at least one of the lines of the array substrate and the common electrode of the opposite substrate, and reads out a detection signal during an elimination period of a frame period. The pulse generating part outputs a control pulse for driving the readout part during the elimination period. Accordingly, a detection signal is read out through lines or a common electrode that are/is formed for displaying an image, so that an aperture ratio may be increased, and a manufacturing process thereof may be simplified. |
| US08866750B2 |
Universal user interface device
A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device. |
| US08866747B2 |
Electronic device and method of character selection
A portable electronic device includes a plurality of physical keys, a touch-sensitive input device configured to detect a touch, and a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive input device, and the keys, and configured to, when no touch is detected on the touch-sensitive input device while a first key of the plurality of physical keys is selected, identify a first character associated with the first key, and when a touch is detected on the touch-sensitive input device while the first key is selected, identify a second character associated with the first key. |
| US08866742B2 |
Easily deployable interactive direct-pointing system and presentation control system and calibration method therefor
A method for controlling movement of a computer display cursor based on a point-of-aim of a pointing device within an interaction region includes projecting an image of a computer display to create the interaction region. At least one calibration point having a predetermined relation to said interaction region is established. A pointing line is directed to substantially pass through the calibration point while measuring a position of and an orientation of the pointing device. The pointing line has a predetermined relationship to said pointing device. Movement of the cursor is controlled within the interaction region using measurements of the position of and the orientation of the pointing device. |
| US08866741B2 |
Method, medium and apparatus for browsing images
A method, medium and apparatus browsing images is disclosed. The method browsing images includes sensing acceleration imparted to a portable digital device, and moving an image onto a display area in accordance with a tilt angle of the portable digital device if the sensed acceleration is greater than a first threshold value. |
| US08866739B2 |
Display device, image display system, and image display method
A display device includes: a display unit that displays an image on a display surface; a detection unit that detects, relative to the display surface, a position of an operation element including a magnetic member; and an external force application unit that applies an external force to the operation element via the magnetic member, by generating a magnetic field in a space faced by the display surface, according to the position of the operation element detected by the detection unit and content of the image displayed by the display unit. |
| US08866738B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method of controlling display and storage medium
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a browsing log recorder, a first display module, a second display module, an operation input module and a controller. The browsing log recorder is configured to record a browsing log of e-books. The controller is configured to cause the first display module to display the interrupted page of the most recently interrupted e-book or to cause the second display module to display the list of interrupted e-books in accordance with an operation of the operation input module. |
| US08866735B2 |
Method and apparatus for activating a function of an electronic device
A method and apparatus for activating a function of the electronic device is disclosed herewith. The method includes detecting a first input by a motion sensor. Further, the method activates a touch sensor of the electronic device in response to detecting the first input. The method then detects a second input by the motion sensor within a predetermined time period from the first input. Next, the method determines, in response to detecting the second input, whether contact has occurred at the touch sensor and activates a function of the electronic device in response to determining that contact has occurred at the touch sensor when the second input is detected. |
| US08866722B2 |
Driving apparatus
A driving apparatus applied in a liquid crystal display are disclosed. Its first channel includes a first latching module, a first level-shifting module, a P-type digital/analog converting module, a first R2R module, and a P-type amplifying module, the second channel includes a second latching module, a second level-shifting module, a N-type digital/analog converting module, a second R2R module, and a N-type amplifying module. The P-type digital/analog converting module and N-type digital/analog converting module are selectively coupled to the first R2R module or the second R2R module. The first latching module receives a first digital signal and the first latching module outputs a first analog signal corresponding to the first digital signal. The second latching module receives a second digital signal and the second latching module outputs a second analog signal corresponding to the second digital signal. |
| US08866718B2 |
Drive circuit and display device
The present invention provides a drive circuit and a display device realizing reduced variations in both a trailing timing and a rising timing of output voltage. The drive circuit includes an input-side inverter circuit and an output-side inverter circuit connected to each other in series and inserted between a high-voltage line and a low-voltage line. The output-side inverter circuit includes: a first transistor having a drain connected to the high-voltage line side and a source connected to an output side of the output-side inverter circuit; a second transistor having a drain connected to the low-voltage line side and a source connected to an output side of the output-side inverter circuit; and a correction circuit correcting gate voltage of the first and second transistors. |
| US08866717B2 |
Display device and drive method providing improved signal linearity
A display device having a pixel section including a plurality of pixel circuits arrayed in a matrix, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of capacity lines, a plurality of signal lines, a drive circuit, and a generation circuit generating a small amplitude common voltage signal switching in level at a predetermined cycle, wherein each pixel circuit arranged at the pixel section contains a display element having a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode and a storage capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode, the first pixel electrode of the display element, the first electrode of the storage capacitor, and one terminal of the switching element are connected, the second electrode of the storage capacitor is connected to the capacity lines arrayed in a corresponding row, and the common voltage signal is applied in a second pixel electrode of the display element. |
| US08866716B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and driving method using alternative gray-scale voltage
The driving circuit of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention classifies a combination of a displayed gray-scale level of a previous vertical scanning period and a regular gray-scale level corresponding to an input image signal in a current vertical scanning period into either a first group or a second group. The driving circuit is capable of supplying the gray-scale voltage corresponding to the regular gray-scale level for any combination belonging to the first group, and supplying a gray-scale voltage corresponding to an alternative gray-scale level which is different from the regular gray-scale level for any combination belonging to the second group. |
| US08866713B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device capable of reducing the driving power and preventing cross talk is provided. The LCD device comprises: a plurality of data lines arranged on a substrate in a vertical direction for transmitting image data; a plurality of gate lines arranged on the substrate in a horizontal direction for transmitting a scan signal; a plurality of pixels formed at each intersection between the gate lines and the data lines and arranged on the substrate in a matrix formation; a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided at each pixel for forming a horizontal electric field; and a plurality of first common voltage lines and second common voltage lines alternately arranged on the substrate in a horizontal direction, wherein the second electrodes provided at each pixel of a line unit are alternately connected to the first common voltage line and the second common voltage line. |
| US08866712B2 |
Liquid crystal display driving apparatus and method thereof
A liquid crystal display (LCD) driving apparatus and the method thereof is disclosed. The method receives a pixel and drives a pixel of the LCD according to the pixel value in a frame period, wherein the frame period is divided into a precharge field and a compensation field. Firstly, a precharge pixel value is decided according to the pixel and a reference value. A compensation pixel value is decided according to the precharge pixel. Next, a precharge driving voltage is determined according to the precharge pixel value. Afterwards, a compensation driving voltage is determined according to the compensation pixel value. Finally, the pixel is driven according to the precharge driving voltage and the compensation driving voltage respectively during the precharge field and the compensation field. |
| US08866707B2 |
Display device, and apparatus using the display device having a polygonal pixel electrode
In a display device using a delta arrangement, in a case where a circuit of a large number of elements such as a static memory is arranged every pixel, a wire becomes complicated to cause wiring delay. A shape of a pixel electrode is formed polygonally to arrange in a case where the number of elements such as a static memory is large or in a case where an area of an element required to be included in a pixel is large in a delta arrangement. The shape of the pixel electrode is arranged in a polygon so that a wire along a pixel shape can be used. Even in a case of a pixel with a large number of elements, parasitic resistance of a wire and parasitic capacitance of a wire can be reduced so that wiring delay can be solved. |
| US08866706B2 |
Organic electroluminescent display device and manufacturing method of the same
An organic electroluminescent display device capable of improving yield by preventing voltage drop of a power supply wire and a manufacturing method of the same. An organic electroluminescent display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of sub-pixels defined by an active area displaying an image and an inactive area other than the active area; a driving switching element formed in the inactive area of the sub-pixel to supply driving current; and a power supply wire supplying power to the sub-pixel, wherein the power supply wire includes a first power supply wire extending in a vertical direction at one portion of a long side of the sub-pixel, a dummy power supply wire disposed on the first power supply wire and electrically connected with the first power supply wire, and a second power supply wire extending in a horizontal direction at one portion of a short side of the sub-pixel. |
| US08866703B2 |
Persistence-of-vision display with stylus input device
A persistence-of-vision display device that is configured to receive inputs via a stylus and methods for its use are described. The device includes a display housing with a rotating armature disposed therein. The armature includes arrays of light sources and sensors. A stylus is provided that is useable to provide input through the display housing in a manner similar to drawing on the housing. Angular locations of the inputs are identified and corresponding light sources are illuminated. The impression of drawing on the display device is thus provided. Controls for color selection, animation, and other features are provided. |
| US08866700B2 |
Mobile electronic device
A first cabinet comprising a first display module and a second cabinet comprising a second display module are provided. A switching is allowed between: a first state in which the first cabinet is placed on top of the second display module and the first display module faces outside, and a second state in which the first cabinet and the second cabinet are arranged next to each other and the first display module and the second display module face outside. A first screen to be displayed by the first display module and a second screen to be displayed by the second display module are stored and a screen switching operation is detected. Displaying of the first screen on the first display module is canceled and the second screen is displayed on the first display module, when the screen switching operation is detected in the first state. |
| US08866694B2 |
Portable terminal
Provided is a portable terminal wherein reduction of an antenna gain can be suitably suppressed. The portable terminal is provided with a circuit section (33), which is arranged on an operating section side case section (2) or a display section side case section (3), and has a ground section (31), a power feed section (32) and a signal processing section (38) connected to the power feed section (32); a first conductive section (34) arranged on the operating section side case section (2); a second conductive section (35) arranged on the display side case section (3); a selection section (36) configured to select a first state, wherein the first conductive section (34) and the ground section (31) are electrically connected and the second conductive section (35) and the power feed section (32) are electrically connected, or a second state, wherein the first conductive section (34) and the power feed section (32) are electrically connected and the second conductive section (35) and the ground section (31) are electrically connected; and a control section (37) which controls the selection of the first state or the second state performed by the selection section (36). |
