| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09026227B2 |
Anchor sleeve for implantable lead
An anchor sleeve for securing a therapy delivery element, such as a stimulation lead or catheter, within a living body, that includes an inner sleeve with pre-formed locations of weakness that facilitate localized deformation. The anchor includes a deformable outer sleeve with a primary lumen extending along an axis. The outer surface of the outer sleeve includes a plurality of suture grooves oriented generally concentric to the axis. The inner sleeve includes a plurality of beams connected at deflection regions arranged around a secondary lumen. The inner sleeve is located in the primary lumen adjacent to the suture grooves so that the secondary lumen is generally concentric with the primary lumen. A plurality of locations of weakness are preformed in each of the beams to facilitate localized deformation in response to a radially inward force applied around the suture grooves by a suture material. |
| US09026224B2 |
Communication interface for sensory stimulation
Techniques, apparatuses, and systems for interfacing multiple sensors with a biological system can include amplifying signals from respective sensors associated with an external device; modulating the amplified signals based on respective different frequency values; and summing the modulated signals to produce an output signal to stimulate a biological system. |
| US09026220B2 |
System for an implantable medical device having an external charger coupleable to accessory charging coils
An external charger system is disclosed comprising an external charger with an internal charging coil, as well as an output port coupleable to one of a plurality of types of external accessory charging coils of varying shapes and sizes. If the internal charging coil of the external charger is sufficient for a given patient's charging needs, the accessory charging coils may be detached from the external charger, and the external charger may serve as a standalone self-contained external charger. The external charger can automatically detect which of the plurality of types of accessory charging coils is connected, and can adjust its operation accordingly. This versatile design allows the external charger system to be used by large numbers of patients, even if their particular implant charging scenarios are different. |
| US09026218B2 |
Method of treating depression, mood disorders and anxiety disorders using neuromodulation
The present application involves a method and a system for using electrical stimulation and/or chemical stimulation to treat depression. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrical stimulation lead and/or catheter that is in communication with a predetermined site which is coupled to a signal generator and/or infusion pump that release either an electrical signal and/or a pharmaceutical resulting in stimulation of the predetermined site thereby treating the mood and/or anxiety. |
| US09026213B2 |
Medical device lead with conductor fracture prediction
A medical device lead includes a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is configured for connection to a pulse generator. One or more electrodes are at a distal end of the lead body, and a lead conductor extends through the lead body and is electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more electrodes. The conductor is configured to deliver electrical signals between the proximal end and the at least one of the one or more electrodes. A sacrificial conductor extends through the lead body adjacent to lead conductor and is configured to fail at a lower stress than the lead conductor. |
| US09026205B2 |
Stimulating device
An implantable apparatus for delivering electrical stimuli to a user, the apparatus including at least a stimulator adapted to generate stimulation signals, an electrode array, said array including a plurality of electrodes for delivering said stimulation signals; and a plurality of release sites for pharmaceutical agents, said release sites being positioned at locations along said array, said release sites being controlled such that said agents can be operatively delivered at selected ones of said locations. |
| US09026202B2 |
Cardiac performance monitoring system for use with mobile communications devices
Described herein are apparatuses (e.g., devices, systems, software), and methods for monitoring the cardiac health of a patient. The apparatuses and methods may include a smartphone or hand held computing device having an accelerometer. The apparatus may also include a device with a plurality of electrodes integral with or attached to the smartphone. The devices can be placed on a patient's chest to measure electrical signals and vibrations on the chest caused by the heartbeat. The measurements can generate a seismocardiogram (SCG) and in some variations an electrocardiogram (ECG). The apparatuses and methods can analyze the data in the SCG to produce a measure of the cardiac function. Changes in such measures can provide an early warning for potential cardiac problems and signal the need for the patient to seek treatment prior to a fatal cardiac event. |
| US09026201B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for detection of myocardial ischemia upon exertion
Various method embodiments of the present invention concern sensing patient-internal pressure measurements indicative of physiological exertion, identifying one or more steady state periods of physiological exertion based on the patient-internal pressure measurements, sensing extra-cardiac response data and cardiac response data corresponding to the one or more physiological exertion steady state periods, respectively comparing the extra-cardiac response data and the cardiac response data to extra-cardiac response information and cardiac response information associated with equivalent levels of physiological exertion intensity of the one or more steady state periods, and determining the likelihood that myocardial ischemia occurred during the one or more steady state periods based on the comparison of the extra-cardiac response data to the extra-cardiac response information and the cardiac response data to the cardiac response information. |
| US09026200B2 |
Garment for bioinformation measurement having electrode, bioinformation measurement system and bioinformation measurement device, and device control method
The present invention provides a garment for measuring biological information, a biological information measurement system, a biological information measurement device and a method of controlling thereof capable of measuring biological information with accuracy regardless of variations of the constitution of each examinee. When an examinee wears a biological information measurement shirt 301, four limb electrodes 351 and 352 are arranged at positions so that the electrodes cover the body surface other than around the clavicle of the examinee. At that time, four limb electrodes 362 and 363 are assigned to positions so that they cover about the pelvis of the examinee. Also, during the use of the shirt, chest electrodes 353˜358 cover from the body surface (around lower part of left side of the body) of a presternal region around the left thorax of an examinee for a perpendicular direction of the body axis (a direction perpendicular to the length of the shirt) and the electrodes are assigned so as to cover from the body surface around the fourth rib to that around the sixth rib. |
| US09026199B2 |
Monitoring a condition of a subject
Apparatus and methods are described, included a method for detecting uterine contractions in a pregnant woman. The method includes sensing motion of the woman without contacting the woman, generating a signal corresponding to the sensed motion, and analyzing the signal to detect presence of labor contractions. Other applications are also described. |
| US09026193B2 |
Intrinsic frequency hemodynamic waveform analysis
Hardware and software methodology are described for cardiac health measurement. Hemodynamic waveforms variously acquired for a subject are analyzed to calculate or approximate intrinsic frequencies in two domains in two domains across the Dicrotic Notch. The intrinsic frequencies provide metrics/measures that correlate to the cardiac health of the subject. The systems may be used for monitoring a condition and/or is diagnosis. Exemplary uses include identifying (diagnosing) the presence of arrhythmia, heat failure, atrial fibrillation, aneurysms, vessel stenosis or aortic valve dysfunction and the necessity for valve replacement and/or monitoring congestive heart failure progression, together with identifying the acute need for hospitalization in connection with daily testing for any such condition. |
| US09026192B2 |
Device and method for in vivo imaging
Devices and methods for optically scanning an in-vivo lumen, and for determining contact between an in-vivo device and an in-vivo lumen wall. The device may include an elongated housing having a cylindrical portion. At least one illuminating body may provide illumination at the circumference of the cylindrical portion, and at least one light sensor may sense light that penetrated and was scattered from the tissue of the in vivo lumen. The device may include a barrier for preventing direct illumination from the illuminating body from reaching the light sensor and for decreasing the amount of direct light reflection from the outer surface of the in vivo lumen onto the light sensor. |
| US09026187B2 |
Wireless communication accessory for a mobile device
A mobile device peripheral that incorporates a repeater antenna inside of a protective case for a mobile device to extend the range of short-range communications while minimizing interference caused by the thickness or materials of the protective case. The repeater antenna can be capable of receiving a wireless signal from an antenna in the mobile device and transmitting the same signal or an amplified version of the same signal. The repeater antenna can be capable of receiving a wireless signal from an external antenna and transmitting the same signal or an amplified version of the same signal to the mobile device. The mobile device peripheral can also include a battery that provides additional power the mobile device. Without a repeater antenna, the materials and/or thickness of the additional battery and/or the case can partially or completely block a short-range, low-frequency, or low-power communication signal such as Near Field Communication (NFC). |
| US09026185B2 |
Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium
A communication apparatus, which is capable of communicating with a first apparatus via a first communication interface and communicating with a second apparatus via a second communication interface, determines whether the first apparatus complies with a power-saving function of the first communication interface and selects, based on a result of the determination, a communication interface to be operated when the communication apparatus is set to be in a power-saving state from between the first communication interface and the second communication interface. Depending on an ambient environment, a communication interface to be operated during a power-saving operation is selected to increase a power-saving effect. |
| US09026182B1 |
Communication device
The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, a multiple & real-time & chronological speech-to-text implementer, and a caller ID. |
| US09026181B2 |
Portable terminal device
A portable terminal device includes a display module which can be set to be in a see-through state that a user can see-through a scenery behind, a display control module which controls the display module, a storage module which stores a destination position, a position obtaining module which obtains a current position, and a comparison module which compares the destination position and the current position. Then, the display control module displays information showing the destination position on the display module according to a comparison result of the comparison module, and sets a display area other than information showing the destination position on the display module to be in the see-through state. |
| US09026180B2 |
Portable electronic apparatus, and a method of controlling a user interface thereof
A portable electronic apparatus has a display, keypad, sensor and controller. Keys of the keypad are distributed within a keypad area in at least a first plane and are arranged for user actuation transversally to the first plane to provide a first type of user input. The sensor is positioned to sense navigating user actuation at the keypad area in or coincident with the first plane to provide a second type of user input. The controller is configured to control a focus position on the display in response to the second type of user input; associate a plurality of display subareas of the display with respective keys of the keypad; and accept, for user input of the second type, user actuation of an actuated key among the keys as a selection of a selectable item presented at the focus position in a particular display subarea associated with the actuated key. |
| US09026178B2 |
State based mobile phone with a first display module and a second display module
A method for operating a mobile terminal device comprising at least two displays is disclosed. Information of a first group on a first display module is displayed, if only a first display module is externally exposed. Information of a second group different from the first group on the first display module and a second display module is displayed, if both the first display module and the second display module are externally exposed. |
| US09026177B2 |
Service mode display on a handheld communication device
In a handheld communication device capable of a plurality of wireless communication modes, a method of communication begins by receiving, at the handheld communication device, a notification of an available one of the wireless communication modes. Then, in a data communication window of the communication device, a user-indication of an active one of the available wireless communication modes is provided in accordance with the received communication mode indication. The data communication window is configured to facilitate data communication via the plurality of wireless communication modes, and facilitates the data communication via the active wireless communication mode. |
| US09026176B2 |
Message-triggered voice command interface in portable electronic devices
The embodiments provided herein are directed to a system and method of message-triggered voice command interface in portable electronic devices. The voice command interface is normally not activated until a message (e.g., an e-mail, a text message, or a voice mail) has been received by a portable electronic device. The arriving of a message is used to trigger the voice command interface by activating one or more speech recognition routines in a predetermined time period corresponding to the one or more speech recognition routines. The voice command interface come to an end when the predetermined time period expires or the user has no further commands. |
| US09026174B2 |
Scanner system
In a scanner system comprising a portable terminal and a scanner device, the scanner device has a mounting portion on which the portable terminal is mounted and electrically connected to the scanner device. The scanner device acquires identification information of the portable terminal when the scanner device detects mounting of the portable terminal on the mounting portion, and transmits a connection request to the portable terminal having the identification information. The portable terminal activates an application for establishing communication with the scanner device in response to the connection request from the scanner device when the mounting of the portable terminal on the mounting portion is detected. Thus, the communication between the portable terminal and the scanner device can be established without operation of a user. |
| US09026172B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for managing transports
According to embodiments described in the specification, a method, system and apparatus for managing transports is provided. The method comprises: maintaining a transport preference in a memory of the mobile electronic device, the transport preference including an identifier of a preferred transport; monitoring available transports; and selecting a transport for use based on the transport preference and the available transports. |
| US09026167B2 |
Picocell range expansion configuration on authorized shared access
An apparatus, system, and method for a communication network that includes a picocell range expansion configuration on authorized shared access. A method may include determining, in a controller, at least one allowable maximal range expansion bias value for at least one picocell within a coverage area of a macrocell. The method may also include sending the determined allowable maximal range expansion bias value for the at least one picocell from the controller to the macrocell. A further method may include receiving at least one allowable maximal range expansion bias value for at least one picocell from a controller. The method may also include updating, by a macrocell, a range expansion bias value for each picocell within a macrocell based on the received allowable maximal range expansion bias value. |
| US09026164B2 |
Selective transmission of power decision pilot in a wireless communication system
Techniques for selectively transmitting a power decision pilot are described. The power decision pilot may be indicative of the transmit power to use for data transmission in a future time interval. The power decision pilot may be transmitted when sufficiently beneficial for channel quality estimation or omitted otherwise. Whether or not to transmit the power decision pilot may be determined based on system type (e.g., heterogeneous or homogeneous system), the presence or absence of a dominant interferer, whether a reduce interference request is received, etc. For example, a base station may transmit a power decision pilot if it causes high interference to a non-served terminal, if a served terminal observes high interference from a neighbor base station, if the base station receives a reduce interference request from a non-served terminal, etc. The power decision pilot may be transmitted if a determination is made to transmit the pilot or omitted otherwise. |
| US09026162B2 |
Multi-technology coexistence for IBSS networks
Apparatus configured to be implemented in a first wireless communication device, having corresponding non-transitory computer-readable media, comprise a memory configured to store a coexistence schedule, wherein the coexistence schedule defines WLAN intervals and non-WLAN intervals; a WLAN transceiver configured to transmit WLAN signals in an IBSS network; a non-WLAN transceiver configured to transmit wireless non-WLAN signals; and a coexistence circuit configured to allow the WLAN transceiver to transmit the WLAN signals in the IBSS network only during the WLAN intervals, wherein the coexistence circuit is further configured to allow the non-WLAN transceiver to transmit the wireless non-WLAN signals only during the non-WLAN intervals; and wherein the coexistence circuit is further configured to cause the WLAN transceiver to transmit one or more coexistence request messages, each indicating a duration of at least one of a respective one of the WLAN intervals, and a respective one of the non-WLAN intervals. |
| US09026159B2 |
Method and devices for bandwidth allocation in a wireless communications system
A method is provided by the present invention for allocating channel resources in a wireless network. The method comprises: a) transmitting at least one message which comprises information that would allow association of at least one service flow for conveying data from/to a subscriber terminal, with at least one group of service flows; b) transmitting from a base station messages adapted to provide information which relate to the allocation of resources of a channel along which data will be transmitted to/from said subscriber terminal via one or more service flows associated with that at least one group of service flows, and wherein the information comprises an identification of the at least one group of service flows; and c) transmitting data from/to the subscriber terminal in accordance with the allocation of the channel resources for the at least one group of service flows. |
| US09026156B2 |
Method and apparatus providing in-device co-existence signaling
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus, method and computer storage product are disclosed which compose a report at an apparatus having at least one network radio and at least one other radio, the report comprising in-device coexistence related information that combines information descriptive of potential and on-going interference to the at least one other radio as two orthogonal components comprised of power domain information and time domain information and transmit the report to a network station with which the apparatus communicates using the at least one network radio. |
| US09026155B2 |
Logging system for wireless communication and wireless device
A logging system includes a plurality of receiving wireless devices, and a logging device. Each receiving wireless device receives a communication content of a target wireless device by using a corresponding channel. Each receiving wireless device outputs a log that shows a communication status of the corresponding channel. A logging device collects the log that is output from each of the plurality of receiving wireless devices. |
| US09026153B2 |
Method and apparatus for state/mode transitioning
A method and apparatus for transitioning states or modes on a user equipment, the method having the steps of receiving, at a network element, a transition indication; checking a radio resource profile for the user equipment; and making a transitioning decision at the network element based on the received transition indication and the radio resource profile. |
| US09026151B2 |
Base station positioning using Doppler observables, position, and velocity
Methods, devices, and systems are described for using multiple measurements including Doppler measurements from a mobile device to identify the position of the base station. Repeated Doppler and velocity measurements from different locations, with measurement groups taken at the same time or within a certain time frame, may be used to identify the location of a base station with which the mobile device is communicating. |
| US09026150B2 |
Mobile Tracking
A method of tracking a first wireless communications device using another computing device, such as a second wireless communications device, includes obtaining current position data for the first wireless communications device and obtaining one or more of speed data, time data, and path data for the first wireless communications device. The first wireless device then transmits the current position data and at least one of the speed data, time data and path data to the second wireless communications device or other computing device. In addition to current position data, the speed, path and time data facilitate tracking of the first wireless communications device. When a first mobile user wants a second mobile user to follow him, the first mobile user can put his device in “follow me” (tracking) mode. This is particularly useful when the first and second mobile users are traveling in respective cars or other vehicles. |
| US09026147B2 |
Defibrillator location tracking device
A defibrillator is disclosed for communication with a transmitter associated with a location. The defibrillator is configured to generate an electronic signature for determining a position of the defibrillator within the location. The electronic signature includes electronic data correlating the position of the defibrillator to the transmitter. The electronic data may include GPS data. The defibrillator is configured to generate the electronic signature during a first and a second window of time to define a first and a second electronic signature. A differential between the first and the second electronic signatures corresponds to a positional state of the defibrillator, indicating movement within or between two locations. In a disclosed system, the first electronic signature is stored in a database and a server is configured to generate the differential and to communicate the positional state of the defibrillator to a stakeholder. Methods of use are also disclosed. |
| US09026145B1 |
Systems and methods for mapping IP-addresses to geolocations
A computer-implemented method that includes receiving a location from a location aware access device and an IP address of a network device to which the location aware access device is connected, receiving a request that includes the IP address of the network device from a location unaware access device that is connected to the network device, determining a geographic location for the location unaware access device based on the IP address of the network device and the location received from the location aware access device, selecting information responsive to the request from the location unaware access device based at least in part on the geographic location, and providing the selected information to the location unaware access device. |
| US09026143B2 |
Providing base station almanac to mobile station
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a hierarchal base station almanac received at a mobile station. |
| US09026142B2 |
Apparatus and method for reporting location information of terminal
An apparatus for reporting location information reports location information to a base station when there is a reporting request for location information necessary for wireless location measurement from the base station and reports the location information necessary for the wireless location measurement to the base station according to a reporting period. In addition, the apparatus for reporting location information reports the location information to the base station when events are generated within the reporting period. |
| US09026141B2 |
System and method for controlling device location determination
A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information. |
| US09026139B2 |
Location-based cognitive and predictive communication system
A location-based cognitive and predictive communication system includes an interface connected to sensors to receive transactional data for an individual measured by the sensors. A memory stores the transactional data. The transactional data may be associated with a current travel path for the individual and includes a time and geographic location for the individual on the travel path. A prediction module may determine a current activity for the individual based on a prediction determined from the transactional data and may determine a choice set for the individual based on the current activity and based on predictions for a group for which the individual is a member. The choice set may include choices associated with transportation for the current travel path of the individual. |
| US09026137B2 |
Determining a location of a wireless endpoint device in a wireless network
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for determining a location of a user endpoint device in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method receives from each of a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals and a plurality of times of arrival, wherein each of the plurality of times of arrival is associated with a particular signal of the plurality of signals, and determines the location of the wireless endpoint device from the plurality of signals and the plurality of times of arrival. |
| US09026136B2 |
Method for implementing location update, serving GPRS support node and visitor location register
The present invention provides a method for implementing a location update that includes: receiving a routing area update request message which includes a mixed location update indication and a routing area identification (RAI) and is sent by a serving radio network subsystem (SRNS); performing, at least according to the RAI, a routing area update; at least according to the routing area update request message, obtaining a location area identification (LAI) and an address of a visitor location register (VLR) which are of a 2G network system where a mobile terminal is located; and sending the location area update request message, which carries at least the mixed location update indication and the LAI, to the VLR corresponding to the address of the VLR such that the VLR corresponding to the address of the VLR implements a location area update, at least according to the location area update request message. |
