| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08923761B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving NFC RF discovery loop tuning based on device sensor measurements
Aspects disclosed herein relate to providing improved selection of a near field communication (NFC) radio frequency (RF) discovery loop based on one or more measurements obtained from one or more sensors associated with a NFC device. In the disclosed aspects, a NFC device may be equipped to obtain an informational value for a device based on a measurement obtained from one or more device sensors. The NFC device may be further equipped to select a RF discovery loop based on the obtained informational value. The NFC device may be further operable to perform RF discovery using the selected RF discovery loop. |
| US08923759B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting CPRI signal by means of coaxial line
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for transmitting a CPRI signal by means of a coaxial line. The method includes: converting a Common Public Radio Interface CPRI signal sent by a sending end into a parallel data stream; extracting valid data from the data stream by performing frame parsing; and converting the valid data into a transmittable analog signal, modulating the analog signal to a specified frequency, and sending it to a receiving end by means of a coaxial line. The present invention applies to transmission of a CPRI signal by means of a coaxial line. |
| US08923757B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for service loss handling
A method, system and apparatus for service loss handling are provided including a relay comprising an interface communicating first and second messages to a first relay communicating with a first service device, first messages associated with a first service provided by the first service device, second messages associated with other services provided by other service devices. The first relay relays first messages to the first service device; and relays second messages to other service devices. It is determined that the first relay is no longer in communication with the first service device; and, in response: first messages are queued for delayed relay to the first relay when the first relay is again in communication with the first service device; and/or first messages are rerouted to a second relay when the second relay is in communication with a second service device providing a same service as the first service device. |
| US08923752B2 |
Relay station for relaying communication between user apparatus and base station, and relay method
A relay station includes a signal generation unit configured to generate a signal in the relay station and a receiving unit configured to receive a signal from a first communication station. The relay station further includes a signal generating node identifying unit configured to identify whether a signal to be transmitted to a second communication station is a received signal received from the first communication station or a generated signal generated by the signal generation unit. The relay station further includes a signal transmission unit configured to transmit both or one of the received signal and the generated signal associated with a radio bearer to the second communication station. |
| US08923747B2 |
Wireless sharing of audio files and information for streamlined purchasing
A system and method are disclosed for capturing information associated with wireless audio sounds among a plurality of users. When a user encounters audio sound files of interest, the user can capture information regarding the audio sounds, such as title, artist, collection, genre, year, encoding rate, size, playlist, a unique identifier, or other desired information. The information can be used to seamlessly purchase the sound files from a remote digital repository. |
| US08923746B2 |
Sheet feeding mechanism and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A sheet feeding mechanism incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a cover unit rotatably attached to one side of a main body of an image forming apparatus to cover a part of a sheet conveyance path, a first feeding member located in a main body of the apparatus, a second feeding member located in the cover unit in a displaceable manner and facing the first feeding member when the cover unit is closed and sandwiching and conveying a recording medium along the sheet conveyance path with the first feeding member, and a guide member disposed in the main body to guide the second feeding member. The guide member guides the second feeding member to move in a first direction that approaches the first feeding member when closing the cover unit and in a second direction that separates from the first feeding member when opening the cover unit. |
| US08923741B2 |
Fixing apparatus
A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image onto a recording material by heating the recording material bearing the toner image at a nip portion while conveying the recording material includes a tubular film, a nip portion forming member in contact with an inner surface of the film, a pressure member that forms the nip portion with the nip portion forming member via the film, and a regulation member for regulating a movement of the film that includes a first regulation surface facing an inner face of the film to regulate the movement of the film in a radial direction of film and an second regulation surface facing an end surface of the film to regulate the movement of film in a generatrix direction of the film. The second regulation surface includes a concave and curved surface area. |
| US08923740B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
An invented fixing device for rendering stable the pressure of a pressure pad and for reducing disorder in images conveys a paper on which toner images are formed and fixes the toner image on the paper in application of heat and pressure. The fixing device includes an endless fixing belt heated and rotationally driven, and a tensioning member tensioning the fixing belt. In the fixing belt, arranged are a fixing roller, a pressure pad pressing the fixing belt from the inner periphery surface to the outer periphery surface, and a guide member guiding the fixing belt in a rotation direction in contact with the inner periphery surface of the fixing belt. Nipping portions are formed outside the fixing belt by contacting the fixing roller with the pressure pad via the fixing belt. |
| US08923739B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus including the same
A fixing device includes a coil provided along an outer surface of a heating member to generate a magnetic flux for induction heating, a coil holding portion on which the coil is mounted, a core portion that forms a magnetic path around the coil and that includes arch cores that cover an outer side of the coil and are disposed opposite the heating member with the coil interposed therebetween and at a plurality of positions spaced in a recording-medium width direction and a side core that covers the outer side of the coil between the arch cores and the coil holding portion, and a core fixing member that presses the core portion toward the coil holding portion via an elastic member. The core portion is fixed in the pressing state to the coil holding portion by fastening the core fixing member to the coil holding portion. |
| US08923738B2 |
Image heating apparatus, fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable member; a pair of frames; a separating unit including a separating plate and a pair of spacers; and a holding unit including a holding portion and an urging portion. The holding unit is rotatable between a first position where the spacers are abutted against the rotatable member and a second position where the spacers are spaced from the rotatable member. The frames include a pair of shaft portions, and the separating unit includes a pair of guiding slots with movement of the holding unit from the second position to the first position. The holding portion permits inclination of the separating unit so that only one of the shaft portions is abutted against a stopper portion of its associated guiding slot with the abutment of the spacers against the rotatable member. |
| US08923736B2 |
Developing unit and image forming apparatus employing the same
A developing unit includes a toner storage portion containing toner and including a toner supply member, a development portion disposed above the toner storage portion and containing the toner supplied from the toner storage portion by the toner supply member, and including a developing roller and a supply roller to supply the toner to the developing roller, and a partition wall to divide the toner storage portion and the development portion, and including an opening portion disposed under the lowest portion of the supply roller and forming a path of the toner supplied from the toner storage portion to the development portion. |
| US08923734B2 |
Volumetric toner cartridge having removable exit paddle
A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic device including a housing having a reservoir that is in fluid communication with an exit port. A first end wall has a recess on an inner surface thereof in fluid communication with the reservoir and the exit port. A partially threaded drive shaft has an end received in a second end wall. An exit paddle having a drive hub is detachably mounted on the drive shaft near an unthreaded portion. Arms on the drive hub are received in the recess. A drive hub axial extension is received in the first end wall. The housing rotatably supports the drive shaft and exit paddle. A translatable toner platform rotatably connects to the drive shaft. When the drive shaft rotates the toner platform translates, moving toner toward the exit port, and the exit paddle rotates, delivering toner from the exit port. |
| US08923731B2 |
Developing cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus
A developing cartridge mountable to a development rotary of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a coupling member for transmitting a rotational force from a main assembly engaging portion to a developing roller, the coupling member being engageable and disengageable relative to the engaging portion with rotation of the rotary, the coupling member being movable among a rotational force transmitting angular position, a pre-engagement angular position in which the coupling member is inclined relative to that in the transmitting angular position to engage with the engaging portion, and a disengaging angular position for disengaging therefrom; and an inclination regulating member movable between a regulating position for positioning the coupling member to the pre-engagement position and a retracted position, the inclination regulating member being movable from the retracted position to the regulating position by being abutted by a function member of the rotary. |
| US08923725B2 |
Cleaning device, developing device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus with elastically contacting sheet
A cleaning device wherein a cleaner container is provided with an opening, opposing an image bearing drum, for permitting a developer removed from the drum by a cleaning member to enter the container. The cleaning member is fixed at a downstream side of the opening with respect to a rotational moving direction of the drum. The container is provided with a fixing surface for a flexible sheet at an upstream side of the opening with respect to the direction. The sheet is fixed to the fixing surface at an end portion thereof opposite an end portion thereof where the sheet contacts the drum, and at an end portion of the fixing surface with respect to a drum axis direction, the fixing surface protrudes toward a upstream side with respect to a rotational moving direction of the drum beyond a central portion of the fixing surface. |
| US08923722B2 |
Switching mode power supply of image forming apparatus and method of supplying power according to state of image forming apparatus by using the same
The present general inventive concept describes a switching mode power supply (SMPS) and a method of supplying power by using the same. An SMPS that may be used in an image forming apparatus can include a transformation unit to transform an alternating-current (AC) voltage input to the SMPS, into at least one direct-current (DC) voltage by using a transformer, a first output voltage output unit to output the transformed DC voltage as a first output voltage of the SMPS, a first switching unit to prevent output of the second output voltage, and a second switching unit to prevent output of the second output voltage. |
| US08923720B2 |
Control panel support mechanism, control panel assembly, and image forming apparatus
Provided is a control panel support mechanism having a first support member attached to an image forming apparatus, a second support member supporting a control panel and axially supported by the first support member to be vertically swingable with respect to the first support member, a lock member slidable towards or away from a swing axis of the second support member, and a biasing unit to bias the lock member to slide towards the swing axis. The first support member has a plurality of engaging grooves each positioned along a radial direction with respect to the swing axis and having an opening at an end of the first support member opposite the swing axis, the plurality of engaging grooves being aligned vertically. The biasing unit biases the lock member so that the lock member enters one of the plurality of engaging grooves through the opening to lock in engagement with the engaging groove. |
| US08923713B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and image forming program
An image forming apparatus and method that compute a total amount of toner to be deposited per unit area of a target image in which a first unit area is computed to form a first toner image using a highest total amount of toner, and a second unit area is computed to form a second toner image using a lowest total amount of toner. When the highest total amount of toner computed by a computing unit exceeds a given level, a transfer bias determination unit identifies a transfer bias to transfer a toner image of the target image from an overlapping portion that can effectively transfer the first toner image, and the second toner image. |
| US08923708B2 |
Signal processing device and optical receiving device
A signal processing device includes: a phase controller configured to control respective phases of an in-phase signal and an quadrature signal, which are obtained by converting an analog signal into a digital signal when a multi-value phase modulation light is demodulated, by digital signal processing; and a control amount provider configured to provide a control amount to the phase controller based on an output of the phase controller. |
| US08923705B2 |
Poisson-based communication system and methods
One embodiment is a Poisson-based communication system. The system includes a receiver that comprises a photodetector that receives photons and generates pulses based on the received photons, a sampling event counter that counts the number of generated pulses by the photodetector and a demodulator. The demodulator samples the sampling event counter at predetermined time intervals to determine an occurrence of a first state when light pulse energy has been transmitted by a transmitter and received by the photodetector and an occurrence of a second state when light pulse energy has not been transmitted by the transmitter and received by the photodetector. |
| US08923704B2 |
Computer system with modular optical devices
A computer system with modular optical components. The computer system includes a controller. The controller includes an analog interface that can deliver and/or receive analog signals to and/or from an optical component. The controller further includes a digital interface that is able to receive a digital representation of operating characteristics of the optical component. |
| US08923703B2 |
Wireless maintenance of intrapersonal communication systems
Some embodiments are provided for performing wireless maintenance procedures on personal equipment systems. Personal equipment systems can include wireless communication systems that allow external systems, users, or both to maintain the systems and/or run diagnostic procedures. Personal equipment systems are provided having one or more local devices coupled thereto and in wired communication with one another. Personal equipment systems can include a wireless system and local devices attached to a headgear system, the local devices being in wired communication with one another and in wireless communication with external systems. The wireless communication system is configured to establish a wireless connection with external systems for maintenance of local devices that are in wired communication with each other. Methods for performing wireless maintenance of personal equipment systems are described. |
| US08923697B2 |
Long reach optical amplification device, passive optical network, and method for transmitting optical signals
The present invention provides a long reach optical amplification device, a passive optical network and an optical signal transmission method in the communication field. The long reach optical amplification device comprises: a first optical diplexer, configured to transmit one or multiple downlink optical signal(s) from a first segment of Feeder fiber to a downlink optical amplifier; and to couple one or multiple uplink optical signal(s) amplified by a uplink optical amplifier to the first segment of Feeder fiber; the downlink optical amplifier, configured to amplify the downlink optical signal(s) and to output the amplified one or multiple downlink optical signal(s); a second optical diplexer, configured to couple the downlink optical signal(s) amplified by the downlink optical amplifier to the second segment of Feeder fiber, and to transmit the uplink optical signal(s) from the second segment of Feeder fiber to the uplink optical amplifier; and the uplink optical amplifier, configured to amplify the uplink optical signal(s) and to output the amplified uplink optical signal(s). The present invention resolves the long reach coexistence of several PON systems. |
| US08923696B2 |
Method and apparatus for raman cross-talk mitigation
Disclosed are an apparatus and method configured to process video data signals operating on a passive optical network (PON). One example method of operation may include receiving a data signal at an optical distribution network node (ODN) and identifying signal interference in the data signal. The method may also include modifying a shape of the data signal in the electrical domain and transmitting the modified data signal to at least one optical termination unit (ONT). |
| US08923690B2 |
Close quarter electric resistance heater and method of use
A close quarter electric resistance heater comprises a ribbon heater element that is woven between ribbon support segments and within a heater shell. The ribbon support segments form an annulus on each end of the heater and are linked to each other using connectors. The connectors space the ribbon support segments apart from each other to facilitate the weaving of the ribbon element along the inside of the heater shell for heating purposes. The connectors also link the ribbon support segments to the shell. The ribbon heater element has faces that are wider than its edges and the ribbon heater element is woven on the support segments such that the edges face the heater shell. This configuration minimizes the migration of the ribbon heater element towards the shell and possible short circuiting of the heater. |
| US08923687B2 |
Randomly accessible visual information recording medium and recording method, and reproducing device and reproducing method
Access point pictures designated as randomly accessible positions are I pictures or P pictures. Information indicating the decoding sequence (I1, P1, B1, B2, B3, B4, P2, . . . ) of pictures functioning as access points and attribute information (picture_type) indicating whether a picture functions as an access point or is necessary for decoding of the access point following a given access point are recorded on the video information recording medium. Random access is possible even if the GOP interval is lengthened. |
| US08923683B1 |
Commercials on mobile devices
Among other things, videos and commercials are downloaded to a mobile device for storage on the mobile device and later playout on the mobile device. The downloading includes downloading of metadata associated with the commercials and based on which the mobile device can select commercials for insertion into videos being played back to the user of the mobile device. The commercials to be downloaded are selected based on one or a combination of any two or more of the location of the user, the type of mobile device, and personally-identifiable information about a user of the mobile device. |
| US08923682B2 |
Data processing system
The present invention easily realizes synchronization between processor cores in a multicore system. A data processing system receiving a group of data of different kinds from the outside and performing data processes by kinds includes: a plurality of data process control units corresponding to the kinds of the data group and performing data processes on the data group of corresponding kinds; and a memory unit which can be accessed by the data process control units and has a first region storing a value indicating whether the data process by the data process control units can be executed or not. Each of the data process control units updates the value in the first region on completion of preparation for executing the data process of itself and, when the value in the first region becomes a predetermined value, synchronizes start timings of the data processes and executes the data processes. |
| US08923680B2 |
Optical module and substrate mounting the same
An optical module of the invention includes a chassis housing an optical element and having a hole that connects to an optical fiber, and a heat dissipation plate with a cutout part. The heat dissipation plate is arranged on an upper part of the chassis. The optical fiber passes through the cutout part. |
| US08923673B2 |
Optical modulator
An optical modulator is provided which can compensate for a bias shift between an output light and a monitoring light of the optical modulator and which has a configuration capable of being reduced in size with a simple structure. The optical modulator comprises a substrate that has an electro-optical effect, an optical waveguide that includes a Mach-Zehnder type optical waveguide formed in the substrate, a modulation electrode that modulates light waves propagating in the optical waveguide, an optical fiber that guides an output light from the optical waveguide, light collecting means for collecting two radiated lights from the Mach-Zehnder type optical waveguide toward a single optical receiving element, and light intensity ratio adjusting means for adjusting a light intensity ratio of the two radiated lights received by the optical receiving element. |
| US08923669B2 |
Optical waveguide and method of manufacturing the same, and optical waveguide device
An optical wave guide includes an optical waveguide layer in which a core layer is surrounded by a cladding layer, a light path converting portion provided to a light entering side and a light emitting side of the optical waveguide layer respectively, a light entering portion demarcated in an outer surface of the cladding layer, in which a light is entered to the light path converting portion of the light entering side; and a light emitting portion demarcated in an outer surface of the cladding layer, in which a light from the light path converting portion of the light emitting side is emitted, wherein an outer surface of the cladding layer except the light entering portion and the light emitting portion is formed as a roughened surface. |
| US08923666B2 |
Electrically controlled optical fuse and method of fabrication
Embodiments of the present invention provide an electrically controlled optical fuse. The optical fuse is activated electronically instead of by the light source itself. An applied voltage causes the fuse temperature to rise, which induces a transformation of a phase changing material from transparent to opaque. A gettering layer absorbs excess atoms released during the transformation. |
| US08923665B2 |
Material structures for front-end of the line integration of optical polarization splitters and rotators
A polarization splitter and rotator of a wafer chip, an opto-electronic device and method of use is disclosed. The first waveguide of the wafer chip is configured to receive an optical signal from an optical device and propagate a transverse electric eigenstate of the received optical signal. The second waveguide is configured to receive a transverse magnetic eigenstate of the received optical signal from the first waveguide. The second waveguide includes a splitter end, a middle section and a rotator end, wherein the splitter end includes a layer of polycrystalline silicon, a layer of silicon oxide and a layer of silicon nitride, the rotated end includes a layer single crystal silicon, a layer silicon oxide and a layer of silicon nitride, and the middle section includes layers of single crystal silicon, silicon oxide polycrystalline silicon and silicon nitride. |
| US08923664B2 |
Method and system for multi-mode integrated receivers
A method and system for multi-mode integrated receivers are disclosed and may include receiving an optical signal from an optical fiber coupled to a chip comprising a photonic circuit. The photonic circuit may comprise an optical coupler, one or more multi-mode optical waveguides, and a detector. The received optical signal may be coupled to a plurality of optical modes in the one or more multi-mode optical waveguides, which are communicated to a detector to generate an electrical signal from the communicated modes. The optical coupler may comprise a grating coupler. The chip may comprise a CMOS chip, and the optical fiber may comprise a single-mode or a multi-mode fiber. The detector may comprise a germanium or silicon-germanium photodiode, and/or a waveguide detector. The optical fiber may be coupled to a top surface of the chip and the multi-mode optical waveguides may comprise rib waveguides. |
| US08923658B2 |
Optical waveguide device
An optical waveguide device having a Mach-Zehnder type waveguide formed on a substrate is provided in which a slope of two waveguides input to an optical coupler on an output side of the Mach-Zehnder type waveguide is 0 degrees, a waveguide of the optical coupler after being coupled by the optical coupler is a multi-mode waveguide, and the waveguide which is output from the optical coupler is a three-branched waveguide including an output main waveguide and two output sub waveguides interposing the output main waveguide therebetween. |
| US08923657B2 |
Electro-optic modulator
An electro-optic modulator includes a substrate including a top surface, a Y-shaped waveguide embedded into the top surface and including a first branch dedicated for transmitting transverse electric wave and a second branch dedicated for transmitting transverse magnetic wave, a ground electrode, a first modulating electrode, and a second modulating electrode. The top surface defines a first groove separating the first branch and the second branch, a second groove, and a third groove at a side of the second branch opposite to the first groove. The first modulating electrode and the ground electrode are located two sides of the first branch. The first modulating electrode covers a first sidewall of the second groove adjacent to the first branch. The ground electrode entirely covers the first groove and the second branch. The second modulating electrode covers a bottom surface of the third groove. |
| US08923653B2 |
Super-resolution processing method and system
Super-resolution processing is regarded as a kind of intersample interpolation process and performed by using a linear interpolation filter designed according to sampled-data control theory. In an error-system model used in the process of designing the filter, a pre-filter is disposed before a sampler and a post-filter is disposed after the zero-order hold in a signal restoration system. At least either one of the characteristic Q(s) of the pre-filter or the characteristic P(s) of the post-filter is designed to be a low-pass characteristic, whereby the gain of the characteristic K(z) of a digital filter within a middle-to-high frequency range is raised. Raising the gain makes jaggies more prominent. To reduce this effect, in an actual processing system, the image to be processed is passed through a low-pass filter to reduce high-frequency components before the linear interpolation is performed. |
| US08923651B2 |
Data system and method
Vector-based images and documents, such as those written in SVG and Adobe Flash, can be converted into equivalent bitmap or other non-vector-based image by parsing the vector-based image to detect objects in the vector-based code. For each detected object, a separate bitmap of the object is created and information about where that image lies on the z-axis is retained. A separate bitmap image is created for each object, and the separate bitmap images are layered on top of one another, which is to say ordered along the z-axis in accordance with their z-axis coordinates. Animation of an image can be implemented by selectively rendering different ones of the bitmap images as transparent. |
| US08923648B2 |
Weighted average image blending based on relative pixel position
A method of processing image data is provided. The method includes determining an overlap area based on image data from a first image sensor and image data from a second image sensor; computing a first weight and a second weight based on a relative position of the image data in the overlap area; and generating a final image by blending the image data from the first image sensor and the second image sensor based on the first weight and the second weight. |
| US08923647B2 |
Providing privacy in a social network system
Embodiments generally relate to providing privacy in a social network system. In some embodiments, a method includes recognizing one or more objects in at least one photo. The method also includes determining one or more objects to be obscured in the at least one photo based on one or more user preferences. The method also includes causing the at least one photo to be displayed such that the determined one or more objects are obscured. |
| US08923646B2 |
Geodesic superpixel segmentation
An aspect of the present invention provides a method of segmenting an input image into a plurality of segments. The method comprises the steps of: deriving an image representative of boundary strength of each of a plurality of pixels in the input image; adding a random noise pattern to at least a portion of the derived image; determining a plurality of local minima in the derived image with the random noise pattern added, each of the plurality of local minima comprising a point with a lowest measure of boundary strength within a pre-defined region in the derived image; and associating each of the plurality of pixels in the input image with one of the determined local minima to segment the image based on a geodesic distance transform of the measure between the determined local minima and the pixels. |
| US08923637B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method and program
There is provided an image processing system and an image processing method able to suppress block distortion in the case of decoding image data encoded in unit of blocks. A controlling unit selects a filtering content to be applied to the block image data based on the encoding types of the block image data to be filtered, and a filtering unit applies filtering to the block image data to be processed according to the filtering content selected by the controlling unit. |
| US08923633B2 |
Image decoding method, image coding method, image decoding apparatus, and image coding apparatus
An image decoding method for decoding an image including slices while reducing both a decrease in image quality and a decrease in coding efficiency is provided. The image decoding method includes: decoding a current motion vector which is a motion vector of a current block to be decoded and specifies a reference block included in a reference picture, and a difference image block indicating a difference between the current block and a prediction image block; generating the prediction image block by allocating, to an outside pixel that is a pixel included in the reference block and located outside an associated slice that is a slice corresponding to a current slice to be decoded which includes the current block, a value of an inside pixel that is a pixel located inside the associated slice; and adding up the difference image block and the prediction image block to reconstruct the current block. |
| US08923632B2 |
System and method for encoding standard-formatted images with information
System and method for encoding standard-formatted images with information including, but not limited to, geospatial information. This information, possibly in mark-up language format, can be quickly accessed and this enables the standard-formatted images to be shown in geospatial information systems as map images, while preserving their compatibility with other systems like web browsers and mobile phones. |
| US08923628B2 |
Computer readable medium, image processing apparatus, and image processing method for learning images based on classification information
A computer readable medium stores a program causing a computer to execute a process for image processing. The process includes: calculating, on the basis of image feature information of a plurality of image areas each set with a classification information item, a probability distribution of the image feature information for each classification information item; acquiring a target image; calculating an evaluation value of each of pixels included in the target image relating to a specified classification information item, on the basis of the image feature information of an image area including the pixel and the probability distribution of the image feature information calculated for the specified classification information item; and extracting, from the target image, an image area relating to the specified classification information item, on the basis of the evaluation value calculated for each of the pixels included in the target image. |
| US08923624B2 |
Arc detecting apparatus and recording medium storing arc detecting program
An arc detecting apparatus includes an input unit that inputs an image; a line-segment detector that detects line segments from the image; a determiner that determines whether two of the line segments are associable with each other, on a basis of positions of the two line segments and angles of the two line segments relative to corresponding references; and an arc detector that detects an arc approximated by at least two line segments including the two line segments, on a basis of the two line segments being associated with each other according to a result of the determination. |
| US08923623B2 |
Method and apparatus for acquiring descriptive information of a plurality of images and image matching method
The invention provides a method and apparatus for acquiring descriptive information of a plurality of images and an image matching method. The method for acquiring descriptive information of a plurality of images includes: performing a feature point detection with respect to each image of the plurality of images, so as to obtain a plurality of feature points of each image; acquiring 0-level descriptive information of the plurality of images; and the following steps are performed for each image: performing a division of the image for the (n−1)th time, so as to obtain a plurality of (n−1)-level sub-images of the image; and (n−1)-level descriptive information of the image is generated in accordance with a plurality of nth local feature descriptors for the image and a plurality of nth visual words, where n=2,3, . . . , K+1, and K is a positive integer. |
| US08923622B2 |
Orientation compensation using a mobile device camera and a reference marker
A method and system for orientation compensation of a mobile device within an environment includes providing a plurality of reference markers having straight edges and having a defined, regular orientation with respect to the environment. Information about the orientation of the reference markers is supplied to a mobile device operating within the environment. An orientation sensor disposed within the mobile device estimates an orientation of the mobile device. An image of one reference marker is captured, and at least one edge of that reference marker is located. The estimated orientation is compensated by correcting for the reference marker orientation and aligning the corrected estimated orientation to the at least one edge of the reference marker that is closest to being parallel to the corrected estimated orientation. |
| US08923619B2 |
Method and system for creating optimized images for data identification and extraction
A viewfinder screen display is generated and positioned such that a source document is displayed in the viewfinder screen display. Source document image blocks corresponding to different portions of the source document are then defined. For each source document image block, the image capture parameter of an image capture device is set to an optimized image capture parameter setting for the source document image block. The image capture device then captures an image block optimized image of the source document optimized for the source document image block. The optimized source document image blocks are then extracted from each image block optimized image of the source document. The extracted optimized source document image blocks are then aggregated and used to construct an image capture parameter optimized image of the source document. |
| US08923614B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method
In order to solve the problem that the resolution of a back-scattered electron image without a contrast difference between materials with close atomic numbers is low, an image processing apparatus that performs an image process on a back-scattered electron image as an input image includes: a material peak detection unit that determines a peak luminance value with a peak of a frequency of a luminance histogram based on a luminance value obtained for each measurement position by using the input image as an input and information about material-dependent back-scattered electron generation efficiency, and that outputs the peak luminance value for each material; and an image information adjustment unit that emphasizes a material-dependent contrast on the basis of the input image and the peak luminance value for each material. |
| US08923613B2 |
Image compression device, image compression method, integrated circuit, program, and picture display apparatus
Degradation in image quality of color difference components is to be suppressed. Provided is an image compression device that performs fixed length compression of data to be compressed composed of a plurality of components including a luminance component. The image compression device includes a code amount allocation unit configured to determine, according to the luminance component, the code amount to be allocated to each of the plurality of components such that a total of the code amount allocated to each of the components remains constant, and a compression unit configured to compress each of the plurality of components in accordance with the code amount determined by the code amount allocation unit. |
| US08923609B2 |
Semantic representation module of a machine learning engine in a video analysis system
A machine-learning engine is disclosed that is configured to recognize and learn behaviors, as well as to identify and distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior within a scene, by analyzing movements and/or activities (or absence of such) over time. The machine-learning engine may be configured to evaluate a sequence of primitive events and associated kinematic data generated for an object depicted in a sequence of video frames and a related vector representation. The vector representation is generated from a primitive event symbol stream and a phase space symbol stream, and the streams describe actions of the objects depicted in the sequence of video frames. |
| US08923603B2 |
Non-contact measurement apparatus and method
A non-contact method and apparatus for inspecting an object. At least one first image of the object on which an optical pattern is projected, taken from a first perspective is obtained. At least one second image of the object on which an optical pattern is projected, taken from a second perspective that is different to the first perspective is obtained. At least one common object feature in each of the at least one first and second images is then determined on the basis of an irregularity in the optical pattern as imaged in the at least one first and second images. |
| US08923602B2 |
Automated guidance and recognition system and method of the same
Disclosed herein are embodiments and methods of a visual guidance and recognition system requiring no calibration. One embodiment of the system comprises a servo actuated manipulator configured to perform a function, a camera mounted on the face plate of the manipulator, and a recognition controller configured to acquire a two dimensional image of the work piece. The manipulator controller is configured to receive and store the face plate position at a distance “A” between the reference work piece and the manipulator along an axis of the reference work piece when the reference work piece is in the camera's region of interest. The recognition controller is configured to learn the work piece from the image and the distance “A”. During operation, a work piece is recognized with the system, and the manipulator is accurately positioned with respect to the work piece so that the manipulator can accurately perform its function. |
| US08923599B2 |
Method and arrangement in a measuring system
The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for representing the characteristics of an object with a measuring system, in which either the measuring system or the object is designed to move in relation to one another in a predefined direction of movement. The object preferably is designed to move in relation to the measuring system. At least one light source is designed to illuminate the object with a light which is incident upon the object and has a limited extension in the direction of movement. An imaging sensor, which is arranged on the same side of the object as the light source is designed to pick up light reflected from the object and to convert this into electrical charges. An image-processing unit is furthermore designed to create a digital representation of the object from said electrical charges. The light source is arranged at a predetermined distance from the imaging sensor viewed in the direction of movement, and the image-processing unit is designed to simultaneously read out information on the geometric profile of the object and information on the light scatter in a predetermined area around said profile. |
| US08923591B2 |
Method and device to process complex image data
Complex magnetic resonance (MR) image data, acquired from an examination subject that has at least two different spin species, are processed in a method and a device. At least one MR parameter that influences data acquired in an MR data acquisition is determined with spatial resolution. Complex image data are respectively acquired with each of multiple acquisition units in an MR data acquisition at multiple echo times, such that a phase difference between the first spin species and the second spin species is different at least two of the echo times. For multiple image points, a value of the at least one MR parameter is determined so that a function that depends on the at least one MR parameter and the corresponding image point in the complex image data satisfies an extreme condition. |
| US08923589B2 |
Apparatus, method, and non-transitory storage medium for performing tomosynthesis from projection data obtained from different geometric arrangements
An image processing apparatus which processes an image obtained by tomosynthesis shooting by using a radiation source and a two-dimensional detector. The image processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of projection data output from the two-dimensional detector upon tomosynthesis shooting; and a reconstruction unit configured to perform analytical reconstruction processing of a tomogram of a subject from the plurality of projection data obtained by tomosynthesis shooting without transforming the projection data into virtual projection data on a virtual CT detection plane virtually set to be perpendicular to a radiation center direction of the radiation source. |
| US08923588B2 |
Method and system for improved TOF PET reconstruction
A time of flight positron emission tomography apparatus (100) includes a detector (106), a data acquisition system (120), a coincidence system (122) and a reconstructor (129). Various elements of an imaging chain influence the temporal resolution of the system (100) so that positron data collected along different lines of response is characterized by different temporal resolutions. The different temporal resolutions are used to estimate the positions of detected events along their respective lines of response. |
| US08923587B2 |
Image reconstruction from limited or incomplete data
A system and method are provided for reconstructing images from limited or incomplete data, such as few view data or limited angle data or truncated data generated from divergent beams. The method and apparatus may iteratively constrain the variation of an estimated image in order to reconstruct the image. To reconstruct an image, a first estimated image may be generated. Estimated data may be generated from the first estimated image, and compared with the actual data. The comparison of the estimated data with the actual data may include determining a difference between the estimated and actual data. The comparison may then be used to generate a new estimated image. For example, the first estimated image may be combined with an image generated from the difference data to generate a new estimated image. To generate the image for the next iteration, the variation of the new estimated image may be constrained. |
| US08923586B1 |
System and method for molecular breast imaging
A method for generating molecular breast imaging (MBI) images includes generating at least one energy spectrum using an emission dataset acquired by imaging a patient, identifying a tail energy region and a peak energy region in the energy spectrum, determining a quantity of counts in the tail energy region and the peak energy region, generating an energy window for the energy spectrum based on the counts in the tail energy region and the peak energy region, and assigning a pixel intensity value to at least one image pixel based on a plurality of counts in the energy window. |
| US08923583B2 |
Methods and systems for performing model-based iterative reconstruction
A method for reconstructing image component densities of an object includes acquiring multi-spectral x-ray tomographic data, performing a material decomposition of the multi-spectral x-ray tomographic data to generate a plurality of material sinograms, and reconstructing a plurality of material component density images by iteratively optimizing a functional that includes a joint likelihood term of at least two of the material decomposed sinograms. An x-ray tomography imaging system and a non-transitory computer readable medium are also described herein. |
| US08923581B2 |
Interactive 3-D examination of root fractures
A method for 3-D interactive examination of a subject tooth, executed at least in part by a computer, obtains volume image data containing at least the subject tooth and background content adjacent to the subject tooth and displays a first image from the volume data that shows at least the subject tooth and the background content. A portion of the background content in the first image is identified according to a first operator instruction. Tooth content for at least the subject tooth in the first image is identified according to a second operator instruction. At least the subject tooth is segmented from within the volume data according to the first and second operator instructions. The segmented subject tooth is then displayed. |
| US08923574B2 |
Method and apparatus for encouraging social networking through employment of facial feature comparison and matching
A social networking site providing facial similarity matching services to subscribers to the social networking site. A subscriber may upload a digital image of himself and have it compared to digital images of other member subscribers using software to interpret points of comparison on each digital image. Subscribers may effect the outcome of the matching process by designating a selection of images as close matches from a computer generated plurality of matching images. A collage of finally matched images is provided to the inquiring subscriber as well as contact information to communicate with the other subscribers. |
| US08923572B2 |
Mobile terminal and control method thereof
