| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08879836B2 |
System and method for identifying complex tokens in an image
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, determining log chromaticity representations for the image, clustering the log chromaticity representations as a function of an index, to provide clusters of similar log chromaticity representations and identifying regions of uniform reflectance in the image as a function of the clusters of similar log chromaticity representations. |
| US08879833B2 |
Generating an image of a seal impression
A method and apparatus for generating an image of a seal impression. Irradiation of a face of a seal with N beams of light striking the face in succession from N respective different directions respectively corresponding to N different angles of incidence of the light on the face is caused, the face having a character thereon, N≧2. N still images of the face corresponding respectively to the N beams are acquired, each still image structured as pixels including a RGB color combination. The N still images are combined to generate a composite image of pixels that includes a common area of pixels that commonly appears on the face of the seal in all still images, the common area having a luminance value exceeding a specified luminance threshold, the common area including a character area pertaining to where the engraved character is located on the face of the seal. |
| US08879832B2 |
Color matrix code
When an imaging device receives an image file that includes a color barcode, a processor of the imaging device and/or a remote processor may decode the barcode by identifying informational elements and calibration elements in the barcode. When the calibration elements are detected, one or more color model parameters are determined, and a color model is developed. When an informational element is then detected, a color value is determined for the informational element, the color model is applied using the color model parameters to yield an adjusted color value for the informational element, and the adjusted color value is used to decode the color barcode. |
| US08879831B2 |
Using high-level attributes to guide image processing
Using high-level attributes to guide image processing is described. In an embodiment high-level attributes of images of people such as height, torso orientation, body shape, gender are used to guide processing of the images for various tasks including but not limited to joint position detection, body part classification, medical image analysis and others. In various embodiments one or more random decision forests are trained using images where global variable values such as player height are known in addition to ground-truth data appropriate for the image processing task concerned. In some examples sequences of images are used where global variables are static or vary smoothly over the sequence. In some examples one or more trained random decision forests are used to find global variable values as well as output values for the task concerned such as joint positions or body part classes. |
| US08879830B2 |
Control method and apparatus for stereoscopic display
A control method and apparatus for stereoscopic display is provided. The method includes: obtaining the position change information of glasses of a user (s101); and then calibrating the image of display according to the position change information of glasses of the user (s102). The control apparatus includes: an obtaining module (101) which obtains the position change information of glasses of a user; and a calibrating module (102) which calibrates the image of display according to the position change information of glasses of the user. Compared with the prior art, the present invention can effectively solves the problem that stereoscopic effect is not real, due to the stereo virtual image position changed along with the moving head position of the user. |
| US08879828B2 |
Capturing and aligning multiple 3-dimensional scenes
The capture and alignment of multiple 3D scenes is disclosed. Three dimensional capture device data from different locations is received thereby allowing for different perspectives of 3D scenes. An algorithm uses the data to determine potential alignments between different 3D scenes via coordinate transformations. Potential alignments are evaluated for quality and subsequently aligned subject to the existence of sufficiently high relative or absolute quality. A global alignment of all or most of the input 3D scenes into a single coordinate frame may be achieved. The presentation of areas around a particular hole or holes takes place thereby allowing the user to capture the requisite 3D scene containing areas within the hole or holes as well as part of the surrounding area using, for example, the 3D capture device. The new 3D captured scene is aligned with existing 3D scenes and/or 3D composite scenes. |
| US08879824B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing three-dimensional images
A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library. |
| US08879823B2 |
Combined exchange of image and related data
A method of combined exchange of image data and further data being related to the image data, the image data being represented by a first two-dimensional matrix of image data elements and the further data being represented by a second two-dimensional matrix of further data elements is disclosed. The method comprises combining the first two-dimensional matrix and the second two-dimensional matrix into a combined two-dimensional matrix of data elements. |
| US08879821B2 |
Defect inspecting device and defect inspecting method
The present invention provides a defect inspection system which enables an improvement in the efficiency of spatial filter settings, and at the same time enables automation of the spatial filter settings. An adjustable field-of-view diaphragm is narrowed to obtain an image of a spatial filter surface by use of an observation camera, and pixels of the image are classified into a plurality of groups according to the brightness level of bright spots of diffracted light. A spatial filter is set in such a manner that a group, the brightness level of which is highest, is light-shielded, and an observation image is then captured. Whether or not a repetitive pattern remains in the captured image is determined, and when it is determined that a repetitive pattern remains, the settings of the spatial filter are changed. The spatial filter is set in such a manner that in addition to the group which has been light-shielded earlier, a group, the brightness level of which is the highest next to the light-shielded group, can also be light-shielded. The same step is repeated until it is determined that no repetitive pattern remains. The settings of the spatial filter then end. |
| US08879819B2 |
Gleason grading by segmenting and combining co-registered images of differently stained tissue slices
An improved histopathological score is obtained by generating image objects from images of tissue containing stained epithelial cells. First objects are generated that correspond to basal cells stained with a first stain, such as p63. Second objects are generated that correspond to luminal cells stained with a second stain, such as CK18. If the same tissue is not stained with both stains, then the images of differently stained tissue are co-registered. Third objects are defined to include only those second objects that have more than a minimum separation from any first object. A scoring region includes the third objects, and the histopathological score is determined based on tissue that falls within the scoring region. For example, a Gleason score of prostate tissue is determined by classifying tissue patterns in the scoring region. Alternatively, a Gleason pattern is assigned by counting the number of third objects that possess a predetermined form. |
| US08879815B2 |
Automatic initialization for 2D/3D registration
A method for automatic initialization of 2D to 3D image registration includes acquiring a 3D model. A plurality of shape descriptor features is calculated from the acquired 3D model representing a plurality of poses of the 3D model. A 2D image is acquired. The plurality of shape descriptors is matched to the acquired 2D model. An optimum pose of the 3D model is determined based on the matching of the plurality of shape descriptors to the acquired 2D model. An initial registration is generated, in an image processing system, between the 3D model and the 2D image based on the determined optimum pose. |
| US08879809B2 |
Method to process medical image data
A method to process medical image data has the following features. Immediately compressed raw data are acquired by an imaging medical technology apparatus. The compressed raw data are stored. In addition to the compressed raw data, processing data are stored which are provided to generate output data from the compressed raw data, wherein the file size of the compressed raw data and the processing data in total is less than the file size of the output data. |
| US08879806B2 |
Apparatus and method for capturing rolled fingerprint image
A method and apparatus for capturing rolled fingerprint images are provided. The method for capturing rolled fingerprint image acquires elemental image frames from a fingerprint that touches and rolls on a fingerprint input window, acquires improved image frames through preprocessing by removing an image that does not overlap between adjacent elemental image frames, extracts main data of adjacent improved image frames to acquire main data image frames, and merges images of the main data image frames to acquire a rolled fingerprint image. |
| US08879795B2 |
Collision warning system
A method of estimating a time to collision (TTC) of a vehicle with an object comprising: acquiring a plurality of images of the object; and determining a TTC from the images that is responsive to a relative velocity and relative acceleration between the vehicle and the object. |
| US08879793B2 |
Synthetic aperture radar map aperture annealing and interpolation
A method for repairing, bridging, or extrapolating an existing aperture to improve image interpretability in synthetic aperture radar images. |
| US08879792B2 |
Microscopy method for identifying biological target objects
The invention relates to a microscopy method for identifying target objects (32) having a predetermined optical property in material (6) to be analyzed.According to the invention, in a first step an overview field of view (36) of a microscope optical system (14) is directed to an overview region of a sample carrier (4) containing the material (6) to be analyzed, the material (6) to be analyzed is illuminated by an illumination unit (16), which irradiates the sample carrier (4) from outside a field of view tube (48), and is recorded by a camera (8), the material (6) to be analyzed is optically analyzed for the optical property such that even a single target object (32) having the predetermined optical property is identified as such in the material (6) to be analyzed, in a subsequent second step a target field of view (52) of the microscope optical system (14) is aligned with a target region around the target object (32) using the known position of the target object (32), and the identified target object (32) is analyzed in a differentiated manner for various additional optical properties. |
| US08879791B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for determining if a piece of luggage contains a liquid product
A method, an apparatus and a system are provided for determining if a piece of luggage contains a liquid product comprised of a container holding a body of liquid. The piece of luggage is scanned with an X-ray scanner to generate X-ray image data conveying an image of the piece of luggage and contents thereof. The X-ray image data is processed with a computer to detect a liquid product signature in the X-ray image data and determine if a liquid product is present in the piece of luggage. A detection signal is released at an output of the computer conveying whether a liquid product was identified in the piece of luggage. The detection signal may, for example, be used in rendering a visual representation of the piece of luggage on a display device to convey information to an operator as to the presence of a liquid product in the piece of luggage. |
| US08879783B1 |
Comparing extracted card data with user data
Extracting card data comprises receiving, by one or more computing devices, a digital image of a card; perform an image recognition process on the digital representation of the card; identifying an image in the digital representation of the card; comparing the identified image to an image database comprising a plurality of images and determining that the identified image matches a stored image in the image database; determining a card type associated with the stored image and associating the card type with the card based on the determination that the identified image matches the stored image; and performing a particular optical character recognition algorithm on the digital representation of the card, the particular optical character recognition algorithm being based on the determined card type. Another example uses an issuer identification number to improve data extraction. Another example compares extracted data with user data to improve accuracy. |
| US08879781B2 |
Rain detection apparatus and method
A rain detection apparatus includes a camera that views a surface and a processor that captures an image from the camera. The processor generates a signal indicative of rain on the surface from information contained in the captured image and optionally drives a surface cleaning apparatus in response thereto. The apparatus captures images focused at a plurality of distances. The processor includes an edge detector that detects edges visible in the captured image and a difference structure that calculates the difference between the number of edges visible between differing images. The edge detector disregards edges close to areas of light larger than the largest raindrop that is desired or expected to be detected. The apparatus optionally includes a backlight, and the difference in numbers of edges between frames with and without the backlight illuminated are used to distinguish between background features and rain on the surface. |
| US08879779B2 |
Micro-speaker
Disclosed is a micro-speaker. A micro-speaker includes a frame, a magnetic circuit unit accommodating in the frame, a vibrating unit, an assistant coil attached to the frame and disposed below the diaphragm. The vibrating unit includes a diaphragm and a voice coil driving the diaphragm. The assistant coil includes an upper surface facing the diaphragm and an inclined surface connecting the upper surface and disposed closer to the voice coil than the upper surface. |
| US08879777B2 |
Dynamic electroacoustic transducer
There is provided a dynamic electroacoustic transducer comprising a diaphragm and an oscillator coil which is fixed to the diaphragm in an oscillator coil portion. The diaphragm has a first portion within the oscillator coil portion and a second portion between the oscillator coil portion and an edge of the diaphragm. The diaphragm has at least one stiffening portion in the region of the second portion, which is of a different stiffness from the second portion of the diaphragm. The stiffening portion is of a such a configuration that a wobble movement of the diaphragm is substantially compensated. |
| US08879776B2 |
Speaker and electronic device using the speaker
A speaker (200) includes a cylindrical diaphragm (201) which has closed ends, an edge (202) which supports the diaphragm (201) in a manner which allows the diaphragm to vibrate, a voice coil bobbin (203) around which a voice coil (204) is wound and which is connected to the diaphragm (201), and a magnetic circuit for driving the voice coil (204). |
| US08879768B2 |
Earpiece having adjustable front vent
An earpiece is disclosed. The earpiece includes a housing forming a volume therein, a number of sound holes arranged in the front end and rear end of the housing, a sound generator accommodated in the volume, an ear gel attached to a front end of the housing, a wire electrically connected to the sound generator, wherein a adjusting module is assembled to the housing, a plurality of front vents are disposed on the front end of the housing, and the amount of the front vents communicating with the volume is mechanically altered by the adjusting module. |
| US08879762B2 |
Method and apparatus to evaluate quality of audio signal
A method and apparatus to evaluate a quality of an audio signal, in which the number of effective channels is determined for each of a reference signal of a current frame and a test signal indicative of the reference signal that has passed through an audio codec, and an audio quality evaluation score of the current frame is calculated by evaluating an audio quality of the current frame based on the determined number of effective channels for each of the reference signal and the test signal by means of a predetermined evaluator. |
| US08879759B2 |
Wireless speaker footwear
Digital musical footwear is disclosed having hidden compartments which house a thin integrated multi-plane electronic circuit board assembly (2) and a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. A transmitter antenna is attached to a hand held device such as a smart phone which antenna sends wireless short wave sound signals to a receiving antenna part of the circuit board assembly. Multiple mini-speakers (6, 7) are footwear mounted to play the music. Bluetooth® version 4.0 wireless protocol technology is employed in the circuit board assembly. The circuit board can be flat and hidden in a recess of a heel or curved and hidden in a wall recess of the footwear as can the battery pack. Advanced lithium ion batteries such as silicon wafer or silicon core-shell nanowire batteries may be used to reduce battery weight. Flexible flat speakers (65) such as the FleXpeaker® may also be used to further reduce weight. |
| US08879757B2 |
Thermoacoustic device
A thermoacoustic device includes a substrate, a sound wave generator, an insulating layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are spaced from each other and electrically connected to the sound wave generator. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface defines a plurality of grooves, and a bulge is formed between the adjacent two grooves. The insulating layer is located on the first surface, and continuously attached on the grooves and the bulge. The sound wave generator is located on the insulating layer. The sound wave generator defines a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is suspended on the grooves. The second portion is attached on the bulge. |
| US08879752B2 |
Microphone
A microphone capable of canceling vibration noise caused by mechanical vibration is provided with, in capsules, a pair of diaphragms and a pair of back plates opposite to the respective diaphragms. A printed circuit board is disposed at the middle of capsules. A pair of diaphragms is disposed close and opposite to the surfaces of the printed circuit board with the printed circuit board disposed therebetween. The difference in distance from a vibration source to the two diaphragms is made small. The microphone has a high canceling effect for canceling vibration noise caused by mechanical vibration. |
| US08879749B2 |
Directional microphone device and directivity control method
A directional microphone apparatus and directivity control method that corrects a level difference and a phase difference generated in a low band in a plurality of non-directional microphone units, improve the directivity, and reduce the size are provided. Level difference calculation section (105) calculates the level difference between first signal x1(t) obtained by first non-directional microphone unit (101) and second signal x2(t) obtained by second non-directional microphone unit (102), and correction parameter calculation section (106) calculates coefficients of a linear IIR filter configuring correction process section (103) based on the level difference. Correction process section (103) simultaneously corrects the level difference and a phase difference in the low band between two non-directional microphone units by using the calculated coefficients. |
| US08879745B2 |
Method of deriving individualized gain compensation curves for hearing aid fitting
A method of deriving individual gain compensation curves for hearing aid fitting includes providing a system that detects, measures and records head azimuth for sound direction affirmation by a patient and provides a plurality of audio signals through a plurality of test sequences to the ears of the patient, including establishing a comfortable listening level of the patient, establishing binaural balance for right and left ears, establishing loudness discomfort levels of the patient, establishing thresholds-of-hearing levels of the patient and generating a binaurally balanced measurement array of measured equal-loudness levels and measured thresholds-of-hearing levels for both left and right ears. |
| US08879742B2 |
Apparatus for determining a spatial output multi-channel audio signal
An apparatus for determining a spatial output multi-channel audio signal based on an input audio signal and an input parameter. The apparatus includes a decomposer for decomposing the input audio signal based on the input parameter to obtain a first decomposed signal and a second decomposed signal different from each other. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a renderer for rendering the first decomposed signal to obtain a first rendered signal having a first semantic property and for rendering the second decomposed signal to obtain a second rendered signal having a second semantic property being different from the first semantic property. The apparatus comprises a processor for processing the first rendered signal and the second rendered signal to obtain the spatial output multi-channel audio signal. |
| US08879741B2 |
Speaker array apparatus and sound beam control method
A speaker array apparatus includes a speaker array and a control section that controls audio signals corresponding to channels respectively so that the speaker array emits sound beams for the audio signal of a part of the channels in a plurality of directions and sound beams for the audio signals of the channels other than the part of the channels in a plurality of directions. One of the sound beams for the audio signal of the part of the channels is substantially identical in direction with one of the sound beams for the audio signals of the channels other than the part of the channels. Sound images for emitting sounds for the audio signals of the channels other than the part of the channels are formed and a phantom sound image for the audio signal of the part of the channels is formed at a position which is deviated from positions of the sound images. |
| US08879739B2 |
Method, system and device for securely transferring digital content between electronic devices within a communication network managed by a management center
A method for securely transferring digital content between two electronic devices, comprising an activation phase performed by a management center for generating a common network key, calculating for each device an encrypted network key with a unique device key and transmitting to each device the encrypted network key and a unique device value involving said device key and a unique device secret value, a keys recovering performed by each device for obtaining the device key from both the device value and the secret value of said device and obtaining the network key from both the encrypted network key and the previously obtained device key, and an operating phase performed by each device for generating or obtaining a random value, generating a final key by encrypting the random value with the network key and using said final key for encrypting/decrypting said content. |
| US08879728B2 |
Key creation and rotation for data encryption
Embodiments are directed towards enabling cryptographic key rotation without disrupting cryptographic operations. If key rotation is initiated, a transitional key may be generated by encrypting the current key with a built-in system key. A new key may be generated based one at least one determined key parameter. Next, the new key may be activated by the one or more key holders. If the new key is activated, it may be designated as the new current key. The new current key may be employed to encrypt the transitional key and store it in a key array. Each additional rotated key may be stored in the key array after it is encrypted by the current cryptographic key. Further, in response to a submission of an unencrypted query value, one or more encrypted values that correspond to a determined number of rotated cryptographic keys are generated. |
| US08879725B2 |
Combining instructions including an instruction that performs a sequence of transformations to isolate one transformation
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block cipher that can encrypt and decrypt information. Encryption (cipher) performs a series of transformations (Shift Rows, Substitute Bytes, Mix Columns) using the secret key (cipher key) to transforms intelligible data referred to as “plaintext” into an unintelligible form referred to as “cipher text”. The transformations (Inverse Shift Rows, Inverse Substitute Bytes, Inverse Mix Columns) in the inverse cipher (decryption) are the inverse of the transformations in the cipher. Encryption and decryption is performed efficiently through the use of instructions that perform the series of transformations. Combinations of these instructions allow the isolation of the transformations (Shift Rows, Substitute Bytes, Mix Columns, Inverse Shift Rows, Inverse Substitute Bytes, Inverse Mix Columns) to be obtained. |
| US08879716B2 |
Intelligently routing calls and creating a supporting computer interface
An enhanced mechanism for intelligently routing a call and providing a supporting computer interface on a screen of one or more computers connected to a network. In an embodiment, a service request form is provided on a customer's computer by which a customer provides customer-input information. A data file (e.g., an XML file) is generated with the customer-input information and transmitted over a data network. A service routing, integration, mining and personalization (SRIMP) engine receives, via the data network, the data file. The SRIMP engine routes a call (e.g., a VoIP call) to a customer care agent selected based on the data file. In addition, the SRIMP engine creates an agent's view computer interface the content of which is based on the data file. The SRIMP engine may, for example, send personalized information and portlets to the selected agent's browser that are needed to address the customer's question. The SRIMP engine may also create a customer's view computer interface the content of which is based on the data file. |
| US08879713B2 |
Optimized method to select and retrieve a contact center transaction from a set of transactions stored in a queuing mechanism
A system and method to select and retrieve contact center transactions from a set of transactions stored in a queuing mechanism. The system includes an interactive voice response system configured to accept at least one call and dynamically populate a web form with call data associated with the at least one call. The system also includes a queuing engine configured to allow a call agent to access the call data prior to the at least one call being connected to the call agent. |
| US08879712B2 |
System and method for managing traffic bursts for a plurality of tenants
A system that supports multiple contact centers includes a communications network that is coupled between a private network (e.g. MPLS network) and a remote computing environment (e.g. cloud environment). A server system in the remote computing environment monitors health of different network segments (e.g. bandwidth of the connection between the communications network and the remote computing environment, bandwidth of a link used by a tenant to access the private network, etc.). When it is determined that quality of service for voice conversations for one or more contact centers is at risk due to a health status parameter of a network segment reaching a threshold, an appropriate system reaction is triggered. The system reaction may be to offload future calls to a peer remote computing environment to service future calls. The system reaction may also be to cancel outbound campaigns, provide pre-determined “sorry” messages, and the like. |
| US08879709B2 |
Management of national telephone and address system (NTAS) data
A method includes receiving Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) telephone number (TN) data; comparing the LERG TN data with telephone service provider (TSP) TN data; determining whether one or more differences exist between the LERG TN data and the TSP TN data based on the comparing; generating one or more executable statements for updating the one or more differences that exist based on the comparing; and executing the one or more executable statements to match the TSP TN data with the LERG TN data. |
| US08879708B2 |
Service control point functionality implemented at communication endpoints
A system for managing customer-to-business voice communication has a network-connected communications device and instructions executable on the communications device from a non-transitory physical medium, the instructions providing a first function for determining if a destination asserted requires treatment, a second function for sending data from the communications device to a network-connected server, a third function for receiving alternative destination information from the server, and a fourth function for establishing communication with the business based on the returned destination information. |
| US08879707B2 |
Private branch exchange that manages interactions between associated telecommunications terminals
An apparatus and methods are disclosed that provide a plurality of telecommunications management features to a telecommunications terminal that is associated with a corresponding terminal through a private branch exchange. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables a user to manage the simultaneous use of and interaction between associated telecommunications terminals. This capability can be particularly advantageous when on-premises telecommunications terminals are associated with off-premises telecommunications terminals. |
| US08879703B1 |
System method and device for providing tailored services when call is on-hold
Embodiments of the present invention enable a telephone calling device to monitor information exchanged between the device and a destination after establishing a telephone call with the destination. The device may also be configured to create and store a profile of the user having stored therein data corresponding to personal information of the user and interaction of the user with various destinations. Further, the device may be configured to detect if the telephone call is on-hold or not by monitoring occurrence of a designated tone, background music, or pre-set amount of no-conversation between the user and the connected destination. Furthermore, based on the profile of the user, the device may display various services tailored specifically for the user when the call is on-hold. |
| US08879701B2 |
Multiple language support in telecommunication systems
Embodiments provide caller information in multiple languages to multiple receiving communication devices. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a call request from a sending endpoint communication device connected to a network. Caller identification information associated with the call request is obtained, where the caller identification information includes one or more identifications associated with the sending endpoint communication device. Each identification specifies the same content in a different language. The call request and at least one of the identifications are transmitted over the network to be received by receiving endpoint communication devices connected to the network. Each receiving endpoint communication device can output at least one of the received identifications specified in a language designated for use by that receiving endpoint communication device. |
| US08879696B2 |
Remote call monitoring
Methods and systems are provided for monitoring calls routed to a telephone network voice mail system from a variety of remote telephone locations. When a subscriber receives a telephone call, a determination is made as to whether the subscriber's line is busy or whether the call goes unanswered. If remote call monitoring services are activated, a three-way communication is set up between the calling party, the voice mail system and the subscriber via a remote call monitoring directory number provided by the subscriber. The subscriber is patched into the call on a listen-only basis, but upon command by the subscriber, the subscriber may answer the call. The subscriber may set up a number of remote call monitoring filters, including an “always monitor” list, a “never monitor” list, and a schedule of days or times during which the subscriber allows or excludes remote call monitoring. Remote call monitoring services may be provided by a telephone services provider that is independent from the subscriber's home telephone services provider. |
| US08879691B2 |
Autonomous metallic supervision with sealing current
A system, method, and computer readable medium for a metallic test method in a digital subscriber line system in which a subscriber's voice service has been switched from plain old telephony service to an inband digital subscriber line data stream characterized in that a direct current loop current used for plain old telephony service is replicated for testing, comprising, providing a sealing line current to a transmission line via a digital subscriber line device serving the subscriber and supervising the provided sealing line current between the digital subscriber line device and a subscriber's premises for determining a connectivity therebetween. |
| US08879689B2 |
Radiographic image detecting device and control method thereof
An X-ray image detecting device has an FPD having a matrix of pixels each for accumulating signal charge in accordance with an X-ray irradiation amount. An imaging area of the FPD is partitioned into a plurality of divided sections A to I. Each of the divided sections A to I has a short pixel for detecting X-ray irradiation. In a synchronization control for controlling the FPD in synchronization with detection of a start of X-ray emission from an X-ray source, a control unit for controlling the X-ray image detecting device uses all the divided sections A to I. In an automatic exposure control for stopping the X-ray emission from the X-ray source by detecting a total X-ray irradiation amount, the control unit uses part of the divided sections, e.g. the short pixels of the divided sections that are judged to be opposed to an object in the synchronization control. |
| US08879687B2 |
X-ray generator, X-ray imaging apparatus, and control methods therefor
In an X-ray generator which includes an electron beam generating unit which has a plurality of electron emitters and generates an electron beam corresponding to driven electron emitters, and a target electrode which generates X-rays with the irradiation position of an electron beam generated by the electron beam generating unit being an X-ray focus, the X-ray focus shape formed by a set of X-ray focuses on the target electrode is controlled by individually controlling driving of the plurality of electron emitters. |
| US08879685B2 |
Pedometer for shoe
An electromotive unit that produces an electric current in response to a pressure applied thereto when a user lands the ground on his/her foot while walking or running, or a pressure detector that detects variation in the applied pressure is formed like a flat plate and arranged within a small space in a shoe. A wire material is provided to deliver, outside the shoe, the electric current produced in response to the pressure applied when the user lands the ground on his/her foot or a signal indicative of the variation in the applied pressure. The wire material is connected to a pedometer unit outside the shoe to perform counting. The wire material can be fixed and mounted onto a desired portion in the opening of the shoe by using a fastener or by being formed as a fixable wire material. |
| US08879684B2 |
Truss-reinforced spacer grid and method of manufacturing the same
A truss-reinforced spacer grid and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, in which truss members having a small diameter are woven to form a truss structure surrounded by an external plate, and the truss structure is joined to the external plate to thereby improve the strength of the mechanical structure. The truss-reinforced spacer grid includes a truss structure in which horizontal trusses formed by horizontally weaving a plurality of truss members are vertically disposed at regular intervals, and an external plate is joined with ends of the horizontal trusses and surrounds the truss structure. |
| US08879682B2 |
Method and system for reduced system-time overhead parameter length representation for inter-radio access technology communication
A wireless access terminal, system and method for the wireless access terminal to synchronize to system times in a wireless communication system. A first timing hierarchy in a first wireless communication network is used to operate the wireless access terminal The lint wireless communication network has a first radio access technology. Operating with the first timing hier-archy includes determining a frame cycle for the first wireless communication network. The frame cycle has a frame cycle boundary. Broadcast parameters for a second wireless communication network having a second radio access technology different from the first radio access technology are received. The broadcast parameters include the system time of the second wireless communication network. The system time of second wireless communication network is aligned, from the perspective of the wireless access terminal, with the frame cycle boundary. The wireless access terminal engages in a communication session using the second wireless communication network. |
| US08879674B2 |
System and method for correlating received signal over time and frequency
An approach is provided for correlation of a signal over time and frequency. The signal is correlated with a bit sequence over time instances and certain frequency offsets, wherein sub-segments of the signal are correlated with sub-segments of the bit sequence to generate a correlation factor associated with each signal sub-segment. The correlation factors are coherently combined to generate a final correlation factor, wherein a respective phase shift (for each frequency offset) is applied to each correlation factor to generate a set of frequency adjusted correlation factors, and the frequency adjusted correlation factors of a respective set are combined to generate the final correlation factor over the signal sub-segments, resulting in the matrix of final correlation factors over time and frequency. A signal parameter estimation is performed, based on the matrix of final correlation factors, to determine a highest correlation value for the signal over the frequency offsets. |
| US08879671B2 |
Worker and iteration control for parallel turbo decoder
A device such as a worker, window-size and iteration control unit (WWICU) is proposed. The WWICU determines processing, iteration, and window information based on format information indicative of one or more formats to be processed by a decoding process. The processing information may include a number of parallel workers, the iteration information may include a number of half-iterations, and the window information may include a window size to be used in the decoding process. The WWICU then determines time information including a total cycle count based on the processing information, the iteration information, and the window information. In response to determining that the total cycle count is not beyond a threshold value, the WWICU may transmit configuration information including the processing, iteration, and window information to a device, such as a turbo decoding device, configurable to perform the decoding process based on the configuration information. |
| US08879670B2 |
Flexible channel decoder
A configurable Turbo-LDPC decoder having A set of P>1 Soft-Input-Soft-Output decoding units (DP0-DPP-1; DPi) for iteratively decoding both Turbo- and LDPC-encoded input data, each of the decoding units having first (I1i) and second (I2i) input ports and first (O1i) and second (O2i) output ports for intermediate data; First and second memories (M1, M2) for storing the intermediate data, each of the first and second memories comprising P independently readable and writable memory blocks having respective input and output ports; and A configurable switching network (SN) for connecting the first input and output ports of the decoding units to the output and input ports of the first memory, and the second input and output ports of the decoding units to the output and input ports of the second memory. |
| US08879669B2 |
Monitoring QAM impairments in digital communications
A diagnostic data acquisition system for analyzing impairments in a QAM digital communication system is triggered by diagnostic data generated by a QAM demodulator when demodulating a QAM signal. Upon triggering, the data acquisition system can capture the diagnostic data used for triggering, and/or some other diagnostic data. The captured data may be stored for subsequent analysis to determine a probable cause of the impairment. |
| US08879668B2 |
Multi-transport stream (TS) generating apparatus and method, and digital broadcasting transmission and reception apparatuses and methods
A multi-transport stream (TS) generating apparatus and method, and digital broadcasting transmission and reception apparatuses and method are provided. The multi-TS generating apparatus includes an adaptor to generate an adaptation field in some packets of a normal stream; an interleaver to interleave the normal stream; a turbo processor to turbo-code a plurality of turbo streams; a stuffer to generate a multi-TS by stuffing the plurality of the turbo streams into the adaptation field; and a deinterleaver to deinterleave the multi-TS. Accordingly, the plurality of the turbo streams can be transmitted far more easily. |
| US08879665B2 |
Controlling a power amplifier based on transmitter output emissions
Methods and systems for controlling the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier (PA) in a radio frequency (RF) transmitter based on measured output spectrum emissions are provided. In an embodiment, the PA supply voltage is adjusted such that spectrum emission limits are satisfied with predetermined margins. In another embodiment, the predetermined margins are reduced to lower power consumption of the PA. |
| US08879664B2 |
Communication system, method and apparatus
Encoding of a message is conducted using codewords selected from a codebook. The selected codewords are used to construct a corresponding plurality of waveforms, which are then weighted and added to form a signal for transmission. At a receiver, channel impulse response is used to determine which codewords from the known codebook have been used, and by which weights from a known constellation of weights the resultant waveforms have been weighted. A message embedded in a received signal can then be detected. |
| US08879662B2 |
High level IBOC combining method and apparatus for single input antenna systems
A phase shift is defined as a point in frequency at which the phase is changed from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. A device is provided for combining analog and digital in-band-on-channel (IBOC) signals to feed a common antenna utilizing phase shifting allpass filter modules to provide a 180 degree phase shift to specific IBOC channels within a constant impedance dual-hybrid circuit. The IBOC Allpass combiner includes one input 90 degree 3 dB quadrature hybrid coupler, one output 90 degree 3 dB quadrature hybrid coupler, a load resistor, and two phase shifting allpass filter modules. Each phase shifting allpass filter module is comprised of a two coaxial cavity resonators coupled to a 90 degree 3 dB quadrature hybrid coupler. Components and modules are coupled using mating transmission lines. The four coaxial cavity resonators are used as devices to produce two distinct phase shifts at isolated upper and lower IBOC side band frequencies. The circuit is designed for one center analog frequency and two sideband IBOC OFDM carrier frequencies, such that all frequencies will combine in phase at the common antenna input with minimal loss and minimal group delay. Out of phase and spurious emissions are ported to the load resistor. |
| US08879660B1 |
Antipodal demodulation method and antipodal demodulator for non-coherent unitary space-time modulation in MIMO wireless communication
Provided is an antipodal demodulation method and an antipodal demodulator for non-coherent unitary space-time modulation in MIMO wireless communication. The invention comprises: traversing L/2 constellation points in each sub-constellation of a non-coherent unitary space-time diagram for maximum likelihood demodulation calculation, determining a maximum trace ψmax and a minimum trace ψmin from traces of L/2 matrix products, calculating a maximum trace ψmax of a matrix product corresponding to the constellation matrix in the other sub-constellation according to ψmax=tr(YH Φj ΦhHY)=tr(YHY)−tr(YHΦjΦjHY)=σ−ψmin, and outputting a constellation point corresponding to the greater one of ψmax and ψmax as a demodulation signal. The antipodal demodulation method of the invention reduces calculation workload by ½ and features lower calculation complexity over the conventional maximum likelihood demodulation method without degrading demodulation performance. |
| US08879659B1 |
System and method for testing multiple data packet signal transceivers
A system and method for using a N×N multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) data packet signal transceiver for testing multiple data packet signal transceivers. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a N×N MIMO access point can be used for simultaneous testing of multiple single input, single output (SISO) data packet signal transceivers. Selective data packet signal corruption (e.g., in the form of data packet signal attenuation), allows for individual testing of the transmit signals from respective ones of the data packet signal transceivers. |
| US08879657B2 |
Communication system with whitening feedback mechanism and method of operation thereof
A communication system includes: a covariance module configured to calculate a joint-covariance based on a receiver signal for communicating a communication content in a transmitter signal with an interference signal using subcarriers based on a space-frequency block-coding scheme; a preparation module, coupled to the covariance module, configured to generate a joint-whitener with a control unit based on the joint-covariance for randomizing the interference signal; a joint whitening module, coupled to the preparation module, configured to generate a joint-whitening output based on the receiver signal and the joint-whitener; a message processing module, coupled to the joint whitening module, configured to determine a joint-estimation feedback based on the joint-whitening output; and a cancellation module, coupled to the message processing module, configured to cancel the joint-estimation feedback from the receiver signal for communicating the communication content with a device. |
| US08879654B2 |
Communication interface with configurable encoding based on channel termination
An improved data transmission system is disclosed in which data encoding such as Data Bus Inversion (DBI) in a transmitting device is matched to the termination scheme being used in a receiving device. In the improved system, the transmitting device is able to automatically discover the termination scheme being used in the receiving device, and is thereby able to automatically implement a data-encoding algorithm to best match the termination scheme being used. In one example, Information concerning the termination scheme can be communicated to the transmitting device via a control channel, or another channel otherwise dedicated to data encoding such as a DBI channel. In another example, the transmitting device can infer the termination scheme being used via measurements, or by understanding how the receiving device will modify its termination scheme given current data transmission conditions. Alternatively, the receiving device is able to discover the data encoding scheme used in the transmitting device and is able to configure its termination circuitry accordingly. |
| US08879653B2 |
Soft-demapping of QAM signals
This invention concerns soft-decision demapping of Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signals to enable soft-decision channel decoding in a communications system. In a first aspect the invention is a method for performing the soft-decision demapping of Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signals to enable soft-decision channel decoding in a communications system. The method comprises the steps of Extracting baseband signals from both I-and-Q channels. Sampling the baseband signals to extract a stream of complex numbers. Converting the stream of complex numbers to frequency domain vectors with components for each subcarrier frequency. Approximating bit log-likelihood ratios for each symbol directly from the real and imaginary parts of the corresponding frequency vector, without equalization by the estimated channel. And, soft-decoding of the channel codes using the approximated log-likelihood ratios. In other aspects the invention concerns a device for performing the method and software for performing the method. |