| US09026133B2 |
Handset agent calibration for timing based locating systems
The systems and methods disclosed herein can implement a handset agent calibration solution that uses the GPS receivers on mobile devices to determine a location of the mobile device to calibrate timing based locating systems. The handset agent can be installed on the mobile device and can upload to an internet server the coordinates captured by the GPS receiver along with the observed time differences. The observed time differences and the location of the mobile device can be used to solve for reference time differences to calibrate unsynchronized macrocells. The reference time difference can be used to solve for the location of other mobile devices if the observed time differences between that mobile device and the macrocells are known. The solution can include receiving measurement reports from many mobile devices to obtain averaged observed time differences at a reference location to achieve more accurate reference time differences. |
| US09026125B2 |
System and methods for mitigating receiver desense caused by simultaneous transmission on multi-SIM wireless communications devices
Methods are provided that enable mitigation of desense from a transmission on a first radio frequency (RF) resource associated with a first SIM to a receiver circuit of a second RF resource associated with a second SIM in the same device. A multi-SIM wireless device, such as a dual-SIM dual active (DSDA) device, may utilize characteristics of uplink and downlink signals to determine an optimal action that reduces interference from conflicting signals. Mitigating actions do not require involvement on the network side, and may greatly improve processing time for implementing interference prevention measures. |
| US09026123B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing uplink communication in wireless communication network
A method for managing uplink communication in wireless communication network is provided. The method includes selecting one or more Mobile Stations (MSs) from a plurality of MSs based on a first signal parameter corresponding to each MS of the one or more MSs, one or more second signal parameters corresponding to each MS of the one or more MSs, and one or more threshold parameters. The first signal parameter is associated with a Base Station (BS) serving a MS. Further, the one or more second signal parameters are associated with one or more BSs neighboring to the MS. The one or more threshold parameters are associated with a communication parameter. Thereafter, the method includes modifying uplink Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) level of the one or more MSs. |
| US09026117B2 |
Systems and methods for real-time cellular-to-internet video transfer
The present invention provides systems and methods for real-time cellular to Internet video transfer during a voice call between an initiator and a recipient handset. In some embodiments, the systems and methods deliver the video stream in real-time from a cellular phone to a personal computer using the Internet. |
| US09026116B2 |
Method for controlling uplink power in a broadband wireless access system
The present invention relates to a broadband wireless access system, and more particularly, to a method for efficiently determining power for ranging performed by a terminal on a target base station or a target region during handover or during changing of a region. A method for controlling uplink power for network reentry of a terminal from a first region to a second region in a broadband wireless access system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: receiving a media access control (MAC) management message including a power control parameter that is to be applied to the second region from the first region; and performing ranging to the second region by applying the power control parameter. |
| US09026110B1 |
Methods and systems for using macro coverage to manage femtocell registrations, so as to avoid signaling overload
Methods and systems for using coverage or capacity classifications regarding a macro RF network to manage registration of femtocells with a service provider network (SPN) so as to avoid signaling overload are described herein. After a wide-scale power outage within an area where multiple femtocells are located, the femtocells can power on and attempt to register with the SPN at about the same time. The femtocells can scan RF signals received from the macro network and classify the received RF signals with respect to capacity or coverage of the macro network at the time of transmitting the RF signals. A device within the SPN can determine whether classification of the received RF signals is associated with dropping or accepting a registration request associated with the classified RF signals. The SPN device can accept the registration request or drop the registration request and request the femtocell to transmit another registration request. |
| US09026106B2 |
Hybrid dual-band satellite communication system
A hybrid satellite communication system in which a hub station transmits signals to remote stations through a satellite at a relatively low frequency which is unaffected by weather effects and in which the remote stations transmit signals to the hub station at a relatively higher frequency which enables the use of more economical equipment at the remote stations. The hub station senses the signal quality or strength received from each remote station and transmits power control signals to remote stations with poor signal strengths to cause such remote stations to increase their output power to overcome weather effects. The power control signals are transmitted on the lower frequency to prevent the power control signals from being masked by the weather effects. |
| US09026100B2 |
Policy and charging control method, network entities, communication system and computer program therefor
It is provided a policy and charging control method carried out in a communication network. The communication network comprises a first network entity (100), PCFR, including a policy and charging rules function and a second network entity (200), PCEF, including a policy and charging enforcement function for enforcing policy and charging rules in at least two groups of cells, each group of cells including at least one cell. The method comprises configuring (S110), on the second network entity, for a first one group of the at least two groups of cells, an event subscription dependent on a location of the user equipment, the event subscription being specific to the first group of cells. The method further foresees, at the second network entity, detecting (S120) an event associated with the configured event subscription and sending a notification of the detected event to the first network entity and, at the first network entity, after receipt of the notification, determining (S130) whether to perform one among installing, modifying and removing a policy and charging control rule in dependence of the detected event. Corresponding network entities, network system and computer programs are provided. |
| US09026099B2 |
Mechanisms to improve mobile device roaming in wireless networks
A mobile wireless device adapts roaming parameters used to determine searching for and switching among access points. The roaming parameters are adjusted based on a wireless network characterization for access points that includes a detected wireless network type. In an embodiment, the wireless network type is characterized by a service set identifier and a number of unique basic service set identifiers associated with the service set identifier per radio frequency band. Roaming parameters include a scan threshold, a roam threshold and a time interval between successive scans. |
| US09026097B2 |
Device and method for communication devices
A method determines an operating mode for a first communications device to communicatively connect to a second communications device. The method includes transmitting, by a first communications device to a wireless services manager arrangement (WSMA), contact identification data associated with a second communications device. The method includes determining, by the WSMA, association data as a function of the contact identification data and a contact identification database. The method includes determining, by the WSMA, one of a plurality of operating modes for the first communications device as a function of the association data. The method includes communicatively connecting the first communications device with the second communications device utilizing the determined operating mode. |
| US09026089B2 |
Data volume reporting for multimedia broadcast/multimedia service groups
Multicast/broadcast messaging service (MBMS) arrangement, in which a broadcast/multicast service center delivers multimedia messages to a plurality of users via a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) and via a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a radio access network (RAN), in association with a given temporary mobile group identity (TMGI) and using a single radio access bearer (RAB). Responsive to a given event, the SGSN sends to the RAN a data volume report query identifying said RAB by the TMGI or another unique parameter. The RAN responds with a data volume report that indicates the amount of unsent MBMS data. If so agreed, the SGSN will pass said amount to a charging gateway for compensation in charging for the MBMS service. |
| US09026088B1 |
Controlling a crowd of multiple mobile station devices
Multiple mobile station devices may communicate in a concerted effort. A number of mobile station devices may be identified as being present at a pre-defined venue location via a server and an application may be initiated on the server that establishes a feedback menu display. The feedback menu display may be transmitted to each of the identified mobile station devices receiving feedback messages from a majority of the mobile station devices responsive to the feedback menu display questions, the feedback messages may be processed, and a result may be provided to a moderator device. |
| US09026086B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing messages in a mobile device
A method and apparatus for processing a message in a mobile device are provided. In the method, when a message is received from a designated subscriber, a control unit of the apparatus stores the received message in a corresponding application buffer and also links the received message to a combined message buffer corresponding to the designated subscriber. When there is a request for viewing messages received from the designated subscriber, the control unit lists received messages of all types linked to the combined message buffer corresponding to the designated subscriber. |
| US09026083B2 |
Method for determining mobile device password settings based on acceleration information
Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for altering a mobile electronic device's screen timeout based on an acceleration event. A ringtone can be altered in addition to the password timeout time. Historical accelerations may be recognized and the time out can be adjusted based on the determined risk associated acceleration. |
| US09026078B2 |
Method and apparatus for policy management in a communication system
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including monitoring events relating to activities by a plurality of communication devices, content sources supplying content to the plurality of communication devices, and network conditions during content exchanges between the plurality of communication devices and the content sources, tagging the events to generate tagged events, detecting an event initiated by a communication device of the plurality of communication devices, obtaining tagged event information from the tagged events according to the event detected, generating a policy according to the tagged event information, and transmitting the policy to a policy enforcement function system to facilitate a communication session between the communication device and the content source according to the policy. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09026073B2 |
Device for receiving signals, antenna device and mobile terminal
The disclosure discloses a device for receiving signals, which includes: equipment with lead wires configured to be reused as a receiving antenna to receive Frequency Modulation (FM) signals. The disclosure further discloses an antenna device and a mobile terminal. According to the technical solution of the disclosure, occupied space of a receiving antenna for FM signal is reduced greatly. |
| US09026062B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing operations of a communication device
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to provision a matching network that controls one or more operational characteristics of one of a receiver portion and a transmitter portion of the communication device according to a profile describing one or more characteristics of a communication system from which the communication device operates. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09026060B2 |
Bidirectional matching network
A bidirectional matching network is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a first matching circuit connected in a first signal path between a node and a first amplifier, the first matching circuit configured to translate an off-state impedance of the first amplifier to a first translated off-state impedance. The apparatus also includes a second matching circuit connected in a second signal path between the node and a second amplifier. The second matching circuit configured to translate an off-state impedance of the second amplifier to a second translated off-state impedance. The second translated off-state impedance is configured to reduce power loss associated with a first signal flowing in the first signal path and the first translated off-state impedance is configured to reduce power loss associated with a second signal flowing in the second signal path. |
| US09026059B2 |
Adaptive maximum power limiting using capacitive sensing in a wireless device
An apparatus for satisfying Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) compliance criteria comprising a processor configured to receive a first capacitance measurement from a first capacitance sensor, receive a second capacitance measurement from a second capacitance sensor, determine a relative proximity of a human body to a wireless device based on the first capacitance measurement and the second capacitance measurement, and adjust a radio frequency (RF) transceiver's output power from a first output power limit to a second output power limit based on the determined relative proximity. |
| US09026058B2 |
Measurement configuration and reporting of CSG cells in connected mode
A network sends to a user equipment UE a range indicator by which a private cell can be distinguished from a non-private cell, a first indicator that indicates whether or not to report private cells in a measurement report, and a second indicator that indicates which private cells are to have their measurements reported. The UE receives these, in an embodiment all in a same message. The UE uses the second indicator to identify at least one cell to report and the received range indicator to distinguish private cells from non-private cells; measures a signal from the identified at least one cell which is determined by the range indicator to be a private cell; and sends to the network a measurement report that comprises a measurement indication from the identified and determined at least one private cell. The network receives from the UE that measurement report. |
| US09026048B2 |
Detecting a presence of near field communications (NFC) devices
A near field communications (NFC) device is disclosed that detects a presence of another NFC capable device within its magnetic field. The NFC device observes signal metrics of an observed detection signal at various intervals. The NFC device determines a statistical relationship based upon at least two first signal metrics from among the signal metrics to determine an estimate of at least one second signal metric from among the signal metrics. The NFC device compares a difference between the estimate of the signal metric of the at least one second signal metric and the at least one second signal metric. The NFC capable device makes a first determination that another NFC device is present within its magnetic field when the difference indicates that the at least one second signal metric is non-linearly related to the at least two first signal metrics. |
| US09026047B2 |
Systems and methods for providing NFC secure application support in battery-off mode when no nonvolatile memory write access is available
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for NFC secure application support when an NFC device is executing in a battery-off or battery-low mode. In such a case, the NFC device may have enough power to execute some applications (e.g., read-only applications) but not enough power to execute others (e.g., applications that require data to be written). Embodiments of the present invention enable these lower-power applications to be executed by the NFC device even when a host communications device has no battery power. |
| US09026045B2 |
Short range wireless communication apparatus
An in-vehicle apparatus selects, as a profile connection mode, one connection mode out of a first connection mode and a second connection mode, and performs profile connection using the selected one connection mode. The first connection mode is to transmit a profile connection request signal to a communication partner so as to start a connection procedure; the second connection mode is to wait for reception of a profile connection request signal from the communication partner for a predetermined time so as to start the connection procedure. When the profile connection using the selected one connection mode fails, a connection procedure using the other connection mode that was not selected previously is started. When the profile connection using the other connection mode is successful, upon occurrence of a next profile connection request, the other connection mode is selected as a profile connection mode. |
| US09026043B2 |
System architecture for high density satellite capacity footprint with flexible antenna signal routing capabilities
A transmission and reception spot beam antenna is provided. A first transponder is configured to receive communications signals within a first receive spot beam and to transmit the communications signals within a first transmit spot beam. A second transponder is configured to receive reach-back signals within a second receive spot beam and to process the reach-back signals. A link between the second transponder and the first transponder passes the reach-back signals to the first transponder for transmission within the first transmit spot beam. A third transponder is configured to receive communications signals within a third receive spot beam and to transmit the communications signals within a third transmit spot beam. A link between the first transponder and the third transponder passes the communications signals to the third transponder, wherein the third transponder is configured to process the communications signals for transmission within the third transmit spot beam. |
| US09026039B2 |
Method and system for a wireless multi-hop relay network
In a wireless multi-hop relay network arranged in a tree topology, the base station and one or more relay stations are associated as a virtual base station (VBS). The base station and each relay station have a unique virtual base station identifier (VBS-ID) associated with the path defined by the base station and the one or more relay stations. a relay station in the branch uses its VBS-ID for communicating with an attached subscriber station (e.g. a mobile station) such that communications between the base station and subscriber station occur via the VBS. Subscriber station data communications are relayed between the base station and the one or more relay stations over the VBS via a tunnel connection. The VBS is autoconfigurable. Mobility for subscriber stations and relay stations is provided through reconfiguration of VBS's. |
| US09026038B2 |
Apparatus and method for repeating communication messages in rail vehicle system
A communication apparatus includes an operation module configured for communication with a wireless message repeater, e.g., a rail vehicle distributed power message repeater. The wireless message repeater is of the type having an antenna system, a receiver for receiving an incoming message, and a transmitter for transmitting a repeat message of the incoming message. The operation module is further configured to assess operation of the message repeater by comparing a feedback signal to the incoming message. The feedback signal may comprise part of a signal energy of the transmitted repeat message as received by the receiver. Alternatively or additionally, the operation module is further configured to assess operation of the message repeater by comparing at least one signal power associated with the transmitted repeat message to at least one threshold. |
| US09026037B2 |
Communication system, relay node, user equipment and base station
A relay node in a mobile communication network for receiving a radio signal from a base station and forwarding the signal to a mobile station. The relay node including a control unit that manages first information corresponding to link between the relay node and the mobile station, and a transmitter that directly transmits the first information to another relay node in the mobile communication network. The relay node including a receiver that receives, from the another relay node, second information corresponding to a link between the another relay node and another mobile station. The control unit controlling resources used to communicate with the mobile station based on the first information corresponding to link between the relay node and the mobile station and the second information corresponding to the link between the another relay node and the another mobile station. |
| US09026031B2 |
Medium accommodation cassette, medium feeding device, and recording apparatus
The bottom surface of a paper cassette that supports recording paper is configured of a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface. The second bottom surface is formed of a swing member having a fulcrum at the downstream side in the paper feeding direction and being capable of swinging about the fulcrum with the upstream side in the paper feeding direction serving as a free end, thereby providing a structure in which an angle formed by the second bottom surface and a separation slope increases when the second bottom surface is caused to sink downward by a swing of the swing member. |
| US09026027B2 |
Cleaning blade, process cartridge, electrophotographic apparatus, and polyester urethane rubber
A cleaning blade includes a polyester urethane rubber. In an IR spectrum measured by μATR on the surface of a contact portion of the polyester urethane rubber at which the cleaning blade comes into contact with a member to be cleaned, a ratio (ISI/ISE) of an intensity (ISI) of a C—N peak due to an isocyanurate group included in the polyester urethane rubber to an intensity (ISE) of a C═O peak due to an ester group included in the polyester urethane rubber is 0.65 or more and 2.50 or less. A siloxane compound is present on the surface of the contact portion of the polyester urethane rubber. |
| US09026025B2 |
Fixing device including heating span adjuster, image forming apparatus, and fixing method
A fixing device includes a fixing rotator heated by a heater and a pressing rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween. A heating span adjuster, interposed between the heater and the fixing rotator, is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotator. The heating span adjuster moves to a retracted position where the heating span adjuster allows the heater to heat the fixing rotator in an increased axial heating span of the fixing rotator after the heater starts heating the fixing rotator until the fixing rotator and the pressing rotator start conveying a recording medium through the fixing nip. The heating span adjuster at the retracted position is outboard from a circumferential, direct heating span of the fixing rotator where the heater heats the fixing rotator directly. |
| US09026021B2 |
Roller cleaning device and image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a pair of register rollers including a driving roller and a dust remover roller, a dust scraper to scrape off dust from the dust remover roller, a dust container box, including a lateral plate and a protrusion, to contain the dust scraped off from the dust remover roller, a roller bearing attached to the lateral plate to be immovable and to rotatably support the dust remover roller, a scraper support swingably supported by the dust container box and to support the dust scraper, and a frame to swingably support the dust container box via a protrusion support, to rotatably support the driving roller, while a rotation axis of the driving roller is fixed to the frame, and to support the roller bearing to be slidable in an in-axes direction between the driving roller and the dust remover roller. |
| US09026019B2 |
Transfer device, method for performing the same and image forming device
A transfer device comprising: a load including a transferring unit, the transferring unit being configured to transfer an image on a transferable material; a direct current source connected to the load and configured to apply a direct voltage to the load; and an alternating current source connected between the load and the direct current source in attachable and detachable manner, the alternating current source being configured to selectively apply to the load an overlapping voltage that is formed by overlapping an alternating voltage and the direct voltage. |
| US09026015B2 |
Developing roller, and developing device, process cartridge and image forming method and apparatus using the developing roller
A developing roller to bear toner thereon is provided. The developing roller includes a cylindrical electroconductive substrate; an electroconductive elastic layer located on a peripheral surface of the cylindrical electroconductive substrate; and a toner bearing layer located on a peripheral surface of the electroconductive elastic layer. The toner bearing layer includes a polyurethane resin, which is a reaction product of at least an isocyanate compound having an isocyanurate structure and a polyol at a NCO/OH molar ratio of from 90 to 110. The toner bearing layer has a water contact angle of from 135° to 155°, and a static friction coefficient of from 0.10 to 0.15. |
| US09026013B2 |
System and apparatus for toner charging using charge/metering blade having an adjustable nip
A developer apparatus including a housing defining a chamber storing a supply of toner, and a developer roll disposed in the chamber, the developer roll configured to rotate about a longitudinal access to transport toner on a surface of the developer roll to a development zone. The developer apparatus also includes a charge/metering blade having a curved section configured to contact the surface of the developer roll so as to form an adjustable contact nip. The charge/metering blade also includes an overhang configured to control an amount of toner to enter the adjustable contact nip formed by the at least one curved section of the charge/metering blade. |
| US09026011B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a first developer carrying member for carrying a developer comprising toner and a carrier for developing an electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive member, and a second developer carrying member for carrying the developer received from the first developer carrying. The second developer carrying member is disposed downstream of the first developer carrying member with respect to a rotational direction of the photosensitive member. In addition, a voltage source applies a developing bias voltage to the first developer carrying member and second developer carrying member, and a driving device rotates the first developer carrying member at a peripheral speed higher than that of the photosensitive member and rotates the second developer carrying member at a peripheral speed which is higher than that of the photosensitive member and which is lower than that of the first developer carrying member. |
| US09026010B2 |