In a mobile terminal capable of retrieving data, and a control method thereof, the mobile terminal includes a display unit to display at least one object, and a controller to detect information included in an object selected by a user from the at least one object, retrieve objects each having data corresponding to the detected information, and process the retrieved objects to be associated with the selected object. |
| US08923571B2 |
Automated camera flat fielding and alignment
In an example, a method for automated camera flat fielding and alignment may include determining a magnification of a camera relative to a first camera axis that is generally parallel to a first print media axis by evaluating first and second magnifications between transitions from a first color to a second color on a setup plot. The method may further include determining, by a processor, a rotation of the camera relative to the first camera axis such that the first magnification is approximately equal to the second magnification. |
| US08923569B2 |
System for diagnosis of plant anomalies
The present invention refers to a system for the diagnosis of plant anomalies which comprises at least: an acquisition device (1) capable of capturing images in real time of at least one sample of a plant to be diagnosed; a storage unit (2) comprised by a database of digitalized images (7) of samples of plants affected by anomalies and also comprised by a database of technical information (8) related to said anomalies; a human interface device (3) capable of displaying digitalized images of the plant samples; a human control device (4) capable of allowing for an active interaction between a user and the human interface device; and a processing unit (5) operatively associated to the acquisition device (1), to the storage unit (2), to the human interface device (3) and to the human control device (4). This processing unit (5) is configured to run a dedicated computer program (6) capable of: displaying the image of the sample of the plant to be diagnosed and the digitalized image of the sample of the plant filed in the database of images (7) from the storage unit (2) simultaneously in the human interface device (3); automatically providing information of at least, one product and/or method suitable for treating the anomaly diagnosed by means of the human interface device (3); and allowing for the graphic manipulation of the plant images shown in the human interface device (3) by means of the human control device (4). |
| US08923563B2 |
Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object. |
| US08923556B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting people within video frames based upon multiple colors within their clothing
A video analytic device performs a method for detecting people within frames of video based upon multiple colors within their clothing. The method includes: receiving a frame of video; and determining that a first color region within the frame matches a first color of interest for a clothing uniform, wherein the determining is based on a first set of color representation constraints. The method further includes determining that a second color region within the frame matches a second color of interest for the clothing uniform, wherein the determining is based on a second set of color representation constraints and the first and second colors of interest are different. In addition, the method includes applying a set of geometric constraints to the first and second color regions to determine a count of people within the frame wearing the clothing uniform. |
| US08923550B2 |
Object processing employing movement
Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article. A variety of other features are also detailed. |
| US08923545B2 |
Electromechanical-electroacoustic transducer with low thickness and high travel range and relevant manufacturing method
An electroacoustic transducer has a ring-shaped magnetic assembly that generates a magnetic field, an elastic suspension connected to the magnetic assembly, a support connected to the elastic suspension and supporting a coil adapted to move in the magnetic field generated by the magnetic assembly, and an acoustic membrane connected to the support of the coil in order to vibrate and emit a sound. The magnetic assembly has a thin housing and support structure made of non-magnetic material, and a plurality of magnets with magnetic axis (A) and axial anisotropy, said magnets being disposed side by side, inside said thin housing and support structure that acts as bearing structure for the transducer and as containment structure for the magnets. |
| US08923541B2 |
Two-piece sound processor system for use in an auditory prosthesis system
An exemplary system includes 1) a headpiece module configured to be affixed to a head of a patient and comprising a primary sound processor configured to generate stimulation parameters used to direct an auditory prosthesis implanted within the patient to apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more audio signals to the patient and 2) a sound processor module separate from the headpiece module and configured to be selectively and communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. The sound processor module includes a secondary sound processor configured to detect a communicative coupling of the sound processor module to the headpiece module and contribute to the generation of one or more of the stimulation parameters while the sound processor module is communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed. |
| US08923540B2 |
Online anti-feedback system for a hearing aid
A hearing aid system may include an ear-mould for a child, an output transducer, and an electrical feedback path. A forward path includes a signal processor that modifies an electrical input signal to a specific hearing profile over a predefined frequency range which includes a number of frequency bands. Maximum forward gain values IGmax for each band are stored in a memory, restricting loop gain to a predetermined value in each band. The hearing aid system further includes a relatively slow online feedback manager unit configured to, with a predefined update frequency, identify current feedback gain in each frequency band, and to subsequently adapt the maximum forward gain values IGmax in each of the frequency bands in accordance with a predefined scheme. The feedback manager unit is thus reduces the risk of howling by decreasing the maximum forward gain values IGmax in said ear-mould for a child. |
| US08923535B2 |
Magnetostrictive auditory system
Disclosed is hearing device that uses magnetostrictive materials to assist a user in hearing and comprehending sounds. Conductive coils are made with a magnetostrictive covering that can comprise a film or other coating. In addition, printed circuit boards can be used with traces that form a coil to generate a magnetic field that activates a magnetostrictive film disposed over the coil traces on the printed circuit board. Enhanced effects are achieved using these systems. Delays in the signal processing can also be introduced by varying the thickness of the magnetostrictive coverings. |
| US08923534B2 |
Earphone
An earphone includes a loudspeaker, a signal process, an audio signal input port, and a driving port. The loudspeaker includes a thermoacoustic device disposed in a housing. The signal processor is electrically connected to the loudspeaker to provide signal to the loudspeaker. The audio input port is electrically connected to the signal processor to provide audio signal. The power supply device is electrically connected to the signal processor to provide driving current. The thermoacoustic device includes a substrate, and the substrate defines a plurality of grooves, a sound wave generator is suspended on the plurality of grooves. |
| US08923524B2 |
Ultra-compact headset
An ultra-compact headset device including both speaker and microphone capability in at least one earphone overcomes the minimum size requirements of previous headsets by controlling the speaker and microphone functionality so that each earphone functions either as a speaker or microphone, but never both at the same time. Various embodiment headsets may include a pair of earphones each with one or more transducers capable of converting electrical signals into sound and vice versa. The ultra-compact headset may be wirelessly coupled to a mobile device, such as a cellular telephone or smart phone. |
| US08923520B2 |
System and method for recovery key management
A system and method for managing the recovery key of a computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes a security layer, and the recovery key is stored locally to a memory location on the computer system, including, as examples, flash memory on the motherboard of the computer system or a USB port on the computer system. In operation, when it becomes necessary for the computer system to authenticate the recovery key, the recovery key may be retrieved from the local memory. The retrieval and storage of the recovery key may be managed by a remote administrator. The recovery key may be stored in a hidden partition in the storage location, and the recovery key may be cryptographically wrapped to add an additional layer of security. |
| US08923519B2 |
Method of efficient secure function evaluation using resettable tamper-resistant hardware tokens
An embodiment of the present invention provides a computer implemented method for the transfer of private information of one user to another user—a primitive known as Oblivious Transfer. An output from a strong pseudorandom function generation (SPRFG) is calculated by a first user's computing module based on first and second parameters: the first parameter specifying one of two secret keys; the second parameter being a value selected within the domain of the SPRFG by the first user. The first user is prevented from reading or learning the stored two secret keys. The output is transmitted to a computer of a second user which generates first and second encrypted values that are each based on an inverse SPRFG calculation using the first and second secret keys, respectively, and corresponding private values of the second user. The encrypted values are sent to a first computer of the first user that calculates one of the private values using a mathematical computation based on the second parameter and the one of the first and second encrypted values that corresponds to the one of the first and second key used. |
| US08923516B2 |
Systems and methods for securely transmitting and receiving discovery and paging messages
Methods, devices, and computer program products for transmitting and receiving discovery and paging messages in a wireless communication device are described herein. In one aspect, a wireless apparatus operable in a wireless communication system comprises a processor configured to obfuscate a medium access control address of a frame by generating a random number and a transient address obfuscation key including a first transient key, wherein the transient address obfuscation key is a function of an address obfuscation key and the random number; including the random number in an address obfuscation header field of the frame; and replacing an original first address in an address field of the frame with a new first address that is a function of the original first address and the first transient key. The processor is further configured to include an indication of the obfuscation in a first field of the frame. The wireless apparatus further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the frame to a receiving device. |
| US08923515B2 |
System and method for mobility management in a communications system
A method for maintaining routing information for a wireless device includes determining, by a target communications controller, an original address of the wireless device handed over from a source communications controller, where the original address is assigned by an original communications controller. The method also includes updating, by the target communications controller, routing information associated with the wireless device using a border gateway protocol message if the original address lies within a range of addresses managed by a communications system including the target communications controller and an aggregation router, where the routing information is stored at the aggregation router. |
| US08923514B2 |
Apparatus and method for authentication for motor vehicles
An arrangement on monitoring of authentication, in particular for motor vehicles, includes a first communication apparatus and at least a second communication apparatus, between which a wireless communication channel can be set up. The communication apparatus items have means for authentication and encryption, with which the exchangeable data may be encrypted via the communication channel. The items of communication apparatus have storage means in which one of the digital keys usable for authentication and encryption can be stored, and in that in the storage device there is either in addition to the digital key and/or in the individual key at least one piece of information regarding at least one past communication between the first communication apparatus and the second apparatus that can be stored in memory. |
| US08923511B2 |
Enciphering apparatus and method, deciphering apparatus and method as well as information processing apparatus and method
The invention provides an enciphering apparatus and method, a deciphering apparatus and method and an information processing apparatus and method by which illegal copying can be prevented with certainty. Data enciphered by a 1394 interface of a DVD player is transmitted to a personal computer and a magneto-optical disk apparatus through a 1394 bus. In the magneto-optical disk apparatus with which a change to a function is open to a user, the received data is deciphered by a 1394 interface. In contrast, in the personal computer with which a change to a function is open to a user, the enciphered data is deciphered using a time variable key by a 1394 interface, and a result of the decipherment is further deciphered using a session key by an application section. |
| US08923502B2 |
Customer service system, method, and software program product for responding to queries using natural language understanding
The present invention uses natural language understanding to increase the ability of a customer service system to respond to a user's query in an automated manner. A customer service system receives a query from a user and offers the user the option of having the system contact the user at a later time with an answer. If the user accepts the offer, the customer service system processes the query offline, including providing the query to a natural language understanding interpreter. The system uses the natural language understanding interpretation to determine if the user's query is in a database of frequently-asked queries. For each query in the database of frequently-asked queries, there is a predetermined response protocol. If the user's query substantially matches a query in the database, the IVR system contacts the user with an automated response in accordance with the predetermined response protocol for the query. |
| US08923499B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing enhanced telecommunications services
An apparatus and method is disclosed for providing transparent enhanced telecommunications services to subscribers by implementing an enhanced services platform on a local network exchange within the public telephone network. More specifically, the apparatus and method of the present invention is capable of providing a plurality of enhanced telecommunications services to a subscriber by using a voice-activated interface to enable the subscriber to access at least one of the plurality of enhanced telecommunications services. In addition, the apparatus and method of the present invention may use a web-activated interface to enable the subscriber to access at least one of the plurality of enhanced telecommunications services. |
| US08923498B2 |
Systems and methods for integrating information from voice over internet protocol systems and social networking systems
Systems and methods of recommending that two parties form a link on a social networking system use activities conducted by the first party on a telephony system and information contained in contact or link lists stored for the second party on the social networking system to determine if the two parties are likely acquainted. If a comparison of this information indicates that the parties are likely acquainted, or at least are acquainted with common third parties, a recommendation that they form a link on the social networking system is issued to one or both parties. |
| US08923497B2 |
Redirecting and mirroring of telephonic communications
Initiating a communication is disclosed. An identifier associated with an intended destination with which the calling party desires to establish communication is received from a calling party. Communication with a compliance node is established. An identifier is provided to the compliance node. The compliance node is configured to establish with the intended destination a communication session in which the compliance node, the intended destination, and the calling party are participants. |
| US08923496B2 |
Admission control of a communication system
Aspects of the disclosure relate to admission control of a communication session in a network. The admission control can be implemented by a network node at the boundary of the network or a subsystem thereof. In one aspect, the admission control can be implemented during a predetermined period and can be based at least on an admission criterion, which can be specific to an end-point device, e.g., a target device or an origination device. The admission criterion can be configurable and, in certain implementations, it can be obtained from historical performance associated with establishment of communication session. Such historical performance can be assessed within a period of a configurable span. |
| US08923490B2 |
Systems and methods for providing searchable customer call indexes
A system and method is provided for providing searchable customer call indexes. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, a system may receive call information associated with telephone conversations between callers and a vendor, the call information including an audio recording or transcript for each telephone conversation. The system may also identify one or more keywords from the audio recordings or transcripts and index the call information into one or more indexes based on the identified keywords. Finally, the system may determine search results responsive to a search query based on the indexing. In some embodiments, changes to customer service may be identified based on the search results. |
| US08923489B1 |
Applying user preferences, behavioral patterns and environmental factors to an automated customer support application
A method and apparatus of applying user profile information to a customized application are disclosed. One example method of operation may include receiving an inquiry message or call from a user device, identifying and authorizing the user from inquiry message information received from the inquiry message, retrieving a user profile comprising at least one user preference, applying the at least one user preference to a user call processing application, and transmitting menu options to the user device based on the applied at least user preference. |
| US08923487B2 |
Diagnostics primitives on L2/ERB normalized error samples
Derivations of new PHY layer diagnostics primitives are based on the normalized error samples collected through G.993.5. The processing uses the ERB and L2 Ethernet packet encapsulation of these ERB data in order to abstract the processing from the PHY layer device dependency, as well as to allow a local and remote processing of the primitives for diagnostics purposes. |
| US08923486B2 |
System and method for remotely diagnosing and reporting failures in network equipment
A system and method for initiating a telephone call to a telephone line that is connected to a modem and an answering machine, the modem being configured to connect to the telephone call prior to the answering machine, determining whether the modem has connected to the telephone call, determining, if the modem has not connected to the telephone call, whether the answering machine has connected to the telephone call and providing a first indication to a user if neither of the modem nor the answering machine has connected to the telephone call. |
| US08923482B2 |
Radiation image detecting device and control method thereof, and radiation imaging system
An AEC section of an electronic cassette includes a measurement area setting circuit for setting a measurement area in an imaging surface. The measurement area setting circuit is switchable between a specified area mode and an automatic area setting mode. In the specified area mode, a first measurement area is set up in a position predetermined in accordance with a body part to be imaged. In the automatic area setting mode, a second measurement area is set up based on the distribution of an X-ray dose measured by measuring pixels. X-ray emission time is shortened in the specified area mode, because the setting of the first measurement area is quickly performed. The automatic area setting mode eliminates the need for troublesome positioning between a patient and an FPD. |
| US08923478B2 |
X-ray inspection apparatus for pipeline girth weld inspection
An apparatus is provided for x-ray inspection of a pipeline girth weld. This comprises a directional x-ray source 5 which is insertable into a pipeline section and is rotatable within the pipeline. Means are provided to align the directional x-ray source with an external x-ray detector such that both may be rotated through 360 degrees substantially coaxially with the pipeline section. Means for sampling the data detected by the x-ray detector are provided so that it may be further analyzed. |
| US08923477B2 |
Fiducial systems for mammography
A system is described for breast imaging that includes spatially registering sequential mammographic images of the same breast. The system includes a first compression member configured to contact a first side of a breast, a second compression member configured to contact a second side of a breast that is substantially opposite the first side. The system further includes a first image sensor, coupled to the first compression member and configured to detect a position of a first fiducial marker located at the first side of the breast, and a second image sensor, coupled to the second compression member and configured to detect a position of a second fiducial marker located at the second side of the breast. |
| US08923472B2 |
Flip flop, shift register, driver circuit, and display device
A flip-flop of the present invention includes: an input terminal; an output terminal; a first control signal terminal and a second control signal terminal; a first output section including a bootstrap capacitor, the first output section being connected to the first control signal terminal and the output terminal; a second output section connected to a first output section source and the output terminal; a first input section connected to the input terminal, the first input section charging the bootstrap capacitor; a discharge section discharging the bootstrap capacitor; a second input section connected to the input terminal, the second input section being also connected to the second output section; a reset section controlling the discharge section and the second output section, the reset section being connected to the second control signal terminal; a first initialization section controlling the first output section; a second initialization section controlling the first input section; and a third initialization section controlling the discharge section and the second output section. This makes it possible to realize a shift register capable of performing an all-ON operation regardless of clock signals. |
| US08923470B2 |
Container for packaging nuclear waste with force-fitted lid
The container is comprised of a side wall of which the end edges are each provided with a blocking member, of which at least one is inserted in order to close an opening. The peripheral outline of the inserted blocking member and the interior outline of the associated end edge of the side wall have generally complementary shapes on at least one portion of their respective heights, in such a way that said inserted blocking member comes to be housed on at least one portion of its height in the space defined by said end edge of the side wall and comes to bear against said end edge by adjusting lugs in recesses of complementary shape. The inclined joining surfaces form an angle from 20° to 40° with the axis of the container. |
| US08923469B2 |
Method and apparatus for an alternative remote spent fuel pool cooling system for light water reactors
A method and apparatus for providing an alternative remote spent fuel pool cooling system for the spent fuel pool. The cooling system is operated to cool the spent fuel pool in the event of a plant accident when normal plant electricity is not available for the conventional fuel pool cooling and cleanup system, or when the integrity of the spent fuel has been jeopardized. The cooling system is operated and controlled from a remote location, which is ideal during a plant emergency. |
| US08923468B2 |
Clock and data recovery circuit selectively configured to operate in one of a plurality of stages and related method thereof
An exemplary clock and data recovery circuit includes a serial data input node arranged for receiving a serial data; a reference clock input node arranged for receiving a reference clock; a control circuit arranged for generating a control signal to selectively configure the clock and data recovery to operate in one of a plurality of phases; a detective circuit arranged for generating a first adjusting signal while the clock and data recovery operates in a frequency locking phase, and for generating a second adjusting signal while the clock and data recovery circuit operates in a clock and data recovery phase; and a controllable oscillator arranged for generating a recovered clock according to the first adjusting signal in the frequency locking phase, and for generating the recovered clock according to the second adjusting signal in the clock and data recovery phase. |
| US08923465B2 |
Method for sampling data and apparatus therefor
A semiconductor device comprises sampling logic, comprising: input sample path selection logic arranged to enable at least one input sample path; sampler logic arranged to receive and sample an input data signal in a serial data stream in accordance with a phase of the at least one enabled input sample path; and transition detection logic arranged to detect transitions within the received input data signal. The input sample path selection logic is further arranged, upon detection of a transition within the received input data signal, to determine if the phase of the at least one input sample path is a phase having a largest window between logic values; and if it is determined that the phase of the at least one input sample path is not the phase having a largest window between logic values, to enable at least one input sample path comprising a more appropriate phase. |
| US08923464B2 |
Methods and apparatus for enabling distributed frequency synchronization
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with enabling distributed frequency synchronization based on a fastest node clock rate. In one example, a first UE is equipped to determine that a fastest clock rate is faster than an internal clock rate of the first UE by more than a first positive offset, and adjust the internal clock rate based on the determined fastest clock rate. In an aspect, the fastest clock rate is associated with a second UE of one or more other UEs from which synchronization signals may be received. In another example, a UE is equipped to obtain GPS based timing information, adjust an internal clock rate based on the GPS based timing information, and transmit a synchronization signal at an artificially earlier time in comparison to a scheduled time of transmission associated with the adjusted internal clock rate. |
| US08923463B1 |
Offset calibration and adaptive channel data sample positioning
In an apparatus, a receiver includes a clock data recovery module to provide a dense distribution of waveform edges across an adjustment range, and an eye scan circuit to obtain samples at a first sample position and a second sample position to provide an error count for a sample count for the samples. An eye scan module, coupled to the receiver, is configured to: scan for the samples at the first sample position of a first type for each of a plurality of sample positions of a second type to obtain an error count for a sample count for each of the plurality of sample positions; locate a threshold BER from the scan; determine an amount and a direction of a sample offset at the threshold BER from a reference location; and adjust either the first sample position or the second sample position responsive to the amount and the direction. |
| US08923459B2 |
Channel quality estimation
In a wireless modem which comprises a first receiver and a second receiver it is detected whether or not user data transmission is taking place. If user data transmission is detected, a second channel quality value is continuously estimated using the second receiver. If no user data transmission is detected, the second receiver is shut off, a first channel quality value is continuously estimated using the first receiver, and the second channel quality value of the second receiver is continuously estimated using the first channel quality value estimated by the first receiver. |
| US08923458B2 |
Method and device for decoding in a differential orthogonal space-time block coded system
A method and device for decoding in a differential orthogonal space-time block coded system are disclosed. The disclosed method includes: (a) receiving signals from a transmitter during a particular time slot segment, where the signals are encoded by differential orthogonal space-time block coding; (b) transforming to reception signals for two sub-systems by using a sum operation and a difference operation of the signals received in step (a), where the transformed reception signals for the two sub-systems maintain an orthogonality of an orthogonal space-time block coded system; and (c) performing decoding using the reception signals for the two sub-systems transformed in step (b). The method provides the advantage of lowering the level of operational complexity for decoding in a communication system that employs differential orthogonal space-time block coding. |
| US08923456B2 |
Method and system for channel estimation
The present invention relates to a method and system for channel estimation. First, pilot signals are extracted from a received multi-path signal, in which each pilot signal includes a first pilot and a second pilot. Then, an initially estimated channel frequency-domain response is obtained based on the extracted first pilot. Afterward, a frequency-domain response estimate of each pilot frequency in the second pilot is calculated according to the obtained initially estimated channel frequency-domain response, an actual value of each pilot frequency in the second pilot is obtained based on the extracted second pilot, and a deviation between the frequency-domain response estimate and the actual value of each pilot frequency is calculated. When it is detected that aliasing components exist in the initially estimated channel frequency-domain response, a center of each aliasing component is determined according to the deviation, so as to determine an estimated position of each aliasing component. Finally, the initially estimated channel frequency-domain response is corrected according to the estimated positions of the aliasing components, so as to obtain an accurate channel estimation response. |
| US08923455B2 |
Asymmetrical feedback for coordinated transmission systems
A method includes, in a mobile communication terminal, receiving from at least first and second base stations, which cooperate in a coordinated transmission scheme, signals that are transmitted over respective first and second communication channels. Respective channel measures are calculated for the communication channels based on the received signals. First and second feedback data, which are indicative of the respective channel measures of the first and second communication channels, are formulated such that the first feedback data has a first data size and the second feedback data has a second data size, different from the first data size. The first and second feedback data are transmitted from the mobile communication terminal to at least one of the base stations. |
| US08923451B2 |
Signal detection device and signal detection method
In this signal detection device (100), a delaying unit (101) delays a first distributed signal or a second distributed signal distributed from a received signal for a period of time of T1 to form a first multiplication signal, and delays the one for a period of time of T2 (T2>T1) to form a second multiplication signal. An integrator (104) calculates a first correlation value by integrating the result of multiplying the first distributed signal and the first multiplication signal. An integrator (105) calculates a second correlation value by integrating the result of multiplying the second distributed signal and the second multiplication signal. An evaluation unit (108) evaluates whether the signal to be detected, which is a periodic signal with a period of T1 or a periodic signal with a period of T2, exists or not, on the basis of the first correlation value and the second correlation value. |
| US08923448B2 |
Using antenna pooling to enhance a MIMO receiver augmented by RF beamforming
A system having a multi-layer (multi-stream) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) receiving system, having a MIMO baseband module and a radio distribution network (RDN) connected to the MIMO receiving system. The RDN has two or more beamformers that are fed by two or more antennas, so that a total number of antennas in the system are greater than the number of branches of the MIMO baseband module. Each of the beamformers combines RF signals coming from the antennas. The system further implements an antenna routing module that swaps antennas between different beamformers according to one or more qualitative indicators derived from the baseband module, thus increasing the probability of grouping antennas that have lower conflicts between best phases of different layers' transmitted signals. The system increases the range of antenna selection beyond the set of antennas available for each beamformer. |
| US08923446B2 |
Single-burst acquisition for wireless communication system
Techniques for performing acquisition of packets are described. First detection values may be determined based on a first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing delay-multiply-integrate on the samples. Power values may be determined based on the first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing multiply-integrate on the samples. The first detection values may be averaged to obtain average detection values. The power values may also be averaged to obtain average power values. Whether a packet is presence may be determined based on the average detection values and the average power values. Second detection values may be determined based on a second plurality of samples. The start or the packet may be determined based on the first and second detection values. A third detection value may be determined based on a third plurality of samples. Frequency error of the packet may be estimated based on the first and third detection values. |
| US08923445B1 |
Complex symbol de-mapping using sectoring
A symbol de-mapper can determine soft values for the bits of a complex symbol R that has been transmitted and received at a receiving device. The symbol de-mapper can reduce the number of calculations needed to determine soft values of the bits by limiting the symbols S utilized to calculate the soft values to subsets of the symbols S associated with sectors of symbol rings in the symbol constellation. |
| US08923444B1 |
Decoding a communication signal that contains analog pulses with exponentially-shaped leading edges
A receiver for decoding a communication signal is disclosed. The receiver includes an input port and a filter. The input port receives the communication signal from a communication medium. The communication signal comprises a sequence of symbols. Each symbol of the symbol sequence is an analog pulse that has a leading edge of exponential shape. The exponential shape has an exponential growth parameter value that has been selected from values α0 and α1, which are distinct positive values. For each symbol of the symbol sequence, the exponential growth parameter value for the leading edge of the symbol has been selected based on a corresponding bit from a stream of information bits. The filter receives the communication signal from the input port and filters the communication signal to obtain an output signal. The transfer function of the filter has one or more zeros at α0. |
| US08923443B2 |
Wireless receiver
A direct-conversion type wireless receiver includes a pair of mixers for frequency-converting a radio signal received from an antenna into a base band signal by local signals having different phases; a first amplification circuit for amplifying the base band signal up to a demodulation level; a second amplification circuit provided between the mixer and the first amplification circuit; and a variable current circuit including a multi-stage current mirror to add a current 2n times as high as a reference current. The wireless receiver further includes a control unit configured to correct a DC offset of the mixer by allowing a current to flow into the second amplification circuit from the variable current circuit, based on an output of the first amplification circuit, and a capacitor connected between a gate and a source of a PchMOSFET which allows the reference current to flow therethrough. |
| US08923435B2 |
Method and device for generating precoding matrix in wireless communication system
Provided is a method and a device for generating a precoding matrix in a wireless communication system. The method for generating the precoding matrix comprises a step of receiving from a terminal feedback including information on the error angle θ of channel direction information (CDI), which indicates the direction of a channel direction vector, and a step of generating the precoding matrix based on the information on the error angle θ of the CDI, wherein the error angle θ of the CDI indicates the angle between the channel direction vector and a quantized channel direction vector, and includes at least one of a channel quantization error component, a channel feedback delay error component, and a channel estimation error component. |
| US08923433B2 |
Digital transmitter
An equalizer provided in a digital transmitter compensates for attenuation in a signal channel to a digital receiver. The equalizer generates signal levels as a logical function of bit history to emphasize transition signal levels relative to repeated signal levels. The preferred equalizer includes an FIR transition filter using a look-up table. Parallel circuits including FIR filters and digital-to-analog converters provide a high speed equalizer with lower speed circuitry. The equalizer is particularly suited to in-cabinet and local area network transmissions where feedback circuitry facilitates adaptive training of the equalizer. |
| US08923432B2 |
Systems and methods for communication over a plurality of frequencies and streams
Methods and devices for communicating in a communication system are described herein. One aspect provides a method of communicating over one or more space-time streams. The method includes transmitting a first stream with a bandwidth of 2 MHz or less. The method further includes transmitting, when there are at least two streams, a second stream with a cyclic shift delay relative to the first stream equal to half a period. The method further includes transmitting, when there are at least three streams, a third stream with a cyclic shift delay relative to one of the first and second stream equal to a quarter of the period. The method further includes transmitting, when there are at least four streams, a fourth stream with a cyclic shift delay relative to the other of the first and second stream equal to a quarter of the period. |
| US08923431B2 |
Multi-carrier communication systems employing variable symbol rates and number of carriers
A multi-carrier communication system such as an OFDM or DMT system has nodes which are allowed to dynamically change their receive and transmit symbol rates, and the number of carriers within their signals. Changing of the symbol rate is done by changing the clocking frequency of the nodes' iFFT and FFT processors, as well as their serializers and deserializers. The nodes have several ways of dynamically changing the number of carriers used. The selection of symbol rate and number of carriers can be optimized for a given channel based on explicit channel measurements, a priori knowledge of the channel, or past experience. Provision is made for accommodating legacy nodes that may have constraints in symbol rate or the number of carriers they can support. The receiver can determine the correct symbol rate and number of carriers through a priori knowledge, a first exchange of packets in a base mode that all nodes can understand, or an indication in the header of the data packet which is transmitted in a base mode of operation that all nodes can understand. |
| US08923423B2 |
Method and arrangement for pilot pattern based control signaling in MIMO systems
The present invention relates to control signaling in wireless communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to control signaling in MIMO based communication systems. In the method according to the invention control information is transferred from a base station to at least one user equipment, via a plurality of common pilot channels. A set of unique pilot sequences has been pre-defined, and the base station assigns specific pilot sequences from the set of pilot sequences to specific common pilot channels, forming a pilot sequence assignment pattern representing a specific control information. The user equipment, having knowledge of the relations between pilot sequence assignment patterns and control information, interprets the received pilot sequence assignment pattern as specific control information. The method is particularly well suited for broadcast type control information. |
| US08923421B2 |
Repetition coding for a wireless system
A system and method are disclosed for transmitting data over a wireless channel. In some embodiments, transmitting data includes receiving convolutionally encoded data and enhancing the transmission of the data by further repetition encoding the data. |
| US08923420B2 |
Reception apparatus, reception method, and program
A reception apparatus is disclosed which includes: a detection section configured to detect the presence or absence of spectrum inversion in data transmitted by a multi-carrier transmission system based on whether a known signal can be decoded using that part of the transmitted data which has been transmitted by carriers used for transmitting the known signal; and a correction section configured to correct the data transmitted by the multi-carrier transmission system if the presence of spectrum inversion is detected. |
| US08923417B1 |
Methods and apparatus for transceiver power noise reduction
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatus and methods of transceiver power noise reduction. One embodiment relates to a method of serial data communication. At a transmitter, data may be encoded by a communication protocol encoder, and the protocol-encoded data may be serialized. The serialized data may be encoded for power-delivery-network noise reduction (PNR) so as to generate PNR-encoded serial data, and the PNR-encoded serial data may be driven onto a communication channel. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed. |
| US08923416B2 |
Symbol-level repetition coding in power line communications
Systems and methods for implementing symbol-level repetition coding in power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, these systems and methods may provide reliable communication in severe channel environments of PLC networks, at least in part, by changing the forward error correction (FEC) used by various devices operating within current PLC systems. For example, a method may include receiving a PLC signal and applying convolutional encoding to the received signal, the convolutional encoding producing an encoded signal. The method may also include performing a subcarrier modulation operation upon the encoded signal, the subcarrier modulation operation producing a modulated signal. The method may further include applying symbol-level repetition coding to the modulated signal, the symbol-level repetition coding producing a repetitious signal. In some cases, one or more distinct repetition patterns may be applied to different symbols or portions thereof. The repetitious signal may then be transmitted over a power line. |
| US08923414B2 |
Systems and methods for adaptive sample quantization
One embodiment includes an adaptive sample quantization system. The adaptive sample quantization system includes an antenna to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal having data encoded therein, and analog antenna electronics configured to convert the RF signal to an analog electrical signal. The system also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) directly coupled to the antenna and configured to generate a plurality of consecutive digital samples of the RF signal. The system further includes a quantizer to determine a mode based on the plurality of consecutive digital samples and to select at least one threshold based on the determined mode. The quantizer can further compare each digital sample with the at least one threshold to generate a corresponding one of a plurality of output samples having a reduced number of bits relative to the respective digital sample to substantially mitigate potential interference and facilitate extraction of the data. |
| US08923413B2 |
Optimization of data processors with irregular patterns
In described embodiments, data streams with irregular patterns are processed by transformations defined by recursively changing processor state, or iteration level. The data transformations are applied to an arbitrary long portion of data, instead of small portions, that are defined directly by a current processor state. Embodiments combine small parts of, for example, puncturing/repetition patterns into a pattern of bigger parts and apply these patterns of bigger parts to relatively large portions of input data. |
| US08923412B2 |
Wireless electronic device with a decoder and associated methods
A method for operating a decoder includes receiving a complex signal representative of a received symbol from among a plurality of symbols. The received symbol includes a plurality of bits and corresponds to a respective point on a constellation map. Likelihood metrics are generated for the received symbol, with each likelihood metric reflecting a likelihood of the received symbol corresponding to one of the points on the constellation map. The likelihood metrics are arranged in columns and rows. Common likelihood metrics are determined for each column and for each row. The common likelihood metrics are compared to determine a best likelihood metric for the bits in the received symbol that are to be compared by columns, and to be compared by rows. |
| US08923409B2 |
System method and apparatus for seamlessly splicing data
A plurality of bit streams are seamlessly spliced. Separate decoders decode each bit stream. A controller selects the decoded pictures according to a re-encoding range in the vicinity of a splicing point of the bit streams. Pictures presenting a reordering of the streams are excluded in the selection of the decoded pictures. An encoder re-encodes the pictures within the re-encoding range. When it is determined that crossover motion compensation exists between pictures of different streams, the controller changes the motion prediction direction of the problematic picture. The controller changes a motion prediction picture type of a picture which is improperly motion predicted with reference to another stream. A quantization characteristic or motion vectors for the new picture type are generated by the controller. The controller effects the encoding in accordance with a target amount of bits to prevent a breakdown of a buffer and a discontinuation of an amount of data occupancy thereof. A multiplexer multiplexes the original streams with the re-encoded stream to produce a seamless bit stream. |
| US08923408B2 |
Systems for transcoding sub-picture data and methods of operating the same
A method of transcoding a sub-picture unit each comprising encoded sub-picture pixel data including sub-picture lines separated into at least a first field and a second field as well as a set of display control commands associated with the sub-picture pixel data, comprises the step of pre-processing (53) the display control commands to prepare transcoding to frame format. Encoded lines of said top and bottom fields are then merged (56,73) into a single encoded frame and the display control commands are modified (56,74) according to changes in encoded sub-picture pixel data before outputting. |
| US08923407B2 |
Sample adaptive offset (SAO) parameter signaling