| US08866686B1 |
Methods and apparatus for super-element phased array radiator
Methods and apparatus for a super-element assembly including a dielectric subassembly having first and second conductive patch conductors extending a longitudinal axis of the super-element assembly, a ridged waveguide having a series of slots formed along its length. The super-element assembly provides a significant advance in the art in module reduction, production cost reduction, and enhanced scan angle response. |
| US08866683B2 |
Communication device and reconfigurable antenna element therein
A communication device includes a ground element, an antenna element, and a reconfigurable circuit element group. The antenna element includes a first radiating portion and a second radiating portion. One end of the first radiating portion is a feeding end of the antenna element, and the other end is an open end. One end of the second radiating portion is coupled to the ground element, and the other end is an open end. The second radiating portion is longer than the first radiating portion. The second radiating portion surrounds the open end of the first radiating portion, and includes a first portion and a second portion. The reconfigurable circuit element group is coupled between the first portion and the second portion of the second radiating portion, and includes at least two branches. The reconfigurable circuit selectively opens and closes the branches such that the antenna element operates in different bands. |
| US08866681B2 |
Vehicle mirror antenna assembly
The present invention is generally related to an antenna assembly, and in particular to a rear-view mirror antenna assembly for motor vehicles. The antenna assembly comprises a mirror attached to a casing (11) defining an outer perimeter (4), the assembly further comprising an antenna element (1) having a radiating element, wherein said radiating element is housed within said mirror and said casing and it is located substantially along said outer perimeter. |
| US08866680B2 |
Handheld electronic devices with isolated antennas
Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry having at least first and second antennas. An antenna isolation element reduces signal interference between the antennas, so that the antennas may be used in close proximity to each other. A planar ground element may be used as a ground by the first and second antennas. The first antenna may be formed using. a hybrid planar-inverted-F and slot arrangement in which a planar resonating element is located above a rectangular slot in the planar ground element. The second antenna may be formed from an L-shaped strip. The planar resonating element of the first antenna may have first and second arms. The first arm may resonate at a common frequency with the second antenna and may serve as the isolation element. The second arm may resonate at approximately the same frequency as the slot portion of the hybrid antenna. |
| US08866679B2 |
Antenna clip
Certain embodiments may take the form of an electronic device having a metal housing encapsulating operative circuitry for the device. The electronic device includes an attachment member coupled to the metal housing at an attachment point. An antenna is coupled to the attachment member and communicatively coupled to the operative circuitry in the metal housing via the attachment point to enable the electronic device to communicate wirelessly. |
| US08866678B2 |
Patch antenna device and radio wave receiver
A patch antenna device of the present invention includes a rectangular dielectric plate, a planar emission electrode, a grounding electrode and a power supply member. The planar emission electrode is provided with a slit at each position corresponding to each short side of the rectangular dielectric plate and both slits extend toward an opposing short side each other and arranged symmetrically. A power supply position of the power supply member is deviated from a center of the planar emission electrode so as to obtain circular polarization characteristics. As a result a patch antenna device having a high gain and circular polarization characteristics can be realized by a simple structure. |
| US08866674B2 |
Concept of generating experience messages for updating a reference database
At a current position, a measurement packet is determined by a mobile terminal device at a measurement time. The measurement packet includes transmitter identifications of radio transmitters receivable at the current position of the mobile terminal device at the measurement time. By means of reference measurement packets provided to the mobile terminal device, the mobile terminal device itself can determine its current position. Additionally, a deviation of the determined transmitter identifications of the measurement packet from reference transmitter identifications of the reference measurement packets is determined. If a deviation of the reference transmitter identifications from the transmitter identifications determined at the current position is detected, experience messages can be generated that can again result in an update measure as, for example, updating the reference database by adding new transmitter identifications to the reference database and/or removing obsolete reference transmitter identifications from the reference database. |
| US08866667B2 |
High sensitivity single antenna FMCW radar
One embodiment is directed towards a FMCW radar having a single antenna. The radar includes a transmit path having a voltage controlled oscillator controlled by a phase-locked loop, and the phase-locked loop includes a fractional-n synthesizer configured to implement a FMCW ramp waveform that ramps from a starting frequency to an ending frequency and upon reaching the ending frequency returns to the starting frequency to ramp again. The radar also includes a delay path coupled between a coupler on the transmit path and a mixer in a receive path. The delay path is configured to delay a local oscillator reference signal from the transmit path such that the propagation time of the local oscillator reference signal from the coupler to the mixer through the delay path is between the propagation time of signal reflected off the antenna and the propagation time of a leakage signal through a circulator. |
| US08866666B2 |
Signal processing device, radar apparatus and signal processing program
This disclosure provides a signal processing device, which includes a reception signal acquiring module for acquiring reception signals received by a radar antenna, an identifying module for identifying a kind of each reception signal, an extracting module for extracting the reception signal for each kind, and a kind-base signal processing module for performing individual signal processing for each kind of the extracted reception signal. |
| US08866665B2 |
Obstacle detection apparatus
Various targets are detected in a more accurate manner. Provision is made for a receiving antenna part that has a plurality of receiving antennas arranged in a horizontal direction with a part thereof being shifted in a vertical direction from the others, and has a plurality of combinations of the receiving antennas, of which each combination detects an azimuth in the horizontal direction and an azimuth in the vertical direction of a target; and detection means that detects the target a plurality of times while changing the combination of the receiving antennas. The detection accuracy of the target can be enhanced by making a comparison between at least two detection results obtained by the detection means. |
| US08866664B2 |
Vehicle-mounted radar device
Provided is a vehicle-mounted radar device capable of obtaining a high azimuth resolution with a simple configuration.The vehicle-mounted radar device is mounted on a vehicle, and includes: a detector for irradiating a periphery of the vehicle with electromagnetic waves, and for outputting a reception signal obtained from reflected waves that are reflected from an object that exists in the periphery of the vehicle; a vehicle information calculator for calculating information related to a movement of the vehicle with a use of vehicle information of the vehicle; a storage unit for storing a plurality of the reception signals outputted by the detector at different time points; and a synthetic aperture processor for conducting a synthetic aperture processing on the reception signals obtained by the vehicle at different positions, based on the information related to the movement of the vehicle. |
| US08866663B2 |
Methods and apparatus for sensing organic tissue
In exemplary implementations of this invention, a radio signal is transmitted between a transmitter and a receiver. Either the transmitter, or receiver, or both, have a directional antenna. When organic tissue passes between (or is stationary between) the transmitter and receiver, the tissue causes a reduction of the received signal strength (RSS) of the signal, as compared to a baseline RSS. The larger the amount of tissue, the greater is the reduction of the RSS. By analyzing the degradation of the signal, information about organic tissue between the transmitter and receiver may be determined. For example, the number of persons passing through a physical threshold may be determined. Or the fact that one person is walking faster than, and catching up with, a second person as they pass between the transmitter and receiver may be determined. |
| US08866661B2 |
Input converter for an EEG monitoring system, signal conversion method and monitoring system
In order to minimize noise and current consumption in an EEG monitoring system (40) which can be continuously carried by a person to be monitored, an input converter (44) for an EEG monitoring system is devised. The analog-to-digital converter of the input converter has an input stage, an output stage, and a feedback loop, and the input stage comprises an amplifier (QA) and an integrator (RLF). A voltage transformer (IT) is placed in the input converter upstream of input stage. The transformation ratio of the voltage transformer (IT) has a transformation ratio such that it provides an output voltage larger than the input voltage, thereby multiplying the signal voltage for the input stage by a fixed factor. The voltage transformer (IT) is a switched-capacitor voltage transformer having at least two capacitors (Cx, Cy, Cz). The invention further provides a method of converting an analog signal, and an EEG monitoring system comprising the input converter (44). |
| US08866655B2 |
Modulator with variable quantizer
Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a variable quantizer for a modulator. A compare value of the quantizer changes with each clock cycle of the modulator. The variable compare value results in a spread spectrum output of the modulator. |
| US08866654B2 |
Apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion with a high effective-sample-rate on the leading edge of a signal pulse
A method and electronic device for outputting time values and energy of an analog input signal by dynamically determining a plurality of threshold values, comparing, using a plurality of comparator circuits, the plurality of threshold values against the analog input signal, outputting, using at least one time to digital conversion circuit connected to each of the plurality of comparator circuits, a plurality of time values, each time value output when the analog input signal meets or exceeds a threshold value of the threshold values, filtering the analog input signal, performing, using an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, analog-to-digital conversion of the filtered analog input signal to generate a digital signal, and calculating, in response to receiving a trigger signal, an energy of the digital signal. |
| US08866653B2 |
Successive approximation analog to digital converter and method thereof
A successive approximation (SAR) analog-to-digital converter for generating a digital signal of N bits is provided. The converter includes a capacitive digital-to-analog conversion circuit including an (N−1)-th conversion unit to a first conversion unit. Each of the first conversion unit to the (N−2)-th conversion unit includes a capacitor. The (N−1)-th conversion unit comprises a number of sub-capacitors. Each of the sub-capacitors of the (N−1)-th conversion unit has substantially the same capacitance with corresponding capacitor of the first conversion unit to the (N−2)-th conversion unit. During the conversion process, the SAR control circuit, after generating the value of the most significant bit (MSB) of the digital signal, generates the value of the next bit by controlling the (N−1)-th conversion unit. Then, the SAR control circuit repeatedly uses at least one of the sub-capacitors of the (N−1)-th conversion unit to generate the value of other bits to perform self linear compensation. |
| US08866643B2 |
Rotation input device
In a rotation input device, a planetary carrier, connected to an operation knob, rotatably supports a planetary gear which meshes with an outer teeth row provided for a sun gear, to which an output shaft is secured, and also meshes with an inner teeth row provided for an outer gear. A plunger provided for the sun gear is in elastic contact with a recess cam provided for the outer gear. A solenoid unit prevents rotation of the outer gear in accordance with an output of a magnetic sensor which faces a magnet provided for the output shaft. |
| US08866634B2 |
System and method for remotely monitoring and controlling a water meter
A meter that monitors usage of a water distribution system by a client is provided. The meter includes a wireless communications system operable to communicatively couple the meter to a wireless network to provide two-way communication between the meter and the wireless network; a calibration system operable to calibrate the meter, wherein the calibration system may calibrate the meter in response to an instruction received via the wireless network; and a power system operable to maintain a sufficient level of power for the meter to allow substantially real-time communication between the meter and the wireless network. |
| US08866630B2 |
Container with internally emitted audio