Image forming apparatus and cartridge that is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus body and a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus body. The cartridge includes a handle portion attached to the case body and grasped when attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus body. The handle portion can be positioned at a first position at which the handle portion protrudes beyond the case body, a second position at which the handle portion is closer to the case body than in the case where the handle portion is at the first position and the cartridge that has been attached to the image forming apparatus body comes into contact with the open-close portion when the open-close portion is closed, and a third position at which the handle portion is closer to the case body than in the case where the handle portion is at the second position. |
| US09026008B2 |
Developing device having developer conveying members
A developing device includes a developing chamber which supplies a developer to a developer bearing member, an agitating chamber connected at both ends to the developing chamber and disposed above the developing chamber, a first developer conveying member disposed within the developing chamber, and a second developer conveying member disposed within the agitating chamber. In addition, a third developer conveying member is disposed on a same axis as the first developer conveying member and able to convey the developer toward the developing chamber at a downstream side from a first connecting portion in a conveying direction of the first developer conveying member, and a supplying portion supplies developer to the third developer conveying member and is disposed at a position facing the third developer conveying member. |
| US09026006B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a housing; a driving portion provided in the housing and configured to generate a driving force; an interchangeable member interchangeably provided in the housing and having a driving-force-receiving portion at which the driving force is received, the interchangeable member being configured to rotate by receiving the driving force at the driving-force-receiving portion; a driving-force-transmitting portion provided in the housing and connecting the driving portion and the interchangeable member to each other, the driving-force-transmitting portion being configured to transmit the driving force from the driving portion to the interchangeable member; and a connecting-and-disconnecting mechanism that allows the driving force to be transmitted between the driving portion and the driving-force-transmitting portion when the interchangeable member rotates, and prevents the driving force from being transmitted between the driving portion and the driving-force-transmitting portion when the interchangeable member is to be attached to the housing. |
| US09026005B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a sheet tray disposed to face a plurality of photoconductive bodies across a belt device, and two main frames disposed to face each other across the plurality of photoconductive bodies, the belt device, and the sheet tray, the two main frames being configured such that the plurality of photoconductive bodies, the belt device, and the sheet tray are detachably attached thereto, the two main frames being further configured to define a communication section that leads from a space for accommodating the plurality of photoconductive bodies to the sheet tray. |
| US09026002B2 |
Image forming apparatus having developing unit in which developing device is movably disposed
An image forming apparatus includes: a main body; a photosensitive drum rotatably supported in the main body; a developing unit detachably accommodated in the main body in a direction along an axis of the photosensitive drum in a state where the photosensitive drum is disposed in the main body. The developing unit includes: a developer carrying member configured to carry developer for supplying the developer to the photosensitive drum; a developing frame supporting the developer carrying member; and a supporting assembly configured to support the developing frame such that, in a state where the developing unit is accommodated in the main body, the developing frame is movable between a proximity position where the developer carrying member and the photosensitive drum being positioned adjacent to or in contact with each other and a separation position where the developer carrying member and the photosensitive drum being separated from each other. |
| US09025998B2 |
Process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A process cartridge includes: a first unit including a photosensitive drum; a second unit, including a process member, movable to a spaced position and to a close position; and a spacer member for holding the second unit at the spaced position. The spacer member includes a contact portion for holding the second unit at the spaced position and includes a portion-to-be-phase-determined for preventing rotation of the spacer member by being engaged with a phase-determining portion provided in the second unit. The spacer member is rotated, by receiving a force from the drum at the contact portion when the drum is rotated, against a force with which the phase-determining portion determines a rotational position of the spacer member, and eliminates a contact state of the contact portion with the drum to permit movement of the second unit from the spaced position to the close position. |
| US09025994B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a latent image on a surface thereof, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, a cleaning device, and a main body. The cleaning device cleans the secondary transfer member for a predetermined time period T1 during a startup operation after printing is completed normally before subsequent printing. The main body houses the image bearing member, the developing device, the intermediate transfer member, the secondary transfer member, and the cleaning device. At least one of the image bearing member and the developing device constitutes a process cartridge detachably attachable relative to the main body, and in a case in which the process cartridge is installed in the main body, the cleaning device cleans the secondary transfer member for a time period T2 extended from the predetermined time period T1. |
| US09025989B2 |
Image heating apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable fixing member; an air-blowing unit for blowing air onto an end portion of the rotatable fixing member with respect to a generating line direction of the rotatable fixing member, wherein the air-blowing unit includes a fan, a duct for guiding the air generated by drive of the fan, and a shutter, provided at an outlet of the duct, for switching an outlet width of the duct with respect to the generating line direction; and a partition, provided in the duct, for partitioning an air passing region inside the duct into a plurality of regions with respect to the generating line direction, wherein the partition extends to a neighborhood of the shutter with respect to an air-blowing direction. |
| US09025988B2 |
Image forming apparatus and bias power supply apparatus and method
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and the following elements. A charging unit generates a charging electric field and charges the image carrier with the charging electric field. An exposure unit exposes the charged image carrier to light and forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier. A developing unit generates a developing electric field and develops the electrostatic latent image. A transfer unit transfers the developed image onto a transfer subject. At least one of the charging electric field and the developing electric field is generated by a bias power supply unit including a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, and also including the following elements. A switch circuit supplies a current to the primary winding of the transformer by switching a switching device. A modulator circuit generates a PWM modulation signal. A waveform setting unit sets a waveform of a carrier signal. |
| US09025987B2 |
Printing control apparatus and printing control method
A printing control apparatus determines whether a limit to prohibit printing using a spot color printing material is imposed on, out of a plurality of objects included in document data, an object set to be printed using the spot color printing material. Upon determining that the limit to prohibit the printing using the spot color printing material is imposed on the object set to be printed using the spot color printing material, control is performed to prohibit issuance of a rendering command to print the object using the spot color printing material. |
| US09025984B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of stably detecting temperature of fixing device regardless of orientation of the image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus orientatable in either a first position or a second position, the second position being different from the first position in inclination with respect to a horizontal plane, comprising: a fixing device including a heating roller and a pressurizing member, pressing the pressurizing member against a surface of the heating roller to form a fixing nip, and thermally fixing a toner image on a recording sheet passing through the fixing nip; at least one temperature detector detecting surface temperature of the heating roller without contact with the surface; a heater heating the heating roller; a controller controlling the heater according to the surface temperature, thereby controlling the surface temperature; and a switcher switching a detection point of the temperature detector between a first and a second detection point according to whether the image forming apparatus is in the first or the second position. |
| US09025983B2 |
Image forming apparatus having a cooling unit and method for forming image using the same
An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet using a decolorable toner, a fixing unit configured to fix the image on the sheet by heating, a cooling unit for cooling the fixing unit, and a control section for controlling the cooling unit. The control section turns on the cooling unit if the control section determines that the temperature of the fixing unit is at or above a predetermined temperature. |
| US09025978B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of forming image
An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body on which a toner image is formed; a transfer unit that functions to transfer the toner image formed on the image holding body onto a recording medium; and an adjusting unit that adjusts a gap between the transfer unit and the image holding body based on the rigidity of the recording medium, the recording medium being conveyed through the gap with respect to the image holding body. |
| US09025976B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus in which a first toner image to be transferred to a recording medium through secondary transfer is formed on an intermediate transfer member and a second toner image not to be transferred to the recording medium through secondary transfer is formed on the intermediate transfer member after the first toner image has been formed. When the first toner image and the second toner image are formed, a position on the intermediate transfer member at which the second toner image is formed is controlled in accordance with a conveying direction length of the recording medium, to which the first toner image is transferred through secondary transfer, measured by using a detection unit. |
| US09025973B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main body movably supporting an openable-and-closable portion, and the openable-and-closable portion is provided with a detection sensor. A first detection lever configured to be movable by being pushed by a sheet is provided on the main body, and a second detection lever configured to be capable of moving in conjunction with the movement of the first detection lever is provided on the openable-and-closable portion. The detection sensor is activated by the movement of the second detection lever based on the movement of the first detection lever. |
| US09025972B2 |
Image forming apparatus having toner replenishment unit
An image forming apparatus capable of reading a unique pattern of a toner bottle without using an expensive device, and of preventing the delay of the toner replenishment. A control unit controls a driving unit to rotate a toner bottle for replenishing toner and controls a reading unit to read a unique pattern of the toner bottle in conjunction with the rotation of the toner bottle, when receiving a toner replenishment signal in N-th time from a toner remaining amount detection unit after receiving the bottle detection signal from a bottle mounting detection unit. |
| US09025966B2 |
Method and device for driving a lamp
A method for driving a lamp (2) comprises the steps of: generating a lamp current (ICONST) having a constant magnitude; defining a commutation period having a duration TCOMM; defining a time base of original commutation moments, having fixed mutual intervals of 0.5*TCOMM; receiving data to be embedded in the light output; commutating the lamp current at commutation moments; wherein individual commutations are time-modulated in order to encode said received data. Preferably, a commutation moment is: either equal to an original commutation moment if there are no data to embed; or advanced over a modulation distance (Δ) with respect to the corresponding original commutation moment in order to encode data having a first value (“0”); or delayed over said modulation distance (Δ) with respect to the corresponding original commutation moment in order to encode data having a second value (“1”). |
| US09025961B2 |
Content supplying system which uses spatial light transmission
A spatial light transmitter of a content supplying system stores ID information of its own and emits spatial light on which the ID information is superimposed from a light emitting portion. A spatial light receiver is used by being connected to a handheld terminal and receives spatial light emitted from the spatial light transmitter. When a user carries the handheld terminal and moves close to the spatial light transmitter, the spatial light receiver receives spatial light emitted from the spatial light transmitter, and ID information obtaining means of the spatial light receiver obtains the ID information which is superimposed on spatial light from a light receiving signal of the light receiving portion, thereby outputting the ID information to the handheld terminal. Alternatively, the ID information obtaining means of the handheld terminal obtains the ID information on the basis of the light receiving signal, and the handheld terminal reproduces the content selected on the basis of the ID information. |
| US09025957B2 |
Upgradeable passive optical fiber circuit
Optical equipment for 1G-EPON, 10G-EPON, and CWDM services are joined together using a novel combination of optical power splitters and multiplexers. This combination of splitters and multiplexers can be disposed in a single housing, which reduces the size of the combination and improves performance, since jumpers between multiple, separately packaged, optical components can be avoided. One example of the inventive techniques and circuits disclosed herein is a combiner/separator circuit for combining and separating 1G-EPON and 10G-EPON signals. In the example application detailed herein, where EPON equipment is combined with CWDM equipment, an important advantage of this optical circuit is its ability to provide return wavelength isolation for EPON systems that have separate ports for 1G and 10G services. |
| US09025952B2 |
Determination of a maximum transmission distance for heterogeneous types of optical fibre
An exemplary method is provided for determining a maximum transmission distance for an optical link that has heterogeneous types of optical fiber segments. The method includes retrieving from a database a maximum transmission reach value for each type of optical fiber present in the optical link. A length of each type of the optical fiber to reach a distance is computed, where, for each type of the optical fiber present in the optical link, segments are summed from a starting point to the distance to determine the length of each type of the optical fiber along the optical link. The length for each type of the optical fiber in the optical link is normalized by multiplying the length of each type of the optical fiber by a weight chosen as a function of the maximum transmission reach value for each type of said optical fiber. |
| US09025951B2 |
Provisioning network devices in Ethernet-based access networks
In general, techniques are described for provisioning network devices in an Ethernet-based access network. For example, an access node located in an Ethernet-based access network positioned intermediate to a back office network and a customer network may implement the techniques. The access node comprises a control unit that discovers a demarcation point device that terminates the access network of the service provider network at the customer network. The control unit of the access node implements an Ethernet protocol to provide layer two network connectivity between the service provider network and the customer network, authenticates the demarcation point device based on a unique identifier assigned to the demarcation point device and, after successfully authenticating the demarcation point device, provisions the demarcation point device. |
| US09025949B2 |
Equalization delay agnostic protection switching in protected passive optical networks
Systems, methods and apparatus for operating an optical network terminal (ONT) in a passive optical network include maintaining an operational state in the passive optical network, estimating an upstream channel, adjusting equalization delay and physical layer frame offset values and switching from a backup mode to a primary mode of operation upon detecting a failure condition. |
| US09025947B1 |
Actuator
An actuator is provided for driving a camera module to perform a focusing operation. The actuator includes a carrier part, a base, a driving module, and plural balls. The carrier part is used for supporting the camera module and the plural balls. The base is used for accommodating the carrier part. The driving module is used for driving movement of the carrier part. The driving module is located at a corner of the carrier part. The plural balls are located at other corners of the carrier part. The carrier part is guided by the plural balls to be moved in a direction parallel with an optical axis of the camera module. |
| US09025943B2 |
Heat treatment apparatus and heat treatment method for heating substrate by irradiating substrate with flashes of light
Radiant energy from a semiconductor wafer which is determined from the theoretical value of black body radiation and the actually measured result of an output from a photodiode are brought into correspondence with each other, and a table showing a correlation therebetween is acquired and stored on a magnetic disk. When a semiconductor wafer to be treated is irradiated with flashes of light from flash lamps, the photodiode receives radiant light emitted from the semiconductor wafer. A controller determines, from the output from the photodiode, the radiant energy emitted per unit time from the semiconductor wafer irradiated with flashes of light, based on the acquired table. The controller further determines the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer from the determined radiant energy. |
| US09025941B2 |
Data creation device and playback device for video picture in video stream
A data creation device performing compression encoding on first frame images showing a view from a first viewpoint and second frame images showing a view from a second viewpoint generates a stream in an MPEG-2 format, and base-view/dependent-view video streams in a format conforming to an MPEG-4 MVC format. The stream in the MPEG-2 format is generated by performing compression encoding on the first frame images. The base-view video stream is a stream of dummy data having the same number of frames as and a smaller data amount than the stream in the MPEG-2 format. The dependent-view video stream is obtained by performing compression encoding on each frame of the second frame images, with reference to a frame of the stream in the MPEG-2 format to be presented at the same time as a frame of the base-view video stream corresponding to the frame of the second frame images. |
| US09025939B2 |
Timer distribution across multiple client devices
Arrangements for managing a digital video recorder timer at a plurality of television receivers are presented. A plurality of television receivers may be present. Each television receiver of the plurality of television receivers may be linked with a particular user account. Each television receiver may use separate receiving hardware to receive television programming from a television service provider. A timer management computer system may receive a timer associated with the particular user account. The timer may specify a date, a time, and a television channel to be recorded. Based on the received timer, the timer management computer system may notify each television receiver of the plurality of television receivers of the timer for recording. |
| US09025937B1 |
Synchronous fusion of video and numerical data
According to typical practice of the present invention, temporal identifiers are simultaneously associated with (i) video and (ii) numerical data while these data are contemporaneously collected by, respectively, (i) a video camera filming an event and (ii) a data acquisition system acquiring numerical data from sensor(s) obtaining sensory information relating to the event. Various modes of inventive practice provide for time codes and/or markers as the temporal identifiers. The video and the numerical data are each converted to a digital form that furthers their mutual compatibility, the video to a compressed/encoded video file, the numerical data to an Adobe XMP data file. The compressed/encoded video file and the XMP data file are merged whereby the temporal identifiers are aligned with each other. The merged video file has numerical data embedded therein and is displayable so that the video and the numerical data are synchronized in comportment with actual real-time occurrence. |
| US09025935B2 |
Recording apparatus, recording method, and recording system
A moving image recording apparatus generates first moving image data and second moving image data having less number of pixels than that of the first moving image data, records a moving image file including generated moving image data into a recording medium, and in the case that the first moving image data is outputted to the external apparatus for recording the first moving image data, controls so as to generate the second moving image data concurrently with the outputting of the first moving image data and controls to record a moving image file including the generated second moving image data into the recording medium, wherein outputting an instruction for closing a moving image file including the first moving image data to the external apparatus is controlled in accordance with the moving image file including the second moving image data being recorded into the recording medium having been closed. |
| US09025933B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, playback device, playback method, program and recording medium
An information processing device includes first encoding means for encoding an image by placing strip-shaped areas in the upper and lower sides, second encoding means for encoding data of first subtitles displayed in a third area formed by joining at least a part of one area of a first area and a second area together with the other area, first generating means for generating information referred to form the third area, and second generating means for generating the contents including the video stream, a stream of the first subtitles, and the control information. |
| US09025931B2 |
Recording apparatus, recording method, and program
A recording apparatus codes moving image data on a unit basis of a moving image sample corresponding to a first period, codes the audio data on a unit basis of an audio sample corresponding to a second period, stores the coded moving image data and audio data in a moving image file and records the moving image data and the audio data in a recording medium, determines based on a recording start position of the obtained moving image data, a recording start position of the obtained audio data to be a position preceding the recording start position of the obtained moving image data by at least the audio sample corresponding to the second period, and determines a reproduction start position of the recorded audio data to be a position following a head of the recorded audio data by the unit of the audio data. |
| US09025930B2 |
Chapter information creation apparatus and control method therefor
A chapter information creation apparatus calculates, from field-of-view information, a position of a video image having a narrow field of view whose ratio to the size of a field of view of a video image having the widest field of view, among a plurality of hierarchically-encoded video images, is less than or equal to a threshold value. Chapter information is then created if a moved distance over a fixed period is greater than or equal to a threshold value. Chapter information is created for other video images if, based on a result of analyzing the video image having widest field of view, a change in that video image is detected. Chapter information for the video image of each layer included in video image data obtained by hierarchically encoding video images having different fields of view can thereby be created using a simple method. |
| US09025926B2 |
Slotted Y-coupling waveguide for slotted waveguide modulator device
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations for decreasing optical loss in a waveguide of a modulator device. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate, and a waveguide of a modulator device formed on the substrate, the waveguide having a first portion that is configured to receive light for propagation along the waveguide, a second portion that includes two slots formed in the waveguide that merge into a single slot, the second portion being coupled with the first portion, a third portion that includes the single slot formed in the waveguide, the third portion being coupled with the second portion, a fourth portion that includes another two slots formed in the waveguide, the another two slots branching from the single slot, the fourth portion being coupled with the third portion, and a fifth portion that is configured to output the propagated light, the fifth portion being coupled with the fourth portion. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09025920B2 |
Optical coupling devices and silicon photonics chips having the same
Provided are optical coupling devices and silicon photonics chips having the same. the optical coupling device may include a lower layer having a first region and a second region, a first core layer disposed on the lower layer, the first core layer including first and second waveguides disposed on the first and second regions, respectively, a clad layer covering the first waveguide, and a second core layer interposed between the clad layer and the lower layer to cover the second waveguide. The second waveguide has a width decreasing with increasing distance from the first region and a vertical thickness greater than that of the first waveguide. |
| US09025919B2 |
High voltage photo-switch package module having encapsulation with profiled metallized concavities
A photo-conductive switch package module having a photo-conductive substrate or wafer with opposing electrode-interface surfaces metalized with first metallic layers formed thereon, and encapsulated with a dielectric encapsulation material such as for example epoxy. The first metallic layers are exposed through the encapsulation via encapsulation concavities which have a known contour profile, such as a Rogowski edge profile. Second metallic layers are then formed to line the concavities and come in contact with the first metal layer, to form profiled and metalized encapsulation concavities which mitigate enhancement points at the edges of electrodes matingly seated in the concavities. One or more optical waveguides may also be bonded to the substrate for coupling light into the photo-conductive wafer, with the encapsulation also encapsulating the waveguides. |
| US09025916B2 |
Optical communication apparatus