A method for sample adaptive offset (SAO) filtering and SAO parameter signaling in a video encoder is provided that includes determining SAO parameters for largest coding units (LCUs) of a reconstructed picture, wherein the SAO parameters include an indicator of an SAO filter type and a plurality of SAO offsets, applying SAO filtering to the reconstructed picture according to the SAO parameters, and entropy encoding LCU specific SAO information for each LCU of the reconstructed picture in an encoded video bit stream, wherein the entropy encoded LCU specific SAO information for the LCUs is interleaved with entropy encoded data for the LCUs in the encoded video bit stream. Determining SAO parameters may include determining the LCU specific SAO information to be entropy encoded for each LCU according to an SAO prediction protocol. |
| US08923405B1 |
Memory access ordering for a transformation
An apparatus generally having a plurality of memories and a first circuit is disclosed. The memories may be configured to store a plurality of first data points. The first data points generally form a two-dimensional block. The first data points may be arranged among the memories such that a load cycle from the memories accesses a rectangular region of the two-dimensional block. The load cycle generally comprises a plurality of read cycles, a different one of the read cycles corresponding to each one of the memories. The first circuit may be configured to (i) receive the first data points as read from the memories and (ii) generate a plurality of second data points by a video codec transformation of the first data points between a spatial domain and a frequency domain. |
| US08923404B2 |
Image coding method, image decoding method, image coding apparatus, and image decoding apparatus
An image coding method includes: deriving a candidate for a motion vector predictor from a neighboring motion vector; adding the candidate to a list; selecting a motion vector predictor from the list; coding a current block; and coding a current motion vector. In the deriving, the candidate is derived according to a first derivation scheme when each of a current reference picture and a neighboring reference picture is determined to be a long-term reference picture, and the candidate is derived according to a second derivation scheme when each of a current reference picture and a neighboring reference picture is determined to be a short-term reference picture. |
| US08923399B2 |
Method and an apparatus for processing a video signal
An apparatus for processing a video signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which the video signal from which redundancy of inter-view pictures is eliminated can be decoded. The present invention includes obtaining a block type of a first corresponding block within a first reference view included in a reference list, if the block type of the first corresponding block is an intra block, obtaining a block type and motion information of a second corresponding block within a second reference view included in the reference list, and if the block type of the first corresponding block is not the intra block, decoding a current block using the motion information of the second corresponding block. |
| US08923394B2 |
Management of slices
A slice (3) of a picture (1) is encoded by hierarchically splitting a largest coding unit, LCU, (10) of the picture (1) into multiple smaller coding units, CUs (20, 30, 40). A start of the slice (3) is defined to coincide with the border between a first CU (30, 40B) and a preceding CU (40, 40A) of the LCU (10). Address information is generated that allows identification of the first CU (30, 40B) within the picture (1) by defining the position of the first CU (30, 40B) and the size of the largest possible CU (30) that can occupy this position within the picture (1). The address information is included in a coded representation (50) of the picture (1). The address information enables positioning slice starts also within LCUs (10), which slice starts thereby do not need to be limited between LCU borders. |
| US08923392B2 |
Methods and apparatus for face fitting and editing applications
Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for face fitting are disclosed. In one embodiment, sets of two-dimensional local feature points on a face in each image of a set of images are identified. The set of images includes a sequence of frames a video stream. A three-dimensional face model for the face in the each image is generated as a combination of a set of predefined three-dimensional face models. In some embodiments, the generating includes reducing an error between a projection of vertices of the set of predefined three-dimensional face models and the two-dimensional local feature points of the each image, and constraining facial expression of the three-dimensional face model to change smoothly from image to image in the sequence of video frames. |
| US08923391B2 |
Encoding apparatus, control method for encoding apparatus and program
A control method for an encoding apparatus which performs bit rate control includes an acquiring step of acquiring a first quantization parameter as a quantization parameter to be used for quantizing a rate control unit, a first calculating step of calculating an evaluation value from a preset rate and a rate of an actually encoded rate control unit, a first setting step of, if the evaluation value is within a predetermined range, setting the first quantization parameter acquired by the acquiring step as a quantization parameter to be used for quantizing a rate control unit, and a second setting step of, if the evaluation value is not within the predetermined range, setting a second quantization parameter on the basis of the calculated evaluation value as a quantization parameter to be used for quantizing a rate control unit. |
| US08923387B2 |
Image decoding device and method thereof using inter-coded predictive encoding code
An image encoding device and corresponding decoding device are disclosed for achieving a high rate of compression. The encoding device includes an image conversion module that converts the direction of the images using right-left symmetry mode convention or up-down symmetry mode conversion. Encoding modules are used to encode both the unconverted and converted images. A mode selector module compares the quantity of codes in the encoded unconverted images and the quantity of codes in the encoded converted images, and selects codes that are smaller in the quantity of codes for output. |
| US08923386B2 |
Method and apparatus for signal compression and decompression
In one embodiment, the method of compressing a digital signal includes reducing redundancies in the digital signal, scaling a block of samples output from the reducing step by a scaling factor, and quantizing the scaled samples to produce compressed samples. The digital signal being compressed may be a digital radio frequency signal. |
| US08923385B2 |
Rewind-enabled hardware encoder
Described herein are a number of approaches for implementing a video encoder with hardware-enabled rewind functionality. In several embodiments, rewind functionality can be implemented in hardware, in a manner which allows the transform engine of the encoder to reprocess video data, without requesting data from other stages in the encoder. Such rewind functionality is useful in implementing some video standards in a pipeline architecture, such as the H.264 standard. In one embodiment, a method of encoding video data is described, which involves obtaining a first portion of video data from a first location in a buffer, and performing an encoding operation on it. The second portion of video data is obtained from a second location in the buffer, and encoding operations begin on the second portion. The first portion of video data can be retrieved from the first location, in order to reprocess the first portion if necessary. |
| US08923384B2 |
System, method and device for processing macroblock video data
In one form, a video processing device (150) includes a memory (110, 130) and a plurality of staged macroblock processing engines (112, 114, 116). The memory (110, 130) is operable to store partially decoded video data decoded from a stream of encoded video data. The plurality of staged macroblock processing engines (112, 114, 116) is coupled to the memory (110, 130) and is responsive to a request to process the partially decoded video data to generate a plurality of macroblocks of decoded video data. In another form, a first a first macroblock of decoded video data having a first location (426) within a first row (408) of a video frame (400) is generated, and a second macroblock of decoded video data having a second location (424) within a second row (410) of the video frame (400) is generated during the generating of the first macroblock. |
| US08923383B2 |
Transmitter and transmitting method using delay locked loop
An NFC transmitter using a delay-locked loop and an NFC transmission method thereof are provided. The NFC near field communication (NFC) transmitter includes a delay-locked loop (DLL) that outputs a reference clock and a delayed clock using the reference clock and a value of a duty code which are input, a clock output unit that receives the reference clock and the delayed clock, outputs the reference clock in any of a high section and a low section of input data, and outputs a converted clock having a duty ratio using the reference clock and the delayed clock in the other of the high section and the lower section of the input data, and an RF signal generator that generates an RF signal using a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal input from the clock output unit. |
| US08923381B2 |
Interference reduction for multiple signals
The present invention reduces the degradation in performance of one or more radio signals that are co-transmitted with a first radio signal from the same transmitting antenna in the same frequency channel and received by the same antenna due to multipath or other shared interference, where the one or more radio signals can be separated from the first radio signal. All received signals are coupled to the same adaptive array or adaptive filter to reduce multipath or other shared interference of the first radio signal, which reduces multipath and other shared interference in the other radio signals before they are separated and processed by their respective receivers, or the individual radio signals are separated before the first signal enters the adaptive array and coupled to a slave weighting network slaved to the weights of the adaptive array of the first signal to reduce interference in all the signals. |
| US08923377B2 |
Methods and devices for receipt of imbalanced transmission signal
Communication systems may benefit from an HSPA MIMO receiver configured for receipt of an imbalanced transmit signal, as well as a method for operating the receiver. According to certain embodiments, a method can include receiving a multiple-input multiple-output system communication signal comprising at least one primary signal at a first power level from a first antenna and a secondary signal at a second power level different from the first power level from a second antenna. The method can also include estimating at least one parameter of the communication signal. The method can further include applying the at least one parameter as estimated to calculate linear minimum mean square error coefficients. The method can additionally include applying the linear minimum mean square error coefficients to process the communication signal. |
| US08923376B2 |
Apparatus and method for estimating noise and interference power in communication system
An apparatus and a method for estimating a Noise and Interference (NI) power in a communication system are provided. The method includes, calculating average values of impulse responses according to ranging codes, through use of a ranging signal sequence received through a resource allocated to a ranging channel, arranging the average values of the impulse responses according to ranging codes in order of the highest value to the lowest value, and multiplying a ranging code, which corresponds to an impulse response having an (x+1)th peak value among the arranged average values of the impulse responses, by a specific threshold value, and estimating the NI power, wherein “x” represents a number of ranging codes which can be simultaneously received by one ranging channel. |
| US08923375B2 |
On die jitter tolerance test
A system and method are disclosed for performing on die jitter tolerance testing. A set of clocks are generated based on an input signal. The set of clocks include in an in-phase signal based on the data switching edge of the input signal. Additionally, the set of clocks include an inverted clock phase shifted by 180 degrees, and a pair of clocks phase shifted positively and negatively by a certain number of degrees, θ. Data input is sampled based on the inverted clock and the two phase shifted clocks. The eye opening of the input signal can be determined based on whether each of the inverted clock and the two phase shifted clocks sample the correct data from the input signal at various θ values. |
| US08923372B2 |
Method and apparatus for improved parallel RF testing of multiple devices
A system for parallel radio frequency (RF) testing. The system includes a plurality of signal generators, a plurality of signal analyzers, a data bus connected to the plurality of signal generators, and a controller. The controller has a connection to the data bus so as to be in electronic communication with the plurality of signal generators, and has a plurality of point to point links to respective ones of the signal analyzers so as to be in electronic communication with the plurality of signal analyzers. |
| US08923371B2 |
SerDes data sampling gear shifter
A SerDes data sampling controller that includes a gear shifting data sampling clock that zeroes the data sampling skew at the center of the unit interval during the CDR phase lock stage, and then skews the data sample timing away from the center of the unit interval as the DFE coefficients adapt during the data transfer stage. This allows the controller to implement the best (unskewed) data sample timing during the CDR phase locking stage, and then skew the data sample timing after the DFE coefficients have adapted to provide the best (skewed) data sample timing for data bit sampling during the data transfer stage. The data sampling gear shifter may apply a variable skew value to the transition sampling or quadrature (Q) data sampling clock differentially varying the quadrature (Q) transition sampling clock from the inphase (I) data sampling clock. |
| US08923361B2 |
Protection control apparatus
A protection control apparatus includes a control-signal output circuit configured to generate a sampling signal in synchronization with a 1PPS signal and output, as a control signal, data numbers cyclically counted up every time the sampling signal is generated and the sampling signal and a data output unit configured to convert a system electrical quantity into digital data based on the control signal and output the digital data. The control-signal output circuit includes a number-of-clocks calculating circuit configured to calculate a second number of clocks and a third number of clocks and a synchronization control unit configured to calculate a difference between a first number of clocks and a second number of clocks, control a cycle of the sampling signal based on the difference and the third number of clocks, and synchronize generation timing of the sampling signal with the 1PPS signal. |
| US08923359B1 |
Long cavity laser sensor for large FOV auto-tracking
The presently disclosed technique presents laser-based method and apparatus for use in remote sensing. In general, objects within a field of view are lased by a long cavity laser apparatus. Returns are detected, captured, and processed to identify actual objects of interest. These can then be communicated to a user. Over time, the actual objects of interest can be auto-tracked. |
| US08923358B2 |
Two-dimensional photonic crystal surface emitting laser light source
A two-dimensional photonic crystal surface emitting laser light source includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal made of a plate-shaped body material provided with a periodic arrangement of identically-shaped holes and an active layer. The hole is not located on a first half-line extending from the gravity center of the hole, while the hole is located on a second half-line extending in the direction opposite to the first half-line. Injecting electric charges into the active layer generates light, which creates an electric field encircling the gravity center. For a given point on the second half-line where the hole is located, there is no hole at a point that is symmetrical to the aforementioned point with respect to the gravity center, so that the electric field vectors at the two points do not cancel each other and the laser light is stronger than conventional examples. |
| US08923355B2 |
Semiconductor laser device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor laser device includes an n-type clad layer, a first p-type clad layer and a ridge stripe. The device also includes an active layer interposed between the n-type clad layer and the first p-type clad layer, and a current-blocking layer formed on side surfaces of the ridge stripe. The ridge stripe of the device includes a second p-type clad layer formed into a ridge stripe shape on the opposite surface of the first p-type clad layer from the n-type clad layer. The ridge stripe is formed such that a first ridge width as the width of a surface of the second p-type clad layer exists on the same side as the first p-type clad layer and a second ridge width as the width of a surface of the second p-type clad layer exists on the opposite side from the first p-type clad layer. |
| US08923353B2 |
Laser driver modulation and bias control scheme
Systems and methods are provided for generating an accurate, stable measurement for a laser bias current. The average current and the extinction ratio are controlled using a dual control loop. The transfer function between the laser and a monitor photo diode (MPD) is characterized. A laser driver control module predicts the average power that will be measured using the MPD relative to the data being transmitted, and this information is used to control a laser driver. |
| US08923351B2 |
Device for producing high frequencies by means of light frequency beating
In the field of the production of very high frequencies, for example from 1 gigahertz to several terahertz, by beating the frequencies of two laser beams together, a device includes a resonant optical cavity having very stable dimensions receiving the beams, with for each beam, an interrogation device of the resonant cavity supplying an electrical signal representing the difference in frequency between the light frequency of the beam and a resonance frequency of the resonant cavity. The frequency of each beam is servo controlled to minimize the frequency difference observed. The laser beams are produced by a dual-frequency laser producing two beams of different frequencies and orthogonal polarizations. A polarization separator is used for separate servo control of the beams according to polarization, and a polarizer is placed behind a main output of the resonant cavity producing an electromagnetic beam mixing the two polarizations and amplitude-modulated at the beat frequency. |
| US08923347B2 |
Data transmission involving multiplexing and demultiplexing of embedded clock signals
In a data transmission system, a first node receives at least two sets of input data signals including at least two signals being based on different synchronization sources. The first node extracts a respective clock signal representing the embedded clock signals from the sources, samples and formats these signals for transmission according to a TDM structure. The TDM formatted signals are transmitted as at least one bit stream over a transmission medium to at least one second node, where the bit stream is demultiplexed into at least two sets of output data signals respective demultiplexed clock signals representing the sampled clock signals. A jitter attenuating mechanism reduces an amount of frequency jitter to below a predefined level to produce a respective clock signal having a synchronization quality superior to that of the demultiplexed clock signals. An interface module recombines each data signal with its associated clock signal. |
| US08923346B2 |
Time synchronization method, device and system
A time synchronization method includes: after sending a synchronization message to the opposite end, sending a following message where an ending time for sending the synchronization message is recorded; receiving a delay request message sent by the opposite end, and sending a delay response message where the initial time for receiving the delay request message is recorded; receiving the synchronization message and the following message, and recording the initial time for receiving the synchronization message and the ending time recorded in the following message for sending the synchronization message; sending a delay request message, and recording an ending time for sending the delay request message; receiving a delay response message, and recording an initial time recorded in the delay response message for the opposite end to receive the delay request message; calculating the time offset value between the two ends, and completing time synchronization. |
| US08923344B2 |
System and method for delivering content in a unicast/multicast manner
The present invention is a system and method for enabling multicast synchronization of initially unicasted content. Multiple unicast streams are synchronized in order to convert the unicast streams into a multicast stream. Each unicast stream may be accelerated or slowed down in relation to a reference stream to a common point within each stream upon which the unicast streams are replaced by a multicast stream of the same content. |
| US08923337B2 |
Method to transmit multiple data-streams of varying capacity data using virtual concatenation
Instant discloser is a method to transmit multiple data-streams of varying capacity data using Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) over Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) network, comprising acts of determining number of data bytes to be requested for each Virtual Concatenation Group (VCG) in a row-time of the aggregated bandwidth and storing it in a VCG request configuration memory, reading the requested number of data bytes from each data-stream in order in to a Row Buffer for each row time of an SDH frame, reading data stored in the Row Buffer from memory address determined by one or more connection memory wherein the connection memory is programmed to carry out sequencing of bytes of the Row Buffer based on the VCAT numbering, and inserting path overhead (POH) and pointer information in to the read data streams in previous step to transmit multiple data-streams of varying capacity data using VCAT over SDH network. |
| US08923336B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data packets and method and apparatus for receiving data packets
The invention relates to a data packet structure for conveying data of service data units (SDU) using protocol data units (PDU). The data packet comprise a data packet payload comprising at least one protocol data unit (PDU), wherein a protocol data unit (PDU) comprises a service data unit (SDU) or a fragment of a service data unit; and a data packet header comprising an indicator (FFF,SFF) indicating whether or not the data packet payload begins with a protocol data unit (PDU) being a fragment of a service data unit and whether or not the data packet payload ends with a protocol data unit (PDU) being a fragment of a service data unit. |
| US08923334B2 |
Upper layer protocol selection
A network communication selection system includes one or more subsystems to allow network communications with an endpoint device. The system determines whether a data center Ethernet (DCE) capable network is available to communicate with the endpoint device, determines whether the endpoint device is local or remote and selects a network communication protocol from a plurality of network communication protocols to communicate with the endpoint device. |
| US08923333B2 |
Cognitive hub for self-healing and self-forming network with hybrid communication technologies
The present invention relates to the development of a device, Cognitive Communication Hub (CCH) that combines multiple and hybrid physical layers to collaborate and establish a unified network. The heterogeneous network so formed supports a whole range of bandwidth and spectrum while providing quality of service and class of service. The routing algorithm of the device is designed to explore the best route that can optimally use hybrid networking technologies to make a connection. The device has multiple interfaces and acts in an adhoc fashion. It forms multiple parallel data paths between source and destination and hence provides fault tolerance as a break down in one path does not disconnect end to end connection. |
| US08923332B2 |
Wireless communication network system
In a wireless communication network system and on a route of a network which is being used for communication, in case a fall of transmission rate occurs depending on AMR, there is an inconvenience that, even though there exists another route with faster transmission rate, switching to it cannot be made.The route selection method of the present invention is a route selection method in a communication network using a microwave communication system, and depending on the changes in transmission capacity of each route of the network, a route with larger transmission capacity is selected as the route to communicate. |
| US08923330B2 |
Using dynamic burst size metric to mark data
A device may receive first data at a channel over a network, the device having an interface for the channel and other channels. In addition, the device may measure over a particular time interval, a burst size and an information arrival rate at the channel based on received data. The device may also determine whether the burst size is greater than a first burst size metric, the first burst size metric initialized to a committed burst size of the channel. When the burst size is determined to be greater than the first burst size metric, the device may set a second burst size metric to a sum of the first burst size metric and an increment value. Furthermore, the device may determine whether the burst size is greater than the second burst size metric after the second burst size metric is set to the sum of the first burst size metric and the increment value. The device may also increase a first amount, of a resource allocated to the channel of the network device, by an increment corresponding to the second burst size metric after determining that the burst size is not greater than the second burst size metric. The device may decrease a second amount, of the resource allocated to the other channels, by the increment, when the first amount of the resource is increased by the increment. |
| US08923328B2 |
Method and system for facilitating application-oriented quality of service in a fibre channel network
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates quality of service (QoS) in a Fiber Channel (FC) network. During operation, a host bus adaptor (HBA) allocates the bandwidth on an FC link between the HBA and an FC switch into a plurality of logical channels, wherein a respective logical channel can transport data frames of variable length. Furthermore, a respective logical channel is associated with a dedicated buffer on the HBA. The HBA associates data frames from a logical entity associated with the HBA with a logical channel, and transmits data frames from the logical entity to the FC switch on the corresponding logical channel within the link from the HBA to the FC switch. |
| US08923326B2 |
High-definition multimedia interface copper adapter
Techniques are provided for communications between high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) devices. The techniques describe a system comprising a first or transmitter adapter device that is electrically connected to a source HDMI device. The first adapter device is configured to receive one or more source HDMI signals from the source device across a first HDMI link and to convert the source HDMI signals to corresponding one or more 10GBase-T data signals configured to be transmitted across a data link. A second or receiver adapter device electrically connected to the first adapter device across the data link. The second adapter device is configured to receive the 10GBase-T data signals from the first adapter device across the data link, convert the 10GBase-T data signals to corresponding one or more destination HDMI signals and send the destination HDMI signals to a destination HDMI device electrically connected to the second adapter device. |
| US08923325B2 |
Client-server architecture for audio-video communications
A method enabling VoIP communication sessions between a VoIP based client application and a non-VoIP standards based client application. The method includes providing a server on a digital communications network that includes runs or provides media proxy. The media proxy receives a media packet from the first communications application formatted according to a first protocol. The method includes performing packet translation on the media packet to generate a media packet that is formatted according to a second protocol that differs from the first protocol but that is used by a second communications application. The method includes transporting the translated media packet to the second communications application over the network. The packet translation includes translating the protocol while simply copying the audio-video data or payload from the original message. The communications session includes performing communications session setup between the two communications applications by signaling between these two applications. |
| US08923323B2 |
Techniques for timers associated with powering receiver circuitry at a wireless device
Examples are disclosed for timers associated with powering receiver circuitry at a wireless device or user equipment. The examples include separately defining one or more timers based on different time division duplex (TDD) configurations. The different TDD configurations may be used for communications between user equipment and serving cells supported by one or more base stations such as evolved node Bs (eNBs) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network. The defined timers may be used by the user equipment to selectively power receiver circuitry. Other examples are described and claimed. |
| US08923319B1 |
Method and system for prioritizing initial maintenance of cable modems
A user device connected to a CMTS over a network is configured such that upon power-up it can use a universal broadcast SID or a predetermined multicast SID to obtain an initial maintenance during a maintenance window. The predetermined multicast SID is assigned to the device at manufacture based on the type, or class, of device. The CMTS to which the devices connect is configured to schedule exclusive initial maintenance opportunity windows for each type of device in addition to an all-inclusive, or open, initial maintenance opportunity window, during which all types of devices may attempt to register. The order and number of initial maintenance windows within a periodically recurring sequence of windows can be configured by an operator based on the types of devices connected to the network. |
| US08923312B2 |
OSPF nonstop routing synchronization nack
A network element is configured for synchronizing dynamic OSPF data between an active OSPF instance and a backup OSPF instance. Upon an OSPF data synchronization event, the active OSPF instance synchronizes dynamic OSPF data with the backup OSPF instance. Upon receiving the dynamic OSPF data, the backup OSPF instance determines whether the requisite data structures exist. If the data structures do not exist, the backup OSPF instance returns a NACK to the active OSPF instance and clears its dynamic OSPF data. Responsive to receiving the NACK, the active OSPF instance resynchronizes its dynamic OSPF data with the backup OSPF instance. |
| US08923311B2 |
Communication system and method
A unit for use at a terminal as an external wireless modem. In one embodiment, the unit includes: a wireless transceiver for connecting to a gateway between the wireless cellular network and a further, packet-based network; second interface apparatus for connecting to the terminal. The unit further includes processing apparatus arranged to receive a first link layer identifier from the wireless cellular network, gateway or further network, intended for use by the terminal as a source identifier when accessing the further network via the wireless cellular network and gateway. The processing apparatus is configured to intercept at least one message being conveyed from the terminal to the gateway comprising a second link layer identifier generated by the terminal as a source identifier, translate the second identifier into the first link layer identifier and retransmit the message to the gateway with the first link layer identifier as the source identifier. |
| US08923310B2 |
Protocol and system for firewall and NAT traversal for TCP connections
A system and a protocol enable transmission between two TCP peers that exist behind one or more firewalls and network address translators NATs to automatically setup a true peer-to-peer TCP connection and exchange data without making changes to the firewall or NAT devices or existing TCP-based applications. In embodiments of this invention, the synchronization between the blind TCP peers is achieved using a system that consists of a registration server, an agent application, and a virtual network interface that together relay and replicate the control signals between the two TCP peers. In addition, embodiments of this invention are also used to traverse the NAT and establish a bi-directional peer-to-peer TCP connection in the firewall. |
| US08923309B2 |
Managing access gateways
Systems and methods for the management of communications related to telecommunications-based devices are provided. Gateway computing devices corresponding to a radio communication network can modify the static provisioning of communication network access gateway to telecommunications-based devices accessing the wireless communication network. The modification of the static provisioning of gateway devices is based on subscription information associated with the requesting telecommunications-based device or based on general network policies that can be dynamically updated. |
| US08923307B2 |
Method and system for an integrated dual port gigabit ethernet controller chip
Aspects of the invention may include a dual port Ethernet controller having a bus interface, a first Ethernet controller coupled to the bus interface such as a PCI bus interface and a second Ethernet controller coupled to the bus interface. The first Ethernet controller, second Ethernet controller and bus interface are integrated within a single chip. The dual port Ethernet controller may also include an arbiter, which is coupled to the first Ethernet controller, the second Ethernet controller and the bus interface. A plurality of shared resources may be coupled to one or more of the first Ethernet controller, the second Ethernet controller and the arbiter. The shared resources may include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory 304 and a general purpose input/out interface. |
| US08923305B2 |
Flooding-based routing protocol having database pruning and rate-controlled state refresh
An enhanced, flooding-based link state routing protocol is described that provides pruning of link state data and, when needed, rate-controlled refresh of the pruned link state data from other routers of the flooding domain. A routing device comprises a network interface to send and receive packets over a layer-two (L2) communication medium. The routing device includes a control unit coupled to the network interface, and a flooding-based link state routing protocol executing on a processor of the control unit. The link-state routing protocol establishes an adjacency with a peer router. A database of the routing device includes entries that store a plurality of link state messages for a flooding domain of the link state routing protocol, wherein at least one of the entries in the database stores a partial link state message having a header portion and a payload having pruned link state data. |
| US08923304B2 |
Method of receiving data from base station at relay node in wireless communication system and apparatus thereof
A method used by a relay node for receiving a relay node specific downlink physical shared channel from a base station in a multiple antennae wireless communication system is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes the steps of demodulating a relay node specific downlink physical control channel (R-PDCCH) by using a relay node specific reference signal; and, in case a specific downlink information is detected from the demodulated relay node specific downlink physical control channel, of demodulating the relay node specific downlink physical shared channel, under an assumption that the relay node specific downlink physical shared channel is transmitted through a single antenna port by using a predetermined antenna port and scrambling identifier (ID). Herein, the specific downlink control information may correspond to a downlink control information designating a Fallback Mode. And, the predetermined antenna port and scrambling ID may respectively correspond to antenna port 7 and scrambling ID 0. |
| US08923301B1 |
Fixed latency priority classifier for network data
A network device may receive a packet including control tags in a header portion of the packet and may extract candidate tags from the control tags in the header portion of the packet. The network device may compress, using a first lookup table, the candidate tags to obtain keys corresponding to the candidate tags, where each of the keys is represented in a compressed format relative to the corresponding candidate tags. The network device may further determine a final key based on the first keys and determine a priority class for the packet based on a lookup operation of the final key into a second lookup table. The network device may further write the packet, or a reference to the packet, to a selected priority queue, of a number of priority queues, where the priority queue is selected based on the determined priority class. |
| US08923300B2 |
Connection for the fast analysis of packet headers transferred via data bus
A connection for the fast analysis of packet headers by a circuit connected directly to the data bus, which transfers the packets. This circuit contains sub-circuits for the protocols headers analysis. Furthermore, the circuit contains a counter, which informs the sub-circuits about the data bus status. Each of the sub-circuits is equipped with the data input from the data bus, the input of the counter, the activating input, which determines the presence of the given protocol header in the packet, and with the input of the position of the header start in the packet. Further, each of the sub-circuits is equipped with a set of activating outputs, which determine the type of the next protocol header, and with the output of the position of the next header start. All sub-circuits, using the auxiliary logic circuits and multiplexers, are connected in the structure, which corresponds to the number and structure of the anticipated protocols in the packet. Chain thus created from sub-circuits is then in the same manner divided into branches based on the anticipated number of protocols, the headers of which are to be analyzed. |
| US08923297B1 |
Method and apparatus for managing packets in a packet switched network
Methods and apparatus for managing packets in a packet switched network include, in at least one aspect, a device including: an input to receive a packet from one of a plurality of network devices, the plurality of network devices configured to communicate with one or more others of the network devices using a plurality of packets; and circuitry configured to control packet switching of the plurality of packets, at least one packet including: a switch tag including a tag portion embedded with switching information and an extended tag portion embedded with additional switching information, the switching information and the additional switching information configured to control a switching pattern associated with the at least one packet. |
| US08923295B2 |
Methods and devices for point to multipoint traffic path encoding
The present invention relates to network nodes and methods that use an encoding scheme for encoding a point-to-multipoint traffic path from one ingress node to a plurality of egress nodes in, for example, a Multi-Protocol Label Switching network. According to the encoding scheme a so-called common ERO is used. The common ERO specifies a list consisting of nodes that are common to several sub paths in order to provide a compression mechanism that reduces the size of path messages that are used for signaling the point-to-multipoint traffic path. |
| US08923293B2 |
Adaptive multi-interface use for content networking
One embodiment provides a system that forwards a packet with a hierarchically structured variable-length identifier (HSVLI) in a network. An HSVLI indicates a piece of content and indicates a hierarchical structure of contiguous components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The length of the HSVLI is not fixed. During operation, the system receives a packet which contains an interest for a piece of content with an HSVLI. Subsequently, the system determines forwarding information for the HSVLI based on one or more of: knowledge of content which matches the HSVLI, a forwarding policy, and contextual information about the network. Next, the system configures a forwarding engine with the forwarding information. The system then forwards the packet based on the forwarding information. |
| US08923291B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method
A communication apparatus includes a plurality of interface circuits, each interface circuit including a first processor, a plurality of ports, and a first memory configured to store, in each group composed of port of one or more, identification information for the group and identification information for the port belonging to the group, and a switch circuit including, a second processor, a second memory configured to store, in the each group, the identification information for the group and identification information for the interface circuit having port belonging to the group, and a bridge circuit configured to transmit data to the interface circuit. |
| US08923288B2 |
Multi-service transport apparatus with switch for integrated transport networks
A multi-service transport apparatus for integrated transport networks that may have an electrical matrix, termination function means handling signals incoming at said apparatus input, a plurality of termination function means interfacing different layers, and adaptation function means. The termination function means handling incoming signals are implemented in input/output port devices; the termination function means interfacing different layers and said adaptation function means are implemented in adapter devices. The matrix performs exclusively the switching of the incoming signals that are already terminated and adapted by said input/output port devices and by said adapter devices and it is transparent with respect to the signal format. The switch may have a time division multiplexing matrix provided with a number of matrix inputs and a number of matrix outputs; source address generators, connected to matrix outputs of the time division multiplexing matrix. |
| US08923280B2 |
Method and apparatus for selecting domain for voice call continuity in mobile communication system
A method and an apparatus select a domain of an application server in order to support a voice call continuity service in a mobile communication system including an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain and a Circuit Switched (CS) domain. The method includes selecting either the IMS domain or the CS domain according to a dynamic domain selection priority which is predetermined corresponding to a terminal when a voice call for the terminal is received. The method also includes anchoring the received voice call corresponding to the terminal through the selected domain. A voice call establishment for a terminal using first the most recent domain which is used for a voice call in a mobile communication system is initiated. Thus, it is possible in a mobile communication system to increase the domain selecting completion rates for a voice call service corresponding to a terminal. |
| US08923274B2 |
Notifying a UL/DL configuration in LTE TDD systems
A method for configuring a Time Division Duplex (TDD) Uplink/Downlink (UL/DL) allocation in a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolved (LTE) network can include receiving, at a predefined period, during a connected state, each information block transmitted by an enhanced NodeB in the LTE network. Each information block may be transmitted in accordance with a fixed schedule having a predefined transmission period and includes information identifying a TDD configuration. Whether an updating of the TDD configuration is required can be determined for the UE based, at least in part, on the information identifying the TDD configuration in the information block, the information identifying the TDD configuration indicating an updated TDD configuration. In response to at least identifying the updated TDD configuration, the TDD UL/DL allocation of the UE can be automatically updated in accordance with the updated TDD configuration. |
| US08923273B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting reception confirmation in wireless system
Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a reception confirmation in a wireless system. A terminal determines at least one downlink sub-frame for ACK/NACK feedback from each of a plurality of serving cells and determines the number of ACK/NACK bits for the plurality of serving cells. The terminal generates bundled ACK/NACK bits by arraying the ACK/NACK bits in the ascending order of the cell index of the plurality of serving cells, and transmits the bundled ACK/NACK bits. |
| US08923266B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data frame in WLAN system
A station and method for transmitting a data frame in a wireless local area network are provided. The method includes obtaining, by the station, a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for a bandwidth, the TXOP indicating an interval of time when the station has a right to exchange frame sequences; selecting, by the station, a transmit bandwidth parameter of a non-initial data unit of a plurality of data units from available bandwidth parameters, wherein the available bandwidth parameters include a first available bandwidth parameter which is same as a transmit bandwidth parameter of a preceding data unit of the plurality of data units and a second available bandwidth parameter which is narrower than a transmit bandwidth parameter of the preceding data unit; and transmitting, by the station during the TXOP, the non-initial data unit according to the transmit bandwidth parameter of the non-initial data unit. |
| US08923262B2 |
Electronic device and method for locating WIFI devices adjacent to the electronic device
In a method for locating WIFI devices adjacent to an electronic device, one or more WIFI devices adjacent to the electronic device are searched for within a signal strength range of the electronic device. The method establishes an X-Y coordinate system based on a horizontal line and an initial position of the electronic device, and calculates coordinate values of each of theWIFI devices based on the X-Y coordinate system according to a moving distance of the electronic device and a relative distance between the electronic device and each of the WIFI devices. The method further draws a distribution map of the WIFI devices according to the coordinate value of each of the WIFI devices, and displays the distribution map indicating the location of each of the WIFI devices on a display screen of the electronic device. |
| US08923261B2 |
Method for transmitting control and training symbols in multi-user wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting control and training symbols to improve transmission efficiency in a multi-user wireless communication system. The method for transmitting the control and training symbols in the multi-user wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: determining whether a required transmission rate of each data can be satisfied through channel estimation in each of terminals when different data are simultaneously transmitted to each of the terminals; and transmitting a data frame to each of the terminals, the data frame being composed to discriminate the control and training symbols in each of the terminals using a combination of time, frequency, and code area when the required transmission rate of each data is not satisfied according to the determined result. |
| US08923255B2 |
Uplink control channel resource collision avoidance in carrier aggregation systems