A container having an internally directed audible output actuated by removal of a stopper is described. The container includes a hollow body with an open mouth and a base that includes a speaker and control electronics. A sensor is provided that is configured to detect presence of the stopper in the open mouth of the container. In one embodiment the sensor is comprised of a normally open electrical circuit formed by a pair of opposing arrays of electrical traces disposed within the mouth. In another embodiment, the sensor comprises an infrared light source and sensor that detects an amount of internally reflected infrared light within walls of the body. In yet another embodiment, the sensor comprises a device which detects the presence and/or absence of a magnetic field. Upon detection of removal of the stopper, an audible output is produced by the speaker into the container body and is perceivable by nearby users. |
| US08866627B2 |
Method and apparatus of identifying or locating current sensors
An energy monitoring system for a power conductor includes a base unit, a sensor cable, and a current sensor. The base unit includes a first indicator circuit and a first resistance electrically connected to a voltage source. The sensor cable includes a conductor. The current sensor is electrically connected to the base unit by the sensor cable. The current sensor includes a second resistance and a second indicator. The first resistance and the first indicator circuit are electrically connected to the second resistance and the second indicator by the conductor. |
| US08866620B2 |
System and method for fall prevention and detection
System and method to determine a status of a person, the method including: receiving a sensor indication of a first orientation of a first body part of the person relative to a predetermined direction; receiving a sensor indication of a second orientation of a second body part of the person relative to the predetermined direction; receiving a sensor indication of a location of the person; inferring, by use of a processor, an orientation of the person from the sensor indication of the first orientation and the sensor indication of the second orientation; and determining, by use of a processor, the status of the person from an allowability of the inferred orientation of the person at the indicated location. |
| US08866619B2 |
Presence detection system and lighting system comprising such system
A presence detection system (1) for detecting a presence of an object (3), particularly a person or an animal or vehicle, within an area (5) divided in detection zones (9A;9B;9C;9D) covering the area. The system comprises a movement detection device (11A;11B;11C;11D) for detecting a movement of the object. The system further comprises an electronic processing device (13) for storing information relating to a position of the object in a zone-wise way, based on a detected movement of the object. The electronic processing device is configured for determining the presence of the object within the area based on a detected movement of the object and stored information relating to the position of the object. The system is highly sensitive and highly prevents false presence detections. The invention also relates to a method for presence detection, and a lighting system comprising the presence detection system. |
| US08866612B1 |
Suppressing alerts for RFID systems
A value is stored in memory indicating that an alert is to be issued if more than a threshold quantity of an item is moved out of a location. Instructions to employees to remove more than the threshold quantity of the item from the location are also stored in memory. A signal from at least one sensor is received indicating that an item has been moved out of the location. At least one of an identifier for the item and an identifier for the location is used to locate the instructions to remove more than the threshold quantity of the item from the location. In response to locating the instructions, an alert that would otherwise be issued because more than the threshold quantity of the item was removed from the location is suppressed. |
| US08866611B2 |
Three-dimensional input sensing system
A three-dimensional (3D) input sensing system includes a 3D input device, a host, and a power managing unit. The 3D input device includes at least one 3D motion sensing unit, and transmits a radio frequency (RF) signal obtained from detected motion of the 3D input device. The host receives the RF signal from the 3D input device and obtains 3D coordinate information of the 3D input device. The power managing unit controls supply of power in the 3D input device upon determining that the latter has remained motionless for a predetermined time period. |
| US08866610B2 |
Hospital bed obstacle detection apparatus
A hospital bed obstacle detection device and related method for detecting an obstacle between first and second components of a hospital bed is provided. |
| US08866609B2 |
RFID-based electric seal with tracking device
An electric seal includes a wireless tracking facility having a wireless telecommunicating device disposed in a container and having two contacts, a housing engaged in the receptacle, and a lock shaft engageable into the receptacle and lockable to the housing for retaining the receptacle and the housing together, and the lock shaft includes a portion electrically connected to one of the contacts of the wireless telecommunicating device and another portion connected to the other contact of the wireless telecommunicating device for electrically coupling to the contacts of the wireless telecommunicating device together, and the wireless telecommunicating device emits a signal out when the lock shaft is cut or damaged. |
| US08866607B2 |
Method and system of providing location-based alerts for tracking personal items
An approach is provided for tracking personal items. A triggering event associated with tracking a personal item is detected via a bearer tag coupled to the personal item. Sensing of the bearer tag is initiated in response to the detection of the triggering event. A determination of whether location of the personal item satisfies a predetermined criterion is made. A notification is generated if the criterion is satisfied. |
| US08866605B2 |
Animal monitoring system
Disclosed is an animal monitoring system that collects data regarding an animal and/or an animal's environment and enables access to the collected animal monitoring data. The system comprises a data-logger unit attached to an animal, that logs data regarding the animal or its environment; a data-relay for relaying the data to a data-storage means that collects the data; and a website that provides access to the collected data. |
| US08866604B2 |
System and method for a human machine interface
A vehicle computer system comprising a wireless transceiver configured to send a nomadic device human machine interface to a nomadic device in a web browser format. The vehicle computer system further comprises a vehicle server utilizing a contextual data aggregator that utilizes vehicle data and off-board data to generate a dynamic human machine interface, the server further configured to generate an in-vehicle human machine interface for output on a vehicle display and generate the nomadic device human machine interface for the nomadic device to display. |
| US08866598B2 |
Healthcare communication system with whiteboard
A system for use in a healthcare facility having a nurse call system with a nurse call computer located remotely from patient rooms is provided. The system includes a hospital bed having communication circuitry configured for communicating data from the hospital bed. An interface unit is spaced from the hospital bed. The interface unit has a first connector to which the hospital bed couples via a wired connection, a second connector which is communicatively coupled to the nurse call system, and circuitry comprising a third connector for connection to an external device. |
| US08866597B2 |
Radio remote control with position sensor system
The present invention relates to a radio remote control system of a machine that comprises at least one machine drive for a moveable machine part, which machine drive can be controlled by the radio remote control system, comprising a hand-held unit (10) comprising a control unit, a transmitter and at least one motion sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to communicate control commands issued by a user to a transmitter, and to cause the transmitter to transmit the control commands to the machine, in particular to an associated receiver, and wherein movements of the hand-held unit (10) in space about at least one tilt axis or pitch axis (KA, DA) can be detected by the motion sensor in such a way that in a motion control mode, the detected movements can be converted by the control unit into control commands, which can be communicated to the machine, wherein the motion control mode can be activated by a user input at the hand-held unit (10). It is proposed according to the invention that the control unit is also configured such that on activating the motion control mode, the current attitude (I) of the hand-held unit (10) in space is detected as the current reference attitude (I), so that movements relative to this current reference attitude (I) can be detected by the motion sensor, and can be communicated by the control unit as control commands to the machine. The invention also relates to an operating method for a radio remote control system according to the invention. |
| US08866596B1 |
Code-based RFID loss-prevention system
In RFID systems employed for loss prevention, an item supplier or an ingress reader writes an ownership code associated with an organization or facility into a tag, indicating that an item to which the tag is attached is associated with the facility and not foreign. At checkout or point-of-sale an authorization reader or mobile device writes a computed code and/or a ticket into the tag indicating that the tagged item is allowed to leave the facility. At point-of-exit an exit reader determines if the tagged item is allowed to leave the facility by verifying the ownership code and the code or ticket. The loss-prevention system may issue an alert or sound an alarm if a facility-associated item is leaving the facility without a proper code or ticket indicating that the item is approved to leave. |
| US08866594B1 |
RFID tag and reader authentication by trusted authority
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader containing a reader key authenticates an RFID tag containing a tag key by receiving a reader challenge from a verification authority; determining a reader response based at least on the reader challenge and the reader key; sending a first message including at least the reader response but not the reader key to the verification authority; receiving a tag identifier from the tag; challenging the tag with a tag challenge; receiving a tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the tag key but not including the tag key; sending a second message including at least the tag identifier and the tag response to the verification authority; and receiving an electronically-signed reply from the verification authority. The reader validates the verification authority reply by checking the signature. The verification authority may notify a designated party if a response is incorrect. |
| US08866593B2 |
Apparatus and method for integrating a transmitting device and a battery pack
An apparatus includes a battery pack, processor attached to the battery pack, and an antenna attached to the processor for establishing a radio link with an electronic device powered by the batter pack. |
| US08866587B2 |
Remote display control
Technologies are generally described for controlling remote display. In some examples, a method for controlling a remote display device using a handheld computing device includes receiving, by a handheld computing device, one or more data from one or more remote display devices over a wireless communication network, selecting a remote display device based on the received data and sending a control signal to the selected remote display device. |
| US08866576B2 |
Transformer and display device using the same
There is provided a transformer capable of significantly reducing leakage inductance while satisfying safety standards. The transformer includes: a winding part having a plurality of coils wound on an outer peripheral surface of a pipe shaped body part while being stacked thereon; and a terminal connection part extended from one end of the winding part in an outer diameter direction thereof and having a plurality of external connection terminals coupled to a distal end thereof, the terminal connection part including at least one catching groove formed such that the coils are led to the outside of the winding part therethrough, and a lead wire of at least one of the coils being led to the outside of the winding part while maintaining a winding direction of the coils. |
| US08866575B2 |
AC power conditioning circuit
A multi-coil choke for an AC power conditioner includes a magnetic core having first, second and third parallel legs. A first coil wrapped around the first leg terminates in first and second leads at respective ends. A second coil wrapped around the second leg terminates in first and second leads at respective ends. A third coil wrapped around the third leg terminates in first and second leads at respective ends. A fourth coil is formed from a proximal portion of the second lead of said first coil. The fourth coil is wrapped around a distal portion of the second lead of the third coil. A fifth coil is formed from a proximal portion of the second lead of the third coil. The fifth coil is wrapped around a distal portion of the second lead of the first coil. AC power conditioners using one or more such chokes are also disclosed. |
| US08866574B2 |
Rare earth magnet and process for producing same
A process for producing a rare earth magnet comprises: an adhesion step of causing a diffusion element capable of diffusing inwardly to adhere to the surface part of a magnet material comprising a compact or sintered body of rare earth alloy particles; and an evaporation step of heating the magnet material in vacuum to evaporate at least a portion of the diffusion element having been retained on or in the surface part of the magnet material. |
| US08866570B2 |
Reed switch apparatus and method of using same