| US08879650B2 |
Method and system for controlling the peak-to-average power ratio of orthogonal frequency-domain signals
Systems and methods are presented for controlling the peak-to-average-power of a baseband orthogonal-frequency-domain multiplexing (OFDM) signal by designating a subset of the available subcarriers as information-bearing data-subcarriers, and loading remaining subcarriers by symbols that are a function of the symbols loading the data-subcarriers. At the receiver, the data-dependent subcarriers are optionally combined with data-subcarriers to increase error protection. |
| US08879646B2 |
Split microwave backhaul architecture allowing for bandwidth changes between an indoor and outdoor unit
A microwave backhaul architecture for remodulating data to increase a capacity of a corresponding wireless link is provided. The microwave backhaul architecture includes an indoor communication unit (IDU) configured to perform modulation and/or demodulation of the data and to perform a conversion of the data. The data is configured to have a modulation and baud rate dictated by performance capabilities of the IDU. The microwave backhaul architecture also includes an outdoor communication unit (ODU) configured to adjust at least one of the modulation and baud rate of the data in accordance with communication constraints to produce remodulated data. The ODU is configured to adjust the modulation and baud rate of the data such that the remodulated data has a higher-order modulation and lower baud rate when communicated over the wireless link than the modulation and baud rate of the data when communicated between the IDU and the ODU. |
| US08879639B2 |
Adaptive video capture decode system
Devices, methods, and software are disclosed for an adaptive video capture decode system that efficiently manages a stream of image frames between a device display screen and a processor performing decode attempts on decodable features in the image frames. In an illustrative embodiment, a device assigns frames of image data from a stream of frames of image data to either a display subsystem or a decode subsystem. The display subsystem is operative for rendering the frames of image data on a display screen. The decode subsystem is operative for receiving frames of image data and performing an attempted decode of a decodable indicia represented in at least one of the frames of image data. None of the frames of data are assigned to both the display subsystem and the decode subsystem. |
| US08879630B2 |
Method and system for processing B pictures with missing or invalid forward reference pictures
Methods and systems for processing B pictures with missing or invalid forward reference pictures are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include decoding of a contiguous sequence of B pictures that immediately follow a first I picture after a sequence header. The decoding of the B pictures may handle video edit codes in the AVS1-P2 format and/or random access points. Some embodiments of the invention may discard B pictures that refer to invalid or missing forward reference pictures, while other embodiments of the invention may interpolate B pictures. For an invalid forward reference picture, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the invalid forward reference picture and the backward reference picture. For a missing decoded forward reference picture, as in a random access, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the backward reference picture. |
| US08879627B2 |
Moving image encoding apparatus, moving image decoding apparatus, moving image encoding method, moving image decoding method, moving image encoding program, moving image decoding program, and moving image encoding/ decoding system
In order to improve the encoding efficiency while avoiding an increase in the size or memory band of a frame memory and having adaptability in the encoding/decoding processing of a moving picture, a bit length extension converter converts a target picture having a bit length N into an extended target picture having a bit length M, a compressor encodes the converted picture, and an expander restores the encoded picture. Then, a bit length reduction converter converts the picture into a reproduction picture having a bit length L smaller than the bit length M, and this reproduction picture is stored in a frame memory as a reference picture. |
| US08879617B1 |
Method and circuit for controlling an equalizer and equalizing system
A method and a circuit for controlling an equalizer and an equalizing system are disclosed. The method includes providing a first level from a set of levels as a peaking level of the equalizer; equalizing a transmission signal by using the equalizer with the first level to obtain a first signal; providing a second level from the set of levels as the peaking level of the equalizer; equalizing the transmission signal by using the equalizer with the second level to obtain a second signal; determining a first frequency of the first signal; determining a second frequency of the second signal; comparing the first frequency and second frequency to obtain a comparing result; and determining the peaking level of the equalizer for following equalization of the transmission signal in accordance with the comparing result. |
| US08879616B2 |
Receiver with decision feedback equalizer
A receiver includes a front-end amplifier, a sampler, and a decision-feedback equalizer. The front-end amplifier provides for amplifying a received input signal to yield an amplified input signal. The sampler provides for sampling the amplified input signal so as to yield a sampler output signal. The sampler output signal is a function of the amplified input signal and a reference signal coupled to a reference input of the sampler. The decision feedback equalizer provides for adjusting the reference signal as a function of feedback based at least in part on the sampler output signal. |
| US08879611B2 |
Fully-digital BIST for RF receivers
A built-in receiver self-test system provides on-chip testing with minimal change to the receiver footprint. The system digitally generates a two-tone test signal, and tests the nonlinearities of the receiver using the generated two-tone test signal. To that end, the self-test system comprises a stimulus generator, a downconverter, and a demodulator, all of which are disposed on a common receiver chip. The stimulus generator generates a test signal comprising first and second tones at respective first and second frequencies, where the first and second frequencies are spaced by an offset frequency, and where the first frequency comprises a non-integer multiple of the offset frequency. The downcoverter downconverts the test signal to generate an In-phase component and a Quadrature component. The demodulator measures an amplitude of the intermodulation tone by demodulating the In-phase and Quadrature components based on a reference frequency. |
| US08879610B2 |
Apparatus and method for changing a clock rate for transmission data
An apparatus detects, from symbol data of a predetermined communication scheme that is input via a common public radio interface (CPRI) at a first rate indicating a chip rate for the CPRI, a timing at which a clock phase matches between the first rate and a second rate indicating a symbol rate for the predetermined communication scheme, where the CPRI is an internal interface for a radio communication apparatus. The apparatus changes, at the timing, a clock rate for transmitting the symbol data, from the first rate to the second rate. |
| US08879609B2 |
Communication system, communication device, and method for operating communication system
A communication system includes a first communication device and a second communication device that performs power line communication with the first communication device via an electric power line, wherein the first communication device transmits a plurality of times an initial packet signal added with an error detection code in each of reference timing at regular intervals in the vicinity of zero crossing timing. The second communication device determines whether a reception state is good or poor based on a result of the error detection on each of the received initial packet signals, and when the reception state is poor, the second communication device transmits an ACK signal in timing shifted by micro time from the reference timing after receiving the initial packet signal. Then, the first communication device transmits a data packet signal in timing at the regular interval after the timing of receiving the ACK signal. |
| US08879607B2 |
Indoor positioning with rake receivers
A method and a system for storing a constant path loss exponent corresponding to free space; transmitting a signal; receiving the signal via a rake receiver of a user device; identifying a maximum received signal strength based on a signal strength associated with the signal relative to fingers of the rake receiver; storing a current maximum received signal strength value; determining whether the current maximum received signal strength value is a first maximum received signal strength value; calculating a current indoor position of the user device based on the constant path loss exponent and the current maximum received signal strength value when a determination is that the current maximum received signal strength value is the first maximum received signal strength value; and outputting the current indoor position. |
| US08879605B1 |
Mobile station time reference that is adjusted based on propagation delay
A mobile station receives system time information from a source base transceiver station (BTS) in a spread spectrum communication system. The mobile station estimates a distance between the mobile station and the source BTS. The mobile station calculates a propagation delay based on the estimated distance. The mobile station develops a propagation-delay-adjusted time reference based on the system time information and the calculated propagation delay. The mobile station uses the propagation-delay-adjusted time reference to search for a target pseudonoise (PN) offset corresponding to a target BTS in the spread spectrum communication system. The mobile station may be closer to the target BTS than the source BTS. |
| US08879604B2 |
Efficient rendezvous for distributed messages in frequency-hopping communication networks
In one embodiment, a rendezvous request message is generated (e.g., by a sender) that specifies a channel C and a rendezvous time T for which a distributed message is to be transmitted in a frequency-hopping computer network. The rendezvous request message is then transmitted on one or more channels used in the computer network based on reaching a plurality of intended recipients of the distributed message with the rendezvous request message prior to rendezvous time T. Accordingly, the distributed message is then transmitted on channel C at rendezvous time T. In another embodiment, a device receives a rendezvous request message, and in response to determining to honor the rendezvous request message, listens for the distributed message on channel C at rendezvous time T. |
| US08879594B2 |
Efficient power control for an automatic laser driver
Systems and methods are provided to efficiently manage power in a laser a driver of an optical network unit (ONU) of a passive optical network (PON). Using information from an allocation map, the expected next allocated schedule for a transmission can be determined. The driver can be efficiently powered down and powered up based on the time remaining between the end of the current burst and the beginning of the next expected burst so that power is not wasted while the laser has no data to transmit. |
| US08879592B2 |
Semiconductor laser device
A semiconductor laser bar 2 is mounted onto a liquid-cooled heat sink 1. A molybdenum reinforcement member 3 is fixed onto the surface opposite to the surface on which the semiconductor laser module 2 is mounted. The molybdenum has a linear expansion coefficient less than that of the heat sink 1. Sub-mounts are preferably made of a Cu—W alloy, more preferably of the reinforcement member 3 molybdenum. In this case, the stresses that are imposed on the heat sink 1 when being expanded or contracted can cancel each other out. |
| US08879590B2 |
High output, mid infrared laser source assembly
A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam includes a first MIR laser source, a second MIR laser source, and a beam combiner. The first MIR laser source emits a first MIR beam that is in the MIR range and the second MIR laser source emits a second MIR beam that is in the MIR range. Further, the beam combiner spatially combines the first MIR beam and the second MIR beam to provide the assembly output beam. With this design, a plurality MIR laser sources can be packaged in a portable, common module, each of the MIR laser sources generates a narrow linewidth, accurately settable MIR beam, and the MIR beams are combined to create a multiple watt assembly output beam having the desired power. |
| US08879577B2 |
Monitoring system, device, and method
Provided is a monitoring system which can perform priority control in accordance with the wideband limitation. A priority/filter type selection processing unit (37) of a network interconnection device (11), which connects a local network (14) and a wide area network (10), selects a transmission data selection processing unit (38) on the basis of the priority level definitions of a transmission data in accordance with an event status, and a data compression method in association with the event status and the wide area network communication status, and selects and controls a filtering processing unit (33). As a consequence, the communication bandwidth in a wide area network is reduced. |
| US08879576B2 |
Method and apparatus for unlicensed band operation
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in order to enable operation of both cellular and WLAN on a shared unlicensed band. In this regard, a method is provided that includes causing a primary transmission mode period of operation, a secondary transmission mode period of operation, and an idle mode period of operation on an unlicensed frequency band to be transmitted to a mobile terminal. The method further includes receiving an interfered ratio report from the mobile terminal. The method also includes causing the mobile terminal to be classified as at least one of a primary user or a secondary user based on the interfered ratio report. The method also includes causing the classification to be transmitted to the mobile terminal. |
| US08879574B2 |
Distributed seamless roaming in wireless networks
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for configuring an access point in a wireless network. During operation, the access point discovers one or more existing access points associated with the wireless network. The access point then obtains a set of configuration information from one existing access point, and synchronizes a local timestamp counter to a selected existing access point, thereby allowing the access point to be configured without using a centralized management station. |
| US08879572B2 |
Method and apparatus for recognizing multicast and broadcast service region in broadband wireless communication system
A method and an apparatus for recognizing a Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) region in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In the method, whether a next MBS MAP message transmission point of a first frame and an MBS data burst transmission point indicated by MBS burst assignment information of a second frame match with each other in a third frame is determined. When matching with each other in the third frame, a control message including information for determining a starting point of an MBS region is generated. The generated control message is transmitted during one of the first and second frames. |
| US08879569B2 |
Virtual network connection method, network system, and network device
A communication can be conducted between a hub network layer-3VPN-connected to a core network and a hub network layer-2VPN connected to the core network. A first NW that conducts a packet forwarding of a VPN, a second NW that is layer-3-connected to the first NW, and a third NW that is layer-2-connected to the first NW configure VPN. When a packet is transmitted from the second NW to a destination of the third NW, a packet forwarding processing by a layer is conducted, and information is stored in destination information of the packet and forwarded by using destination information and information on the network device PE belonging to the first NW which is connected to the third NW which is a relay point to the destination. |
| US08879561B2 |
Dynamic bandwidth queue allocation
In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a plurality of queues configured to share an amount of bandwidth, the amount of bandwidth being allocated between the queues in accordance with a plurality of queue weighting factors associated with the queues. The system further includes an admission control subsystem configured to dynamically adjust the queue weighting factors when a predefined condition has been satisfied. In certain embodiments, the admission control subsystem is configured to adjust the queue weighting factors based on a ratio of bandwidth provisioned on the plurality of queues. In certain embodiments, each of the queues is associated with a different class of service. |
| US08879558B1 |
Dynamic remote packet capture
A device may be configured to receive information regarding one or more ports associated with a routing device; output, to the routing device, filter information associated with at least a particular port, of the one or more ports associated with the routing device, the filter information specifying one or more conditions associated with traffic of interest; receive, from the routing device, and based on the outputted filter information, information regarding traffic of interest received or sent by the routing device via the particular port, the traffic of interest being less than or equal to all traffic received or sent by the routing device via the particular port; and store or output a representation of at least a portion of the received information regarding the traffic of interest. |
| US08879556B2 |
Managing a home network
A method for detecting an error in a home network while a network-compatible device is newly added to the home network, the home network having a modem configured to be connected to the Internet, a home gateway connected between the modem and the home network, the method for detecting the error comprising employing address resolution protocol and detecting the error in the home network due to filtering based on MAC addresses is disclosed. The disclosed subject matter can be used for diagnosis of problems in the home network that can arise due to filtering based on Media Access Control addresses by the home gateway. |
| US08879555B2 |
Method and apparatus for forwarding packets by obtaining addresses of the packets using a preset forwarding information base entry
The present invention relates to the field of communication technologies, and discloses a method and an apparatus for forwarding packets to solve the problems in the prior art, namely, if a long Internet Protocol (IP) address needs to be searched for at the time of forwarding a packet, the number of Ternary Content Addressable Memories (TCAMs) need to be increased, or an external Random Access Memory (RAM) needs to be accessed for more times, which leads to a high cost and low performance. The method includes: extracting a first bit sequence from a destination address of a received packet, and using the first bit sequence as a key value; searching for a preset TCAM entry by using the key value, and obtaining an index value returned by the TCAM entry; and using the index value and a second group of bits in the destination address of the packet as conditions for searching, according to a predetermined algorithm, for a preset Forwarding Information Base (FIB) entry, and obtaining a forwarding address of the packet. The technical solution under the present invention is applicable to searching a table for an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address in a router. |
| US08879554B2 |
Preventing MAC spoofs in a distributed virtual switch
Described herein are techniques for preventing MAC address spoofs in a virtualization cluster. When a virtual switch first sees a new MAC address on a port designated as being a secure port, the packet is redirected to a virtual supervisor agent used to manage the distributed virtual switch. Assuming the MAC may be bound to the secure port, the supervisor agent broadcasts a message to both the virtual switch that redirected the packet and to virtual switches on other virtualization servers within the cluster. |
| US08879553B2 |
Multicast bandwidth multiplication for a unified distributed switch
The distributed switch may include a plurality of chips (i.e., sub-switches) on a switch module. These sub-switches may receive from a computing device connected to a Tx/Rx port a multicast data frame (e.g., an Ethernet frame) that designates a plurality of different destinations. Instead of simply using one egress connection interface to forward the copies of the data frame to each of the destinations sequentially, the sub-switch may use a plurality of a connection interfaces to transfer copies of the multicast data frame simultaneously. The port that receives the multicast data frame can borrow the connection interfaces (and associated hardware such as buffers) assigned to these other ports to transmit copies of the multicast data frame simultaneously. |
| US08879551B2 |
Collection of subscriber information for data breakout in a mobile data network
A method and system supports subscriber based IP data breakout at the edge of a mobile data network without monitoring the use of security keys or breaking into ciphered message exchanges. The system employs a first service mechanism operating at the edge of the mobile data network a second service mechanism operating at the core on the S11 interface. The second service mechanism at the core collects subscriber related data, subscriber identifiers and tunnel identifiers and sends this data to the first service mechanism. The second service mechanism at the core collects subscriber related data, subscriber identifiers and tunnel identifiers and sends this data to the first service mechanism. The first service mechanism uses the tunnel identifiers received from the second service mechanism to identify sessions and tunnels carrying subscriber dependent data packets (S1-U packets) in order to perform subscriber-based IP data breakout, offloading and optimization. |
| US08879548B2 |
Alignment circuit and receiving apparatus
A control circuit generates a selection signal indicating a head area of an alignment buffer when the area is an unwritten area, and when the head area is a written area, successively performs comparison between a sequence number stored in the area and a sequence number of a target packet from a head to a tail to search a boundary area and generates a selection signal indicating the detected boundary area. When the boundary area could not be detected even when the search reaches the last written area, the control circuit generates a selection signal indicating the next area of the last written area. The writing circuit shifts data stored in each area by one area from the area indicated by the selection signal in a direction of the tail of the alignment buffer, and writes packet information of the target packet into the area indicated by the selection signal. |
| US08879545B2 |
Methods and apparatus to route a communication session directly to a voicemail mailbox
Methods and apparatus to route a communication session directly to a voicemail mailbox are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a communication session initiation message from a caller at a source telephone number, the communication session initiation message including a destination telephone number and a direct voicemail feature identifier, determining that the direct voicemail feature identifier indicates that the caller requests that the call be sent to a voicemail mailbox associated with the destination telephone number, and forwarding the call directly to the voicemail mailbox associated with the destination telephone number without ringing the destination telephone number. |
| US08879541B2 |
IP telephone and method for controlling supplementary services
A request destination management table that stores therein a service ID uniquely identifying a service being interrelated with a request destination to which execution of a service is requested and a report destination management table that stores therein a call ID uniquely identifying a call being interrelated with a report destination of a call state transition report indicative of state transition of the call are provided. An IP telephone receives a request for a supplementary service, obtains a request destination corresponding to a service ID of the supplementary service from the request destination management table, and transfers the request for the supplementary service to the request destination. The IP telephone receives a call state transition report, obtains a report destination corresponding to a call ID of the call state transition report from the report destination management table, and transfers the call state transition report to the report destination. |
| US08879539B2 |
Method of and a system for establishing a call over an IP multi media communications system and a circuit switched communications system
A system and method for simultaneously supporting IMS signaling and Circuit Switched signaling during a call between a calling user terminal in an IP Multi media System (IMS) and a called user terminal in a Circuit Switched CS network. A first IP address is determined by the calling user terminal, the calling user terminal initiates the call using IMS signaling towards the called user terminal, the IMS signaling comprising the first IP address. The called user terminal then initiates a CS connection towards an IP Access Converter using CS signaling and comprising the first IP address. The IP Access Converter allocates a second IP address (IP2) to be used for data transfer with the calling user terminal. The IP Access Converter establishes the CS connection by providing said second IP address to the called user terminal using CS signaling and the called user terminal establishes the call, providing said second IP address to said calling user terminal using IMS signaling. Data transfer occurs between the calling user terminal and the IP Access Converter using the first IP address and second IP address, and between the IP Access Converter and the called user terminal through the CS connection. |
| US08879536B2 |
Apparatus and method for time synchronization
An apparatus for time synchronization of a femtocell base station receives, via neighboring macrocell base stations adjacent to a femtocell base station, timing packets generated by timing servers directly connected to the neighboring macrocell base stations, and if time synchronization using a GPS satellite is impossible, obtains system time information from a timing packet received via one corresponding to a master base station, among the neighboring macrocell base stations, and performs time synchronization. |
| US08879535B2 |
PSS detection process for an LTE communication network
Cell detection process for a communication network, such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system; comprising the steps of: receiving signal samples (i.e. OFDM samples in the case of LTE) transmitted by at least one Base Station (BS); performing a first Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) correlation measurement with a predetermined PSS sequence in order to generate a first PSS correlation measurement sequence; performing a second Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) correlation measurement in order to generate a second PSS correlation measurement sequence; comparing said first and second correlation measurement sequences with a predetermined threshold in order to determine peak values, determining common peak values substantially corresponding to similar locations within the half radio frame, and identifying the PSS corresponding to said common peak positions. |
| US08879530B2 |
Mobile gateway for fixed mobile convergence of data service over an enterprise WLAN
A system and a method for providing a mobile data service to a mobile device over a fixed wireless data network wherein the system comprises an enterprise Mobile Signaling Gateway coupled to a Public Land Mobile Network, an enterprise Mobile Access Controller resident within the fixed wireless data network. The system further comprises an enterprise Mobile User-plane Aggregator coupled to 1) the Public Land Mobile Network, 2) the fixed wireless data network and the enterprise Mobile Signaling Gateway. The enterprise Mobile Signaling Gateway at least establishes an IP tunnel to the enterprise Mobile Access Controller, determines whether a mobile device coupled to the Public Land Mobile Network is registered, directs the establishment of multiple IP tunnels between the mobile device and the network elements of the system, and directs pathways for communicating user-plane and control-plane data between trusted or untrusted transport networks. |
| US08879529B2 |
Apparatus and method for selecting a visited network
The present invention is aimed to provide a mechanism whereby a roaming user can select a visited network allowed for roaming by the home network operator among a plurality of visited networks accessible through an access network. Therefore, the present invention provides a new method, a new roaming device likely embedded in another network entity and enhanced user equipment whereby the home network, upon a user equipment indication, may submit towards the user equipment a list of allowed or preferred visited networks as well as selection criteria for selecting one visited network from the list. |
| US08879528B2 |
Method for allocating resources, in a mobile and meshed communications network, with limitation of the inter-cluster interference, system and network implementing the method
Allocation of communications resources, in a mobile meshed network structured as a plurality of clusters each comprising at least one node, includes: generating a chart of configurations each comprising a different allocation priority index for each time slot of the time window, the indices varying from 0 to n−1; assigning a configuration,—among the generated set of configurations, to each cluster such that a predetermined number Np of priority indices are not assigned to the same slots for the clusters which are mutually adjacent; and allocating the time slots to the intra cluster communications in the order of priorities which are defined in the configuration assigned to the cluster, the priority index associated with a slot increasing with the order of allotting of a slot to a new communication, a new slot being allotted only if all the slots whose priority index is smaller are already allocated to a communication. |
| US08879527B1 |
Access point processor for a wireless local area network utilizing multiple sub-channels
A channel access processor for an access point operates in a frequency spectrum which is divided into master channels, each master channel further having a plurality of sub-channels, each sub-channel capable of supporting wireless LAN communications independently from any other said sub-channel of the master channel. Each master channel is thereby associated with a plurality of sub-channels, and the sub-channels each have an associated bandpass filter and mixer frequency specific to that sub-channel, thereby allowing a plurality of independent wireless communications sessions to simultaneously take place over the multiple sub-channels of the master channel of the access point. |
| US08879526B2 |
Method and system for addressing a mobile terminal
Means and methodology for a telecommunication network are provided that allow using an IMEI of mobile terminal as destination or identification instead of the regular IMSI or MSISDN. This capability of the telecommunication network is provided by maintaining a set of coupled pairs of IMEI and IMSI/MSISDN. Operational messages in the telecommunication network having an IMEI address as destination or identification are translated by the appropriate IMSI or MSISDN depending on the message type, from a coupled pair having the same IMEI. Means is provided with a STP capable of maintaining the set of coupled pairs. Further several implementations are provided using the IMEI addressing capability. |
| US08879525B2 |
Method and arrangements for enhanced wireless access signalling in a wireless local area network
A method and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (600), including a universal subscriber identity module USIM (625), for identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell are disclosed. The WTRU (600) receives a broadcast from a cell including a cell identifier (ID). If the cell ID is associated with a CSG cell, the WTRU (600) determines whether the CSG ID is programmed in the USIM (625). The cell broadcast may include a single bit information element (IE) indicating that the cell is a CSG cell. If the cell ID is a CSG ID, the cell ID may further include a plurality of fields which indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is public or private. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating that emergency calls are allowed from all users. |
| US08879521B2 |
Handling of terminating calls in a distributed system
A technique for handling mobile terminating calls in a distributed switch is described. The switch includes at least one cluster wherein the at least one cluster comprises a plurality of cluster members. Each cluster member is associated with a set of roaming numbers and adapted to route a mobile terminating call to either a recipient subscriber served by the cluster member or to another cluster member which serves the recipient subscriber. The at least one cluster further comprises a first data structure having a content that is common to and accessible by all the cluster members of the cluster. The first data structure specifies the plurality of cluster members and the roaming number set associated with each cluster member. |
| US08879520B2 |
Wireless communication methods and apparatus supporting wireless terminal mode control signaling
A wireless terminal determines a desired mode of base station operation with regard to whether the base station is to function as a network access node or is to function in a peer to peer mode with regard to a frequency band, and communicates a change signal to the base station. Some change signals are request signals requesting a base station to dynamically reallocate spectrum usage, while other change signals are command signals ordering the base station to reallocate spectrum usage. Information indicating a level of authority corresponding to the change signals, in some embodiments, corresponds to one of a device identifier, a user identifier, and a priority level indicator. An exemplary command signal comes from a device used by a government agent with the authority to override spectrum usage. |
| US08879519B2 |
Wireless communication methods and apparatus supporting peer to peer communications
A first mobile node supports peer to peer communications but not cellular communications. Other mobile modes in the communication system support a cellular mode and may support a peer to peer communications mode. The communications system is such that spectrum may be dynamically reallocated between being designated to be used for peer to peer operations and being used primarily for cellular network based operations. Beacon signals are used to communicate a current mode of frequency spectrum usage designation. The first mobile node, being in an ongoing peer to peer communications session detects that the spectrum is being reallocated for cellular based operations. The first mobile node reduces its transmission power level in response to the detected spectrum reallocation. In some embodiments, the first mobile is allowed to continue its ongoing peer to peer session while the spectrum is primarily allocated for cellular communications, albeit at a lower transmission power level. |
| US08879518B2 |
Method of timing reference management
A method of timing reference management for a mobile device in a wireless communication system comprising a network is disclosed. The method comprises being configured a first cell of a timing advance group, as a timing reference cell of the timing advance group; and when the timing reference cell is changed from the first cell to a second cell of the timing advance group and a timing alignment timer applied for the timing advance group for uplink transmission synchronization is running, deriving a new uplink transmission timing according to a second timing adjust value; wherein the second timing adjust value is calculated according to a first downlink timing of the first cell, a second downlink timing of the second cell, and a first timing adjust value for deriving the uplink transmission timing when the timing reference cell is the first cell. |
| US08879517B2 |
Systems and methods for assignment and allocation of mixed-type combinations of slots
Methods and systems for performing allocation of mixed-type combinations of slots are provided. Specifically, in a single assignment message, an allocation of slots over two frames and slots over four frames is performed. These can be RTTI and BTTI blocks for example. |
| US08879515B2 |
Systems and methods for assignment and allocation of mixed-type combinations of slots
Methods and systems for performing allocation of mixed-type combinations of slots are provided. Specifically, in a single assignment message, an allocation of slots over two framed and slots over four frames is performed. These can be RTTI and BTTI blocks for example. |
| US08879512B2 |
Mobile station device, base station device, communication system, communication method, and program
Provided is a mobile station device which can increase the success ratio and reduce a communication delay when transmitting a dedicated preamble from the mobile station device to a base station device by using a random access channel (RACH). The mobile station device performs random access to the base station device by using a dedicated preamble. The mobile station device transmits a first message by using the dedicated preamble and again transmits the first message using the dedicated preamble during a period (a random access response reception-uncertain period) when the base station device may transmit a second message as a response to the first message. |
| US08879511B2 |
Assignment acknowledgement for a wireless communication system
A method, apparatus, and channel structure for acknowledging assignment messages is provided. The method and apparatus allow for efficient signaling based upon the resources. |
| US08879509B2 |
Antenna Diversity
The invention is directed to a method of communicating between a first node including a plurality of antennas and a second node, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from the first node to said second node using each of the plurality of antennas of the first node; at the second node, selecting one of the plurality of antennas for use; and communicating between the two nodes using this selected antenna. The invention is also directed to apparatus and software for performing the methods. |
| US08879501B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus
A wireless communication apparatus is provided with a wireless communication unit (31, 32, 34) for performing wireless communication by connecting to a first wireless communication network 15 and a second wireless communication network 16, an execution unit 33 of an application (application) for real-time communication, a jitter buffer 47 for absorbing jitter of packets of the application, a communication quality obtain unit 35 for obtaining communication quality of a wireless link in the first wireless communication network 15, a handover control unit 36 for starting handover from the first wireless communication network 15 to the second wireless communication network 16 based on the communication quality obtained, and a control unit 33 for controlling a reproduction speed of the application based on an accumulated packet amount in the jitter buffer 47 when a reception interval of packet received after completion of handover is equal to or over a predetermined value. Thereby, it is possible to perform handover to a different wireless communication network without deteriorating reproduced voice and a speech quality. |
| US08879499B2 |
Radio communication terminal
A mobile communication terminal (100) has a path (T1) that supplies first and second upward link modulated transmission signals from a modulator-demodulator circuit (200) via a transmission filter (110A) to an adder (150), and a path (T2) that supplies signals via transmission filter (110B) to adder (150) depending on frequencies of signals. The adder (150) adds transmission signals supplied from the path (T1) and from the path (T2) and simultaneously sends them out via a transmitting and receiving antenna (101). The mobile communication terminal (100) supplies first and second forward link modulated reception signals received by transmitting and receiving antenna (101) via a reception filter (120) to the modulator-demodulator circuit (200). |
| US08879497B2 |
Terminal device, base station device, transmitting method and receiving method
The present invention pertains to a terminal device, which, when ARQ is used for communication that uses an uplink unit band and a plurality of downlink unit bands associated with the uplink unit band, and when a transmission mode that supports up to 2 TB in a PCell is set in the terminal, is capable of reducing the amount of signaling from a base station while eliminating a lack of PUCCH resources when semi-permanent scheduling (SPS) is used in the PCell. A control unit (208) in this device selects one value among values obtained by adding 1 to four PUCCH resource indexes, which have been preset for PUCCH resource 1 by the base station, on the basis of values for transmission power control information (TPC command for PUCCH) in a PDCCH, for which notification has been received at the start of SPS. |
| US08879492B2 |
Methods and arrangements for handling a downlink transmission in a cellular network
A method in a first base station (105) for handling a downlink transmission is provided. The first base station (105) serves a first user equipment (120). The first base station (105) defines a subframe in which the first base station (105) is to avoid interfering a downlink radio channel between a second base station (115) and a second user equipment (125). The second user equipment (125) is located in an extended range of the second base station (120). The first base station (105) performs, in the defined subframe, a downlink transmission to the first user equipment (120). The first base station (105) receives, from the second base station (115), an indication of an interference caused by the performed downlink transmission on the downlink radio channel. The first base station (105) adjusts a further downlink transmission to be performed by the first base station (105) based on the indication. |
| US08879491B2 |
Wireless terminal for transmitting packets of different types
A terminal comprising: a radio-frequency transmitter for transmitting packets on an uplink to a wireless cellular network; and processing apparatus comprising an upper protocol stack and a lower protocol stack, the upper stack being arranged to process data according to one or more transport protocols and form the data into packets of a plurality of different types for transmission over a packet-based network, and the lower stack being arranged to receive the packets from the upper stack and process them for transmission via the wireless cellular network. The lower stack comprises a plurality of packet queues each corresponding to a different respective priority level, and a packet decoder configured to supply each packet in dependence on its type to a packet queue of a corresponding priority level. The lower stack further comprises a dequeuing mechanism configured to dequeue packets for transmission from said queues in dependence on the priority levels. |
| US08879490B2 |
Method and apparatus for transceiving a MIMO packet in a wireless LAN system
A method of transmitting a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) packet by a transmitter in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes: generating a MIMO packet including at least one spatial stream set transmitted respectively to at least one receiver, wherein each spatial stream set is encoded on the basis of one of two encoding schemes; transmitting first control information including a MIMO indicator and a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field, wherein the MIMO indicator indicates whether the MIMO packet is for single user (SU)-MIMO or multi user (MU)-MIMO, and the first MCS field indicates an MCS used for the MIMO packet if the MIMO packet is for SU-MIMO transmission, and indicates an encoding scheme applied for each of the spatial stream sets if the MIMO packet is for MU-MIMO transmission; and transmitting the MIMO packet to at least one receiver. |
| US08879489B2 |
Apparatus and method for constituting control information for a multi-cast broadcast service
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for constituting control information for at least one subframe allocation pattern for a multi-cast broadcast service. The method compares periods of radio frame units for each of subframe allocation patterns, sets up a unit period in which at least one subframe allocation pattern is repeated, and sets up control information containing subframe information allocated for a multi-cast broadcast service in the unit period set in the previous step. The method of the present invention enables, for example, efficient separation of MBSFN subframe for an MBMS from other MBSFN subframes. |
| US08879487B2 |
Feedback scheme for providing feedback on plural transmissions
The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for providing HARQ feedback in a mobile communication system using carrier aggregation. To suggest a scheme for transmitting feedback on the successful/unsuccessful decoding of transmissions that is operable in FDD mode, the invention proposes to utilize only a single one of plural radio resources available for feedback transmission for signaling feedback for multiple transmissions. A feedback sequence of ACK/NACKs for the transmissions is mapped to one feedback resource combination that is one of the radio resources available for feedback transmission and a modulation symbol of the given modulation scheme that is transmitted on said one radio resource. This scheme can also be used in cases where the number of possible feedback sequences of ACK/NACKs for the transmissions is larger than the number of feedback resource combinations available for feedback transmission. |
| US08879485B2 |
Method and apparatus for random access in a multi-carrier wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and discloses a method and an apparatus for performing random access in a multi-carrier wireless communication system. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method in which user equipment carries out a process for random access to a base station in a multi-carrier wireless communication system comprises: a step of measuring the channel qualities of one or more uplink component carriers, and determining the uplink component carrier having the highest channel quality; a step of selecting a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource on the uplink component carrier having the highest channel quality; and a step of transmitting a random access preamble to the base station using the selected PRACH resource. |
| US08879484B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for processing reference signal
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus, and a system for processing a reference signal. The present invention relates to the field of radio communications technologies, and solves a technical problem that it is impossible to meet a requirement for measurement of downlink channels of multiple cells in a coordinated multipoint transmission/reception (CoMP) scenario in the prior art. According to the embodiments of the present invention, a reference signal is sent in a specified pilot position to a target user equipment (UE) where data puncturing is performed, in positions corresponding to the specified pilot position, with respect to data symbols simultaneously sent by an evolved NodeB (eNB) to which another cell in a CoMP set of the UE belongs, and the specified pilot position is orthogonally separated from a reference signal pilot position of the another cell in the CoMP set. |
| US08879480B2 |
Method and base station for allocating downlink HARQ channel in wireless communication system