Systems, apparatuses, and methods of a wireless communications network include identifying a first downlink control channel. The possibility of an acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) resource collision on a first uplink control channel is determined for a first component carrier and a second uplink control channel for a second carrier component. A second downlink control channel can be identified to avoid the ACK/NACK resource collision. |
| US08923254B2 |
Method in which a group of terminals receives a downlink control channel, and method in which the terminals make requests for bandwidth in a wireless communication system in which the same STID or C-RNTI is allocated to the group of terminals
The present invention relates to a method in which a group of terminals receives a downlink control channel, and to a method in which the terminals make requests for bandwidth in a wireless communication system in which the same station identifier (STID) or cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) is allocated to the group of terminals. The method, in which a group of terminals to which the same STID or C-RNTI is allocated receive a downlink control channel, comprises the following steps: receiving, from a base station, information on the STID or C-RNTI allocated to the terminals; receiving information on a time domain in which the downlink control channel for the terminals is transmitted, information on a frequency domain, or information on a search space from the base station; and decoding the downlink control channel on the basis of the information on a time domain, the information on a frequency domain, or the information on a search space, and on the basis of the STID or C-RNTI. |
| US08923253B2 |
Methods for transmitting and receiving channel state information (CSI) and apparatuses thereof
A method for transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), a channel state information (CSI) in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes receiving control information about a transmission of the CSI from a serving eNodeB, allocating a CSI combination composed of different CSIs to one subframe based on the received control information, and transmitting the CSI combination to the serving eNodeB in the allocated subframe, wherein the control information includes information on a maximum payload size of a CSI being able to be transmitted in one subframe, a transmission period and a transmission start time point of the CSI combination, and a transmission period and a transmission start time point of each of the different CSIs. |
| US08923251B2 |
Method of handling uplink time alignment
A method of handling uplink time alignment for a communication device in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises being configured a primary cell and at least a secondary cell by a network of the wireless communication system, transmitting a random access preamble of a random access procedure on the secondary cell when one of the at least a secondary cell is activated, and receiving a random access response including a timing advance command for the secondary cell on the primary cell, the secondary cell, or another one of the at least a secondary cells. |
| US08923250B2 |
Method and apparatus for mapping a plurality of layers to a plurality of antenna ports in a wireless communication system
Provided are a method and apparatus for allocating a plurality of layers to a plurality of antenna ports in a wireless communication system. The method comprises: mapping the plurality of layers to the respective antenna ports; and mapping demodulation reference signals (DMRS) of the plurality of layers to a first code division multiplexing (CDM) set or to a second CDM set, and transmitting the signals via the plurality of antenna ports. |
| US08923248B2 |
Mobile terminal and handoff method therefor
A mobile terminal and handoff method are provided herein. The handoff method for a mobile terminal includes: obtaining a Basic Service Set (BSS) IDentifier (ID) of an Access Point (AP) during a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) mode in which communication is performed through a Wi-Fi network; determining whether the obtained BSS ID is assigned to an edge AP near to a mobile communication network; and performing a handoff to the mobile communication network, when the obtained BSS ID is assigned to the edge AP. |
| US08923243B2 |
Bridge-based cellular ethernet system and handover processing method therefor
A bridge-based cellular Ethernet system and a handover processing method therefore are provided. In the bridge-based cellular Ethernet system, an HLR manages configuration information about network entities, and a plurality of Base Station Bridges (BSBs) are connected to a plurality of Base Stations (BSs), each BSB including a layer 2 switch, and a plurality of SCBs connected to part of the BSBs under the SCBs. Each SCB includes a layer 2 switch forming a core network, and SCB monitors the signal power of a Mobile Node (MN) within its service area, determines whether the MN is to move to another site, selects a new SCB to which the MN is to move, sends necessary path information to associated SCBs and the HLR, for setting of the path information in the associated SCBs and the HLR, and commands a handover to the MN. |
| US08923239B2 |
Method and system for customizable flow management in a cellular basestation
A basestation used in a wireless communications system is disclosed. The basestation includes a plurality of flow management schedulers, wherein the base station receives an indication of function selection from an entity, and wherein the base station chooses for the entity one of the plurality of flow management schedulers according to the indication of function selection. Other methods, apparatuses, and systems also are disclosed. |
| US08923235B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating resources for uplink control channel in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for allocating a resource for an uplink control channel in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes allocating a first resource for an uplink control channel and a second resource for a dynamic ranging channel. The second resource is located right after the first resource. |
| US08923233B2 |
Method and device for efficient feedback in wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting channel status information comprising: transmitting a rank indicator (RI) and a precoding type indicator (PTI) based on a first reporting period, transmitting during the first reporting period a broadband first precoding matrix indicator (PMI) based on a second reporting period, and transmitting at least once during the second reporting period a broadband second PMI and a broadband CQI, when the PTI has a first value; transmitting the RI and the PTI based on the first reporting period, transmitting during the first reporting period the broadband second PMI and the broadband CQI based on a third reporting period; and transmitting at least once during the third period a subband second PMI and a subband CQI, when the PTI has a second value; wherein the subband CQI on an entire cycle of a set bandwidth portion can be transmitted at least once. |
| US08923226B2 |
Timing synchronization methods and apparatus
Various methods and apparatus are directed to achieving timing synchronization and propagating timing information pertaining to an external, e.g., non Wi-Fi, timing signal source. In some embodiments, a mobile communications device receives and processes a timing signal, e.g., a first Wi-Fi beacon, which is propagating timing information about an external timing signal from a device which directly received the external timing signal. Thus, a mobile wireless communications device achieves timing synchronization with respect to an external timing signal which it is unable to receive directly. In various embodiments, the mobile communications device may, and sometimes does, further propagate the timing information about the external timing signal, e.g., via a second Wi-Fi beacon signal which it generates and transmits. Synchronization with respect to an external signal source facilitates longer sleep states and decreased power consumption. |
| US08923225B2 |
Cognitive WiFi radio network
The invention relates to a cognitive radio (CR) WiFi network which includes a plurality of radio environment aware WiFi terminals, which collect local WiFi interference information and send this information to a CR network management system (NMS). The CR NMS includes a database for storing historical records of the interference information obtained from the terminals, and cognitive engines for analyzing the stored historical interference records and determining terminal-specific transmission and reception parameters. In one embodiment the network implements a deterministic NMS-directed networks-wide TDD/TDM scheduling of WiFi communications for optimal channel re-use and interference avoidance, and a novel terminal synchronization mechanism. |
| US08923222B2 |
Method for transmitting control information in wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
A method for transmitting information data by using a Reed-Muller coding scheme in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of configuring a number of resource elements for transmitting the information data; when a bit size of the information data is equal to or larger than a predetermined number, allocating even-numbered data of the information data as first information data, and allocating odd-numbered data of the information data as second information data; applying RM coding on each of the first information data and the second information data; concatenating the coded first information data and the coded second information data, and transmitting the concatenated data by using the predetermined number of resource elements. |
| US08923221B2 |
Base station, terminal, band allocation method, and downlink data communication method
Provided are a base station, a terminal, a band allocation method, and a downlink data communication method with which bands can be efficiently allocated. In a base station (200) in which a plurality of unit bands can be allocated to a single communication, when a data receiver (260) acquires terminal capability information transmitted by a terminal (100) in the initial access unit band and the bandwidth available for communication indicated by the terminal capability information can accommodate a plurality of unit bands, a unit band group which includes the initial access unit band as well as the unit bands adjacent thereto is allocated to the terminal (100), and a communication band movement indication, which indicates the movement of the center frequency in the communication band of the terminal (100) toward the center frequency in the unit band group, is transmitted to the terminal (100) using the initial access unit band. |
| US08923219B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting adaptive channel state information feedback rate in multi-user communication systems
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for achieving adaptive channel state information (CSI) feedback rate in multi-user communication systems. A rate by which CSI feedback can be transmitted from each user station of a wireless system to a serving access point may be adjusted based on evolution of a channel between that user station and the access point. |
| US08923208B2 |
Multi-radio coexistence
A user equipment (UE) may manage coexistence between multiple radio access technologies (RATs) utilized by the UE to allow a first RAT to be active during times when communications of a second RAT of the UE are inactive. In some instances, the UE may indicate discontinuous reception (DRX) operation of the UE to allow for time-division multiplexed (TDM) operation between the first RAT and the second RAT. The UE may set a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) configuration to allow for a HARQ retransmission of a packet of the first RAT, originally received in a first DRX cycle, during a second DRX cycle. |
| US08923205B2 |
Radio communication base station device and correlation setting method
Provided is a radio communication base station device which can suppress a use amount of an SRS communication resource. In this device, a correlation rule setting unit (102) sets a rule for correlating a preamble with an SRS transmission time interval so that the preamble transmission time band and the SRS transmission time band are in the same transmission time band. An SRS transmission band decision unit (103) decides a time interval of a transmission time band which can transmit the SRS according to the preamble transmission time interval inputted from a preamble transmission band decision unit (101) and the correlation rule setting unit (102). |
| US08923202B2 |
Communication network for an athletic activity monitoring system
The present invention provides a communication network for facilitating monitoring of an athletic activity. In one exemplary embodiment, such a communication network includes a base station and a first monitor configured to be coupled to an individual, wherein the base station is configured to transmit a first beacon message, wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon message, the first monitor is configured to transmit an endpoint message including a characteristic of the individual, and wherein the base station is configured to receive the endpoint message, and, if the base station does not receive the endpoint message by a determined time, the base station is configured to transmit a second beacon signal, the second beacon signal including instructions to a second monitor to transmit the endpoint message (i.e., the same endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor). |
| US08923200B2 |
Mobile communication method, radio base station, and mobile station
The present invention relates to a mobile communication method, in which a mobile station UE transmits uplink signals to a radio base station eNB using a plurality of “Component Carriers” having different carrier frequencies, includes a step A of transmitting, by the radio base station eNB, TA to be applied to the plurality of “Component Carriers”, to the mobile station UE, and a step B of adjusting, by the mobile station UE, transmission timings of the uplink signals on the plurality of “Component Carriers” based on the received TA. |
| US08923196B2 |
Uplink control channel resource collision resolution in carrier aggregation systems
Systems, methods, and apparatuses of a wireless communications network include identifying a resource collision between uplink channels for acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signaling of a first component carrier and a second component carrier. An indicator representative of the ACK/NACK signaling of the first component carrier and the second component carrier can be identified. |
| US08923190B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing resources for coordinated network deployment
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises mapping a first transmission channel to an existing channel of a network element; switching the network element to a secondary communication mode which is one of a secondary transmission mode and a secondary receiving mode; signaling at least one neighbor network element in the secondary communication mode to associate the network element with the at least one neighbor network element; and receiving a first signal on the mapped first transmission channel from the at least one associated network element. |
| US08923186B1 |
Chirp networks
A system of aggregating messages utilizing at least one device transmitting at least one short communication message wherein said short communication message comprises a terse command or status message; at least one network router comprising a means of receiving the short communication messages; wherein said means receives said short communication message without interrupting other communications; and an uplink from the at least one router to an external ip-based network wherein said router aggregates said short communication messages and forwards the aggregated messages via the uplink to the external ip-based network wherein said external ip-based network comprises a tree-based logical network comprising wireless nodes. |
| US08923183B2 |
Terminal apparatus for transmitting or receiving a signal including predetermined information
An RF unit broadcasts a packet signal, and receives a packet signal broadcasted from another terminal apparatus. A processing unit generates a packet signal to be broadcasted and processes a received packet signal. A mode setting unit selects a first mode or a second mode as a broadcast mode. The RF unit sets first transmission power in case of the first mode and sets second transmission power lower than the first transmission power in case of the second mode. The processing unit includes an identification number uniquely allocated to the present terminal apparatus in a packet signal in case of the first mode, and includes an identification number commonly allocated to a system of terminal-to-terminal communication in a packet signal in case of the second mode. |
| US08923181B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling multicast IP packets in access network
The present invention proposes a method for controlling the uplink transmission of the multicast IP packet sourced from the UE in field of IP packet transmission in access network. According to the technical solution of the present invention, the access devices receives IP packet from the UE, checks the IP packet and determines whether the IP packet is multicast IP packet that is allowed to be accessed. If the access device determines that the IP packet is multicast IP packet that is allowed to be accessed, then it sends the multicast IP packet in multicast form. Via the present invention, the access device can allow the uplink valid multicast IP packet to pass, preferably, determines and intercepts the malicious attacks via multicast IP packet, so as to ensure the DSL access device's support for mobile IPv4, so as to keep the uninterrupted connection of the service to the user when the user moves between different subnets. |
| US08923179B2 |
Terminal for controlling uplink transmission power and an uplink transmission power control method in a wireless communication system
Disclosed are a terminal for controlling uplink transmission power and an uplink transmission power control method in a wireless communication system. In the terminal according to the present invention, if the total sum of uplink transmission power values respectively determined for a plurality of transmission channels is greater than the maximum transmission power value of the terminal, a processor can allocate respective uplink transmission power values sequentially in accordance with priority rankings across the plurality of transmission channels which have been determined in advance, starting from the transmission channel corresponding to the highest priority ranking. An emitter can simultaneously transmit the plurality of transmission channels with each of the allocated uplink transmission power values. |
| US08923173B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhanced uplink multiplexing
A method, and apparatus for multiplexing are disclosed. Data is received over a plurality of logical channels. Data from the plurality of logical channels is multiplexed into a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) based on a priority associated with each of the plurality of the logical channels. The MAC PDU is transmitted over an uplink transport channel. |
| US08923168B2 |
Front end module with an antenna tuning unit
A radio front end includes an antenna tuning unit, a duplexer, a balancing network, and a processing module. The antenna tuning unit is operably coupled to an antenna and operable to tune an operational characteristic of the antenna based on an antenna tuning signal. The duplexer is operably coupled to the antenna tuning unit and operable to provide electrical isolation between an outbound wireless signal and an inbound wireless signal. The balancing network is operably coupled to the duplexer and operable to establish an impedance that substantially matches an impedance of the antenna. The processing module is operable to estimate the impedance of the antenna to produce an estimated antenna impedance and to generate the antenna tuning signal based on the estimated antenna impedance. |
| US08923167B2 |
Communication device for simultaneous transmission by multiple transceivers
A communication device reduces intermodulation interference in a simultaneous transmitter using a notch diplexing arrangement. The communication device has a radio front-end module with more than one transceiver for simultaneous transmission with opposing transmit (Tx) band notch filters in series with each duplexer output, and phase rotations into and out of the notch filters suitable for diplexing at the notch filter outputs. |
| US08923161B2 |
Provider edge bridge with remote customer service interface
A method and Provider Edge Bridge for providing a C-tagged service interface. In one embodiment, the Provider Edge Bridge includes a Customer Virtual Local Area Network (C-VLAN) component; a first Service VLAN (S-VLAN) component connected to the C-VLAN component and to a Provider Bridged Network; and a second S-VLAN component connected to the C-VLAN component, to the first S-VLAN component, and to customer equipments. In another embodiment, the Provider Edge Bridge includes the C-VLAN component and a single S-VLAN component connected to the C-VLAN component, to the Provider Bridged Network, and to the customer equipments. In both embodiments, the Provider Edge Bridge is configured to provide the C-tagged service interface without utilizing a S-VLAN mapping component. |
| US08923160B2 |
Mechanism for channel synchronization
A channel synchronization method in which local serializers serially transmits first n-bit codes, respectively, to remote deserializers, respectively. Also local deserializers serially receive first n-bit codes, respectively, from remote serializers, respectively. One of the first n-bit codes transmitted to one of the remote serializers indicates one of the local deserializers is not link aligned. |
| US08923156B1 |
Quality of service aware channel quality indicator
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a quality of service (QoS) aware channel quality indicator (CQI) are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes determination logic configured to receive a request for a CQI. A QoS associated with a wireless channel on which to base the CQI is determined. The determination logic is further configured to compute the CQI based, at least in part, on the determined QoS. |
| US08923155B2 |
L3 gateway for VXLAN
In an embodiment, the disclosure includes an apparatus comprising a host component which comprises a virtual switch associated with a virtual machine (VM). The host component is in communication with a routing component which is connected to a network and comprises a network address. The VM sends a communication packet to the virtual switch. The communications packet comprises address information comprising a virtual destination address. The virtual switch replaces the virtual destination address of the communications packet with the network address of the routing component. The disclosure also includes a network comprising a plurality of host components each comprising a virtual switch. The host components are connected to a common routing component. A first virtual switch is designated to respond to address requests and all non-designated virtual switches are configured not to respond to address requests. |
| US08923150B2 |
Frame structure of a wireless communication system, and method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a plurality of data streams through the frame structure
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving data through a frame in a wireless communication system, the method including: generating a frame including a preamble section and a data section, the preamble section includes fixed data items and configuration data items, and the data section includes at least one Physical Layer Pipe (PLP); and transmitting the generated frame. The configuration data items are related to the at least one PLP, and the preamble section of the frame is generated according to repetition lengths of the configuration data items. |
| US08923148B2 |
Efficient uplink transmission of channel state information
A UE in a wireless communication network transmits succinct, direct channel state information to the network, enabling coordinated multipoint calculations such as joint processing, without substantially increasing uplink overhead. The UE receives and processes reference symbols over a set of non-uniformly spaced sub-carriers, selected according to a scheme synchronized to the network. The frequency response for each selected sub-carrier is estimated conventionally, and the results quantized and transmitted to the network on an uplink control channel. The non-uniform sub-carrier selection may be synchronized to the network in a variety of ways. |
| US08923146B2 |
Channel reservation procedure
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are presented for carrying out channel reservations in a wireless communication system. A communication apparatus initiates a preliminary channel reservation procedure initiating related to a spatial multiplexing group transmission. The communication apparatus is caused to transmit during the preliminary channel reservation procedure a reservation request message announcing a preliminary group reservation on the channel. Upon completed preliminary channel reservation procedure, the communication apparatus is caused to utilize the preliminary group reservation by causing transmission of a frame on the reserved channel according to the spatially multiplexed wireless communication. |
| US08923144B2 |
Method and system for device communication in a wireless video area network
A method and system for device discovery in a wireless network is provided. The device discovery involves directionally transmitting a data unit from a transmitting station over a channel in different directions to emulate omni-directional transmission, receiving the data unit transmissions from different directions at a receiving station, determining the quality of the transmissions received from the different directions, and detecting location information for the transmitting station relative to the receiving station based on the highest quality transmission among the transmissions received from the different directions. Further, if a channel has sufficient bandwidth to satisfy direct link communication between two stations, then during a direct link set-up stage, the two stations conduct a probing message exchange using omni-direction transmission, and upon successful probing, obtain communication link status information and set proper communication configurations for the two stations based on the communication link status information. |
| US08923141B2 |
Providing clock synchronization in a network
In one embodiment, an apparatus for providing clock synchronization in a packet-based network, the network having as components nodes and links therebetween and having a network topology, is arranged to compute a forward clock synchronization packet path to a synchronization destination from the network topology according to a computation rule such that the return path for a clock synchronization packet from the synchronization destination is the same as the forward path. |
| US08923140B2 |
Obtaining signalling information in a packet switched network
A method for a first node obtaining signalling information in a packet switched network. The method comprises the steps of the first node sending a first request message comprising a first request for collecting signalling information towards a second node comprised by the packet switched network; the first node receiving a first response message, the first response message comprising a signalling information added by the second node and the signalling information collected by the second node in response to the first request message. |
| US08923134B2 |
Prioritizing network failure tickets using mobile location data
Providing for network repair prioritization as a function of impact on network services is described herein. By way of example, impact of a given service outage on surrounding network infrastructure and associated terminals can be analyzed and estimated. The impact can be characterized at least in part by changes in loading to surrounding network equipment, as well as related quality and performance metrics. Network impact estimates and loading changes can be derived through mobile device position data for an impacted area and identifying overlapping coverage areas, and signal characteristics of the surrounding network infrastructure. Measured or predicted changes in network performance can be scored to provide relative priorities for allocating limited service personnel in repairing base station errors. Personnel resources can therefore be deployed in a manner that more accurately reflects customer service goals of a network provider. |
| US08923132B2 |
Automatic setup of Reflector Instances
A method of establishing a service operations administration and maintenance (OAM) session between an originator and a reflector in a communication network includes continuously monitoring, by the reflector, any test packets transmitted by the originator. The originator transmits to the reflector, at a time indicated by a first timestamp, a test packet. The reflector receives the test packet at a time indicated by a second timestamp and generates a unique flow identifier that identifies the reflector. The reflector transmits the test packet to the originator. The reflector assigns a sequence number to the test packet. The originator receives the test packet at a time indicated by a fourth timestamp. The reflector stores the unique flow identifier at least for the duration of the OAM session. |
| US08923130B2 |
Communication controller controlling frame rate to provide frame response time
A controller, implemented as a virtual machine, for operating in a communication network, the controller being configured to format data to be transmitted over the network into a series of frames, transfer the formatted data to a radio for transmission over the network, and control the radio to communicate the series of frames at a frame rate that is sufficiently low for there to be a delay of at least one second between data being received over the network by the radio and the controller having to control the radio to transmit a response to that data. |
| US08923127B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station device, move control node, and method of wireless communication
The wireless communication system of the present invention includes a base station (10) and a mobility management node (20). The base station (10) sends at least one information from among location information of the base station (10) and information about the size of a cell of the base station (10), to the mobility management node (20). The mobility management node (20) receives at least one information from among the location information of the base station (10) and the information about the size of the cell of the base station, from the base station (10). |
| US08923115B2 |
Using the ECN mechanism to signal congestion directly to the base station
Techniques for a mobile station to signal a request for a reduction in data transmission rate to a base station are disclosed. An example method for facilitating flow control in a wireless communication system includes monitoring resource use associated with a mobile station and, based upon the resource use, setting a congestion indicator in a header of at least one uplink traffic data packet. The uplink traffic data packet is then sent to a wireless base station, which detects the congestion indicator. In some embodiments, ECN bits in an IP header of the uplink traffic data packet are set. In other embodiments, ECN bits in an IP header of a downlink traffic data packet are set, to trigger the generation of a TCP header that indicates congestion in subsequent uplink packets. |
| US08923112B2 |
Technique for controlling data forwarding in computer networks
Technique for controlling data forwarding in a computer network are provided. The network comprises a set of nodes for forwarding data, wherein a first node is associated with a primary tree and a backup tree, wherein the primary tree defines a default path for the first node to forward data to a second node and the backup tree defines another path for the data forwarding in case of a failure of the primary tree. The basic principle of the techniques is to notify the first node of a failure of the primary tree wherein the notification is provided by the second node. The techniques are particularly beneficial for computer networks offering multipoint services, such as SPB-controlled networks, because the techniques ensure the congruency of the forward and reverse paths even when the data forwarding has been switched from the primary tree to the backup tree. |
| US08923110B2 |
Channel state information reconstruction from sparse data
Accurate downlink channel estimates are calculated based on infrequently transmitted Channel State Information (CSI) feedback data from a UE 20. A plurality of non-uniformly spaced digital CSI feedback samples, representing the frequency response of a downlink communication channel, is received from the UE. The received CSI feedback samples are demodulated and inverse quantized. A time domain tap delay channel model is generated from the inverse quantized CSI feedback samples. The time domain tap delay channel model may be frequency-transformed to obtain a reconstructed frequency response of the downlink communication channel in the frequency domain. Alternatively, channel delays may be estimated based on prior delays and/or known references signals transmitted on the uplink. Channel estimates between CSI reporting instances may be predicted, such as by a sample & hold or a linear predictor. The delays may be presumed fixed, and Kalman filter coefficients evolved over time. |
| US08923103B2 |
Optical-information recording medium and playback apparatus
An optical-information recording medium includes a groove and a land that are alternately provided. Address information in the groove is recorded by wobbles in the groove, and address information on the land is recorded by a combination of the wobbles in the grooves provided at two opposite sides of the land. |
| US08923099B2 |
Heat assisted magnetic recording head gimbal assembly and hard disk drive using same
Provided is a structure of a heat assisted magnetic recording head gimbal assembly that allows common inexpensive TE-mode LDs to be utilized. The heat assisted magnetic recording head gimbal assembly comprises: a light source unit having a light emitting element mounted on a parabolic solid submount; a heat assisted magnetic recording head comprising a magnetic recording element, a read element, a near field transducer, and a waveguide for guiding light from the light emitting element into the near field transducer; a slider including the heat assisted magnetic recording head and which flies above a disk; and a suspension for supporting the slider. The light emitting element of the light source unit is an edge-emitting LD and the light source unit is arranged on the opposite side of an bearing surface of the slider such that the light emitting surface of the light emitting element faces the slider, apertures are created in the suspension, and the slider is connected to the suspension in a way that a part of the light source unit penetrates through the apertures of the suspension. |
| US08923096B1 |
Method of displaying elapsed time on a wristworn device and wristworn device displaying same
Methodologies and constructions of displaying elapsed time on a wristworn device, which include among other things, having at least two display hands one of which that will rotate faster or stop so that they become coincident with each other, then rotate together and then reassume their normal and accurate positions. Such is particularly important with respect to one of the hands that is preferably a seconds hand that might otherwise be displaying seconds of the time of day (“TOD”). |
| US08923087B2 |
Method and apparatus for decreasing leakage power consumption in power gated memories
A method of controlling a power mode of a memory device is provided, which includes providing a power mode control signal responsive to a control signal and frequency information. The control signal is provided by a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device. The frequency information is associated with a clock signal used to operate the processing device, and the power mode control signal is operative to control the power mode. The control signal includes a chip select (CS) signal and/or a wait-for-interrupt (WFI) signal, and the power mode includes a light sleep (LS) mode and/or a deep sleep (DS) mode. The frequency information represents a low frequency range, medium frequency range, and/or high frequency range. A corresponding computer-readable medium, power management controller, and electronic system are also disclosed. |
| US08923086B2 |
Supply voltage distribution system with reduced resistance for semiconductor devices
A supply voltage distribution system for distributing a supply voltage through a semiconductor device, the supply voltage distribution system comprising: a first supply voltage distribution line arrangement and a second supply voltage distribution line arrangement, said first supply voltage distribution line arrangement and said second supply voltage distribution line arrangement being adapted to receive from outside the semiconductor device a semiconductor device supply voltage and to distribute a supply voltage to respective first and second portions of the semiconductor device; and a voltage-to-voltage conversion circuit connected to the first supply voltage distribution line arrangement, wherein the voltage-to-voltage conversion circuit is adapted to either transfer onto the first supply voltage distribution line arrangement the semiconductor device supply voltage received from outside the semiconductor device, or to put on the first supply voltage distribution line a converted supply voltage having a value different from the semiconductor device supply voltage. |
| US08923082B2 |
Semiconductor device on which wafer-level burn-in test is performed and manufacturing method thereof
Disclosed herein is a device that includes a clock generation circuit that generates an internal clock signal during a normal operation and stops generation of the internal clock signal during a wafer-level burn-in test, a clock tree line that transmits the internal clock signal, and a selector that supplies a dummy clock signal, which is different from the internal clock signal, to the clock tree line during the wafer-level burn-in test. |
| US08923081B2 |
Semiconductor memory system and operating method thereof
A semiconductor memory system configured to exchange signals through channels may include a memory control device configured to have a plurality of channels, a plurality of memory devices configured to be connected to each of the plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of channels share at least one of the plurality of memory devices. |
| US08923080B2 |
Period signal generation circuit
A period signal generation circuit includes a first discharger configured to discharge first current having a constant value from a control node in response to a temperature signal; and a second discharger configured to discharge second current varying according to an internal temperature thereof from the control node in response to the temperature signal. |
| US08923078B2 |
Voltage divider control circuit
One or more techniques or systems for controlling a voltage divider are provided herein. In some embodiments, a control circuit is configured to bias a pull up unit of a voltage divider using an analog signal, thus enabling the voltage divider to be level tunable. In other words, the control circuit enables the voltage divider to output multiple voltage levels. Additionally, the control circuit is configured to bias the pull up unit based on a bias timing associated with a pull down unit of the voltage divider. For example, the pull up unit is activated after the pull down unit is activated. In this manner, the control circuit provides a timing boost, thus enabling the voltage divider to stabilize more quickly. |
| US08923076B2 |
Memory circuit, memory unit, and signal processing circuit
A memory circuit includes a transistor having a channel in an oxide semiconductor layer, a capacitor, a first arithmetic circuit, a second arithmetic circuit, a third arithmetic circuit, and a switch. An output terminal of the first arithmetic circuit is electrically connected to an input terminal of the second arithmetic circuit. The input terminal of the second arithmetic circuit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the third arithmetic circuit via the switch. An output terminal of the second arithmetic circuit is electrically connected to an input terminal of the first arithmetic circuit. An input terminal of the first arithmetic circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the transistor. The other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to one of a pair of electrodes of the capacitor and to an input terminal of the third arithmetic circuit. |
| US08923073B2 |
Storage element reading using ring oscillator
Methods and apparatus are provided for use with data storage elements. A ring oscillator is coupled to a selected element within an array such that a feedback loop is defined. A period at oscillation for the ring oscillator is compared to a reference value. A data value stored within the selected element is determined accordingly. Stored data values remain essentially unaltered when accessed and read by way of the ring oscillator. Memory arrays having memristor or other storage elements can be used according to the present teachings. |
| US08923071B2 |
Method of programming a multi-bit per cell non-volatile memory
A method of programming a multi-bit per cell non-volatile memory is disclosed. In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory is read to obtain a first data of a most-significant-bit (MSB) page on a current word line that succeeds in data reading, wherein the current word line follows a preceding word line on which data reading fails. At least one reference voltage is set. The MSB page on the current word line is secondly programmed with a second data according to the reference voltage, the second data being different from the first data. |
| US08923070B2 |
FinFET based one-time programmable device
According to one embodiment, a one-time programmable (OTP) device comprises a memory FinFET in parallel with a sensing FinFET. The memory FinFET and the sensing FinFET share a common source region, a common drain region, and a common channel region. The memory FinFET is programmed by having a ruptured gate dielectric, resulting in the sensing FinFET having an altered threshold voltage and an altered drain current. A method for utilizing such an OTP device comprises applying a programming voltage for rupturing the gate dielectric of the memory FinFET thereby achieving a programmed state of the memory FinFET, and detecting by the sensing FinFET the altered threshold voltage and the altered drain current due to the programmed state of the memory FinFET. |
| US08923069B2 |
Memory having self-timed edge-detection write tracking
A memory includes a self-timed column imitating a bitline loading, a self-timed row imitating a self-timed word-line, a self-timed bitcell performing a dummy write in a write cycle, a writer driver coupled to the self-timed bitcell for an actual write, and an edge detection circuit coupled to the self-timed bitcell for tracking a write cycle time. |
| US08923064B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, and a peripheral circuit configured to perform an erase operation by supplying a first erase voltage to selected memory cells and perform an erase verify operation by supplying an erase verify voltage to the selected memory cells, wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to increase the first erase voltage to a first level at a first rising rate for a first rising period and increase the first erase voltage to a first target level at a second rising rate lower than the first rising rate for a second rising period. |
| US08923063B2 |
Memory controller equipped with a compensation circuit for supplying an additional power to a memory device and user system including the same
A user system is provided including a plurality of flash memory devices and a memory controller connected to the flash memory devices through a plurality of channels. The memory controller includes a voltage regulator configured to supply a power of the flash memory devices and a compensation unit configured to supply an additional power to the flash memory devices when a power required by the flash memory devices exceeds a predetermined level. The compensation unit includes a resistor unit connected to an output terminal of the voltage regulator and input terminals of the flash memory devices and a charging unit connected to input terminals of the flash memory devices. The charging unit is configured to supply an additional power to the flash memory devices according to voltages of input terminals of the flash memory devices. |
| US08923062B1 |
Generating read thresholds using gradient descent and without side information
A next read threshold is determined by determining a first number of solid state storage cells having a stored voltage which falls into a first voltage range and determining a second number of solid state storage cells having a stored voltage which falls into a second voltage range. A gradient is determine by taking a difference between the first number of solid state storage cells and the second number of solid state storage cells. The next read threshold is determined based at least in part on the gradient. |
| US08923059B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device is provided. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including cell strings coupled between bit lines and a common source line, each of the cell strings comprising a plurality of memory cells stacked above a substrate. The semiconductor memory device also includes a peripheral circuit configured to supply a negative voltage to one or more word lines coupled to the cell strings and supply a positive voltage to the common source line, wherein the peripheral circuit supplies the positive voltage and the negative voltage before a program operation is performed. |
| US08923058B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device
A nonvolatile memory device is provided. The device may include a plurality of cell strings that are configured to share a bit line, word lines, and selection lines. Each of the cell strings may include a plurality of memory cells connected in series to each other and a string selection device controlling connections between the memory cells and the bit line, and the string selection device may include a first string selection element with a first threshold voltage and a second string selection element connected in series to the first string selection element and having a second threshold voltage different from the first threshold voltage. At least one of the first and second string selection elements may include a plurality of switching elements connected in series to each other. |
| US08923054B1 |
Pseudo block operation mode in 3D NAND
A 3D NAND stacked non-volatile memory device, comprising: a string comprising a plurality of non-volatile storage elements, the string comprises a channel and extends vertically through layers of the 3D stacked non-volatile memory device, and the plurality of storage elements are subdivided into different groups based on group assignments, each group of the different groups comprises multiple adjacent storage elements of the plurality of storage elements; and a control circuit in communication with the string, the control circuit, to perform a Pseudo Block Operation Mode. |
| US08923049B2 |
1T1b and 2T2b flash-based, data-oriented EEPROM design
An one-transistor-one-bit (1T1b) Flash-based EEPROM cell is provided along with improved key operation schemes including applying a negative word line voltage and a reduced bit line voltage for perform erase operation, which drastically reduces the high voltage stress on each cell for enhancing the Program/Erase cycles while reducing cell size. An array made by the 1T1b Flash-based EEPROM cells can be operated with Half-page or Full-page divided programming and pre-charging period for each program cycle. Utilizing PGM buffer made of Vdd devices in the cell array further save silicon area. Additionally, a two-transistor-two-bit (2T2b) EEPROM cell derived from the 1T1b cell is disclosed with additional cell size reduction but with the operation of program and erase the same as that for the 1T1b cells with benefits of no process change but much enhanced storage density, superior Program/Erase endurance cycle, and capability for operating in high temperature environment. |
| US08923046B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including first memory cells and second memory cells connected to at least one word line, a circuit group configured to perform a pre-program operation on the first memory cells using a target voltage and a main program operation on the first memory cells and the second memory cells using a final target voltage, and a control circuit configured to set the target voltage depending on variations in threshold voltages of the first memory cells caused by the main program operation of the second memory cells. |