A reed switch apparatus utilizes one or more reed switches to communicate with one or more devices. In one configuration, the reed switch apparatus utilizes a single magnetic field to simultaneously activate two or more reed switches. In another configuration, two or more reed switches, each acting independent of one another are simultaneously activated by a single magnetic field. Additionally, a method of controlling at least two devices includes exposing a reed switch apparatus to a single magnetic field. Yet another method includes activating a device via the use of a single reed switch mounted to a portion of a warehouse structure. |
| US08866568B2 |
Signal transmission device, filter, and inter-substrate communication device
A signal transmission device includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed to oppose each other in a first direction; a first resonator including a plurality of first quarter wavelength resonators provided in a first region of the first substrate, and interdigitally coupled to one another in the first direction, and a single or the plurality of second quarter wavelength resonators provided in a region of the second substrate corresponding to the first region and interdigitally coupled to one another in the first direction; and a second resonator electromagnetically coupled to the first resonator, and performing a signal transmission between the second resonator and the first resonator. The first and the second quarter wavelength resonators located at positions nearest to one another in the first resonator, respectively have open ends which are disposed to oppose one another, and respectively have short-circuit ends which are disposed to oppose one another. |
| US08866566B2 |
Common mode filter
To pass an ultra high-speed differential signal and make it difficult to pass a common mode noise. Lumped—constant differential delay line DL is formed by arranging inductors Lo, being passive series elements, and capacitors Co, being passive parallel elements, in a differential four terminal network of a ladder shape composed of the passive series elements and the passive parallel elements arranged in differential lines 1 and 3. The lumped-constant differential delay line DL is composed of capacitors Co including two capacitors Co/2 and Co/2, or Co and Co equivalent to the aforementioned capacitors, having equal values, and connected in series. Inductors L1 to L4 for attenuating a common mode noise are connected between connection points of the capacitors Co/2 and Co/2 or Co and Co connected in series, and a ground potential, so that attenuation poles are formed for attenuating the common mode noise together with the capacitors Co/2 and Co. |
| US08866563B1 |
Connector based compensation of via stub effects
Aspects of the disclosure provide a connector. The connector includes a first signal conductor. The first signal conductor is configured to receive a first electronic signal that includes multiple frequency components. The first signal conductor includes a plurality of conductor portions having portion-dependent impedances. The first signal conductor is configured to transfer the first electronic signal between a via on a circuit board that has a via stub and an electronic device to reduce via stub effects. In addition, in an example, the connector includes a second signal conductor to transfer a second electronic signal. The second electronic signal and the first electronic signal are a pair of differential signals. In an example, the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor have different via stub effects. The first signal conductor and the second signal conductor are configured with regard to each other to have portion-dependent differential impedances to mitigate the different via stub effects. |
| US08866561B2 |
Adaptive impedance matching network
An adjustable impedance matching network for providing an adjustable matching impedance (Rm) is presented. The matching network includes first and second impedance adjusting circuits. The first impedance adjusting circuit is adapted to adjust the value of an imaginary part of the matching impedance while substantially maintaining the value of a real part of the matching impedance based on frequency information frequency and a target reference value. The second impedance adjusting circuit is adapted to adjust the value of an imaginary part of the matching impedance to be substantially equal to zero based on the frequency information, so as to adjust the real part of the matching impedance to be substantially equal to the target reference value. |
| US08866559B2 |
Hybrid modulation method for parametric audio system
A parametric audio system that permits greater control over the bandwidth of a modulated signal. The system includes a carrier signal generator for generating a carrier signal, at least one audio signal source for generating at least one audio signal, and a modulation component for generating an envelope signal based on the at least one audio signal, modulating the phase of the carrier signal based on a predetermined function to generate a first modulated signal, and multiplying the envelope signal and the first modulated signal to generate a second modulated signal. By selection of the predetermined function, the modulation component can alter the spectrum of the second modulated signal, thereby permitting greater control over the bandwidth of the second modulated signal. |
| US08866557B2 |
XTAL oscillator
Resistor bias circuitry is included in components of an XTAL oscillator system to reduce 1/f noise. An XTAL oscillator includes a resistor bias circuit attached to the XTAL core. A common mode feedback OP amp connected to the XTAL core also includes a resistor bias circuit. An XTAL oscillator chain includes an XTAL core, common mode feedback OP amp, common mode logic buffer (CML BF), and differential to CMOS converter (D2C) each with resistor bias circuitry. |
| US08866554B2 |
Translinear slew boost circuit for operational amplifier
A method of improving the slew rate of an amplifier is described where a differential pair of transistors receives a differential first control signal and second control signal. The tail current for the transistors is provided by a tail current regulator. The same control signals are applied to a slew boost controller, whose output increases as the differential between the control signals increase. The tail current regulator generates a bias signal that sets a minimum tail current. The tail current is controlled to be the minimum tail current until the slew boost output signal exceeds a threshold, whereupon the tail current increases in response to an increasing differential between the control signals. Common mode rejection is not adversely affected by the slew boost controller generating a slightly varying current under common mode conditions due to the minimum tail current. |
| US08866547B2 |
Dynamic headroom for envelope tracking
Techniques for dynamically generating a headroom voltage for an envelope tracking system. In an aspect, an initial headroom voltage is updated when a signal from a power amplifier (PA) indicates that the PA headroom is insufficient. The initial headroom voltage may be updated to an operating headroom voltage that includes the initial voltage plus a deficiency voltage plus a margin. In this manner, the operating headroom voltage may be dynamically selected to minimize power consumption while still ensuring that the PA is linear. In a further aspect, a specific exemplary embodiment of a headroom voltage generator using a counter is described. |
| US08866546B2 |
Variable switched DC-to-DC voltage converter
A voltage converter can be switched among two or more modes to produce an output voltage tracking a reference voltage that can be of an intermediate level between discrete levels corresponding to the modes. One or more voltages generated from a power supply voltage, such as a battery voltage, can be compared with the reference voltage to determine whether to adjust the mode. The reference voltage can be independent of the power supply voltage. |
| US08866545B2 |
Linearity power amplification device
A linearity power amplification device is provided. The device comprises a divider, a combiner, n−1 first signal paths, and a second signal path coupled between the divider and the combiner. The first signal path comprises a main invariable attenuator connected to the divider, a first power amplifier connected to the combiner, and a first attenuator and a first shifter coupled between the first power amplifier and the main invariable attenuator. The second signal path comprises a main amplification circuit, and an error calibration circuit. |
| US08866540B2 |
Biasing in CMOS inverter
Biasing circuit for providing a supply voltage (Vdd) for an inverter based circuit. The biasing circuit is provided on a same die as the inverter based circuit, and includes a first shorted inverter circuit (T1, T2) and a second shorted inverter circuit (T3, T4). The first shorted inverter circuit (T1, T2) is connected in parallel to a series configuration of the second shorted inverter circuit (T3, T4) and a reference impedance (R). The first shorted inverter circuit (T1, T2) and second shorted inverter circuit (T3, T4) have different transistor geometries. A control circuit (T5-T11) is connected to the first shorted inverter circuit (T1, T2) and the second shorted inverter circuit (T3, T4), and supplied with a main supply voltage (Vdd). The control circuit (T5-T11) is arranged such that an equal current flows through the first shorted inverter circuit (T1, T2) and second shorted inverter circuit (T3, T4). |
| US08866539B2 |
Semiconductor device having voltage generation circuit
The present invention provides a voltage generation circuit which outputs high-precision output voltage in a wide temperature range. A semiconductor device has a voltage generation circuit. The voltage generation circuit has a reference voltage generation circuit which outputs reference voltage, and a plurality of correction circuits for generating a correction current and making it fed back to the reference voltage generation circuit. The correction circuits generate sub correction currents which monotonously increase from predetermined temperature which varies among the correction circuits toward a low-temperature side or a high-temperature side. The correction current is sum of a plurality of sub correction currents. |
| US08866538B2 |
Constant current circuit of high efficiency
The present inventive concept is a hyuntak transistor that can prevent a thermal runaway phenomenon and a low heat high efficiency constant current circuit using an auxiliary transistor capable of a high amplification and a constant current. The circuit may be applied to drive a LED and a motor. |
| US08866537B2 |
Input apparatus
An input apparatus includes a touch plate, a film sensor, an electrode portion, and a wire portion. The touch plate has a front side touched by the finger in the finger manipulation. The film sensor is bonded to a rear side of the touch plate. The electrode portion and wire portion are provided on the film sensor and connected to each other. The touch plate is composed of a plurality of different members including at least a first member and a second member. The plurality of different members have respective dielectric constants and being layered and laminated, respectively, in a plate thickness direction of the touch plate. The plurality of different members have different dimension ratios in the plate thickness direction to provide different dielectric constants depending on the electrode portion and the wire portion and provide a uniform plate thickness over a whole of the touch plate. |
| US08866535B2 |
Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a first switching element; a first interconnection; a first resistor; and a second interconnection. The first switching element includes a first control terminal, a first electrode terminal, and a first conductor terminal. The second switching element includes a second control terminal, a second electrode terminal, and a second conductor terminal. The first interconnection includes a first through a fourth interterminal interconnections. The first resistor is connected at a first end to the first control terminal. The second resistor is connected at a first end to the second control terminal and is connected at a second end to a second end of the first resistor. The second interconnection is provided between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal and/or between the first control terminal and the second control terminal. |
| US08866532B2 |
Passive integrator and method
In accordance with an embodiment, a passive integrator includes a charge storage element coupled between first and second transistors, wherein the first transistor has a current carrying electrode coupled for receiving a signal and a current carrying electrode coupled to the charge storage element. The second transistor has a current carrying electrode coupled to the charge storage element and a second current carrying electrode coupled to another charge storage element. |
| US08866530B2 |
Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an interface, a power supply, a driver, and a switch section. The interface includes a first MOSFET and converts a terminal switch signal of input serial data into parallel data. The first MOSFET is provided on the SOI substrate and has a back gate in a floating state. The power supply includes a second MOSFET and generates an ON potential higher than a potential of a power supply to be supplied to the interface. The second MOSFET is provided on the SOI substrate and has a back gate connected to a source. The driver includes a third MOSFET and outputs a control signal for controlling the ON potential to be in a high level according to the parallel data. The third MOSFET is provided on the SOI substrate and has a back gate connected to a source. |
| US08866529B2 |
Interface circuit
An interface circuit includes a receiver, a first terminal resistor, a second terminal resistor, a common mode capacitor, a first switch, a second switch, and a common mode potential adjustment circuit. The receiver includes a first channel for receiving a first channel voltage, and a second channel for receiving a second channel voltage. The common mode capacitor provides a common mode potential. The first switch electrically connects the first terminal resistor to the common mode capacitor, and the second switch electrically connects the second terminal resistor to the common mode capacitor. The common mode potential adjustment circuit is coupled to the first switch, the second switch and the common mode capacitor, and adjusts the common mode potential according to the first channel voltage and the second channel voltage. |