A method and base station are provided for allocating a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) channel according to service flow types. The method allocates a DownLink (DL) HARQ channel by a base station to a mobile station which can be provided with data corresponding to at least one Service Flow (SF) in a wireless communication system. At least one of a plurality of HARQ channels is mapped to a first SF. It is determined whether to allocate the mapped at least one HARQ channel as a dedicated HARQ channel of the first SF based on whether traffic of the first SF exists in a transmission queue corresponding to the first SF. Therefore, dedicated HARQ channels for a delay intolerant SF, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) SF, can be managed without loss of a maximum throughput for a delay tolerant SF such as a Best Effort (BE) SF. |
| US08879476B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing network registration
A method and apparatus for user location registration comprising registering subscriber location information associated with a device with a registration service in a first network, receiving, from a second network, a broadcast location request and sending, in response to the broadcast location request, the subscriber location information to the second network. |
| US08879475B2 |
Adaptive channel state feedback in discontinuous reception scenarios based on connection characteristics
Providing adaptive channel state feedback (CSF) reports in discontinuous reception (DRX) scenarios in a power-efficient manner. The described algorithm may be able to make adaptive decisions to carry over the CSF from previous DRX cycles based on channel conditions, DRX cycle length, and/or the requirements of CSF reporting for current DRX cycle. The proposed approach can allow for more efficient power consumption related to CSF reports in DRX scenarios where new CSF reports have little or no impact to throughput. |
| US08879474B2 |
Method and apparatus for receiving a medium access control protocol data unit having a fragmentation and packing extended header
The present invention relates to a method in which a receiver receives an MAC (medium access control) PDU (protocol data unit) in a wireless communication system. The method in which the receiver receives an MAC PDU comprises the following steps: receiving an MAC PDU containing a header and a payload from a transmitter, wherein the header includes a first extended header containing a first length field which indicates the length of a service data unit (hereinafter, referred to as “SDU”) or lengths of fragmented SDUs in the MAC PDU; decoding the header; and determining whether the size of the first length field in the extended header is an extended size or a basic size in accordance with the results of decoding. |
| US08879473B2 |
Method and user terminal for multi-site multi-user joint transmission
The present invention proposes a method for multi-site multi-user joint transmission, the method comprising: measuring, by a user terminal, a downlink channel originated from each base station; according to the measurement for the downlink channel, quantizing and obtaining, by the user terminal, per-site channel information for the each base station and additional inter-site channel information, the additional inter-site channel information being used for calculating joint channel information of multiple base stations; and feeding back, by the user terminal, the per-site channel information for the each base station and the additional inter-site channel information so that the base station performs scheduling to execute the multi-site multi-user joint transmission. |
| US08879467B2 |
Transporting GSM packets over a discontinuous IP based network
A system for transferring data includes an interface configured to receive data that is sent via a first link, and a processor coupled to the interface. The processor is configured to: receive data that is sent via a first link; determine whether there is discontinuity in the received data, the determination being based at least in part on information included in the received data; in the event that the received data includes a discontinuity, generate replacement data that repairs the discontinuity; and transmit at least a portion of replacement data to a second link such that a synchronization requirement associated with the second link is fulfilled. |
| US08879463B2 |
Adaptive distributed turbocoding method for a cooperative network
A method for transmitting packets in a cooperative network including a source terminal, a recipient terminal, and at least one relay terminal, the method using a turbocoding distributed between the source terminal and the relay terminal, one of the components of the turbocoder located in the source terminal or the relay terminal, or even both components being adaptive as a function of a characteristic of the transmission channel. |
| US08879462B2 |
Method, system and device for transmitting uplink feedback information
There are a method, system and device for transmitting uplink feedback information by allocating a PUCCH resource to an RN device in LTE-A system so that the RN device can transmit uplink feedback information over the allocated PUCCH resource. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a base station selecting from a PUCCH resources pool at least one dedicated PUCCH resources for each RN device served by the base station and transmitting a resources index number corresponding to the PUCCH resource to the each RN device respectively in higher layer signaling, the resource index number is used for indicating the RN device to transmit the uplink feedback information over the PUCCH resources corresponding to the resources index number. In the embodiment of the present invention, a PUCCH resource can be allocated to the RN device in LTE-A system so that the RN device can transmit the uplink feedback information over the allocated PUCCH resources. |
| US08879461B2 |
Blank subframe uplink design
Blank subframe link design uses reduced bandwidth either explicit or derived for Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell interference mitigation, enabling a non-allowed User Equipment (UE) to co-exist with CSG cells on the same carrier. One could specify UL blank subframes to orthogonalize non-allowed UE and allowed UE transmissions on UL either via explicit UL blank subframe definition or derived from DL blank subframe definition. Scheduling can orthogonalize data transmissions. A femto cell temporarily reducing uplink bandwidth can mitigate uplink control channel residual interference from a non-allowed UE. A relay configures RACH occasion to coincide with non-blank UL subframes as much as possible. UE knowledge of RACH occasion is sufficient to start RACH and hand over procedure. RACH occasions with 10 ms periodicity are supported by assigning all odd/even uplink HARQ interlaces to relay. RACH occasions with 20 ms periodicity are supported by assigning any of the 1/4 UL HARQ interlaces to relay. |
| US08879458B2 |
Transmission in a network with active and sleeping clients
Methods, devices, and machine readable media are provided for transmission in a network with active and sleeping clients. Some examples can include transmitting a first multicast stream of data in response to an active wireless client being associated with the wireless network device at a particular time. The method can include transmitting a second multicast stream of the data after the first multicast stream in response to a sleeping wireless client being associated with the wireless network device at the particular time and in response to a delivery traffic indication message count expiring. The first and/or second multicast streams of the data can be retransmitted a number of times (e.g., at different data rates). An active/sleep status can be maintained for the wireless clients. A unicast stream can be transmitted when the number of clients does not exceed a threshold. |
| US08879457B2 |
Method and system for allocating resources to multimedia broadcast multicast control channel
The invention discloses a method and a system for allocating resource to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel, wherein the method includes: an upper level network element allocating at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH; the upper level network element transmitting MCCH resource allocation information to a lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe. The invention solves a problem of lack of consistency of allocation of physical resource to the MCCH, supports the UE to perform a combination for the received multi-cell MCH signals, enhances signal gain, and improves user experience. |
| US08879455B1 |
Power management for multicast frames in wireless networks
A multicast delivery system facilitating power management. In particular implementations, a method includes maintaining in the memory a plurality of multicast stream queues, each multicast stream queue associated with a delivery interval; storing frames of respective multicast streams in a multicast stream queue based on a delivery interval associated with the multicast stream; and delivering multicast streams at respective delivery intervals to one or more wireless clients. |
| US08879454B2 |
Semi-persistent scheduling and discontinuous reception alignment
A method is provided for detection of an uplink grant for a user agent (UA). The method comprises detecting a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) activation/reconfiguration signaling over a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a discontinuous reception (DRX) on-duration by a predetermined amount of time. Also included is a UA comprising a component configured to detect an SPS activation/reconfiguration signaling over a PDCCH only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a DRX on-duration by a predetermined amount of time. |
| US08879449B2 |
Method of acquiring system information in wireless communication system
A method of acquiring system information in a wireless communication system includes receiving scheduling system information including scheduling information indicating a start time of dynamic system information, monitoring the dynamic system information from a start time of the dynamic system information according to the scheduling system information, and ending the monitoring of the dynamic system information upon receiving a system information end indicator indicating an end time of the dynamic system information. Since an end time of dynamic system information is indicated, a process of acquiring system information can be further effectively performed. |
| US08879448B2 |
Apparatus for controlling power of WiMedia media access control device and method using the same
An apparatus and method of controlling power of a wireless multimedia media access control (WiMedia MAC) device are provided. The method includes: determining whether a fragment of an MAC service data unit (MSDU) is lost when a fragment is received; extracting a duration field from the received fragment if it is determined that the fragment of the MSDU is lost; and converting a power mode into a low power mode during a period of time established in the duration field. |
| US08879446B2 |
Method for transmitting a common control channel, and FEMTO base station for same
The present invention relates to a femto base station. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting a common control channel and to a femto base station for the same. The present invention relates to a method for transmitting a common control channel, comprising a step in which the femto base station acquires segment information from a macro base station which overlays the femto base station; a step of identifying, using the segment information, a time segment used by the macro base station in transmitting the common control channel; and a step of transmitting a common control channel of the femto base station on a time segment other than the time-segment identified in the previous step. The present invention also relates to a femto base station for the method. |
| US08879444B2 |
Cascade system for network units
In one embodiment, a method is described for detecting an operational failure between the network unit and an adjacent network unit in the stack; controlling the switching engine to redirect packets which would otherwise be sent from a particular port to the adjacent network unit to be forwarded from another port to be sent to a different network unit in the stack; and entering the switching engine into a bypass mode in response to control data indicating an operational failure between at least two other network units in the stack to cause packets to be forwarded without being re-directed by the switching engine. |
| US08879443B2 |
Terminal, base station, response method, and retransmission control method
Disclosed are a terminal, a base station, a response method, and a retransmission control method, which are capable of switching the response signal transmission method while preventing throughput degradation and without increasing the number of signaling bits. A bundling determination unit (132) of a terminal (100) determines parameters that denote the allocated resource quantities that are allocated thereto from a base station (200), or in other words, a downstream band that is included in a bundling group and a downstream band that is not included in the bundling group, from among a plurality of downstream bands on the basis of base station transmission parameters. Specifically, a degree of resource share (Xn) that is allocated from each respective downstream band to the terminal (100) is employed in the base station transmission parameters. |
| US08879437B2 |
Backward compatible LTE system design for asymmetric uplink/downlink spectrum
A method of frequency division duplex (FDD) wireless communications asymmetrically maps between downlink and uplink spectrum blocks. Multiple downlink spectrum blocks may be mapped to an uplink spectrum block. |
| US08879435B1 |
Memory access system and method
Various embodiments of systems and methods for memory access are provided. In one embodiment, a data segment is stored in a plurality of memory segments of at least one memory bank. The data segment stored in the memory segments is selected, where the data segment has a bit boundary that is arbitrarily misaligned with at least one memory segment boundary of the memory segments. |
| US08879431B2 |
Method for load balancing of requests' processing of diameter servers
A system, computer readable medium and method of load balancing of requests between Diameter-enabled network devices is disclosed. Processing occurs at a signal controller in communication with a first Diameter-enabled network device and a second Diameter-enabled network device, request handling capacity of at least the second Diameter-enabled network device. One or more tokens are allocated for inbound requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device. The second Diameter-enabled network device is notified of the one or more allocated tokens for handling a corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device. Transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device is coordinated by the signal controller. |
| US08879424B2 |
Method and apparatus for exchanging routing information and the establishment of connectivity across multiple network areas
Routes may be installed across multiple link state protocol controlled Ethernet network areas by causing ABBs to leak I-SID information advertised by BEBs in a L1 network area into an L2 network area. ABBs will only leak I-SIDs for BEBs where it is the closest ABB for that BEB. Where another ABB on the L2 network also leaks the same I-SID into the L2 network area from another L1 network area, the I-SID is of multi-area interest. ABBs will advertise I-SIDs that are common to the L1 and L2 networks back into their respective L1 network. Within each L1 and L2 network area, forwarding state will be installed between network elements advertising common interest in an ISID, so that multi-area paths may be created to span the L1/L2/L1 network areas. The L1/L2/L1 network structure may recurse an arbitrary number of times. |
| US08879422B2 |
Fairness provision via controlling a transmission opportunity window in a wireless mesh network
The invention allows fairness provision in wireless mesh networks with respect to the data rate that stations communicate. A fairness metric is obtained during a mesh profile negotiation performed in order for a wireless station to join a wireless mesh network. Predetermined mesh transmission parameters of the wireless station are sent to previously joined wireless stations in a predetermined neighborhood of the wireless station. From the previously joined wireless stations their respective predetermined mesh transmission parameters are received. In response to a first predetermined event, a transmission opportunity window is determined for the wireless station based on the obtained fairness metric, the predetermined mesh transmission parameters of the wireless station, and the predetermined mesh transmission parameters of the previously joined wireless stations. |
| US08879420B2 |
Mobile phone docking station VPNs
A docking station includes a docking port configured to physically dock with a mobile device, wherein the docking port includes an input/output port. The docking station further includes a communication interface configured to send and receive traffic via a wired network. The docking station also includes a processing unit configured to set-up multiple Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) via the wired network and one or more other networks, assign at least one network address from multiple network addresses to each one of the multiple VPNs, and configure, via the input/output port, the mobile device to send and/or receive traffic via selected ones of the multiple VPNs. |
| US08879418B2 |
Method and apparatus for updating DNS of host in IPv6 stateless address configuration
Disclosed is a method for updating DNS of host in IPv6 stateless address auto-configuration, wherein an option is added in the RS message sent by a host and/or RA message sent by a router, said option including information for negotiation of updating DNS of host. Based on said information, the host negotiates with the router to determine whether the host or the router register, the mapping between the global address of the host and the full domain name of the host, to a DNS server, to complete updating the DNS of the host. This invention enables the host to correctly identify the matching relation between domain name suffix information and address prefix, and achieves the negotiation of updating DNS domain name between the host and the router. Since DNS updating is performed by a router instead of the host, the DNS updating would become simple and safe. |
| US08879417B2 |
Providing toll free data in a wireless system
A wireless data-oriented service provides toll free data access to wireless users, such as GSM or CDMA-based users, when accessing specified content. The content provider pays for (“sponsors”) access to specific content for wireless users, often in conjunction with advertisement campaigns. In one embodiment a separate access point name is used when making the request to distinguish between sponsored data and conventional data access requests. In another embodiment, a portal proxy is used and sponsored data is distinguished from conventional data by the address of the destination web site. Wireless users accessing the sponsored content are not billed for usage, but rather the content provider is billed for usage. A data session management platform generates appropriate call data records indicating the session usage and transmits the records to reconcile accounts between the mobile network operator and the content provider. |
| US08879416B2 |
Heterogeneous mesh network and a multi-RAT node used therein
This invention discloses a heterogeneous mesh network comprised of multiple radio access technology nodes, wherein nodes can function dynamically, switching roles between client and server. Moreover, these nodes can operate in a heterogeneous fashion with respect to one another. In an alternate embodiment, the invention describes a mesh network comprised of nodes operating over TV white-space. This invention additionally discloses self-organizing network embodiments and embodiments that include novel methods of monitoring operational parameters within a mesh network, adjusting those operational parameters, and creating and implementing routing tables. |
| US08879414B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting data in a wireless communication system. The method for transmitting data involves allocating a first node set containing a plurality of nodes for the transmission of downlink signals and a second node set containing a plurality of nodes for the reception of uplink signals, and communicating with a terminal through the first node set and the second node set. In the event the uplink transmission and downlink transmission are performed by base stations or nodes that are different from each other, the operation of the base stations and of a terminal can be efficiently controlled. |
| US08879410B1 |
Platform adaptive data system
Some embodiments of the invention relate to WRAs that implement removable memory units (RMUs). The ability to load operational, maintenance, and mission data through RMUs is critical for avionics platform safety and logistics. However, due to strong hardware dependence, universality, or rather platform-invariance is not currently available for aircraft data acquisition (including the real-time recording of new performance, operational (flight) and environmental data) or mission data loading via prior art WRAs. |
| US08879407B2 |
Two-way ranging messaging scheme
In a two-way ranging scheme where a first apparatus (e.g., device) determines a distance to a second apparatus (e.g., device), specified packets are sent between these apparatuses at specified times to facilitate the determination of the distance. In some aspects, these packets may be defined and/or sent in a manner that enables the apparatuses to detect a leading edge of a received packet with a high degree of accuracy. For example, an apparatus may transmit a packet a defined period of time after transmitting or receiving another packet. In addition, a packet may comprise a defined symbol sequence that is used by an apparatus that receives the packet to identify a leading edge of the packet. |
| US08879406B2 |
User equipment tracing in a wireless communications network
The present invention relates to a method and a network control node for tracing activity and monitoring performance of user equipments in a partly IP-based wireless communications network. The wireless communications network comprises operator controllable and/or operator uncontrollable wireless access points in communication with a network control node via one or more operator controllable and/or operator uncontrollable Internet Protocol, IP, networks. The described method is characterized by a first step of receiving a trace triggering request and user equipment identification, at a network control node, from a first network node. Alternatively, the trace triggering request is received on a signaling connection that explicitly identifies the user equipment. The network control node then starts a trace recording and information retrieval procedure relating to the identified user equipment and identifies all used IP networks and user equipment serving access point. The method further comprises the steps of analyzing the IP networks used between the network node and the user equipment and/or analyzing the user equipment serving access point. Thereafter, a trace printout is created including analyzing results and retrieved information, the printout is to be sent to a second network node, or stored locally for later retrieval. |
| US08879401B2 |
Loss measurement for multicast data delivery
A method of measuring loss in a multicast transmission in a network is described. Service frames including a service multicast destination address are sent from a source node towards a receiving node. A counter of the number of service frames sent is maintained at the source node. This counter is periodically read, and its value copied into a loss measurement OAM frame. The loss measurement OAM frame includes a unique identifier and an OAM destination address which is different to the service multicast destination address, and is sent from the source node towards the receiving node. Every time the sent frames counter is read, a measurement indicator frame is also sent from the source node towards the receiving node. The measurement indicator frame includes the unique identifier so that it can be related to the loss measurement OAM frame. The measurement indicator frame also includes the service multicast destination address, although the measurement indicator frame is distinguishable from the service frames. The receiving node eventually receives the loss measurement OAM frame and the measurement indicator frame, and calculates the number of lost or delayed service frames by comparing the number of service frames received at the receiving node at the time the measurement indicator frame is received with the sent frames counter value contained in the loss measurement OAM frame. The calculation is only performed when the loss measurement OAM frame and measurement indicator frame having the same identifier have been received by the receiving node. |
| US08879399B2 |
Method and system for managing data transfer
A method and a system for managing data transfer are provided. The method includes receiving a poll request for a status report on Protocol Data Units (PDUs) transmitted sequentially during the data transfer, determining a status reporting range of the PDUs to be accounted in the status report based on a sequence number in the poll request, and providing the status report with status information on a receipt or a loss of the PDUs within the status reporting range during the data transfer. |
| US08879394B2 |
Method and system of packet based identifier locator network protocol (ILNP) load balancing and routing
A method to provide load balancing and routing for a plurality of end systems in a network. The network contains a load balancer (LB) and the method comprises receiving a request packet with Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) addresses specified. A destination address is associated with a set of target end systems and presence of a nonce information indicates the requesting correspondent node is Identifier Locator Network Protocol (ILNP) capable. The method further comprises directing the request packet to a specific end system from the set of target end systems that share a load balanced address, wherein each target end system has a unique direct path locator prefix. The method also comprises overwriting a common IPv6 locator prefix with the unique direct path locator prefix, forwarding the request packet to the specific end system, and notifying a requesting correspondent node the direct path locator prefix for the specific end system. |
| US08879392B2 |
BGP security update intercepts
Network devices, systems, and methods, including executable instructions and/or logic thereon, are provided to perform BGP intercepts. A network device includes a processing resource coupled to a memory. The memory includes program instructions executed by the processing resource to intercept BGP updates and process associated cryptographic signatures before receipt by a BGP router. |
| US08879388B2 |
Method and system for intrusion detection and prevention based on packet type recognition in a network
Certain aspects of a method and system for intrusion detection and prevention based on packet type recognition in a network are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include determining a packet type for each of a plurality of received network packets based on at least one of: a header and content of each of the plurality of received network packets. The rate at which the plurality of received network packets are handled at a port in the network switching device may be regulated based on a number of occurrences of the determined packet type of the plurality of received network packets. |
| US08879386B2 |
Apparatus and method for scheduler implementation for best effort (BE) prioritization and anti-starvation
In various embodiments, a method, computer-readable storage medium, and apparatus for scheduling prioritized best effort (BE) service flows through a wireless network base station includes a controller coupled to a memory. If any one of a plurality of BE service flows are congested, a minimum reserved traffic rate (MRTR) algorithm is used by the controller to ensure that at least a highest priority BE service flow is maintained at least at an associated MRTR. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested, a maximum sustained traffic rate (MSTR) algorithm is used by the controller to enable the highest priority BE service flow to be set to at least at an associated MSTR before lower priority service flows are increased. If none of the plurality of BE service flows are congested and each service flow is at their associated MSTR, the controller is configured to distribute any excess bandwidth to each service flow in accordance with an initial set of priority BE traffic flow ratios. |
| US08879383B1 |
Methods and apparatus for improving reliability of point-of-point network connection
A network configuration having multiple network elements and routers using point-to-point network redundancy to improve network reliability and performance is disclosed. A process using point-to-point network redundancy is able to detect a first checking message (“CM”) formatted in a connectivity verification protocol (“CVP”) such as IEEE 802.1ag indicating a primary link failure. The primary link is a connection between a first network element (“NE”) situated in a first network such as Ethernet based LAN network and a second NE situated in a second network such as an IP based MPLS network. Upon sending a second CM indicating the primary link failure to the second NE, a coordinated failover from the primary link to the backup link at both first and second NEs is performed. |
| US08879381B2 |
Ethernet ring system, transit node of Ethernet ring system and initialization method thereof
The present invention provides an Ethernet ring system, transit node of Ethernet ring system, and initialization method thereof, wherein the method includes the following steps: step 1, generating a transit node of Ethernet ring protection domain by means of ring nodes; step 2, detecting the link state of two ring ports by means of the transit node: if neither of the two ring ports is detected as in-fault, then recording ring the link state as initialization state, blocking at least one of the ring ports, setting the at least one blocked port in prerelease state, and sending a ring state query packet to a master node, by means of the transit node; step 3, when the ring state query packet is received, sending a ring state packet recorded by the master node to the ring port that receives the ring state query packet, by means of the master node; and step 4, checking whether the ring state packet sent by the master node have been received by the transit node of which the ring state is the initialization state; if so, unblocking the blocked port in the prerelease state, to realize initialization of the transit node. |
| US08879367B2 |
Synchronized watches that work in tandem to tell time
The current disclosure describes and teaches a timepiece combination that may preferably be used by a pair of persons to show unity, affection, and togetherness. In one embodiment, the timepiece combination may include two watches having similar or complimentary background pattern and overall design, while one watch displays only the hourly time of the present time, the other watch displays only the minute time of the present time. Only by combining the display of the watches may the users be shown the precise present time. The timepiece combination may take the conventional clock hand format or a digital display. Overall, the design of the timepiece combination emphasizes and reflects the bond and unity between the users, allowing a showing of friendship, love, and/or affection through the watches. |
| US08879366B2 |
Clocks with uniquely driven elements which are interpreted by the use of traditional clock interpretation methods
Apparatuses (250) for the display of time with distinctive aesthetic character that include rigid rotating members (220) which are driven by movements (251) and held in place by the force of gravity. The movement (251) rotates drive wheels (256, 257) so that the rigid rotating members (220) indicate the current time and the time is interpreted using traditional clock interpretation methods. The movement (251) may include a support bushing (260) to provide support for output shafts (252, 253) of the movement (251). A cover (262) may also provide support for output shafts (252, 253). |
| US08879359B2 |
Sonar navigation system and method
A method for pre-determining an underwater objects GPS position using a rotatable scan sonar unit linked to a boat, magnetic compass and GPS receiver. This system determines the underwater objects GPS position using the objects distance, compass heading and a GPS receiver/sonar on a boat. This system will provide real time longitude and latitude positions of underwater objects seen with sonar at a distance from a boat, and will allow for precise autopilot navigation or fixed position fishing. The system can also be used to correct for GPS errors when using previously stored waypoints positions of an object. The computer determines an objects underwater GPS position using a sonar transducer and mounted on a 360 degree movable mechanism such as a trolling motor unit, or phased array of transducers and a compass to provide heading information and formulates the objects position based on the distance and heading of the object in relation to the boats current GPS position. |
| US08879358B2 |
Device for determining a filling level
A device for determining a filling level in a container, with a stillwell which has an entry opening and a vent opening, an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the base region of the stillwell and at least one pre-chamber. The pre-chamber has an inlet opening to the container and an outlet opening to the entry opening of the Stillwell. The pre-chamber of the device has a second outlet opening that opens out in a lead-off arrangement. By the lead-off arrangement, foamed medium flowing in quickly and suddenly into the pre-chamber of the device does not arrive into the measurement section of the ultrasonic transducer. |
| US08879356B1 |
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. |
| US08879355B2 |
3-D harmonic-source reverse time migration systems and methods for seismic data analysis
Computing device and method for processing seismic traces to produce an image of a subsurface area. The method includes receiving a series of seismic traces related to the subsurface area and recorded by one or more seismic receivers, wherein the one or more seismic sources are originally generated by a source; applying a phase encoding function to the series of seismic traces, at least a portion of said seismic traces comprise signals reflected by geological interfaces of the subsurface area; applying a 3 dimensional (3D) harmonic-source reverse time migration of the series of seismic traces encoded with the phase encoding function; computing a forward wavefield by solving a first wave equation; computing a backward wavefield by solving a second wave equation; and cross-correlating the forward wavefield with the backward wavefield to generate an image of the subsurface. |
| US08879354B2 |
Method of acquiring vibroseismic data concerning a zone of the subsoil, and seismic exploration method including such a method
The invention concerns a method of acquiring vibroseismic data concerning a zone of the subsoil. This method comprises the following steps: —operating a vibroseismic source so that it transmits a first vibroseismic signal having a first amplitude (101, 201), —operating the source so that it transmits a second vibroseismic signal having a second amplitude different from the first amplitude (103, 203), —recording first data corresponding to the first signal after propagation in the medium to be explored (102, 202), —recording second data corresponding to the second signal after propagation in the medium to be explored (104, 204). The method supplies information for filtering the surface waves (ground roll). |
| US08879352B2 |
Ultrasonic/photoacoustic imaging devices and methods
Devices are disclosed for obtaining data of a sample, particularly data capable of being processed to produce an image of a region of the sample. An exemplary device includes a light-beam source, an acoustic-wave source, an optical element, and an acoustic detector. The optical element is transmissive to a light beam produced by the light-beam source and reflective to acoustic waves produced by the acoustic-wave source. The optical element is situated to direct the transmitted light beam and reflected acoustic wave simultaneously along an optical axis to be incident at a situs in or on a sample to cause the sample to produce acoustic echoes from the incident acoustic waves while also producing photoacoustic waves from the incident light beam photoacoustically interacting with the situs. The acoustic detector is placed to receive and detect the acoustic echoes and the photoacoustic waves from the situs. The acoustic detector can comprise one or more hydrophones exploiting the acousto-electric effect. |
| US08879348B2 |
Power management in semiconductor memory system
A method for operating a memory module device. The method can include transferring a chip select, command, and address information from a host memory controller. The host memory controller can be coupled to a memory interface device, which can be coupled to a memory module. The memory module can comprise a plurality of memory devices. The chip select, command and address information can be received at the memory interface using a command-and-address-latency (CAL) mode. Control logic can be used to initiate a power state transition from a first power state to a second power state of an input termination circuit in the memory interface device. |
| US08879344B1 |
Phase change memory with flexible time-based cell decoding
Methods and systems for time-based cell decoding for PCM memory. Generally, the higher the PCM element resistance, the longer it takes for a read output to change state. PCM memory output is determined using differentiated timings of read outputs changing state, rather than differentiated values of read outputs. In some single-bit single-ended sensing embodiments, a reference, with resistance between the resistances corresponding to a pair of adjacent logical states, is stored in multiple reference cells; a “vote” unit emits a clock signal when a majority of the reference cell read outputs transition at the vote unit. Timing units produce different binary outputs depending on whether a data read output or the clock signal changes state first at the timing unit. Time-based decoding provides advantages including improved temperature and drift resilience, improved state discrimination, improved reliability of multibit PCM, and fast and reliable sensing. |
| US08879334B2 |
Semiconductor device having timing control for read-write memory access operations
A semiconductor device avoids the disturb problem and the collision between write and read operations in a DP-SRAM cell or a 2P-SRAM cell. The semiconductor device 1 includes a write word line WLA and a read word line WLB each coupled to memory cells 3. A read operation activates the read word line WLB corresponding to the selected memory cell 3. A write operation activates the write word line WLA corresponding to the selected memory cell 3. The selected write word line WLA is activated after activation of the selected read word line WLB in an operation cycle that performs both read and write operations. |
| US08879331B2 |
Shared bit line string architecture
Methods for programming and reading memory cells using a shared bit line string architecture are described. In some embodiments, memory cells and select devices may correspond with transistors including a charge storage layer. In some cases, the charge storage layer may be conductive (e.g., a polysilicon layer as used in a floating gate device) or non-conductive (e.g., a silicon nitride layer as used in a SONOS device). In some embodiments, selection of a memory cell in a first string of a pair of strings may include setting an SEO transistor into a conducting state and setting an SGD line controlling drain-side select transistors to a voltage that is greater than a first threshold voltage associated with a first drain-side select transistor of the first string and less than a second threshold voltage associated with a second drain-side select transistor of a second string of the pair of strings. |
| US08879326B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including plural memory cells and a dummy cell coupled to an end of a memory cell
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having a plurality of electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells connected in series together includes a select gate transistor connected in series to the serial combination of memory cells. A certain one of the memory cells which is located adjacent to the select gets transistor is for use as a dummy cell. This dummy cell is not used for data storage. During data erasing, the dummy cell is applied with the same bias voltage as that for the other memory cells. |
| US08879316B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of generating voltages using the same
A semiconductor device includes a register unit for storing additional bits associated with a command signal and outputting a selected additional bit corresponding to a received address; a combination circuit for combining received control bits and the selected additional bit, and outputting enable signals based on the combined bits, where the received control bits are generated in response to the command signal and a control signal; and a voltage generation circuit for outputting voltages distributed in response to the enable signals. |
| US08879315B2 |
Storage element and storage device
Provided is a storage element including a storage layer that holds information according to a magnetization state of a magnetic body, a magnetization fixing layer that has magnetization serving as a reference of the information stored in the storage layer, and an insulation layer that is formed of a non-magnetic body disposed between the storage layer and the magnetization fixing layer. The information is stored by reversing the magnetization of the storage layer using spin torque magnetization reversal occurring with a current flowing in a lamination direction of a layer configuration of the storage layer, the insulation layer, and the magnetization fixing layer, and a size of the storage layer is less than a size in which a direction of the magnetization is simultaneously changed. |
| US08879314B2 |
Memory cell with Schottky diode
Memory cell comprising two conductors, with a serially connected magnetic storage element and a Schottky diode between the two conductors. The Schottky diode provides a unidirectional conductive path between the two conductors and through the element. The Schottky diode is formed between a metal layer in one of the two conductors and a processed junction layer. Methods for process and for operation of the memory cell are also disclosed. The memory cell using the Schottky diode can be designed for high speed operation and with high density of integration. Advantageously, the junction layer can also be used as a hard mask for defining the individual magnetic storage element in the memory cell. The memory cell is particularly useful for magnetic random access memory (MRAM) circuits. |
| US08879308B2 |
Raising programming currents of magnetic tunnel junctions using word line overdrive and high-k metal gate
A method of operating magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) cells includes providing an MRAM cell, which includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) device; and a selector comprising a source-drain path serially coupled to the MTJ device. The method further includes applying an overdrive voltage to a gate of the selector to turn on the selector. |
| US08879306B2 |
Magnetic memory circuit with stress inducing layer
Memory circuit comprising an addressable magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack, forming a magnetic storage element in the circuit. The MTJ stack comprises a tunnel oxide layer between a free layer and a fixed layer. A stress inducing layer is disposed adjacent to the free layer to provide tensile or compressive stress to the free layer, in order to manipulate a magnetic field that is required to write a bit into the MTJ stack. Method of using the memory circuit is also proposed. |
| US08879296B2 |
Memory system and method using stacked memory device dice
A method and apparatus for organizing memory for a computer system including a plurality of memory devices 2, 3, connected to a logic device 1, particularly a memory system having a plurality of stacked memory dice connected to a logic die, with the logic device 1 having capability to analyze and compensate for differing delays to the stacked devices 2,3,4,5 stacking multiple dice divided into partitions serviced by multiple buses 21,22 connected to a logic die 1, to increase throughput between the devices 2,3 and logic 1 device allowing large scale integration of memory with self-healing capability. |
| US08879295B1 |
Electronic circuit for remapping faulty memory arrays of variable size
A memory under repair having variable size blocks of failed memory addresses is connected to a TCAM comprising cells storing data values of ranges of the failed memory addresses in the memory under repair. The TCAM is connected to a virtual address line. Matchlines in the TCAM drive wordlines in a RAM connected to the TCAM. Each entry in the TCAM corresponds to one entry in the RAM and represents a single block of failed memory addresses. A first input of an XOR gate in an integrated circuit device is operatively connected to the RAM and a second input is operatively connected to the virtual address line. Responsive to a virtual address being an address in one of the ranges of failed memory addresses, the XOR gate calculates a physical memory address redirecting the virtual address to an unused good memory location in place of the failed memory address. |
| US08879294B2 |
Selective activation of programming schemes in analog memory cell arrays
A method for data storage includes defining a first programming scheme that programs a group of analog memory cells while reducing interference caused by at least one memory cell that neighbors the group, and a second programming scheme that programs the group of the analog memory cells and does not reduce all of the interference reduced by the first programming scheme. One of the first and second programming schemes is selected based on a criterion defined with respect to the analog memory cells. Data is stored in the group of the analog memory cells using the selected programming scheme. |
| US08879289B2 |
Systems and methods for flyback power converters with switching frequency and peak current adjustments based on changes in feedback signals
System and method for regulating a power converter. The system includes a first comparator configured to receive a first input signal and a second input signal and generate a first comparison signal based on at least information associated with the first input signal and the second input signal, a pulse-width-modulation generator configured to receive at least the first comparison signal and generate a modulation signal based on at least information associated with the first comparison signal, a driver component configured to receive the modulation signal and output a drive signal to a switch to adjust a primary current flowing through a primary winding of the power converter, and a voltage-change-rate detection component configured to sample the feedback signal to generate a first sampled signal for a first modulation period and to sample the feedback signal to generate a second sampled signal for a second modulation period. |
| US08879286B2 |
Facility power supply with power-factor correction
An embodiment of a power supply includes an input node, a converter stage, and an outlet. The input node is operable to receive an input AC signal having peak portions and non-peak portions. The converter stage is operable to generate a DC power signal from the input AC signal and to cause a first current to be drawn from the input node during at least the non-peak portions of the input AC signal. And the outlet is operable to carry the DC power signal. For example, such a power supply may be installed in a facility such as a residence, office building, or manufacturing plant, or the facility's existing power supply may be retrofitted, to provide one or more power outlets that each carry a respective power-factor-corrected (PFC) DC voltage. Because the outlet voltages are PFC voltages, the amount of wasted power dissipated in the facility power lines/wiring and in the main power lines from the power company may be significantly reduced, without requiring each piece of equipment (e.g., an appliance, machinery) that is wired/plugged into the outlets to have an onboard PFC. This savings in wasted power may provide a significant cost savings to both the facility owner (e.g., lower electric bill) and the power company (e.g., lower power-generation and grid costs), and the ability to use equipment lacking onboard PFCs may reduce the purchase price of the equipment. |