| US08923044B2 |
MTP MTJ device
Systems and methods for multiple-time programmable (MTP) devices. An MTP device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device programmable to a plurality of states based on voltage applied across the MTJ device. The plurality of states include a first resistance state corresponding to a first binary value stored in the MTJ device based on a first voltage, a second resistance state corresponding to a second binary value stored in the MTJ device based on a second voltage, a third resistance state corresponding to a breakdown of a barrier layer of the MTJ device based on a third voltage, and a fourth resistance state corresponding to an open fuse based on a fourth voltage. |
| US08923043B2 |
Memory device using flag cells and system using the memory device
A memory device may include a normal cell which is configured to be programmed to a first resistance and stabilized as a resistance of the normal cell drifts from the first resistance to a second resistance; a flag cell which is configured to be programmed to a third resistance smaller than the first resistance and stabilized as a resistance of the flag cell drifts from the third resistance to a fourth resistance smaller than the second resistance; and a decision circuit which is configured to decide whether the flag cell has been stabilized in order to determine whether the normal cell has been stabilized. |
| US08923035B2 |
Junctionless semiconductor device having buried gate, apparatus including the same, and method for manufacturing the semiconductor device
A junctionless semiconductor device having a buried gate, a module and system each having the same, and a method for forming the semiconductor device are disclosed. A source, a drain, and a body of a semiconductor device having a buried gate are doped with the same type of impurities, so that the junctionless semiconductor device does not include a PN junction between the source and the body or between the body and the drain. As a result, a leakage current caused by GIDL is reduced so that operation characteristics of the semiconductor device are improved and the size of a current-flowing region is increased, resulting in an increased operation current. |
| US08923034B2 |
Multi-level memory cell with continuously tunable switching
The present disclosure provides a data storage device that includes multi-level memory cells. The data storage device may include circuitry configured to write data to the multi-level memory cell. The write circuitry may include compliance circuitry configured to implement continuously tunable switching. The write circuitry may be configured to select a compliance mode for the switching, the compliance mode being selected from the group comprising current compliance and voltage compliance. |
| US08923032B2 |
Crosspoint nonvolatile memory device and forming method thereof
A sense amplification circuit includes a sneak current compensating load current supply unit that selectively switches a load current among load currents having different current amounts and supplies the load current to a bit line selected by a column selection circuit. The sense amplification circuit outputs ‘L’ level when a current amount of the load current is more than a reference current amount, and outputs ‘H’ level when the current amount is less than the reference current amount. A control circuit adjusts the current amount to a predetermined current amount that causes the sense amplification circuit to output ‘H’ level. After the adjustment, the control circuit performs control to supply the load current having the predetermined current amount and controls the writing unit to keep the application until the sense amplification circuit outputs ‘L’ level. |
| US08923029B2 |
Field programmable read-only memory device
The field programmable read-only memory device includes a memory cell having a switching element for storing bit information. The switching element provides a switchable electrical connection between a word line and a bit line and includes a static body and a movable connecting element. The switchable electrical connection is non-volatile. |
| US08923026B2 |
Power conversion circuits
According to one embodiment, an AC power system includes a first AC/DC converter to be coupled to a direct current (DC) load and a multi-phase AC power supply. The system further includes a second AC/DC converter coupled in parallel with the first AC/DC converter via an interphase transformer to the DC load and the multi-phase AC power supply. The system further includes a controller coupled to the first and second AC/DC converters, where the controller is configured to generate a gate trigger signal for firing each of the rectifiers for the first and second AC/DC converters. During a first power cycle, a rectifier of the first AC/DC converter is fired at a firing angle advanced to a firing angle of a corresponding rectifier of the second DC/DC converter. During a second power cycle, the rectifier of the first AC/DC converter is fired at a firing angle lagging to a firing angle of the corresponding rectifier of the second AC/DC converter. |
| US08923025B2 |
Apparatus and methods for feedback sensing in multi-cell power supplies
Apparatus and methods in accordance with this invention provide a multi-cell power supply for receiving power from a source and delivering power at an output terminal to a load. The multi-cell power supply includes a first power cell coupled to the source, and a first current sensor circuit. The first power cell provides a first output current, and includes a first output terminal coupled to a reference node of the multi-cell power supply, and a second output terminal coupled to the output terminal. The first current sensor circuit includes a first current sensor and a power supply. The first current sensor is coupled to the first output terminal of the first power cell, and measures the first output current. The power supply is coupled to either the reference node or a floating ground node of the first power cell, and provides power to the first current sensor. |
| US08923022B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling thermal cycling
A method for reducing thermal cycling of a semiconductor power switch includes obtaining a value indicative of a junction temperature of the power switch. The method also includes selecting one of several pre-determined gate drive voltages, based on the obtained value, and providing the selected gate drive voltage to a gate of the power switch. This reduces thermal cycling of a power switch relative to the thermal cycling that would be present during operation at a single gate voltage. |
| US08923021B2 |
Control circuit and system for switch mode power supply
A switch-mode power supply (SMPS) includes a transformer having a primary winding coupled to a power switch, a secondary winding for providing an output of the power supply, and a controller. The controller includes a first input terminal for receiving a current sensing signal related to a current in the primary winding, a second input terminal for receiving a feedback signal related to a current in the secondary winding, and an output terminal for providing a control signal to turn on and off the power switch. When the feedback signal is higher than a first reference voltage, the controller is configured to cause the SMPS to maintain a constant output current at a first current magnitude. When the feedback signal is lower than the first reference voltage, the controller is configured to cause the SMPS to provide a second output current at a second current magnitude higher than the first current magnitude. |
| US08923020B2 |
Switching power supply circuit having shunt regulator with switchable gain
A switching power supply circuit (101) includes a first rectifier circuit (102) converting an alternate current to a direct current, a switching operator (20), a switching transformer (103) including a primary coil supplied with a switched current and a secondary coil inducing power corresponding to the current, a second rectifier circuit (30) rectifying the power induced by the secondary coil, and a control circuit (40) changing a ratio of a current flowing to a photocoupler (107) to an output voltage from the second rectifier circuit (30) in a standby mode and in a power-on mode to reduce a noise of the switching transformer in each of the modes. |
| US08923019B2 |
DC/DC converter, power converter and control method thereof
A DC/DC converter, a power converter and a control method thereof are disclosed, wherein the DC/DC converter includes an output circuit, a rectangular wave generator, a resonant tank, a detection unit and a control unit. The output circuit has a load. The rectangular wave generator converts an input voltage into driving pulses. The resonant tank provides a first voltage based on the driving pulses for the output circuit. The detection unit detects a signal related to a state of the load. When the state of the load is a light-load or a no-load, the control unit controls the rectangular wave generator in a hiccup mode to reduce a ratio of a work period to a stop period, or makes that number of the driving pulses within the current work period is less than the number of the driving pulses when a duty ratio is 50%. |
| US08923015B2 |
Primary-side power control for inductive power transfer
A method is provided for controlling the output voltage of a pickup in an inductive power transfer (IPT) system without any additional form of communications for feedback from the pickup to the power supply. The method comprising the steps of deriving an estimate of the output voltage of the pickup from the voltage across the primary conductive path, and adjusting the current in the primary conductive path so that the estimated pickup output voltage matches a required pickup output voltage. In particular, an estimate of the pickup output voltage is derived from the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage in the primary conductive path. |
| US08923014B2 |
Display device having touch panel
A display device having a touch panel which effectively intercepts noise generated from a display panel to prevent the touch panel from malfunctioning. The display device having the touch panel includes a display panel, a touch panel attached to the display panel through an adhesion layer, a noise interception layer over an entire rear surface of the touch panel to prevent electrical noise from the display panel from being introduced into the touch panel, a metal ring pattern on the noise interception layer to surround the edge of the noise interception layer and having lower electrical resistance than the noise interception layer, and a ground terminal electrically connected to the noise interception layer and the metal ring pattern. |
| US08923010B2 |
Electronic component for surface mounting
An electrical component for surface mounting, such as a DC-DC power converter includes a body portion including one or more surface mounting pins to connect the body portion to a circuit board, and first and second circuit boards including respective circuit elements mounted thereon. The first and second circuit boards are mounted on the body portion, such that sides of the first and second circuit board on which the circuits are mounted face the interior of the device and the reverse sides of the first and second circuit boards define an exterior surface of the component. In this way, no separate housing for the component is required. The size of the electrical component can therefore be kept small, and protection provided to the circuit elements by the reverse side of the circuit board. |
| US08923009B2 |
Substrate with built-in electronic component
In a first conductive layer and a third conductive layer that are respectively closest to a core layer having a storage portion that penetrates therethrough, four first penetrating holes and four first penetrating holes are formed so as to overlap part of an opening edge of the storage portion that is projected onto the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer, respectively. |
| US08923003B2 |
Flexible circuit connectors with reduced profiles
An electronic device may contain components such as flexible printed circuits and rigid printed circuits. Electrical contact pads on a flexible printed circuit may be coupled electrical contact pads on a rigid printed circuit using a coupling member. The coupling member may be configured to electrically couple contact pads on a top surface of the flexible circuit to contact pads on a top surface of the rigid circuit. The coupling member may be configured to bear against a top surface of the flexible circuit so that pads on a bottom surface of the flexible circuit rest against pads on a top surface of the rigid circuit. The coupling member may bear against the top surface of the flexible circuit. The coupling member may include protrusions that extend into openings in the rigid printed circuit. The protrusions may be engaged with engagement members in the openings. |
| US08923002B2 |
Assembly with resilient housing to bias conductor
An assembly with a conductor held by a resilient housing in which a PCB and/or a battery is held by an interference fit in a cavity of the resilient housing wherein insertion of the item so held forms an interference fit that forces the conductor into an electrical contact with a conductive member of the PCB and causes the resilient housing to bias the conductor against the conductive member of the PCB. The conductor does not need to be resilient. A switch can also be held by an interference fit with the resilient housing and unique channels in the resilient housing, formed by at least one rib connected to a top and a bottom of the housing, can be independently resilient. |
| US08922996B2 |
Handheld electronic apparatus with kickstand
A kickstand includes a holder, a bar, a shaft assembly, a cam assembly, and at least one spring washer. The bar is pivotally connected to the holder by the shaft assembly. The cam assembly is engaged with the holder and the bar and pivotally connected to the shaft assembly, so as to allow the bar to rotate relative to the holder to a closing position or an opening position selectively. The spring washer is engaged with the shaft assembly and abuts against the cam assembly. |
| US08922991B2 |
Ruggedized computer assembly having internal fan
A computer assembly includes a processor integrated circuit; a hard disk drive electrically connected to the processor integrated circuit and a power supply assembly, powering the processor integrated circuit and hard disk drive; a liquid-tight case, entirely containing and physically isolating and protecting the processor integrated circuit, hard disk drive and power supply assembly, the liquid-tight case defining fluid channels; electrical connectors to permit connection of the computer to outside devices; and a fan in the liquid-tight case, adapted to drive fluid through the fluid channel, thereby facilitating the movement of heat through the computer assembly. |
| US08922988B2 |
High temperature and vibration protective electronic component packaging
An electronic component package for installation on a tool includes: a solid molded housing configured to hold an electronic component support structure and surround electronic components disposed on the support structure; the housing including a first portion configured to hold the support structure, and a second portion forming a cavity around the electronic components disposed on the support structure and isolating the electronic components from contact with the housing; and a viscoelastic damping layer disposed within the first portion, the viscoelastic cushion configured to damp vibrations and strain transmitted from the tool, the viscoelastic damping layer forming a constrained layer between the support structure and the first portion and configured to isolate the support structure from the housing. |
| US08922986B2 |
Data recorder
An electronic data recorder including an electronic data storage device disposed within an enclosure having a main housing and a cover adapted to engage a base region of the housing. The main housing forms a cavity housing the electronic data storage device. A mounting wall extending from the main housing and including an attachment foot for attachment to a vehicle wherein an impact during a vehicle crash preferentially fractures one or both the mounting wall and attachment foot as opposed to the main housing. |
| US08922983B1 |
Internal metal support structure for mobile device
A metal support structure for a mobile device includes a substantially flat front side configured to support a display and a back side having a lattice structure configured to provide rigidity to the mobile device while keeping a weight below a weight threshold, and to support a logic board. The metal support structure further includes a plurality of slots around a periphery of the metal support structure, configured to permit emitters for an infrared touch sensor mounted on the logic board to project infrared beams to receivers mounted on the logic board. |
| US08922978B2 |
Electrical housings for aircraft
One aspect of the present invention provides a housing for housing electrical equipment in an aircraft. The housing comprises one or more panels defining an enclosed space for housing electrical equipment in an aircraft. The housing also comprises at least one electrical busbar for providing electric power to the electrical equipment, wherein the at least one electrical busbar is configured to provide structural support for the housing. |
| US08922977B2 |
Passive arc management system with a flue chamber
In an electrical distribution cabinet a mechanism providing quick, reliable, passive arc blast control has a flue chamber surrounding the likely arc site such as an electrical connection point. The flue chamber provides a flue channel which lengthens the arc and attenuates the current and temperature until the arc is extinguished. Preferably, the flue chamber and channel are formed of opposable open-faced polyhedral structures, one fitting inside the other. The mechanism is particularly suited for draw-out circuit breaker connections in a switch gear cabinet. |
| US08922975B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a ceramic body; first and second internal electrodes provided within the ceramic body and including lead-out portions exposed to a first surface of the ceramic body and having an overlapping area, the overlapping area being exposed to the first surface of the ceramic body; external electrodes formed on the first surface of the ceramic body and connected to the respective lead-out portions; and an insulation layer formed on the first surface of the ceramic body and on third and fourth surfaces thereof connected to the first surface, wherein the lead-out portions have a predetermined interval from the third or fourth surface of the ceramic body. |
| US08922972B2 |
Integral module power conditioning system
An integral solar module power conditioning system includes one or more solar module support frames. Each frame includes a plurality of plug-and-play electrical connectors integrated therewith. A microinverter or microinverter connector is also integrated with each frame. Each frame is configured to receive a respective solar electric module and to carry electrical power through a plurality of solar electric modules and corresponding microinverters connected together via a plurality of solar module support frames connected together via the plurality of integrated plug-and-play electrical connectors. |
| US08922971B2 |
Integrated bi-polar ionization air purification for fan-powered air distribution devices
An indoor located air distribution device for providing distribution of purified supply air to a service area. The air distribution device with air purifier can reduce the amount of bacteria, viruses, and bad spores inside the service area, can minimize the spreading of bacteria, viruses and spores, and can create overall healthier conditions in the service area. With low energy usage and maintenance cost, an air supply unit with built-in bi-polar air purifier can improve the quality of room breathable air, minimize the amount of outside air in total supply air, and decrease the usage of energy (heating/cooling) and electricity. |
| US08922968B2 |
Electrical insulator and method of production
An electrical insulator including: a first connector of an electrically conducting material; a second connector of an electrically conducting material; and an electrically insulating material being arranged between the first connector and the second connector, insulating the connectors from each other; wherein a part of the first connector extends past a part of the second connector, partly enveloping part of the second connector. The invention also relates to a surge arrester arrangement, to a use of an electrical insulator for insulating a surge arrester, and to a method for production of such an electrical insulator. |
| US08922967B2 |
Thermal protection system for electrical device
A thermal protection system for an electrical system having a control system and an electrical outlet connected to an electrical power source includes an electrical cord having a plug attached thereto that is configured to electrically connect with the outlet. A non-contact temperature sensor is disposed within the plug and configured to measure a temperature of the outlet. The temperature sensor is in communication with the control system and configured to send a signal to the control system to effect a reduced flow of current through the outlet and plug when the temperature sensor indicates that a predetermined condition is met. |
| US08922963B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit and method thereof
An ESD protection circuit has a clamp control circuit and a clamp switch. The clamp switch has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a first node, and the second terminal is coupled to a second node. The clamp control circuit is coupled between the first node and the second node, wherein the clamp control circuit is configured to detect the rising time of the voltage between the first node and the second node, and to provide a clamp control signal to the control terminal of the clamp switch based on the rising time, if the rising time is shorter than a first time threshold, the clamp switch is turned ON for a second time threshold, and wherein the first time threshold is shorter than the second time threshold. |
| US08922960B2 |
Electrostatic discharge device with adjustable trigger voltage
An improved ESD protection circuit having an ESD device and a triggering device to provide a continuously adjustable trigger voltage. This can be accomplished by various techniques such as placing a selected number of triggering elements in series, modifying the gate control circuitry and varying the size of the triggering elements. |
| US08922959B2 |
Safety component by fuse at high voltage battery sensing line
The apparatus for preventing a secondary accident by short of sensing lines in a high voltage battery using a fuse, includes: a plurality of battery modules provided with a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules; a battery management system (BMS) for monitoring and controlling voltage of each battery cell provided in each battery pack to monitor the status of each battery cell; sensing lines connected between the battery module and the battery management system to sense voltage of each battery cell of each battery pack; and a passive safety device to be connected in series to a terminal of each battery cell provided in each battery pack when a short accident that a closed circuit is formed in the sensing line occurs. |
| US08922958B2 |
Method and systems for discharging energy from an electrical fault
An electrical fault mitigation system includes a mitigation device including a containment chamber defining a cavity, a first electrode positioned within the cavity and coupled to a first conductor, and a second electrode positioned within the cavity and coupled to a second conductor. The mitigation device also includes a first voltage source, and a plasma gun positioned within the cavity and configured to emit ablative plasma using the first voltage source to discharge energy from an electrical fault. The system also includes a first voltage limiter device configured to limit a voltage of the first conductor from increasing above a predetermined threshold to prevent a second voltage source from generating a second electrical arc between the first electrode and the second electrode when the second voltage source applies a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US08922955B1 |
Corrosion protection utilizing a milled, bottom spin valve GMR sensor
A magnetic sensor including a first layer that is a pinned layer, the first layer having a first edge. The magnetic sensor includes a second layer that is a non-magnetic metal layer, the second layer having a second edge corresponding to the first edge. The second layer is adjacent the first layer. The magnetic sensor includes a third layer that is a free layer, the third layer having a third edge corresponding to the first edge and the second edge. The third layer is adjacent the second layer. The magnetic sensor also includes a fourth layer that is a flux guide layer. The fourth layer is adjacent the third layer. The fourth layer extends outwardly from the third layer relative to the first layer and the second layer. |
| US08922954B2 |
Data reader with back edge surface
A data reader can be configured with at least a magnetically responsive lamination that has a first portion with a first stripe height from an air bearing surface (ABS) and a second portion with a different second stripe height from the ABS. The first portion can be constructed to have a back edge surface shaped at a predetermined angle relative to the ABS by a back edge feature. |
| US08922946B1 |
Disk drive with balance plug having thermally deformable portion
A disk drive having a spindle hub, a disk clamp, coupled to the spindle hub, the disk clamp having an aperture, and a balance plug inserted through the aperture of the disk clamp is described herein. The balance plug has a thermally deformable portion that is deformed to retain the balance plug between the spindle hub and the disk clamp. |
| US08922943B2 |
Fluid dynamic bearing apparatus, spindle motor, and disk drive apparatus
In a fluid dynamic bearing apparatus, an oil buffer is defined between a thrust gap and a pumping gap. The oil buffer has an axial dimension greater than that of the thrust gap, and/or has a radial dimension greater than that of the pumping gap. An air bubble generated in the thrust gap due to cavitation, for example, when a fluid dynamic bearing apparatus experiences a vibration can be dissolved in lubricating oil provided within the oil buffer. This prevents leakage of the lubricating oil due to the air bubble residing in the fluid dynamic bearing apparatus. |
| US08922942B2 |
Magnetic disk apparatus
In a magnetic, disk apparatus, flows around disks are stabilized, flow-induced vibration generated in the disks and a head positioning actuator is reduced, and the positioning accuracy of the head is improved.In a magnetic disk apparatus including plural magnetic disks which are attached to a rotating motor and stacked with a spacer in between and a static structure that surrounds outer circumferences of the magnetic disks, plural current plates supported by the static structure are inserted between a pair of the magnetic disks in a stacking direction of the magnetic disks. |
| US08922941B2 |
Library apparatus, cartridge, and hand mechanism
A library apparatus includes a storage section having a lock hole in which a lock member provided on a cartridge is capable of being fitted, the storage section storing the cartridge in a locked state when the lock member is fitted in the lock hole, a holding portion that holds the cartridge and engages with the lock member, an arm that supports the holding portion at an end of the arm, the arm inserting and extracting the cartridge held by the holding portion into and from the storage section, a first motor that moves the arm in an insertion-extraction direction in which the cartridge is inserted and extracted, and a second motor that moves the holding portion so as to move the lock member to a position at which the lock member is released from the lock hole. |
| US08922938B1 |
Disk drive filtering disturbance signal and error signal for adaptive feed-forward compensation
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a servo control system operable to actuate a head over a disk. A disturbance signal is generated in response to a vibration, and the disturbance signal is filtered with a first filter comprising a frequency response to generate a filtered disturbance signal. The filtered disturbance signal is filtered with a model of the servo control system to generate a compensated disturbance signal. An error signal of the servo control system is filtered with a second filter comprising the frequency response to generate a filtered error signal. An adaptation control signal is generated in response to the compensated disturbance signal and the filtered error signal, and an adaptive filter is adapted in response to the adaptation control signal, wherein the adaptive filter filters the disturbance signal to generate feed-forward compensation values applied to the servo control system to compensate for the vibration. |
| US08922937B1 |
Disk drive evaluating multiple vibration sensor outputs to enable write-protection
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and control circuitry including a vibration sensor. A position error signal (PES) is generated representing a radial location of the head over the disk, and the head is servoed radially over the disk in response to the PES. A first vibration signal is generated in response to the vibration sensor, and a second vibration signal in response to the PES. The first vibration signal is combined with the second vibration signal to generate a third vibration signal, and a vibration event is detected in response to the third vibration signal. |
| US08922935B1 |
First and second read sensors coupled to a preamplifier via a common signal line
First and second read sensors are coupled in series to a preamplifier via respective first and second signal lines and a common signal line between the first and second read sensors. Independent first and second currents are supplied to the respective first and second read sensors. The first and second currents are varied to maintain respective first and second fixed bias values (e.g., fixed voltage or fixed current) on the first and second read sensors. |
| US08922928B2 |
Method and system for preventing unreliable data operations at cold temperatures
Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with protecting data during cold excursions are provided. A method for preventing unreliable data operations at cold temperatures may include determining whether a first internal temperature of a hard disk drive (HDD) is below a threshold temperature. The method may also include initiating an artificial seek operation if the first internal temperature is below the threshold temperature. |
| US08922922B2 |
Method to reduce written-in errors in storage media
A method of storing data in a storage medium includes determining a compensation unit for a portion of the storage medium, reading a first set of bit values from the portion of the storage medium, determining a compensation value based at least in part on an erroneous bit value of the first set of bit values and the compensation unit, and storing the compensation value in association with the portion of the storage medium. |
| US08922920B2 |
Self-positioning light filtering device and replaceable filter
A self-positioning light filtering device including a rotational bearing having concentric outer and inner components rotatable relative to one another. The inner component defines an opening for receiving the tip or other component of a light-emitting device. A transparent filter member filters optically harmful light emitted from the light-emitting device. The filter member and the inner component of the rotational bearing are rotatable relative to one another. A counterweight below the rotational bearing causes the filter member to remain in an upright position when the inner component of the rotational bearing rotates relative to the outer component. A replaceable filter member for the filtering device is also disclosed. |
| US08922919B2 |
Motor for driving lenses
Disclosed is a motor for driving lenses. The motor includes a case, a yoke fixed in the case, a magnet fixed in the yoke, a carrier equipped with lenses and installed in the magnet such that the carrier moves up and down within the magnet, a coil coupled with the carrier, a spring unit including first and second springs having arc shapes and being separated from each other while forming a ring shape as a whole, a spacer supporting an outer peripheral surface of the spring unit, and a terminal provided on the spacer, in which one side of the terminal protrudes downward by passing through a bottom of the case to make connection with the spring unit and a main PCB of a product. |
| US08922918B1 |
Screen magnification system
A corrective lens system for use with a video display screen adapted to correct visual deficiency for a particular user has a mounting frame and a transparent lens centrally located in a mounting frame aperture. A lens front surface and a lens rear surface are shaped to correct visual deficiency for a particular user. The system is positioned at a first specific distance from the video display screen to correct visual deficiency. The user is positioned a second specific distance from the video display screen to correct visual deficiency. The system corrects visual deficiency for the user in a similar manner as a pair of prescription glasses. |
| US08922910B2 |
Imaging lens and imaging apparatus
An imaging lens consists of a first-lens having a meniscus-shape with its convex-surface facing an object-side and negative-refractive-power and second through fifth lenses, at least one of the surfaces of each of which is aspherical. An image-side surface of the second-lens has a concave-shape facing an image-side. The second-lens has negative-refractive-power. An object-side surface of the third-lens has a convex-shape facing the object-side. The third-lens has positive-refractive-power. An image-side surface of the fourth-lens has a convex-shape facing the image-side. The fourth-lens has positive-refractive-power. The fifth-lens has a meniscus-shape with its convex-surface facing the image-side and negative-refractive-power. Predetermined conditional formulas about a combined paraxial focal-length of the third-lens and the fourth-lens, a distance on an optical-axis from an object-side surface of the first-lens to an image-plane, and a distance on the optical-axis from the object-side surface of the first-lens to the image-side surface of the second-lens are satisfied. |
| US08922909B2 |
Optical image capturing lens system
This disclosure provides an optical image capturing lens system comprising: a positive first lens element having a convex object-side surface, a negative second lens element, a positive third lens element having a convex image-side surface, a fourth lens element having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; and a positive fifth lens element having a convex object-side surface at a paraxial region thereof, both of the object-side and image-side surfaces being aspheric, and at least one inflection point is positioned on at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof. When particular relations are satisfied, the angle at which light projects onto the image plane can be efficiently controlled for increasing the relative illumination and preventing the occurrence of vignetting. |
| US08922899B2 |
Light combining system
A light combining system is provided comprising: prisms comprising respective entrance faces enabled to receive respective on-state light from respective digital-micro-mirror devices (DMD). At least one interface between prisms is enabled to receive respective on-state light from the prisms. A mirror at the at least one interface is enabled to transmit first on-state light from a first prism through a second prism and reflect second on-state light from the second prism in alignment with the first on-state light back through the second prism. Respective angles formed by a normal of the mirror and each of the first on-state light and the second on-state light is less than a total internal reflection angle. A combination of respective back working distances of the DMDs and shapes of each of the prisms is chosen such that respective illumination paths and respective reflection paths of each of DMDs do not interfere with each other. |
| US08922897B2 |
System and apparatus for see-through display panels
Various embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and apparatus directed toward using a contact lens and deflection optics to process display information and non-display information. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel assembly is provided, comprising: a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted; a reflector disposed on the transparent substrate; and a display panel aimed toward the reflector and substantially away from a human visual system, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted from the display panel toward the human visual system. The reflector may comprise a narrow band reflector or a polarization reflector. |
| US08922894B2 |
Lens unit, exposure device, LED head, image formation apparatus, and reading apparatus
A lens unit includes a first lens plate including first lenses arranged in a first direction and configured to form an intermediate image being an inverted reduced image of an object, a second lens plate including second lenses arranged in the first direction and configured to form an inverted enlarged image of the intermediate image on a light reception surface, and a positioning portion being in contact with both a butting portion formed on the first lens plate and a butting portion formed on the second lens plate. |
| US08922893B2 |
Optical element, method of forming optical element, optical element array, display device, and electronic apparatus
There is provided an optical element including first and second substrates that are disposed to face each other; a pair of wall portions that are erected on an inner surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate to be adjacent to each other in a first direction and extend in a second direction different from the first direction; first and second electrodes that are disposed on wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions to be insulated from each other and face each other and are provided to be apart from the first substrate; an insulating film that covers the first and second electrodes; a third electrode that is provided on an inner surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate; and a polar liquid and a non-polar liquid that are sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate and have different refractive indexes. |
| US08922892B2 |
Method of producing a diffractive optic element and the resulting element
A method of producing a diffractive optical element includes forming on a textured surface of a first substrate (2) a predetermined pattern of an ink (3) including an activator for a metallization reaction and one or more binders; causing or allowing the binder to solidify; applying a first adhesive layer (4) on top on the solidified binder and activator; securing a second substrate (5) to the adhesive layer; removing the second substrate with adhered solidified binder and activator from the first substrate; and forming a metal coating (10) onto the activator-containing regions adhered to the second substrate. |
| US08922880B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for amplifying a burst optical signal
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus, and a system for amplifying a burst optical signal. The method includes: monitoring an input status of a signal light; when no signal light is input, controlling output power of a pump light so that a gain medium has output optical power and the output optical power is less than a maximum optical power that the gain medium is capable of outputting when a signal light is input; inputting the pump light into a wavelength division multiplexer so that the wavelength division multiplexer combines the signal light and the pump light and inputs the combined light into the gain medium. With the preceding manners, when no signal light is input, the power of the pump light is controlled. |
| US08922879B2 |
Optical amplifying device and optical amplifying method
An optical amplifying device includes a semiconductor laser that outputs a pump light having a power according to a provided drive current; a rare-earth-doped amplifying medium that amplifies an input light by the pump light output from the semiconductor laser; and a detector that detects, in the power of the pump light, a fluctuation faster than a response speed of a gain of the amplifying medium with respect to the power of the pump light. The optical amplifying device varies the drive current provided to the semiconductor laser based on the fluctuation detected by the detector. |
| US08922874B2 |
Cascaded optical parametric amplifier with polarization exchange for noise reduction
An optical amplification device includes a first optical amplification portion, an intermediate portion and a second optical amplification portion. The first optical amplification portion receives input light including signal light and pump light, generates idler light as wavelength converted light based on wavelengths of the signal light and the pump light, and outputs first output light including signal light, pump light and idler light. The intermediate portion outputs second output light, and includes a demultiplexing portion that demultiplexes the first output light into signal light, pump light and idler light, a multiplexing portion that generates the second output light by multiplexing signal light, pump light and idler light, and a polarization plane adjustment portion that exchanges mutually orthogonal polarization components of idler light. The second optical amplification portion amplifies an intensity of signal light included in the second output light. |
| US08922873B2 |
Compact narrow bandwidth tunable source
Tunable light sources having a single optical parametric generation (OPG) source that results in an amplified, narrow bandwidth seed beam and methods of tuning therewith are disclosed. The tunable light source may include a polarization rotator to rotate a pump beam before a first pass through an OPG, and a linear-to-circular polarization device to polarize the pump beam directed back toward the OPG for a second pass therethrough. Alternately, the tunable light source may include an OPG source through which a pump beam passes only in the first direction, a separator that separates a signal beam from the pump beam exiting from the OPG, a narrowband wavelength filter that receives the signal beam and generate a seed beam, and a reflecting surface that directs the seed beam back through the OPG (opposite the first direction) to seed the back part of the pulse of the pulse laser. |
| US08922870B2 |
Electrical routing
An electronic device may have a MEMS device formed of a first conductive material. A trench may be formed in the MEMS device. A layer of non-conductive material may be formed in the trench. A second conductive material may be formed upon the non-conductive material. |
| US08922866B2 |
Optics arrangement and method for optical sampling of an object plane comprising a multi-channel imaging system
An optics arrangement includes a multi-channel imaging system for optical sampling of an object plane in visual fields, abutting or overlapping in the object plane, of a plurality of optical channels of the multi-channel imaging system, and a waveguide arranged between the object plane and the multi-channel imaging system so as to guide light in the waveguide laterally, the waveguide having a plurality of redirecting structures arranged on a side of the waveguide facing the object plane and/or a side of the waveguide facing the multi-channel imaging system, the redirecting structures being arranged in dead zones between the visual fields of the optical channels, and the redirecting structures being configured to deflect the guided light in the direction of the object plane such that the object plane is illuminated. |
| US08922863B2 |
Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus
An optical scanning device separately scanning plural scan target surfaces in a first direction with light includes: a light source unit configured to emit first and second light beams mutually different in polarization state; an optical deflector configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and deflect the emitted light beams; an imaging optical element provided on respective optical paths of the deflected light beams; a polarization adjustment element provided on the optical paths of the light beams transmitted through the imaging optical element, and configured to correct respective changes in polarization state of the light beams occurring during the transmission of the light beams through the imaging optical element; and a polarization separation element provided on the optical paths of the light beams emitted from the polarization adjustment element, and configured to separate the light beams from each other. |
| US08922857B2 |
Optical solenoid beams
Optical solenoid beams, diffractionless solutions of the Helmholtz equation whose diffraction -limited in-plane intensity peak spirals around the optical axis, and whose wavefronts carry an independent helical pitch. The solenoid beams have the noteworthy property of being able to exert forces on illuminated objects that are directed opposite to the direction of the light's propagation. Optical solenoid beams therefore act as true tractor beams that are capable of transporting material back toward their source. |
| US08922856B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and control method thereof for printing based on constraining condition information
In order to form a high-quality image, upon execution of multi-pass printing using a printing head with a plurality of nozzles, an image processing apparatus calculates, using a scan duty setting unit (105), scan duty data for respective nozzles for each scan of the printing head in accordance with input image data. A halftone processor (108) generates a dot pattern to be formed by applying N-ary processing. The constraining condition information is set so that the phase of spatial frequencies of a next dot pattern to be generated has an opposite phase relationship in a low frequency region with respect to the already printed dot pattern. |
| US08922854B2 |
Image reading device and image forming apparatus
An image reading device includes a light source, a light receiving unit, a generation unit, a white reference member, a color reference member, and a processing unit. The light source emits light to a recording medium on which an image is formed. The light receiving unit receives light reflected by the recording medium. The generation unit generates a light intensity value from the light received by the light receiving unit. The white reference member is used for color calibration for a white balance. The color reference member is used for color calibration to calibrate a predetermined color. The processing unit derives a correlation formula representing variation in characteristics of the white reference member, based on a light intensity value generated when light is emitted to the color reference member from the light source. |
| US08922847B2 |
Image forming apparatus including multi-beam optical scanning apparatus
A plurality of light beams are simultaneously scanned on a surface of a photosensitive member. The surface of the photosensitive member has a curvature factor, and therefore, the light beams have different optical path lengths. Due to differences in the optical path length, a length (scanning width) of a scanning line of one light beam is different from that of another light beam. When a temperature of an optical scanning apparatus increases, the optical path length differences vary, so that differences in magnification between the beams also vary. Therefore, by obtaining correction amounts for the scanning widths depending on the temperature, the light beams are allowed to have substantially the same scanning width even when the temperature of the optical scanning apparatus varies. |
| US08922846B2 |
Reading apparatus, method of controlling the same and storage medium
A reading apparatus reads an object placed faceup on a reading plate by using an imaging unit attached above the reading plate, and determines whether a user has reversed the read object by using information about the read object. If the read object is determined to have been reversed, the reading apparatus reads the reversed object by using the imaging unit and associates respective pieces of data of the two read objects with each other. |
| US08922844B2 |
Cylindrical object scanner
A scanner for scanning an object having a circumferential surface, the scanner comprising a housing with a glass pane defining an internal area containing camera assembly configured to scan the circumferential surface of the object, and a carriage assembly to rotatably move the object across the glass pane of the scanner in synchronous motion with the movement of the camera assembly. |