| US08866526B2 |
Counting circuit of semiconductor device and duty correction circuit of semiconductor device using the same
A counting circuit of a semiconductor device includes a plurality of counting units configured to count respective bits of counting codes in response to a plurality of counting clocks, respectively, and to control in a counting direction in response to a counting control signal; a clock toggling control unit configured to control the number of counting clocks that toggle among the plurality of counting clocks in response to clock control signals; and a counting operation control unit configured to compare a value of target codes and a value of the counting codes, and to determine a value of the counting control signal according to a comparison result. |
| US08866525B2 |
Configurable time delays for equalizing pulse width modulation timing
A plurality of PWM generators have user configurable time delay circuits for each PWM control signal generated therefrom. The time delay circuits are adjusted so that each of the PWM control signals arrive at their associated power transistors at the same time. This may be accomplished by determining a maximum delay time of the PWM control signal that has to traverse the longest propagation time and then setting the delay for that PWM control signal to substantially zero delay. Thereafter, all other delay time settings for the other PWM control signals may be determined by subtracting the propagation time for each of the other PWM control signals from the longest propagation time. Thereby insuring that all of the PWM control signals arrive at their respective power transistor control nodes with substantially the same time relationships as when they left their respective PWM generators. |
| US08866522B1 |
Digital delay-locked loop circuit using phase-inversion algorithm and method for controlling the same
Disclosed herein are a delay-locked loop circuit using a phase inversion locking algorithm and a method of controlling the same. There is provided a delay-locked loop circuit using a phase inversion locking algorithm, including a phase inversion controller configured to control whether or not to use the phase inversion locking algorithm by determining a phase error between an input clock signal and an output clock signal, an inverter configured to invert the input clock signal and output the inverted input clock signal, a multiplexer configured to receive the input clock signal and the inverted input clock signal of the inverter and output the input clock signal in response to the control signal of the phase inversion controller or the inverted input clock signal, and a delay-locked loop connected to the output terminal of the multiplexer and configured to perform phase synchronization in response to the output signal of the multiplexer. |
| US08866521B2 |
Voltage generation circuit of semiconductor memory apparatus
A voltage generation circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of pumping units configured to provide voltages to an output node; a sensing unit configured to sense a voltage level of the output node and generate a pumping enable signal; an oscillator configured to generate an oscillator signal in response to the pumping enable signal; and a control unit configured to selectively output the oscillator signal to the plurality of pumping units in response to an active signal, a power-up signal and a mode register set signal. |
| US08866520B1 |
Phase-locked loop architecture and clock distribution system
One embodiment relates to a fracture-able PLL circuit. The fracture-able PLL circuit includes a first phase-locked loop circuit generating a first frequency output, a second phase-locked loop circuit; arranged to generate a second frequency output, and a plurality of shared output resources. Reconfigurable circuitry is arranged so that either of the first and second frequency outputs is receivable by each of the plurality of shared output resources. Another embodiment relates to an integrated circuit which includes a plurality of PMA modules, a plurality of multiple-purpose PLL circuits, and a programmable clock network. The programmable clock network is arranged to allow the clock signals output by the multiple-purpose PLL circuits to be selectively used either by the PMA modules for a transceiver application or by other circuitry for a non-transceiver application. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed. |
| US08866514B2 |
Transmit driver circuit
A driver circuit includes a differential input, a differential output, a bias node, a first T-coil having a first node coupled to the negative output node and a second node coupled to a source of supply voltage, a second T-coil having a first node coupled to the positive output node and a second node coupled to the source of supply voltage, a first transistor having a current path coupled between the center tap of the first T-coil and a first intermediate node, a second transistor having a current path coupled between the center tap of the second T-coil and a second intermediate node, a third transistor having a current path coupled between the first intermediate node and ground, and a fourth transistor having a current path coupled between the second intermediate node and ground. |
| US08866512B2 |
Feedback terminal of power converter having programming function for parameter setting
A control circuit of a power converter according to the present invention comprises a switching circuit, a sample-and-hold circuit and a current source. The switching circuit generates a switching signal in response to a feedback signal. The sample-and-hold circuit samples the feedback signal. The current source is coupled to a feedback terminal for generating a programming voltage. A programmable signal is generated in accordance with the programming voltage and the feedback signal, and the programmable signal is coupled to set a parameter. |
| US08866510B2 |
Semiconductor device
When a semiconductor device is provided with an inverter comprising a transistor having a first gate and a second gate, the semiconductor device does not require a circuit for generating a potential to be input to the second gate of the transistor and has a small number of wirings. Moreover, a semiconductor device having high reliability is provided. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of stages of circuits each provided with two inverter circuits in parallel. Two inverter circuits in a given stage output respective signals of opposite polarities, which is utilized for interchanging signals output from inverter circuits in the previous stage. Thus, an inverted signal is input to the second gate of the transistor included in each of two inverter circuits in the subsequent stage. |
| US08866507B2 |
Method for testing trap density of gate dielectric layer in semiconductor device having no substrate contact
A method for testing trap density in a gate dielectric layer of a semiconductor device having no substrate contact is provided in the invention. A source and a drain of the device are bilateral symmetric, and probes and cables of a test instrument connecting to the source and the drain are bilateral symmetric. Firstly, bias settings at the gate, the source and the drain are controlled so that the device is under an initial state that an inversion layer is not formed and traps in the gate dielectric layer impose no confining effects on charges. After that, the following steps are repeated sequentially to form a loop by changing the bias settings: 1) carriers flow into the channel through the source and the drain to form an inversion layer, and a portion of carriers are confined by the traps in the gate dielectric layer; 2) carriers of the inversion layer flow back to the source and the drain respectively, whereas the carriers confined by the traps in the gate dielectric layer do not flow back to the channel; 3) carriers confined by the traps in the gate dielectric layer flow out through the drain terminal only; and the trap density of the gate dielectric layer are calculated according to the period of the loop, the size of the channel of the device, and DC currents at the source and the drain. The method is simple and effective and is easy to setup the instruments with a low cost. The method is applicable to be used in testing traps in the gate dielectric layer of the devices that have no substrate contact, especially the surrounding-gate device. |
| US08866501B2 |
Method and apparatus for testing integrated circuits
A method for testing an electronic device includes supplying a first voltage output from a voltage regulator to a first power connection terminal of the electronic device to provide power to the electronic device, providing to the voltage regulator a second voltage on a second power connection terminal of the electronic device that is in connection with the first power connection terminal by a first circuit of the electronic device, regulating, using the voltage regulator, the first voltage based on a comparison of the second voltage and a target voltage, and determining whether the electronic device meets a performance requirement while the first voltage is regulated. |
| US08866499B2 |
System and method for measuring capacitance
A system and method for testing capacitance of a load circuit connected to an output pin of a driving circuit In one embodiment, the method may comprise driving a voltage at the output pin to a first voltage; a predetermined current to the output pin; comparing the voltage at the output pin to a reference voltage; and when the voltage at the output pin matches the reference voltage, generating an estimate of capacitance present at the output pin based on a number of clock cycles occurring between an onset of a timed voltage change period and a time at which the voltage at the output pin matches the reference voltage. |
| US08866493B2 |
Noise suppression and/or reduction circuits and methods for capacitance sensing systems
A capacitance sensing system can include a noise detector coupled to a capacitance sensing network that generates a noise detect signal in response to noise; a delay circuit coupled to generate at least two different delayed sense signals in response to outputs from the capacitance sensing network; and a switch circuit that selectively outputs one of the delayed sense signals in response to the noise detect signal. Particular embodiments can include selectively discarding discrete analog samples of a capacitance signal when noise is detected in such a sample. |
| US08866492B2 |
Manufacturing method, switching apparatus, transmission line switching apparatus, and test apparatus
An actuator is manufactured that includes piezoelectric film that does not suffer physical damage. Provided is a manufacturing method comprising first insulating layer deposition of depositing a first insulating layer on a substrate using an insulating material; first annealing of annealing the first insulating layer; first electrode layer deposition of depositing a first electrode layer on the first insulating layer using a conductive material; first piezoelectric film deposition of depositing a first piezoelectric film on the first electrode layer by applying a sol-gel material on the first electrode layer and annealing the sol-gel material; second electrode layer deposition of depositing a second electrode layer on the first piezoelectric film using a conductive material; second insulating layer deposition of depositing a second insulating layer on the second electrode layer using an insulating material; and second annealing of annealing the second insulating layer. |
| US08866490B1 |
Method and apparatus for eliminating tail effect in touch applications
Techniques for eliminating tail effect are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a sensor coupled with a processing logic. The sensor is configured to measure a plurality of measurements from a sensor array when the sensor array is in an unsettled state, where the measurements represent a conductive object that is proximate to a touch-sensing surface of the sensor array. The processing logic is configured to determine a set of adjustment values that correspond to a tail effect associated with the plurality of measurements, and to generate adjusted measurements corresponding to the plurality of measurements based on the set of adjustment values. |
| US08866486B2 |
Device for detecting and locating electric discharges in fluid-insulated electrical equipment
A device for detecting and locating at least one electric discharge in equipment insulated by fluid contained in an electrically-conductive housing. The equipment includes a plurality of grounding lines connected between the housing and ground. The device includes a plurality of Rogowski coil type current detectors and a mechanism synchronously comparing signals delivered by the current detectors. The coil of each detector is placed around a respective one of the lines. Each detector delivers a signal representative of current flowing in the line, with occurrence of an electric discharge giving rise to a sudden variation in the current, and with electric discharge being located within an inside zone of the housing situated in proximity of the line that is surrounded by the detector that was first to deliver the sudden variation of current. |
| US08866482B2 |
Preprocessing circuit for receive signals of a local coil
A preprocessing circuit for receive signals of a local coil in a magnetic resonance facility (1) includes an arrangement for supplying at least one auxiliary frequency signal of an auxiliary frequency. For at least one or the auxiliary frequency signal, a frequency multiplier generates the auxiliary frequency signal from an intermediate signal transmitted from a receive system of the magnetic resonance facility by way of a transmission link. The multiplier generates the auxiliary frequency signal with a frequency corresponding to a whole-number fraction of the auxiliary frequency. |
| US08866481B2 |
Stacked coil for magnetic resonance imaging