| US08879278B2 |
Datacommunications/telecommunications patching systems with bundled patch cord assembly
A cord bundle assembly includes: a plurality of communications cords, each of the communications cords comprising a plurality of communications signal-carrying members, the communications cords being grouped as a bundle; and a cord management assembly. The cord management assembly includes: a fixed cuff that encircles and is fixed relative to the plurality of communications cords; a slip cuff that encircles and is slidable relative to the plurality of communications cords; and a generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second ends, the fixed cuff being mounted to the first end, and the slip cuff being mounted to the second end. This configuration can assist in the management and organization of cords arranged in a cord bundle as they are routed between communications equipment. |
| US08879277B2 |
Drive modularity
A modular industrial drive system includes a base that receives one or more control modules as a face template. The control modules provide a set of functionalities to the drive system, and the face template serves as a user interface to the drive system. The drive system can include a power module and a control module which define desired functionalities for the system. |
| US08879276B2 |
Flexible circuit assembly and method thereof
An embedded device 105 is assembled within a flexible circuit assembly 30 with the embedded device mid-plane intentionally located in proximity to the flexible circuit assembly central plane 115 to minimize stress effects on the embedded device. The opening 18, for the embedded device, is enlarged in an intermediate layer 10 to enhance flexibility of the flexible circuit assembly. |
| US08879275B2 |
Anti-corrosion conformal coating comprising modified porous silica fillers for metal conductors electrically connecting an electronic component
A conformal coating comprising modified porous silica particles is disclosed. A porous silica particle, such as MCM-14 or SBA-15 is modified with a sulfur gettering functionality, such as a phosphine compound, covalently bonded to silicon atoms in the porous silica particle. The conformal coating comprising the modified porous silica particles may be applied to metallic wiring areas of a circuit component, with the sulfur gettering functionality preventing sulfur from atmospheric gasses from penetrating the conformal coating to the metallic wiring. |
| US08879274B2 |
Method of manufacturing an electrical component
There is disclosed a method of manufacturing an electrical component, involving bonding a thin metal foil to an insulating substrate and thereby forming a component blank, and laser machining at least the metal foil of said component blank to produce at least one trench for defining one or more foil tracks, said trench being at least equal in depth to the thickness of the foil so as to prevent current flow across the trench. |
| US08879273B2 |
Mobile terminal and casing connecting structure
A mobile terminal including a first casing, and a second casing connected to the first casing. An electrically conductive plate is disposed inside either of the first casing and the second casing or between the first casing and the second casing. A flexible printed circuit board connects the first casing and the second casing. An electrically conductive reinforcement member is connected to a surface of a portion of the flexible printed circuit board. An electrically conductive connecting member conducts electricity between the electrically conductive reinforcement member and the electrically conductive plate. |
| US08879270B2 |
Rack mountable server apparatus
A rack mountable server apparatus is disposed on a plane of a rack. The rack mountable server apparatus includes a chassis and a plurality of server units. The chassis is disposed in the rack, and the appearance of the chassis is a rectangular cuboid. When the chassis is installed in the rack, a first surface constructed by a length and a width of the chassis is parallel to the plane. The server units are disposed in the chassis. Each of server units has a circuit board, and the circuit boards are arranged parallel to a second surface which is constructed by the length and the height of the chassis or the width and the height of the chassis, and are perpendicular to the first surface. |
| US08879268B2 |
Cooling system for an electronic rack
The present invention discloses a cooling system for an electronic rack, comprising: an electronic rack comprising at least one side wall; at least one electronic chassis comprising a top wall and at least one side wall and disposed inside the electronic rack for housing at least one modular electronics equipment comprising a plurality of electronic components and at least one stationary thermal interface arranged above the plurality of electronic components; a first detachable thermal interface arranged between the top wall of the at least one electronic chassis and the at least one modular electronic equipment; and at least one second detachable thermal interface arranged between the at least one side wall of the electronic rack and the at least one side wall of the at least one electronic chassis. |
| US08879266B2 |
Thin multi-layered structures providing rigidity and conductivity
Electronic devices having a multi-layer structure that provides enhanced conductivity (thermal and/or electrical conductivity) are disclosed. The multi-layer structure can have a plurality of adjacent layers. At least one layer can primarily provide structural rigidity, and at least another layer can primarily provide enhanced conductivity. The layer of high conductivity can serve to provide the electronic device with greater ability to disperse generated heat and/or to provide an accessible voltage potential (e.g., ground plane). Advantageously, the multi-layer structure can provide enhanced conductivity using an otherwise required structural component and without necessitating an increase in thickness. |
| US08879259B2 |
Cooling system for onboard electrical power converter, and electrical power converter for railway vehicle
A cooling system for an onboard electrical power converter in which a heat dissipation surface extends parallel to a flow of cooling air draft includes: a coolant tank containing coolant that includes a bottom surface being in thermal contact with the heat dissipation surface; a first conduit provided connecting to an upper surface of the coolant tank, the coolant flowing into the first conduit; a heat exchanger that comprises second conduits arranged with opposing the upper surface, and conducts the coolant to upstream; and a return unit that returns the coolant to the coolant tank; wherein the heat exchanger comprises heat dissipation fins through which the cooling air draft passes from a first to a second side, the heat dissipation fins being provided on surfaces of the second conduits, the first side not facing the coolant tank and the second side facing the coolant tank. |
| US08879258B1 |
Liquid cooling system for modular electronic systems
A system for cooling an integrated circuit of an electronic device includes a cooling body and a shelf that is positioned relative to the cooling body for the device to be reversibly inserted onto the shelf so that the cooling body is in thermal contact with the integrated circuit. The cooling body is cooled by introducing a fluid therein via an input conduit. The hot fluid is received from the cooling body by an output conduit and is cooled for recycling. The housing of the electronic device includes a rearward gap that admits the cooling body into the housing of the electronic device. Preferably, further cooling is provided by forcing a gas to flow past the output conduit. |
| US08879252B2 |
Adaptive cooling device positioning for electronic components
A method and apparatus of cooling electronic components when replacing a cooling device in an information technology system are disclosed. The apparatus may include first and second cooling device trays that may be slidably mounted within an information technology system. The cooling device trays may include one or more cooling devices that are movably mounted to the cooling device trays. The apparatus may pivot one or more of the cooling devices when a pivot member contacts a fixed member with the chassis. |
| US08879247B2 |
Computer chassis cooling sidecar
A computer chassis cooling sidecar for cooling one or more computers in a chassis of computers in a data center, the sidecar including an air intake chamber and a chassis delivery chamber, the air intake chamber having a first opening at a bottom end for receiving air from beneath the data center through perforated tiles in the floor of the data center located on the side of the computer chassis, the air intake chamber having at the top end a directional vane shaped to direct airflow from the side of the chassis to a chassis delivery chamber; wherein the chassis delivery chamber resides in front or back of the chassis and has an opening to receive air from the air intake chamber and an opening to deliver the received air to the front or back of the computer chassis. |
| US08879245B2 |
Protective case for portable electronic device
A protective case for protecting a portable electronic device is provided. The case includes first and second bodies which cover the periphery of the electronic device, and locking parts which separably couple the first and second bodies to each other. Each body includes a lateral extension part which extends in a lateral direction, and longitudinal extension parts which extend in a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal extension parts include a longitudinal short side part which extends from an end of the lateral extension part, and a longitudinal long side part which extends from the other end of the lateral extension part. The locking parts are formed at junctions between the longitudinal long side part of the first body and the longitudinal short side part of the second body and between the longitudinal long side part of the second body and the longitudinal short side part of the first body. |
| US08879244B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a front plate having a transparent board and a mounting frame, the mounting frame having a bottom attached to a back face of the transparent board and a side perpendicular to the bottom, the front plate having a long hole in the side; a display panel disposed on a back face side of the front plate; and a mounting member having a fixed section fixed to a back face of the display panel and a locking section extending from the fixed section and loosely inserted into the long hole of the mounting frame. |
| US08879242B2 |
Mobile power system
A mobile power system comprises a plurality of energy sources, wherein at least one energy source is a solar powered generating device and at least one energy source is a wind powered generating device; a plurality of electronic and telecommunications components configured to receive the power generated by the plurality of energy sources and/or convert the power generated to direct current power; a plurality of batteries configured to store the direct current power; and at least one transportable housing configured to hold the plurality of energy sources, the plurality of electronic and telecommunications, and the plurality of batteries during transport of the housing, and wherein the housing is configured to remotely operate the at least one solar powered energy device and the at least one wind powered generating device when the mobile power system is in operation. |
| US08879241B2 |
Server rack and power transmission assembly thereof
A server rack configured for a plurality of servers is disclosed, in which each of the servers has a power supply circuit board. The server rack includes: a case having a first face and a second face opposed to each other, the first face having an opening for the servers to be arranged in the case in an orientation; a power supply module provided on the second face of the case; and a power transmission assembly composed of a busbar provided on the second face in the orientation and electrically connected to the power supply module; and a plurality of electrical connectors provided on the busbar and coupled respectively with the power supply circuit boards of the servers. Through the power transmission assembly, the servers may be powered in a centralized way by the power supply module. |
| US08879239B2 |
Supercapacitor cell and supercapacitive module incorporating a plurality of these cells
A supercapacitor cell is provided having unit cells arranged in series and encapsulated in a flexible and leak-tight packaging, and a supercapacitor module having at least one stack of several of these cells. The cell includes n unit cells (n≧2) arranged side by side in series and encapsulated in the packaging, each unit cell having two upper and lower electrodes, a membrane separating them and an ionic electrolyte, the cell having inside of the packaging a plurality of current collectors, two upper and lower collector parts of which respectively cover the upper and lower electrodes. A pair of adjacent unit cells is covered with an upper or lower collector common to this pair, two truncated upper and/or lower collectors formed at two ends of the cell, two adjacent collectors respectively terminated by facing edge sections electrically insulated from one another by an insulating adhesive material covering them. |
| US08879238B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor, and a method of manufacturing the same, the multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a ceramic body; a first internal electrode; a second internal electrode; a first external electrode; a second external electrode; and an insulating layer. |
| US08879230B2 |
IC EMI filter with ESD protection incorporating LC resonance tanks for rejection enhancement
An integrated circuit (IC) electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection incorporating inductor-capacitor (LC) resonance tanks is disclosed. The filter comprises at least one circuit composed of a diode and an inductor connected in series, wherein the diode induces a parasitic capacitance and the circuit is grounded. When a number of the circuit is two, a passive element is coupled between the two inductors and cooperates with them to induce two parasitic capacitances connected with the circuits. When a number of the circuit is one, two diodes respectively connect with the inductor through two passive elements. Each diode can induce a parasitic capacitance. The two passive elements and the inductor can induce a parasitic capacitance connected with the circuit. |
| US08879226B2 |
High side switch circuit, interface circuit and electronic device
A high side switch circuit includes a switch electrically connected between input and output terminals, a gate control unit, and an over-current sensor unit. The over-current sensor unit includes a resistive element and a comparator. The comparator senses an over-current if a voltage of the resistive element exceeds a threshold voltage. The comparator is adjusted in advance such that the detected voltage at the time of over-current exceeds the threshold voltage. Even if accuracy of resistance value of the resistive element is not high, accuracy of detecting over-current can be improved by adjusting the comparator. |
| US08879225B2 |
Protective circuit for a rechargeable battery pack
A protective circuit for an arrangement includes a multiplicity of individual cells in a rechargeable battery pack. A predefined number of individual cells are connected in series in a cell row and at least two cell rows are mutually parallel, and at least one cell connector situated between the individual cells at a location of one cell row is electrically connected via a compensation line to the cell connector situated at an identical location of the parallel cell row, and the potential of the cell connector connected to the compensation line at one location of one cell row and the potential of the cell connector electrically connected to the compensation line at the same location of the parallel cell row are detected and the detected potentials are fed to an evaluation unit. |
| US08879223B2 |
Integrated EMI filter circuit with ESD protection and incorporating capacitors
An integrated electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter circuit with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection and incorporating capacitors is provided. At least one passive element, i.e. resistor or inductor is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal. A first capacitor is connected between ground and the input terminal, and a second capacitor is connected between ground and the output terminal. A first diode and a second diode are connected in parallel to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. One or multiple parallel capacitors are connected in parallel to the passive element and between the input terminal and the output terminal for frequency compensation by employing the novel EMI LPF circuit, it is extraordinarily advantageous of enhancing its rejection band attenuation and meanwhile maintaining high cut-off frequency while implementation. |
| US08879221B2 |
ESD protection without latch-up
A device having an ESD module is disclosed. The ESD module includes an ESD circuit coupled between first and second rails and a control circuit coupled between the rails and to the ESD circuit. When the control circuit senses an ESD event, it causes the ESD circuit to create a current path between the rails to dissipate ESD current. When no ESD event is sensed, the control circuit ensures that no current path is created between the rails to prevent latch-up. |
| US08879219B2 |
Systems and methods for grounding power line sections to clear faults
Systems and methods for dynamically clearing faults in a power transmission line involve automatically terminating ends of a section of the power line while preserving electrical and/or physical continuity of the power line. The terminating of the ends is reversed at about voltage zero-crossings in the power line to clear a fault. |
| US08879214B2 |
Half metal trilayer TMR reader with negative interlayer coupling
In an embodiment of the invention, a trilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprises an underlayer on which a first free layer is deposited. A barrier layer is then deposited after which a second free layer is deposited. A capping layer is then deposited above second free layer. The first free layer is a layer which includes at least a layer of a nitride of an element including at least one of Fe, Co, or Ni, or a multiple laminate structure of a layer containing a nitride of an element including at least one of Fe, Co, Ni and another ferromagnetic layer containing at least one of Fe, Co, or Ni. The combination of the first and second free layers causes anti-parallel coupling. |
| US08879212B1 |
Disk drive suspension assembly with flexure having dual conductive layers with staggered traces
A disk drive suspension assembly has a load beam and a laminated flexure attached to the load beam. The laminated flexure includes a structural layer with a head mounting tongue, and first and second conductive layers. A first dielectric layer is disposed between the structural layer and the first conductive layer, and a second dielectric layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer includes a first plurality of interleaved traces with at least a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace separated by a first lateral intertrace spacing. The second conductive layer includes a second plurality of interleaved traces with at least a third conductive trace and a fourth conductive trace separated by a second lateral intertrace spacing. The fourth conductive trace overlies the first lateral intertrace spacing and the first conductive trace underlies the second lateral intertrace spacing. |
| US08879211B2 |
Suspension substrate, suspension, head suspension, hard disk drive, and method for manufacturing suspension substrate
A suspension substrate according to the present invention includes: an insulating layer; a spring material layer provided on one face of the insulating layer and having conductivity; and a plurality of wirings provided on the other face of the insulating layer. One wiring includes a head-side wiring part extending from the head portion, and a plurality of division wiring parts respectively bifurcated from the head-side wiring part. The spring material layer includes a spring material main body, and a wiring spring material part separated from the spring material main body, via a groove. A conductive connecting part extending through the insulating layer is provided in the insulating layer. Each of the division wiring parts of the one wiring is connected with the wiring spring material part, via the conductive connecting part. |
| US08879210B1 |
DSA suspension with microactuators extending to gimbal through flexible connectors
A dual stage actuated (DSA) suspension includes two PZT microactuators that are attached at their first ends to a non-gimbaled portion of the suspension such as the portion of the flexure that is rigidly attached to the load beam, and are attached at their second ends to the gimbaled portion of the suspension such as the gimbal tongue through flexible connectors that can be formed integrally with the suspension's flexure. The flexible connectors are flexible enough so as not to interfere with the suspension's gimballing action. The flexible connectors transmit force from the PZTs to the gimbal as the PZTs expand and contract in order to rotate the gimbal and thus effect fine movements of the head slider. |
| US08879208B1 |
Umbrella shield writer (UmSW) design for perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR)
An umbrella shield (UmS) is included as the uppermost magnetic layer in a trailing shield design in a read/write head to reduce stray field effects, lower bit error rate, and improve protrusion profile for better touch down detection. The UmS may be exposed or recessed from an air bearing surface (ABS), and has a cross-track width, down-track thickness, and length toward a back side that is greater than the corresponding width, thickness, and length dimensions of an underlying PP3 trailing shield. UmS may substantially conform to an arched PP3 shield shape or may be a flat layer. An insulation layer with a thickness of at least 0.3 microns is formed between the UmS and PP3 trailing shield to prevent undesirable coupling. The UmS preferably has a width greater than any other shield in the read/write head. |
| US08879207B1 |
Method for providing a side shield for a magnetic recording transducer using an air bridge
A method fabricates a side shield for a magnetic transducer having a nonmagnetic layer and an ABS location corresponding to an ABS. The nonmagnetic layer has a pole trench therein. The pole trench has a shape and location corresponding to the pole. A wet etchable layer is deposited. Part of the wet etchable layer resides in the pole trench. A pole is formed. The pole has a bottom and a top wider than the bottom in the pole tip region. Part of the pole in the pole tip region is in the pole trench on at least part of the wet etchable layer. At least parts of the wet etchable layer and the nonmagnetic layer are removed, forming an air bridge. The air bridge is between part of the pole at the ABS location and an underlying layer. Side shield layer(s) that substantially fill the air bridge are deposited. |
| US08879203B2 |
Spindle motor having lower thrust member with insertion protrusion and hard disk drive including the same
There are provided a spindle motor and a hard disk drive including the same, the spindle motor including a lower thrust member fixed to abase member; a shaft fixed to the lower thrust member; a sleeve disposed on the lower thrust member and rotatably installed with respect to the shaft; and a rotor hub coupled to the sleeve to rotate in conjunction therewith, wherein the lower thrust member has an insertion protrusion protruding upwardly in an axial direction and inserted into a fixing groove formed in a lower end of the shaft upwardly in the axial direction. |
| US08879202B2 |
Cartridge drive apparatus with identification hole detection lever
A cartridge drive apparatus includes a hole detection lever and a hole detector. The hole detection lever is provided with a projection corresponding to an identification hole position of a first shell of a cartridge at an insertion completion position of the cartridge. The projection is supported with respect to the identification hole to be movable in an insertion direction. The movement of the projection in the insertion direction is limited depending on a position of a second shell separated from the first shell. The hole detector is configured to detect whether or not an identification hole is formed at an identification hole position depending on the amount of movement of the projection in the insertion direction. |
| US08879201B2 |
Spindle motor, and disk drive apparatus including the spindle motor
A spindle motor includes a shaft arranged to extend in an axial direction, and a base portion arranged to define a portion of a housing, and including a through hole in which the shaft is inserted. A fixing region is defined between an inner circumferential portion of the base portion and a lower portion of the shaft. The fixing region includes a press-fitting region and an adhesion region defined on a lower side of the press-fitting region and in which a seal gap is defined between the inner circumferential portion of the base portion and the lower portion of the shaft. The seal gap is arranged to gradually decrease in radial width with increasing height. The seal gap is arranged to include an adhesive arranged therein over an entire circumference thereof. |
| US08879200B2 |
Spindle motor, and disk drive apparatus including the spindle motor
A spindle motor includes a shaft arranged to extend in an axial direction, and a base portion arranged to define a portion of a housing, and including a through hole in which the shaft is inserted. A fixing region is defined between an inner circumferential portion of the base portion and a lower portion of the shaft. The fixing region includes a press-fitting region and an adhesion region defined on a lower side of the press-fitting region and in which a seal gap is defined between the inner circumferential portion of the base portion and the lower portion of the shaft. The seal gap is arranged to gradually decrease in radial width with increasing height. The seal gap is arranged to include an adhesive arranged therein over an entire circumference thereof. |
| US08879192B1 |
Information recording device and information recording method
An information recording device includes a recording medium that includes a data area, and a controller that controls recording of data on the recording medium, wherein in response to a request for execution of formatting of the data area of the recording medium, the controller does not record data for the formatting in the data area and records format information about the formatting in a nonvolatile recording area that is different from the data area. |
| US08879191B1 |
Disk drive modifying rotational position optimization algorithm to achieve target performance for limited stroke
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein a maximum radial movement of the head is limited. A plurality of access commands are stored in a command queue, and an access latency is determined for each command in the command queue, wherein the access latency is based at least on a seek latency for the head and a rotational latency for the disk. The access latency for each access command is increased by an offset based at least on a seek length for each access command, wherein the offset compensates for the limited maximum radial movement of the head. An access command is selected from the command queue based on the increased access latencies, and the selected access command is executed. |
| US08879190B1 |
Method and apparatus for initial self-servo writing
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of self-servo writing, the method comprising actions of positionally tracking a selected timing track of a data storage disk, wherein the selected timing track has one or more timing segments; synchronizing an angular position signal to rotation of the data storage disk based on at least one of the one or more timing segments of the selected timing track; specifying servo sector positions relative to the synchronized angular position signal; writing servo sectors to the data storage disk at the specified servo sector positions relative to the synchronized angular position signal; detecting one or more positional errors in timing segments of a next timing track of the data storage disk based at least in part on the synchronized angular position signal; and accounting for the detected one or more positional errors in writing subsequent servo tracks. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08879185B1 |
Disk synchronous write architecture for bit-patterned recording
Systems, methods, apparatus, and techniques are provided for controlling synchronization of a write clock. A frequency offset is estimated based, at least partially, on a location of the servo synchronization marker to produce the frequency offset estimate. A phase correction value and a frequency correction value associated with the write clock are obtained, and a data clock timing control signal is produced based on the frequency offset estimate, the phase correction value, and the frequency correction value. The data clock timing control signal is applied to a phase interpolator to modify a phase of the write clock. |
| US08879184B1 |
Servo patterns including selectively magnetizable magnetic features
Provided herein is an apparatus, including a servo pattern having magnetic features, wherein each magnetic feature of the magnetic features includes a single magnetic domain; a first population of the magnetic features; a second population of the magnetic features; and a selective magnetization means for selective magnetization of either one of the first population or the second population of magnetic features over the other. |
| US08879180B2 |
System, method and apparatus for data track usage sequence to reduce adjacent track interference effect
Storing data in a hard disk drive may include determining a percentage of storage usage (SU %) of the data tracks. If the SU % is less than a first threshold percentage (TP1), the method may include storing data to Nth data tracks. If the SU % is greater than or equal to TP1, but less than a second threshold percentage (TP2), the method may include storing data to about N/2 data tracks between said Nth data tracks. If the SU % is greater than or equal to TP2, the method may include storing data to data tracks between said N/2 data tracks and said Nth data tracks. |
| US08879177B2 |
Lens barrel and imaging device
The lens barrel includes a first lens unit, a second lens unit, and a drive unit. The first lens unit includes a first lens element and a first lens support frame supporting the first lens element. The second lens unit includes a second lens element and a second lens support frame supporting the second lens element. The second lens unit is supported by the first lens unit to be movable in the optical axis direction of the first lens element with respect to the first lens unit. The drive unit is arranged to be used to drive the second lens unit with respect to the first lens unit, and is fixed to the first lens unit. When viewed in the optical axis direction, the drive unit is fixed to the first lens unit so that a first profile line formed by the first lens unit and the drive unit is substantially circular. |
| US08879175B2 |
Game camera having an electromechanical device for switching an optical lens filter
A digital camera for wild game animals includes a camera having automatic flash, focus, aperture and shutter speed and film advance functions. The camera is mounted within a camera housing adapted for outdoor installation and protection from adverse weather conditions. An electronic control circuit mounted within the camera housing is operably connected to the camera and includes a memory device and a microprocessor for storing and performing a set of programmable functions. The camera is activated by a passive infrared sensor detecting body heat of the animal or group of animals. An electromechanical device mounted within the camera housing selectively inserts an optical lens filter, such as day optical filter and a night optical filter, into an optical path of the camera in accordance with light intensity and/or a signal from a user or timer. |
| US08879173B2 |
Imaging lens
An imaging lens includes a first lens and a third lens having negative refractive power, and a second lens and a fourth lens having positive refractive power. Curvature radiuses of surfaces of the first lens on an object side and an image plane side are positive. A curvature radius of a surface of the second lens on the object side is positive. Curvature radiuses of surfaces of the third lens on the object side and the image plane side are negative. Curvature radiuses of surfaces of the fourth lens on the object side and the image plane side are positive. The first lens has a focal length f1 and the second lens has a focal length f2, so that the following conditional expression is satisfied: −0.6 |
| US08879171B2 |
Color-corrected F-theta objective for laser material processing
An F-theta objective which is color-corrected for a wavelength range of 1065-1075 nm and is suitable for high laser outputs of more than 1 kW, having sixth individual lenses L1-L6, wherein the lenses are formed of at least two different materials. |
| US08879170B2 |
Condensing lens and lighting device equipped with said condensing lens
Provided is a condensing lens condensing a light from a light source, and a lighting device equipped with the condensing lens. The condensing lens may enable a light to be selectively incident upon a plurality of first incident portions based on an emission angle, may totally-reflect, using a second incident portion, the light refracted by the plurality of first incident portions, and may refract the totally-reflected light using a third incident portion. |
| US08879165B2 |
Device for changing operating force of lens device
An outer tube body of a device for changing operating force is connected to a gear part of a zoom ring of a lens barrel to rotate the outer tube body together with the zoom ring. The outer tube body has a cylindrical shape and includes a hollow part into which an inner tube body whose rotation is restricted is arranged. Grease is interposed in a gap is formed between an inner peripheral surface of the outer tube body and an outer peripheral surface of the inner tube body. A load caused by viscosity resistance of the grease is applied against rotation of the outer tube body together with the zoom ring. The inner tube body can be displaced in a direction of the center axis so that area of a sliding contact region between the outer tube body and the inner tube body is changed. |
| US08879163B2 |
Zoom lens and image capturing apparatus
There is provided a zoom lens including, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens group having negative refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power. In zooming from a wide-angle end to a telescopic end, the first lens group moves to the object side in a manner that a distance toward the second lens group shortens, and a distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group lengthens. The third lens group includes a single lens or a single cemented lens. |
| US08879162B2 |
Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus equipped with same
A zoom lens comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power and a second lens unit having a positive refractive power. The first lens unit comprises a first lens having a negative refractive power and a second lens having a positive refractive power. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expressions (1), (2), and (3): n1n≦1.70 (1), n1p≦1.70 (2), and |ν1n−ν1p≧31 (3), where n1n is the refractive index of the first lens having a negative refractive power in the first lens unit for the d-line, ν1n is the Abbe constant of the first lens having a negative refractive power in the first lens unit, n1p is the refractive index of the second lens having a positive refractive power in the first lens unit for the d-line, and ν1p is the Abbe constant of the second lens having a positive refractive power in the first lens unit. |
| US08879161B2 |
Variable power optical system
Liquid lens cells are used in a variable power optical system. In one embodiment, a stop is located between a first lens group comprising at least a first liquid lens cell and a second lens group comprising at least a second liquid lens cell. In one embodiment, a liquid lens cell controls an incident angle of light rays on an image surface. |
| US08879158B2 |
Meta material and method of manufacturing the same
Provided are a meta material and a method of manufacturing the same. The meta material comprises: a substrate; at least one conductive nano pattern patterned on the substrate and having a size with a negative refractive index in a predetermined electromagnetic wavelength band; and a dielectric layer covering the conductive nano patterns. |
| US08879155B1 |
Measurement method and system
Methods and systems for determining an individual gaze value are disclosed herein. An exemplary method involves: (a) receiving gaze data for a first wearable computing device, wherein the gaze data is indicative of a wearer-view associated with the first wearable computing device, and wherein the first wearable computing device is associated with a first user-account; (b) analyzing the gaze data from the first wearable computing device to detect one or more occurrences of one or more advertisement spaces in the gaze data; (c) based at least in part on the one or more detected advertisement-space occurrences, determining an individual gaze value for the first user-account; and (d) sending a gaze-value indication, wherein the gaze-value indication indicates the individual gaze value for the first user-account. |
| US08879151B2 |
Internally patterned multilayer optical films using spatially selective birefringence reduction
A reflective film includes interior layers arranged to selectively reflect light by constructive or destructive interference, the layers extending from a first zone to a second zone of the film. The film has a first thickness and the interior layers provide a first reflective characteristic in the first zone; the film has a second thickness and the interior layers provide a second reflective characteristic in the second zone. The difference between the first and second reflective characteristics is not substantially attributable to any difference between the first and second thicknesses, which difference may be zero. Rather, the difference in the reflective characteristics is substantially attributable to reduced birefringence of at least some of the interior layers in one zone relative to the other zone. The film may also incorporate absorbing agents to assist in the manufacture or processing of the film. Related methods and articles are also disclosed. |
| US08879138B2 |
Surface plasmon polariton modulator
A surface plasmon polariton modulator capable of locally varying a physical property of a dielectric material to control a surface plasmon polariton. The surface plasmon polariton modulator includes a dielectric layer, including first and second dielectric portions, which is interposed between two metal layers. The second dielectric portion has a refractive index which varies with an electric field, a magnetic field, heat, a sound wave, or a chemical and/or biological operation applied thereto. The surface plasmon polariton modulator is configured to control one of an advancing direction, an intensity, a phase, or the like of a surface plasmon using an electric signal. The surface plasmon polariton modulator can operate as a surface plasmon polariton multiplexer or a surface plasmon polariton demultiplexer. |
| US08879135B2 |
Device and method for deflecting a light beam in two different directions and scanning microscope
A device for deflecting a light beam in two different directions includes a mirror and a first rotating actuator element configured to rotate about a first axis as a function of a first actuation signal. A second rotating actuator element is disposed opposite to the first rotating actuator element along the first axis and configured to rotate about the first axis as a function of a second actuation signal. A first spring element is connected to the first rotating actuator element and, off-axially with respect to the first axis at a predetermined first distance thereto, to the mirror in a rest position of the mirror. A second spring element is connected to the second rotating actuator element and to the mirror. |
| US08879128B2 |
Image reading apparatus, method for reading image, and storage medium that detects a floating distance
An image reading apparatus is disclosed. The image reading apparatus includes an automatic document feeding unit that transports a document in a predetermined direction while the document floats above a platen glass member and a light source disposed below the platen glass member that irradiates a portion on the document at a predetermined reading location such that reflected light from the portion on the document is converted into image data and a floating distance between the document and the platen glass member is detected to set a value of an image parameter for correcting the image data for the document, based on the detected floating distance between the document and the platen glass member. |
| US08879122B2 |
Image processing in contone space and halftone space
Embodiments provide a method comprising receiving a continuous tone (contone) image, wherein each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the contone image comprises pixel data associated with a plurality of color planes; forming a pixel group that includes a target pixel and one or more pixels that are neighboring to the target pixel; for each pixel in the pixel group and for each of one or more color planes of the plurality of color planes, comparing pixel data of the corresponding pixel for the corresponding color plane with one or more threshold levels to generate threshold pixel data; generating one or more color plane pixel windows for the pixel group corresponding to the one or more color planes; and generating a pixel window for the pixel group. |
| US08879117B2 |
Margin adjustment
In one embodiment, a width of a print media is measured. A margin adjustment decision is made utilizing a margin instruction if the measured width is within an acceptable variance from a standard width of the media. The margin adjustment decision is applied to a plot of an image to be printed on the media. |
| US08879115B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a printing unit. The acquisition unit acquires post-processing information indicating a capability of a post-processing unit specified by a received print job. The determination unit determines a target position on a recording sheet subjected to post-processing to be applied by the post-processing unit based on the post-processing information. The printing unit prints a marking image at the target position on the recording sheet determined by the determination unit. The printing unit prints the marking image so that a deviation of the post-processing by the post-processing unit can be recognized. In addition, the printing unit changes a shape of the marking image to a shape suitable for the accuracy expected for the post-processing, according to an accuracy expected for the post-processing to be applied by the post-processing unit set for a print instruction of the print job marking image. |
| US08879112B2 |
Method for optimizing printing quality for image-laden PDF files at lower file sizes
A system for staging printable assets included in an electronic print order submitted by users through a graphics user interface for printing by one or more print vendors over a data network includes a server connected to the network, the server having access to least one processor and a data repository, the server including a non-transitory physical medium, and software running from the non-transitory physical medium, the software providing for receiving the electronic print order, recording the positional data of each of the printable assets included for printing, compressing and rasterizing certain printable assets of the electronic order, selecting certain printable assets of the electronic printing order and including those items as vector assets, and reconstructing the printable assets, page, or pages for a printer or printers. |
| US08879110B2 |
Printing method and printing apparatus
In a method for printing recording media successively supplied to a printing unit, and wherein a sheet gap is provided from a preceding recording medium, document print data are subjected to a rastering process. A predetermined nominal number of lines is respectively provided for the document print data of a page. The raster print data are successively stored line by line in a print data memory region of an electronic memory. A blank line memory region for a blank line that is not to be filled with print data is provided in the memory. The raster print data are successively read out per line from the print data memory region of the memory and are supplied to the printing unit. After the read out of the nominal number of lines from the print data memory region, the blank line memory region is then read out a number of times, said number of times being a whole number greater than or equal to zero and being dependent on the sheet gap. |
| US08879108B2 |
Apparatus for registering documents in a document management server
A method for controlling a document processing apparatus which registers input document data in a document management server includes acquiring, from the document management server, information about input items necessary for registration of the document data into the document management server, determining whether each of the input items necessary for the registration of the document data are input, based on the acquired information, and performing control to complete the registration of the document data into the document management server when it is determined that the input items are input, while to temporarily register the document data into the document management server when it is determined that at least one of the input items is not input. |
| US08879106B1 |
Processing print jobs with mixed page orientations
When at least one of the pages of a print job has a printing orientation setting and at least one of the pages of the print job lacks a printing orientation setting, methods and devices automatically apply user preferences to the pages of the print job that lack an orientation setting to produce a modified print job. When applying the user preferences, such methods and devices can set the printing orientation of the pages of the print job that lack an orientation setting to a most common printing orientation setting of other pages within the print job, if a “unified stack preference” is selected by the user. Alternatively, methods and devices can set the printing orientation of the pages of the print job that lack the orientation setting to an orientation associated with a highest processing speed if a “maximum throughput preference” is selected by the user. |
| US08879104B2 |
Apparatus, system, and recording medium
Disclosed is a communication apparatus connected via a network to an external controller capable of providing a printing optional function and one or more image forming apparatuses. The communication apparatus may include a receiving unit configured to receive a print request and image data from the external controller, a distributed printing management unit configured to perform control to distribute the image data received by the receiving unit from the external controller to the image forming apparatuses to print the distributed image data, and a reporting unit configured to send to the external controller a report on information associated with the printing of the image forming apparatuses. In the communication apparatus, the receiving unit receives the image data generated by the external controller based on the information associated with the printing of the image forming apparatuses. |
| US08879102B2 |
Image processing system including first image processing image processing apparatus and display device
An image processing system includes a first MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral), a second MFP, and an operation panel. The operation panel is attachable to and removable from each of the first and second MFPs. The first MFP accepts a job. The operation panel includes a storage unit for storing information held by the first MFP and a display unit for displaying information about the job accepted by the first MFP. The second MFP executes the job accepted by the first MFP based on the information stored in the storage unit of the operation panel when the operation panel is removed from the first MFP and attached to the second MFP. |