An optical communication apparatus includes a PCB, a photoelectric element, a driver chip, and a light waveguide. The PCB defines a groove in a surface thereof. The groove includes a bottom surface and a side surface connected to the bottom surface. The PCB includes a reflecting layer coated on the side surface. The photoelectric element includes an optical portion for emitting/receiving light carrying optical signals. An optical signal emitting/receiving direction of the photoelectric element is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the PCB. The side surface passes through a projection area of the optical portion along a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the PCB. An end of the light waveguide is positioned on the bottom surface of the groove and is out of the projection area of the optical portion. The reflecting layer couples optical signals between the photoelectric element and the light waveguide. |
| US09025913B2 |
Interposer for optical module, optical module using the same, method for manufacturing the same
An interposer for an optical module includes a first substrate having an optical device mounting part on which an optical device is mounted, and a second substrate including a connection via electrically connected to a terminal pattern of the optical device mounting part. The first and second substrates are coupled with each other while forming a predetermined inclination angle therebetween. |
| US09025912B2 |
Polarization material on an optical multiplexer or an optical demultiplexer
An optical device may include a substrate and an arrayed waveguide grating provided on the substrate. The arrayed waveguide grating may include a first slab or a second slab and multiple waveguides extending therebetween. The optical device may also include a layer of material provided on one of the first slab or second slab. The layer of material may have a thickness such that first light may have a first polarization is absorbed by the material and second light may have a second polarization passes through the one of the first slab or the second slab. |
| US09025910B2 |
Image retargeting quality assessment
A method of performing an image retargeting quality assessment comprising comparing an original image and a retargeted image in a frequency domain, wherein the retargeted image is obtained by performing a retargeting algorithm on the original image. The disclosure also includes an apparatus comprising a processor configured to perform an image retargeting quality assessment, and compare an original image and a retargeted image in a spatial domain, wherein the retargeted image is obtained by performing a retargeting algorithm on the original image, and wherein comparing the original image and the retargeted image in the spatial domain comprises comparing the original image and the retargeted image to determine an amount of shape distortion between the images. |
| US09025909B2 |
Automatic character stem stretching
A method and system for extending characters. The method automatically identifies sections of a character to elongate and sections of the character to not elongate. The method moves the sections of the character that are not to be elongated and elongates the sections that are to be elongated. The sections to be elongated are those sections of the character that are parallel to an axis for extending the character. |
| US09025904B2 |
Method and device for obtaining an image of a crumpled document from an image of said document when same is crumpled
The present invention relates to a method and device for obtaining an image of a crumpled document from an image of this document when it is crumpled. The method comprises a step of determining a three-dimensional geometric model of the surface of the crumpled document by triangulation of three-dimensional points defined from the pattern of a target extracted from the image of this document when it is crumpled; the method is characterized in that it comprises a step of determining a projection of the three-dimensional geometric model onto a so-called acquisition plane, by means of error minimization of this projection under constraints of preserving defined geometric characteristics in the vicinity of the three-dimensional points, and in that it comprises a step of superimposing the textures associated with the three-dimensional model onto the projection of this model thus determined. The present invention likewise relates to target patterns that make it possible to improve the quality of the image resulting from the method to be improved and/or to reduce the cost for computing said image. |
| US09025903B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
An image processing device includes: a first edge strength calculation part that calculates a first edge strength for a focus pixel based on pixel values in a first region that includes the focus pixel in an input image; a second edge strength calculation part that calculates a second edge strength for the focus pixel based on pixel values in a second region that is smaller than the first region and that includes the focus pixel; and a filter processing part that determines a filter coefficient such that a first smoothing strength is higher than a second smoothing strength and that filters the input image using the filter coefficient. The first smoothing strength is obtained where the first edge strength is higher than a first reference value and where the second edge strength is lower than a second reference value, and the second smoothing strength is obtained in other cases. |
| US09025893B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding images using template matching and method and apparatus for decoding images
Provided are a method and an apparatus for encoding images using template matching and a method and an apparatus for decoding images. The method for encoding the images can determine a template of an encoding target block and can determine a matching search target image for performing a matching search with the determined template among the recovered reference images. In addition, an optimum prediction block can be determined on the basis of the determined matching search target image and the template of the encoding target block. |
| US09025891B2 |
Image coding method, image decoding method, image coding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, and image coding and decoding apparatus
An image coding method of coding an image on a per coding unit basis, the method comprising: applying a frequency transform to luminance data and chrominance data of transform units in the coding unit including predetermined blocks each corresponding to one or more of the transform units; and coding the luminance data and the chrominance data to which the frequency transform has been applied to generate a bitstream in which the luminance data and the chrominance data are grouped on a per predetermined block basis. |
| US09025887B2 |
Area finding apparatus, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and method of finding area
An apparatus extracts an area having a highest score or a lowest score that is calculated based on evaluation values of points from a target area including a set of a plurality of points that can be distributed at two-dimensional coordinates. It determines whether the area extracted and an area overlapping a plurality of the target areas intersect with each other, and deletes an area having a lower score or a higher score out of the areas determined to intersect with each other. It selects an area having a highest score or a lowest score out of the areas extracted at the extracting and not deleted at the determining. One or a plurality of areas are generated as the target areas based on an area acquired by excluding the area selected from the target area and an area acquired by excluding the area deleted at the determining. |
| US09025880B2 |
Visual saliency estimation for images and video
Methods and apparatus for visual saliency estimation for images and video are described. In an embodiment, a process includes decomposing, by a processor, an image into elements, wherein each element includes at least one pixel. The processor then calculates a first image measure indicative of each element's uniqueness in the image on a per element basis, and a second image measure indicative of each element's spatial distribution in the image on a per element basis. A per element saliency measure is provided by combining the first image measure and the second image measure, or by utilizing the first image measure, or by utilizing the second image measure. |
| US09025877B2 |
Local scale, rotation and position invariant word detection for optical character recognition
A system and method using a text extraction application for identifying words with multiple orientations from an image are described. The text extraction application receives an input image, generates progressively blurred images, detects blobs in the blurred images, outputs ellipses over the blobs, detects a word in the input image, orients and normalizes a first version of the word, generates an inverted version of the word, performs OCR on the first version and the inverted version of the word, generates confidence scores for the first version and the inverted version of the word and outputs text associated with the word. |
| US09025876B2 |
Method and apparatus for multi-label segmentation
A method and an apparatus for multi-label segmentation of an image are described. First an energy function is determined for the image. Then for a homogeneous region of the image variables of the energy function are grouped to a single variable. Subsequently the energy function is minimized and labels are assigned to regions of the image based on the minimized energy function. |
| US09025875B2 |
People counting device, people counting method and people counting program
A people counting device includes: a person presence region extraction unit which extracts a region in which a person is present by performing person detection in relation to an input image; a person presence state estimation unit which estimates a person presence state from an extraction result; a portion detector selection unit which selects a type of portion detector to be used for people count measurement based on the estimation result, and outputs portion detector information. The people counting device further includes: a portion detection process unit which performs a portion detection process for detecting a portion of a person based on the portion detector information; and a people counting unit which obtains a number of people within the input image from a portion detection process result. |
| US09025873B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method therefor
An apparatus comprises a unit which stores a size and scene information for each of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing an input image, a unit which obtains a plurality of scene-based images by processing the input image based on the scene information of the plurality of divided areas, a unit which determines composite ratios of the plurality of scene-based images by determining, for each of the plurality of divided areas, a transition pattern of a composite ratio from a first composite ratio within the divided area to a second composite ratio within an area other than the divided area based on the size of the divided area, and a unit which composites the plurality of scene-based images in correspondence with the plurality of the divided areas, in accordance with the determined composite ratios. |
| US09025872B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, program, and integrated circuit
Segments included in an image I are each classified as one of object (i.e., person) segments OS1 and OS2 and foreground segments FS1 and FS2. With respect to each of the foreground segments FS1 and FS2, an importance degree is calculated based on a composition of the image I and relations between the foreground segment of the image I and a foreground segment of an image other than the image I. |
| US09025867B2 |
Systems and methods for YCC image processing
Systems and methods for processing YCC image data provided. In one example, an electronic device includes memory to store image data in RGB or YCC format and a YCC image processing pipeline to process the image data. The YCC image processing pipeline may include receiving logic configured to receive the image data in RGB or YCC format and color space conversion logic configured to, when the image data is received in RGB format, convert the image data into YCC format. The YCC image processing logic may also include luma sharpening and chroma suppression logic; brightness, contrast, and color adjustment logic; gamma logic; chroma decimation logic; scaling logic; and chroma noise reduction logic. |
| US09025865B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing memory footprints associated with classifiers
Methods and systems for reducing the required footprint of SNoW-based classifiers via optimization of classifier features. A compression technique involves two training cycles. The first cycle proceeds normally and the classifier weights from this cycle are used to rank the Successive Mean Quantization Transform (SMQT) features using several criteria. The top N (out of 512 features) are then chosen and the training cycle is repeated using only the top N features. It has been found that OCR accuracy is maintained using only 60 out of 512 features leading to an 88% reduction in RAM utilization at runtime. This coupled with a packing of the weights from doubles to single byte integers added a further 8× reduction in RAM footprint or a reduction of 68× over the baseline SNoW method. |
| US09025854B2 |
Wafer defect inspection apparatus and method for inspecting a wafer defect
It is an object to obtain an image of a wafer that is suitable for a defect inspection in an efficient manner.It is judged whether or not an average gray level of an image of a wafer W that is an inspection target and that has been imaged by the light receiving part 2 is in the defect detectable range. A control processing part 6a is configured to modify an exposure time in imaging the wafer W and to obtain an image of the wafer W again by the light receiving part 2 in the case in which it is decided that an average gray level of an image of the wafer W is not in a defect detectable range, and an image processing part 6b is configured to carry out a defect inspection based on an image of the wafer W in the case in which it is decided that an average gray level of the image of the wafer W is in the defect detectable range. |
| US09025847B2 |
Image processing apparatus, control method, and optical coherence tomography system
In an image processing apparatus, Whether image quality of a tomographic image corresponding to a predetermined position in an imaging target captured by an optical coherence tomography apparatus is within a predetermined range is determined, an instruction whether to permit the image capturing in the predetermined position is issued to the optical coherence tomography apparatus according to a determination that the image quality is out of the predetermined range, and a new tomographic image is generated by combining the tomographic image obtained according to the instruction and the tomographic image whose image quality is determined. |
| US09025845B2 |
Methods and apparatus for assessing activity of an organ and uses thereof
Methods and apparatus are provided for imaging activity of an organ of a subject for diagnosis and prognosis of pathology or injury to the organ, where unaffected portions of the organ are used as a reference for assessing activity of afflicted areas of the organ. |
| US09025839B2 |
System and method to determine slide quality of a digitized microscope slide
Methods, media, and systems for assessing the quality of a digital image. In an embodiment, both a micro-analysis and macro-analysis are performed. The micro-analysis comprises dividing the digital image into a plurality of blocks, for two or more of the plurality of blocks, determining a score based on a spatial frequency of the block, and generating a score map for the digital image based on the score for each of the two or more blocks. The macro-analysis comprises detecting artifacts in the digital image, computing a degradation score based on detected artifacts, and computing a whole-slide-quality score based on the score map and the degradation score. |
| US09025838B2 |
Apparatus and method for hybrid reconstruction of an object from projection data
The invention relates to an imaging apparatus for imaging an object of interest. An analytical reconstruction unit (12) analytically reconstructs an analytical image of the object from detection data, in particular, from projection data, and an iterative reconstruction unit (13) iteratively reconstructs an iterative image of the object from the detection data, wherein a combination unit (14) combines the analytical image and the iterative image for generating a combination image. An iterative image can comprises shading artifacts, which may be caused by preprocessing the detection data before performing the iterative reconstruction. An analytical image shows reduced shading artifacts, in particular, shows no shading artifacts at all. Thus, by combining the analytical image and the iterative image a combination image can be generated, in which the shading artifacts are reduced in comparison to an iterative image, thereby improving the quality of the reconstructed final image of the object of interest. |
| US09025837B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus
An image processing technique includes acquiring a main image of a scene and determining one or more facial regions in the main image. The facial regions are analyzed to determine if any of the facial regions includes a defect. A sequence of relatively low resolution images nominally of the same scene is also acquired. One or more sets of low resolution facial regions in the sequence of low resolution images are determined and analyzed for defects. Defect free facial regions of a set are combined to provide a high quality defect free facial region. At least a portion of any defective facial regions of the main image are corrected with image information from a corresponding high quality defect free facial region. |
| US09025836B2 |
Image recomposition from face detection and facial features
A computing system for automatically identifying individual regions in a digital image that include a human face, forming combined padded regions and automatically evaluating each of the regions including calculating a fitness score for each of the combined padded regions and ignoring at least one of the combined padded regions whose fitness score is below a known threshold. |
| US09025835B2 |
Image recomposition from face detection and facial features
A computer implemented method for modifying a digital image comprises padding two or more face regions in the image and digitally defining at least one combined padded region that includes the two or more face regions. At least one border of the combined padded region is collinear with a border of one of the individual regions. Each of the borders of the at least one combined padded region is selected so as to be collinear with at least one border of one of the individual padded regions. |
| US09025834B2 |
Input validation, user and data authentication on potentially compromised mobile devices
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for authenticating a user and user input to a back-end system and for validating the user input. In some implementations, actions include receiving a unique user identifier and user input, generating a personalized image recognition challenge based on the unique user identifier and the user input, the personalized image recognition challenge including a plurality of images and a written message, the written message instructing a user to select a particular image of the plurality of images to validate the user input, transmitting the personalized image recognition challenge for display on a device, receiving a response to the personalized image recognition challenge, the response comprising a selection of an image from the plurality of images, and authenticating the user and the user input based on the response. |
| US09025833B2 |
System and method for video-assisted identification of mobile phone users
Methods and systems for identifying and tracking individuals in a area-of-interest that may be covered by a video surveillance subsystem and by a communication location subsystem, and a correlation system correlates the outputs of the two subsystems. The communication location subsystem may monitor communication of mobile phones. The video subsystem captures video images of the area-of-interest, and processes the video images so as to identify individuals who are present in the area. The correlation system correlates a given mobile phone with a given individual who was identified by the video subsystem as being engaged in a phone conversation. After correlating the mobile phone with the individual using the phone, the correlation system outputs correlated information regarding the phone and its user to an operator. |
| US09025830B2 |
Liveness detection system based on face behavior
A liveness detection method comprising: receiving plural pictures of a video stream comprising a face and an adjacent background; determining motion of the face and the background, the motion determined over the plural pictures; comparing the motion between the face and the background; and determining whether the face corresponds to an actual, live user or an image of the user based on the comparison, the determinations performed by a processor. |
| US09025826B2 |
Formation of a time-varying signal representative of at least variations in a value based on pixel values
A method of forming a time-varying signal representative of at test variations in a value based on pixel values from a sequence of images, the signal corresponding in length to the sequence of images, includes obtaining the sequence of images. A plurality of groups of sub-sets of pixel values are formed by selecting a sub-set of at least one pixel value from each of at least two images defining an interval to form a group of associated sub-sets using at least one of a different aperture and a different interval length for groups defined on different intervals of the sequence. Groups of sub-sets are selected to form the signal to cover different intervals of the sequence of images by obtaining spatio-temporal volumes of pixel values from a sequence of images at least based on the received sequence of images. Each volume includes pixel values within a spatial aperture from each image within an interval of the sequence. |
| US09025824B2 |
Systems and methods for evaluating physical performance
Systems and methods are provided for evaluating and correcting physical performance of an activity by a human. A user performing one or more physical activities may be evaluated based on criteria relating to their movement, such as strength and technique. The user's performance in relation to these criteria is then rated, and the values for the criteria are combined to provide an overall performance score. The performance score is used to determine a user's overall readiness and ability to perform the physical activity which was evaluated or an overall ability to perform physical activities. Performance scores for more than one physical activity may be combined to provide an overall performance ready score that captures the person's overall physical ability. Comparisons of performance scores over time may provide information as to whether a user is improving, and could be applied to evaluating physical rehabilitations from injuries. |
| US09025823B2 |
Tracking texture rich objects using rank order filtering
A method of real-time tracking of an object includes capturing a first and a second image of the object. The object is detected in the first image and movement of the object is tracked between the images. Tracking of the object includes obtaining an initial pose of the camera; projecting an image of a model object onto the second image; determining a gradient profile of the second image from an edge point of the model object along a first direction that is normal to the edge of the model object; computing a radius on the gradient profile; determining a rank order of the peaks of the gradient profile along the radius; comparing the rank order with a predetermined rank order to generate a feature candidate point; and reducing a distance along the first direction between the feature candidate point and the edge point on the edge of the model object. |
| US09025816B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method for object recognition
An information processing apparatus comprises a first imaging section configured to image the holding surface of a holding platform on which an object is held from different directions, a recognition section configured to, read out the characteristics of the object image of a object contained in the first imaged image based on each of the first imaged images that are respectively imaged by the first imaging section from different directions and compare the read characteristics with the pre-stored characteristics of each object, thereby recognizing the object corresponding to the object image every first imaged image and a determination section configured to determine the recognition result of the object held on the holding platform based on the recognition result of the object image every first imaged image. |
| US09025811B1 |
Performing image similarity operations using semantic classification
Image similarity operations are performed in which a seed image is analyzed, and a set of semantic classifications are determined from analyzing the seed image. The set of semantic classifications can include multiple positive semantic classifications. A distance measure is determined that is specific to the set of semantic classifications. The seed image is compared to a collection of images using the distance measure. A set of similar images is determined from comparing the seed image to the collection of images. |
| US09025810B1 |
Interactive geo-referenced source imagery viewing system and method
The present invention pertains to geographical image applications. A user may transition between nadir and street level imagery using unstitched oblique imagery. Oblique images offer a rich set of views of a target location and provide a smooth transition to or from other images such as nadir photographs taken by satellites or street level photographs taken by ground level users. Using unstitched oblique images avoids artifacts that may be introduced when stitching together one or more images. This allows an application to display images to a user and create the illusion of three dimensional motion. |
| US09025805B2 |
Condenser microphone
A condenser microphone includes a unit case that supports a condenser microphone unit, has an internal space in communication with a rear acoustic terminal of the microphone unit, and has an opening in a peripheral wall in communication with the internal space; a volume restrictor that reduces the volume of the internal space by partitioning the internal space; a circuit board disposed in the internal space and surrounded by the volume restrictor; and a rigid conductor that electrically connects a signal output terminal of the microphone unit and the circuit board. The circuit board intersects the center axis of the unit case. The rigid conductor is supported such that the rigid conductor slides along the volume restrictor. An elastic conductor is compressed between the rigid conductor and the circuit board or between the rigid conductor and the signal output terminal of the microphone unit. |
| US09025804B2 |
Audio performance system
An audio performance system for use during an event including a shipping container containing at least a first electroacoustic device. A lifting device forms a first portion of the shipping container, the lifting device configured to movably secure the first electroacoustic device between a first position for transport of the container and a second position for the event. A second portion of the shipping container is configured to be manually removable. A third portion of the shipping container is configured to positionably secure a second electroacoustic device for the event. |
| US09025798B2 |
Multi-coaxial transducers and methods
Coaxial transducers, some of which include a first assembly and assembly, each of which includes a magnet and a coil. |
| US09025796B2 |
Vibration generator