A receive coil for MRI includes a stacked pair of coil elements to communicate the respective MR signals therein to the signal processing system in separate channels. This greatly increases image SNR and penetration depth and in parallel imaging. The coils are arranged in a stacked relationship so as to be at least partly and preferably wholly overlapped and lying in the same or closely adjacent planes. The coils include tuning capacitors to a common resonant frequency. The coils are connected by a conductor arranged such that the signals of the first and second coils are decoupled. The conductor can form a common portion of the coils including a capacitance of in the common portion arranged. The coils can be connected by two conductors one of which is a short and the other contains a capacitor. In both cases the connection conductors provide the decoupling. |
| US08866479B2 |
Casting compound suitable for casting an electronic module, in particular a large-volume coil such as a gradient coil
Casting compound suitable for casting an electronic module, in particular a large-volume coil such as a gradient coil, which is composed of a support material forming a matrix, one or more fillers made of inorganic microparticles, and at least one filler made of polymer nanoparticles. |
| US08866478B2 |
Method and processor and magnetic resonance apparatus for designing RF pulses to mitigate off-resonance effects
In a magnetic resonance apparatus and operating method therefor, and in a processor that is programmed to design RF pulses for operating such a magnetic resonance apparatus, the RF pulses are designed to mitigate off-resonance effects caused by inhomogeneity of the basic (B0) magnetic field in the magnetic resonance apparatus. The RF pulses of a parallel transmit array are designed with different spatial phase distributions, that deviate from a constant phase from pulse-to-pulse, with the absolute value of the difference between respective spatial phase distributions of any two successively radiated RF pulses corresponding to the off-resonance that is caused by B0-inhomogeneity during the time between the radiation of the successive pulses. Additionally, or separately, currents supplied to the shim coils can be taken into account in the design of the RF pulses as an additional degree of freedom, with the shimming of the basic magnetic field produced by the shim currents deviating from shim currents designed to ideally produce a homogenous B0 field. |
| US08866475B2 |
Method for correcting NMR and nuclear logs in formate mud filtrate invaded formations
A method of calculating a porosity of a geological formation includes determining a bulk pore volume and a movable fluid pore volume in the geological formation in which drilling mud including a mud filtrate is introduced, calculating a porosity of the formation based on a bulk pore volume, and correcting the porosity based on the movable fluid volume in the geological formation. |
| US08866471B2 |
Probe for inspecting the surface of a circumferential slot in a turbojet disk by means of eddy currents
A probe for eddy current monitoring of the surface of a circumferential slot formed in a turbojet disk. The probe includes a stem fastened to a support and a first multi-element sensor constrained to move with the stem and configured to be inserted into the circumferential slot to perform the inspection, and a second multi-element sensor. The two multi-element sensors are disposed back to back, and the stem of the probe is mounted to pivot about its own axis to enable the two multi-element sensors to be inserted in the slot. |
| US08866470B2 |
Permanent magnet inclinometer for an industrial machine
Permanent magnet inclinometer for an industrial machine. The industrial machine includes a component movable with respect to the industrial machine that includes a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet. A circular magnetic sensor array senses a first magnetic flux associated with the first permanent magnet and a second magnetic flux associated with the second permanent magnet. The circular magnetic sensor array includes a first magnetic sensor that senses the first magnetic flux and a second magnetic sensor that senses the second magnetic flux. The controller receives a first flux signal related to the first magnetic flux and a second flux signal related to the second magnetic flux, analyzes the first flux signal to identify a first peak magnetic flux, and analyzes the second flux signal to identify a second peak magnetic flux. The controller then determines the inclination of the component of the industrial machine based on the first peak magnetic flux and the second peak magnetic flux. |
| US08866467B1 |
Systems and methods to perform integrated power measurement and RDSon measurement
Systems and methods are disclosed to provide a process independent circuit for measuring output current of low drop out (LDO) regulators as well as buck regulators. The system can also measure the on resistance (RDSon) of the buck power transistors. |
| US08866465B2 |
Nanosatellite photovoltaic regulator
A solar cell regulator in a nanosatellite includes a pulse width modulated DC-DC boost converter and a peak power tracking controller for converting solar cell power to bus power for charging of system batteries and powering loads while the controller controls the pulse width modulation operation of the converter for sensing solar cell currents and voltages along a power characteristic curve of the solar cell for peak power tracking, for determining any power data point, including a peak power point, an open circuit voltage point, and a short circuit current point along the power characteristic curve of the solar cell, and for communicating the power data to a satellite processor for monitoring the performance of the solar cell during operational use of the satellite. |
| US08866459B2 |
Apparatus, method and system for control of AC/AC conversion
A method, system and apparatus for controlling a pulse width modulator (PWM) converter for direct AC/AC conversion and/or AC voltage regulation. According to some embodiments of the invention, an output voltage may be provided, independent of the input voltage quality, thereby avoiding or minimizing power company irregularities, brownouts and the like. Embodiments of the present invention may be useful, for example, for use in connection with motors and motored devices or other applications. |
| US08866457B2 |
Voltage regulator
A voltage regulator has a phase compensation circuit which changes consumption current according to load current thereby to reduce consumption current. The phase compensation circuit includes: a first transistor having a drain connected to an output terminal of an error amplifier circuit; a second transistor having a drain connected to a gate of the first transistor and a gate connected to the gate of the first transistor; a current mirror circuit connected to the output terminal of the error amplifier circuit, a drain of the first transistor, and the drain of the second transistor; and a capacitor connected between the gate of the second transistor and a drain of an output transistor. Thereby, current consumed by the phase compensation circuit can be changed according to the load current, resulting in that the voltage regulator consumes less current. |
| US08866453B2 |
Switching regulator input current sensing circuit, system, and method
A Buck switching regulator includes first Buck switching regulator circuitry is operable to generate a first output voltage from an input voltage and operable to generate a first sensed voltage having a value that is proportional to an output current being provided by the first Buck switching regulator circuitry. The first Buck switching regulator circuitry receives an input current and operates at a first duty cycle determined by a duty cycle signal. Input current sensing circuitry includes second Buck switching regulator circuitry coupled to the first Buck regulator switching circuitry to receive the duty cycle signal and to receive the first sensed voltage as an input voltage to the second Buck switching regulator circuitry. The second Buck switching regulator circuitry is operable responsive to the duty cycle signal to generate a second output voltage from the first sensed voltage. The second output voltage has a value that is proportional to the input current being supplied to the first Buck switching regulator circuitry. Such a Buck switching regulator can be utilized in a variety of different types of electronic systems, such as laptop computer systems, and can also be used in charging systems in laptop computer and other types of electronic systems. |
| US08866452B1 |
Variable minimum input voltage based switching in an electronic power control system
An electronic system includes a controller that controls switching in a switching power converter in accordance with a dynamically determined, minimum line voltage switching threshold based on one or more operating parameters of the electronic system. In at least one embodiment, the one or more operating parameters of the electronic system include power utilization of a load. The controller utilizes the dynamically determined, minimum line voltage switching threshold to determine when to enable and disable switching in the switching power converter. Since the controller bases determination of the dynamically determined, minimum line voltage switching threshold on power utilization of the load, the controller operates more efficiently by reducing switching losses while still meeting power demand by the load. |
| US08866451B2 |
Power supply apparatus
A power supply apparatus includes a first power factor correction circuit, a second power factor correction circuit and a control circuit that includes a first switching control unit that outputs a first switching signal for controlling a first switching element of the first power factor correction circuit generated in accordance with a detected result by an output voltage of the first power factor correction circuit and a current flowing through the first switching element, and a second switching control unit that outputs a second switching signal for controlling a second switching element of the second power factor correction circuit generated in accordance with a detected result by an output voltage of the second power factor correction circuit and a current flowing through the second switching element. |
| US08866449B1 |
Sensor PM electrical machines
A new and useful electrical machine includes a stator including a stator winding and a primary transformer coil. A rotor is operatively connected to rotate relative to the stator, wherein the rotor includes a plurality of embedded permanent magnets. An excitation coil is wound on the rotor and is operatively connected to form a rotating transformer with the primary transformer coil. An inverter/active rectifier component is operatively connected to the stator winding and the primary transformer coil to control the stator winding based on excitation in the stator winding from the excitation coil and permanent magnets. |
| US08866448B2 |
Control unit and method for activating personal protection devices
A control unit and a method for triggering personal protection devices are proposed, which charge an energy reservoir for the control unit via a charging circuit. The charging circuit sets a charging rate for charging as a function of a signal generated outside the charging surface. |
| US08866444B2 |
Methodology for charging batteries safely
An apparatus and method for identifying a presence of a short circuit in a battery pack. A fault-detection apparatus for a charging system that rapidly charges a collection of interconnected lithium ion battery cells, the safety system includes a data-acquisition system for receiving a set of data parameters from the collection while the charging system is actively charging the collection; a monitoring system evaluating the set of data parameters to identify a set of anomalous conditions; and a controller comparing the set of anomalous conditions against a set of predetermined profiles indicative of an internal short in one or more cells of the collection, the controller establishing an internal-short state for the collection when the comparing has a predetermined relationship to the set of predetermined profiles. |
| US08866440B2 |
Battery charger with sensor-activated light source
An electronic device, including a battery, a port for connecting a battery charger to charge the battery, a light emitter, and a sensor connected to the light emitter, for activating the light emitter when the sensor detects one or more vicinity light requirements indicating a need for light in the environment of the sensor, and for deactivating said light emitter when the battery charger is successfully connected to the port. |
| US08866434B2 |
System and method for controlling a turbine blade
A control system for a turbine blade, including: an operational control element for generating and outputting an operational control signal, the operational control signal for non-emergency operation of a motor for controlling pitch of the turbine blade; an emergency control element, separate from and different from the operational control element, for generating and outputting an emergency control signal for emergency operation of the motor; and, an output stage element for receiving the operational and emergency control signals and for selecting one of the operational or emergency control signals, and with a means for receiving power for operation of the motor and with a means for providing the received power to the motor according to the selected operational or emergency control signal. |
| US08866433B2 |
Switched reluctance initial rotor position estimation
A method of estimating an initial rotor position of a switched reluctance (SR) machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The method may comprise the steps of driving a phase current in each of a plurality of phases of the SR machine to a predefined limit, performing an integration of a common bus voltage associated with each phase, determining a flux value for each phase based on the integrations, and determining the initial rotor position based on the flux values. |
| US08866422B2 |
Aircraft motor drive control apparatus