| US08879100B2 |
Image forming system, image forming device, and non-transitory computer readable medium for updating information based upon a usage count
An image forming system including plural image forming devices, a first storage unit that stores user information and device information, a transmitting device that transmits image data to an image forming device, a second storage unit that stores the image data, a receiving unit that receives an input of the user information, a first acquiring unit that acquires image data from an image forming device, an image forming unit that forms an image corresponding to the image data, a recording unit that records a use history of the image forming device in the second storage unit, a specifying unit that specifies the image forming device and the user information based on the use history when a use frequency satisfies a predetermined condition, and an updating unit that updates the device information so that the specified image forming device and the specified user information are stored in a correlated manner. |
| US08879093B2 |
Communication apparatus, control method, and storage medium for converting document information or image information input as a file into transmission data and transmitting the obtained data
A control method for controlling a communication apparatus used for transmitting a file with efficiency and reliability according to a time required for the conversion processing when a file as a transmission object is converted into transmission data, and the control method includes converting an input file into transmission data, transmitting the transmission data obtained by the conversion processing, measuring a time required for the conversion processing, and controlling the communication apparatus based on the measured time so that, if a file whose time required for the conversion processing is greater than a predetermined value is to be transmitted, communication with the destination is started and the transmission data is transmitted after the conversion processing is executed, and if a file whose time required for the conversion processing is not greater than the predetermined value is to be transmitted, the conversion processing is executed after the communication with the destination is started, and the transmission data obtained by the conversion processing is transmitted. |
| US08879092B2 |
Method and apparatus for printing data with predetermined format using bluetooth communication, and method of storing template data
A method and apparatus for printing data with a predetermined format transmitted from a terminal device using Bluetooth communication. The method includes receiving the data having the predetermined format from the terminal device using Bluetooth communication; combining the received data having the predetermined format with template data corresponding to the terminal device stored in a printing apparatus; and printing the combined data. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the same printing result even when different printing apparatuses print the data by transmitting the data with the predetermined format from the terminal device to the different printing apparatuses using Bluetooth communication, and to obtain the same printing result when printing the data with the predetermined format by transmitting the data with the predetermined format from the terminal device or transmitting data obtained by combining the data with the predetermined format with the template data from the terminal device. |
| US08879090B1 |
Image forming apparatus and method, information processing system, and non-transitory computer readable medium
An image forming apparatus performs printing processing using first identification information in a first system in a particular organization that performs first authentication, the first identification information being information that identifies a user in the first authentication. The image forming apparatus includes an obtaining unit and a controller. The obtaining unit obtains print data from a logical printer in a second system that is a cloud service system that performs second authentication. Setting information including the first identification information is set in the logical printer, and the image forming apparatus is set as an output destination in the logical printer. The controller controls printing processing of the print data obtained by the obtaining unit using the first identification information included in setting information set in the obtained print data. Identification information of the user, which is temporarily issued in the first system, is used as the first identification information. |
| US08879087B2 |
Information processing apparatus that performs display processing according to a job state and method of controlling the same
An information processing apparatus that executes a job in accordance with an instruction from a web application of a web server and a method of controlling the information processing apparatus are provided. Error screen information and the web application and/or the job that is received from the web application are associated and stored in a memory. Information in the memory is updated for association of error screen information that indicates an error during job execution with another application other than the web application, and the error screen information that indicates the error is displayed in front of a screen for the other associated application based on the information. |
| US08879085B2 |
Automatic print failure detection and correction
Automatic print failure detection and correction are presented. An image is produced on media as it passes through a printer, the image produced by a first print head of the printer. The image is then inspected as it appears on the media for a predefined quality level. When the quality level is unacceptable, remote network notifications can be sent from the printer for proactive maintenance to be performed on the printer. In addition, when the quality level is unacceptable, a copy of the image can be automatically reproduced on an opposite side of the media using a different print head of the printer. |
| US08879083B2 |
Printing method of attached file, and image forming apparatus and image forming system employing the same
An attached file printing method of an image forming apparatus, and image forming apparatus and system employing the same are provided. The attached file printing method of an image forming apparatus includes: determining whether there is a printable attached file in a printing target original document or not; converting at least one of the original document and the attached file to a printing data depending on the determining result; and printing the converted printing data. |
| US08879082B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes an original document platform, a reflection carriage, a wire, a pulley, a slide member, a projecting section and a guide section. The reflection carriage includes a mirror for reflecting light, and is moved in a first direction along a sub-scanning direction with respect to the original document. The wire is wound around a pulley. The slide member is installed on the reflection carriage, rotatably supports the pulley, and slidably moves in the first direction with respect to the reflection carriage. The projecting section is provided to project in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, on one of the reflection carriage and the slide member. The guide section is provided to extend in the first direction on the other of the reflection carriage and the slide member. The projecting section abuts against the guide section. |
| US08879075B2 |
Setting apparatus, inspection system, setting method of inspection processing, and program
A setting apparatus of the present invention is useful in simplifying user operation necessary in setting an inspection item necessary in setting a target of inspection processing of a printed product. For example, if a two-sided printing is set by the user, a setting of print misregistration inspection for inspecting print misregistration between the front side and the back side is allowed to the user, however, if a one-sided printing is set by the user, a setting of print misregistration inspection is not allowed to the user. |
| US08879074B2 |
Protecting scans using remote scan initiation mode and authorization
Systems and methods allow remote computerized devices to control the scanner of an apparatus through the communications port of the apparatus. Additionally, systems and methods provide a user-selectable remote start option on the graphic user interface of the apparatus and require input of user credentials through the graphic user interface when a user selects the remote start option. The scanner is placed into private mode when a user selects the remote start option, which restricts scanner control to only those of the remote computerized devices that provide the proper user credentials. Further, a user-selectable private mode release option is provided on the graphic user interface, which requires input of the user credentials through the graphic user interface. When scanning, the scanner produces scanned images, which are released through the communications port to only those of the remote computerized devices that provide the proper user credentials. Additionally, in said private mode the user's original documents can, optionally, be protected via a lockable cover controllable by the remote start option. |
| US08879067B2 |
Wavelength dependent optical force sensing
Sensors operate by resolving changes in orientation of a wavelength dependent structure with respect to a reference direction determined by an incident light beam, resulting in very high sensitivity and dynamic range. Said sensors are wavelength encoded, can be multiplexed in a single light path such as an optical fiber, yet are decoupled mechanically from the fiber, resulting in high stability. |
| US08879066B2 |
Texture analysis of a painted surface using specular angle data
A computer implemented method. The method includes obtaining, using a processor, spectral reflectance data from a spectrophotometric measurement of a target coating on a surface, wherein the measurement was taken at a specular angle, and removing, using the processor, at least a portion of the specular reflectance data that is attributable to a glossy coating of the surface. The method also includes constructing, using the processor, at least one spectral reflectance curve, and identifying, using the processor, at least one type of pigmentation effect of the target coating based at least in part on the at least one spectral reflectance curve. |
| US08879063B2 |
Measuring system for measuring absorption or scattering at different wavelengths
A measuring system for measuring absorption or scattering of a medium at a plurality of different wavelengths, whereby the measurements for the different wavelengths are performable as simultaneously and as accurately as possible. The measuring system comprises: a measuring chamber; a transmitting unit, which sends light of its respective wavelength into the measuring chamber; a control, which operates each light source with a different time modulation of transmission intensity for each wavelength; a detector for measuring a total radiation intensity. The total radiation intensity corresponds to a superpositioning of each intensity portion striking the detector for each wavelength; and a signal processing system, which determines for each of the wavelengths the associated intensity portion based on the total radiation intensity measured by detector and the modulations. |
| US08879061B2 |
Analysis apparatus and analysis method
The analysis apparatus 10 includes a plasma generation device 11 and an optical analysis device 13. The plasma generation device 11 generates initial plasma by energizing a substance in space to be turned into a plasma state, and maintains the plasma state by irradiating the initial plasma with electromagnetic wave for a predetermined period of time. Then, the optical analysis device 13 analyzes the target substance 15 based on a time integral value of intensity of emission from the target substance 15 in an electromagnetic wave plasma region, which is maintained by the electromagnetic wave. |
| US08879049B2 |
Object sensing device
An object sensing device has a radiation part that radiates an exploring wave forward, a sensing part having a first sensing element and a second sensing element, wherein the first sensing element and the second sensing element sense a reflected wave of the exploring wave radiated by the radiation part; and a determination part. The determination part determines a rainfall state ahead based on an intensity of the reflected wave sensed by the first sensing element. The determination part determines existence or non-existence of an object positioned forward based on an intensity of the reflected wave sensed by the second sensing element. A visual-field restricting member is disposed in front of the first sensing element. The visual-field restricting member causes a visual field, in which the first sensing element senses the reflected wave, to differ from a visual field, in which the second sensing element senses the reflected wave. |
| US08879048B2 |
Device and method for determining the distance to an object
A method and apparatus for defining, from a first periodic signal, a second signal of same period, including the steps of: generating a third signal exhibiting detectable events; and synchronizing the second signal for each event. |
| US08879047B2 |
Apparatus and method for maintaining immersion fluid in the gap under the projection lens using a pad member or second stage during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine
An immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with a light beam. The apparatus includes an optical member through which the light beam is irradiated onto the substrate, a substrate table which holds the substrate and is movable relative to the optical member, and a pad member which is movable relative to the substrate table. The substrate table and the pad member are moved together during a transition from a first state to a second state, the first state being a state in which an immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the substrate table, the second state being a state in which the immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the pad member. The optical member is kept in contact with the immersion liquid during the transition. |
| US08879045B2 |
Method utilizing an electrooptic modulator
A method utilizes a dynamically controllable optical element that receives an electrical field, which changes an index of refraction in at least one direction within the optical element. The change in index of refraction imparts a change to a beam of radiation passing through the optical element. The electric field is controlled by a feedback/control signal from a feedback system that includes a detector positioned proximate an image plane in the system. The optical element can be positioned in various places within the system depending on what light characteristics need to be adjusted, for example after an illumination system or after a light patterning system. In this manner, the optical element, under control of the dynamic electric field, can dynamically change its propagation characteristics to dynamically change either a beam of illumination from the illumination system or a patterned beam of radiation from the patterning system, such that they exhibit desired light characteristics. |
| US08879040B2 |
Active matrix substrate and display device
Disclosed is an active matrix substrate (1) including thereon: a plurality of signal lines (2); a plurality of scan lines (3) that intersect the signal lines (2); switching elements (4) disposed near intersections of the signal lines (2) and the scan lines (3); a plurality of input terminals (7) for inputting signals to the signal lines (2) and scan lines (3); and short-circuit wiring (8) disposed in an outer area with respect to the input terminals (7), where the short-circuit wiring (8) includes a trunk wiring line (8a) and a plurality of branch wiring lines (8b) that branch off from the trunk wiring line (8a) and that are connected to the respective input terminals (7), and a plurality of separator sections (9) are provided on the short-circuit wiring (8). The separator sections (9) electrically isolate the individual input terminals (7) and the trunk wiring line (8a) from each other. |
| US08879039B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having second metal patern connected to plurality of first metal patterns through contact holes
An LCD device is disclosed. The LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel configured to include a bonding portion formed in its one edge, pluralities of gate and data lines arranged on it, and pixel regions defined by the gate and data lines. The bonding portion includes: first metal patterns formed away from each other and on a substrate of the liquid crystal panel; a gate insulation film and a protective layer sequentially formed to cover the first metal patterns; and a second metal pattern formed on the protective layer and electrically connected to the first metal patterns partially exposed by contact holes which are formed by partially etching the gate insulation film and protective layer. |
| US08879036B2 |
Liquid crystal display device comprising first and second electrodes wherein the second electrode is connected with a source electrode without passing through a first insulating film
To form a sufficiently large storage capacitor, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal held between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal display panel having multiple pixels arranged in matrix. The first substrate has, in a transmissive display area provided in each of the pixels, a laminated structure containing a first transparent electrode, a first insulating film, a second transparent electrode, a second insulating film, and a third transparent electrode which are laminated in this order. The first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a first storage capacitor through the first insulating film, and the second transparent electrode and the third transparent electrode are electrically insulated from each other and together form a second storage capacitor through the second insulating film. |
| US08879034B2 |
Electro-optical device, manufacturing method of the same, and electronic apparatus
An electro-optical device includes an insulating film having a tilted face, the tilted face sloping down toward inside of an opening area of a pixel arranged in a pixel area in plan view, and a pixel electrode that is disposed in the pixel on an upper layer side relative to the insulating film and is formed so as to include at least an area that overlaps the tilted face of the insulating film in plan view. |
| US08879033B2 |
Liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid crystal display, including a first substrate and a second substrate, each having a plurality of unit pixel areas and facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, in which the plurality of unit pixel areas each have a plurality of domains. In a first domain of the plurality of domains, a first alignment layer of the first substrate and a second alignment layer of the second substrate are photo-aligned, and in a second domain of the plurality of domains, the second alignment layer of the second substrate is photo-aligned twice and the first alignment layer of the first substrate is not photo-aligned. |
| US08879030B2 |
Active matrix type liquid crystal display apparatus with complementary polarizer
A transmitting liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates, a pair of polarizers arranged adjacent to the pair of substrates respectively, a liquid crystal layer held between the pair of substrates, and electrodes arranged on at least one of the pair of substrates and serving to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer; and a light source unit arranged external to the pair of substrates, in which each of the pair of polarizers has an absorption axis along with an extraordinary wave axis of molecules constituting the polarizers. In this apparatus, a dye layer having a disc-form molecular structure is arranged between the polarizer and the substrate, or adjacent to the polarizer in proximity to the viewer. The dye layer has a transmission axis along with the extraordinary wave axis of the disc-form molecular structure. |
| US08879028B2 |
High brightness liquid crystal display
The LCD sequentially comprises, from bottom to top, a backlight module, a first polarizer, a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a second substrate, and a second polarizer. The second substrate comprises plural transparent areas thereon. The first substrate comprises plural light-focusing arrays. Each of the light-focusing arrays comprises plural high-refractive areas and low-refractive areas disposed between the high-refractive areas. The plural high-refractive areas comprises a first high-refractive area and plural second high-refractive area disposed on two sides of the high-refractive areas symmetrically, wherein the widths of the second high-refractive areas are the same and smaller than the width of the first high-refractive area. |
| US08879025B2 |
Transparent display device and electronic apparatus having the same
A transparent display device for enhancing optical transmissivity in a transparent mode, is discussed. The transparent display device may include a liquid crystal panel; a light source disposed at one side of a lower portion of the liquid crystal panel to emit light; a first polarizing plate for polarizing the light emitted from the light source; a light guide plate disposed at a lower portion of the liquid crystal panel to totally reflect the light polarized to an axis by the first polarizing plate to a lateral surface thereof and supply to the liquid crystal panel, and transmit natural light entered from a lower direction therethrough; and a second polarizing plate disposed at an upper portion of the liquid crystal panel to control the amount of polarized light passing through the liquid crystal panel. |
| US08879024B2 |
Liquid crystal display with a fluorescent backlight emitting polarised light
The instant invention relates to electro-optical switching elements and displays comprising them. In particular, it relates to electro-optical switching elements comprising one or more light conversion means capable to convert light (e.g. ambient light and/or light from a backlight system), wherein each of said light conversion means o is capable to convert the state of polarization of the light from non-polarized light either to linear polarized light or to circular polarized light and, at the same time, o optionally is capable to shift the wavelength of the light to longer values and—at least one of said conversion means o is capable to shift the wavelength of the light to longer values and—a liquid crystal material, which is capable of switching,—one or more means to polarize light, and—optionally a means for illumination such as e.g. a backlight. |
| US08879020B2 |
Display device and cushioning member usable in the same
An object of the present invention is to provide a display device including a cushioning member which is unlikely to be shifted from a predetermined position and has a function of effectively preventing EMI and/or ESD. In a display device according to the present invention, a cushioning member (50), located between a front surface of a peripheral portion (10b) of a display panel (10) and a back surface of a bezel facing the front surface, includes an elastic main body (52) formed of an elastic material and a conductive cover member (54) located on a surface of the elastic main body. At least a part of the conductive cover member is formed in a mesh pattern as a result of a plurality of conductive linear members (60) crossing each other and/or being located side by side. The cushioning member is structured such that in the state where the cushioning member is interposed between the front surface of the peripheral portion of the display panel and the back surface of the bezel, the elastic main body exposed in openings (70) of a part having the mesh pattern is contactable with the back surface of the bezel and/or the front surface of the peripheral portion of the display panel. |
| US08879018B2 |
Electronic apparatus and display thereof
An electronic apparatus and a display thereof are disclosed. The display includes a back plate, a photoelectric converting module, and a display module. The back plate has an inner surface and an open is formed on the back plate. The back plate has an inner edge around the open. The inner edge is concave toward the direction back to inner surface to form a supporting part. The photoelectric converting module is disposed on the supporting part without protruding out of the inner surface. The photoelectric converting module has a light-receiving surface exposed to the open. The display module is disposed on the inner surface of the back plate and the display module covers the photoelectric converting module. The display module has a display surface back to the photoelectric converting module. |
| US08879015B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having a switch device connected to a shield electrode and an interconnection and electronic apparatus
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a first thin film transistor formed on the first substrate, a pixel electrode and a common electrode formed above the first thin film transistor of the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed above the pixel electrode and the common electrode, a second substrate provided above the pixel electrode and the common electrode via the liquid crystal layer, a shield electrode formed on a substantially entire surface of the liquid crystal layer side of the second substrate, a switch device being electrically connected to the shield electrode and the interconnection, wherein the switch device is turned on when a potential of the shield electrode is larger than the specific potential of the interconnection and a difference between the potential of the shield electrode and the specific potential of the interconnection is larger than predetermined potential. |
| US08879010B2 |
Display device
A display panel for displaying an image is provided with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each pixel includes one or more units each including a plurality of subunits. Each subunit includes a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer which is provided so as to overlap a gate electrode with a gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, a pixel electrode which drives liquid crystal connected to a source or a drain of the transistor, a counter electrode which is provided so as to face the pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. In the display panel, a transistor whose off current is lower than 10 zA/μm at room temperature per micrometer of the channel width and off current of the transistor at 85° C. can be lower than 100 zA/μm per micrometer in the channel width. |
| US08879006B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus and liquid crystal television
There is provided with a color mixing section for mixing yellow to red or green, when red or green is displayed by a liquid crystal television including a liquid crystal panel that has a color filter for four primary colors for red, green, blue and yellow, a backlight that emits light to the liquid crystal panel, and a television signal processing section that converts an inputted color video image signal into signals representing red, green, blue and yellow regarding a color video image. |
| US08879004B2 |
High-quality content generation system, method therefor, and program
A high-quality content generating system provided with a feature amount extracting means for extracting the feature amounts of a plurality of pieces of content therefrom, a content grouping means for performing matching between the feature amounts of the plurality of pieces of content extracted by the feature amount extracting means, grouping the same content included in the plurality of pieces of content and the derived content produced by using the same content, and calculating same/derived content grouping information, and a high-quality content generating means for selecting pieces of content to be grouped by the same/derived content grouping information from the plurality of pieces of content and generating content with higher quality by using the selected content. |
| US08879003B1 |
Distortion/quality measurement
Various implementations address distortion and quality measurements. Certain implementations relate to distortions resulting in a freeze-with-skip and/or a freeze-without-skip. In one implementation, a pause term provides an indication of distortion associated with a pause arising from not displaying one or more consecutive pictures that are not to be displayed. A motion term provides an indication of distortion associated with a related change in motion. A combined indicator is based on an addition of the pause term and the motion term. In another particular implementation, a first indicator indicates distortion across one or more types of distortive effects that results from not displaying a first set of pictures. A second indicator indicates corresponding distortion with respect to a second set of pictures. The first indicator and the second indicator are combined in a non-linear manner. |
| US08878999B2 |
Detection of graphics added to a video signal
The invention allows detecting which graphics, if any, have been added to the video signal at any given time by utilizing only the various signals provided by prior art hardware. A first video signal, graphics signal(s), and a second video signal are received. It is then determined which graphics, if any, are present in a given frame of the received second video signal based on comparing actual values of pixels of the received second video signal and calculated values of pixels derived from the first video signal, and the graphics signal(s), and the combination of graphics signal(s) which produces the best match is searched for. |
| US08878994B2 |
Information processing apparatus, remote operation support method and storage medium
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a first receiver, a screen transmitter, a second receiver and a controller. The first receiver receives first information associated with a display function of an external device. The screen transmitter generates an operation screen for operating the apparatus based on the first information, and transmits a video signal of the generated operation screen to the external device. The second receiver receives second information associated with content of an operation on the operation screen from the external device. The controller controls operation of the apparatus based on the second information. |
| US08878989B2 |
Divided image circuit, communication system, and method of transmitting divided image
An image transmitting circuit includes: an image supply section configured to supply respective pixels arranged in a predetermined direction in an original image configured of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix; an image mapping section configured to map respective dividing number of the pixels onto different images and thereby to generate divided images every time the dividing number of pixels are supplied to the image mapping section, the dividing number being a number into which the original image is divided; and transmitting sections of the dividing number or more each corresponding to one of a plurality of communication channels and configured to transmit one of the divided images via the corresponding communication channel. |
| US08878988B1 |
Glare blocking camcorder/camera stabilizing eye level viewfinder device and method
A glare blocking viewfinder device includes a shadow box with a lens at a first end and an attachment mechanism at a second end adapted to detachably mount the device on a monitor screen of a camera. This enables a user to observe an image-bearing surface of the screen by looking at the image-bearing surface through the lens. The lens has a predetermined focal length and the depth dimension of the shadow box is substantially equal to this focal length. The attachment mechanism upon mounting the device to the monitor screen provides a substantially rigid structure. The user presses his or her eye against the lens to view the monitor screen through the lens and shadow box and points the camera at a subject, keeping the camera on the subject by using the device as a viewfinder. The user holds the camera with one hand and the attached device with the other hand. The device is collapsible and conveniently fits into a pocket of the user when not being used. |
| US08878985B2 |
Flash module and image-capturing apparatus
Embodiments of this invention provide a flash module and an image-capturing apparatus having the flash module. The flash module includes a flash, a base, a solenoid, a linkage bar, a hook, a first elastic member, and a second elastic member. When necessary, the elements of the flash module perform a process to automatically move the flash to an open position. |
| US08878978B2 |
Dimensioning system
The present invention determines the dimensions and volume of an object by using a novel 3-D camera that measures the distance to every reflective point in its field of view with a single pulse of light. The distance is computed by the time of flight of the pulse to each camera pixel. The accuracy of the measurement is augmented by capture of the laser pulse shape in each camera pixel. The camera can be used on an assembly line to develop quality control data for manufactured objects or on a moving or stationary system that weighs as well as dimensions the objects. The device can also ascertain the minimum size of a box required to enclose an object. |
| US08878976B2 |
Image capture systems with focusing capabilities
Embodiments of the invention describe providing image focusing capabilities for a lens unit of an image capture system by disposing a solid state die over the lens unit. The solid state die may include a plurality of electrodes to receive a voltage or electric signal to generate an electric field. The refractive index of the solid state die will change in response to the generated electric field to focus the image or scene captured by the lens unit. The solid state die is mounted to a folded flexible printed circuit board in a housing or a molded housing having electrodes on its inner wall. |
| US08878972B2 |
Imaging apparatus, radiation imaging system, and method for driving imaging apparatus
A source follower connection line connects a gate of a source follower thin film transistor in a first pixel with a gate of a source follower thin film transistor in a second pixel, between adjacent first and second pixel, and a driving circuit turns the transfer thin film transistor in the first pixel region ON and turns the transfer thin film transistor in the second pixel OFF to make the transfer thin film transistor in the first pixel region output the signal of the first pixel. |
| US08878971B2 |
Image sensing apparatus, image sensing apparatus control method, and imaging system
An image sensing apparatus comprises: an output unit which includes an output line group, a plurality of difference circuits, a first dummy line, and a second dummy line, and wherein the output line group is interposed between the first dummy line and the second dummy line, a readout unit includes a plurality of memory circuits, each of the plurality of memory circuits includes a first holding capacitance and a second holding capacitance, a gain determined by a ratio of a capacitance value of the first holding capacitance and a capacitance value of a first output line is applied to the first signal output to the first output line, and a gain determined by a ratio of a capacitance value of the second holding capacitance and a capacitance value of a second output line is applied to the second signal output to the second output line. |
| US08878967B2 |
RGBW sensor array
A color filter enhancement method for a portable digital image acquisition device includes digitally exposing color pixels of a color sensor array for a first digital exposure duration and digitally exposing white pixels of a color sensor array for a second digital exposure time shorter than the first digital exposure duration. A color filter enhanced digital image is generated using data from both the color pixels exposed for the first digital exposure duration and the white pixels exposed for the second digital exposure duration. |
| US08878964B2 |
Image capture apparatus
An image capture apparatus including a detecting unit configured to detect focus detecting system dust, and a controller configured to perform control so that captured image information is stored in a memory, wherein the controller performs control so that information about the detected focus detecting system dust is stored in the memory. |
| US08878963B2 |
Apparatus and method for noise removal in a digital photograph
A method and an apparatus are provided for eliminating noise in a digital image. An ambient image and at least one flash image are captured in succession of a given location. At least one image alignment technique is applied for the ambient image and the at least one flash image. Joint mean shift filtering is applied to the at least one flash image to obtain filter weights. The filter weights are applied to the ambient image to eliminate noise in the ambient image. |
| US08878961B2 |
Image sensing apparatus and method of controlling same
If zoom magnification falls within an optical-zoom application scaling range of zoom magnifications Z1 to Z2, image data that has been enlarged by a zoom lens is recorded on a recording medium. If zoom magnification falls within an electronic-zoom application scaling range of zoom magnifications Z2 to Z3, the image data is subjected to super-resolution processing, super-resolution image data and image data that has not been subjected to super-resolution processing are combined by weighting processing executed such that the higher the zoom magnification, the greater the weight assigned to the super-resolution image data, and the resultant image data is subjected to electronic zoom processing and then recorded. If zoom magnification exceeds Z3, the super-resolution image data is recorded upon being subjected to electronic zoom processing. |
| US08878959B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, signal processing method of solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section and a signal processing section. The pixel array section is configured to include a plurality of arranged rectangular pixels, each of which has different sizes in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a plurality of adjacent ones of which are combined to form a square pixel having the same size in the vertical and horizontal directions. The signal processing section is configured to perform a process of outputting, as a single signal, a plurality of signals read out from the combined plurality of rectangular pixels. |
| US08878958B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image pickup apparatus and image processing method
The image processing apparatus includes a gradient calculating part calculating intensity gradient at each pixel in a captured color image, a first color blur determining part determining that a pixel at which the intensity gradient satisfies a color blur condition using a first threshold is a possible color blur pixel, and a second color blur determining part detecting a saturated pixel in the color image, and determining, when a distance between the saturated pixel and the possible color blur pixel is within a second threshold, that the possible color blur pixel is a color blur pixel. The first and second color blur determining parts change the first and second thresholds depending on at least one of luminance and chroma of the possible color blur pixel. |
| US08878952B2 |
Video camera
Embodiments provide a video camera that can be configured to highly compress video data in a visually lossless manner. The camera can be configured to transform blue and red image data in a manner that enhances the compressibility of the data. The data can then be compressed and stored in this form. This allows a user to reconstruct the red and blue data to obtain the original raw data for a modified version of the original raw data that is visually lossless when demosacied. Additionally, the data can be processed in a manner in which the green image elements are demosaiced first and then the red and blue elements are reconstructed based on values of the demosaiced green image elements. |
| US08878946B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method therefor
An image processing apparatus sets one of a plurality of obtained images as a reference image, and detects a motion vector relative to the reference image for the other images. A scalar amount of the detected motion vector is compared with a threshold value representing an image displacement limit for combining an image with the reference image, and whether a condition for combining with the reference image is satisfied is determined. If the condition is satisfied, a corresponding image is moved to cancel the detected motion vector and combined with the reference image, and an image in which displacement between images has been corrected is output. The threshold value is changed by a control unit depending on an image-capturing setting set when the plurality of images are captured, the condition of an object image in the plurality of captured images, or the like. |
| US08878944B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method, image processing system and program
There is provided an image processing apparatus including multiple imaging units included in a stereo camera, the multiple imaging units configured to photograph a chart pattern including a pole, and a correction parameter calculation unit configured to calculate a correction parameter that corrects a gap between the multiple imaging units, based on the pole and a pattern included in the chart pattern photographed by the multiple imaging units. |
| US08878943B2 |
Measurement method, measurement apparatus, computer readable recording medium having stored therein measurement program
A theoretical motion blur amount is calculated. A static state image is acquired. For each of the plurality of shutter speed values, a bokeh amount at the boundary between different color areas in each of a plurality of the static state images that have been acquired is measured as a bokeh offset amount. A vibrated state image while the camera is being vibrated with its image stabilization function being ON is acquired. A bokeh amount at the boundary between different color areas in each of the plurality of vibrated state images that have been acquired is measured as a measured comprehensive bokeh amount. And an evaluation value indicating the performance of the image stabilization function of the camera is calculated based on the theoretical motion blur amount, the bokeh offset amount, and the measured comprehensive bokeh amount. |
| US08878938B2 |
System and method for assigning cameras and codes to geographic locations and generating security alerts using mobile phones and other devices
A system and method for generating security alerts for a facility is presented. The system can comprise a server, cameras operable to stream video to the server or other storage location and to a surveillance center of the facility, input devices, a first module operable to assign one or more codes to the facility, associate one or more cameras with each code, and associate response guidelines with each code; and a second module operable to receive one code of the one or more codes from one of the one or more input devices, notify the facility assigned to the one code based on the response guidelines, stream video from the one or more cameras associated with the one code to the surveillance center of the facility, and generate the security alert based on the video stream. In one aspect, a user can send a video feed along with the code. |
| US08878929B2 |
Three dimensional shape measurement apparatus and method
A three dimensional shape measurement apparatus includes m projecting sections, each of which includes a light source and a grating element, and, while moving the grating element by n times, projects a grating pattern light onto a measurement target for each movement, wherein the ‘n’ and the ‘m’ are natural numbers greater than or equal to 2, an imaging section photographing a grating pattern image reflected by the measurement target, and a control section controlling that, while photographing the grating pattern image by using one of the m projecting sections, a grating element of at least another projecting section is moved. Thus, measurement time may be reduced. |
| US08878926B2 |
Apparatus and method for analyzing thermal properties of composite structures
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for analyzing thermal properties of bonding materials within a composite structure. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for analyzing thermal property of a bonding material within a structure. The apparatus comprises a structure support having a supporting surface configured to support the structure, a heat source configured to direct a heat flux to the structure supported by the supporting surface of the structure support, and a camera facing the structure supported on the structure support and configured to capture thermal images of the structure supported on the structure support. |
| US08878922B2 |
Video image information processing apparatus and video image information processing method
A video image information processing apparatus includes a half mirror, an imaging unit arranged behind the half mirror for imaging a subject present in front of the half mirror, and a display unit that displays a video image in the half mirror. The video image information processing apparatus extracts a predetermined part of a human body from a video image of the subject captured by the imaging unit and performs measurement on the subject using information other than the video image. The video image information processing apparatus acquires evaluation information based on a result of the measurement performed by using information other than the video image and the position of the predetermined part of a human body. The video image information processing apparatus controls display by a display unit such that the acquired evaluation information is associated with the predetermined part in a mirror image in the half mirror. |
| US08878921B2 |
Imaging system
An imaging system includes: an illumination unit that emits illumination light to illuminate a subject; a light receiving unit in which pixels that receive light and photoelectrically convert the received light to generate an electric signal are two-dimensionally arranged; a read unit that sequentially reads the electric signal from the pixels for each horizontal line; and an illumination controller that controls the illumination unit to emit a pulse of the illumination light during a period straddling a read period of the read unit for a first horizontal line and a read period for a second horizontal line which is adjacent to the first horizontal line and which is read immediately after the first horizontal line. |
| US08878920B2 |
Method and apparatus for protection from high intensity light
A method and apparatus where the output from a high intensity light source is controlled to produce well-exposed images/videos and to reduce automatically the intensity when an unsafe issue is detected in medical devices such as endoscopes and the like. The method and apparatus overcome problems to control light sources that have high-frequency noise, slow-response time, nonlinearity, and non-monotonic response time and to protect the patients' tissues from possible overheating/burning and the eyes of personnel and patients from possible direct exposure to high intensity light used in medical devices such as endoscopes and the like. |
| US08878918B2 |
Creating a subsurface feature atlas of at least two subsurface features
Described embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product. A described system includes a receiver circuit that receives at least two reference images that each includes a respective landmark subsurface feature of a mammalian body part; and that receives data indicative of a respective spatial relationship among each respective landmark subsurface feature. The system includes a coordinate analysis circuit that determines a common frame of reference at least partially based on a landmark subsurface feature included in a reference image. The system includes a registration circuit that registers the respective landmark subsurface feature of the mammalian body part included in each reference image. The registration is based on the determined common frame of reference and on the data indicative of a respective spatial relationship. The system maintains informational data corresponding to the registration of the respective landmark subsurface features of the mammalian body part in a computer-readable media. |
| US08878915B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