A vibration generator includes a coil arranged to generate magnetic fields, a ring-shaped yoke arranged to amplify an electromagnetic force generated by the magnetic fields in cooperation with the coil, a vibrating body arranged radially inward of the coil to move in a thrust direction, a ring-shaped magnet arranged in an outer peripheral portion of the vibrating body and opposed to the coil, and a spring arranged to support the vibrating body on at least one side of the vibrating body in thrust-direction. |
| US09025795B2 |
Opening type bone conduction earphone
An opening type bone conduction earphone which eliminates headband and has a compact and simple structure comprising a magnetic body, which has an aeration hole, which is able to communicate with the outside world when wearing, at the center part of the axial direction, at least one or more dampers provided at the outer circumference of the magnetic body, and a coil bobbin, which is provided at the outer circumference of the magnetic body, accommodates the damper within a trunk part, and in which a coil is wound at the outer circumference of the trunk part, is provided. |
| US09025793B2 |
Audio signal processing circuit
A selector selects an analog audio signal input to one input port from among analog audio signals input to multiple input ports according to an instruction from the user. An analog gain control circuit amplifies the analog audio signal received from the selector, with a corresponding one of the gains set for the respective input ports. An analog gain control circuit is configured to gradually change its gain when the gain is switched. An A/D converter converts an output signal of the analog gain control circuit into a digital audio signal. A first audio signal processing circuit is monolithically integrated on a signal semiconductor substrate. |
| US09025792B2 |
Determining a configuration for an audio processing operation
A computer-implemented method of determining a configuration for an audio processing operation, wherein the audio processing operation comprises a predetermined set of one or more audio processing sub-operations, each audio processing sub-operation being configurable with one or more respective configuration parameters, the method comprising: specifying the predetermined set of one or more audio processing sub-operations; specifying a target frequency response; and performing a convergent optimization process to determine a configuration for the audio processing operation that reduces a difference between the frequency response of the audio processing operation and the target frequency response, wherein the configuration comprises a respective value for each configuration parameter of each audio processing sub-operation. |
| US09025791B2 |
Pop-up noise reduction in a device
A device implementing a scheme for reduction of pop-up noise is disclosed. The device comprises an audio sub-system (100) having an integrator (112) for amplifying an input signal (133) and a modulation circuit (114) including one or more comparators. The audio subsystem (100) is further provided with a feedback loop (142) across the integrator (112) and the modulation circuit (114) to calibrate an offsets outputs of the integrator (112) and the modulation circuit (114). The feedback loop (142) includes an integrator-offset loop (202) across the integrator (112) to calibrate an offset (136) in the output of the integrator (112), and an offset calibration loop (302) across the modulation circuit (114) to calibrate an offset (140) in the output of the modulation circuit (114). |
| US09025783B2 |
Method and apparatus for using a sound sensor to adjust the audio output for a device
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a sound sensor to adjust the audio output of a device. During operation, the system uses the sound sensor to determine an ambient sound level for the environment in the proximity of the device. The system then adjusts a volume setting for the device adaptively based on the determined ambient sound level. Adaptively adjusting the volume setting allows the device to adapt to its audio environment and ameliorates potentially-disruptive audio outputs. |
| US09025779B2 |
System and method for using endpoints to provide sound monitoring
A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes monitoring a sound pressure level with an endpoint (e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) phone), which is configured for communications involving end users; analyzing the sound pressure level to detect a sound anomaly; and communicating the sound anomaly to a sound classification module. The endpoint can be configured to operate in a low-power mode during the monitoring of the sound pressure level. In certain instances, the sound classification module is hosted by the endpoint. In other implementations, the sound classification module is hosted in a cloud network. |
| US09025778B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding noise signal
Provided is a method and apparatus for encoding/decoding an audio signal. Sections which are not used to output noise components near important spectral components and sub-bands which are not used to output noise components, are determined to be encoded or decoded, so that the efficiency of encoding and decoding an audio signal increases, and sound quality can be improved using less bits. |
| US09025773B2 |
Undetectable combining of nonaligned concurrent signals
The approach shown provides for an efficient implementation of time response, level response and frequency response alignment between two audio sources such as DAB and FM that may be time offset from each other by as much as 2 seconds, and produces an aurally undetectable transition between the sources. Computational load is significantly reduced over the approaches known in the prior art. |
| US09025770B1 |
Dynamic encryption arrangement with a wireless device and methods therefor
A method for encrypting a file using a combination of an electronic device and a protection communication-enabled (PCE) wireless device is provided. The method includes using an encryption/decryption engine executing on the electronic device to encrypt a first flag string, which is a binary string stored in a header of the file, with a digest value to create an encrypted flag string. The digest value is associated with the PCE wireless device, which is a device having a transmission application program installed thereon for enabling interaction between the PCE wireless device and the encryption/decryption engine. The method also includes encrypting at least a portion of the file using the digest value and a first password provided by a user, thereby generating an encrypted file that includes an encrypted version of at least a portion of the file, the encrypted flag string, and the first flag string. |
| US09025768B2 |
Securing variable length keyladder key
A system for securing a variable length keyladder key includes a keyladder decryptor configured to alter a first layer key and to execute a keyladder algorithm to generate a content key, the keyladder algorithm to generate the content key by decrypting an encrypted second layer key with the altered first layer key. The alteration mirrors the alteration applied to encrypt the second layer key by a content server providing content data to be decrypted. The system may further include a cryptographic direct memory access controller (DMAC) coupled with the keyladder decryptor and to decrypt encrypted content data using the generated content key. The keyladder decryptor may be further configured to send the content key to be stored in the DMAC without information regarding how the first layer key was altered. The alteration may include a permutation function or other change or modification. |
| US09025766B2 |
Efficient hardware architecture for a S1 S-box in a ZUC cipher
Efficient hardware architecture for a S1 S-box for a ZUC cipher is described. One circuit includes a first circuit to map an 8-bit input data of a Galois field GF(256) for a 8-bit data path for a ZUC cipher non-linear function component into 4-bit data paths for the ZUC cipher non-linear function component. The circuit further includes other circuits coupled to the first circuit to execute the 4-bit data paths in GF(162) to determine the inverse of the 8-bit input data for the ZUC cipher non-linear function component in GF(162) and to map the inverse in GF(162) to the Galois field GF(256). |
| US09025761B2 |
Method and apparatus for assessing the status of work waiting for service
The present invention provides a system and method for assessing the status of work waiting for service in a work queue or a work pool. Work items are placed in the work queue or work pool and have a service time goal. The work items in the work queue or work pool are scanned and a required queue position for each work item is calculated according to the amount of time remaining prior to the expiration of the service time goal and weighted advance time for servicing of work items in the work queue or pool. An array of counters has elements which correspond to required queue positions. Upon the calculation of the required queue position for a work item, the counter corresponding to the required queue position is incremented. When all of the work items are scanned, the array of counters is analyzed to predict a future state of the work queue or work pool. |
| US09025759B1 |
Method of reverse call branch off-load
A computer-implemented method for routing a call to a call center may generally comprise receiving a call from a caller at an automated call distributor, initiating an interactive voice response interrogation session with the caller, and classifying the call as one of a first type and a second type based on the interactive voice response interrogation session, when the call type is classified as the first type, routing the call to at least one of a plurality of branches comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type, when the call type is classified as the second type, routing the call to a call center comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type and the second type. |
| US09025758B2 |
Electronic communications system for multinodal expert networks
An electronic communication system enables one or multiple parties to aggregate one or multiple experts under one or multiple brand identities and to make each unique identity publicly or privately accessible to other entities seeking to access individual or aggregated experts on a free or paid basis. This system allows one single operator to effectively power hundreds or thousands of custom branded and independently owned expert networks deployed by different network sponsors. |
| US09025751B2 |
System and method of managing conference calls through the use of filtered lists of participants
The system and method establish a conference call between a plurality of communication devices. Each communication device may have one or more participants. The number of participants on each communication device is determined. The system and method get a profile for each participant in the conference call. The profile contains at least one parameter. A filtered list of participants in the conference call is generated based on at least one parameter in the profiles. The filtered list of participants is then presented to various participants in the conference call. |
| US09025743B2 |
System and method for processing quick note messages
A system and method for processing quick note messages. A call from a calling party is intercepted prior to transmitting the call to the receiving telephone and prior to ringing the receiving telephone. A quick note message from the calling party is recorded. A quick note message waiting indicator is activated on the receiving telephone. |
| US09025741B2 |
Call processing in a voicemail system
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method that involves receiving an indication that communications with a subscriber have been interrupted while engaged in voicemail processing, and recording a pointer to a last state of voicemail processing. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09025739B2 |
System and method for visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment
A method of managing visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment. The method includes receiving voice mail messages in a server, creating a state machine for each message, pushing a visual voice mail notification to at least three devices, receiving an action command from one of the three devices and updating the state machine responsive to the receiving step. |
| US09025738B2 |
Messaging translation services
One embodiment of a method for translating a message can be broadly summarized by the following steps: generating an electronic message in an understood language of an originating party; receiving instructions to translate contents of the electronic message to another language; converting the electronic message to the another language in accordance with the instructions; and delivering the converted electronic message to the receiving party. Other methods and devices are also provided. |
| US09025737B2 |
Visual interactive voice response
Information is provided by an interactive voice response system. The interactive voice response system receives an initial communication initiated by a remote requesting party and addressed to a numbered communications address. Based upon receipt at the interactive voice response system of the initial communication, visual data to provide to the remote requesting party as part of an integrated interactive script is determined. The visual data is provided to the remote requesting party during the initial communication as part of the integrated interactive script. |
| US09025733B2 |
Method and apparatus for line testing
A method of testing a communication line includes applying a voltage as a function of time on the communication line. The function includes at least one ramp and at least one plateau. The method includes measuring a current flowing via the communication line, and calculating at least one electrical property of the communication line based on the voltage and the current. |
| US09025731B2 |
Cargo scanning system
The present application is directed to a portable inspection system for generating an image representation of target objects using a radiation source. A detector array having a first configuration and a second configuration is connected to a housing and at least one source of radiation. The radiation source is capable of being transported to a site by a vehicle and of being positioned separate from the housing. The radiation source is housed in a radiation source box and movable within the radiation source box using an actuator. The actuator is operably connected to the radiation source and provides a translational energy that moves the radiation source between an operational position and a stowed position. |
| US09025728B2 |
Dual display CT scanner user interface
A CT user interface includes first and second displays that selectively display distinct display zones thereon. The first display includes a zone enabling the operator to create a record for each of a plurality of patients and an exam set-up and a protocol selection zone enabling the operator to select a scan protocol for performing a CT scan on a selected patient. A task list zone on the first display displays all steps and sub-steps of a CT scan for a selected patient based on the selected scan protocol, and a settings zone and a scanning zone on the first display displays and enables operator selection of a plurality of scan parameters related to the selected scan protocol. Any general user interface elements not needed for the selected scan protocol are not displayed on the first and second displays, so as to simplify the user interface for the operator. |
| US09025726B2 |
Radiation imaging apparatus and image processing method
A radiation imaging apparatus includes a differential phase image producing section, a phase unwrapping section, a statistical operation section, and a correction processing section. The differential phase image producing section produces a differential phase image in which pixel values are wrapped into a predetermined range α. The phase unwrapping section performs a phase unwrapping process to the differential phase image. The statistical operation section obtains a mode from statistical operation of pixel values in each subregion segmented in the unwrapped differential phase image. Each subregion is a unit in which error caused by the phase unwrapping process is to be corrected. The correction processing section calculates, for each pixel, an integer “n” which allows a difference Δ between the mode and a pixel value of each pixel to satisfy nα−α/2≦Δ |
| US09025723B2 |
Pre-scan imaging with rotating gantry
A method includes identifying at least first and second angles of rotation of the rotating gantry at which first and second pre-scans are acquired, wherein the first and the angles of rotation are different angles, acquiring data, via the imaging system while rotating the rotating gantry, only during a predetermined angular range about the first angle of rotation for a first plurality of rotations from the start to the end pre-scan positions and during the predetermined angular range about the second angle of rotation for a second plurality of rotations from the start to the end pre-scan positions, and reconstructing a first pre-scan based only on the data acquired during the predetermined angular range about the first angle of rotation and a second pre-scan based only on the data acquired during the predetermined angular range about the second angle of rotation. |
| US09025721B2 |
Holding device
There is provided a holding device which can hold a molten corium for a predetermined period even when the molten corium is exposed to heat or undergoes any chemical reaction and which is applicable to practical use. There is provided a holding device provided below a nuclear reactor pressure vessel for holding a molten corium, wherein the holding device includes a base material in contact with a cooling medium, and a multilayer stack structure on the base material. The multilayer stack structure has a first layer having heat-resistant property, a second layer formed on the first layer and having heat-resistant property with lower heat conductivity than that of the first layer, and a third layer formed on the second layer and having corrosion-resistant property and impact-absorbing property. |
| US09025719B2 |
Transverse in-core probe monitoring and calibration device for nuclear power plants, and method thereof
A method and apparatus for the calibration of neutron flux monitoring devices used in a nuclear reactor core. The apparatus includes a transverse in-core probe (TIP) cable with a neutron absorber located a fixed distance apart from a TIP detector. The neutron absorber may be passed within close proximity of the neutron flux monitoring device such that a perceived drop in measured neutron flux occurs, whereupon the cable may be repositioned relative to the monitoring device to ensure that the TIP detector is within close proximity of the monitoring device for purposes of calibrating the monitoring device. |
| US09025715B1 |
Systems and methods for compensating a phase of a local clock of a storage device
A storage device configured to communicate with a host according to a serial communication standard. The storage device includes a receiver configured to receive host data from the host; a clock data recovery circuit configured to determine a first frequency of host data transmitted by a host; a phase locked loop configured to generate a local phase corresponding to a local clock signal; a frequency offset calculator configured to generate a frequency offset corresponding to the first frequency and a second frequency of the local clock signal; an accumulator configured to generate a phase offset corresponding to a difference between the local phase and a phase of the host data; an interpolator configured to generate a compensated local clock signal using the phase offset and the local phase; and a transmitter configured to transmit device data to the host using the compensated local clock signal. |
| US09025707B1 |
Dimension reduction for codebook search
Systems are provided for searching for a codeword from a plurality of codewords in a codebook for use in precoding, for example, as used in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission system. Dimension reduction techniques may be utilized to reduce the complexity and enhance the efficiency of the codebooks search. Null-spaces of an optimal codeword and codewords in a codebook may be computed. Distance values may be computed based on the null=spaces of the codewords. A codeword may be selected from the codebook based on a minimum distance value from the optimal codeword. |
| US09025704B2 |
Methods and apparatus for generating demodulation candidates using vector candidate sampling (VCS)
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for generating likely demodulation candidates using Vector Candidate Sampling (VCS). VCS is used to generate high likelihood candidates for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) demodulation that approaches optimal maximum a posteriori (MAP) performance with reasonable complexity. A receive data vector is recorded corresponding to a signal received at a MIMO receiver. A plurality of likely candidates are determined for MIMO demodulation via VCS, based at least on the receive data vector. Determining the likely candidates may include perturbing the receive data vector for each candidate based on a pre-determined perturb vector, and estimating a corresponding transmit data vector based at least on the perturbed receive data vector for the candidate and an estimator matrix, wherein the likely candidate comprises the estimated data vector. |
| US09025703B2 |
Software radio system, decoding apparatus and method thereof
The present invention relates to a software radio system and a decoding apparatus and method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a forward error correction decoding apparatus for a software radio system, including: a receiving module for receiving decoding tasks from a plurality of uplink channels; and a decoder matrix for executing the decoding tasks, wherein the decoder matrix is shared by the plurality of uplink channels. The decoding apparatus and method as well as the software radio system according to the embodiments of the present invention can be well adapted to the high computing capabilities, sufficient flexibility and scalability as required by base station systems for next-generation wireless communication systems. |
| US09025694B1 |
(Nx2)-channel bit communication system
A bit communication system, with its' associated digital-hardware-implemented mechanisms for bit transmission, bit reception, and channel balancing; are presented, where electrical, photonic, or EM pulses, representing binary information bits, are carried from a transmitter point over a (N×2)-channel transmission medium, to a receiver point. The binary value of a transmitted pulse is identified at the receiver by means of the actual channel the pulse is travelling through. For example, if at a given time, any pulse transmitted and received through the first channel represents logic one, while any pulse transmitted and received through the second channel represents logic zero. |
| US09025692B2 |
Precoding selection for retransmission in uplink MIMO hybrid ARQ
A method implemented in a user terminal is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining known precoding matrix P of rank r and modulation and coding scheme assignments used in an original transmission, and a desired retransmission rank r′, forming an approximate channel covariance matrix, estimating a minimum mean square error receiver SINR for each layer to be retransmitted responsive to said forming, and finding a retransmission precoding matrix from a preceding codebook that maximizes a sum-rate for enabling precoding selections for retransmissions in uplink multiple-input multiple-output MIMO hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ. Other methods, apparatuses, and systems also are disclosed. |
| US09025680B2 |
Encoding information in beacon signals
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate transmitting at least two different types of information in a single signal, whereby the different types of information can be encoded and decoded independently. Thus, changes to one type of information does not affect a second type of information. |
| US09025677B2 |
Method, notably for optimizing the compression of a video and/or audio file, using a codec assigning a weight in bits per second to the corresponding compressed file, and associated system
A method for compressing a stream by means of a codec (C), provided for assigning to a compressed stream an encoding throughput (Q) measured in bits per second, using a pre-filter (X1) replacing in the header (T1) of the original stream, the restoration frequency (R) with a frequency equal to the product (R×K) of the restoration frequency (R) by a coefficient (K) and then for retransmitting the thereby filtered stream (FX1) to the codec; the post-filter (X2) replacing the restoration frequency (R) into the header (TX2) of a stream (FX2) resulting from the encoding of the pre-filtered stream (FX1) by the codec C. |
| US09025676B2 |
Method, system and device for improving video quality through in-loop temporal pre-filtering
A method, system and device are provided for pre-filtering device for filtering a video signal prior to digitally encoding. The method includes receiving at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process and performing an in-loop temporal filtering process using at least one input picture and at least one reconstructed picture from an encoding process to output a pre-filtered video signal for use in an encoding process. The result is enabling an encoding process to produce an output with increased temporal correlation between adjacent pictures regardless of the coding type, since the artifacts introduced by the encoding process are also considered by the process. |
| US09025673B2 |
Temporal quality metric for video coding
The disclosure is directed to techniques for evaluating temporal quality of encoded video. Instead of estimating jerkiness based solely on frame rate or motion activity, the number of consecutive dropped frames forms a basic estimation unit. Several human visual system factors, such as sensitivity to temporal quality fluctuation and motion activity, have been taken into account to make the predicted jerkiness more consistent with the actual human visual response. The temporal quality metric can be used to estimate human perceived discomfort that is introduced by temporal discontinuity under various combinations of video shots, motion activity and local quality fluctuations. The techniques can be applied in two modes: (1) bitstream or (2) pixel mode. The quality metric can be used to evaluate temporal quality, or to control encoding or decoding characteristics to enhance temporal quality. |
| US09025671B2 |
Variable length coding method and variable length decoding method
A variable length coding method is provided for coding coefficients in each block which are obtained by performing frequency transformation on picture data of a moving picture per block having a predetermined size, and includes: a coefficient scanning step of scanning the coefficients in the block in a predetermined order; and a coding step of coding the coefficients scanned in the coefficient scanning step into variable length codes in a predetermined order by switching a plurality of tables to be used for coding. Here, a direction of switching between the tables may be one-directional. Also, the coding may be non-arithmetic coding. |
| US09025665B2 |
Video encoder bit estimator for macroblock encoding
A video transmission system includes an encoder to receive video images, and encode them for transfer to a decoder. The video images include macroblocks having data that are encoded according to a prediction mode, such as inter-prediction or intra-prediction. A bit estimator for the encoded macroblock within the encoder estimates a size for the encoded macroblock and predicts whether it will be an illegal size. The bit estimator applies a bit estimation function using a number of header bits and a number of texture bits based on the prediction mode and transformed data of the macroblock. |
| US09025663B1 |
Method and apparatus for encoding intra prediction information