An inverter and a control unit that has a command signal processing unit and a PWM frequency control unit and performs pulse width modulation control are provided. If the command signal processing unit has received a first PWM frequency command signal, it outputs a low PWM frequency command signal so that synchronous or asynchronous PWM control is performed at a PWM frequency in a predetermined frequency range. The command signal processing unit outputs a high PWM frequency command signal so that synchronous or asynchronous PWM control is performed at a higher frequency than the above-mentioned frequency if the command signal processing unit has received a second PWM frequency command signal and until a predetermined time period elapses. The command signal processing unit outputs a low PWM frequency command signal if it has received the second PWM frequency command signal and after the predetermined time period elapsed. |
| US08866419B2 |
Surgical electrical tool, activation unit and calibration method therefor
A sterilizable surgical power tool and an operating unit for the surgical power tool are described. The operating unit includes a hermetically sealed metal capsule for arrangement in the region of a housing of the surgical power tool, the capsule having a contact surface for a finger on an outer face. A force sensor which is in force-transmitting connection to the contact surface is arranged inside the capsule. At least one electrical contact leads out of the capsule. The capsule may be a low-cost standard transistor housing. |
| US08866416B2 |
Illumination source using LEDs and OLEDs
A first device is provided, wherein the first device is an illumination source comprising OLEDs and inorganic LEDs. The first device includes a first light source that has one or more first light emitting devices. Each of the first light emitting devices includes an inorganic light emitting diode (LED) that emits light that has a peak wavelength in the visible spectrum between 400 and 500 nm. The device also includes a second light source that has one or more second light emitting devices. Each of the second light emitting devices comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) that emits light that has peak wavelength in the visible spectrum between 500 and 800 nm. The device also includes a driving component. The first light source and the second light source are disposed such that their emissions combine. |
| US08866412B2 |
Source and multiple loads regulator
A circuit that has one or more control units that divide a load into two or more load groups, with each load group comprised of at least one load element. The one or more control units directing power from a power source to one or more of the load groups based on voltage variations in an output of the power source, load grouping, and operational parameters of the load elements. The circuit further includes one or more pass stages that regulate current flow from the power source to the load groups. |
| US08866406B2 |
Lighting system having a multi-light source collimator and method of operating such
A lens is provided which is elongated along an axis so to accommodate a linear array of LEDs, the elongation of the lens resulting in a corresponding elongation of the beam output pattern; in practice, the axis of elongation may be oriented so to suit a target area or some portion thereof. A methodology is provided for use with said lens so to evaluate various factors such as droop, heat management, and light output for a given combination of light sources and luminaire design. Alternative designs of lens, as well as alternative optical devices, are also presented for use with said methodology. |
| US08866405B2 |
Discharge-lamp lighting device
A lighting device has a direct-current power generation circuit, a rectangular-wave generation circuit, a pulse generating circuit, lamp-voltage detection means, and pulse-generation command means. The direct-current power generation circuit generates direct-current power from external power. The rectangular-wave generation circuit converts the direct-current power to rectangular-wave alternating-current power. The pulse generating circuit superposes high-voltage pulses on the rectangular-wave power output from the rectangular-wave generation circuit and starts a discharge lamp. The lamp-voltage detection means detects, in digital form, a lamp voltage supplied to the discharge lamp. The pulse-generation command means issues a pulse generation command to the pulse generating circuit when the value detected by the lamp-voltage detection means reaches a predetermined no-load-voltage determination level. |
| US08866401B2 |
Multi-stage power supply for a load control device having a low-power mode
A multi-stage power supply for a load control device is able to operate in a low-power mode in which the power supply has a decreased power consumption when an electrical load controlled by the load control device is off. The load control device comprises a load control circuit and a controller, which operate to control the amount of power delivered to the load. The power supply comprises a first efficient power supply (e.g., a switching power supply) operable to generate a first DC supply voltage. The power supply further comprises a second inefficient power supply (e.g., a linear power supply) operable to receive the first DC supply voltage and to generate a second DC supply voltage for powering the controller. The controller controls the multi-stage power supply to the low-power mode when the electrical load is off, such that the magnitude of the first DC supply voltage decreases to a decreased magnitude and the inefficient power supply continues to generate the second DC supply voltage. |
| US08866395B2 |
Display apparatus using a backlight
The instant application describes a display apparatus that includes a display panel configured to display an image; and a backlight unit configured to illuminate the display panel from a back of the display panel. The backlight unit includes: N light-emitting diode strings connected in parallel with each other, each of the N light-emitting diode strings includes M light-emitting diodes connected in series, N being an integer of 2 or more and M being an integer of 1 or more; a power source unit connected in series with the N light-emitting diode strings and configured to generate a voltage; a drive unit connected in series with the N light-emitting diode strings and the power source unit and configured to supply currents to the N light-emitting diode strings; and a current regulator configured to regulate current flowing in each of the N light-emitting diode strings. |
| US08866391B2 |
Self identifying modulated light source
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a self identifying light source including an emitter that produces visible light; and an autonomous modulator in electrical communication with the emitter that automatically and continually modulates the visible light produced by the emitter, wherein the modulated visible light represents an identification code of the light source. In some embodiments, the emitter is a light emitting diode (LED) and further comprising an LED driver that provides a specified voltage and current to each LED in the light source. |
| US08866390B2 |
Hybrid plasma reactor
A hybrid plasma reactor includes a first plasma chamber for providing a first ring-shaped plasma discharge space, second plasma chambers providing a second plasma discharge space connected to the first plasma discharge space and coupled to magnetic flux channels, a hybrid plasma source including magnetic cores, which partially surround the first plasma chamber and have magnetic entrances forming the magnetic flux channels, and primary winding coils wound in the magnetic cores and complexly generating ring-shaped transformer-coupled plasma in the first plasma discharge space and magnetic flux channel coupled plasma in the second plasma discharge space, and an AC switching power supply for supplying plasma generation power to the primary winding coils. The hybrid plasma reactor can complexly generate magnetic flux channel coupled plasma and transformer coupled plasma so that it has a high control capability for plasma ion energy and a wide operation region from a low-pressure region to a high-pressure region. |
| US08866389B2 |
Plasma temperature control apparatus and plasma temperature control method
The plasma temperature control apparatus includes a plasma generating section 40 that turns a plasma-generating gas into plasma, and a plasma-generating gas temperature control section 30 that controls the temperature of the plasma-generating gas supplied to the plasma generating section 40. The temperature of the plasma generated in the plasma generating section 40 is controlled by controlling the temperature of the plasma-generating gas. |
| US08866387B2 |
Vehicular headlight apparatus
The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a control means configured to change a light illumination area following a position of a detected target object until a shift angle between a reference direction and a direction to the target object with respect to a headlight is calculated to exceed a maximum limit shift angle, and configured to, when a vehicle speed is detected to exceed a predetermined threshold value, set the maximum limit shift angle to a small deflection angle, and change the present light illumination area to a low-beam light illumination area covered by the headlight in a low-beam state if the shift angle is calculated to exceed the maximum limit shift angle set to the small deflection angle. |
| US08866383B2 |
Flat display device with multilayer sealing layer having oxygen-free buffer layer and method of manufacturing the same
A flat display device includes a substrate, a light-emitting diode on the substrate, and a sealing layer on the light-emitting diode, the sealing layer including at least one sealing unit that includes an organic film, an oxygen-free buffer layer on the organic film, and an inorganic film on the oxygen-free buffer layer. |
| US08866380B2 |
Light-emitting arrangement with organic phosphor
The invention provides a light-emitting arrangement, comprising: a light source adapted to emit light of a first wavelength; a wavelength converting member comprising an organic wavelength converting compound adapted to receive light of said first wavelength and to convert at least part of the received light to light of a second wavelength, said wavelength converting member and said light source being mutually spaced apart; and a sealing structure at least partially surrounding said wavelength converting member to form a sealed cavity containing at least said wavelength converting member, said sealed cavity containing an inert gas and oxygen gas, the concentration of oxygen gas being in the range of from 0.05 to 3% based on the total volume within said sealed cavity. An oxygen concentration in this range has been found to have very limited influence on the life time of the organic wavelength converting compound. |
| US08866378B2 |
Organic light emitting display and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light emitting display less damaged by shock and a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light emitting display includes a first substrate in which a pixel unit is formed so that the pixel unit is divided into an emission unit and a non-emission unit formed around the emission unit, a second substrate positioned to face the first substrate, and a sealing material formed on the non-emission unit of the first substrate to seal up the first substrate and the second substrate. Grooves are formed in at least one substrate of the first substrate and the second substrate between the sealing material and the emission unit. |
| US08866374B2 |
Light emitting device having a multilayer re-emission layer and light emitting device package including the same
A light emitting device includes a light emitting structure comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer and an active layer disposed between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer to emit a light of a first wavelength; and a re-emission layer disposed on the light emitting structure, the re-emission layer comprising a nitride semiconductor, wherein the re-emission layer absorbs the light of the first wavelength range and the re-emission layer emits a light of a second wavelength range longer than the first wavelength range, and the re-emission layer is configured of multi layers having different indium (In) compositions, respectively, and the indium content in the multi-layer is largest in a top layer of the multi-layers. |
| US08866370B2 |
Spark plug
A spark plug including a center electrode and a ground electrode having a core portion and an outer layer covering the core portion, the core portion being formed from a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the outer layer. At least a portion in which thickness of the outer layer is 0.5 mm or less is present at a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the ground electrode is extended. Further, the composition of the electrode material forming the outer layer is as follows: Ni is 96 mass % or more, total of at least one kind selected from Y and rare earth elements is 0.05 mass % or more, Al is 0.5 mass % or less, and Si is 0.5 mass % or more and 1.5 mass % or less, where the total of Ni, Y, rare earth elements, Al, Si does not exceed 100 mass %. |
| US08866367B2 |
Thermally oxidized seed layers for the production of {001} textured electrodes and PZT devices and method of making
A method for forming an electrical device having a {100}-textured platinum electrode comprising: depositing a textured metal thin film onto a substrate; thermally oxidizing the metal thin film by annealing to convert it to a rocksalt structure oxide with a {100}-texture; depositing a platinum film layer; depositing a ferroelectric film. An electrical device comprising a substrate; a textured layer formed on the substrate comprising metal oxide having a rocksalt structure; a first electrode film layer having a crystallographic texture acting as a template; and at least one ferroelectric material layer exhibiting spontaneous polarization epitaxially deposited on the first electrode film layer whereby the rocksalt structure of the textured layer facilitates the growth of the first electrode film layer with a {100} orientation which forms a template for the epitaxial deposition of the ferroelectric layer such that the ferroelectric layer is formed with an {001} orientation. |
| US08866366B2 |
Piezoelectric sensor device and piezoelectric sensor device drive method