A location error determination unit determines, prior to displaying on a display device stereoscopic images including a parallax image for the left eye and a parallax image for the right eye of a subject, whether the parallax image for the left eye and the parallax image for the right eye are stereoscopic images that can be located as three-dimensional images. An error communicating unit communicates an error when it is determined that that the parallax image for the left eye and the parallax image for the right eye cannot be located as stereoscopic images or when it is determined that the range of parallax between the parallax image for the left eye and the parallax image for the right eye is not accommodated within the predetermined parallax range. |
| US08878913B2 |
Extended command stream for closed caption disparity
A method of transporting data within a DTV bit stream involves in a stream of digital video closed caption data packets, receiving closed caption text and a two bit extended packet control field; where the two bit extended packet control field has a value that designates that the information in cc_data_1 and cc_data_2 fields of the digital video closed caption data packets contain an extended packets within the digital video closed caption data packets; receiving the extended packets within the digital video closed caption data packets in the cc_data_1 and cc_data_2 fields that carry extended channel packets. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08878912B2 |
Encapsulating three-dimensional video data in accordance with transport protocols
In general, techniques are described for encapsulating three dimensional video data in accordance with a transport protocol. As one example, an apparatus comprising a multimedia processing module, a transport protocol module and a wireless module implement the techniques. The multimedia processing module generates a video data segment, an audio data segment and a depth data segment of 3D video content. The transport protocol module encapsulates each of the video data, audio data and depth data segments in different ones of a plurality of packets according to a transport protocol and adds metadata to at least one of the plurality of packets for enhancing playback of the 3D video content. The wireless module transmits the packets to a 3D display device external from the apparatus. |
| US08878908B2 |
3-D auto-convergence camera
Automatically converging a plurality of images for use in a stereoscopic camera system including a plurality of 2-D cameras, the method including: receiving a focal distance from each 2-D camera of the plurality of 2-D cameras, wherein each 2-D camera includes at least one image sensor; calculating a system focal distance of the stereoscopic camera system by using focal distances received from the plurality of 2-D cameras; determining a center of interest using the calculated system focal distance of the stereoscopic camera system; and moving the at least one image sensor in each 2-D camera to adjust directions of view of the plurality of 2-D cameras to converge at the center of interest. |
| US08878904B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for increasing an LCD display vertical blanking interval
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for enhancing a viewing experience when display content is viewed utilizing stereo glasses. In use, display content is received for being outputted utilizing a display. Further, a duration of a vertical blanking interval associated with the display content is increased for enhancing a viewing experience when the display content is viewed utilizing the stereo glasses. |
| US08878903B2 |
Method and device for reconstruction of a three-dimensional image from two-dimensional images
The disclosure relates to a method for reconstruction of a three-dimensional image of an object. A first image is acquired of the object lit by a luminous flux having, in a region including the object, a luminous intensity dependant on the distance, with a light source emitting the luminous flux. A second image is acquired of the object lit by a luminous flux having, in a region including the object, a constant luminous intensity. For each pixel of a three-dimensional image, a relative distance of a point of the object is determined as a function of the intensity of a pixel corresponding to the point of the object in each of the acquired images. |
| US08878898B2 |
Smart 3D HDMI video splitter
A smart 3D HDMI video splitter is disclosed. When a 3D video signal enters the smart splitter, a field-programmable gate array converts the 3D signal so that the smart 3D HDMI video splitter outputs a 3D or 2D signal according to the type of the television, display or AVR amplifier. |
| US08878892B2 |
Multi-picture synthesizing method and apparatus in conference television system
A multi-picture synthesizing method in a conference television system is disclosed by the present invention. The method includes: synthesizing multiple pictures into a bottom layer of a multi-picture image according to a preset multi-picture layout, creating at least one layer of image layer over a bottom layer of a multi-picture image, creating at least one image frame in each image layer, and adjusting a pre-output picture corresponding to the image frame according to output characteristics of each image frame, and outputting the pre-output picture into the corresponding image frame. The present invention further discloses a multi-picture synthesizing apparatus in a conference television system. According to the technical scheme of the present invention, the multi-picture synthesizing of a conference television system is implemented flexibly and simply. |
| US08878890B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a first body having a user input unit at one surface thereof; a second body slidably connected to the first body so as to be movable between a first state where the user input unit is exposed and a second state where the user input unit is covered by the second body; and a first image input unit located at the user input unit such that an external image is inputtable in the first state. |
| US08878889B1 |
Method and system for originating and receiving emergency push-to-talk calls
A wireless communication device (WCD) that is configured to originate and receive push-to-talk (PTT) calls may be identified by a standard identifier in standard PTT calls and may be identified by an emergency identifier in emergency PTT calls. The WCD may be configured to recognize an emergency trigger and, in response to the emergency trigger, originate an outgoing emergency PTT call, using the emergency identifier. If, while engaged in a standard PTT call, the WCD receives an incoming emergency PTT call that includes the WCD's emergency identifier, the emergency PTT call may preempt the standard PTT call. For example, the WCD may convey audio from the emergency PTT call to a speaker or other audio output interface, instead of audio from the standard PTT call. The WCD may also release the standard PTT call. |
| US08878883B2 |
Inkjet printer having an image drum heating and cooling system
An inkjet offset printer includes an image receiving drum assembly having a hollow drum with an external surface and an internal surface defining an internal cavity. A heating and a cooling system located in the internal cavity provides distributed heating and cooling to the internal surface of the drum. Heating and cooling can be provided to individual regions of the internal drum surface to maintain a substantially uniform external drum surface temperature. |
| US08878874B2 |
Image overlaying device and image overlaying program
An image overlaying device includes an image inputting unit, a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain template data which define a plurality of layout areas and to extract each of the plurality of layout areas from the obtained template data. The controller determines positions of the extracted plurality of layout areas. The controller stores, in the memory, layout order information corresponding to an order of the layout area and further stores, in the memory image order information corresponding to an order of the image data of the documents The controller determines corresponding image data of documents corresponding to each of the plurality of layout areas and generates overlaid image data by laying out, in each of the plurality of layout areas, the determined corresponding image data of the documents. |
| US08878871B2 |
Methods and apparatus for geospatial management and visualization of events
Methods and apparatus are provided for geospatial management and visualization of events, by presenting a dynamic, user-interactive geospatial environment for performing real-time operations management and pre/post-mission analytical activities. A geospatial event management system integrates geospatial imagery data from geospatial imagery data sources, and determines a geographic area of interest based on user input, stored settings, or other relevant parameters. The geospatial event management system then provides a user-interactive geospatial environment based on the geospatial imagery data associated with the geographic area of interest, and ingests geospatially-referenced event data associated with the events, such as tracking data, telemetry data, or sensor data. The geospatial event management system further filters the event data based on parameters such as geospatial or temporal parameters, and then superimposes the filtered event data over the geospatial imagery data associated with the geographic area of interest. |
| US08878870B1 |
Graphic processing techniques and configurations
Embodiments of the present invention provide graphic processing techniques and configurations including an apparatus comprising a storage medium having stored therein a table comprising information about respective positions and sizes of a number of rectangular blocks, the rectangular blocks to substantially form at least one plane having an arbitrary shape object, and at least one overlay engine operatively coupled with the table and associated with the at least one plane to request the information about the respective positions and the sizes of the number of rectangular blocks to provide graphics overlay of the arbitrary shape object. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US08878866B2 |
Display control device, display control method, and program
A display control device includes: a changing unit changing a two-dimensional location representing locations in a horizontal direction and an orthogonal direction of each of a plurality of objects having different depths for a display screen of a display unit according to a direction in which a user views the display unit; a transparency adjusting unit for adjusting transparency for each of the plurality of objects; and a display control unit for displaying the plurality of objects in which the two-dimensional location is changed and the transparency is adjusted on the display unit, so as to overlap each other. |
| US08878859B1 |
Automatic VGA monitor detection
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems and devices of employing a monitor detection module in a computer to automatically detect the presence of a VGA display. Such a system for automatic VGA monitor detection comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a VGA connector and the monitor detection module. The CPU provides image information to the GPU which further processed the image information to generate video signals according to a VGA display standard. The video signal comprises analog video signals (i.e., red, green and blue) and synchronization signals (i.e., horizontal and vertical). The video signals are transmitted to the VGA connector at the interface of the computer. A VGA monitor or projector may be connected to the computer at the VGA connector via a VGA data cable. The monitor detection module receives at least one of the analog video signals and at least one of the sync signals, identifies a monitor detection pulse synchronous with the sync signal, and monitors the impedance at the pin for the analog video signal at the VGA connector during the monitor detection pulse. The monitor detection module takes advantage of synchronization pulses in the horizontal or vertical sync signal to monitor termination resistance of an analog video signal line, and thus, the VGA display may be detected reliably at a fast rate without interfering with video signal transmission. |
| US08878858B2 |
Video projection apparatus and methods, with image content control
A projected still or video image is controlled with light generated by a laser pointer, for example. A device with a projector and a display controller projects an image onto a surface, and an image sensor views the projected image. A handheld device outputs a beam of light. A controller receives information from the image sensor regarding the presence or movement of light from the handheld device interacting with the projected image on the surface, and a control function is implemented if the light from the handheld device interacts with the projected image in accordance with a stored predetermined visual interactions such as encircling, “scratching,” or other movements. The controller may be programmed to recognize light of a specific laser wavelength in conjunction with a control operation. |
| US08878855B2 |
Video in e-mail
To allow a video clip to be rendered within an e-mail, the video stream is converted into an animated image object (e.g. a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) object) and stored on a server system. An HTML image element/tag ( |
| US08878852B1 |
Integrated infrastructure graphs
Various features are described for generating and analyzing data center topology graphs. The graphs can represent physical placement and connectivity of data center components. In some cases the graphs may include hierarchical representations of data center components and systems, and may also include environmental and operational characteristics of the computing devices and supporting systems which may be included in a data center. In addition, the graphs may be linked to each other though common components, so that data center topology may be analyzed in two or more dimensions rather than a single dimension. The linked graphs may be analyzed to identify potential points of failure and also to identify which data center components may be affected by a failure. |
| US08878851B2 |
Method and system for streaming documents, e-mail attachments and maps to wireless devices
A method for streaming vector images to wireless devices, including receiving a request from a wireless device for a portion of a vector image and a target display width and height, the vector image including a plurality of vector primitives, determining which of the vector primitives are positioned so as to overlap the requested portion, clipping the overlapping vector primitives with the portion, and transmitting the clipped vector primitives that overlap the portion. A system and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed. |
| US08878848B2 |
Method and device for snapping normals to create fair 3D surfaces from edge curves
A method for generating a three dimensional (3D) surface includes receiving an input corresponding to a plurality of curves joined to define a single edge loop, analyzing each of the plurality of curves to define a plurality of edge segments based on an identified curve feature, calculating snap normal vectors for the endpoints of each of the plurality of edge segments, dividing the segmented edge loop into sub-loops based on the plurality of edge segments, determining the surface normal vectors for the sub-loops and combining these values with the snap surface normals at each end point to produce a final surface normal for each end point, and generating the continuous 3D surface based on triangles associated with the segmented edge loop and the surface normals associated with the end points. |
| US08878841B2 |
Determining a parameter of a geometrical CAD operation
It is provided a computer-implemented method for designing a CAD modeled object. The method comprises displaying at least one parametric three-dimensional shape; user-interacting with the screen; defining on a support a stroke corresponding to the user-interacting; computing at least one geometrical characteristic of the stroke; determining at least one parameter of a geometrical CAD operation based on the computed geometrical characteristic. Such a method makes the design of a CAD modeled object easier. |
| US08878840B2 |
Devices and methods for displaying a sub-section of a virtual model
The invention generally relates to devices and methods for displaying a sub-section of a virtual model. In certain aspects, methods herein involve determining a portion of a virtual model within a user's field of view, determining a maximum load value that can be accommodated by the device, and displaying a sub-section of the virtual model based upon the portion that is within the user's field of view and the maximum load value accommodated by the device. In other aspects, devices herein include hardware and software that cause a CPU of the device to determine a portion of a virtual model within a user's field of view, determine a maximum load value that can be accommodated by the device, and display a sub-section of the virtual model based upon the portion that is within the user's field of view and the maximum load value accommodated by the device. |
| US08878835B2 |
System and method for using feature tracking techniques for the generation of masks in the conversion of two-dimensional images to three-dimensional images
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for controlling 2-D to 3-D image conversion and/or generation. The methods and systems use auto-fitting techniques to create a mask based upon tracking features from frame to frame. When features are determined to be missing they are added prior to auto-fitting the mask. |
| US08878833B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for recording of graphical display
Embodiments include systems, methods, and apparatus configured to record (A) protocol requests that specify display operations on a screen image and (B) information copied from a display buffer storing the screen image. Such embodiments may also be configured to record states relating to an appearance of an output of the display operations. In some of these embodiments, the copied information is stored in the form of pseudo-protocol requests. |
| US08878831B2 |
Pixel driving circuit of an organic light emitting diode
A pixel driving circuit of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a capacitor, and an OLED. The operation of the pixel driving circuit includes three stages including discharging, data writing, and emitting. The pixel driving circuit compensates the threshold voltage of the transistor in the stage of data writing, so the driving current of the OLED can be irrelevant to the variations of threshold voltages. |
| US08878829B2 |
Liquid crystal display and common electrode drive circuit thereof
A common electrode drive circuit for a liquid crystal display, comprising a plurality of output terminals connected to a plurality of common voltage input terminals of a common electrode layer of the liquid crystal display and adapted for inputting common voltages into the plurality of common voltage input terminals, the common electrode layer driving liquid crystal together with pixel electrodes of the liquid crystal display. The common voltages input by the plurality of output terminals decrease gradually from a data-line beginning end for data signal input to a data-line tail end for data signal input of the liquid crystal display. |
| US08878825B2 |
System and method for providing a variable refresh rate of an interferometric modulator display
Embodiments includes methods and systems for updating display devices at a variable refresh rate. One embodiment includes a method of updating an image displayed on a display device. The method includes setting an indicator to a first state that indicates that image data has been received subsequent to a previous update of a display device and periodically updating at least a portion of the display device to display the image. The updating is deferred for at least one period when the indicator is in a state other than the first state. In another embodiment, updates of the display are substantially asynchronous and occur as the processor writes data to one or more shift registers. When a shift register is filled, for example, having received data for a row within the display, the data in the shift register is written to the display. Other embodiments include methods of manufacturing such devices. |
| US08878818B2 |
Multi-touch optical touch panel
A multi-touch optical touch panel which comprises a rectangular position-detecting surface with a length L and a width W; a first set of a plurality of light-emitting element pairs configured for emitting a plurality of light beams, wherein the first set of light-emitting element pairs are arranged at various points along a first side of the position-detecting surface in a lengthwise direction; a second set of a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged at various points along the first side at 90 degrees with reference to the first side; two reflectors arranged along two opposed sides of the rectangular position-detecting surface in the W direction; and a first set of a plurality of light-receiving element pairs configured for receiving the plurality of light beams emitted by the first set of light-emitting element pairs, wherein the first set of light-receiving element pairs are arranged at various points along a second side of the position-detecting surface opposite to the first side in a lengthwise direction; a second set of a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged at various points along the second side at −90 degrees with reference to the second side for receiving the plurality of light beams emitted by the second set of light-emitting elements. A control circuit is configured for causing the first set of light-emitting element pairs and the second set of light-emitting elements to emit the plurality of light beams in a predetermined order to scan the position-detecting surface, and further configured for causing the first set of light-receiving element pairs and the second set of light-receiving elements to receive the plurality of light beams, thereby forming optical paths on the position-detecting surface in a grid pattern. |
| US08878817B2 |
Area sensor and liquid crystal display device with area sensor
A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel (20) having an area sensor function of detecting the position of an input from an outside source by detecting an image on a panel surface. The liquid crystal panel (20) (position detecting section), provided with visible light sensors (31A) each containing light sensor elements (30) that detect the intensity of received visible light and infrared light sensors (31B) each containing light sensor elements (30) that detect the intensity of received infrared light, which detects an input position by the visible light sensors (31A) and the infrared light sensors (31B) separately detecting an image on the detector surface. The liquid crystal display device further includes a backlight (light-emitting section) for irradiating the liquid crystal panel (20) with light containing infrared light. This achieves an area sensor capable of accurate position detection in a wide range of environmental illuminances and a liquid crystal display device equipped with such an area sensor. |
| US08878813B2 |
Method and apparatus for touch input in portable terminal
An apparatus and method for a touch input of a portable terminal are provided. More particularly, an apparatus and method for improving performance of a touch input device by using a multi-touch panel which supports both a resistive type and a capacitive type of touch input detection are provided. The apparatus includes a multi-touch panel for performing both a capacitive type and a resistive type of touch input detection in one touch panel, a pattern determining unit for analyzing a touch input pattern of a user by using the multi-touch panel, and a touch manager for determining a touch input coordinate corresponding to the touch input pattern of the user based on one of the capacitive type and the resistive type of touch input detection. |
| US08878807B2 |
Gesture-based user interface employing video camera
Systems and methods for providing a free-space gesture-based user interface for a computer workstation and desktop software applications are disclosed. In one implementation, the system includes a video camera to generate real-time video signals responsive to a user gesture as observed by the video camera, and a processor to generate control signals responsive to the real-time video signals responsive to the user gesture observed by the video camera. The control signals are used to control a desktop software application executing on the computer workstation, such that at least one aspect of the desktop software application is responsive to the user gesture observed by the video camera. |
| US08878803B2 |
Display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a glass substrate having a first main surface, a glass substrate spaced apart from a first substrate and having a second main surface facing said first main surface, and a highly-sensitive sensor and a low-sensitive sensor arranged between the glass substrate and the glass substrate. |
| US08878800B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable storage medium
A method is provided for generating a command for executing a process according to analyzed input data. The method comprises calculating a movement speed of a plurality of operating members based on input data corresponding to input operations of the operating members. The method further comprises analyzing the input data based on the movement speed. The method also comprises generating a command for executing a process according to the analyzed input data. |
| US08878797B2 |
Capacitive touch sense architecture having a correlator for demodulating a measured capacitance from an excitation signal
An analog front end circuit utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. The analog front end circuit uses coherent detection to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An analog excitation signal is modulated by a capacitor to be measured. The modulated signal is synchronously demodulated using a correlator, which includes a discrete mixer and a discrete integrator. The excitation signal is also input to the mixer such that the modulated signal is multiplied by the excitation signal. The excitation signal is an analog signal having a sine wave function or other waveform. |
| US08878793B2 |
Input apparatus
Provided is an input apparatus capable of handling operation mistakes (erroneous operations) unintentionally performed by a user. An input apparatus 10 has a display unit 32 configured to display objects of folders arranged in a hierarchical structure, an input unit 34 configured to receive a pressing input to the display unit 32, a load detection unit 40 configured to detect a pressure load on the input unit 34, and a control unit 20, if the load detection unit 40 continuously detects a pressure load not satisfying a predetermined load standard for a predetermined period after satisfying the predetermined load standard while the display unit 32 is displaying objects of open folders, configured to control to close a lowest folder among the open folders. |
| US08878789B2 |
Character specification system and method that uses a limited number of selection keys
A method and apparatus of identifying and selecting characters from among a plurality of characters. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer processor electronically enables identification of each of a plurality of characters arranged in a one-dimensional array. Each character is identified by an integer value that corresponds to the number of positions the character is offset from a reference position of the one-dimensional array. The computer processor electronically enables selection of any of the characters by receiving input resulting from activation of selection keys that specify the integer value of a character desired for selection. In one further embodiment, each selection key has an assigned integer value, and the integer value that identifies the selected character is calculated by summing the assigned integer values of each selection key activated for each instance that each selection key is activated within a selectable-length time period. |
| US08878785B1 |
Intent determination using geometric shape input
Computer-implemented methods for identifying a requested action using a geometric input are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a geometric pattern input associated with user-selectable content displayed on the device, and receiving an identifier of a referent entity, the referent entity selected based on the geometric pattern input from a list of suggested entities identified from user-selectable content displayed on the device. The method also includes identifying, based on a shape of the geometric pattern input, at least one action to be executed that is associated with the referent entity based on the shape of the geometric pattern input, and providing an identifier of the at least one identified action to the device for selection. Systems, graphical user interfaces, and machine-readable media are also provided. |
| US08878782B1 |
Electrooculographical control for a mobile device
A device and computer-readable media are provided for controlling a mobile device by eye movement. Namely, embodiments of the present invention rely on electrooculographical and blink-sensing techniques to detect eye movement, where the eye movement can indicate that a user wishes to perform an action on a mobile device. The mobile device may be a cell phone, a portable digital assistant, or some other communications device. This invention is primarily directed for use by people who have physical impairments preventing them from operating mobile devices in a traditional way. |
| US08878776B2 |
Information processing system
Provided is an information processing system which includes: a communication device including a sensor that measures information regarding a posture thereof; and an information processing device. The information processing device displays a guide image for causing a user to perform a rotational operation for rotating the communication device, and executes calibration of the sensor by using the measurement result of the sensor acquired from the communication device while the guide image is displayed. The guide image includes an image representing a reference axis to be a rotation center for the rotational operation and an image representing the communication device, and the image representing the communication device is located within the guide image so that a portion of the communication device corresponding to a position of the sensor overlaps with the reference axis. |
| US08878773B1 |
Determining relative motion as input
Input can be provided to a computing device based upon relative movement of a user or other object with respect to the device. In some embodiments, infrared radiation is used to determine measurable aspects of the eyes or other of a user. Since the human retina is a retro-reflector for certain wavelengths, using two different wavelengths or two measurement angles can allow user pupils to be quickly located and measured without requiring resource-intensive analysis of full color images captured using ambient light, which can be important for portable, low power, or relatively inexpensive computing devices. Various embodiments provide differing levels of precision and design that can be used with different devices. |
| US08878763B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes a display panel including pixels, a gate driver to sequentially apply a gate signal to gate lines in response to a gate control signal, a first source driver to apply a first data voltage to data lines in response to a data control signal, and a second source driver disposed at an opposite side of the display panel from the first source driver with respect to the display panel. The second source driver is configured to apply a second data voltage to the data lines at every time period, at which the gate signal is applied to the gate lines, in response to the clock signal. The pixels display a gray scale in response to the first and second data voltages, and a time period of a rising edge of the clock signal is the same as a time period of a rising edge of the gate signal. In addition, the high level period of the clock signal is shorter than the high level period of the gate signal. |
| US08878762B2 |
Level shifter and source driver for liquid crystal display
A level shifter for a source driver of a liquid crystal display is provided. The level shifter includes: an input stage for generating a signal with a voltage of between a positive input source voltage and a negative input source voltage according to an input logic; a middle stage for generating a first logic signal and a second logic signal according to the signal; and an output stage, for generating a first output signal with a voltage of between a first positive output source voltage and a first negative output source voltage at a first output terminal or a second output signal with a voltage of between a second positive output source voltage and a second negative output source voltage at a second output terminal according to the first logic signal and the second logic signal. |
| US08878759B2 |
Apparatus and method for displaying a video image
A method of displaying a video image comprises receiving sequential image frames at a processor. Each image frame is processed to obtain a kinoform. A programmable diffractive element such as an SLM represents the sequence of kinoforms allowing reproduction of the image using a suitable illumination beam. |
| US08878757B2 |
Display device and method of driving the same
The present invention solves the motion blur of moving images in hold-type display devices. An amount of a moving image is detected from image data included in frames and an image at the intermediate state between an image of the current frame and an image of the next frame is made as an interpolation image. Thus, the movement of the image can follow the movement of human eyes and the luminance of the interpolation image is changed, and thus, display can be made close to pseudo impulse type display. In this manner, hold-type display devices without motion blur and methods of driving the hold-type display devices can be provided. |
| US08878756B2 |
Pixel circuit including a first switching element section showing a saturation characteristic and a second switching element section showing a linear characteristic and display device including the pixel circuit
A pixel circuit of at least one embodiment of the present invention includes: a display element whose light emitting luminance is controlled by a supplied current; at least one first switching element section whose output current characteristic shows a saturation characteristic in response to an input variable serving as a grayscale signal; and at least one second switching element section whose output current characteristic shows a linear characteristic in response to an input variable serving as a grayscale signal. A first current supply line which outputs a current determined by the first switching element section and a second current supply line which outputs a current determined by the second switching element section are combined, and then succeeded by a current supply line of the display element. This makes it possible to provide a pixel circuit and a display device which can generate higher peak luminance while sufficiently securing a voltage range which causes an appropriate normal grayscale display within a predetermined driver voltage output range. |
| US08878751B2 |
Organic light emitting display device
An organic light emitting display includes: pixels located at crossing regions between scan lines and data lines; a first control line and a second control line commonly coupled to the pixels; a control line driver configured to supply a first control signal to the first control line for a reset period and to supply a second control signal to the second control line during the reset period and a compensation period. Each pixel includes: an organic light emitting diode; a first transistor configured to control an amount of current supplied from a first power source coupled to a first electrode to a second power source via the organic light emitting diode; a second transistor configured to be turned on when the second control signal is supplied; and a fourth transistor configured to supply an initial voltage to a second electrode of the first transistor when the first control signal is supplied. |
| US08878748B2 |
Stereoscopic image display capable of selectively implementing a two-dimensional plane image and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image
A stereoscopic image display includes a display panel, which selectively displays a 2D image and a 3D image and includes a plurality of pixels, and a patterned retarder for dividing light from the display panel into first polarized light and second polarized light. Each of the pixels includes a main display unit including a first pixel electrode and a first common electrode, a subsidiary display unit including a second pixel electrode and a second common electrode, and a line unit disposed between the main display unit and the subsidiary display unit. The line unit includes a gate line, a discharge control line through which a discharge control voltage is applied to a discharge control TFT, and a lower common line through which a common voltage is applied to an upper common line. |
| US08878746B2 |
Multi-screen electronic device with mechanism for transitioning between compact and expanded forms
A multi-screen electronic device includes a first electronic device having a first electronic device screen and a second electronic device having a second electronic device screen. The first and second electronic device screens are stacked and on different planes when the multi-screen electronic device is in a compact form. The first and second electronic device screens are unstacked and on the same plane when the multi-screen electronic device is in an expanded form. A translation mechanism is coupled to the first and second electronic devices. The translation mechanism is configured to guide a motion of at least one of the first and second electronic devices along a nonlinear path such that a travel along the nonlinear path in a forward direction transforms the multi-screen electronic device from the compact form to the expanded form and a travel along the nonlinear path in a reverse direction transforms the multi-screen electronic device from the expanded form to the compact form. |
| US08878745B2 |
Mobile-beam antenna mounting
A mobile-beam antenna mounting comprises a supporting base, at least one reflector and a transmission and/or reception feed. The feed is mounted in the mounting so as to be immobile relative to the supporting base and the mounting also comprises a mobile support bearing the reflector, the mobile support being mounted on the supporting base with link means suitable for displacing it about at least one fixed displacement axis passing through the phase center of the feed. |
| US08878744B2 |
Antenna assembly providing a global multi-directional radiation pattern
An antenna assembly having a characteristic frequency band includes an antenna feed, operatively connected to one of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, an RF receiver, and an RF transceiver system, and a ground component. A first set of conductive elements, including either or both of linear, bent linear, and curvilinear elements, is operatively connected to the antenna feed. A second set of conductive elements, including either or both of linear, bent linear, and curvilinear elements, is operatively connected to the ground component. Each of the first set of linear conductive elements and the second set of linear conductive elements are configured as to provide substantially equal sensitivity within the characteristic frequency band across all elevation and azimuth angles. |
| US08878743B1 |
Stepped radio frequency reflector antenna
Stepped radio frequency (RF) reflector antennas are disclosed in which an inner RF reflector is disposed in a central opening of at one or more annular RF reflectors. The RF reflecting surface of the inner RF reflector and the RF reflecting surface(s) of the one or more annular RF reflectors can be shaped and positioned relative to each other to have different focal lengths but nevertheless reflect an RF signal to the same focal plane. The depth of the inventive reflector antenna system can be less than the depth of prior art reflector antennas with a comparable RF aperture. |
| US08878736B2 |
RFID system and method
An RFID system includes an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system. The product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container. A first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on the at least one product container. The at least one product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the at least one product container. |
| US08878731B2 |
Multiple-band antenna with patch and slot structures
A multiple-band antenna having first and second operating frequency bands is provided. The antenna includes a first patch structure associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band, a first slot structure disposed between a first portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, and a second slot structure disposed between a second portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band. A mounting structure for the multiple-band antenna is also provided. The mounting structure includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to and overlapping the first surface. |
| US08878729B2 |
Electric conductive trace
An electric conductive trace includes an arch-shaped variation of a shape of at least a portion of a fractal of at least a second iteration. The portion of the fractal is larger than double of a first iteration of the fractal. The shape varied to be arch-shaped for changes of direction includes a curve radius larger than a predefined minimum curve radius. |
| US08878728B1 |
Parasitic antenna array for microwave frequencies
The present invention includes a substrate; a central monopole element configured to radiate electromagnetic energy, the central monopole element disposed within a central monopole element through-hole of the substrate and extending from the first to the second surface of the substrate, the central monopole element formed by plating the central monopole element through-hole; a plurality of parasitic elements surrounding the central monopole element, each of the parasitic elements disposed within a parasitic element through-hole of the substrate and extending from the first to the second surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of parasitic elements formed by plating a parasitic element through-hole; a ground plane disposed on the second surface of the substrate; and a plurality of load circuits, each load circuit being connected to a parasitic element of the plurality of parasitic elements, each load circuit further being connected to the ground plane. |
| US08878726B2 |
System and method for three-dimensional geolocation of emitters based on energy measurements
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional (3-D) energy-based emitter geolocation technique determines the geolocation of a radio frequency (RF) emitter based on energy or received signal strength (RSS) of transmitted signals. The technique may be employed with small unmanned air vehicles (UAV), and obtains reliable geolocation estimates of radio frequency (RF) emitters of interest. |
| US08878716B2 |
Code set determination for a remote control
A method for determining the right code set to be used for controlling an appliance includes the remote control sends one or more commands using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets to the appliance. The code set to be used for controlling this appliance is determined based on at least a command sent to the appliance by a user of the remote control, in reaction to the sending of the one or more commands by the remote control. |
| US08878715B2 |
Time-to-digital converting circuit and digital-to-time converting circuit
A time-to-digital converting circuit includes a first flip-flop and a second flip-flop. The time-to-digital converting circuit a first delay controlling circuit that outputs a first data signal obtained by controlling a delay time of the reference data signal input thereto via the first signal input terminal based on the first output signal and a first clock signal obtained by controlling a delay time of the reference clock signal input thereto via the second signal input terminal based on the first output signal. |
| US08878713B1 |
Crossbar switch calibration system for facilitating analog-to-digital conversion monotonicity
A system includes an array of comparators configured to convert an analog input to a digital output, a switch configured to adjust output bits of the digital output, and a control logic; the control logic is configured to initialize the switch and a direct-current source coupled to the analog input; the control logic is configured to increase the direct-current source in incremental steps of a minimal voltage value corresponding to the least significant bit of the digital output; and the control input is also configured to cause the switch to adjust one or more output bits of the digital output based at least in part on a value of the output bit corresponding to the current incremental step. |
| US08878712B2 |
Flash ADC shuffling
A flash ADC circuit may include a reference ladder providing reference signals and a plurality of comparators, each providing an output based on a comparison of a pair of input signals to a pair of reference signals. At least one pair of the comparators may receive the same pair of reference signals with a different orientation of the reference signals at each of the comparators. The flash ADC may include a switch network for swapping the pair of reference signals between the pair of comparators. |
| US08878707B1 |
Time-interleaved skew reduced pipelined analog to digital converter
A system includes a first storage element to store an input signal for a first sampling lane for a SHA-less stage. A first switch is connected with the first storage element, the first switch to control when the first storage element stores the input signal for sampling on the first sampling lane. A second switch is connected in series with the first switch, the second switch to control an instance for sampling the input signal stored on the first storage element for the first sampling lane. |
| US08878705B1 |
Variable bit-length reiterative lossless compression system and method
A computer-implemented method of performing lossless compression of a digital data set uses an iterative compression process in which the number of symbols N and bit length per symbol n may vary on successive iterations. The process includes analyzing at least a part of the data set to establish a partition thereof into N symbols of symbol length n, and to determine whether the N symbols can be further compressed, and, if so, a model to be used in encoding the N symbols. |
| US08878703B2 |
Handheld electronic device with text disambiguation
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided. Additionally, the device can facilitate the selection of variants by displaying a graphic of a special |
| US08878694B2 |
Vehicle speed advisor
A vehicle speed advisor system that provides an indication of the local speed limit to the driver in order to warn the driver when the local speed limit has been exceeded. The system detects the actual GPS position and obtains the allowed local speed limit of that position in a USB or flash memory, which is then displayed using a speed limit indicator in the scale of the speedometer of the instrument cluster in one mode of operation when the speed limit has not been reached, or in a second mode of operation when the speed limit has been reached or surpassed. The driver does not have to look at the street to see the allowed driving speed because the instrument cluster always provides an indication of the local speed limit. |
| US08878693B2 |
Driver assistance device and method of controlling the same
A driver assistance device to be disposed in a vehicle includes a traffic signal information acquiring section, an intersection distance acquiring section, a target speed calculating section, and an outputting section. The traffic signal information acquiring section acquires traffic signal information that includes current and future lighting colors and lighting times of respective lighting colors of a traffic signal located in a traveling direction of the vehicle. The intersection distance acquiring section acquires an intersection distance between the vehicle and an intersection at which the traffic signal is located. The target speed calculating section calculates a target speed range to enable the vehicle to enter the intersection in a state where the lighting color of the traffic signal is green. The outputting section outputs the target speed range. |
| US08878692B2 |