| US08922836B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method, and computer program product for conversion of rendering commands into transparent object
An image processing apparatus according to the present invention performs rendering logic sequence determination, rendering region determination, and transparency conversion determination, and, if conversion to a transparent object is determined to be necessary, performs pattern conversion to convert a target pattern into a transparent object. |
| US08922829B2 |
Using a Pareto Frontier to find an optimal color solution for spot calibration
What is disclosed is a method for determining a color solution which achieves color objectives for a color marking device involves performing the following. In one embodiment, N objectives of interest are identified for a color marking device and a N-dimensional Pareto Front is constructed which comprises a collection of color solutions which accommodates those objectives. The Pareto Front is constructed using an optimization process based upon printer models of the objectives. Color solutions can be at least one color recipe, or a combination of color recipes and process actuators. A target point is selected in an N-dimensional objective space based upon at least one user-selected preference. The target point is then mapped to a point on the Pareto Front. The mapping identifies one of the color solutions which, in turn, is used to generate a spot color for the device. The generated spot color achieves the user-selected preference. |
| US08922820B2 |
Communication control technology and communication apparatus
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a communication control program stored thereon and readable by a controller of a communication apparatus, the communication control program, when executed by the controller, causes the controller to perform: determining whether a wireless setting for performing wireless communication through a second communication unit is stored; requesting a wireless setting for performing wireless communication with an external apparatus through the second communication unit from the external apparatus through a first communication unit; acquiring a wireless setting for performing wireless communication with the external apparatus through the second communication unit in response to the request; and when it is determined that the wireless setting is not stored and the wireless setting is acquired by the acquiring, setting the acquired wireless setting as the wireless setting for performing the wireless communication through the second communication unit. |
| US08922819B2 |
Image recording system, image recording apparatus, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by image recording apparatus, mobile terminal, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by mobile terminal, and method of controlling image recording system
An image recording system includes: a mobile terminal and an image recording apparatus. The mobile terminal and the image recording apparatus transfer communication setting information about the mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus over a first wireless communication. The mobile terminal transmits image data to the image recording apparatus over a second wireless communication. Each time when the first wireless communication is established, the mobile terminal obtains a signal relating to its position. The mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus creates change information about a change of the position based on a plurality of the signals and sets, based on the change information, at least one setting value respectively for at least one setting item relating to image recording. The image recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium based on the received image data and based on the set at least one setting value. |
| US08922817B2 |
Mobile Printing device
A self-propelled printing apparatus to perform printing on an object to be printed includes a moving unit that moves the self-propelled printing apparatus on the object to be printed and a printing unit that performs printing on the object to be printed on the basis of print processing data generated based on information of a position to which the self-propelled printing apparatus has been moved by the moving unit. |
| US08922815B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication control apparatus, and communication system
A communication apparatus includes a storage unit that stores an Internet protocol (IP) address, a call connection unit that connects a call by transmitting a call connection request via a communication control apparatus to a communication apparatus, and by receiving, via the communication control apparatus, session description protocol (SDP) information in response to the call connection request, an IP address retrieval unit that retrieves an IP address included in the received SDP information, an instructing unit that overwrites the IP address stored on the storage unit with the retrieved IP address, and instructs the communication control apparatus to overwrite an IP address stored on the communication control apparatus with the retrieved IP address, and a transmitting unit that transmits facsimile data to the retrieved IP address as a destination address if the facsimile data are to be transmitted to the communication apparatus connected to the public IP network. |
| US08922813B2 |
Print server for a portable device
Systems and methods for a print server are provided that includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory including instructions causing the processor to receive data from a computing device in a format native to the computing device and process the data received from the computing device into a format native to a printing device connected to the print server. The instructions further cause the system to provide control signals to the print device and provide the data to the print device in the format native to a printer connected to the print server. |
| US08922808B2 |
Electronic device that receives a wait-for-impact-detection command
An electronic device and control method can detect tapping operations on the device housing to control executing processes, and whether tapping operations are accepted can differ by individual print job. The receipt printer has an impact sensor. The control unit of the receipt printer detects tapping while processing print data and while printing when print data containing a wait-for-tapping-operation and cancel printing command is received, and cancels printing when a predetermined tapping operation is detected. When print data containing a wait-for-tapping-operation and start printing command or wait-for-tapping-operation and cut paper command is received, starting printing or the cutting operation of the automatic paper cutter is suspended and tapping is detected. When the predetermined tapping operation is detected, the suspending printing operation or cutting operation starts. |
| US08922799B2 |
Image forming apparatus
Provided is an image forming device that has a duplex printing function, and suspends execution of a printing operation to allow internal temperature to decrease when the internal temperature increases and reaches predetermined limit temperature at which toner in a developing unit is fusible, the image forming device storing, each time a print job is received, the received print job therein as a waiting print job; selecting, from among a plurality of waiting print jobs, a print job that is estimated to cause the smallest increase in the internal temperature as a print job to be executed preferentially, based on printing conditions set on the respective waiting print jobs; and controlling execution order of the waiting print jobs so that the selected print job is executed preferentially. |
| US08922797B2 |
Methods for emulating the printing range of an image forming apparatus via a printer driver
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods for emulating a printing range, on a sheet of paper, of a first image forming apparatus by a second image forming apparatus. An example method includes starting a first printer driver for a first image forming apparatus, obtaining printing range information of the first image forming apparatus from the first printer driver, and creating a plug-in file based on the printing range information of the first image forming apparatus. The plug-in file may include a function for changing a printing range for a second printer driver for a second image forming apparatus. The example method also includes installing the plug-in file into the second printer driver. |
| US08922796B2 |
Printing apparatus and printing method with error detection
A printing apparatus includes a printing unit that executes printing based on a print job, and a detector that detects occurrence and removal of an error in the printing apparatus. When removal of an error is detected, the printing unit continues a paused state of the print job paused by the error. |
| US08922792B2 |
Image processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium for acquiring data from a memory
In an apparatus connected to a plurality of input devices, in the case of a browsing mode of images stored in a device from which images are input, a user is allowed to select, in parallel, from the images stored in the input device and images showing interfaces capable of connecting to the other devices. Further, if an image indicating an interface is selected, the interface changes to an input mode of image data. Thus, the user is allowed to input image data from the other input devices without returning to the setting screen of an input device in such a mode. |
| US08922790B2 |
Optical film thickness measuring device and thin film forming apparatus using the optical film thickness measuring device
An optical film thickness measuring device, enabling direct measurement of a film thickness of a product in real time accurately without a monitor substrate, includes: a projector, a light receiver, inner beam splitters disposed in a base substrate holder to reflect a measurement beam to a base substrate, an inner optical reflector that totally reflects a measurement beam from the closest inner beam splitter, external beam splitters the measurement beam from the inner beam splitters toward the light receiver, and an outer optical reflector that reflects the measurement beam from the optical reflector toward the light receiver. The measurement beam reflected by the inner beam splitters and the inner optical reflector is passed through the base substrate and then reflected by the external beam splitters and the outer optical reflector to be guided to the light receiver, so that the measurement beam is received by the light receiver. |
| US08922789B2 |
Displacement measuring device and displacement measuring method
Displacement measuring device with light irradiation system, first and second FBGs and detecting system. The first FBG has first transmittance distribution or first reflectance distribution. The second FBG has second transmittance distribution or second reflectance distribution. The detecting system detects light passed through the first and second FBGs of which at least one of the first transmittance distribution and the second transmittance distribution changes in a wavelength direction with a change amount different from that of the other, according to a displacement amount of an object, or amplitude of the light passed through the first and the second FBGs of which at least one of the first reflectance distribution and the second reflectance distribution changes in the wavelength direction with a change amount different from that of the other, according to the displacement amount of the object, and acquires an index to indicate the displacement amount based on the amplitude. |
| US08922788B2 |
Methods and systems for determining a probe-off condition in a medical device
A physiological monitoring system may determine a probe-off condition. A physiological sensor may be used to emit one or more wavelengths of light. A received light signal may be processed to obtain a light signal corresponding to the emitted light and an ambient signal. The signals may be analyzed to identify similar behavior. The system may determine whether the physiological sensor is properly positioned based on the analysis. |
| US08922787B2 |
Spatial splitting-based optical MEMS interferometers
A spatial splitting-based optical Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Interferometer includes a spatial splitter for spatially splitting an input beam into two interferometer beams and a spatial combiner for spatially combining the two interferometer beams. A MEMS moveable mirror is provided to produce an optical path difference between the first interferometer beam and the second interferometer beam. |
| US08922784B2 |
Light source apparatus and image pickup apparatus using the same
A light source apparatus includes an optical resonator provided with a plurality of gain media that amplify light and an optical waveguide and a control unit configured to individually control amplification factors of the plurality of gain media, in which the plurality of gain media have mutually different maximum gain wavelengths whose amplification regions are mutually partially overlapped, and a wavelength at which a total gain by the plurality of gain media becomes a maximum value is set to be variable on the basis of the control on the amplification factors. |
| US08922775B2 |
Check-tile for colour measurement instruments
The invention relates to a check-tile for validating instrument scales of color measurement instruments, in particular goniospectrophotometers, said check-tile comprising a non-transparent (opaque) substrate coated with a pigmented coating, wherein: A) said non-transparent (opaque) colored substrate is colored with at least one achromatic solid pigment, and is coated with a pigmented mid-coat, wherein said pigmented mid-coat I is translucent and made of a base coat coating composition I comprising at least one transparent interference pigment and at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid colored pigment, or, B) said non-transparent (opaque) colored substrate is colored with at least one opaque solid color pigment, and is coated with a pigmented mid-coat II, wherein said pigmented mid-coat is translucent and made of a base coat coating composition II comprising at least one transparent interference pigment. |
| US08922771B2 |
Multichannel polarization stabilizer
A multichannel polarization stabilizer including a mixing device responsive to a sample beam and a reference beam that provides an in-phase signal including the mixed sample beam and reference beam having a relative phase of 0° and a quadrature phase signal including the mixed sample beam and reference beam having a relative phase of 90°. The stabilizer also includes a photodetector responsive to the quadrature phase signal that converts the quadrature phase signal to a quadrature phase electrical signal. A polarization demultiplexer circuit receives the quadrature phase electrical signal and measures the amplitude of a frequency tone in the sample beam and provides a polarization amplitude signal. A polarization controller receives the polarization amplitude signal and controls the reference beam to maximize the polarization amplitude signal. |
| US08922769B2 |
High resolution MEMS-based Hadamard spectroscopy
A spectrometer includes: a collimating element configured for collimating a beam of light into a first one of a cross-dispersing element and an echelle grating, the grating in optical communication with the cross-dispersing element; a focusing element for receiving the light from a second one of the cross-dispersing element and the echelle grating and focusing wavelengths of the light onto a spatial light modulator; the spatial light modulator configured for selectively directing the wavelengths onto a detector for detection. A method of use and the method of fabrication are provided. |
| US08922768B2 |
Multi-path spectrometer
A spectrometer in accordance with the present disclosure may provide multiple optical paths from the inputs to the camera, where the paths are as nearly identical as possible. For example, a spectrometer in accordance with the present disclosure may include multiple inputs, input optics, a diffraction grating, output optics, and a camera. The multiple inputs may be imaged onto different sections of the camera using the same input optics, the same diffraction grating, and the same output optics. |
| US08922761B2 |
Measuring volume and constituents of cells
A method for determining a mean cell volume for a blood sample includes: illuminating the sample with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths and obtaining a two-dimensional image of the sample at each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; identifying a plurality of cells that appear in each of the images; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining an integrated optical density corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining a cell volume based on the integrated optical densities corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; and determining the mean cell volume for the blood sample from the cell volumes for each one of the plurality of cells. |
| US08922753B2 |
Optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus
The invention relates to an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, including an optical system axis (OA) and a polarization-influencing optical arrangement, wherein the polarization-influencing optical arrangement includes a first polarization-influencing element, which is produced from optically uniaxial crystal material and has a first orientation of the optical crystal axis, the-first orientation being perpendicular to the optical system axis and a thickness that varies in the direction of the optical system axis, and a second polarization-influencing element, which is arranged downstream of the first polarization-influencing element in the light propagation direction, is produced from optically uniaxial crystal material and has a second orientation of the optical crystal axis, the second orientation being perpendicular to the optical system axis, and a plane-parallel geometry, wherein the second orientation is different from the first orientation. |
| US08922749B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and patterning device
A lithographic apparatus includes a support to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus includes a projection transfer measurement system to measure an optical projection transfer information of the projection system. The projection transfer measurement arrangement includes: an optical device to direct a measurement beam into the projection system during a scanning movement, a detector to detect the measurement beam having passed through the projection system during the scanning movement, and a measurement processor to determine the optical projection transfer information from the detected measurement beam. The optical device and the detector are arranged at an upstream end of the projection system. |
| US08922748B2 |
Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method
An exposure apparatus includes a first optical member from which an exposure beam is emitted; a first object movable at a light-exit side of the first optical member; a second object movable, independently of the first object, at the light-exit side of the first optical member; and a driving unit that moves the first object and the second object in a first direction within a predetermined plane including a first position opposing the first optical member in a state in which the first object and the second object are close to or in contact with each other and in which positions of the first object and the second object in a second direction within the predetermined plane are shifted. |
| US08922742B2 |
IPS-type liquid crystal display device having improved capacitance between pixel electrode and counter electrode
There is provided a liquid crystal display device that enables increasing the capacitance between a pixel electrode and a common electrode without bringing about a significant decrease in the pixel aperture ratio. An In-Plane Switching LCD device in which a drain signal is supplied from one drain signal line to two pixel columns is configured such that there is a section having no drain signal line between adjacent pixels and a source electrode which is connected to a pixel electrode of a thin-film transistor extends into a contiguous pixel region that does not serve as an effective pixel region to provide one electrode of a capacitive element. A common electrode is formed in each pixel and the one electrode of the capacitive element is laid overlapping the common electrode with an insulation film intervening therebetween. |
| US08922737B2 |
Display device
A display device capable of emitting sufficient fluorescence is provided without an increase in the thickness of the liquid crystal layer. The device includes: a fluorescent emission layer (23) having fluorescent pigment molecules that absorb light to emit fluorescence; and a liquid crystal layer (4) capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state. The fluorescent pigment molecules are dichroic fluorescent pigment molecules (23a) with different emission intensities depending on the direction of emission. The dichroic fluorescent pigment molecules (23a) in the fluorescent emission layer (23) are oriented so as to have transition dipole moments with the same direction. |
| US08922733B2 |
Light source and display system incorporating same
Light sources are disclosed. A disclosed light source includes an optically reflective cavity that includes an input port for receiving light and an output port for transmitting light, a lamp that is disposed at the input port, and an optical stack that is disposed at the output port. The optical stack includes a forward scattering optical diffuser that is disposed at the output port and has an optical haze that is not less than about 20%, and an optical film that is disposed on the optical diffuser. The optical film enhance total internal reflection at the interface between the optical film and the optical diffuser. The optical film has an index of refraction that is not greater than about 1.3 and an optical haze that is not greater than about 5%. The optical stack also includes a reflective polarizer layer that is disposed on the optical film. Substantial portions of each two neighboring major surfaces in the optical stack are in physical contact with each other. |
| US08922726B2 |
Non-spectacled stereoscopic display apparatus capable of decreasing crosstalk
A non-spectacled stereoscopic display apparatus includes: a light guide plate having a light distributing face, a light emitting face, and first and second light incident faces; first and second light sources disposed on the first and second light incident faces, respectively; a single-face prism sheet disposed on the light emitting face of the light guide plate; a transmissive display panel disposed on a light emitting face of the single-face prism sheet with no air gap therebetween, the transmissive display panel having a polarizing plate opposing the light emitting face of the single-face prism sheet; and a synchronous drive circuit adapted to synchronize the first and second light sources to display parallax images on the transmissive display panel. A polarizing direction of polarization anisotropy of the light emitting face of the single-face prism sheet coincides with a polarizing direction of the polarizing plate. |
| US08922722B2 |
Projection apparatus for providing multiple viewing angle images
A projection apparatus for providing multiple viewing angle images is disclosed. The projection apparatus includes a light source module, a polarizing light splitting element, a first and a second reflective light valve and a light combining element. The polarizing light splitting element has a light incident surface, a first light exiting surface and a second light exiting surface. The light incident surface optically couples with the light source module, while the first and the second light exiting surfaces optically couple with the first and the second reflective light valves respectively. The light combining element optically couples to the reflective light valves. Further, the light source module sequentially provides a first light beam and a second light beam. The light beams are transferred via the polarizing light splitting element, the reflective light valves and the light combining element to provide at least four viewing angle images to the viewers. |
| US08922721B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
A display apparatus and a control method thereof are provided The display apparatus includes: an image processor configured to process an image of content; a display configured to display the processed image of the content; a camera configured to capture an image of a remote controller; a storage configured to store information regarding a plurality of appearance states of the remote controller corresponding to user commands; and a controller configured to determine an appearance state from among the plurality of appearance states of the remote controller based on the image of remote controller captured by the camera, and control the display section to display the image of the content according to a user command corresponding to the determined appearance state of the remote controller. |
| US08922717B2 |
Object-based audio-visual terminal and bitstream structure
As information to be processed at an object-based video or audio-visual (AV) terminal, an object-oriented bitstream includes objects, composition information, and scene demarcation information. Such bitstream structure allows on-line editing, e.g. cut and paste, insertion/deletion, grouping, and special effects. In the interest of ease of editing, AV objects and their composition information are transmitted or accessed on separate logical channels (LCs). Objects which have a lifetime in the decoder beyond their initial presentation time are cached for reuse until a selected expiration time. The system includes a de-multiplexer, a controller which controls the operation of the AV terminal, input buffers, AV objects decoders, buffers for decoded data, a composer, a display, and an object cache. |
| US08922716B2 |
Video display apparatus to display OSD at a first region or a second region and control method thereof
A video display apparatus includes: a display unit configured to output screen information; a user interface unit including a local key input unit and remote controller receiving unit formed to receive a control signal for outputting an on-screen display (OSD) for controlling screen information to the display unit; and a controller configured to detect a user interface unit to which the control signal is input among the local key input and the remote controller receiving unit and control the display unit to output the OSD to any one of first and second regions which correspond to the local key input unit and the remote controller receiving unit and are placed at different positions in the display unit. |
| US08922715B2 |
Display apparatus and control method for controlling the display apparsatus using a manipulation panel
A display apparatus and a control method which receives a user's input by using a manipulation panel are provided. The display apparatus includes: an image processor; a display unit; a user input unit which includes a manipulation panel; and a controller which controls the display unit to display a user interface (UI) including a number keypad upon receiving a preset user's input from the user input unit and receives a user's selection to select a channel number from the number keypad according to a user's input to the direction key. Thus, the direction keys are provided in the manipulation panel installed in a front or lateral side of the display apparatus and a user may input a desired channel number without difficulty when selecting channels through the manipulation panel. |
| US08922714B2 |
System and methods for adjusting settings of a video post-processor
A video processing system includes a network processing module configured to receive video content. A decoder module is configured to decode the video content received from the content transmitting system, and separately provide each of the decoded video content and data describing transmission features of the video content. A video quality estimation module is configured to estimate a quality factor based on the data describing the transmission features of the video content, wherein the quality factor corresponds to an estimation of a visual quality of the video content. A database control module configured to select, based on the quality factor, one of a plurality of predetermined settings for video post-processing. A video post-processing module is configured to receive the decoded video content separately provided from the decoder module, and process the decoded video content based on the selected one of the predetermined settings. |
| US08922712B1 |
Method and apparatus for buffering anchor frames in motion compensation systems
In an embodiment, there is provided a video processing component comprising a compensation engine configured to generate pixels of a first video frame from a second video frame based at least in part on specified pixel motion; and an access buffer configured to store pixel data corresponding to pixels of the second video frame for reference by the compensation engine, wherein the pixel data is stored by the access buffer at different vertical resolutions depending on vertical distances of the pixels corresponding to the pixel data from a target pixel that is indicated by the compensation engine. |
| US08922711B2 |
Method and apparatus for de-interlacing video data
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for de-interlacing video data by using a horizontal motion vector of a horizontal motion between fields. The horizontal motion regarding a target pixel of a frame is compensated if the horizontal motion vector is found to be substantially not null according to the pixels residing in the fields determined by the horizontal motion vector. This results in an upgraded quality of image after the de-interlacing process. |
| US08922710B2 |
Imaging apparatus with cover member for covering an operation member
An imaging apparatus includes an external connector to which an external microphone may be connected, an operation member located on a surface of the imaging apparatus opposite a surface on which the external connector is located, a dial member located on a surface of the imaging apparatus different from the surface on which the external connector is located and the surface on which the operation member is located, in a state in which a side surface of the dial member is exposed, and a cover member capable of switching between an open state in which the operation member and the side surface of the dial member are exposed and a closed state in which the cover member covers the operation member and the side surface of the dial member. In the imaging apparatus, an operation on the dial member may be prevented by bringing the cover member into the closed state. |
| US08922708B2 |
Apparatus methods and computer readable storage mediums for exposure control
An apparatus including: a processor configured to control a flash unit in an exposure time period of an image sensor array, to provide a first non-zero light intensity in a first portion of the exposure time period and to provide a second non-zero light intensity, different to the first light intensity, in a second portion of the exposure time period. |
| US08922703B2 |
Focus detection apparatus
A pixel selection unit sets an area based on a detection result of a contrast detection unit, in a case where it is determined that reliability of a focusing state detected by a phase difference detection unit is low. |
| US08922701B2 |
Auxiliary focusing system and focusing method
A focusing method for a camera by adjusting the focal length from a minimum focal length to a maximum focal length. Obtaining a number of first image definitions for analysis and comparing the first definitions to obtain a greatest definition in the first definitions. When the camera is adjusted for obtaining a second definition, obtaining a number of second image definitions for analysis. Comparing the second definition with the greatest definition and outputting a first informing signal if the second definition is less than the greatest definition. Informing the user that the camera needs to be adjusted and outputting a second informing signal when the second definition is equal to the greatest definition and informing the user that further adjustment is not required. |
| US08922700B2 |
Imaging system including distributed phase modification and associated methods
An imaging system for imaging a range of field points over on- and off-axis fields includes an image sensor for capturing image data, and first and second optical elements that are spaced apart and cooperate to image light at the image sensor. The first and second optical elements are configured to jointly modify phase of the light transmitted therethrough such that point-spread functions (“PSFs”) corresponding to the range field points are substantially uniform over on- and off-axis fields. |
| US08922697B2 |
Digital camera and finder device thereof
Provided are a polarization beam splitter 69 disposed between a subject side finder window 16 and a photographer side observation window 17 and disposed to be obliquely inclined at 45 degrees with respect to an optical axis L of an incident light from the subject side finder window 16, a polarizing filter installed at the incident light entering side of the polarization beam splitter 69 and configured to reflect or cut the s-polarized wave of the incident light; and a display device 61 configured to project a display information of the s-polarized wave on the polarization beam splitter 69 and project the display information reflected from the polarization beam splitter 69 in a direction of the photographer side observation window 17. |
| US08922695B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus
Embodiments of the present invention disclose an image processing method and an apparatus. The image processing method includes: receiving information of starting a first camera and a second camera simultaneously to perform photographing; using the first camera to photograph and obtain a first image, and using the second camera to photograph and obtain a second image; and displaying the first image and the second image simultaneously. In the embodiments of the present invention, two cameras are started simultaneously to perform bidirectional photographing, and the images taken by both cameras are displayed simultaneously, so that front and back scene images are captured simultaneously and a panoramic image is obtained. |
| US08922689B2 |
Solid-state imaging element having image signal overflow path
Since the great number of elements constituting a unit pixel having an amplification function would hinder reduction of pixel size, unit pixel n,m arranged in a matrix form is comprised of a photodiode, a transfer switch for transferring charges stored in the photodiode, a floating diffusion for storing charges transferred by the transfer switch, a reset switch for resetting the floating diffusion, and an amplifying transistor for outputting a signal in accordance with the potential of the floating diffusion to a vertical signal line, and by affording vertical selection pulse φVn to the drain of the reset switch to control a reset potential thereof, pixels are selected in units of rows. |
| US08922686B2 |
Method of producing a solid-state image pickup apparatus, solid-state image pickup apparatus, and electronic apparatus
A method of producing a solid-state image pickup apparatus, including the steps of: forming a plurality of light-receiving portions on a substrate; forming a plurality of transfer gates to be connected to the plurality of light-receiving portions formed on the substrate; forming an insulation film on the substrate; exposing a base by etching the insulation film so that the etched part of the insulation film between the adjacent transfer gates tapers away; and injecting an impurity into the exposed part using the insulation film that has remained after the etching as a mask to thus form an impurity injection portion. |
| US08922685B2 |
Solid-state image sensing device and camera system with divided pixels
A solid-state image sensing device includes: a pixel part in which pixels are arranged in a matrix; and a pixel signal readout part including an AD conversion part that analog-digital (AD)-converts a pixel signal read out from the pixel part. Each of the adjacent pixels or one of the pixels of the pixel part is formed as divided pixels divided into regions with different photosensitivity or amounts of accumulated charge, photosensitivity or exposure time conditions are set for the divided pixels and the photosensitivity or exposure time conditions of the divided pixels provided to be opposed in diagonal directions are set to the same conditions, the pixel signal readout part reads out divided pixel signals of the respective divided pixels of the pixel, and the AD conversion part obtains a pixel signal of one pixel by AD-converting the respective read out divided pixel signals and adding the signals. |
| US08922681B2 |
Image processing device that performs image processing to correct target pixels in a region surrounding a defective pixel
A digital camera (1) includes: an imaging unit (16) having an imaging element that includes a plurality of pixels, and generates a pixel value for each of the plurality of pixels as image data; a position specification unit (53) that specifies a position of a defective pixel among the plurality of pixels, in the image data generated by the imaging unit (16); a region specification unit (54) that specifies a region in the image data in which image noise occurs due to the defective pixel, based on the position specified by the position specification unit (53); and a correction unit (55) that corrects a pixel value of each of a plurality of pixels included in the region in the image data specified by the region specification unit (54), based on a weighted average of pixels values of a plurality of pixels located at a periphery of the region. |
| US08922679B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array section having an effective pixel region formed by a plurality of pixels which are disposed in the form of a matrix, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion device and a transistor reading out an electric charge obtained by photoelectric conversion at the photoelectric conversion device, and which are illuminated by light and a light-shielded pixel region formed by a plurality of pixels which are shielded from light; a row scan section selecting and controlling each row of pixels of the pixel array section to output a signal from each of the pixels of the selected row of pixels to a column signal line provided in association with the row of pixels; and an A-D conversion section converting the signal output from the signal line into a digital signal. |
| US08922675B2 |
Image file generation device, camera and image file generation method
An image file generation device includes: an image file generation unit that generates an image file having stored therein a plurality of sets of image data obtained in a batch via an image sensor; and an image recording unit that records the image file into a storage medium, wherein: if the image file generation unit determines that an image file-splitting condition has been satisfied while the batch of image data is being obtained via the image sensor, the image file generation unit ends image data storage into the current image file and starts image data storage into a new image file. |
| US08922671B2 |
Method of compression of images using a natural mode and a graphics mode
A method of and system for compression of images and video, with random access capability are described herein. Before encoding, the image is partitioned into blocks. The pixels in each block are grouped into several groups using thresholds such that a single value is stored in each group. |
| US08922669B2 |
Image processing apparatus having a display unit and image processing program for controlling the display unit
Provided are: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of an image stored in a storage unit and an image recorded on a recording medium; an extraction unit that extracts a factor regarding the image that is acquired by the acquisition unit, the factor that does not satisfy a predetermined condition; and a display unit capable of displaying information on an image-capture state of the image based on the factor extracted by the extraction unit and capable of displaying information on a solution for allowing the factor to satisfy the predetermined condition. |
| US08922661B2 |
Stabilizing a subject of interest in captured video
A method of stabilizing a subject of interest in captured video includes identifying the subject of interest within a crop window and establishing a first subject bounding window that includes the subject of interest. The method continues with refraining from substantially changing the first subject bounding window while the subject of interest moves within the first subject bounding window and establishing a second subject bounding window within the crop window that includes the subject of interest when the subject of interest exits the first subject bounding window. |
| US08922655B2 |
Vehicle front grille assembly
A vehicle front grille assembly includes a vehicle grille, an emblem, a camera support and a camera. The vehicle grille includes an emblem mounting portion having a first mounting structure. The emblem includes an outer surface and an inner surface that is opposite the outer surface. The inner surface has a second mounting structure that directly mates with the first mounting structure of the emblem mounting portion. The camera support has an attachment portion and an extension portion. The attachment portion is sandwiched between the emblem mounting portion of the vehicle grille and the inner surface of the emblem. The attachment portion includes at least one opening and one of the first and second mounting structures extends through the at least one opening of the attachment portion. The camera is fixedly mounted to the extension portion of the camera support. |
| US08922653B1 |
Crib mobile and surveillance system
A crib mobile and surveillance system which communicates video data captured by a camera within a mobile member housing, and sounds received by a microphone disposed in a base, to a handheld monitor; the video data displayed and broadcast in real time on a monitor screen on the handheld monitor to remotely monitor a child lain in a crib having the present device. and to operate a plurality of modes, each of which is selectable, activated, and deactivated independently and concurrently at the base of the device and remotely by the handheld monitor. |
| US08922652B2 |
Systems and methods for locating faults in a power system
A system for use in locating a fault in a power generation and delivery system is provided. The system includes a fault detection module configured to detect an occurrence of the fault and to generate a fault event notification, a satellite imaging system configured to acquire satellite image data, and a fault location module coupled to the fault detection module and to the satellite imaging system, the fault location module configured to receive the fault event notification from the fault detection module, receive satellite image data of a target area that includes the fault from the satellite imaging system, and determine the location of the fault based on the satellite image data. |
| US08922651B2 |
Moving object detection method and image processing system for moving object detection
A moving object detection method and an image processing system thereof are provided. First, a pixel-wise distance of a received image to a reference image is computed to obtain a distance map. A histogram analysis is performed on the distance map to obtain a distance distribution. An entropy value of the distance distribution is computed and a peak distance value which is with a maximum occurrence probability in the distance distribution is searched out. Then, by using a mapping rule, the entropy value and the peak distance value are transformed into a decision threshold value. The decision threshold value is applied in classifying the pixels of the distance map into a group of foreground attributes and a group of background attributes and thereby moving objects in the current image are obtained. |
| US08922650B2 |
Systems and methods for geographic video interface and collaboration
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for facilitating a geographic video data interface and interactive collaboration system. The method includes displaying representations of stored video data sets on an interactive geographic interface to facilitate collaboration among users. The interactive geographic interface includes a visual representation which may be manipulated including pan, zoom level, content, filtering, map type, elevation, etc. Video data sets are received from the video owner including at least video data/sequences and associated characteristic data. The received video data sets are correlated with a geographic location at which the video data was captured. The correlated geographic location is aggregated with the video data set. The video data set is displayed on the interactive geographic interface by a visual representation at the correlated location. Collaboration data about the video data set is received from users or clients other than the video owner. |
| US08922646B2 |
Calculate drop delay for flow cytometry systems and methods
A method of calculating a drop delay in a stream of a flow cytometer. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of determining a widths plot by measuring the width of a stream based on an image of the stream and setting drop delay based on the widths plot. In another aspect the invention relates to a flow cytometer system for automatically calculating drop delay. In one embodiment the flow cytometer system includes means for determining a widths plot based on an image of the stream; and means for calculating drop delay based on the widths plot. |
| US08922645B1 |
Environmental reproduction system for representing an environment using one or more environmental sensors
A environmental reproduction system multiplexes information from a variety of sources to reproduce a target environment having visual and/or auditory impediments. The visual impediments may include one or more environmental conditions, such as rain, sleet, snow, darkness, brightness, or any other type of environmental condition. The auditory impediments may include loud noises, such as construction noises, or sounds that are too low, such as an emergency vehicle sound not being heard. The environmental reproduction system may determine the environmental condition from one or more sources, such as an internal microphone, an external microphone, temperature sensor, a camera, a weather receiver, or other types of sensors. The environmental reproduction may be in communication with an environmental condition database and operative to apply a signal processing action to a recording (video and/or audio recording) of the target environment based on the determined environmental condition. |
| US08922644B2 |
Tracking head position and orientation
Methods, devices, and systems are presented for determining a distance to an object using a color camera and special markers mounted on the object that refract or reflect different colors depending on the angle at which they are viewed. Different colors can be refracted or reflected using lenticular lenses or other technologies. The color received by the camera reveals the orientation of the markers. The orientation information can be combined with the perceived angular distance between the markers and the known distance between the markers to determine the actual distance to the object. |
| US08922643B2 |
Apparatus for inspecting light emitting diode and inspecting method using said apparatus
A light emitting diode (LED) inspection apparatus includes at least one LED including a phosphor applied on an emission surface, a first lighting unit to emit visible light to the LED, a second lighting unit to emit ultraviolet (UV) light to the LED, a photographing unit to generate at least one first image data by photographing the visible light reflected from the LED and to generate at least one second image data by photographing the UV light reflected from the LED, and a determination unit to determine a defect in appearance and emission characteristics of the LED using the at least one first image data and second image data. |
| US08922638B2 |
Method and apparatus for the microscopic imaging of a sample structure
A method and an apparatus for imaging a sample structure (34) with a light microscope are described. The sample structure (34) is prepared with markers and an active marker subset is generated in that a part of the markers is brought into a state in which they can be imaged. When a predetermined activation state is present, the sample structure (34) is imaged onto an arrangement (40) of sensor elements which each generate an image signal, these image signals resulting in a single frame of the sample structure (34). The presence of a predetermined activation state is checked in that at least two test single frames are generated at an interval, and the respective change of the image signal between the two test single frames is detected. The presence of the predetermined activation state is determined when the detected changes of the image signals in their entirety exceed a quantity. |