A piezoelectric sensor device includes a piezoelectric element, a signal processing unit, a polarization processing unit and a connection switching unit. The piezoelectric element has a piezoelectric body and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric body. The signal processing unit is configured to execute at least one of signal input from the piezoelectric element, and signal output to the piezoelectric element. The polarization processing unit is configured to execute polarization processing in which polarization voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element. The connection switching unit is configured to switch between a first connection state with which the electrodes and the signal processing unit are connected, and a second connection state with which the electrodes and the polarization processing unit are connected. |
| US08866365B2 |
Composite substrate with partially planarized irregular surface
In a composite substrate 10, a bonding surface 21 of a piezoelectric substrate 20 is an irregular surface which is partially planarized. The irregular surface which is partially planarized includes a plurality of protrusions 23, each having a flat portion 25 on the tip thereof. The piezoelectric substrate 20 and the supporting substrate 30 are directly bonded to each other at the flat portions 25. By forming the bonding surface 21 into an irregular surface (rough surface) and providing flat portions 25 at the same time, it is possible to secure a sufficient contact area between the piezoelectric substrate 20 and the supporting substrate 30. Accordingly, in the composite substrate in which the piezoelectric substrate 20 and the supporting substrate 30 are bonded to each other, the bonding surface 21 can be roughened and direct bonding can be performed. |
| US08866364B2 |
Piezo-electric based micro-electro-mechanical lens actuation system
Disclosed is a piezo-electrically actuated micro-mechanical deformable member comprising a corrugated longitudinal beam (521) formed in a substrate, and having a first anchored end (502) and a second end (509), as well as a plurality of piezoelectric film (PZET) actuating segments (522, 523, 524) formed in or on at least some grooves and ridges of the corrugated beam, the beam (521) being configured to assume one of a number of different geometric configurations depending upon which of a corresponding set of electric actuation signals (105) are applied to the PZET elements, the electric actuation signals establishing corresponding electric fields in the associated PZET segments to thereby deform the member. |
| US08866358B2 |
Efficient and powerful electric motor integrated with a generator
An incorporated electric motor-generator (IEMG), including: a plurality of disk surfaces each having a main longitudinal axis, at least one peripheral motor section and at least one central generator section; a plurality of stationary support structures, each of which sustains an array of electromagnetic coils; and a rotating shaft affixed to the disk surfaces. |
| US08866354B2 |
Electrical drive unit for a motor vehicle
An electrical drive unit for a motor vehicle, with the drive unit including a wheel-hub drive that drives a vehicle wheel and that is arranged on the vehicle wheel by a wheel bearing, the wheel-hub drive having a rotor and a stator. According to the invention, a sealing device is provided between the rotor and the stator, and/or between the rotor and a component adjacent to the rotor, and/or between the stator and a component adjacent to the stator. A sealing surface of the sealing device is arranged on a radius with the center point around a virtual tilt axis of the wheel bearing, or substantially along a tangent to the radius. |
| US08866352B2 |
Alternator for vehicle with heat dissipating fin
An alternator for a vehicle is provided which is equipped with a heat dissipator and a cooling air generator. The heat dissipator is disposed in a rectifier to cool rectifying devices. The cooling air generator generates a flow of cooling air to the heat dissipator. The heat dissipator has a plurality of sub-fins formed thereon. Each of the sub-fins is defined by a combination of a protrusion and a recess. The protrusions are formed on one of opposed major surfaces of the heat dissipator, while the recesses are formed on the other major surface, one in coincidence with each of the protrusions in a thickness-wise direction of the heat dissipator. This permits the heat dissipator to be pressed to form the protrusions and the recesses to make the sub-fins simultaneously, thus allowing a heat-dissipating area to be increased to ensure a desired degree of heat capacity thereof. |
| US08866348B2 |
Power system controlling and monitoring power semiconductor devices employing two serial signals
A power system includes a power semiconductor devices; a control circuit outputting first firing signals each being for a corresponding power semiconductor device, and outputting first activation response signals each being associated with a corresponding power semiconductor device. A first interface circuit cooperates with the control circuit to input a first serial signal and output the first firing signals, and to input the first activation response signals and output a second serial signal. A second interface circuit cooperates with a controller to input the second serial signal, to output to the controller second activation response signals corresponding to the first activation response signals, to input from the controller second firing signals corresponding to the first firing signals, and to output the first serial signal. The controller controls the power semiconductor devices with the second firing signals, and monitors the power semiconductor devices with the second activation response signals. |
| US08866347B2 |
Biometric image sensing
An novel sensor is provided having a plurality of substantially parallel drive lines configured to transmit a signal into a surface of a proximally located object, and also a plurality of substantially parallel pickup lines oriented proximate the drive lines and electrically separated from the pickup lines to form intrinsic electrode pairs that are impedance sensitive at each of the drive and pickup proximal locations. |
| US08866346B2 |
Circuit device, electronic apparatus and power supply circuit
A circuit device includes a power supply circuit having a resonance circuit, and a logic circuit. The resonance circuit includes a first coil, and a second coil having a core section shared by the first coil. The logic circuit performs an adiabatic circuit operation with a power supply voltage generated by the resonance circuit. |
| US08866345B1 |
Electrical current managing system
An electronic current managing system (ECMS) (10) that utilizes “phase control” to set the maximum current draw of an output load (28) that can consist of an inductive or a dynamic load. The ECMS (10) features a “soft start” that ramps the electric current from zero to full current over a two second period of time. The “soft start” eliminates high in-rush current or power surges from being applied to a system distribution panel or master breaker, thereby allowing a larger output load (28) than would otherwise be possible. The ECMS (10) includes an SCR (22) that causes a power control relay (20) to close or to open in the event the SCR (22) fails and the output load (28) attempts to stay “on”. An example of an ECMS (10) output load (28) is a self regulating cable which has a high in-rush current draw that is approximately three times the rated current per watt. |
| US08866342B2 |
Power converting apparatus
A power converting apparatus includes a first inverter circuit including a high-voltage first DC voltage source and operated at a low frequency using Si IGBTs having a high withstand voltage exceeding 1000 V and a second inverter circuit including a low-voltage capacitor operated by high-frequency PWM using SiC MOSFETs having a low withstand voltage, wherein an AC side of the first inverter circuit is connected in series to an AC side of the second inverter circuit. The power converting apparatus outputs AC power having a prescribed voltage waveform obtained from the sum of voltages generated by the first and second inverter circuits. |
| US08866340B2 |
Supercapacitor-based grid fault ride-through system
The supercapacitor-based grid fault ride-through system provides a dynamic model of a wind generation system including a Voltage Source Converter (VSC), which functions as a Static Compensator (STATCOM). The power control capability of the STATCOM is extended by incorporating energy stored in a supercapacitor. The system implements a vector control technique based on the decoupling of real and reactive power. Simulation results show that a fixed speed induction generator is capable of withstanding a significant grid fault when aided by the supercapacitor-based grid fault ride-through system. Moreover, the induction generator regains its pre-fault status immediately after the fault is cleared. |
| US08866338B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving power generation in a thermal power plant
A method and apparatus for improving power generation in a thermal power plant. A dynamic reactive compensation system is provided and is connected to a high voltage bus or a generator bus of the power plant. The dynamic reactive compensation system comprises power electronic devices and is operable to provide most of the reactive power that is required from the power plant. |
| US08866336B2 |
Bathing system load device with auxiliary power connection
A line voltage device with an auxiliary power connection for a bathing installation. An exemplary embodiment of the device includes a housing structure, and a primary electrical power connection connected to the housing structure and including a primary wiring cable for connection to a line voltage source. A load system is disposed within or adjacent the housing and configured for powered operation by electrical power from the primary electrical power connection. An auxiliary power connection is provided for electrical connection to a separate bathing installation device to provide power to the separate device. A wiring circuit is disposed within or adjacent the housing structure and electrically couples the primary electrical power connection and the auxiliary power connection so that line voltage power is shared between the load system and the separate bathing installation device. |
| US08866335B2 |
Control concept for limit-value management for DC/DC converter in an energy system
An apparatus for controlling an energy system having at least one energy unit and at least one DC/DC converter, wherein the DC/DC converter is coupled to at least one electrical component, and a power output to the electrical component can be controlled by the DC/DC converter, with the maximum power which can be output to the electrical component being determined by a power limit value of the DC/DC converter.The invention provides that the energy unit and the DC/DC converter and the electrical component are coupled via a limit-value management system which controls the power output such that, when power is demanded from the electrical component above the power limit value of the DC/DC converter, power is output up to the maximum power limit value. |
| US08866332B2 |
Circuit arrangement for power distribution in a motor vehicle
A circuit arrangement (1) for power distribution in a motor vehicle is described, which comprises a transformer (T1, T1a . . . T1n) having at least three transformer windings (W1, W1a . . . W1n, W2, W2a . . . W2n, W3, W3a . . . W3n). A first and second on-board supply inside the vehicle and a power supply which is outside the vehicle can be connected to the circuit arrangement (1), which supplies are coupled via the transformer windings (W1, W1a . . . W1n, W2, W2a . . . W2n, W3, W3a . . . W3n) and converters (UR1, UR2, UR2a . . . UR2n, UR3, UR3a . . . UR3n). The third converter (UR3, UR3a . . . UR3n) can be connected via a first change-over switch (US1, US1′) alternatively to the first on-board supply inside the vehicle or to the power supply outside the vehicle. A plurality of first converters (UR 1) and/or a plurality of second converters (UR2, UR2a . . . UR2n) and/or a plurality of third converters (UR3, UR3a . . . UR3n) each being connected to the transformer windings (W1, W1a . . . W1n, W2, W2a . . . W2n, W3, W3a . . . W3n) can be switched in series or in parallel are provided. |
| US08866330B2 |
Tower for a wind turbine
The invention relates to a tower for a wind turbine and to a cable guide therefor, wherein a nacelle for the wind turbine is arranged on the tower such that it can rotate by means of the azimuth bearing about a vertical axis which runs in the longitudinal direction of the tower. Current-conducting cables are routed in the tower of the wind turbine out of the nacelle from electrical components to the ground. The tower has at least two bundling devices which are suitable for joining the individual cables which run longitudinally in the tower together to form a cable bundle with the cables fixed with respect to one another. The bundling devices are attached to the cables between an upper and a lower area of the cable bundle. In this case, geometric configuration of the bundling device ensures that at least between three cables it is not below a specific minimum distance. |
| US08866326B1 |
Interleaved motor controllers for an electric taxi system
Embodiments of the disclosure include an electric taxi system including a generator configured to provide an AC power source and a main controller configured to generate one or more PWM control signals. The electric taxi system also includes a plurality of motor controllers connected in parallel to the generator, wherein each of the plurality of motor controllers receives one of the one or more PWM control signals. The electric taxi system further includes a plurality of motors, wherein each of the plurality of motors are coupled to one of the plurality of motor controllers. |
| US08866323B2 |
Method and arrangement for responding to a grid event, such as fast under frequency combining demand response, inertial response and spinning reserve
A method for controlling a wind power plant in case of a frequency drop in a utility grid to which the wind turbines are connected is provided. The method includes combining demand response, inertial response and spinning reserve for given wind speeds in order for wind power plants to deliver fast aggregate under frequency response for a wide wind speed range with minimal recovery time and minimal production loss at each wind speed. |