Energy management system and method and repeater for energy management system
Disclosed are an energy management system, an energy management method and a repeater for an energy management system. The repeater receives information on an amount of energy consumption of the individual user from the meter, and receives information on an energy pricing system from the central management server. Then, the repeater analyzes and manages the energy consumption rate of the individual user using the received information, and transmits information on the energy consumption rate to the meter or the central management server. The repeater may also analyze various information such as information on an energy consumption propensity of the individual user. The repeater immediately transmits essential information but transmits incidental information only when there is a request of the meter or the central management server. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce communication traffic between the central management server and the plurality of meters. |
| US08878690B2 |
AMR transmitter and method using multiple radio messages
The invention provides a method and several types of devices for converting meter reading signals into data messages including a first message (40) having meter data (44) representing consumption of a utility, and meter diagnostic status data (43), and a second message (60) having meter reverse flow data (63-65) and meter diagnostic data (66) particular to an electronic flow meter, and receiving said first message (40) and said second message (60) and converting first message and said second message to radio frequency signals (25) and transmitting said radio frequency signals (25) to a receiver (22, 24). |
| US08878689B2 |
Automated meter reader
A meter reader for reading a meter have a display portion displaying a total output of a quantity being metered and plural incremental outputs defining the total output. The meter reader includes a sensing mechanism for sensing one of the plural incremental outputs in the meter display portion, and a processing unit coupled to the sensing mechanism for accumulating incremental outputs sensed by the sensing mechanism and for determining accumulated meter output over a time period based on the accumulated incremental outputs. Also included is an output mechanism for outputting the accumulated meter output determined by the processing unit. In one example, the sensing mechanism includes a sensor for sensing only a least significant incremental output in usage included in the meter display portion, and an emitter for illuminating the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion. Further, the sensing mechanism senses the least significant incremental output included in the meter display portion at least once every full cycle of the least significant incremental output. |
| US08878688B2 |
Well downhole condition signalling
A downhole tool 10 includes means for detecting a downhole condition, a capacitor bank, and a sparker. The technique is particularly useful for detecting casing collars. As the tool is passed along the well bore 11, it detects collars 12. On each detection, a part of the capacitor bank is discharged through the sparker. This generates an acoustic pulse which is transmitted through the ground (wave 14) to detectors 15, 16. The movement of the tool 10 is also monitored by a movement detector 20. The position of the tool 10 is correlated with the positions of the collars 12 by a computer 22 fed via interfacing circuitry 21. If desired, the pulses may be coded by strength, number, time spacing, etc. |
| US08878684B2 |
Ultrasensitive detection platform for sensing magnetic and/or electrical energy change
A scalable and ultrasensitive frequency-shift magnetic array scheme. The theoretical limit of the sensor noise floor is shown to be dominated by the phase noise of the sensing oscillators. To increase the sensitivity, a noise suppression technique, Correlated Double Counting (CDC), is described with no power overhead. As an implementation example, a 64-cell sensor array is designed in a standard 65 nm CMOS process. The CDC scheme achieves an additional 6 dB noise suppression. The magnetic sensing capability of the presented sensor is verified by detecting micron size magnetic particles with an SNR of 14.6 dB for a single bead and an effective dynamic range of at least 74.5 dB. Applications in biosensing are contemplated, among other possible uses. Measurement of electrical properties is also contemplated. |
| US08878679B2 |
Baby monitor light
A baby monitoring light system includes a light body having a bottom portion and a top portion, the light body having a height generally shorter than the light body width and length, the light body comprising a light source oriented upwardly from the top portion, the light body adapted to project a light beam upwardly onto a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away. The system may include a blanket having a pocket, the light body positionable in the pocket, the pocket having a space through which the light source projects when the light body is in the pocket. The light body may include one or more releasable fasteners. |
| US08878676B2 |
Healthcare workstations and RFID devices for detecting medication errors
A medication administration system that includes a system of pillboxes, a pharmacy workstation, and a system of attendant workstation. The pharmacy workstation reads RFID or barcode tags on the pillboxes and medication wrappers containing medication units as the medication units are checked into the pillboxes to ensure that the pillboxes are filled in accordance the appropriate prescription regimens. The attendant workstations read the RFID or barcode tags on the pillboxes and medication wrappers as the medication units are checked out of the pillboxes to ensure that the medications are administered in accordance the appropriate prescription regimens. The attendant workstations may activate alarms, which may include communicating the alarms to a central monitoring station or mobile communication devices assigned to healthcare providers, when the determine that a pillbox in not correctly filled, when a medication has been checked out of a pillbox improperly, or when a medication has not been checked out on time. |
| US08878675B2 |
Merchandise tags with removal detection for theft prevention
Security tags such as hang tags are provided for mounting on merchandise in a retail setting. The security tags include a substrate, an RFID chip, an antenna, and a protection circuit. The chip is affixed to the substrate, while the antenna and the protection circuit are electrically connected to the chip. The security tag is connected to a piece of merchandise by an attachment element associated with the substrate. The attachment element is configured such that removal of the security tag from a piece of merchandise will damage the protection circuit. The RFID chip is configured to generate a first signal which triggers an alarm if the first signal is received by an RFID reader of a security system. The RFID chip will also trigger an alarm if the protection circuit is damaged by the security tag being removed by a customer in the shopping area or other secure area. |
| US08878672B2 |
Alert for real-time risk of theft or loss
Devices, methods, systems and a computer readable medium for the provision of alerts to electronic devices in response to real-time, location based analysis of the risk of theft or loss of such devices are provided. A continually updated database of locations of thefts, losses and/or stolen or lost electronic devices is accessed in order to provide the alerts to the electronic devices. |
| US08878668B2 |
Method and apparatus to detect transponder tagged objects, for example during medical procedures
The presence or absence of objects (e.g., medical implements, medical supplies) tagged with transponders may be determined in an environment in which medical procedures (e.g., surgery) are performed via an interrogation and detection system which includes a controller and a plurality of antennas positioned along a patient support structure. The antennas may, for example, be positioned along an operating table, bed, a mattress or pad or a sheet and may be radiolucent. Respective antennas may successively be activated to transmit interrogation signals. Multiple antennas may be monitored for responses from transponders to the interrogation signals. For example, all antennas other than the antenna that transmitted the most recent interrogation signal may be monitored. |
| US08878666B2 |
Emergency sign having beacon module for indoor positioning and indoor positioning system
An emergency exit sign having a beacon module for indoor positioning and an indoor positioning system using the same are provided. The emergency exit sign includes a power supply unit, an AC/DC converter, an indoor positioning beacon module, an LED lamp, and a charger. The power supply unit receives an input of a power source and supplies the power source. The AC/DC converter converts the power source supplied and supplies a driving power source. The indoor positioning beacon module periodically wireless transmits a beacon signal including a beacon ID through a built-in antenna. The LED lamp is installed within the housing such that the lamp is positioned in rear of the display. When a power source is not supplied from the power supply unit, the charger supplies a driving power source. |
| US08878661B2 |
Information communication system and vehicle portable device
An information communication system has a vehicle portable device that conducts wireless communication with a vehicle, and a mobile terminal that includes a display part and conducts near-field wireless communication with the vehicle portable device. The vehicle portable device includes a vehicle information acquisition part that acquires vehicle information on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle information is transmitted from the vehicle by wireless communication, and a transmission controller that controls the transmission of the vehicle information to the mobile terminal by near-field wireless communication. The mobile terminal includes an execution controller that acquires the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle portable device and controls execution of a predetermined program for displaying the vehicle information on the display part. |
| US08878651B2 |
Food source information transferring system and method for a livestock slaughterhouse
A food source information transferring system for a livestock slaughterhouse and a related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the food source information transferring system is capable of reading first tag-identifying information in a livestock RFID tag on a body of a carcass and second tag-identifying information in a hook RFID tag incorporated in a hook that can be hung on a hook machine. A food source information database can pair a first set of data associated with the livestock RFID tag with a second set of data associated with the hook RFID tag to preserve producer-level livestock information to meat-processing, distribution, and sales channels. This unique pairing of the first set of data associated with the livestock RFID tag and the second set of data associated with the hook RFID tag in the food source information database can result in seamless, robust, and lossless food source information management. |
| US08878647B2 |
Personal authentication apparatus and personal authentication method
A personal authentication apparatus comprises an input unit configured to input image data; a face detection unit configured to detect a face region of a person included in the image data input by the input unit, and to detect feature data from the detected face region; a facial expression determination unit configured to determine a facial expression from the face region detected by the face detection unit; a storage unit configured to store feature data used to authenticate a person in correspondence with respective facial expressions of a plurality of faces; a selection unit configured to select feature data corresponding to the facial expression determined by the facial expression determination unit from the storage unit; and an authentication unit configured to authenticate a person by comparing the feature data of the face region detected by the face detection unit, and the feature data selected by the selection unit. |
| US08878646B2 |
Communication system and method
A communication system and method in which the communication system comprises a first communication module (11) and a second communication module (12). The first communication module (11) is located inside a vehicle (1), and the second communication module (12) is located in a garage door opener (3) and/or a home (2). A first information (11) relating to status information of the vehicle (1) is transmitted wirelessly between the first and second communication modules (11, 12). Additionally or alternatively, a second information is transmitted between the first and second communication modules (11, 12). The second information relates to status information of the garage door opener (3) and/or the home (2). |
| US08878642B2 |
Dust core and method for producing the same
There are provided a dust core in which, even if the surface of a heat-treated compact is ground, the insulation between soft magnetic particles on the ground surface can be ensured in the grinding step, and a method for producing the dust core.The method includes a preparation step of preparing a heat-treated compact 100 by compacting soft magnetic particles having an insulation coating and heating the resultant compact to a predetermined temperature; and a machining step of removing part of the heat-treated compact 100 using a working tool 2. The machining step is performed while an electric current is supplied with a conductive fluid 7L between the heat-treated compact 100 serving as an anode and a working tool 2 that machines the heat-treated compact 100 or a first counter electrode 5 that faces the working tool 2 with a distance therebetween, the working tool 2 or the first counter electrode 5 serving as a cathode. A bridge portion that connects soft magnetic particles to each other is removed through the supply of an electric current, the soft magnetic particles being adjacent to each other along a machined surface of the heat-treated compact 100. |
| US08878636B2 |
Techniques for developing a negative impedance
Techniques to develop negative impedance circuits that may operate to their power supply rails. The techniques may include generating currents in response to voltage signals presented at respective input terminals of a negative impedance circuit. The voltage signals may be differential signals. The generated currents may be driven through a common impedance within the negative impedance circuit. The currents flowing through the common impedance may be mirrored back to the input terminals of the negative impedance circuit. The negative impedance circuit may be controlled to operate about a common-mode voltage for the circuit. |
| US08878635B2 |
Tunable band-pass filter
A tunable band-pass filter includes: a rectangular waveguide including a first and a second waveguide parts, which are acquired by dividing the rectangular waveguide along an E-plane of the rectangular waveguide at a center position of an H-plane in the rectangular waveguide; a metal plate sandwiched by the first and the second waveguide parts in such a way as to be parallel to the E-plane; at least one dielectric plate arranged in the rectangular waveguide in such a way as to extend in a longitudinal extension direction of the metal plate; and a drive mechanism changing a relative position relationship between the dielectric plate and the metal plate from the outside. |
| US08878634B2 |
Bandpass filter, and wireless communication module and wireless communication device using the bandpass filter
[Object] An object is to provide a bandpass filter that can be used for a wide frequency band and has a large degree of freedom in designing a passband, and a wireless communication module and a wireless communication device that use the bandpass filter.[Solution] A bandpass filter includes first to third resonance electrodes 31a, 31b, and 31c sequentially arranged side-by-side such that they are electromagnetically coupled to each other, the first to third resonance electrodes 31a, 31b, and 31c being grounded at one end and constituting first to third resonators, respectively; a first input/output coupling electrode 40a facing the first resonance electrode 31a and electromagnetically coupled thereto; a second input/output coupling electrode 40b facing the second resonance electrode 31b and electromagnetically coupled thereto; and a resonator coupling electrode 43 configured to provide electromagnetic coupling between the first resonance electrode 31a and the third resonance electrode 31c. The first and second resonators have the same resonance frequency which is different from a resonance frequency of the third resonator. The first to third resonators are used to produce a passband. The bandpass filter can be used for a wide frequency band and has a large degree of freedom in designing the passband. |
| US08878631B2 |
Active low pass filter
The invention relates to a selective active low-pass filter and to a method for improving the selectivity of such a filter. The method includes centering, in the center of a network, the resonant element whose frequency is closest to the cutoff frequency of the filter and in inserting in series with this element a negative resistance of higher value than the parasitic resistance of the filter. |
| US08878625B2 |
Impedance matching device
The present invention intends to provide a small-sized impedance matching device with a small variation in quality and large-current tolerance. The above described intention of the present invention is achieved by an impedance matching device, which comprises a wiring portion comprising a conductor pattern for wiring, embedded inside or formed on the surface of first dielectric material, and either one or both of an inductor portion comprising a conductor pattern for inductor, embedded inside or formed on the surface of the first dielectric material, or a capacitor portion comprising at least one pair of conductor patterns for capacitor and second dielectric material with a dielectric constant larger than that of the first dielectric material, existing between the pair of conductor patterns for capacitor wherein the thicknesses of the conductor pattern for wiring and the conductor pattern for inductor are 20 μm or more. |
| US08878621B2 |
Temperature-compensated semiconductor resistor device
A semiconductor device includes: a resistance R whose resistance value varies in response to a substrate temperature variation; a resistance corrector that is coupled in series with the resistance R and switches its resistance value by a preset resistance step width to suppress a resistance value variation of the resistance R; a first voltage generator for generating a first voltage that varies in response to the substrate temperature; a second voltage generator for generating second voltages Vf1 to Vfn−1 for specifying the first voltage at a point when a switching operation of the resistance value of the resistance corrector is performed; and a resistance switch unit for switching the resistance value of the resistance corrector by comparing the first voltage and the second voltages Vf1 to Vfn−1. |
| US08878620B2 |
Phase coherent playback in and arbitrary waveform generator
An improved arbitrary waveform generator has a waveform memory for storing digitized waveforms, a waveform playout for playing out desired ones of the digitized waveforms as analog waveforms and a sequencer for controlling the waveform playout, the sequencer providing indications of the desired waveform for playout and a desired starting sample position for the desired waveform. The sequencer includes a tracking mechanism for the desired waveform so that the desired waveform is phase coherent when playout is interrupted and restarted later according to programming of the sequencer. |
| US08878619B2 |
Variable phase amplifier circuit and method of use
A variable phase amplifier circuit is disclosed and its method of use in tuning devices having resonators. The variable phase amplifier receives an input differential signal pair. The input differential signal pair can be generated by a resonator device. The variable phase amplifier generates a modified differential signal pair in response to receiving the input differential signal pair. The variable phase amplifier provides a means to vary the phase of the modified differential signal pair with respect to the input differential signal pair, in an accurate and stable manner. If the modified differential signal pair with a phase shift introduced in it is fed back to the resonator device, the resonator will change its frequency of oscillation, where the new frequency of oscillation is a function of the phase of the modified differential signal pair. |
| US08878616B2 |
Inverting difference oscillator
The described embodiments provide a configurable pulse generator circuit. More specifically, the described embodiments include a pulse generator circuit; an inverting difference oscillator (IDO) enabling circuit coupled to the pulse generator circuit; and a disable signal coupled to the IDO enabling circuit. When the disable signal is asserted, the IDO enabling circuit is disabled and the pulse generator circuit is configured as a pulse generator. In contrast, when the disable signal is deasserted, the IDO enabling circuit is enabled and the pulse generator circuit is configured as part of an IDO. |
| US08878615B2 |
Voltage-controlled oscillator device and method of correcting voltage-controlled oscillator
The present application discloses a voltage-controlled oscillator device and a method of correcting the voltage-controlled oscillator. The voltage-controlled oscillator device comprises predistortion module, configured to predistort an input voltage to obtain a predistorted voltage; and a voltage-controlled oscillator, configured to generate an output signal with a corresponding oscillation frequency according to the predistorted voltage, wherein the predistortion module corrects a non-linear characteristic of the voltage-controlled oscillator, so that there is a linear relationship between the input voltage and the oscillation frequency of the output signal. The voltage-controlled oscillator device may be applied to a phase-locked circuit in a communication system. |
| US08878614B2 |
Phase-locked loop
A PLL circuit includes an oscillator, a detection block, an integral path and a proportional path. The oscillator generates an oscillation signal. The detection block detects a phase difference between the oscillation signal and a reference signal and generates an integral signal that represents an integral value of the phase difference and a proportional signal that represents a current value of the phase difference. The integral path includes a regulator that receives the integral signal and supplies a regulated integral signal to the oscillator, and the regulator has a feedback loop including an error amplifier. The proportional path supplies the proportional signal, separately from the integral signal, to the oscillator. The oscillator generates the oscillation signal having an oscillation frequency controlled by both of the regulated integral signal and the proportional signal such that the phase of the oscillation signal is locked to the phase of the reference signal. |
| US08878606B2 |
Inductance based parallel amplifier phase compensation
A direct current (DC)-DC converter, which includes a parallel amplifier and a switching supply, is disclosed. The switching supply includes switching circuitry, a first inductive element, and a second inductive element. The parallel amplifier has a feedback input and a parallel amplifier output. The switching circuitry has a switching circuitry output. The first inductive element is coupled between the switching circuitry output and the feedback input. The second inductive element is coupled between the feedback input and the parallel amplifier output. |
| US08878605B2 |
Amplifier circuit including digital amplifier and analog amplifier
An amplifier circuit includes a digital amplifier configured to amplify an input signal to output a first output signal, an analog amplifier configured to amplify the input signal to output a second output signal, a check circuit configured to produce a check signal responsive to frequencies of the input signal, and a selector circuit configured to select and output one of the first output signal and the second output signal in response to the check signal. |
| US08878601B2 |
Power supply circuit with positive and negative feedback loops
A circuit includes a gate node, and a bias circuit coupled to the gate node. The bias circuit is configured to, in response to a change in a gate voltage on the gate node, provide a positive feedback to the gate voltage. A power circuit is coupled to the gate node, wherein the power circuit includes a power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistor. The power circuit is configured to, in response to a change in the gate voltage, provide a negative feedback to the gate voltage. An output node is coupled to the power circuit. |
| US08878597B2 |
Circuit for canceling errors caused by parasitic and device-intrinsic resistances in temperature dependent integrated circuits
In one embodiment, a circuit includes at least one transistor with a base and collector being electrically connected to a ground, and at least one current source being configured to apply four different currents (A, B, C, and D) to the emitter. A sum of the currents A and C are substantially equivalent to a sum of the currents B and D, or a sum of the currents A and D are substantially equivalent to a sum of the currents B and C. The circuit outputs first, second, third, and fourth voltage potentials between the emitter and the base during application of the currents A, B, C, and D, respectively. |
| US08878595B2 |
Switchable readout device
A readout device is adapted for dual-band sensing, and includes an amplifier, two direct injection (DI) readout circuits to be respectively connected to two sensors, and a switching module. Through operation of the switching module, one of the DI readout circuits can be electrically connected to the amplifier, and cooperate with the other DI readout circuit to achieve a dual-band sensing feature. |
| US08878590B2 |
Techniques for switching between AC-coupled connectivity and DC-coupled connectivity
A circuit for switching between an AC-coupled connectivity and DC-coupled connectivity of a multimedia interface. The circuit comprises a current source connected in series to a wire of the multimedia interface and a coupling capacitor; and a termination resistor connected to the current source and to the coupling capacitor, wherein the circuit is connected in series between a source line driver and a sink line receiver of the multimedia interface, wherein the source line driver supports both the AC-coupled connectivity and the DC-coupled connectivity and the sink line receiver supports any one of the AC-coupled connectivity and the DC-coupled connectivity, wherein the current source and the termination resistor allows the setting of voltage levels of signals received at the sink line receiver to voltage levels defined by the multimedia interface thereby to switch to the coupling connectivity type required by the multimedia interface at which the sink line receiver operates. |
| US08878585B2 |
Slicer and method of operating the same
A slicer includes a first latch. The first latch includes an evaluating transistor configured to receive a first clock signal. The first latch further includes a developing transistor configured to receive a second clock signal, wherein the first clock signal is different from the second clock signal. The first latch further includes a first input transistor configured to receive a first input. The first latch further includes a second input transistor configured to receive a second input, wherein the first and second input transistors are connected with the developing transistor. The first latch further includes at least one pre-charging transistor configured to receive a third clock signal, wherein the at least one pre-charging transistor is connected to a first output node and a second output node. The slicer further includes a second latch connected to the first and second output nodes and to a third output node. |
| US08878583B2 |
PWM duty cycle converter
A PWM duty cycle converter includes a PWM signal generator, a timing signal generator, a limit signal generator, and a duty cycle limiter. The PWM signal generator generates a first PWM signal by comparing a triangular carrier wave with a duty command from a signal source. The timing signal generator generates a timing signal synchronously with at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of the amplitude of the carrier wave. The limit signal generator generates a limit signal in response to the timing signal. The limit signal sets at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit on a duty cycle of the first PWM signal. The duty cycle limiter combines the first PWM signal and the limit signal to output a second PWM signal having a limited duty cycle. |
| US08878582B2 |
Apparatus and method for duty cycle calibration
An apparatus for duty cycle calibration includes an input calibration circuit, a delay chain, a first comparator, and a second comparator. The input calibration circuit calibrates an input clock signal according to a first control signal so as to generate an input calibration clock signal. The delay chain includes a plurality of delay units coupled in series, and delays the input calibration clock signal so as to generate a first delay clock signal and a second delay clock signal. At least two of the delay units each have an adjustable delay time which is controlled according to a second control signal. The first comparator compares the input calibration clock signal with the first delay clock signal so as to generate the first control signal. The second comparator compares the input calibration clock signal with the second delay clock signal so as to generate the second control signal. |
| US08878579B2 |
System and method for scaling power of a phase-locked loop architecture
Apparatuses, systems, and a method for providing a PLL architecture with scalable power are described. In one embodiment, a system includes one or more processing units having a voltage regulator to generate a controllably adjustable supply voltage for a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit coupled to the voltage regulator. The PLL circuit compares a phase and frequency of the reference clock signal to a phase and frequency of a generated feedback clock signal and generates an output signal based on the comparison. A tracking unit adjusts the controllably adjustable supply voltage based on an operating frequency of the system. |
| US08878572B2 |
Drive control apparatus
A drive control apparatus for a semiconductor device having a diode and a transistor includes: a current detection device of a current flowing through the diode; and a control device, which applies a gate drive voltage to the semiconductor device when an on-instruction signal is input. The control device compares the current detection signal with a current threshold value during a first period, in which the on-instruction signal is input, after a second period has elapsed from gate drive voltage application time, or gate drive voltage shut-off time. A transient variation is generated on the current detection signal in the second period. The control device shuts off the gate drive voltage when the current detection signal is equal to or larger than the current threshold value. The control device applies the gate drive voltage when the current detection signal is smaller than the current threshold value. |
| US08878571B2 |
Driver circuit of Schottky transistor
A driver circuit includes an output terminal connected to a gate of a Schottky transistor, a reference transistor formed in the same manner as the Schottky transistor, a resistor connected between a first power source line and a gate of the reference transistor, a voltage generator configured to supply a second node with a voltage equal to or lower than a voltage at a first node between the resistor and the reference transistor, and a switching element configured to transmit the voltage at the second node to the output terminal in response to a signal inputted to an input terminal. |
| US08878569B1 |
Self-recovering bus signal detector
A detector circuit is disclosed that detects bus signal conditions. To detect a START condition, asynchronous sequential logic detects a first bus signal transition (e.g., from high to low) and a second bus signal (e.g., a high signal). The outputs of the asynchronous sequential logic are combined to produce a START signal that can be latched, so that the START signal can be used to wake up a system or for other purposes. To detect a STOP condition, asynchronous sequential logic is set by a transition (e.g., low to high) of the first bus signal and a second bus signal (e.g., a high signal), producing a STOP signal that can be used to reset the asynchronous sequential logic and the latch. |
| US08878568B1 |
High-speed SSR transmit driver
A high speed transmit driver is provided, along with methods to improve driver slew rate, decrease transmit jitter, improve termination accuracy, and decrease sensitivity to supply noise. |
| US08878561B2 |
Screening method, screening device and program
This invention is to detect defective products of semiconductor devices with high accuracy even when the characteristics of the semiconductor devices vary according to their positions on each of wafers. A screening method includes the steps of measuring respective electrical characteristic values of a plurality of semiconductor devices included in a wafer; acquiring respective positional information of the semiconductor devices over the wafer; subtracting components relatively gently varying over the surface of the wafer, of variations in the electrical characteristic values of the semiconductor devices from the respective electrical characteristic values of the semiconductor devices to thereby correct the respective electrical characteristic values of the semiconductor devices; generating distributions of the post-correction electrical characteristic values with respect to the semiconductor devices; and detecting semiconductor devices in which the post-correction electrical characteristic values assume outliers, out of the semiconductor devices, based on the distributions. |
| US08878556B2 |
Sensing device and method
A sensing device includes an oscillator, a driver, a switch, a counter and a timer. The oscillator includes an input coupled to a reference capacitor. The driver alternately sources and sinks current in accordance with an oscillation signal outputted by the oscillator. The switch connects or disconnects the reference capacitor with a sensing capacitor. The counter counts value for the oscillation signal. The timer counts operation periods respectively when the switch connects the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor and when the switch disconnects the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor, and the counter counts values corresponding to conditions of the switch connecting and disconnecting the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor during the operation periods, respectively. |
| US08878555B2 |
Capacitance measurement device for a touch control device
A capacitance measurement device includes a charging control unit for charging a measured capacitor, a discharging control unit for discharging the measured capacitor, a first switch coupled to the measured capacitor and the charging control unit for controlling a connection between the measured capacitor and the charging control unit according to a first switching signal, a second switch coupled to the measured capacitor and the discharging control unit for controlling a connection between the measured capacitor and the discharging control unit according to a second switching signal, a first A/D converter coupled to the measured capacitor for converting a voltage signal on the measured capacitor into a first signal, and a duty cycle detecting circuit coupled to the measured capacitor for converting the voltage signal on the measured capacitor into a count value that represents the capacitance of the measured capacitor and outputting the count value to a processing unit. |
| US08878550B2 |
Sensor device for detecting an object in a detection area
A sensor device is provided. The sensor device includes a sensor pad for detecting an object in a detection area by measuring the impedance variation of the sensor pad, the sensor device further including a back focus plate disposed behind the sensor pad relative to the detection area and a first surrounding focus plate arranged around the sensor pad. The sensor device includes a signal generator that drives the sensor pad and the focus plates with a first set of signals having a predetermined constant phase, frequency and voltage amplitude. The sensor device further comprises at least a second surrounding focus plate arranged around the first surrounding focus plate, the second surrounding focus plate being driven with a second set of signals that are different from the first set of signals feeding the sensor pad. |
| US08878536B2 |
Magnetic resonance coil device
The present embodiments relate to a magnetic resonance coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance coil device includes a receiving antenna unit, a signal processing unit, a high-frequency unit, and a transmitting antenna unit for cable-free transmission of the received magnetic resonance signals and/or data to a data receiving unit. The magnetic resonance coil device includes at least one substantially uncovered region, and the transmitting antenna unit is arranged in the at least one substantially uncovered region. |
| US08878535B2 |
Method and apparatus for capturing magnetic resonance image
When an RF pulse sequence is applied to obtain an MR signal, a pulse sequence and a blade pulse sequence that pass a center of a k-space are applied, and thus an over-sampling at the center of a k-space in a short scanning time may be enabled. Therefore, a method for capturing an MR image that is robust against a motion artifact includes applying a radio frequency (RF) pulse sequence; obtaining an MR signal in response to the applied RF pulse sequence; and generating an MR image from the obtained MR signal. |
| US08878533B2 |
Magnetic resonance method and system to generate an image data set
In a magnetic resonance system and method the imaging area is readout by: (a) switching at least two phase coding gradients in respective spatial directions, (b) at the full strength of the phase coding gradients, radiating a non-slice-selective RF excitation pulse, (c) after a time t1 after the last radiated excitation pulse, acquiring echo signals entered as raw data points along the radial k-space trajectory predetermined by the strength of the phase coding gradients, (d) repeating (a) through (c) with different phase coding gradients until k-space corresponding to the imaging area is read out in a first region along radial k-space trajectories, depending on the time t1, and (e) reading out a remainder of k-space that corresponds to the imaging area, that is not covered by the first region of k-space and includes the k-space center, in a different manner than by (a) through (d). |
| US08878531B2 |
Current sensor
Embodiments of the invention provide a current sensor including a conductive element and at least two magnetic field sensors. The conductive element includes at least three terminal areas and a common conductive area, wherein each of the at least three terminal areas is connected to the common conductive area to guide a current applied to the respective terminal area into the common conductive area. The at least two magnetic field sensors are arranged at different geometric positions adjacent to the common conductive area, wherein each of the at least two magnetic field sensors is configured to sense a magnetic field component of each current flowing into the common conductive area to provide a sensor signal based on the sensed magnetic field component. |
| US08878529B2 |
Sensor module and method for monitoring the function thereof
A method for monitoring the function of a sensor module including sensor which generates a measurement signal for a physical quantity to be determined and applies the measurement signal to an output terminal in an unchanged form or in processed form. In addition, a test signal is generated whose spectrum lies outside the spectrum of the measurement signal. The test signal is supplied at a place in the sensor from which it reaches the output terminal in unchanged form or in processed form only in the case of a functional sensor. An output signal present at the output terminal is compared with the test signal and a diagnosis signal is generated, which indicates whether the test signal is present at the output terminal. The test signal is filtered out of the output signal and the remaining signal is applied as the measurement signal at an output of the sensor module. |
| US08878526B2 |
Magnetic encoder apparatus
A magnetic scale includes a scale member having a plurality of grooves. The scale member defines a passive magnetic scale track. The plurality of grooves include grooves of at least a first groove type and a second groove type, the magnetic properties of the scale member in the locality of grooves of the first groove type being different than the magnetic properties of the scale member in the locality of grooves of the second groove type. The scale member is arranged to carry or encode absolute position information in the form of at least one codeword comprising a sequence of data bits, wherein each of the data bits is provided by a groove of the scale member, the data bit taking a first value if the groove is of the first groove type and a second value if the groove is of the second groove type. |
| US08878521B2 |
Current sensor consisting of a cable for attachment in the form of a loop
A current sensor for measuring current through a conductor with the current sensor including a cable looped around the conductor to be monitored, and a transformer winding disposed in the cable for measuring current flow based on the Rogowski principle. The cable has opposite end portions coupled in an abutting relationship to form an endless loop with the winding flush with opposite end faces of the opposite and portions of the cable. The current sensor also has a coupling in the form of a sleeve including an assembly for attaching and detaching the opposite end positions of the cable having a stop ring which grips one of the end portions and a push button which is selectively movable against the stop ring for releasing the grip to open the opposite end portions. The cable may have a temperature sensor and a memory in which the measurement characteristics of the sensor are held. The sensor is reliable and accurate, and it can be left permanently in an electrical apparatus, or replaced, with no difficulty. |
| US08878520B2 |
Current sensor
A current sensor includes a first conductor and a second conductor arranged so as to form current paths parallel to each other; a circuit board arranged such that a surface thereof is perpendicular to the current paths; and a first magnetoelectric transducer and a second magnetoelectric transducer arranged on the surface of the circuit board such that the first conductor is interposed therebetween. The first conductor, the second conductor, the first magnetoelectric transducer, and the second magnetoelectric transducer are located on a same plane. |
| US08878516B2 |
Inverter current measurement using a shunt resistor
A method for determining each current output of a three-phase inverter (102) comprises the following steps: inspecting an initial set of control signals for the inverter (102); identifying a measurement conflict when at least two of said control signals are asserted within a predetermined amount of time of each; if there is a measurement conflict, providing a first modified set of control signals to the inverter by shifting a position of at least one control signal related to the measurement conflict; and measuring a current through a shunt resistor based on the first modified set of control signals. Also, an electronic device and a digital processor (DSP) for determining each current output of three-phase inverter (102) are provided. |
| US08878515B1 |
Constant current metal detector
A constant current is provided to an energizing coil in a magnetic detector by charging a capacitor through a resistor from a high voltage source. Discharging of the capacitor into the energizing coil quickly increases current in the energizing coil. After the capacitor is switched off, a low voltage source maintains current constant in the energizing coil. The coil discharges its energy as a negative voltage to the capacitor. A high negative voltage source tops off the capacitor. After a delay, the capacitor discharges a negative current into the energizing coil. A negative low voltage source maintains the negative current. The negative voltage source is disconnected, and the coil discharges positive voltage into the capacitor. The high voltage source tops off the capacitor with positive voltage to repeat the cycle. |
| US08878514B2 |
Powering down switching regulator using a ramped reference voltage
Circuits and related methods for energy efficient battery supplied switching DC-to-DC regulators are disclosed. When entering a power-down state the energy in an output capacitor is harvested and charged back to the battery. This is achieved by ramping-down a reference voltage after a power-down sequence is initiated. The output voltage of the regulator is ramped-down accordingly. At the end of the power down sequence the output voltage of the regulator is down to 0V. The disclosure is especially important for regulators, which frequently are started up and switched down. |
| US08878511B2 |
Current-mode programmable reference circuits and methods therefor
A circuit includes a first current path comprising a first floating-gate transistor having a programmable threshold voltage, a second current path, and a differential amplifier. The second current path includes a second floating-gate transistor having a programmable threshold voltage and a resistor. The differential amplifier includes a first input coupled to the first current path, a second input coupled to the second current path, and an output configured to control a reference current path. |
| US08878510B2 |
Reducing power consumption in a voltage regulator
A voltage regulator includes an amplifier, a first buffer and a second buffer. The amplifier is designed to generate an error voltage between a reference voltage and a voltage at an output node of the voltage regulator. The first buffer is coupled to receive the amplified error voltage and, in response, to drive a first pass transistor. The first buffer includes a non-linear resistance element. The resistance of the non-linear resistance element varies non-linearly with a load current drawn from the output node. The second buffer is coupled to receive the amplified error voltage, and in response, to drive a second pass transistor. The second buffer includes a linear resistance element. The resistance of the linear element is a constant. The use of the non-linear resistance element enables reduction in power consumption in the voltage regulator. |
| US08878507B2 |
Control device, digital control power supply, and control method
In a digital control power supply, a mode control unit measures a first frequency and a second frequency for a difference between a second digital value and a target value. Based on the measured first frequency and second frequency and a predetermined threshold set to the first and second frequencies, the mode control unit determines whether an amplification factor for use in amplification processing by an amplifier is maintained at a current amplification factor or is changed to an amplification factor which is larger or smaller by 1 than the current amplification factor. This contributes to an improvement in noise resistance of the digital control power supply and prevents an output voltage from being unstable. |
| US08878503B2 |
Voltage regulator with compensation to inhibit undershoot
The voltage regulators are capable of limiting undershoots of the output voltage without having a similar effect on overshoots because of the presence of a current cancellation network, input with the reference voltage and coupled to the second input of the error amplifier. This current cancellation network is adapted to inject into the second input a unidirectional compensation current of the first and second currents injected by the first and second feedback networks, respectively, the compensation current being determined by time variations of the difference between a replica of the output regulated voltage and the reference voltage and/or by time variations of the reference voltage. |
| US08878501B2 |
Multi-phase power block for a switching regulator for use with a single-phase PWM controller