A method for encoding an intra prediction mode according to the present invention selects an intra prediction mode for a current block, determines the number of valid MPM candidates by checking the validity of MPM candidates of the current block, and if the number of valid MPM candidates is less than a previously set number, adds additional intra prediction modes as MPM candidates. MPM candidates can be adaptively added on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. Additionally, during the encoding of residual intra prediction modes, residual intra prediction modes are realigned on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. Accordingly, the present invention minimizes the information for encoding the intra prediction mode of the current block by adding MPM candidates or realigning the residual intra prediction modes on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. |
| US09025662B2 |
Image decoding apparatus
A method for encoding an intra prediction mode according to the present invention selects an intra prediction mode for a current block, determines the number of valid MPM candidates by checking the validity of MPM candidates of the current block, and if the number of valid MPM candidates is less than a previously set number, adds additional intra prediction modes as MPM candidates. MPM candidates can be adaptively added on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. Additionally, during the encoding of residual intra prediction modes, residual intra prediction modes are realigned on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. Accordingly, the present invention allows the information for encoding the intra prediction mode of the current block to be minimized by adding MPM candidates or realigning the residual intra prediction modes on the basis of the directionality of valid MPM candidates. |
| US09025659B2 |
Systems and methods for encoding media including subtitles for adaptive bitrate streaming
Systems and methods for adaptive bitrate streaming of media including subtitles utilizing HTTP in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes selecting a portion of the source media using the source encoder, transcoding the selected portion of the source media into a plurality of alternative portions of encoded video, where each alternative portion is encoded using a different set of encoding parameters and commences with an intra frame at the start of a closed group of pictures (GOP), writing each of the alternative portions of encoded video to a separate container file using the source encoder, writing a subtitle stream segment from each subtitle track corresponding to the selected portion of the source media to a separate container file using the source encoder, and associating a font file with at least one of the container files containing subtitle stream segments. |
| US09025658B2 |
Transform scheme for video coding
An embodiment includes a method that includes receiving a number of pixels of video data. The method also includes commencing a first arithmetic operation of a matrix of the number of pixels with a transpose of a constant matrix prior to a first element of the second row being received. |
| US09025649B2 |
Method and apparatus for acquiring estimated value of transmitted signal and a system-on-chip
The embodiments of the disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus for acquiring estimated values of transmitted signals, and a system-on-chip. The method comprises: in response to the sequence number N of a current OFDM symbol between sequence numbers N1 and N2 that are sequence numbers of two adjacent OFDM symbols containing pilots, for each RE within the Nth OFDM symbol, instantaneously acquiring a channel estimation value CNi of the RE by a linear interpolation method; extracting an FFT value of the ith RE from an FFT buffer unit, and based on a preset MIMO demodulation algorithm, performing computation on the CNi and the FFT value of the ith RE, thereby obtaining an estimated value of transmitted signals fro on the ith RE within the Nth OFDM symbol. The embodiments of the disclosure can save SOC memory, reduce SOC chip cost, and enhance SOC information processing performance. |
| US09025646B2 |
Transmit leakage cancellation
A transceiver for reducing transmit signal leakage is described. The transceiver includes a downconverter that downconverts a receive signal to produce a feedback signal. The transceiver also includes a weight learning module that correlates the feedback signal with a transmit signal to obtain a weight. The transceiver further includes a transmit leakage estimator that obtains an estimated transmit leakage signal based on the weight and the transmit signal. The transceiver also includes a transmit leakage reducer that reduces the transmit leakage in the receive signal based on the estimated transmit leakage signal. |
| US09025643B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication method and integrated circuit
A communication apparatus communicates with another communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a first communication unit configured to receive serial data from a first communication apparatus that is serially connected to the communication apparatus; a modulation unit configured to modulate the serial data received by the first communication unit into data other than the serial data to generate transmission data; and a second communication unit configured to perform first unicast transmission which involves transmitting the transmission data by designating a second communication apparatus as a transmission destination and second unicast transmission which involves transmitting the transmission data by designating a third communication apparatus as a transmission destination. |
| US09025638B2 |
Method and apparatus to compensate for receiver frequency error in noise estimation processing
A receiver circuit provides improved noise estimation processing by at least partially removing receiver frequency error bias. An initial noise estimate is compensated using an error term based on the observed receiver frequency error, and the resulting compensated noise estimate can be used to improve other signal processing in the receiver. For example, the receiver may use compensated noise estimates to generate signal quality estimates, e.g., Signal-to-Interference (SIR) estimates, having improved accuracy. Additionally, or alternatively, the receiver may use the compensated noise estimates to generate RAKE combining weights having improved noise suppression characteristics. In an exemplary embodiment, the initial noise estimate is a noise correlation matrix generated from a received reference signal, e.g., pilot symbols, and the error term is an error matrix directly generated using he observed receiver frequency error and channel estimates taken from the reference signal. |
| US09025637B2 |
Electromagnetic induction melting furnace to control an average nominal diameter of the TiC cluster of the Al—Ti—C alloy
An electromagnetic induction melting furnace to control an average nominal diameter of the TiC cluster of the Al—Ti—C alloy includes a main body containing the melted alloy; and a multi-layer coil disposed on the main body, wherein a frequency of the alternative current of each coil of the multi-layer coil is different, and the alloy is heated by inducing a magnetic field generated by the alternative currents. The selection of the frequency and the changeable magnetic field may reduce the cohesion force between the TiC grains of the Al—Ti—C alloy to control the average nominal diameter of the TiC cluster. |
| US09025635B2 |
Laser package having multiple emitters configured on a support member
A method and device for emitting electromagnetic radiation at high power using nonpolar or semipolar gallium containing substrates such as GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, is provided. In various embodiments, the laser device includes plural laser emitters emitting green or blue laser light, integrated a substrate. |
| US09025627B2 |
Laser device
A laser device 1 demultiplexes seed light L0 into a plurality of beams of laser light L1 and then continuously optically amplifies the plurality of beams of the laser light L1 with an amplifier 14. Therefore, its amplification factor can be set higher than that in the case of amplifying pulsed laser light. When producing multiplexed light L3 by multiplexing the beams of the amplified laser light L1 with a diffraction grating 16, respective phases of the beams of the laser light L1 are controlled such that an output peak of the multiplexed light L3 repeatedly appears at a converging position P1 at a predetermined time interval. This produces pulsed laser light at the converging position P1 from a plurality of beams of laser light L2 amplified at a high amplification factor. Hence, this laser device 1 can produce pulsed laser light with a high output. |
| US09025622B1 |
Lossless recursive deconstruction and reconstruction of digital information data streams
A series of methodologies and mathematical formulas that deconstructs any input digital information data stream whereby the deconstructed output data stream, in all cases, uses less digital storage or transmission space than the original data stream. The methodologies and formulas can be used recursively to further reduce the digital output stream size as many times as necessary to achieve a desired digital output stream size, limited only by the requirement there is a small set of deconstruction output stream values remaining to enable reconstruction. The output stream may be stored, transmitted or added to additional output streams for further reduction. The deconstruction output stream may be modified during or after deconstruction completion to render the deconstructed output stream incomprehensible as desired by the deconstructed output stream owner or creator. |
| US09025621B2 |
Systems and methods for distributing content over multiple bandwidth mediums in a service provider network
Systems and methods for distributing content over various mediums in a service provider network are disclosed. Such mediums may include an optical fiber and a cable line having a bandwidth less than that associated with the optical fiber. In certain embodiments herein, content may be distributed over the cable line, or relatively low bandwidth medium, according to characteristics of the optical fiber, or relatively high bandwidth medium. In one embodiment, data packets may be scheduled using first in first out (FIFO) scheduling for distribution over the cable line using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). Using this approach, increased bandwidths may be achieved over cable lines. Additionally, certain embodiments herein are directed to maintaining a forward/reverse channel split, which may exist in a PON, over a cable line. Further, certain embodiments herein may relate to dynamic allocation of subcarriers in an OFDM signal in response to changes in quality of service. |
| US09025620B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting signal in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for transmitting a signal in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes: generating R spatial streams each of which is generated on the basis of an information stream and a reference signal; generating N transmit streams on the basis of the R spatial streams and a precoding matrix (where R |
| US09025618B2 |
Method and apparatus for antenna selection in wireless communications systems
According to one embodiment there is provided a wireless communication device comprising a plurality of antennas and operable to transmit data on a plurality of subcarriers from one or more of said plurality of antennas over a communication channel, the device comprising a receiver configured to receive signals via each of said plurality of antennas, a processor configured to determine the number of subcarriers that can be allocated to one or more of said plurality of antennas for data transmission on the basis of received signal metrics associated with said received signals, and an antenna selector configured to select one or more of said plurality of antennas for transmitting data on said plurality of subcarriers based on said determination. |
| US09025617B2 |
Networking coexistence method system and apparatus
An apparatus and method are provided for a network having a controller (102) and network devices (104) coupled thereto and having both wideband and narrowband signaling. The controller (102) determines one or more narrowbands in a frequency band associated with a wideband network and selects the narrowband(s) as silent bands where one or more network devices (104) are not to transmit wideband signals. |
| US09025610B2 |
Method for machine type communication group selecting packet data network gateway, and mobile management network element
The present invention provides a method for a MTC group selecting a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) and a mobility management network element. After a MTC UE in the MTC group attaches for the first time, PGW information corresponding to the selected PGW is stored in a subscriber database; and when other MTC UEs in the MTC group attach, the PGW corresponding to the PGW information stored in the subscriber database is directly used as their own PGW. With the method of the present invention, it is guaranteed that the PGWs selected by multiple MTC UEs belonging to the same MTC group are the same PGW, thereby guaranteeing that the maximum flow and charging of each MTC group are effectively limited subsequently. |
| US09025605B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing a network termination point
Apparatus and method for providing a termination point for service emulation instances in an access network is provided. In an embodiment, the service emulation instances are implemented utilizing, for example, pseudowires. Communications to and from the access network are aggregated and transmitted via one or more pseudowires to a service emulation instance terminator. The service emulation instance terminator converts the traffic to its native form and, if necessary, converts the traffic to a different type of format or service. The service emulation instance terminator then frames the traffic for the appropriate type of service and transmits the traffic to the service edge. Traffic received from the service is removed prepended with a pseudowire label and aggregated with other traffic. The aggregated traffic is transmitted to the customer via the access network. If necessary, an interworking function may convert the traffic from one type of service to another type of service. Further, functionalities of equipment such as frame relay switching or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switching may be realized in the service emulation instance terminator. |
| US09025600B1 |
Multicast proxy for partitioned networks
A method for implementing multicast data exchange over a partitioned network having an encrypted domain with HAIPE devices at the edges consists of proxies running at an ingress edge and at egress edges of the encrypted domain. The proxies at the ingress edge device modify the multicast data packet to replace the destination address with the address of a proxy running on an egress edge device, such that the encrypted domain routes the packet directly to the proxy at the egress edge device without processing it as a multicast data packet. At the egress edge devices, the proxies restore the original address and send the multicast packets to the appropriate destinations. |
| US09025598B1 |
Cable/guidewire/interconnects communication apparatus and methods
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward a signal-communicating apparatus and methods of use that include a signal-communication path for communicating between remotely situated compartments in a vehicle with the path defined by a flexible cable. A signal interconnecting circuit is provided that includes a first interface circuit that couples optical signals to a first portion of the cable, and another interface circuit that couples electrical signals to another portion of the cable. The signal interconnecting circuit includes a signal-path connector that mechanically secures and communicatively couples the portions together. Additionally, a data communication circuit is provided to receive data carried by the signal-communication path via the flexible cable and the signal interconnecting circuit. |
| US09025597B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing one-arm node clustering using a port channel
Methods and apparatus for providing one-arm node clustering using a port channel are provided herein. An example application node may be communicatively connected to at least one application node, and the application node may be connected to a network through a port channel. The application node may include: a link included in the port channel for accommodating the network data being communicated between the remote client and server; and a processor configured to send/receive a cluster control packet to/from the at least one application node through the link included in the port channel. |
| US09025596B2 |
Head office and plurality of branches connected via a network
In one aspect, a method of sending traffic in a telecommunications network is provided. The telecommunications network includes a first branch network, a second branch network, intermediate system, and a head office network having a server. The first and second branch networks communicatively connected to the head network via the intermediate system. Traffic for the second branch network is received at a first branch network. The traffic at the first branch network is modified such that the intermediate network forwards the traffic to the head network. The intermediate network recognizes that the traffic is for the second branch network. The traffic is received at the head network, and the traffic is modified at the head network such that the intermediate network forwards the traffic to the second branch network. |
| US09025593B2 |
Communication apparatus
One embodiment provides a communication apparatus including: a first storage which stores connection information and an address; a connection information reading portion which reads connection information from the first storage upon reception of a packet transmission start instruction; a header generating portion which generates a header of a packet from the read connection information; a second storage which stores data at the address; and a data reading portion which reads data corresponding to the read connection information from the second storage, wherein the connection information reading portion is constituted by a first hardware, wherein the header generating and data reading portions are constituted by a second hardware, and wherein, while the data reading portion is reading data of a first packet or while the header generating portion is generating a header of the first packet, the connection information reading portion reads connection information of a second packet. |
| US09025592B2 |
Blade cluster switching center server and method for signaling
The present invention relates to a switching center server (100) handling calls, comprising a blade cluster with a plurality of different blades (110), a distributor (125, 170) distributing a message relating to a call to one of the blades, a master (130, 150) centrally controlling a usage of pooled resources by said plurality of blades (110) for handling the call, wherein the distributor contacts the master for retrieving the information to which blade said message is to be distributed. The different blades in the blade cluster are seen from the outside as one node, so that for message distribution the master is contacted in order to distribute the message relating to a call to the blade that is handling said call. |
| US09025583B2 |
System for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication module sharing single antenna
A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna is provided, including an antenna, first and second transceiving paths, and first and second wireless communications modules. The first transceiving path is coupled to the antenna. The second transceiving path is coupled to the first transceiving path. The first wireless communications module is coupled to the first transceiving path and transmits or receives a plurality of first wireless signals. The second wireless communications module is coupled to the second transceiving path and transmits or receives a plurality of second wireless signals, wherein signal strengths of the second wireless signals passing through the second transceiving path are attenuated by a certain level, and the attenuated second wireless signals are added to the first wireless signals when passing through the first transceiving path. |
| US09025574B2 |
Methods of channel state information feedback and transmission in coordinated multi-point wireless communications system
An apparatus and method for feedback solutions that function in conjunction with CoMP transmissions. The feedback solutions are applicable to joint transmission (JT) as well as coordinated scheduling (CS) and coordinated beamforming (CB). Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein in the context of a wireless network in compliance with LTE standards. |
| US09025572B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for access procedure enhancements
A mobile communication device for access procedure enhancement is provided. In the mobile communication device, a wireless module performs wireless transmissions and receptions to and from a service network. Also, a controller module transmits an access probe to the service network via the wireless module, and retransmits the access probe in response to not receiving an acknowledgement of the access probe from the service network via the wireless module in a waiting period of time. The waiting period of time is determined according to a coherence-time related offset. The controller module further repeats the retransmission of the access probe until the acknowledgement of the access probe is received from the service network via the wireless module. |
| US09025570B2 |
System and method for fast dynamic link adaptation
A method and user equipment for selecting a transport format combination (TFC) is disclosed. Configuration of a plurality of TFCs to use for TFC selection is received, wherein the TFCs of the plurality of TFCs have an order. TFCs to block from TFC selection from the plurality of TFCs is determined, wherein the TFCs to block are based at least on a maximum allowed transmit power. A TFC for transmission of uplink data is selected, wherein the selected TFC is based on the TFC order and wherein the selected TFC is a TFC that is not blocked from TFC selection. |
| US09025563B2 |
Supporting communications in a wireless network using an IP address
An apparatus for wireless communications and method for the same are provided. The apparatus is configured receive an identifier associated with a first node, determine an IP address of the first node from the identifier, and use the IP address to communicate data with the first node through a second node, wherein the data relates to managing air link resources of the first node. |
| US09025559B2 |
Method of reducing transmission power and terminal thereof
A method performed by a base station. The method according to an embodiment includes transmitting configuration information on an uplink channel allocated to a user equipment; and receiving signals based on the configuration information. The signals are transmitted by using a maximum power reduction (MPR) on maximum output power for transmission with non-contiguous resource allocation in a single component carrier. The MPR is determined according to: MPR=CEIL{MA, 0.5}, the CEIL being a function of rounding up by 0.5. The MA is determined according to: MA=(8.0−10.12*A) when 0 |
| US09025557B2 |
Wireless communications system, wireless communications apparatus, wireless communications method and computer program for wireless communication
In performing SVD-MIMO transmission, a set-up procedure is simplified while assuring a satisfactory decoding capability with a reduced number of antennas. A transmitter estimates channel information based on reference signals sent from a receiver, determines a transmit antenna weighting coefficient matrix based on the channel information, calculates a weight to be assigned to each of components of a multiplexed signal, and sends, to the receiver, training signals for respective signal components, the training signals being weighted by the calculated weights. On the other hand, the receiver determines a receive antenna weighting coefficient matrix based on the received training signals. |
| US09025554B2 |
Wireless base station and wireless communication method
A transmission path state estimation unit estimates a state of a transmission path to a wireless terminal based on a DRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) included in uplink user data received from the wireless terminal when a re-sending request is received after transmission of an SRS is stopped. A transmission unit forms directivity of a plurality of antennas based on the estimated state of the transmission path and transmits downlink user data. |
| US09025551B2 |
Data transmission method and apparatus in network supporting coordinated transmission
A data transmission method and an apparatus in a network supporting coordinated multipoint transmission are provided. The method includes transmitting candidate sets of initial state information used to generate Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) scrambling sequences for the transmission points to the UE, and transmitting an indication corresponding to at least one candidate set of initial state information respectively associated with at least one transmission point to the UE, wherein the initial state information is used by the UE to generate DMRS scrambling sequences. |
| US09025550B2 |
Coordinated multipoint resource management
A method for resource management includes determining a Coordinated Multi-point Processing (CoMP) resource management set of a user equipment (UE), receiving a set of channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) at the UE from a transmission point (TP) included within the CoMP resource management set, determining a resource management parameter based upon the CSI-RS signals, and sending the determined resource management parameter to the TP. The CoMP resource management set includes a plurality of candidate TPs for which downlink communication may be established with the UE. |
| US09025548B2 |
ARQ system with status and packet acknowledgement
A communication system comprises a downlink indicator channel (DL1) for the transmission of a indicator signal (302) indicating that a data packet (202) is scheduled to be transmitted on a downlink data channel (DLz) from a primary station to a secondary station. In operation, on detection of the indicator signal, the secondary station transmits a status signal, for example a negative acknowledgement signal (204), on an uplink channel (UL) to the primary station immediately before transmission of a positive (206) or negative acknowledgement signal to indicate the status of the received data packet. By providing the primary station with two chances to detect the case where the secondary station fails to detect the indicator signal, peak power requirements of the uplink channel can be reduced, thereby reducing system interference levels. |
| US09025547B2 |
Method and apparatus for the efficient transmission of control information for supporting uplink transmission using multiple antennas
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and to a method and apparatus for efficiently transmitting control information for supporting an uplink transmitting technique using multiple antennas. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method for transmitting control information for an uplink transmission using multiple antennas comprises the following steps: receiving a plurality of data blocks; transmitting ACK/NACK information for the received data blocks via a PHICH; transmitting, via a PDCCH, information containing an indicator which indicates whether to retransmit each of the plurality of data blocks; and receiving an uplink transmission in accordance with the combination of the ACK/NACK information and the information indicated by the indicator. |
| US09025546B2 |
Method and system for network synchronization via a femtocell
Aspects of a method and system for communication are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive messages from a plurality of different sources comprising one or more other femtocells, one or more cellular enabled communication devices, and one or more non-cellular network nodes. The femtocell may select, based on the received messages, a master clock within one of the plurality of different sources as a master clock for synchronization of the plurality of different sources. A femtocell clock, a global navigational satellite signal (GNSS) clock, a cellular base station clock, or a cellular enabled communication device clock may be selected as the master clock. The femtocell may transmit and/or receive synchronization messages to and/or from the one or more cellular enabled communication devices and the one or more non-cellular network nodes. |