| US08922635B2 |
Surface mapping and generating devices and methods for surface mapping and surface generation
A surface mapping and generating device which has devices for the process and/or cost optimization, in particular raw material recovery devices, an automatic control of the intensity of a used laser light, devices for carrying out a calibrating procedure by evaluating overlap errors at matching points, devices for archiving especially three-dimensional data of the jaw and/or for modeling the bite position of the upper and the lower jaws, devices for the optimized preparation of at least one dental stump for the production and placement of a dental prosthesis thereon and/or devices for taking into consideration the bite position of the upper and lower jaws. It can be provided that the devices for the process and/or cost optimization are designed to ensure that two half frames showing different positions or views are evaluated, whereby preferably a pulsed laser for exposure purposes is included and/or that an image recording device, in particular a CCD chip, is arranged so as to ensure that lines, taking into account the Scheimpflug angle, are located perpendicular to the direction of travel of a measuring table. Methods according to the present invention use such devices and function correspondingly. In addition, the invention also makes available a patient data archiving system which comprises a chip card and/or decentralized data storage systems especially for dental data. |
| US08922634B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and image pickup apparatus system
An image pickup apparatus includes: an objective optical system for focusing a bundle of light rays from an object into an image; an image sensor placed in the vicinity of the image-forming position of the objective optical system; a dividing element placed between the objective optical system and the image sensor and used for dividing a bundle of light rays from the objective optical system into reflected and transmitted bundles of light rays; a first reflection member for reflecting back the bundle of light rays reflected by the dividing element; and a second reflection member for reflecting the bundle of light rays transmitted by the dividing element, wherein the bundle of light rays reflected by the first reflection member via the dividing element is focused to form an image on a first area of the image sensor, and the bundle of light rays reflected by the second reflection member is focused to form an image on a second area of the image sensor, the second area of the image sensor being different from the first area of the image sensor. |
| US08922631B1 |
Presenting multiple viewer content on a single screen
A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method that includes presenting a representation of three dimensional content on a single display. The three dimensional content representation is presented as a shared viewing experience for at least two viewers. The method also includes presenting a representation of two dimensional content on the single display to a first viewer of the at least two viewers. The two dimensional representation is presented as a private viewing experience for the first viewer and a second viewer of the at least two viewers is visually isolated from the presented two dimensional content representation. |
| US08922630B2 |
Projector discharge lamp current controller with a four time slot period
A projector includes a discharge lamp, a discharge lamp driver that supplies the discharge lamp with a current, and a controller that controls the discharge lamp driver. The controller controls the discharge lamp driver in such a way that the absolute magnitude of the current is relatively small in the first period and relatively large in the second period. In the second period, the controller carries out a second-period AC control process in which an AC current is supplied to the discharge lamp. In the first period, the controller carries out a first-period control process in which in a third period, the absolute magnitude of the current becomes a minimum in the first period and in a fourth period, the absolute magnitude of the current becomes an intermediate value between the minimum and a maximum absolute magnitude of the current in the second period. |
| US08922625B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal is provided that includes a first camera to obtain a first image of an object, and a second camera to obtain a second image of an object, the second camera being separated from the first camera by a distance d. The mobile terminal also includes a controller to determine the distance d between the first camera and the second camera when the first camera obtains the first image of the object at a same time that the second camera obtains the second image. Still further, the mobile terminal includes a varying device to allow the distance d between the first camera and the second camera to vary, and a display to display a combination of the first image and the second image to allow a perceived three-dimensional (3D) image of the object. |
| US08922623B2 |
Stereo image processor and stereo image processing method
A stereo image processor (1) performs image matching, in an image matching section (6), on partial images of the same object included in a base image and a comparative image respectively and detects pixel-precision partial displacement between the base image and the comparative image based on a result of the image matching. Next, in an inverted phase filter processing section (9) in a second matching section (8), pixel values from the comparative image are filtered with an inverted phase filter using, as a filter coefficient, pixel values from the base image with the order thereof reversed, given the partial images of the same object that have minimum pixel-precision partial displacement. Then, in a peak detecting section (10), a peak position where an output value of the filtering with the inverted phase filter is maximum is detected and sub-pixel-precision partial displacement between the base image and the comparative image is detected based on the peak position. In this way, there is provided a stereo image processor that has improved accuracy of disparity calculation and analytical resolution and that requires less computation for disparity calculation and is capable of fast processing. |
| US08922622B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and program
A processing device for adding a subtitle to a three-dimensional (3D) image produced by left-eye and right-eye display patterns displayed on a display is disclosed. The processing device may include a video decoder configured to receive video content data representing content left-eye and content right-eye display patterns. The processing device may also include an audio decoder configured to receive sound data indicative of an audio volume level. Additionally, the processing device may include a subtitle decoder configured to receive subtitle data indicative of a subtitle display pattern, and modify the subtitle data based on the sound data. The processing device may also include a superimposition unit configured to combine the modified subtitle data with the video content data to create combined pattern data representing combined left-eye and combined right-eye display patterns. |
| US08922618B2 |
Monitor mount
A technique includes configuring a monitor to be longitudinally translated along a work surface and pivoted about an axis that is substantially parallel to a normal of the work surface. |
| US08922607B2 |
Direct thermal and thermal transfer shipping label and methods of making same
A method for printing a label having a first side, a second side, and a border comprises the step of providing a printing apparatus. The border is coated with an adhesive at the second side and a release liner is releasably secured thereto. The apparatus comprises a direct thermal printer having a first print head and a thermal transfer printer adjacent thereto and having a second print head. The method includes the step of coating the second side with a direct thermal coating, and the step of situating the label underneath the printing apparatus such that each of the first print head and the second print head face the first side. A controller is used to cause the direct thermal printer to print a second indicia on the second side, and to cause the thermal transfer printer to print a first indicia on the first side. |
| US08922606B2 |
Rotational polygon mirror having convex reflection surfaces and light scanning unit employing the same
A rotational polygon mirror includes a plurality of reflection surfaces that rotate with respect to a rotation axis, wherein each of the reflection surfaces has a convex shape and a cross-sectional profile perpendicular to the rotation axis having at least two inflection points. |
| US08922602B2 |
Method of driving display panel and display apparatus for performing the same
A display apparatus includes a display panel, a timing controller, data and gate driving parts. The display panel includes first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, and displays an image. The timing controller includes a data compensating unit that outputs compensated grayscale data in an n-th pixel row, based upon a coupling capacitance generated according to a grayscale data variation between an (n−1)-th pixel row and the n-th pixel row, n′ being a natural number. The data driving part converts the compensated grayscale data to an analog data voltage, and outputs the analog data voltage to data lines. |
| US08922600B2 |
Display panel test apparatus and method thereof
A display panel test apparatus that may include: a first measurer measuring first R, G, and B components of light emitted from a display panel at a first viewing angle; a second measurer measuring second R, G, and B components of light emitted from the display panel at a second viewing angle; a color coordinate calculator calculating a first xy color coordinate at the first viewing angle using the first R, G, and B components and calculating a second xy color coordinate at the second viewing angle using the second R, G, and B components; and a panel controller compensating a target color coordinate of the display panel to include the first xy color coordinate and the second xy color coordinate into a specification area on a color coordinate system. |
| US08922597B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixel circuits, data lines, and a data-line driving circuit connected to the data lines. Each of the pixel circuits includes a pixel capacitance having one end provided with a common potential. In accordance with a grayscale value for one of the plurality of pixel circuits, the data-line driving circuit selectively outputs a positive-polarity signal and a negative-polarity signal to the one pixel circuit. The data-line driving circuit outputs the positive-polarity signal and the negative-polarity signal so that an average of a potential of the positive-polarity signal and a potential of the negative-polarity signal corresponding to the grayscale value changes in accordance with the grayscale value, a temperature, and a position of the one pixel circuit. |
| US08922588B2 |
Information processing program, information processing system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method, utilizing augmented reality technique
An exemplary embodiment provides an information processing program. The information processing program includes image obtaining instructions, search target detection instructions, event occurrence instructions, virtual image generation instructions, and display control instructions. The search target detection instructions cause a computer to detect a search target from an image of a subject. The event occurrence instructions cause the computer to cause an event to occur in a virtual space in accordance with variation in number of search targets. The virtual image generation instructions cause the computer to generate a virtual image by shooting the event with a virtual camera arranged in the virtual space. The display control instructions cause a display to display the virtual image such that the virtual image is visually recognized by a user as superimposed on the image of the subject or on the subject seen through a screen of the display. |
| US08922587B2 |
Crew shared video display system and method
A dual-image display for at least two crewmembers who may interact independently with the display using touch screen buttons, switches, or hand controllers. The display enables the simultaneous display of different information and visual content depending on the viewing angle or direction. In one embodiment, a video display system for use by crewmembers in vehicles may include: a computer processor; a display monitor comprising a common display driver configured to provide separate virtual displays to at least two crewmember users, the virtual displays being visible to a respective user based on the an angle of view of the respective user; and one or more activators operatively associated with the users, wherein said display monitor is configured to be activated by said one or more activators of said users according to a user priority determination algorithm executed by said computer processor. |
| US08922586B2 |
Electronic device with reduced form factor
Systems and methods (1000) for reducing a form factor of an Electronic Device (“ED”). The methods involve disposing a first user interface component (702) in a housing (710) of ED (700) such that its center axis (718) is at an angle (720) relative to a plane (722) that is perpendicular to a horizontal center axis (712) of ED. A second user interface component (704) is disposed in the housing such that its center axis (724) is parallel to the horizontal center axis of ED, and such that a top portion (734) thereof is overlapped by a bottom portion (732) of the first user interface component. A third user interface component (706) is disposed in the housing such that its center axis (726) is parallel to the horizontal center axis of ED, and such that a top portion (730) thereof overlaps a bottom portion (728) of the second user interface component. |
| US08922583B2 |
System and method of controlling three dimensional virtual objects on a portable computing device
A method of manipulating a three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects at a wireless device is disclosed and includes detecting a press on a 3D sensor array and moving the 3D virtual object in response to the press. Further, the method includes detecting a release of the press on the 3D sensor array and stopping the 3D virtual object. |
| US08922577B2 |
Texture information provider and frame syntheszier for image processing apparatus and method
Provided is an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus may synthesize an input frame with texture information of another frame and provide an output frame with an enhanced texture component. |
| US08922575B2 |
Tile cache
Tile cache techniques are described. In at least some embodiments, a tile cache is maintained that stores tile content for a plurality of tiles. The tile content is ordered in the tile cache to match a visual order of tiles in a graphical user interface. When tiles are moved (e.g., panned and/or scrolled) in the graphical user interface, tile content can be retrieved from the tile cache and displayed. |
| US08922573B1 |
Video non-buffered line memory
A non-buffered video line memory eliminates the need for double buffering video data during processing. While most double buffering systems double the amount of memory necessary to store video data, a non-buffered approach reduces the hardware memory costs substantially. A set of write and read pointers coupled with write and read incrementors allows data to be stored in raster order and removed in block order from a non-buffered memory device. The incrementors, in conjunction with a set of write and read pointers generate a base address for data to be written to and read from the non-buffered memory at substantially the same time. Encoding systems benefit substantially by being able to read and write information into a common memory rather than continuously switching between two different memories, by reducing complexity and cost. |
| US08922567B2 |
Regulation of screen composing in a device
At least a method and a system are described for regulating a screen composer of a device based on one or more conditions. In a representative embodiment, the method comprises measuring a processor's load level, activity level, or usage in the device. The method further comprises comparing the load level to a first value to determine if a first condition is satisfied. The method further comprises comparing a screen update rate of screen composition tasks of the device to a second value when the first condition is satisfied, wherein the second comparing is used to determine if a second condition is satisfied. The method further comprises regulating the screen composition tasks of the device when said first condition and the second condition are both satisfied. In a representative embodiment, the system comprises a device such as a wireless smartphone. |
| US08922566B2 |
Rechargeable universal serial bus external graphics device and method
A graphics processing device that is portable, reconfigurable and provides graphics processing for a computer system is provided. The graphics processing device includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface coupled with the graphics processor and configured to be coupled with computer system. The graphics processing device further includes the USB interface configured to transfer a graphics instruction, originated by the computer system, to the graphics processor. The graphics processing device may further include a battery coupled with the graphics processor to partially power the graphics processor. The battery may be rechargeable. The graphics processor may be configured to process graphics instruction on behalf of the computer system. A portable processing system to provide processing for a computer system is also disclosed. The portable processing system may include a processor. The portable processing system may include a USB module coupled with processor and configured to be coupled with computer system. |
| US08922564B2 |
Controlling runtime execution from a host to conserve resources
A runtime management system is described herein that allows a hosting layer to dynamically control an underlying runtime to selectively turn on and off various subsystems of the runtime to save power and extend battery life of devices on which the system operates. The hosting layer has information about usage of the runtime that is not available within the runtime, and can do a more effective job of disabling parts of the runtime that will not be needed without negatively affecting application performance or device responsiveness. The runtime management system includes a protocol of communication between arbitrary hosts and underlying platforms to expose a set of options to allow the host to selectively turn parts of a runtime on and off depending on varying environmental pressures. Thus, the runtime management system provides more effective use of potentially scarce power resources available on mobile platforms. |
| US08922560B2 |
Method and apparatus for correlating simulation models with physical devices based on correlation metrics
A method, program product, and apparatus are provided to correlate operation of a first system and a second system. A first set of metrics are generated for a first set of data produced during operation of the first system. A second set of metrics are generated that correspond to each of metrics in the first set of metrics from a second set of data produced during operation of the second system. A correlation score is computed for the first and second systems based on differences between the first set of metrics and the second set of metrics. The first set of metrics, the second set of metrics, and the correlation score are presented on the display to indicate a similarity of operation of the first and second systems. |
| US08922558B2 |
Drawing graphical objects in a 3D subsurface environment
A system and method for drawing in a three-dimensional space. The drawings may include dots, line segments, arrows, polylines (open and closed), polygons, surfaces and 3D volumes. The method may include receiving user input that specifies a drawing in a displayed window and mapping the drawing into the 3D space. The mapping process may involve mapping the drawing onto a surface of an existing graphical object in the 3D space, or, mapping the drawing onto a user-specified plane in the 3D space. The drawing may represent a user's interpretation of a geological feature present on the graphical object surface. The graphical object may represent an object of significance in hydrocarbon exploration and production, e.g., an interpreted section or horizon in the earth's subsurface. |
| US08922555B2 |
Pixel shader output map
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for storing only the enabled components for each enabled vector and writing only enabled components to one or more specified render targets. A shader program header (SPH) file provides per-component mask bits for each render target. Each enabled mask bit indicates that the pixel shader generates the corresponding component as an output to the raster operations unit. In the hardware, the per-component mask bits are combined with the applications programming interface (API)-level per-component write masks to determine the components that are updated by the shader program. The combined mask is used as the write enable bits for components in one or more render targets. One advantage of the combined mask is that the components that are not updated are not forwarded from the pixel shader to the ROP, thereby saving bandwidth between those processing units. |
| US08922554B2 |
Three-dimensional reconstruction for irregular ultrasound sampling grids
An irregular ultrasound sampling grid is reconstructed to a three-dimensional grid for imaging. Volume data acquired with a helix transducer includes a fractional offset of data spaced along one dimension, resulting in the irregular ultrasound sampling grid. To determine a voxel value for a grid point on a uniform grid, two adjacent planes are identified. The sample locations in the two planes are not aligned, being on the irregular ultrasound sampling grid. Hardware acceleration devices, such as a graphics processing unit, perform bilinear interpolation in each of the planes. The data of each plane is interpolated to the proper global azimuth-range coordinate corresponding with the grid point. The bilinearly interpolated values from each plane are then linearly interpolated to the grid point. |
| US08922547B2 |
3D model shape transformation method and apparatus
Disclosed herein is a 3D model shape transformation apparatus. The 3D model shape transformation apparatus includes a camera unit, a shape restoration unit, a skeleton structure generation unit, and a skeleton transformation unit. The camera unit obtains a plurality of 2D images in a single frame by capturing the shape of an object. The shape restoration unit generates a 3D volume model by restoring the shape of the object based on the plurality of 2D images. The skeleton structure generation unit generates the skeleton structure of the 3D volume model. The skeleton transformation unit transforms the size and posture of the 3D volume model into those of a template model by matching the skeleton structure of the template model with the skeleton structure of the 3D volume model. |
| US08922545B2 |
Three-dimensional display system with adaptation based on viewing reference of viewer(s)
A display system that presents three-dimensional content to a viewer is described herein. The display system includes a screen assembly having one or more adaptable display characteristics relating to the presentation of three-dimensional content, first circuitry that at least assists in producing reference information corresponding to at least one aspect of a viewing reference of the viewer, and second circuitry that causes modification of at least one of the one or more adaptable display characteristics, the modification corresponding at least in part to the reference information. The viewing reference of the viewer may comprise one or more of a location of the viewer relative to the screen assembly, a head orientation (tilt and/or rotation) of the viewer, and a point of gaze of the viewer. The first circuitry may comprise, for example, viewer-located circuitry and/or other circuitry that is communicatively connected to the second circuitry for providing the referencing information thereto. |
| US08922542B2 |
Chip-on-film package and display device having the same
A chip-on-film package and a display device, the package including a base film that includes an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface facing the upper surface; an integrated circuit chip on the upper surface of the base film; an alignment line on the base film and being spaced apart from the integrated circuit chip; a heat discharge plate on the lower surface of the base film and having a plate shape; and at least one via pattern penetrating through the base film and electrically connecting the alignment line to the heat discharge plate. |
| US08922538B2 |
Display apparatus and electronic apparatus
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus, including: a plurality of subpixels disposed adjacent each other and forming one pixel which forms a unit for formation of a color image; the plurality of subpixels including a first subpixel which emits light of the shortest wavelength and a second subpixel disposed adjacent the first subpixel; the second subpixel having a light blocking member disposed between the second subpixel and the first subpixel and having a width greater than a channel length or a channel width of a transistor which forms the second subpixel. |
| US08922536B2 |
Method for driving display element and method for driving display device
Disclosed herein is a method for driving a display element including a current-driven light emitting part and a drive circuit, the drive circuit including a write transistor, a drive transistor, and a capacitive part, the method including the steps of: executing threshold voltage cancel processing of changing potential of the second node toward potential obtained by subtracting threshold voltage of the drive transistor from potential of the first node in a state in which the potential of the first node is kept; and executing write processing of applying a video signal from the data line to the first node via the write transistor turned to an on-state by a scan signal from the scan line. |
| US08922531B2 |
Apparatus for screen location control of flexible display
The apparatus to control an image output position of a flexible display moves a position of an image output area in a screen area when the flexible display is rotated. The apparatus may include: a bending measurement unit to measure a bending degree of the flexible display; a rotation measurement unit to measure a rotation degree and a rotation direction of the flexible display; and a controller to output an image at an image output area, and move a position of the image output area. |
| US08922528B2 |
Optical touch device without using a reflective frame or a non-reflective frame
An optical touch device includes a display panel whereon a coordinate detecting area is formed, at least one optical transceiver disposed on a corner of the display panel for transceiving a plurality of beams travelling along an edge of the coordinate detecting area so as to form an optical virtual frame, at least one image capturing module disposed on a corner of the display panel for capturing surroundings of an object, and a control module coupled to the at least one image capturing module for determining whether to calculate a coordinate value of the object according to whether the object blocks the optical virtual frame by the captured surroundings of the object. |
| US08922519B2 |
Scan sequence generator
A sensor panel device that can generate and use a stimulus signal having multiple different waveforms for detecting events on or near the sensor panel is disclosed. Among other things, such a stimulus signal can be used to reject environmental noise present in the device. In some embodiments, the stimulus signal has multiple waveforms having different frequencies. Logic circuitry can generate representative values from output of the different waveforms applied to one or more sensing nodes in the sensor panel device. From the representative values, a final value can be generated that represents whether an event occurred at or near the one or more sensing nodes. |
| US08922516B2 |
Touch panel and multi-points detecting method
A multi-points detecting method includes proving a touch panel including a plurality of detecting areas including a first detecting area, a second detecting area and a third detecting area. A maximum detecting value of a detecting curve is located in the first detecting area. The first detecting area and the second detecting area are analyzed to obtain a relative distance between a first touch point coordinate and a second touch point coordinate. The touch panel is defined as being touched at the first touch point coordinate or a middle point between the first touch point coordinate and the second touch point coordinate, when the relative distance is less than a predetermined distance. The touch panel is defined as being touched at the first touch point coordinate and the second touch point coordinate, when the relative distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance. |
| US08922514B2 |
Display device, control method and program thereof
When a touching object has touched a touch panel, a reference point position RP, a dead zone DZ, and a scroll target position SP* are set based on a touch position TP (S110 to S130); when the touch position TP has moved outside the dead zone DZ, the scroll target position SP* is updated with the touch position TP (S200) and unit scroll control is executed to control a display such that the reference point position RP moves toward the scroll target position SP* (a displayed image is scrolled) (S220); wherein, when the touch position TP has moved outside the dead zone DZ, the dead zone DZ is updated such that the position between the touch position TP and the reference point position RP just before the unit scroll control is executed becomes the center position of the dead zone DZ (S230). |
| US08922511B1 |
Display cartridge, systems and devices
An electronic display may be provided in a cartridge that can be conveniently mated with a host device. The cartridge may comprise a touch display screen, driver and receiver circuits, an area contact array, and a molding encasing the cartridge except for a display viewing area and exposed contact points of the contact array. The contact array may provide an efficient interconnection interface to a host device, and this interface may be releasable for the case of a replaceable cartridge or module. By accepting less than optimal lifetime performance of the display screen but providing it inexpensively and in a module form that is easy to replace, lowered overall consumer costs may be achieved. Inexpensive manufacturing methods may comprise a roll-to-roll fabrication method for fabricating the touch display screen on a flexible substrate as well as transfer or injection molding of the cartridge. |
| US08922510B2 |
User interface system
A user interface system of one embodiment includes a layer defining a surface; a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity; a displacement coupled to the cavity that expands the cavity, thereby deforming a particular region of the surface; and a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface. The layer and the substrate are connected at an attachment point, and the location of the attachment point relative to the layer, substrate, and cavity at least partially defines the shape of the deformed particular region of the surface. |
| US08922500B2 |
Projective capacitive touch sensor
A projective capacitive touch sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of dielectric layers. The electrode layers are arranged on the substrate along a first direction. At least one dielectric layer is formed on each electrode layer and the dielectric layer has different widths along a second direction. |
| US08922498B2 |
Self-service terminal and configurable screen therefor
A touch screen unit comprises a touch sensitive layer, a display and a processor. The processor is arranged to receive a signal indicative of a parallax error between a user's view of the touch sensitive layer and the user selectable objects displayed on the display and to correct for this parallax error. |
| US08922496B2 |
Multi-touch detection method for touch panel
An apparatus and a method for controlling a touch panel are disclosed herein, the apparatus includes an object detection module and an adjusting device. The object detection module can detect a position of at least one object contacting the touch panel. A position analyzer recognizes position of the object and the adjusting device can set the touch panel to a predetermined position according to the result recognized by the position analyzer. |
| US08922495B2 |
Input device with display panel
An input device includes a display, a touch panel and a cover member. The cover member fixes the display and the touch panel so that a display region of the display is exposed via a touch panel reaction region of the touch panel from an opening of the cover member and a surrounding region is defined in the touch panel reaction region between an inner periphery of the opening and an outer periphery of the display region. A controller of the input device is configured to: set a button display region in the display region; set a button reaction region in the touch panel reaction region to correspond to and overlap with the button display region; set a surrounding reaction region in the surrounding region to correspond to the button display region; acquire a coordinate of a pressed position where the touch panel reaction region is pressed; and select a process allocated to the button reaction region when the coordinate of the pressed position is located in the surrounding reaction region. |
| US08922487B2 |
Switching between a first operational mode and a second operational mode using a natural motion gesture
A mobile device is operative to change from a first operational mode to a second or third operational mode based on a user's natural motion gesture. The first operational mode may include a voice input mode in which a user provides a voice input to the mobile device. After providing the voice input to the mobile device, the user then makes a natural motion gesture and a determination is made as to whether the natural motion gesture places the mobile device in the second or third operational mode. The second operational mode includes an augmented reality display mode in which the mobile device displays images recorded from a camera overlaid with computer-generated images corresponding to results output in response to the voice input. The third operational mode includes a reading display mode in which the mobile device displays, without augmented reality, results output in response to the voice input. |
| US08922485B1 |
Behavioral recognition on mobile devices
The disclosure generally relates to identifying gestures on mobile devices for use in connection with speech detection. A gesture may be identified using at least one Bayesian network, such as a Hidden Markov Model. Each Bayesian network corresponds to one of a plurality of different gesture types, which may include different gestures or similar gestures performed at different speeds, for example. Each Bayesian network includes states corresponding to partitioned segments in an accelerometer time series for the associated gesture type. Segmenting the accelerometer timeseries allows the Bayesian network to account for the speed at which the user makes the gesture, minimizing any effect of the user's speed in performing the gesture on identifying the gesture type. An action may be taken based on the identified gesture type. For example, speech recording may start or stop and/or a notification regarding speech recording may be provided depending on the gesture identified. |
| US08922483B2 |
Information system having centrally located camera and gesture recognition
An information system includes a camera located at a central position in a horizontal direction in front of two users who face the camera and who are aligned side by side, a gesture recognizing unit configured to recognize a gesture of a hand of a user based on a target image captured by the camera, a determining unit that determines whether a central point in a width direction of an arm in the target image is at a right side or at a left side with respect to a center of the hand in the target image, and an operation user configured to determine that a performer of the gesture is a right side or a left side user. |
| US08922480B1 |
Viewer-based device control
A computing device can monitor the gaze direction of people around the device to determine whether any unintended viewers are viewing content displayed on the device. A user can activate a privacy mode of the device, such that when an unintended viewer is detected the device can take an appropriate action. In some cases the device can notify the primary user of the device using audible, visual, or tactile alerts. In other cases, the device can modify the display of content such that the unintended viewer is unable to decipher or view the content, or is otherwise notified of the detection. |
| US08922478B2 |
Position sensing method and position sensing apparatus and its construction
A position sensor is disclosed with detector elements 11 coupled to a set of output lines 20 according to a connection pattern 30. An object 2 triggers a window subset of the detector elements 11, causing a logic output on the set of output lines 20. Some output lines 20a are coupled to more that one detector element 11. However, the connection pattern 30 is arranged such that for any window subset of the detector elements falling in a variable length range, a unique logic output is provided on the set of output lines 20 to identify the position of the object. A sensing method and search process for determining the connection pattern are also disclosed. |
| US08922474B2 |
Method of performing off axis halo reduction by generating an off-axis image and detecting halo artifacts therein
A method for modifying an image to be displayed on a display includes receiving an image to be displayed on the display having a backlight and a transmissive panel. A backlight signal is provided to the backlight for causing the backlight to selectively illuminate different portions of the backlight with different characteristics. The characteristics include at least one of a different color and a difference luminance. A panel signal is provided to the panel for causing the transmissive panel to selectively change its transmittivities. At least one of the backlight signal and the panel signal are modified in a manner to reduce off-axis artifacts in selected regions of the display. |
| US08922473B2 |
Display device with bidirectional shift register and method of driving same
Provided is a display device capable of correctly displaying an image when surplus outputs are produced within a driver, regardless of a shifting direction of a shift register within the driver, without bringing about increase in cost and increase in consumption current. A timing controller (200) is provided with a register (22) that can store data indicating the length of a horizontal back porch when a shifting direction of a shift register within a source driver (300) is in a forward direction and data indicating the length of the horizontal back porch when the shifting direction is in an inverse direction. A source-start-pulse generation unit (21) within the timing controller (200) refers to the data within the register (22) according to the shifting direction of the shift register, and generates one of a first source start pulse signal (SSP1) for the forward direction and a second source start pulse signal (SSP2) for the inverse direction. |
| US08922471B2 |
Driver and display device using the same
A driving device comprises: a first driver driven by a first input signal and generating a first interim output signal controlled by a first clock signal; a second driver driven by a second input signal and generating a second interim output signal controlled by a second clock signal; and a plurality of shift registers including a buffer driven by the first interim output signal and the second interim output signal and generating an output signal controllable by the first clock signal and the second clock signal. The buffer includes a second transistor connected to a gate electrode of a first transistor for transmitting a voltage with a first level with the output signal and transmitting a voltage with a second level for turning off the first transistor. |
| US08922468B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with influences of offset voltages reduced
A semiconductor integrated circuit including a first register which latches display data, a second register which latches the display data of the first register in accordance with a first clock, a gray scale voltage generator which outputs a plurality of gray scale voltages, a decoder which selects a gray scale voltage in accordance with the display data of the second register from the plurality of gray scale voltages, and an amplifier including a first transistor and a second transistor. A first terminal of the first transistor and a first terminal of the second transistor are connected to a first voltage line, and the gray scale voltage outputted from the decoder is supplied to one of input terminals of the first transistor and the second transistor in accordance with a control signal. A phase of the control signal is reversed at intervals of two horizontal scanning lines. |
| US08922466B2 |
Display panel driving method, display apparatus, display panel driving apparatus and electronic apparatus
In the present invention, there is provided a display panel driving method of the type wherein the total light emitting period length within a one-field period is controlled to variably control the peak luminance level of a display panel, the driving method including a step of variably controlling, where the one-field period has N light emitting periods disposed therein, N being equal to or greater than 2, the light emitting period length of a particular one of the light emitting periods and the other light emitting period or periods to provide a difference in luminance between the particular light emitting period and the other light emitting period or periods so that the particular light emitting period is visually observed as the center of light emission. |
| US08922462B2 |
Pixel selection control method, driving circuit, display apparatus, and electronic instrument
A pixel selection control method, driving circuit, display apparatus and electronic instrument are disclosed. A driving circuit includes a logic circuit configured to receive a reference signal associated with a line of pixels. The reference signal has a first logic level or a second logic level. The driving circuit also includes a switch circuit configured to receive the reference signal and an enable signal, and to provide the enable signal to the logic circuit when the reference signal is at the first logic level. A display apparatus may be provided that includes the driving circuit. |
| US08922461B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a display element including a plurality of sub-elements connected to retention capacities, respectively; a plurality of writing transistors arranged corresponding to the sub-elements, respectively, and writing an image signal to the retention capacities; and a plurality of driving transistors driving the sub-elements, respectively based on the image signal written through the writing transistors. The writing transistors, the driving transistors or both of them are aligned along a source-drain alignment direction in which a drain electrode and a source electrode of each transistor in the writing transistors and driving transistors are aligned, and the writing transistors, the driving transistors or both of them are arranged so that drain electrodes or source electrodes in a pair of transistors are immediately adjacent to each other, the pair of transistors being a pair of the writing transistors or the driving transistors, and being immediately adjacent to each other. |
| US08922460B2 |
Level shift circuit, data driver, and display device
Disclosed is a level shift circuit that includes a first transistor of a first conductivity type connected between a first power supply line and a first node, and second and third transistors of a second conductivity type connected in series between a second power supply line and the first node. A first control signal is supplied in common to a gate of the first transistor and a gate of one of the second and third transistors. A gate of the other of the second and third transistors is connected to an input terminal to which an input signal with an amplitude lower than a power supply amplitude of the first and second power supplies is supplied. The level shift circuit includes a clocked inverter connected between the first node and a first output terminal and controlled to be turned on or off by a second control signal, an inverter with an input thereof connected to the first output terminal, and a switch connected between the first node and an output of the inverter and controlled to be turned on or off by a third control signal. The clocked inverter and the inverter are both arranged between the first and second power supply lines. |
| US08922459B2 |
Video projecting apparatus and method of controlling video projecting apparatus
Provided is a video projecting apparatus including a video processing unit that processes a video signal input from outside, a display device that is driven based on the video signal processed by the video processing unit, a lens that projects a video formed by the display device to the outside, a lens driving unit that drives the lens, and a control unit that controls the video processing unit to enlarge a video source input from the outside in accordance with an aspect ratio of the video source through resolution conversion, reserves adjustment values of positions of the lens in accordance with aspect ratios of video sources, and controls the lens driving unit by calling an adjustment value corresponding to an aspect ratio of a video source input from the outside among the adjustment values. |
| US08922454B2 |
Integrated photovoltaic cell and radio-frequency antenna
An integrated photovoltaic cell and RF antenna assembly is disclosed, the assembly comprising a photovoltaic cell and at least two horizontal portions of conductive material, each of the at least two horizontal portions of conductive material being secured under the photovoltaic cell, wherein two of the at least two horizontal portions are used for providing an electrical potential difference and the RF antenna is provided using the photovoltaic cell and at least one of the at least two horizontal portions of conductive material. |
| US08922450B2 |
Signal converting circuit capable of reducing/avoiding signal leakage and related signal converting method
A signal converting circuit includes: a first switching circuit; a second switching circuit; and a first balance-unbalance circuit (Balun) having a first signal terminal coupled to an antenna, a second signal terminal coupled to the first switching circuit, and a third signal terminal coupled to the second switching circuit; wherein when the first balance-unbalance circuit operates in a first signal converting mode, the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit are arranged to couple the second signal terminal and the third signal terminal, respectively, to a first signal processing circuit, and when the first balance-unbalance circuit does not operate in the first signal converting mode, the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit are arranged to couple the second signal terminal and the third signal terminal, respectively, to a reference voltage. |
| US08922445B2 |
Low-profile broadband multiple antenna
A low-profile broadband multiple antenna, comprises: a dipole arranged in the top part of said antenna, said dipole comprising at least one first top antenna element connected to the core of a multi-axial cable comprising a core and n sheaths and the bottom individual element of which is connected to the first sheath adjacent to the core, a connection device positioned between a top element of a dipole and the bottom element of said dipole the top element is connected to the sheath of index (k−1) of the multi-axial cable after the assembly comprising the core and the sheaths of index (1 to k−1) has been wound in Q turns around a magnetic core and the bottom element of the dipole is connected to the sheath of index k, and said connection device comprises at least one single-wire winding of P turns on the same magnetic core linking said bottom element of said dipole to the sheath of index (k−1), at the point corresponding to the start of the winding in order to provide the broadband impedance matching and the power supply for the dipole. |