A multi-phase power block for a switching regulator includes a phase control circuit, N power cells and a current sharing control circuit. The phase control circuit is configured to receive a single phase PWM clock signal and generate N clock signals in N phases. Each of the N power cells includes a pair of power switches, gate drivers, a control circuit receiving one of the N clock signals and generating gate drive signals for the gate drivers, and an inductor. The current sharing control circuit is configured to assess the inductor current at the inductor of the N power cells and to generate duty cycle control signals for the N power cells. The duty cycle control signals are applied to the control circuits to adjust the duty cycle of one or more clock signals supplied to the power cells to balance a current loading among the N power cells. |
| US08878496B1 |
Charger and electronic apparatus system
A charger capable of charging an electronic apparatus includes a charger main body having a power output unit which output charging power, a connection unit which is attached to the charger main body, which is configured to be connected to the electronic apparatus, and which is configured to supply the charging power from the power output unit to the electronic apparatus in a state that the connection unit is connected to the electronic apparatus, and a temperature sensor which is provided in the connection unit, and which is configured to detect a temperature in the vicinity of the connection unit. |
| US08878494B2 |
Circuit for protecting a thin-layer battery
A method for protecting a thin-layer battery, including the steps of: periodically operating the battery at a forced discharge current, which is a function of temperature; and disconnecting the battery as soon as the voltage across it reaches a threshold, said threshold being greater than its critical voltage for a maximum discharge current under a maximum temperature. |
| US08878492B2 |
Power source apparatus, vehicle and power storage system using the power source apparatus
The power source apparatus is provided with a plurality of modules (10), and a main controller (2) connected with communication interface units (16) in each module via a communication line CB. Each module is provided with a battery block (12) having a plurality of battery cells (11) stacked together and connected in series and/or parallel, a battery state detection section (14) to detect the state of the battery cells, communication interface units for data communication with other modules and the main controller, and a memory section (18) that can store data received through the communication interface units. The plurality of modules are connected in series and/or parallel with an output line OL. |
| US08878490B2 |
Twist on battery pack
A power tool powered by a battery having a guide post, a first battery terminal, a second battery terminal, and a third battery terminal. The power tool including a battery interface for electrically interfacing with the battery and a battery receptacle for receiving the battery. The battery interface including a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, and a third electrical terminal. The battery receptacle including a channel for receiving the guide post, the channel having a first portion, a second portion connected to the first portion by a first elbow, and a third portion connected to the second portion by a second elbow. Wherein the guide post travels through the first portion to the second portion, and through the second portion to the third portion in order to secure the battery within the battery receptacle. |
| US08878489B2 |
Estimation method for residual discharging time of batteries
An estimation method for residual discharging time of batteries includes the steps of: providing a set of battery-discharge-current intervals and a set of battery-discharge equations, setting the discharge time of each battery-discharge-current intervals at zero; detecting a discharge current, voltage and time of batteries; judging whether the discharge current exceeds all of the battery-discharge-current intervals; selecting one of the battery-discharge-current intervals and the associated battery-discharge equation according to the detected discharge current; calculating an estimation of residual discharging time; accumulating and recording the discharge time; judging whether the discharge voltage is lower than a predetermined value and calculating an estimation error of the residual discharging time; and adjusting parameters of the battery-discharge equation for reducing the estimation error of the residual discharging time if the estimation error is greater than a predetermined error value. |
| US08878488B2 |
Charge-and-discharge connector and a vehicle in which charge and discharge are permitted through the charge-and-discharge connector
The present invention has an objective to provide a charge-and-discharge connector which makes it possible to transfer of electric power mutually between vehicles and the vehicles exterior under control by a charge-and-discharge management system at normal times, and makes it possible to supply electric power from vehicles to the vehicles exterior without depending on the charge-and-discharge management system in an emergency. It is possible to make vehicles perform an electric supply operation without using a charge-and-discharge control signal in an emergency by preparing an operating part in a charge-and-discharge connector for delivering and receiving electric power between vehicles and the charge-and-discharge control device outside the vehicles and operating the operating part to make the vehicles detect that an electric supply operation is possible without using the charge-and-discharge control signal used for controlling charge and discharge at normal times. |
| US08878480B2 |
Synchronous motor drive system and synchronous motor
In sequentially selecting and driving two phases of the three-phase stator windings of a synchronous motor, detect a speed electromotive voltage of a de-energized phase, relate the speed electromotive voltage to rotor position information beforehand, then count rotor position information backward based on the detected the speed electromotive voltage to estimate rotor position; and then detect rotation speed from the change rate of the rotor position information so as to achieve highly accurate position and speed control. |
| US08878479B2 |
Motor control device
A motor control device main unit includes a pressure command signal generation module, a pressure control module, a speed control module, and a current control module. The pressure command signal generation module of the motor control device main unit generates a pressure command value so that a derivative of the pressure command value is equal to or less than a product of an elastic constant of the pressurized target and a maximum motor speed. The pressure control module carries out pressure control calculation to calculate a motor speed command value based on a deviation between the pressure command value and an actual pressure value, and generates a motor speed command signal, which is a signal of the motor speed command value. |
| US08878477B2 |
Electric motor driving apparatus having failure detection circuit, and failure detection method for the electric motor driving apparatus having failure detection circuit
An electric motor driving apparatus having a failure detection circuit includes: a bridge circuit driving an electric motor; a PWM control circuit generating voltage instruction for driving the electric motor; a PWM signal generation circuit generating a PWM signal; a DC current detection circuit detecting DC current of the bridge circuit; a phase current calculation circuit calculating output phase current of the bridge circuit, based on the DC current and PWM signal; and a failure detection circuit detecting failure of the DC current detection circuit. The failure detection circuit determines failure of the DC current detection circuit from the DC current detected values in a zero voltage period in which the high-potential-side arms of the bridge circuit are all ON and in a zero voltage period in which the low-potential-side arms are all ON. |
| US08878473B2 |
Reducing current reversal time in electric motor control
The time required to reverse current flow in an electric motor is reduced by exploiting inductive current that persists in the motor when power is temporarily removed. Energy associated with this inductive current is used to initiate reverse current flow in the motor. |
| US08878472B2 |
Motor driving circuit and method, and cooling device and electronic apparatus using the same
A driving device capable of driving a motor more efficiently is provided. A zero-crossing detection comparator 10 compares a pair of Hall signals H+ and H− having reverse phases and representing a rotor position of a fan motor 6, and generates a level-shifted zero-crossing detection signal S1 at each zero-crossing timing when the Hall signals cross each other. A control circuit 20 receives the zero-crossing detection signal S1, switches a driving phase at each zero-crossing timing to rotationally drive the motor, and regeneratively controls the motor during a duration from a first time point ahead of each zero-crossing timing by a first time width τ1 to a second time point behind each zero-crossing timing by a second time width τ2 shorter than the first time width τ1. |
| US08878461B2 |
Lamp failure detector
Apparatus and methods for detecting lamp failure in a rapid thermal processing (RTP) tool are provided. Lamp failure detection systems are provided that can accommodate DC and/or AC voltages. The systems sample voltage signals along a circuit path formed by at least two serially connected lamps, calculate a voltage drop across the first lamp of the at least two serially connected lamps based on the sampled voltage signals, and determine whether a lamp failure has occurred based on a relationship between the voltage drop across the first lamp and a total voltage applied to the circuit path. |
| US08878459B2 |
Method for identifying rated power of HID lamp
A method for identifying a rated power of a HID lamp includes the steps of: outputting a first driving signal and a second driving signal to drive the HID lamp in order, and calculating a first electric characteristic variation of the HID lamp; and identifying the rated power of the HID lamp according to the first electric characteristic variation and a first default value. |
| US08878456B2 |
Filter device
A filter device (10) for filtering high-frequency interferences, such as due to switching flanks of a DC converter, has a current path (4) between an input (2) and an output (3), and an inductor (L) in the current path (4), wherein the inductor (L) is disposed in the current path (4) as a first component and is connected to the input (2), and wherein a reverse polarity protective diode (D) is disposed in series with the inductor (L) downstream thereto. |
| US08878452B2 |
Bi-level dimming controller for LED light fixture
A bi-level dimming control circuit is disclosed. The bi-level dimming control circuit is electrically coupled between two switches and a driver circuit that is compatible with 0 to 10 volt dimming signals. The bi-level dimming control circuit controls the output from the driver circuit based on the on and off positions of the switches. In repose to the on and off positions of the switches the driver circuit powers a light engine between a maximum light output mode, a zero light output mode and a reduced or dimmed light output mode. The bi-level control circuit is used to modulate LED light engines, fluorescent light engines and combinations thereof. |
| US08878447B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring operating characteristics in a load control device
A load control device, such as an electronic ballast, for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, such as one or more fluorescent lamps, comprises a power converter having an inductor and a power switching device coupled to the inductor, a load control circuit adapted to be coupled to the electrical load, and a control circuit operable to calculate an average input power of the load control device. The control circuit may be operable to calculate a cumulative output power of the power converter while the ballast is preheating filaments of the lamps, and to subsequently determine a fault condition in the lamps in response to the calculated cumulative output power of the power converter. Further, the control circuit may be operable to transmit a digital message including the calculated average input power of the load control device. |
| US08878442B2 |
Chandelier lamp system
A method includes providing a chandelier comprising at least three light emitting diodes, with each of the at least three light emitting diodes having at least one color of red, green, and blue colors. The method also includes operatively connecting the light emitting diode to a controller and a memory such that the controller provides control instructions to the light emitting diodes. The method also has controlling the at least three light emitting diodes to provide a decorative lighting effect. |
| US08878436B2 |
Amalgam heater for fluorescent lamps
A fluorescent lighting device includes an arc tube, an exhaust tube extending from the arc tube, and an amalgam. A resistive heater is located adjacent to at least one of the arc tube and the exhaust tube. A power supply circuit is operatively coupled with the resistive heater. When the fluorescent lighting device is switched from an OFF state to an ON state, the power supply circuit temporarily energizes the resistive heater, thereby heating the at least one of the arc tube and the exhaust tube while the resistive heater is energized, and automatically de-energizing the resistive heater after said heating. |
| US08878433B1 |
High efficiency, low voltage, low L-band, mega-watt class magnetron
A conventional (non-relativistic) magnetron provides megawatt-levels of power. The magnetron includes a fourteen vane slow wave structure that surrounds a fourteen turn helical cathode. An upstream coaxial waveguide is surrounded by a dish-shaped flange that accommodates a reflector chamber in communication with an upstream void and a downstream interaction chamber. The vanes of the slow wave structure are shaped to define fourteen resonant chambers therebetween with each of the resonant cavities having a wedge portion in communication with a neck portion. |
| US08878432B2 |
On board diagnosis of RF spectra in accelerators
A RF accelerator system includes an accelerator, a RF source coupled to the accelerator for providing RF power to the accelerator, a control for adjusting a frequency of the RF power provided by the RF source through a frequency range, and a sensor for sensing a response resulted from an operation of the accelerator based at least in part on the adjusted frequency of the RF power through the frequency range. A method of diagnosing a RF spectrum in an accelerator system includes providing RF power to an accelerator, adjusting a frequency of the RF power through a frequency range, and sensing a response resulted from an operation of the accelerator, the response being based at least in part on the adjusted frequency of the RF power through the frequency range. |
| US08878426B2 |
Ignition plug
An ignition plug having enhanced seal performance, while suppressing deformation of a metallic shell thereof. The ignition plug includes a metallic shell having a crimp portion, a male screw portion, a seat portion, and a bent portion. The bent portion has a largest outer diameter (OD) portion, and first and second smallest OD portions, wherein 0.01≦(L2+L3−L1)/(L2+L3)≦0.3 is satisfied. L1 is distance between a point in the first smallest OD portion farthest from center axis and a point in the second smallest OD portion farthest from center axis, L2 is distance between the point in the first smallest OD portion farthest from center axis and a point in the largest OD portion farthest from center axis, and L3 is distance between the point in the second smallest OD portion farthest from center axis and the point in the largest OD portion farthest from center axis. |
| US08878425B2 |
Spark plug
Disclosed is an improved spark plug having an electrode extending from an insulator tip into a piston chamber in use. The improvement comprises a shell defining: a cavity; a cavity opening which couples the cavity with said piston chamber in use; a conduit extending from the cavity and into which the electrode extends in spaced relation to the shell; and, with the tip, a chamber surrounding the tip in spaced relation and coupled to the cavity by the conduit. The cavity includes: a concave portion presenting towards the opening such that the cavity narrows as it extends towards the conduit; and a cylindrical portion extending from the concave portion towards the opening. The chamber includes a cylindrical portion surrounding the tip in spaced relation and a frustoconical portion coupling the cylindrical portion to the conduit such that the chamber narrows as it extends from its cylindrical portion to the conduit. |
| US08878419B2 |
Piezoelectric device
A piezoelectric device includes first and second piezoelectric resonators each including a piezoelectric thin film, an upper electrode provided on one main surface of the piezoelectric thin film, and a lower electrode provided on another main surface of the piezoelectric thin film. In the piezoelectric resonators, portions in which the upper and lower electrodes are superposed on each other with the piezoelectric thin film therebetween define piezoelectric vibrating portions that are acoustically isolated from a substrate. The first and second piezoelectric resonators are connected in series or parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal such that polarization directions of corresponding portions of the piezoelectric thin film are opposite to each other when seen from the input terminal. The first piezoelectric resonator and the second piezoelectric resonator are arranged to have different resonant frequencies of a transverse vibration mode. |
| US08878413B2 |
Alternating-current generator having a stator and a stator winding made of winding elements inserted in stator slots and a method for producing a stator of the present invention
An alternating-current generator, in particular a three-phase generator, for a motor vehicle, having a rotor including north and south poles, particularly having claw-pole fingers extending in the axial direction and alternating as north and south poles at the rotor's periphery, a stator having a magnetic core, especially laminated core, having slots and a stator winding disposed in the magnetic core's slots, the stator winding having winding overhangs that are coolable by an approximately radial air flow produced by at least one fan mounted at the rotor, the stator being situated opposite the rotor, and the stator and the rotor having defined positions relative to each other, the multiphase stator winding being made up of winding elements, at least one winding element having more than two sections inserted in slots, and at least one winding element having more than one reversal section which brings about a change in the radial position. |
| US08878411B2 |
High efficiency permanent magnet machine with separated tab pole rotor and stacked ceramic magnet sections
A permanent magnet motor, generator or the like that uses ceramic magnets in the rotor to concentrate the magnetic flux in the airgap. Poles are formed by pole plates with integral tabs forming north and south poles with magnetic separators therebetween. Magnet sections are stacked axially. |
| US08878409B2 |
Containment band for permanent magnet generator
A rotor has a rotor body for rotation about a shaft. A plurality of permanent magnets are spaced circumferentially about the rotor body. A containment band is positioned radially outwardly of the permanent magnets. The containment band has a containment band coefficient of thermal expansion. The permanent magnets have a permanent magnet coefficient of thermal expansion, taken parallel to a magnetic alignment. A ratio of the containment band coefficient of thermal expansion to the permanent magnet coefficient of thermal expansion is less than or equal to 1.15. |
| US08878407B2 |
Rotary electric machine and method for manufacturing a stator coil connecting unit therefor
Busbars that are disposed so as to correspond to respective phases of a stator coil each include: a base portion that is formed so as to have an incomplete annular shape; external electric power supply terminals that extend radially inward from a first circumferential end of the base portion; and a plurality of coil connecting terminals that each extend radially outward from the base portion, that are arranged in a row so as to have a predetermined spacing in a circumferential direction of the base portion, and that are connected to coil terminals of concentrated winding coils, and the busbars are held by the electrically insulating holder such that the external electric power supply terminals extend radially inward so as to pass over omitted portions of the base portions of the busbars that are positioned radially inside the electrically insulating holder. |
| US08878404B2 |
Arrangement and method for cooling an electrical machine
In an arrangement for cooling an electrical machine, the electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator located at the end of an air gap from the rotor. The rotor includes at least one axial cooling channel originating from the first end of the rotor that is connected to at least two axially successive cooling channels that are substantially radial within the rotor. The stator is made of sheets using axially successive core modules. The stator includes a radial cooling channel between two core modules. Gaseous cooling agent is led to the cooling channels of the rotor and stator from the end of the rotor. The outer surface of the stator core module includes a cooling jacket by the length (L) of the stator core module at maximum, and liquid cooling agent is led to the cooling jacket. |
| US08878397B2 |
Electrical cord reel with control system to limit overheating
In an electrical cord reel, a rotatable member can rotate about a winding axis to spool and unspool a linear material. An input power connector can couple to an electrical power source. An output power connector on the rotatable member can couple to an electrical cord at least partially wound about the rotatable member. A switch is adjustable to allow or prevent electrical current flow from the input power connector to the output power connector. One or more temperature sensors detect temperature inside a housing enclosing the rotatable member, output power connector, and a fan. A control system activates the fan if the detected temperature rises from a level below a fan-activation threshold to a level above the fan-activation threshold but below a power shut-off threshold. The control system moves the switch to an open position if the detected temperature is greater than or equal to the power shut-off threshold. |
| US08878396B2 |
Continuous uninterruptable AC grounding system for power system protection
A continuous grounding system for use in an alternating current system including a transformer is disclosed. The system includes a switch assembly connected between a transformer neutral of a transformer and a ground, the switch assembly having an open position and a closed position, the open position disrupting the path through the switch assembly between the electrical connection and the transformer neutral, and the closed position establishing a path connecting the electrical connection to the transformer neutral through the switch assembly, wherein in normal operation of the alternating current electrical device the switch assembly remains in a closed position. The system also includes a DC blocking component positioned in parallel with the switch assembly and connected between the transformer neutral and the ground. The system further includes a control circuit configured to control the switch assembly, the control circuit including a sensor configured to actuate the switch assembly to an open position upon detection of a predetermined harmonic signal threshold at one of the transformer phases or a predetermined threshold of DC current between the transformer neutral and ground. |
| US08878395B2 |
M2LC system coupled to a current source power supply
A system. The system is a modular multilevel converter system and includes a plurality of series connected two-terminal modular multilevel converter subsystems. The subsystems are magnetically coupled to an AC current source power supply. |
| US08878394B2 |
Wireless power receiver
Exemplary embodiments are directed to conveying wireless power received at a receive antenna to a load. A method may include coupling each terminal of the antenna to a ground voltage during a charging phase for storing energy within the antenna. The method may further include coupling at least one terminal of the antenna to an output during an output phase for transferring energy from the antenna to the output. |
| US08878378B2 |
Method for operating a pitch-controlled wind turbine
The invention is directed to a method for operating a pitch-controlled wind turbine having a rotor blade adjustable about its longitudinal axis and having a generator wherein a set-point for a generator torque (M) is specified in dependence upon a rotational speed (n) of the generator or of the rotor. A transition point (n3, M3) is provided whereat a switchover occurs from a part-load operation to a full-load operation. In the method, a value for air density (ρ) is determined and a pre-pitch angle (φpre) is set starting at a pre-pitch rotational speed (n4) less than the rotational speed (n3) at the transition point (n3, M3). The value of the pre-pitch angle (φpre) is dependent on the value determined for the air density (ρ) so that a larger pre-pitch angle is set when the air density is lower than when the air density is higher. |
| US08878376B2 |
Wind turbine with additional rotor moment of inertia and a method for controlling a wind turbine with additional rotor moment of inertia
This invention relates to a wind turbine having an additional mass each placed between a mounting end and a free end of at least two rotor blades. This invention further relates to a method for controlling a wind turbine with a pitch system for pitching a blade in a pitch angle and with blades with a mass for increased inertia, which wind turbine is operated in a normal operation mode in which a generator has a generator speed at a generator torque, and which wind turbine is to remain electrically coupled to a grid during a low voltage condition and with supplied current specifications, torque reference, power references, or according to a grid code. |
| US08878369B2 |
Low power/high speed TSV interface design
A TSV interface circuit for a TSV provided in an interposer substrate that forms a connection between a first die and a second die includes a driving circuit provided in the first die and a receiver circuit provided in the second die where the driving circuit is coupled to a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage that are both lower than the interposer substrate voltage that substantially reduces the parasitic capacitance of the TSV. The receiver circuit is also coupled to the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage that are both lower than the interposer substrate voltage. |
| US08878365B2 |
Semiconductor device having a conductive layer reliably formed under an electrode pad
A semiconductor device, including: a semiconductor layer; a first conductive layer formed above the semiconductor layer and having a first width; a second conductive layer connected to the first conductive layer and having a second width which is smaller than the first width; an interlayer dielectric formed above the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer; and an electrode pad formed above the interlayer dielectric. A connection section at which the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are connected is disposed in a specific region positioned inward from a line extending vertically downward from an edge of the electrode pad; and a reinforcing section is provided at the connection section. |
| US08878364B2 |
Method for fabricating semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device according to an embodiment, includes forming a dielectric film above a substrate; forming an opening in the dielectric film; forming a high melting metal film on a side wall and a bottom surface of the opening; forming a seed film of copper (Cu) on the high melting metal film; performing nitriding process after the seed film is formed; and performing electroplating process, in which a Cu film is buried in the opening while energizing the seed film after performing nitriding process. |
| US08878359B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming insulating layer around semiconductor die
A plurality of semiconductor die is mounted to a temporary carrier. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and carrier. A portion of the encapsulant is designated as a saw street between the die, and a portion of the encapsulant is designated as a substrate edge around a perimeter of the encapsulant. The carrier is removed. A first insulating layer is formed over the die, saw street, and substrate edge. A first conductive layer is formed over the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. The encapsulant is singulated through the first insulating layer and saw street to separate the semiconductor die. A channel or net pattern can be formed in the first insulating layer on opposing sides of the saw street, or the first insulating layer covers the entire saw street and molding area around the semiconductor die. |
| US08878357B2 |
Electronic component device, method of manufacturing the same and wiring substrate
An electronic component device includes a substrate, an electrode post made of a metal material, provide to stand on the substrate, and an electronic component whose connection electrode is connected to the electrode post, wherein the connection electrode of the electronic component and the electrode post are joined by an alloy layer including a metal which is different from the metal material of the electrode post. |
| US08878354B1 |
Method and apparatus for supplying power to a system on a chip (SOC)
A semiconductor package including i) a first semiconductor die and ii) a second semiconductor die vertically stacked on top of the first semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die includes a first electronic component and a second electronic component, in which the first electronic component operates in accordance with power associated with a first power domain, and the second electronic component operates in accordance with power associated with a second power domain. The second semiconductor die is configured to supply the power associated with the first power domain to the first electronic component of the first semiconductor die, and supply the power associated with the second power domain to the second electronic component of the first semiconductor die. |
| US08878349B2 |
Semiconductor chip and stacked semiconductor package having the same
A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor substrate having one surface, an other surface which faces away from the one surface, and through holes which pass through the one surface and the other surface; through electrodes filled in the through holes; and a gettering layer formed of polysilicon interposed between the through electrodes and inner surfaces of the semiconductor substrate whose form is defined by the through holes. |
| US08878348B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of assembling same
A semiconductor device has a die support and external leads formed integrally from a single sheet of electrically conductive material. A die mounting substrate is mounted on the die support, with bonding pads coupled to respective external connection pads on an external connector side of the substrate. A die is attached to the die mounting substrate with die connection pads. Bond wires selectively electrically couple the die connection pads to the external leads and the bonding pads and electrically conductive external protrusions are mounted to the external connection pads. An encapsulant covers the die and bond wires. The external protrusions are located at a central region of a surface mounting side of the package and the external leads project outwardly from locations near the die support towards peripheral edges of the package. |
| US08878345B2 |
Structural body and method for manufacturing semiconductor substrate
A structural body includes a sapphire underlying substrate; and a semiconductor layer of a group III nitride semiconductor disposed on the underlying substrate. An upper surface of the underlying substrate is a crystal surface tilted at an angle of 0.5° or larger and 4° or smaller with respect to a normal line of an a-plane which is orthogonal to an m-plane and belongs to a {11-20} plane group, from the m-plane which belongs to a {1-100} plane group. |
| US08878343B2 |
Semiconductor device with an integrated poly-diode
A field effect semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a main horizontal surface and a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type arranged between the first semiconductor region and the main horizontal surface, an insulating layer arranged on the main horizontal surface, and a first metallization arranged on the insulating layer. The first and second semiconductor regions form a pn-junction. The semiconductor body further has a deep trench extending from the main horizontal surface vertically below the pn-junction and including a conductive region insulated from the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region, and a narrow trench including a polycrystalline semiconductor region extending from the first metallization, through the insulating layer and at least to the conductive region. A vertical poly-diode structure including a horizontally extending pn-junction is arranged at least partly in the narrow trench. |
| US08878341B2 |
Graphene-based composite materials, method of manufacture and applications thereof
Disclosed herein is a composite material comprising a relaxor ferroelectric material and a hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide, wherein the weight ratio of the composite material to the hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide is 9:1 to 200:1. The composite materials have high dielectric permittivity and low dielectric losses and can be used to manufacture various high dielectric permittivity components. |
| US08878340B1 |
Devices including composite thermal capacitors
Devices or systems that include a composite thermal capacitor disposed in thermal communication with a hot spot of the device, methods of dissipating thermal energy in a device or system, and the like, are provided herein. In particular, the device includes a composite thermal capacitor including a phase change material and a high thermal conductivity material in thermal communication with the phase change material. The high thermal conductivity material is also in thermal communication with an active regeneration cooling device. The heat from the composite thermal capacitor is dissipated by the active regeneration cooling device. |
| US08878339B2 |
Chip-component structure and method of producing same
In a chip-component structure, a monolithic ceramic capacitor is a structure including a predetermined number of substantially flat internal electrodes stacked on each other. An interposer includes a substrate larger than the outer shape of the monolithic ceramic capacitor. The substrate includes a first major surface on which first front electrodes for use in mounting the monolithic ceramic capacitor are disposed and a second major surface on which first back electrodes for use in connecting to an external circuit board are disposed. The interposer includes a depression in its side surface. The depression includes a wall surface on which a connection conductor is disposed. The front surface of the substrate is overlaid with resist films extending along its edges. |
| US08878335B2 |
Method and system for providing fusing after packaging of semiconductor devices
A method and a system for providing fusing after packaging of semiconductor devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided comprising a substrate comprising a fuse area, at least one fuse disposed in the fuse area, and at least one layer disposed over the substrate, wherein the at least one layer comprises at least one opening exposing the at least one fuse. |
| US08878332B2 |
NAND flash memory device
A method of fabricating a nonvolatile memory device includes providing a substrate having active regions defined by a plurality of trenches, forming a first isolation layer on the substrate having the plurality of trenches, forming a sacrificial layer on the first isolation layer to fill the trenches, the sacrificial layer including a first region filling lower portions of the trenches and a second region filling portions other than the lower portions, removing the second region of the sacrificial layer, forming a second isolation layer on the first isolation layer and the first region of the sacrificial layer, forming air gaps in the trenches by removing the first region of the sacrificial layer, and removing a portion of the first isolation layer and a portion of the second isolation layer while maintaining the air gaps. |
| US08878331B2 |
Method for manufacturing insulated-gate MOS transistors
A method for defining an insulator in a semiconductor substrate includes forming a trench in the substrate, forming in the trench an insulating material having its upper surface arranged above the surface of the substrate, and forming a diffusion barrier layer in a portion of the insulating material located above the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Such insulators can be used, for example, to insulate and delineate electronic components or portions of components formed in the substrate. |
| US08878330B2 |
Integrated high voltage divider
An integrated circuit containing a voltage divider having an upper resistor of unsilicided gate material over field oxide around a central opening and a drift layer under the upper resistor, an input terminal coupled to an input node of the upper resistor adjacent to the central opening in the field oxide and coupled to the drift layer through the central opening, a sense terminal coupled to a sense node on the upper resistor opposite from the input node, a lower resistor with a sense node coupled to the sense terminal and a reference node, and a reference terminal coupled to the reference node. A process of forming the integrated circuit containing the voltage divider. |
| US08878329B2 |
High voltage device having Schottky diode
A high voltage device having a Schottky diode integrated with a MOS transistor includes a semiconductor substrate a Schottky diode formed on the semiconductor substrate, at least a first doped region having a first conductive type formed in the semiconductor substrate and under the Schottky diode, and a control gate covering a portion of the Schottky diode and the first doped region positioned on the semiconductor substrate. |
| US08878325B2 |
Elevated photodiode with a stacked scheme
A device includes an image sensor chip having formed therein an elevated photodiode, and a device chip underlying and bonded to the image sensor chip. The device chip has a read out circuit electrically connected to the elevated photodiode. |
| US08878324B2 |
Magnetoresistive element and magnetic memory
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a first nonmagnetic layer, a third magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer includes a magnetic film of MnxGey (77 atm %≦x≦82 atm %, 18 atm %≦y≦23 atm %, x+y=100 atm %). The first nonmagnetic layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The third magnetic layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the first nonmagnetic layer or between the second magnetic layer and the first nonmagnetic layer, or is provided between the first magnetic layer and the first nonmagnetic layer and between the second magnetic layer and the first nonmagnetic layer. The third magnetic layer includes a Heusler alloy. The present invention also relates to a magnetic memory containing the magnetoresistive element. |
| US08878323B2 |
Co/Ni multilayers with improved out-of-plane anisotropy for magnetic device applications
A MTJ for a spintronic device is disclosed and includes a thin seed layer that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (Co/Ni)n composition or the like where n is from 2 to 30. The seed layer is preferably NiCr, NiFeCr, Hf, or a composite thereof with a thickness from 10 to 100 Angstroms. Furthermore, a magnetic layer such as CoFeB may be formed between the laminated layer and a tunnel barrier layer to serve as a transitional layer between a (111) laminate and (100) MgO tunnel barrier. There may be a Ta insertion layer between the CoFeB layer and laminated layer to promote (100) crystallization in the CoFeB layer. The laminated layer may be used as a reference layer, dipole layer, or free layer in a MTJ. Annealing between 300° C. and 400° C. may be used to further enhance PMA in the laminated layer. |
| US08878322B2 |
Perovskite manganese oxide thin film and manufacturing method therefor
A perovskite manganese oxide thin film formed on a substrate that allows a first order phase transition and has A-site ordering. The thin film contains Ba and a rare earth element in the A sites of a perovskite crystal lattice and has an (m10) orientation for which m=2n, and 9≧n≧1. A method for manufacturing the film includes forming in a controlled atmosphere using laser ablation an atomic layer or thin film that assumes a pyramidal structure having oxygen-deficient sites in a plane containing the rare earth element and oxygen; and filling the oxygen-deficient sites with oxygen. The controlled atmosphere has an oxygen partial pressure controlled to a thermodynamically required value for creating oxygen deficiencies and contains a gas other than oxygen, and has a total pressure that is controlled to a value at which the A sites have a fixed compositional ratio. |
| US08878321B2 |
Magnetoresistive element and producing method thereof
According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element comprises a first magnetic layer, in which a magnetization direction is variable and is perpendicular to a film surface, a tunnel barrier layer that is formed on the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer that is formed on the tunnel barrier layer, a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer being variable and being perpendicular to the film surface. The second magnetic layer comprises a body layer that constitutes an origin of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and an interface layer that is formed between the body layer and the tunnel barrier layer. The interface layer has a permeability higher than that of the body layer and a planar size larger than that of the body layer. |
| US08878319B2 |
Magnetic tunnel junction device and method for fabricating the same
A magnetic tunnel junction device includes a first electrode having a curved top surface, a magnetic tunnel junction layer formed along the top surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the magnetic tunnel junction layer. |
| US08878316B2 |
Cap side bonding structure for backside absolute pressure sensors
A pressure sensor includes a pressure sensing element having a diaphragm, a cavity, and bridge circuitry connected to the diaphragm. A top surface is formed as part of the pressure sensing element such that at least a portion of the top surface is part of the diaphragm, and the plurality of piezoresistors are located on the top surface. A cap is bonded to the top surface through the use of a plurality of layers. One of the layers is a silicon dioxide layer, another layer is a silicon nitride layer, another layer is an oxide layer, and another of the layers is a polysilicon layer. The plurality of layers provides proper bonding between the cap and the top surface of the pressure sensing element. |
| US08878313B2 |
Pressure sensor
A pressure sensor has a sensor body at least partly formed with an electrically insulating material, particularly a ceramic material, defining a cavity facing on which is a diaphragm provided with an electric detector element, configured for detecting a bending of the diaphragm. The sensor body supports a circuit arrangement, including, a plurality of circuit components, among which is an integrated circuit, for treating a signal generated by the detection element. The circuit arrangement includes tracks made of electrically conductive material directly deposited on a surface of the sensor body made of electrically insulating material. The integrated circuit is made up of a die made of semiconductor material directly bonded onto the surface of the sensor body and the die is connected to respective tracks by means of wire bonding, i.e. by means of thin connecting wires made of electrically conductive material. |
| US08878311B2 |
Integrated circuit having raised source drains devices with reduced silicide contact resistance and methods to fabricate same
A structure has at least one field effect transistor having a gate stack disposed between raised source drain structures that are adjacent to the gate stack. The gate stack and raised source drain structures are disposed on a surface of a semiconductor material. The structure further includes a layer of field dielectric overlying the gate stack and raised source drain structures and first contact metal and second contact metal extending through the layer of field dielectric. The first contact metal terminates in a first trench formed through a top surface of a first raised source drain structure, and the second contact metal terminates in a second trench formed through a top surface of a second raised source drain structure. Each trench has silicide formed on sidewalls and a bottom surface of at least a portion of the trench. Methods to fabricate the structure are also disclosed. |
| US08878310B2 |
Flatband shift for improved transistor performance
An integrated circuit with MOS and DEMOS transistors with at least one of indium, carbon, nitrogen, and a halogen dopant raising the threshold voltage of a portion of the DEMOS transistor gate overlying the DEMOS transistor channel. An integrated circuit with MOS and LDMOS transistors with at least one of indium, carbon, nitrogen, and a halogen dopant raising the threshold voltage of a portion of the LDMOS transistor gate overlying the DEMOS transistor channel. A method of forming an integrated circuit with MOS and DEMOS transistors with at least one of indium, carbon, nitrogen, and a halogen dopant raising the threshold voltage of a portion of the DEMOS transistor gate overlying the DEMOS transistor channel. A method of forming an integrated circuit with MOS and LDMOS transistors with at least one of indium, carbon, nitrogen, and a halogen dopant raising the threshold voltage of a portion of the LDMOS transistor gate overlying the DEMOS transistor channel. |
| US08878309B1 |
Semiconductor device having 3D channels, and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices having 3D channels
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having first, second and third fins longitudinally aligned in a first direction. A first trench extends between the first and second fins, and a second trench extends between the second and third fins. A first portion of field insulating material is disposed in the first trench, and a second portion of field insulating material is disposed in the second trench. An upper surface of the second portion of the field insulating material is recessed in the second trench at a level below uppermost surfaces of the second and third fins. A first dummy gate is disposed on an upper surface of the first portion of the field insulating material, and a second dummy gate at least partially extends into the second trench to the upper surface of the second portion of the field insulating material. |
| US08878307B2 |
Shared contacts for MOSFET devices
In one aspect, the present invention provides electronic devices that comprise a doped semiconductor shared contact between (a) a gate conductor region of at least one transistor and (b) a source/drain diffusion region of at least one transistor. One specific example of such as shared contact, among many others, is a doped SiGe shared contact between (a) a gate conductor region shared by an N-channel MOSFET and a P-channel MOSFET and (b) a drain diffusion region of an N-channel MOSFET or of a P-channel MOSFET. |
| US08878303B2 |
Geometric regularity in fin-based multi-gate transistors of a standard cell library
A method of optimizing a layout of an integrated circuit formed using fin-based cells of a standard cell library is provided. The method includes arranging cell rows of different track heights having standard cells. For each cell row, each of the standard cells includes sub-cell rows with sub-cells of one or more types. The sub-cells are interchangeable with one another to modify a device characteristic of the standard cell. The method also includes evaluating the integrated circuit to determine whether a performance metric of the integrated circuit has been satisfied. The method also includes identifying one or more standard cells to modify a device characteristic of the standard cell for satisfying the performance metric of the integrated circuit. The method further includes modifying the one or more standard cells until the performance metric of the integrated circuit is satisfied. |