| US09025540B2 |
WLAN channel allocation
An available frequency band for communication is determined, and a subset of communication channels from possible communication channels within the available frequency band is determined based on the available frequency band. A communication channel is selected from the subset of communication channels, and the selected communication channel is utilized to communicate with one or more communication devices. |
| US09025539B2 |
Mobile communication method and mobile station
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes a step of transmitting, by a radio base station eNB, “RRC Connection Reconfiguration” instructing to add new DL CC to a mobile station UE, a step of calculating, by the mobile station UE, Power headroom on the basis of a path loss estimated from the new DL CC, in response to the “RRC Connection Reconfiguration”, and a step of transmitting, by the mobile station UE, “MAC Control Element” including the Power headroom to the radio base station eNB. |
| US09025537B2 |
Inter-cell interference mitigation using limited feedback in cellular networks
An embodiment herein provides a method to mitigate effects of inter-cell interference in cellular communications, thereby maximizing SINR of a cellular device, due to a serving base station selecting a transmission strategy which places the signal strength (average and instantaneous) of the cellular device utilizing the base station in its in-phase region and inverse of interference signal strength (average and instantaneous) received by the cellular device from interfering base stations in their out-of phase region. |
| US09025529B2 |
Communication terminal, communication device, method for data communication, and method for frequency allocation
A communication terminal is described comprising a determiner configured to determine, for a frequency region, a plurality of first communication devices from which the communication terminal receives a signal via the frequency region; a selector configured to select at least one of the first communication devices based on a predetermined interference criterion; a signal generator configured to generate a signal with an identification of the at least one selected first communication device; and a transceiver configured to transmit the signal to a second communication device, to receive an indication from the second communication device specifying whether the communication terminal should use the frequency region for data communication with the second communication device, and to carry out data communication with the second communication device using the frequency region depending on the indication. |
| US09025528B2 |
Wireless communication system
A wireless communication system that includes a base station and one or more terminals carries out wireless data communication by use of a first frequency band. The wireless communication system includes a wireless access system that employs a CSMA/CA and/or TDMA/TDD system as the wireless access system of the wireless communication system and a control signal at the first frequency band is periodically broadcasts from the base station, where the control signal includes a control information configured to manage wireless data transmission by the one or more terminals. In addition to the first frequency band, one or more frequency bands different from the first frequency band for the wireless data transmission by the one or more terminals can be allocate by the base station, where the control signal at the first frequency band indicate the location of the one or more frequency bands which can be used. |
| US09025526B2 |
Mobile station and radio base station
A mobile station UE according to the present invention includes a notification reception unit 21 configured to receive an SIB2 in E-UTRAN and a barring processor unit 22 configured to perform predetermined barring processing in E-UTRAN based on information elements included in the SIB2. The barring processor unit 22 is configured to perform barring processing for origination of a CS call using a CSFB function based on “ac-BarringForCSFB-r10” and “ac-BarringForMO-Data” among the information elements. |
| US09025525B2 |
Over-the-top (OTT) video/voice configuration
A user equipment (UE) provides for display, to a user, information identifying available over-the-top (OTT) services provided via voice-over-Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE), and receives, from the user, a selection of a particular OTT service of the available OTT services. The UE receives, from the user, information identifying a selected contact associated with the particular OTT service, and determines whether a particular UE associated with the selected contact is a VoLTE capable device or a non-VoLTE capable device. The UE provides a call to the particular UE, via a LTE network and an Internet protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, when the particular UE is a VoLTE capable device. |
| US09025521B2 |
Method for enabling collaboration among terminals in a wireless network
A method for Mobile Station (MS) collaboration for a Downlink (DL) or Uplink (UL) transmission in a wireless network having MSs in a Base Station (BS) cell is provided. The DL transmission method includes forming a cluster of MSs having a same type of radio interface, receiving, by each MS, a DL transmission including a DL control channel message and a DL data burst, extracting, by the MSs, a DL data assignment included in the DL control channel message and indicating a receiving MS intended to receive the DL data burst, decoding, by the MSs, the DL data assignment and the DL data burst according to a determination to collaborate in the DL transmission, transmitting, by the collaborating MSs, a re-encoded DL data burst to the receiving MS, the receiving MS receiving the re-encoded DL data burst from the collaborating MSs and the DL data burst from the BS. |
| US09025519B2 |
Bandwidth request preamble sequence selection method and random access method
The present invention relates to a bandwidth request preamble sequence selecting method for bandwidth requests on a wireless access system, and to a random access procedure using the same. Also, the present invention relates to devices supporting the random access procedure. In one example of the present invention, the method for randomly accessing a wireless access system may comprise the steps of: receiving a first message containing a predefined bandwidth request index from a base station; selecting a bandwidth request preamble sequence from the predefined bandwidth request index on the basis if the properties of uplink data to be transmitted by a mobile terminal; transmitting a second message containing a predefined bandwidth request index to the base station; and transmitting the selected bandwidth request preamble sequence to the base station. |
| US09025517B2 |
Flexible ways to indicate downlink/uplink backhaul subframe configurations in a relay system
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for indicating the configuration of a subframe of a backhaul between a relay node and a base station. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include generating an indication of a configuration of a subframe of at least one of an uplink and a downlink of a backhaul and sending the indication to a relay node to configure transmission at the relay node. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described. |
| US09025516B2 |
Method and system for optimizing data throughput performance for dynamic link conditions using adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) and dynamic single channel per carrier (dSCPC) techniques
A method of maintaining a data rate of a telecommunications link that involves, in a particular embodiment, modulating a carrier signal, encoding the carrier signal, and dynamically controlling a bandwidth of the carrier signal by changing a symbol rate of the carrier signal such that a data rate of the carrier signal remains substantially equal to a predetermined data rate when the carrier signal is transmitted to a remote receiver. |
| US09025512B2 |
Method of transmitting counting response message indicating service area at user equipment in wireless communication system and apparatus thereof
A method of processing a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) message by a network in a wireless communication system, the method including transmitting a system information block (SIB) including information on a Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area list through a broadcast control channel (BCCH) to a user equipment (UE); transmitting a first LTE MBMS message including information on one or more services through a multicast control channel (MCCH) to the UE; and receiving a second LTE MBMS message indicating a specific area corresponding to an area of the MBSFN area list and a specific service from the UE in response to the first LTE MBMS message, the UE wishing to receive the specific service of the one or more services or being interested to receive the specific service of the one or more services. |
| US09025509B2 |
Mobile wireless communication system, access gateway, wireless base station, and mobile wireless communication control method
The present invention discloses a wireless mobile communication system for transferring MBMS data from an access gateway to plural wireless base stations and transmitting the MBMS data from the plural wireless base stations to a wireless mobile station at the same time. The system includes a transferring part included in the access gateway for copying the MBMS data in a number corresponding to the number of the plural wireless base stations, adding a header indicative of data transmission time to the MBMS data, and transferring the MBMS data to the plural wireless base stations; a transmitting part included in each the plural wireless base stations for extracting the data transmission time from the header of the transferred MBMS data, deleting the header from the MBMS data, and transmitting the MBMS data to the wireless mobile station. |
| US09025508B2 |
Method for receiving mobile multicast broadcast service in multi-carrier wireless communication system
Method receiving Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method comprises receiving a Dynamic Service Addition (DSA) message through a primary carrier, from a Base Station (BS); switching from the primary carrier to a secondary carrier based on the DSA message; receiving an MBS Configuration message through the secondary carrier, from the BS; and receiving MBS data through the secondary carrier based on the MBS Configuration message, from the BS. |
| US09025504B2 |
Bandwidth efficiency in a wireless communications network
A method of processing a signal for transmission, the method comprising: determining a quality of a first portion of the signal; and if the quality satisfies a threshold criterion then aggregating a representation of the first portion of the signal with a representation of a subsequent portion of the signal. |
| US09025502B2 |
Mobile communication system and method for transmitting/receiving signal thereof
A method of transmitting a signal in a base station is provided. The method includes filtering a signal to be transmitted through a filter, power amplifying the filtered signal to generate nonlinear harmonic components corresponding to a first frequency band and a second frequency band, separating the nonlinear harmonic components according to the first frequency band and the second frequency band such that nonlinear harmonic components corresponding to the first frequency band passes through a first frequency band duplexer and nonlinear harmonic components corresponding to the second frequency band passes through a second frequency band duplexer, and transmitting the separated nonlinear harmonic components. |
| US09025501B2 |
Method and device for implementing synchronization between different systems
The present invention provides a method and a device for implementing synchronization between different systems. The method includes setting a starting time of an LTE TDD frame, where the starting time set for the LTE TDD frame is later than a starting time set for a WiMAX frame. The LTE TDD frame is transmitted after the starting time of the LTE TDD frame arrives. The WiMAX frame adopts a subframe ratio structure of 29:18, the LTE TDD frame adopts a subframe ratio structure of subframe configuration 1, and an UpPTS time slot and a last uplink symbol of a last uplink subframe which are in the LTE TDD frame are in a status of being knocked off. |
| US09025497B2 |
Media forwarding for a group communication session in a wireless communications system
Embodiments are directed to media forwarding for a group communication session within a wireless communications system. A server receives a frame for a given timeslot from each of a first plurality of access terminals participating in the group communication session, each of the received frames having an associated data rate. The server selects at least one and less than all of the received frames based at least in part on the associated data rates of each of the received frames. The server sends the selected at least one frame to a second plurality of access terminals participating in the group communication session. |
| US09025496B2 |
Parallelly coupled stackable network switching device
A network switching device includes at least two stacking ports, each stacking port being connectable via a stacking cable to a stack including at least one external network switching device. The device further includes an internal communication medium coupled to the stacking ports and capable of transmitting a frequency division multiplexed signal between the stacking ports. The device further includes a network switch and an interface to enable communication between the network switch and the internal communication medium. The interface includes a parallel coupling to the internal communication medium such that a signal with one carrier frequency being communicated between the network switch and the internal communication medium does not interfere with transmission between the two stacking ports of a signal with a different carrier frequency. |
| US09025494B1 |
IPv6 network device discovery
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) network device discovery techniques are disclosed. In some embodiments, IPv6 network device discovery includes determining a route entry (e.g., selecting a first route entry that is less than 126 bits and greater than 48 bits) of a route entry table of a seed device (e.g., a router, such as a well connected router); converting the route entry to an anycast address; and sending a probe to the anycast address. For example, using various techniques described herein, an Internet Control Messaging Protocol (ICMP) probe, for example, with incrementing hop count and the subnet-router anycast addresses as targets can be used to fully discover network devices on an IPv6 network. |
| US09025490B2 |
Network device
In this application, we have the following examples: (1) Integrating the NID functionality in to the small foot-print of an SFP Module, with one or more of the features below: a) Mounting a NID SoC IC to an existing SFP Printed Circuit Board (PCB); b) Using the power from the SFP module, without requiring separate external power; c) NID SoC having only 2 ports, each with its own MAC and possibly PHY layer; d) NID SoC having an embedded microprocessor, RAM and ROM. Many examples and applications are provided. |
| US09025489B2 |
Method of configuring radio resource by a MAC layer of terminal in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and user equipment providing wireless communication services, and a method of transmitting and receiving data between a terminal and a base station in an evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that has evolved from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, and more particularly, to a method of configuring radio resource(s) by a MAC layer of the terminal, and it may be an object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of configuring radio resource(s) in a wireless communication system in order to minimize the waste of the radio resource(s) and/or the contention of the radio resource. |
| US09025487B2 |
Reference signal port discovery involving transmission points
A method includes receiving information indicating one or more sets of reference signal patterns from a first transmission point, wherein at least one of the indicated one or more sets of reference signal patterns corresponds to one of one or more other transmission points; measuring the channel quality for the indicated sets of reference signal patterns; and reporting indications of the measured channel quality for the indicated one or more sets of reference signal patterns to the first transmission point. Another method includes transmitting information indicating one or more sets of reference signal patterns from a first transmission point to a user equipment, wherein at least one of the indicated one or more sets of reference signal patterns corresponds to one of one or more other transmission points; and receiving from the user equipment indications of measured channel quality for the indicated one or more sets of reference signal patterns. |
| US09025486B1 |
Determining quality of radio access network transmissions
Methods are described that are used to identify quality problems in a wireless communication network as experienced by a user-session of a mobile computing device, and quantify the quality of network transmission associated with the user-session. The quality of transmission during a user-session can then be used to characterize the network quality as experienced by an end user. One benefit of applying the described methods is that the actual quality of network transmissions experienced in a user-session is quantified rather than being inferred from the performance of a radio access network (“RAN”) transceiver. The described methods are used in some examples to determine network quality issues related to user-session characteristics, such as location and mobile computing device type. |
| US09025485B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving reference signal in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a reference signal in a wireless communication system. In the method, in order to dynamically switch an uplink (UL) Demodulation-Reference Signal (DM-RS) according to the communication environment, such as CoMP and MU-MIMO, a parameter set for generation of a reference signal sequence is configured to include a Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID) parameter configured by information of a total of 9 bits and a cyclic shift hopping initial value parameter cinitCSH, which is 9-bit information representing one integer value among 510 integer values. Therefore, it may be possible to achieve dynamic transmission or reception of a reference signal and channel estimation through the dynamic transmission or reception of the reference signal even when the communication environment dynamically changes as in a Cooperative Multiple Point transmission and reception (CoMP) scenario. |
| US09025484B2 |
Method of providing an MMoIP communication service
One or more MMoIP packet streams are transmitted via a connection established between a first and second endpoint of an IP communication network. The one or more MMoIP packet streams include MMoIP payload data and/or control data. Control data directed to a processor is inserted in at least one MMoIP packet stream of the one or more MMoIP packet streams at the first endpoint and/or the second endpoint. The one or more MMoIP packet streams are transmitted via an MMoIP switch of the IP communication network. The MMoIP switch monitors the one or more MMoIP packet streams. The MMoIP switch detects the control data directed to the processor. The MMoIP switch forwards the detected control data to the processor. |
| US09025482B2 |
Quantitative interference detection
A method for wireless communications is described. The method includes beginning a voice call using a voice services over adaptive multi-user channels on one slot receiver. Pilot signal knowledge is obtained. Interferers knowledge is also obtained. Error metrics are computed using the pilot signal knowledge and the interferers knowledge. The method further includes selecting between the voice services over adaptive multi-user channels on one slot receiver and a legacy receiver for the voice call based on the error metrics. Other aspects, embodiments and features are also claimed and described. |
| US09025477B2 |
Methods and devices for uplink diversity transmission
Methods and devices are provided wherein a user equipment transmits using at least two uplink transmit antennas and receives a set of control signals in the downlink direction from a cellular network. The user equipment estimates a received signal quality for each control signal in said set of control signals and determines, based on said received signal quality, which control signals that have been reliably received. The user equipment derives one or more parameters related to the uplink transmit diversity operation using a subset of control signals from the set of control signals, said subset only including control signals determined as reliably received; and transmits in the uplink direction applying the derived one or more parameters to control the uplink transmit diversity operation. The accuracy of the transmit diversity parameter values derived/set by the UE can be improved. This will enhance the performance of the uplink transmit diversity and will also reduce interference to the neighbor cells. |
| US09025462B2 |
Reception report aggregation
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives a first service and determines a potential upload time period including an aggregation time period. The potential upload time period is for uploading a reception report for the first service. The apparatus receives a second service before expiration of the aggregation time period. The apparatus determines whether to generate first reporting information for the received first service and second reporting information for the received second service. The apparatus aggregates the first reporting information and the second reporting information based upon the determination to generate both the first reporting information and the second reporting information. |
| US09025461B2 |
Power optimized behavior in mesh networks
Mesh communications aspects are disclosed in which multiple mobile devices located within a communication area perform direct communication to establish a mesh network. Each device node included in the mesh network provides power profile information to the other nodes on the network. As mesh messages are generated for transmission by the nodes onto the mesh network, an adaptive routing mechanism determines the transmission route based on the power profile of the proposed target node. The selective and adaptive routing determination allows for power to be efficiently conserved within the mesh network. |
| US09025453B2 |
Data transmission control methods and devices
A method of controlling a radio access network entity of a data unit communication network is described, said radio access network entity being involved in providing a transport service to a radio terminal of said data unit communication network, said transport service being characterized by a set of values associated with respective service quality parameters, said method comprising: monitoring (S30) a communication quality at the radio access level of a communication between said terminal and an access point of said radio access network, and setting (S31) a congestion indication marking in data units of said transport service if said communication quality fulfils a radio communication degradation condition. |
| US09025452B2 |
Oversubscription monitor
Aspects of oversubscription monitoring are described. In one embodiment, oversubscription monitoring includes accumulating an amount of data that arrives at a network component over at least one epoch of time. Further, a core processing rate at which data can be processed by the network component is calculated. Based on the amount of data and the core processing rate, it is determined whether the network component is operating in an oversubscribed region of operation. In one embodiment, when the network component is operating in the oversubscribed region of operation, certain quality of service metrics are monitored. Using the monitored metrics, a network operation display object may be generated for identifying or troubleshooting network errors during an oversubscribed region of operation of the network component. |
| US09025449B2 |
Network retransmission protocols using a proxy node
One embodiment relates to a device. The device includes reception circuitry adapted to receive a data unit from a first node of a network and a confirmation message signal from a second node of the network. Analysis circuitry is adapted to determine a failure to correctly receive the data unit. Transmission circuitry is adapted to transmit a negative acknowledgement signal to the first node in case the analysis circuitry determines the data unit has not been correctly received and the confirmation message signal from the second node is received. Other methods and devices are also disclosed. |
| US09025443B2 |
Network equipment and frame transmission control method
Network equipment has multiple ports each performing transmission/reception of a frame, and a control unit that when the frame received through the port is an command of temporal suspension, temporarily suspends transmission of the frame from the port until a predetermined time elapses and after the predetermined time elapsed, alters the transmission bandwidth of each traffic about a communication path corresponding to the frame according to a variation of an interval at which the command of temporal suspension is received. |
| US09025442B2 |
Pseudo wire end-to-end redundancy setup over disjoint MPLS transport paths
According to one embodiment, a method for establishing a primary and redundant PW over disjoint bidirectional RSVP-TE LSPs include establishing a first bidirectional RSVP-TE LSP that includes a first upstream path and a first downstream path. The method includes transmitting a first label distribution protocol (LDP) label mapping message that includes a first transport path include field that causes the second PE router to use the first downstream path for the primary PW. The method includes establishing a second bidirectional RSVP-TE LSP that includes a second upstream path and a second downstream path. The method includes transmitting a second LDP label mapping message that includes a second transport path include field that causes the second PE router to use the second downstream path for the redundant PW. |
| US09025440B2 |
Preventing upper layer renegotiations by making PPP aware of layer one switchovers
A method may include establishing a first Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session on an interface, receiving an indication of a layer one failure, omitting for a period of time, an indication that the first PPP session on the interface is down, based on the indication of the layer one failure, establishing a layer one switchover to another interface based on the indication of the layer one failure, and attempting during the period of time, to establish a second PPP session on the other interface. |
| US09025434B2 |
Automated datacenter network failure mitigation
The subject disclosure is directed towards a technology that automatically mitigates datacenter failures, instead of relying on human intervention to diagnose and repair the network. Via a mitigation pipeline, when a network failure is detected, a candidate set of components that are likely to be the cause of the failure is identified, with mitigation actions iteratively targeting each component to attempt to alleviate the problem. The impact to the network is estimated to ensure that the redundancy present in the network will be able to handle the mitigation action without adverse disruption to the network. |
| US09025431B2 |
Wireless terminal apparatus and wireless base station apparatus