| US08922443B2 |
Distributed loop antenna with multiple subloops
An electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be formed using a dielectric carrier structure. The antenna structures may have first and second loop antenna resonating elements. The first loop antenna resonating element may indirectly feed the second loop antenna resonating element. The second loop antenna resonating element may be a distributed loop element formed from multiple antenna resonating element subloops. The second loop antenna resonating element may be formed from a strip of metal with a width that loops around the dielectric carrier. An opening in the metal may separate first and second subloop antenna resonating elements from each other in the second loop antenna resonating element. Openings in the metal may form metal segments that collectively form an inductance for the first subloop. Antenna currents may flow through metal traces on the carrier and portions of an electronic device housing wall. |
| US08922439B2 |
Electronic device case, method and mold for manufacturing the same, and mobile communications terminal
An electronic device case having an antenna pattern embedded therein includes: a radiator having an antenna pattern portion transmitting and receiving a signal and a connection terminal portion allowing the signal to be transmitted to and received from a circuit board of an electronic device; a connection portion partially forming the radiator and connecting the antenna pattern portion and the connection terminal portion to be arranged in different planes; a radiator frame manufactured by injection molding on the radiator so that the antenna pattern portion of the radiator is provided on one side of the radiator frame and the connection terminal portion is provided on the other side thereof; and a case frame covering the one side of the radiator frame on which the antenna pattern portion is provided so that the antenna pattern portion is embedded between the case frame and the radiator frame. |
| US08922437B2 |
Exterior antenna structure of mobile terminal
An exterior antenna structure of a mobile terminal that may extend the length of an antenna pattern when it is inserted into a case is provided. The exterior antenna structure of the mobile terminal, includes, an exterior antenna including a sleeve extending to an outside of a case, a stopper connected to a lower end of the sleeve, and a pogo pin provided at an inside and a lower end of the stopper, and an additional antenna pattern electrically connected to the pogo pin when the exterior antenna is inserted into an inside of the case. Accordingly, an additional antenna pattern contacting with an exterior antenna may minimize reduction in a passive gain when an exterior antenna is inserted into a case, and a pogo pin provided at a stopper allows an exterior antenna inserted in a case to achieve a stable electric contact with an additional antenna pattern. |
| US08922434B2 |
Flat screen with integrated antenna
The invention relates to a flat screen (E) that comprises an active pixel matrix (M), an electrode that is common to said pixels (C), and a conductive strip (R) preferably in the form of a ring that is connected to said common electrode and at least partially surrounds said active matrix, characterized in that at least one slot (F) defining an antenna is formed in said conducting strip. The invention also relates to a portable apparatus that comprises: such a flat screen (E); an electronic board including a floorplan (PM) parallel to the flat screen and electrically connected to the conductive strip of the same; a means for generating and/or detecting electric radiofrequency signals; and an excitation port (P) for the slot antenna (F) installed in the flat screen, and connected to said means for generating and/or detecting electric radiofrequency signals. |
| US08922419B2 |
Jam assignment manager
A method for allocating system resources includes receiving, by a processor, an assignment list that includes a first assignment and a second assignment, each assignment is assigned a priority and includes tasks associated with each assignment, assigning each assignment to a system resource according to the assigned priority of each assignment, populating a tree for the system resource, the tree including each assignment assigned to the system resource ordered by the relative priority of the assignments, generating task roots associated with each task associated with each assignment in the tree, associating each task root with a task score, defining a first system resource root that includes the task roots having the lowest task scores, calculating a first system resource root score as a function of the task scores of the first system resource root, and saving the first system resource root as the current best estimate system resource root. |
| US08922414B2 |
Multi-layer system for symbol-space based compression of patterns
A method and apparatus for symbol-space based compression of patterns are provided. The method comprises receiving an input sequence, the input sequence being of a first length and comprising a plurality of symbols; extracting all common patterns within the input sequence, wherein a common pattern includes at least two symbols; generating an output sequence responsive of the extraction of all common patterns, wherein the output sequence has a second length that is shorter than the first length; and storing in a memory the output sequence as a data layer, wherein the output sequence is provided as a new input sequence for a subsequent generation of a data layer. |
| US08922409B2 |
Switch-driving circuit and DAC using the same
A switch-driving circuit and a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) using the switch-driving circuit are provided. The switch-driving circuit includes a main cell and a reference cell. The main cell includes a current source and a resistance-control component electronically connected to the current source. The reference cell is coupled to the current source and the resistance-control component, and includes a first loop, the first loop is configured to track a target reference voltage so as to provide at least one first control voltage to control a resistance change of the resistance-control component. The reference cell and the main cell are implemented by MOS transistors in place of capacitors which occupy an increased circuit area, rendering reduced circuit area for the switch-driving circuit, and decreasing manufacturing costs. Further, the switch-driving circuit outputs a voltage signal with reduced noise, increasing the performance of the Digital-to-Analog Converter. |
| US08922407B2 |
Analog/digital converter and semiconductor integrated circuit device
A reference A/D conversion unit is connected in parallel to an input common to a time-interleaved A/D converter to be a calibration target, and the output of each unitary A/D conversion unit which makes up the time-interleaved A/D converter is calibrated in a digital region by using a low-speed high-resolution A/D conversion result output from the reference A/D conversion unit. Also, fCLK/N (fCLK represents an overall sampling rate of the time-interleaved A/D converter, and N is relatively prime to the number of unitary A/D conversion units connected in parallel M) is set as the operation clock frequency of the reference A/D conversion unit. Samplings of all unitary A/D conversion units can be sequentially synchronized with the sampling of the reference A/D conversion unit, and the operation clock frequency of the reference A/D converter can be made N times slower than the overall sampling rate of the time-interleaved A/D converter. |
| US08922402B2 |
Offset correction device of comparator
A comparator offset correction device opens an open switch 205 and closes a short-circuit switch 204 in offset correction of a comparator 201. In this state, a controller 203 allows the comparator 201 to repeat, more than once, the operation of comparing reference voltages 101 input to two input terminals with each other. The filter 202 outputs a frequency signal obtained by smoothing a plurality of comparison results. Based on the frequency signal from the filter 202, the controller 203 outputs a threshold value control signal to the comparator 201 so that the ratio of a high-level voltage to a low-level voltage in the results of the comparison in the comparator 201 is 50%. Thus, even when a current which will be input may differ from a current which is currently input due to, for example, the influence of noise, the threshold value offset amount is normally corrected. |
| US08922399B2 |
Force sensitive input devices and methods
Illustrative embodiments of force sensitive input devices and methods are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, an input device may comprise a first input key configured to output a first analog signal as a function of force applied to the first input key, a second input key configured to output a second analog signal as a function of force applied to the second input key, a third input key configured to output a third analog signal as a function of force applied to the third input key, a fourth input key configured to output a fourth analog signal as a function of force applied to the fourth input key, and a controller configured to output movement data including both direction and magnitude in response to the first, second, third, and fourth analog signals, where the movement data is formatted for presentation to a driver of a computing device. |
| US08922398B2 |
Method of generating and providing a password to a handheld electronic device
A method of providing a password to a handheld electronic device having a reduced keyboard and a non-predictive keystroke interpretation system, wherein the reduced keyboard is of a particular keyboard type and the non-predictive keystroke interpretation system is of a particular system type. The method includes receiving a first character string in an electronic device, such as, without limitation, a PC, that is separate from the handheld electronic device, generating one or more second character strings in the electronic device based on the particular keyboard type, the first character string, and, possibly, the particular system type, and transmitting the one or more second character strings from the electronic device to the handheld electronic device as the password. |
| US08922397B2 |
Method and system of locating stationary vehicle with remote device
A location system for use in locating a vehicle or other object. The system may include displaying directional information on a mobile device, such as but not limited to a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), remote vehicle control device (fob, RKE, passive entry, etc.). The displayed directional information may indicate a direction of travel to the vehicle without requiring the mobile device to rely on GPS satellites to determine a position useful in orientating the user in a direction toward the vehicle. |
| US08922395B2 |
Method for detecting a wheel of a vehicle
A vehicle wheel is detected by emitting a measuring beam, recording frequencies of a reflected measuring beam over time as a received signal, and detecting a change in the received signal as a wheel. The vehicle comprises an onboard unit that stores information that indicates the vehicle length at least indirectly. The information is read from the onboard unit by a radio communication and the speed of the vehicle is measured. The duration of the passage of the vehicle passing a detector unit is computed based on this information and the speed. A time window in the received signal is determined that shows an approximately constant change of the received signal over the aforementioned duration. A spurious signal component is determined in a segment of the received signal that immediately precedes the time window. The received signal in the time window is compensated by the spurious signal component. |
| US08922393B2 |
Parking meter expired alert
Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete vehicle ecosystem. |
| US08922388B2 |
Vehicle puddle lamp responsive to ground surface conditions
A lighting system for the exterior of a vehicle that includes a housing, a sensor, a lamp assembly, and a controller. The sensor is carried by the housing and detects the presence of a hazard in a predetermined region on the ground adjacent to the vehicle. The lamp assembly is carried by the housing and has a light source for projecting light onto at least a portion of the region. The controller is coupled to the sensor and the lamp assembly. The controller has a light activation input and, upon receipt of a light activation command at the input, it controls the lamp assembly to project light from the lamp assembly of a first color or other visible characteristic when no hazard is detected by the sensor and of a second color or other visible characteristic when the hazard is detected by the sensor. |
| US08922386B2 |
Marine lighting apparatus and methods
A marine lighting apparatus includes a decking material, a frame supporting the decking material, and a substantially sealed light device attached to a source of electrical power. At least a portion of the frame is located above water. The substantially sealed light device is attached to at least one of the frame and the decking material at a position below the decking material. A method for locating a mooring position in a marina includes sending a code, or a waypoint for locating the rented mooring position to a device of a mooring position user. The code is sent from the device of the mooring position user when the user is in the proximity of the mooring position. A waypoint may be entered into a gps to locate the slip. A unique vessel identifier broadcast from a vessel can also be used to enable a mooring position locator. |
| US08922384B2 |
Automated calibration method for a dragging equipment detector
A method for calibrating a moving object impact detector is disclosed. A controller may receive input indicative of movement of an impact element from a first position to a second position. The controller may also receive an activation signal corresponding to the movement of the impact element. The controller may further receive input indicative of instructions to correlate the activation signal with the movement of the impact element. The controller may selectively set the activation signal as a reference signal for the detector, with the reference signal being indicative of an impact the moving object impact detector is set to detect. |
| US08922380B2 |
Water resistant drug infusion housing with pressure differential sensor
Described is drug infusion device with one or more vents that permit the passage of gas between the exterior and interior of the device's housing. In one embodiment the device may include multiple interior chambers of differing volume and pressure sensors placed between them, while vents to ambient pressure are included in each chamber. According to this exemplary structure, the readings from the pressure sensor may be used to determine malfunctions in the venting of the device and/or changes in pressure that could cause the unintended delivery of medication. |
| US08922378B2 |
Dispensing and accountability system and method for assuring washing of hands
A dispensing and accountability system for assuring washing of a person's hands includes at least one passive infrared detector adapted to detect the presence of the person having a requirement of washing the hands. Further, the dispensing and accountability system includes a controller having a scalable processor architecture operatively coupled to each passive infrared detector of the at least one passive infrared detector. Furthermore, the dispensing and accountability system includes at least one audio signal unit operatively coupled to the controller. The at least one audio signal unit is adapted to generate an audio signal to remind the person to wash the hands. In addition, the dispensing and accountability system includes at least one dispensing unit operatively coupled to the controller. Because of the scalable processor architecture of the controller, the system may be expanded or contracted depending on the needs of the institution using it. |
| US08922366B1 |
Reader communication with contact lens sensors and display device
A reader for communicating with both an eye-mountable device and a display device is provided. The reader can transmit radio frequency power to a tag that is part of the eye-mountable device. The reader can communicates with the tag using a first protocol. Communicating with the tag can include having the reader request data from the tag and receive the requested data from the tag. The reader can process the received data. The reader can store the processed data. The reader can communicates with the display device using a second protocol, where the first and second protocols can differ. Communicating with the display device can include having the reader transmit the stored data to the display device. The display device can receive the transmitted data, process the transmitted data, and generate one or more displays including the transmitted and/or processed data. |
| US08922365B2 |
Methods and systems for monitoring and alerting body temperature
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for monitoring and alerting a body temperature of a person under guardianship. A wireless signal emitting body temperature sensor is configured to transmit a wireless signal including a detected temperature value. The wireless signal is received by a wireless signal receiving chip of a wireless signal receiving and processing precaution device carried by a guardian, and processed by a central processing chip. If the detected value is over the maximum value or is under the minimum value, an alarming signal will timely notify the guardian about abnormality in the body temperature of the person under guardianship. |
| US08922363B2 |
Animal training apparatus for locating collar transceiver using GPS and method of controlling the same
Disclosed herein are an animal training apparatus for locating a collar transceiver using a Global Positioning System (GPS), and a method of controlling the the same. The animal training apparatus includes a portable device, and a collar transceiver. The portable device includes a portable device GPS reception unit, a key input unit, a portable device control unit, a display unit, and a portable device wireless communication unit. The collar transceiver includes a collar wireless communication unit, a collar GPS reception unit, a photodetector, a light output unit, a beep tone output unit, and a collar control unit. |
| US08922357B2 |
System and method for programming keys to vehicle to establish primary and secondary drivers
In at least one embodiment, a method for programming keys to a vehicle to establish primary keys and secondary keys to control vehicle functionality is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a key identification signal from a first key. The method further comprises generating a key status signal indicative of whether the first key is one of a primary key and a secondary key in response to the key identification signal. The method further comprises transmitting the key status signal to a vehicle interface display. The method further comprises allowing a user to change a status of at least one of the first key and an additional key with the vehicle interface display in response to determining that the key status signal corresponds to the primary key. |
| US08922354B2 |
External haptic generator for portable electronic devices
An external haptic generator for creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices and more particularly, an external haptic generator in a vehicle providing a secure mount and creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices that do not include haptic feedback generators. |
| US08922343B2 |
Remote operation apparatus of working machine
In a remote operation apparatus of a working machine including a working machine side transmission/reception unit (21) and a radio remote operation means (3) having a remote control side transmission/reception unit (31), an ON/OFF control circuit (32) for controlling the operation/non-operation state of the remote control side transmission/reception unit (31) is disposed to the radio remote operation means (3), and the working machine side transmission/reception unit (21) is called when the remote control side transmission/reception unit (31) is in an operating state by that the ON/OFF control circuit (32) is turned on, and the data showing the driving state of the working machine (1) is transmitted from the working machine side transmission/reception unit (21) to the remote control side transmission/reception unit (31) to thereby reduce an electric power consumption amount on the radio remote operation means (3). |
| US08922340B2 |
Proximity switch based door latch release
A vehicle door latch assembly includes a first proximity sensor on a first side of a door handle and a second proximity sensor on a second side of the door handle. The assembly also includes a latch operative to latch the door closed and to unlatch the door to allow the door to open. The assembly further includes control circuitry for activating the latch to unlatch the door based on an object such as an operator's hand sensed with both the first and second proximity sensors. |
| US08922339B2 |
Multiple-channel receiver system and method
A system and method for receiving signals from a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system, a remote keyless entry (RKE) system, and a passive entry system in a manner that reduces the occurrence of signal interference includes transmitting at least a first signal to a receiver on the vehicle. The receiver is configured to have multiple channels for receiving the TPM signal, the RKE signal and/or the passive entry signal. The method also includes receiving the first signal on a first receiver channel. The method further includes selecting a second receiver channel for receiving at least a second signal when the second signal is or will be generated. |
| US08922338B2 |
Power management in an electromagnetic transponder
A method of evaluation, by an electromagnetic transponder in the field of a terminal generating a magnetic field, of power that can be extracted from this field, including the steps of: evaluating the current coupling between the transponder and the terminal; and deducing therefrom information relative to the power available in this coupling position. |
| US08922335B2 |
Safe weapon container for securely releasing a defense weapon
A weapons container for releasing a defense weapon includes a cabinet, a cabinet door, and an interior securing the defense weapon. Upon detection of a fingerprint input by a biometric sensor, a surveillance camera captures video and an audio intercom provides communication with a central command center. A recording system saves the video and audio to a storage database. A delay release lock secures the defense weapon for an amount of time and releases the defense weapon depending on a signal from the central command center. A communications system is connected over a network to the central command center, a local authority, and an emergency responder. The communications system notifies the local authority or the emergency responder upon detection of the fingerprint input and streams the video and audio to the central command center and at least one of the local authority and the emergency responder over the Internet. |
| US08922329B2 |
Battery charging to extend battery life and improve efficiency
Exemplary charging device includes a processor and charging current for coupling to a battery. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor defines charging profiles for charging the battery at different charge rates. A profile can be selected based on a determinable time event and may be modified based on a charging history. Adjustable charging power is supplied to the battery at a power level, a charging duration, or a combination thereof based on the selected profile. A wireless power transmitter can also define charging profiles and charging histories for receivers that receive power from the transmitter based on an identifier from the receiver. The transmitter can select the charging profile based on a determinable time event and may be modified based on a charging history. The transmitter supplies power through the wireless power link at a power level, a charging duration, or a combination thereof based on the selected profile. |
| US08922327B2 |
Reactor and manufacturing method for reactor
A reactor 1α includes a coil 2 formed by winding a wire 2w, a magnetic core 3 that is disposed inside and outside of the coil 2 and forms a closed magnetic circuit, and a case 4 that has an opening portion and a bottom surface 40 that opposes the opening portion and that houses an assembly 10 of the coil 2 and the magnetic core 3. At least the opening portion of the case 4 side of the magnetic core 3 is formed of a molded solid body that contains magnetic powder and resin. A surface layer 5, which prevents the magnetic powder from rusting, is provided on a surface of the magnetic core 3 on the opening portion of the case 4 side. The surface layer 5 has a resin portion formed of resin similar to the resin contained in the magnetic core 3. The resin portion is formed so as to be continuous with the resin contained in the magnetic core 3 without an interface formed therebetween. |
| US08922325B2 |
Coil component including magnetic body
A coil component comprising a first split magnetic core and a second split magnetic core, each having an outer core leg, an inner core leg and a back yoke connecting the outer core leg and the inner core leg, and a coil block mounted to the inner core leg, wherein the outer core leg has a sectional area smaller than a sectional area of the inner core leg, a density of magnetic body in the outer core leg is different from a density of the magnetic body in any of the inner core leg and the back yoke, and the first split magnetic core and the second split magnetic core are butted against each other to form a magnetic core of a closed magnetic circuit. |
| US08922321B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting power and data without contact
In a power and data transmission method which can transmit power and information (data) simultaneously and contactlessly, and an apparatus therefor, a pair of coil units are magnetically coupled to each other. Each of the coil units has: a power transmission coil configured by a coil which is wound in a plane, and a magnetic shield member which is placed on a rear surface of the coil; and an information transmission coil configured by a coil which is wound in a plane, and a magnetic shield member which is placed on a rear surface of the coil, the coil diameter of the information transmission coil is made different from that of the power transmission coil, and the information transmission coil and the power transmission coil are stacked. Data are transmitted while power is transmitted. |
| US08922319B2 |
Reactor
A reactor includes: a molded coil including two coils integrally molded with resin; and two U-shaped cores each having core insertion portions inserted in the coils in a coil axial direction, and the cores being joined in a track-like form by interposing gap elements between them to form a core assembly. The molded coil has a substantially hexahedral shape, each of the cores includes a core outer portion joining the core insertion portions, a resin layer made of magnetic-metal containing resin consisting of binder resin and magnetic metal powder mixed therein is formed on outer surfaces of the core outer portions, the molded coil includes a fastening retaining part for holding and fixing the reactor to a cabinet with a fastening member so that the cabinet supports the reactor, and the molded coil is held apart from the cabinet by the fastening member and the fastening-member retaining part. |
| US08922315B2 |
Flexible ultracapacitor cloth for feeding portable electronic device
Disclosed is a flexible ultracapacitor having a flexible cloth including an autotransformer-type connected switch made with nanoporous carbon electrodes impregnated by an electrolyte. Each of the nanoporous carbon electrodes may be configured to have a circuit. The circuit may include a first inductor and a second inductor. Each of the first inductor and the second inductor may have a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminal of the first inductor may be coupled to the first terminal of the second inductor. A switch may be coupled between the first terminal of the first inductor and the second terminal of the second inductor. |
| US08922313B2 |
Induction device
An induction device includes a casing, a coil retainer, a coil that is disposed in the casing and retained to the coil retainer and a core that is disposed in the casing. The coil extends spirally around the core. The core and the coil retainer are fixed to the casing separately. |
| US08922310B2 |
Heat exchanger system for dry-type transformers
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a heat exchanger system for transformers or reactors having at least one coil being cooled by gaseous fluids circulating around the transformer. The system having an enclosure that houses the transformer and the at least one coil, where flow of cooling gaseous fluid passes over the coil and is heated by the heat of the transformer or reactor the heated gas is directed to pass over a thermosiphon heat exchanger which dissipates the heat to a cooling media. |
| US08922309B1 |
Devices and methods for tuning an inductor
An inductive device includes an inductor having an inductance associated therewith, and a tuning ring disposed around the inductor. The tuning ring has an inductance associated therewith, wherein the tuning ring is coupled to the inductor to establish a mutual inductance between the tuning ring and the inductor. The inductance of the inductor, the inductance of the tuning ring, and the mutual inductance between the tuning ring and the inductor contribute to a total inductance of the inductive device. The tuning ring is configurable, and is selectively configured to achieve a certain value for the mutual inductance, and a certain value for the inductance of the tuning ring, without changing a footprint of the tuning ring. |
| US08922302B2 |
Acoustic resonator formed on a pedestal
An acoustic resonator structure comprises a substrate having a trench, a conductive pattern formed in the trench, a pillar formed within the trench, and an acoustic resonator supported at a central location by the pillar and suspended over the trench. |
| US08922295B2 |
Directional coupler
A directional coupler includes: a main strip line connected between a first input terminal and a first output terminal and transmitting high-frequency signals; a sub strip line connected between a second input terminal and a second output terminal, located parallel to the main strip line, and electromagnetically coupled to the main strip line; and a first capacitor connected in parallel with the main strip line or the sub strip line, wherein an LC resonant circuit is constituted by inductances of the main strip line and sub strip line and capacitance of the first capacitor, and the LC resonant circuit resonates with respect to a high-frequency signal propagating from the first input terminal to the second output terminal. |
| US08922294B2 |
Low-loss tunable radio frequency filter
An RF filter comprises a signal transmission path having an input and an output, a plurality of resonant elements disposed along the signal transmission path between the input and the output, and a plurality of non-resonant elements coupling the resonant elements together to form a stop band having a plurality of transmission zeroes corresponding to respective frequencies of the resonant elements, and at least one sub-band between the transmission zeroes. The non-resonant elements comprise at least one variable non-resonant element for selectively introducing at least one reflection zero within the stop band to create a pass band in a selected one of the sub-band(s). The RF filter further comprises an electrical controller configured for receiving an operating temperature, and adjusting the variable non-resonant element(s) based on the received operating temperature, thereby selectively moving the reflection zero(es) along the stop band to move the pass band within the selected sub-band. |
| US08922290B2 |
Pulse width modulator with two-way integrator
An example PWM includes a driver and a two-way oscillator. The oscillator includes, a first frequency adjust current source, a second frequency adjust current source, a capacitor, a switching reference and a comparator. The capacitor integrates a frequency adjust current by charging with the first frequency adjust current source. The capacitor subsequently integrates a second frequency adjust current by discharging with the second frequency adjust current source. The switching reference outputs a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage responsive to an oscillator signal. The comparator compares the output of the switching reference with a voltage on the capacitor. The first and second frequency adjust current sources vary the first and second frequency adjust currents to vary the frequency of the PWM signal to spread energy of switching harmonics over a frequency band and to reduce EMI. |
| US08922285B2 |
Magnetoresistive radiofrequency oscillator and method for generating an oscillating signal
The invention relates to a radiofrequency oscillator which incorporates: a spin-polarized electric current magnetoresistive device (6), a terminal (18) for controlling the frequency or amplitude of the oscillating signal, a servo loop (34) connected between the output terminal and the control terminal for applying a control signal to the control terminal in order to slave a characteristic of the oscillating signal to a reference value, the servo loop (34) comprising: a sensor (36) of the amplitude of the oscillating signal oscillations, and a comparator (38) capable of generating the control signal according to the measured amplitude and the reference value. |
| US08922280B2 |
Temperature compensation circuit and electronic device with temperature compensation
A temperature compensation circuit is adapted to be used in an electronic device including a processing circuit. The temperature compensation circuit includes a thermistor, a compensation capacitor and a compensation diode. The thermistor has two ends, one of which is adapted to be electrically connected to the processing circuit. The compensation capacitor has two ends, one of which is electrically connected to the other one of the two ends of the thermistor. The compensation diode has an anode electrically connected to the other one of the two ends of the compensation capacitor, and a cathode to be grounded. The impedance of the thermistor varies with temperature so as to compensate and stabilize an output of the electronic device. |
| US08922276B2 |
Auto-zero amplifier and feedback amplifier circuit using the auto-zero amplifier
In aspects of the invention, at normal operation, an operational amplifier circuit has feedback applied from the output thereof to the input thereof so that currents equal to each other flow in differential pair transistors, respectively. While, in order that currents equal to each other may flow in the differential pair transistors, respectively, for compensating the difference in threshold voltages in the differential pair transistors, a voltage lower by a certain voltage difference than the voltage applied to the gate terminal of the transistor must be applied to the gate terminal of the transistor. From this, the switching of switches, when a virtual short circuit occurs, can make the output voltage of the operational amplifier circuit become a signal in which positive and negative rectangular ripples, with the values thereof being proportional to the value of the certain voltage difference, are superimposed on a true value. |
| US08922275B2 |
Common mode input control for switch capacitor amplifier in pipeline analog-to-digital converter
A common mode bias circuit may include a weak common mode bias generator and a common mode bias capacitance. During a first state of the common mode bias circuit, the weak common mode bias generator may be coupled to the common mode bias capacitance and may impart to them a predefined common mode signal level. During a second state of the common mode bias circuit, the common mode bias capacitance may be coupled to differential inputs of an amplifier in a manner that establishes an input common mode level for the amplifier. |
| US08922273B2 |
Internal voltage generator
A semiconductor device is capable of generating an internal voltage having a voltage level that is dependent on an external power supply voltage. The semiconductor device includes an internal voltage generation unit configured to generate a plurality of internal voltages having different voltage levels by using an external power supply voltage, a voltage level detection unit configured to detect a voltage level of the external power supply voltage, and a selection unit configured to selectively output one of the internal voltages in response to a detection result of the voltage level detection unit. |
| US08922272B1 |
System and method for voltage regulator-gating
A system and method for adaptive activity management of on-chip voltage regulators based upon the workload information is provided to force each on-chip regulator to operate in its most power-efficient load current. In the proposed regulator-gating technique, regulators are adaptively turned ON when the current demand is high and turned OFF when the current demand is low to improve the voltage conversion efficiency. With the proposed regulator-gating system and method, the overall voltage conversion efficiency from the battery or off-chip power supply to the output of the on-chip voltage regulators experiences an approximately 3 times improvement over the prior art techniques. |
| US08922270B2 |
Charge pump and driver integrated circuit using the same
A charge pump including an output terminal, an external capacitor, and a switch module is provided. The output terminal is coupled to an internal capacitor disposed inside an integrated circuit (IC). The external capacitor is disposed outside the IC. The switch module, coupled to the external capacitor and the internal capacitor configured to control the external capacitor and the internal capacitor to charge and discharge by turns. In a first operating period, the switch module controls the external capacitor to charge without providing current to the output terminal, and controls the internal capacitor to discharge to the output terminal. |
| US08922266B2 |
Calibration circuit
A first constant voltage is supplied to a variable capacitance in a switched capacitor, and the variable capacitance is effectively charged to the first constant voltage in each cycle of a sampling clock. A current generated by charging the calibration resistance is averaged, and a resultant current is compared against a current generated by applying a second constant voltage to a resistance. The capacitance value of the variable capacitance is adjusted in accordance with a result of the comparison. Thus the variable capacitance is calibrated so as to have a target value. |
| US08922260B2 |
Method and apparatus for a programmable frequency divider
A dual-edge triggered variable frequency divider for use in digital frequency synthesis is disclosed. The variable frequency divider utilizes a multiphase clock and a logic unit, including both positive and negative edge triggered unit delay elements connected in parallel. The variable frequency divider generates a clock pulse from a signal source that corresponds to an input value from a logic unit, generates a next input value by the logic unit based on the input value and a frequency control word, and transmits the next input value from the logic unit to the signal source in response to the clock pulse. The multiphase clock is configured to generate the clock signal in response to the falling edge of the first pulse of the clock signal. Iteratively selecting signals by this process results in an observed output frequency of fout=N*fsrc/D, where fsrc is the input signal frequency, N is the number of phases of the multi-phase (N-phase) clock, and D is an integer between 1 and N configured by the frequency control word. |
| US08922256B1 |
System for driving current steering switches and pre-drivers
An apparatus includes a number of current steering switches and a power controller. A current source is coupled to the current steering switches and to the power controller. The current source is controlled to provide a first voltage to the current steering switches. The apparatus also includes a number of pre-drivers. The power controller is configured to provide a second voltage to the plurality of pre-drivers. The second voltage is dependent on the first voltage. |
| US08922250B2 |
Semiconductor device and semiconductor system including the same
A semiconductor device and a power voltage supply circuit for a test operation of a semiconductor system including the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device receives first and second power supply voltages in a normal operation mode from an external device and receives the first power supply voltage in a test operation mode. The semiconductor device includes a voltage level setting unit configured to set a power connection node at a voltage between a voltage level of a first power supply voltage terminal and a voltage level of a ground voltage terminal according to an operation mode signal, and a voltage driving unit configured to drive a second power supply voltage terminal with the first power supply voltage in the test operation mode, wherein the driving power is controlled according to the voltage level of the power connection node. |
| US08922247B2 |
Power controlling integrated circuit and retention switching circuit
A power control integrated circuit is provided having a voltage switching device and a retention switching device that has an input from an overdrive voltage supply such that in a retention enabled configuration a retention switching device is switched on more strongly relative to being both coupled to and driven from the voltage supply input signal associated with the voltage switching device. An overdriven retention switching device is provided as a separate entity from the voltage switching device itself and a computer readable storage medium is provided storing a data structure comprising a standard cell circuit definition for use in generating validating the circuit layout of a circuit cell of an integrated circuit. The circuit cell comprising an overdriven retention switching device. A further data structure corresponding to a standard cell is provided comprising an overdriven retention switching device and a voltage switching device and yet a further standard cell data structure is provided comprising an overdriven voltage switching device. |
| US08922242B1 |
Single event upset mitigation
Methods and circuits are disclosed for backing up the value of a bi-stable circuit included in a set of programmable logic circuits of a programmable IC. The programmable logic circuits are configured to implement logic circuits having functions based on data values stored in a used portion of a plurality of configuration memory cells. The programmable IC includes a backup control circuit configured to back up and restore the value of the bi-stable circuit. In response to a first signal, a first data value stored by the bi-stable circuit is retrieved and stored in a first one of the plurality of configuration memory cells that is unused in implementing the logic circuits. In response to a second signal, the first data value is retrieved from the first one of the plurality of configuration memory cells and stored in the bi-stable circuit. |
| US08922237B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit with testing and repairing via
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor chips coupled to one another through vias, wherein a lowermost semiconductor chip of the plurality of semiconductor chips is configured to generate a first test pulse signal and transmit the first test pulse signal through the via, an uppermost semiconductor chip of the plurality of semiconductor chips is configured to generate a second test pulse signal while substantially maintaining a time difference with the first test pulse signal, and to transmit the second test pulse signal through the via, and the plurality of semiconductor chips are configured to generate test result signals for determining whether the vias are defective in response to the first test pulse signal and the second test pulse signal. |
| US08922233B2 |
Apparatus for testing a semiconductor device and method of testing a semiconductor device
An apparatus for testing a semiconductor device includes a test socket, a test board, an ID reader, and an accumulator. The test socket comprises an ID information pattern and is configured to receive the semiconductor device. The test board is configured to detachably receive the test socket and electrically connect to the test socket. The ID reader is configured to read the ID information pattern and generate an ID signal corresponding to the test socket each time a semiconductor test is performed in the test socket. The accumulator is electrically connected to the ID reader and is configured to accumulate a plurality of ID signals, and store a test number equal to the number of times the test socket is used to perform the semiconductor test. The test number is based on the accumulated ID signals. |
| US08922228B2 |
Control method and a control apparatus in a hybrid type construction apparatus
A control method of measuring an internal resistance of an electric power accumulator 19 of a hybrid-type construction machine 100 comprises: a pattern generating step of generating an internal resistance measurement pattern in a non-operation status in which there is no operation for the hybrid-type construction machine from an operator; an output changing step of changing an output of a generator 12 based on the pattern generated in the pattern generating step in the non-operation status; an electric current, etc., detecting step of detecting electric current values and voltage values in the electric power accumulator 19 before and after the change of the output of the generator 12 in the output changing step; and an internal resistance measuring step of measuring the internal resistance of the electric power accumulator 19 based on the electric current values and the voltage values detected before and after the change of the output of the generator 12 in the electric current, etc., detecting step. |
| US08922226B2 |
Production line detection apparatus and method
The present invention relates to the field of detection apparatus and/or methods. One aspect relates to an apparatus and/or detection methods for sensing material and/or detection of a predetermined characteristic within a detection zone. Another aspect relates to a method for improving the accuracy of an inspection device by capturing the human interpretation of its classification decision. Still another aspect relates to detection of relatively hard to detect items, for example items inside sealed packages. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method of monitoring and/or improving the operation of a detection apparatus in which a detection result is obtained, and an adjustment (if necessary) is made in accordance with a comparison. |
| US08922224B2 |
Snoop detection on calibrated bus
An electronic system having a high speed signaling bus requiring training (calibration) of a calibrated item in a driver circuitry or a receiver circuitry for reliable operation. At manufacturing or in a secure location, secure calibration coefficients are determined for the electronic system and are stored in a non-volatile storage. During operation, the high speed signaling bus may be re-calibrated, resulting in a new currently active calibration coefficient for the calibrated item. A coefficient watchdog checks a new coefficient value selected by the re-calibration at present environmental conditions such as voltage and temperature against the secure calibration coefficients. If the new calibration coefficient value is the same as a calibration coefficient value in an acceptably close secure calibration coefficient, the new calibration coefficient is accepted; if not, a potentially probed warning is created by the coefficient watchdog. |
| US08922223B2 |
Timer circuit
A timer circuit is provided with a comparator CMP1, a control unit and a comparator CMP2. The comparator CMP1 compares a potential of the capacitance element with the potential of a reference voltage VREF_H, and if the potential of the capacitance element reaches the potential of the reference voltage VREF_H, outputs a pre-specified time-up signal. The control unit performs control such that the potential of the capacitance element is higher than a potential of a reference voltage VREF_S, which is higher than the ground potential and lower than the potential of the reference voltage VREF_H. The comparator CMP2 compares the potential of the capacitance element with the potential of the reference voltage VREF_S, and if the potential of the capacitance element is lower than the potential of the reference voltage VREF_S, outputs a short circuit detection signal indicating that a short circuit state of the capacitance element has been detected. |