Both a wireless terminal apparatus and wireless base station apparatus are provided that can, in an operation of encoding the control signals of the upstream link transmitted from the multiple terminal stations while encoding with regard to each of the terminal stations, increase a number of the terminal stations to which different codes are respectively assigned. A wireless terminal apparatus includes: an encoding information receiving portion receiving encoding information which is used at the wireless terminal apparatus from the base station; a phase-shifting unit which conducts a phase-shifting operation on a predetermined first code based on the encoding information; a code selection unit which, based on the received encoding information, selects a second code from multiple codes orthogonally crossing each other; and a control signal encoding portion which conducts an encoding operation on the control signal that is going to be transmitted to the base station by using both the first code on which the phase-shifting operation has been conducted and the second code. |
| US09025429B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting SRS in LTE TDD system
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) by a User Equipment (UE). The method includes receiving information related to an SRS period and an offset for an SRS transmission; generating the uplink SRS; and when the information indicates the SRS period is 2 ms, transmitting the SRS in two Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SCFDMA) symbols in a half frame according to the offset for the SRS transmission. When the information indicates the SRS period is 2 ms and a length of an Uplink Pilot Time Slot (UpPTS) in the half frame is two symbols, a first symbol in the UpPTS is indicated by offset 0 and a second symbol in the UpPTS is indicated by offset 1. |
| US09025426B2 |
Optical disc with pre-recorded and recordable regions and method of forming the disc
An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc. |
| US09025422B2 |
Plasmon generator having flare shaped section
The present invention relates to a plasmon generator, in which a surface plasmon is excited by application of light. The plasmon generator extends along one direction. The plasmon generator includes a first end surface that is positioned on one end in the one direction and at which near-field light is generated along with the excitation of the plasmon; and a second cross section that is substantially parallel to the first end surface and is away from the first end surface. The first end surface has a polygonal shape that does not have a substantially acute inner angle. The second cross section has an upper part that has a shape substantially the same as or similar to that of the first end surface and a flare shaped lower part that is connected to the upper part and has a width that increases as it is far from the upper part. |
| US09025421B1 |
Data storage device adjusting laser input power to compensate for temperature variations
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a laser configured to heat the disk while writing data to the disk. A temperature is measured, and a first input power is generated based on a first function of the measured temperature, wherein the first function compensates for a temperature dependent output power of the laser. A second input power is generated based on a second function of the measured temperature, wherein the second function compensates for a temperature dependent coercivity of the disk. The first input power is combined with the second input power to generate a write power applied to the laser while writing data to the disk. |
| US09025420B1 |
Self-controlled laser pulsing for thermally assisted recording
A method of storing data includes providing a write signal for a write head of a hard disk drive, generating a transition pulse signal derived from the write signal using a transition pulse generator, and generating a logic signal to drive a thermal source associated with the write head of the hard disk drive. The logic signal includes the logical summation of a cyclical base pulse signal and the transition pulse signal. |
| US09025418B2 |
Intelligent patching systems using acoustic control signals and related equipment and methods
Methods of identifying patching connections in a communications system are provided in which an acoustic signal generator is used to transmit an acoustic signal that includes a unique identifier embedded therein over a patch cord from a first connector port to a second connector port. The acoustic signal is received at the second connector port. The unique identifier is extracted from the acoustic signal. Finally, a patching connection between the first connector port and the second connector port is logged in a database. |
| US09025416B2 |
Sonar system for automatically detecting location of devices
Systems and methods are described for determining device positions in a video surveillance system. A method described herein includes generating a reference sound; emitting, at a first device, the reference sound; detecting, at the first device, a responsive reference sound from one or more second devices in response to the emitted reference sound; identifying a position of each of the one or more second devices; obtaining information relating to latency of the one or more second devices; computing a round trip time associated with each of the one or more second devices based on at least a timing of detecting the one or more responsive reference sounds and the latency of each of the one or more second devices; and estimating the position of the first device according to the round trip time and the position associated with each of the one or more second devices. |
| US09025412B2 |
System for acquiring seismic data in a marine environment, using seismic streamers coupled to means for detecting and/or locating marine mammals
Discloses herein is a system of acquiring seismic date in a marine environment, which includes: seismic streamers towed by a vessel; and means for detecting and/or locating marine mammals, characterized in that said marine mammal detection and/or location means are secured to said seismic streamers. |
| US09025408B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and information processing apparatus
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a regulator, a level shifter and a switch circuit. The regulator converts an input voltage that is a difference in potential between a first terminal and a third terminal into an output voltage that is a difference in potential between a second terminal and the third terminal. The level shifter adjusts a voltage level between a first terminal and a second terminal. The switch circuit includes a first switch selectively connecting the third terminal of the regulator to a first potential, a second switch selectively connecting the third terminal of the regulator to the first terminal of the level shifter, and a third switch selectively connecting the third terminal of the regulator to a second potential. |
| US09025406B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and method of driving the same
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a fuse circuit comprising a fuse configured to generate a fuse state signal corresponding to a rupture state of the fuse in response to an enable signal, a fuse state decision unit configured to determine whether or not the fuse state signal is normal based on a test signal, and generate an output enable signal according to a determination result, and a driving unit configured to output the fuse state signal in response to the output enable signal. |
| US09025404B1 |
Semiconductor device with reduced leakage current and method for manufacture of the same
A semiconductor device with reduced leakage current and a method of manufacturing these reduced leakage current semiconductor devices are disclosed. The reduced leakage current semiconductor devices may be used for both static circuits and dynamic circuits. The reduced leakage current semiconductor devices reduce leakage current in the device when the node is not transitioning which occurs more than 95% of the time. |
| US09025401B2 |
Semiconductor memory device including bulk voltage generation circuit
A semiconductor memory device includes a bulk voltage generation circuit configured to interrupt driving of a bulk voltage in response to an exit signal which is generated in synchronization with a time at which a power-down mode is ended, and discharge charges of a first node from which the bulk voltage is outputted, in response to the exit signal; and an internal circuit including a MOS transistor which is supplied with the bulk voltage. |
| US09025398B2 |
Metallization scheme for integrated circuit
For multi-level interconnect metallization, each metal level maintains a parallel line arrangement within a region, and the lines of each adjacent metal level are orthogonal or otherwise cross with one another. Vertical shunting among levels for routing in different directions employs short paddles that stay within the parallel scheme, and multiple paddles within a region at the same metal level can be co-linear. Parallel lines in the same metal level can be rotated with respect to one another in adjacent regions, for example to better interface with driver circuitry with orthogonal orientations in the different regions. |
| US09025396B1 |
Pre-conditioning circuits and methods for programmable impedance elements in memory devices
A memory device can include a plurality of programmable impedance elements programmable between a low impedance state in response to a program voltage and a higher impedance state in response to an erase voltage having a different polarity than the program voltage; a programming circuit configured to apply the program and erase voltages to selected elements; and a pre-condition path configured to apply a pre-condition voltage only of the erase voltage polarity to fresh elements in a pre-condition operation; wherein fresh elements are elements that have not been subject to any programming voltages. The pre-condition electrical conditions can also include high voltage low current conditions that apply a greater magnitude voltage and smaller current than the first or second electrical conditions, or high voltage low current conditions that apply a greater magnitude voltage and greater current than the first or second electrical conditions. |
| US09025391B2 |
Circuit arrangement and method for operating a circuit arrangement
A circuit arrangement, having a plurality of electronic components; a plurality of first access lines and second access lines, wherein each electronic component is coupled with at least one first access line and at least one second access line; an access controller configured to control an access to at least one electronic component of the plurality of electronic components via the at least one first access line and the at least one second access line; a bias circuit configured to provide a defined potential to at least one of the first access lines, wherein the bias circuit is configured, during an access to an electronic component via one selected first access line of the plurality of first access lines, to provide the defined potential to one or two first access lines of the plurality of first access lines, wherein the one or two first access lines are arranged adjacent to the selected first access line, and, wherein during the access to the electronic component, the potentials of the first access lines of the plurality of first access lines other than the selected first access line and the one or two first access lines arranged adjacent to the selected first access line are floating. |
| US09025390B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which performs improved erase operation
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a control unit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix. The control unit erases data of the memory cells. The control unit interrupts the erase operation of the memory cells and holds an erase condition before the interrupt in accordance with a first command during the erase operation, and resumes the erase operation based on the held erase condition in accordance with a second command. |
| US09025387B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a memory cell array and a control circuit. The control circuit executes a first reading operation and a second reading operation. The first reading operation is an operation of reading a threshold voltage set in the selected memory cell by setting a voltage between a control gate electrode and source of the selected memory cell to a first value. The second reading operation is an operation of reading a threshold voltage set in the selected memory cell by setting a voltage between the control gate electrode and source of the selected memory cell to a second value lower than the first value. When executing the second reading operation, the control circuit keeps a voltage of the control gate electrode of the selected memory cell to 0 or a positive value. |
| US09025384B2 |
Memory system and operating method of controller
A memory system including a first memory of a first type; a second memory of a second type; and a controller configured to control the first memory and the second memory. The first type and second type are different, and the controller is configured to control the first memory and the second memory according to substantially the same command sequence. |
| US09025382B2 |
Lithography-friendly local read circuit for NAND flash memory devices and manufacturing method thereof
A flash memory device comprising a local sensing circuitry is provided in a hierarchical structure with local and global bit lines. The local sensing circuitry comprise read and pass circuits configured to sense and amplify read currents during read operations, wherein the amplified read signals may be passed to a global circuit via the local and global bit lines. |
| US09025378B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device has a memory block including memory strings with first and second selection transistors at opposite ends of the memory strings. A bit line is connected to the first selection transistor of each memory string and a sense amplifier is connected to the bit line. The memory block includes word lines connected to each memory cell transistor in the memory strings. The memory device also includes a controller to control an erase operation that includes applying an erase voltage to the word lines, addressing a first memory string by applying a selection voltage to a gate electrode of first and second selection transistors of the first memory string, then applying an erase verify voltage to the word lines and using the sense amplifier to read data of memory cell transistors in the first memory string, then addressing a second memory string without first discharging the word lines. |
| US09025377B2 |
Method of operating semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a method of operating a semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The method can include storing read-only data in at least one selected from a memory cell of an uppermost layer and a memory cell of a lowermost layer of a plurality of memory cells connected in series via a channel body. The channel body extends upward from a substrate to intersect a plurality of electrode layers stacked on the substrate. The method can include prohibiting a data erase operation of the read-only memory cell having the read-only data stored in the read-only memory cell. |
| US09025373B2 |
Non-volatile programmable switch
According to one embodiment, a non-volatile programmable switch according to this embodiment includes first and second non-volatile memory transistors, and a common node that is connected to the output side terminals of the first and second non-volatile memory transistors, and a logic transistor unit that is connected to the common node. A length of a gate electrode of the first and second non-volatile memory transistors in a channel longitudinal direction is shorter than a length of the charge storage film in the channel longitudinal direction. |
| US09025371B1 |
Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) with perpendicular laminated free layer
A perpendicular spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element includes a fixed layer having a magnetization that is substantially fixed in one direction and a barrier layer formed on top of the fixed layer and a free layer. The free layer has a number of alternating laminates, each laminate being made of a magnetic layer and an insulating layer. The magnetic layer is switchable and formed on top of the barrier layer. The free layer is capable of switching its magnetization to a parallel or an anti-parallel state relative to the magnetization of the fixed layer during a write operation when bidirectional electric current is applied across the STTMRAM element. Magnetic layers of the laminates are ferromagnetically coupled to switch together as a single domain during the write operation and the magnetization of the fixed and free layers and the magnetic layers of the laminates have perpendicular anisotropy. |
| US09025366B2 |
Main memory system storing operating system program and computer system including the same
A main memory system is provided which includes a nonvolatile memory including a first memory area designated to store an operating system program and a second memory area designated to store user data; and a memory controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory such that the operating system program is loaded onto the second memory area from the first memory area. The nonvolatile memory may be one of a phase change RAM, a resistive RAM, and a magnetic RAM. |
| US09025364B2 |
Selective self-reference read
This disclosure relates to selectively performing a read with increased accuracy, such as a self-reference read, from a memory. In one aspect, data is read from memory cells, such as magnetoresitive random access memory (MRAM) cells, of a memory array. In response to detecting a condition associated with reading from the memory cells, a self-reference read can be performed from at least one of the memory cells. For instance, the condition can indicate that data read from the memory cells is uncorrectable via decoding of error correction codes (ECC). Selectively performing self-reference reads can reduce power consumption and/or latency associated with reading from the memory compared to always performing self-reference reads. |
| US09025363B2 |
Memory device and electronic apparatus
A memory device includes: a memory including a first magnetic layer having no retaining force and a second magnetic layer having a retaining force, the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer being stacked; a first magnet to magnetize the first magnetic layer in a first direction; and a second magnet to apply a magnetic field to a region through which the memory passes when the memory is removed and to magnetize the second magnetic layer in a second direction. |
| US09025361B2 |
Signal processing circuit and method for driving the same
It is an object to provide a memory device for which a complex manufacturing process is not necessary and whose power consumption can be suppressed and a signal processing circuit including the memory device. In a memory element including a phase-inversion element by which the phase of an input signal is inverted and the signal is output such as an inverter or a clocked inverter, a capacitor which holds data and a switching element which controls storing and releasing of electric charge in the capacitor are provided. For the switching element, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region is used. The memory element is applied to a memory device such as a register or a cache memory included in a signal processing circuit. |
| US09025360B2 |
Method for improving data retention of ReRAM chips operating at low operating temperatures
Programming a resistive memory structure at a temperature well above the operating temperature can create a defect distribution with higher stability, leading to a potential improvement of the retention time. The programming temperature can be up to 100 C above the operating temperature. The memory chip can include embedded heaters in the chip package, allowing for heating the memory cells before the programming operations. |
| US09025358B2 |
Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile functionality comprising resistive change material and method of operating
A semiconductor memory cell including a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to the cell, and a non-volatile memory including a bipolar resistive change element, and methods of operating. |
| US09025357B2 |
Programmable resistive memory unit with data and reference cells
A method and system of a programmable resistive memory having a plurality of programmable resistive memory units. At least one of the programmable resistive memory units has at least one data cell and at least one reference cell. The data cell can have one programmable resistive element coupled to at least one diode as a program selector and also coupled to a bitline (BL). The reference cell can have a reference resistive element coupled to at least one reference diode as reference program selector and also coupled to a reference bitline (BLR). In one embodiment, the reference resistive element can have substantially the same material, structure, or shape of the programmable resistive element. In one embodiment, the reference diode can have the same material, structure, or shape of the diode serving as the program selector diode. |
| US09025351B2 |
Converter circuit for damping overcurrent oscillations
An exemplary converter circuit has a converter unit with plural actuatable power semiconductor switches, and the DC voltage side of which is connected to a capacitive energy storage circuit. The capacitive energy storage circuit has at least one capacitive energy store and at least one snubber network for limiting the rate of current or voltage rise on the actuatable power semiconductor switches of the converter unit. In order to reduce undesirable oscillations in an overcurrent in the capacitive energy storage circuit, the capacitive energy storage circuit has at least one passive nonactuatable damping unit having a unidirectional current-flow direction, where the passive nonactuatable damping unit has a diode and a damping resistor. |
| US09025348B2 |
Drive circuit
A drive circuit drives a normally-on high-side switch Q1 and a normally-off low-side switch Q2 that form a series circuit connected in parallel with a DC power source. The drive circuit includes a controller 10 that outputs a control signal to turn on/off the high- and low-side switches, a rectifier D2 having a first end connected to a connection point of the high- and low-side switches, a capacitor C2 that is connected to a second end of the rectifier and a first end of the DC power source and serves as a power source for the controller, and a driver (A1, AND1, Q3, Q4) that turns on/off the high- and low-side switches according to the control signal from the controller and a voltage from the capacitor. |
| US09025347B2 |
Switching parameter based discontinuous mode-critical conduction mode transition
An electronic system includes a controller to provide at least dual-mode conduction control of a switching power converter. In at least one embodiment, the controller is capable to control transitions between discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) and critical conduction mode (CRM) of the switching power converter using a measured switching time parameter having a value corresponding with an approximately peak voltage of a time-varying supply voltage supplied to the switching power converter. In at least one embodiment, the controller dynamically compensates for changing parameters of the electronic system by dynamically determining a minimum non-conductive time of the control switch of the switching power converter using the measured switching time parameter value at approximately the peak of the supply voltage of the supply voltage. |
| US09025345B2 |
Power supply apparatus
A high-efficiency power supply apparatus is provided in light of the reduction of the switching loss. The power supply apparatus connected between the AC power supply and the DC load converts the AC power supplied from the AC power supply to the DC power and supplies it to the DC load. The power supply apparatus comprises the first switching circuit for outputting the switched positive and negative voltages to the primary winding of the transformer, a second switching circuit for supplying the DC power induced in the secondary winding of the transformer and switched to the DC load connected to the second AC terminals, a resonance inductor serial-connected to the primary winding, and a control unit for controlling the switching operations performed by the first and second switching circuits. The control unit substantially short-circuits the second AC terminals by controlling the switching operations performed by the second switching circuit. |
| US09025344B2 |
Electronic relay
An electronic relay includes: a housing having an interior space therein and a lateral side and a lower side of which are opened, a board installation part being formed along a periphery of the opened side of the housing; a printed circuit board a periphery of which is inserted into and installed in the board installation part of the housing, for shielding the opened side of the housing and performing a switching function; a lower cover for shielding a lower side of the housing, one side edge of the printed circuit board being fixed to the lower cover; and terminals ends of which are electrically connected to the printed circuit board and opposite ends of which pass through the lower cover to protrude to the outside. |
| US09025342B2 |
Self-adjusting clamp system
A wedge lock clamping assembly, system and method wherein the module to be clamped in a slot in a chassis has a pair of wedge surfaces oppositely inclined to spaced-apart side surfaces of the slot. The clamping assembly comprises a pair of wedge elements on opposite sides of a movement axis and each wedge element is configured to be disposed within the slot between a respective wedge surface of the module and a respective side surface of the slot. An actuator operates to forcibly urge the wedge elements along the movement axis for causing the wedge elements to be wedged between the respective wedge surfaces of the module and respective side surfaces of the slot for clamping the module in the slot. A toggle is interposed between the wedge elements and the actuator for equalizing the force acting on each wedge element such that the wedge elements will move axially relative to one another to accommodate any difference in gap widths between the wedge surfaces of the module and side surfaces of the slots thereby to minimize any lateral shifting of the module relative to the slot while still securing clamping the module in the slot. |
| US09025340B2 |
Devices and stacked microelectronic packages with in-trench package surface conductors and methods of their fabrication
Embodiments of methods for forming microelectronic device packages include forming a trench on a surface of a package body between exposed ends of first and second device-to-edge conductors, and forming a package surface conductor in the trench to electrically couple the first and second device-to-edge conductors. In one embodiment, the package surface conductor is formed by first forming a conductive material layer over the package surface, where the conductive material layer substantially fills the trench, and subsequently removing portions of the conductive material layer from the package surface adjacent to the trench. In another embodiment, the package surface conductor is formed by dispensing one or more conductive materials in the trench between the first and second exposed ends (e.g., using a technique such as spraying, inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, stencil printing, or needle dispense). Excess conductive material may then be removed from the package surface adjacent to the trench. |
| US09025339B2 |
Adhesive dam
On a circuit substrate on which an adhesive is used to couple electronic or structural components to the substrate, an adhesive dam is positioned to prevent the adhesive from interfering with the operation of the circuit. A contact pad can be provided at a selected location and with a selected shape, and solder deposited on the pad, then reflowed to form the dam. The dam can be a structure soldered to a contact pad, or the dam can be supported at its ends by another structure of the device, so that, at the location where it functions to contain the adhesive, it is not attached to the substrate. |
| US09025338B2 |
Fixing fitting of parts mounted on circuit board
A fixing fitting includes a solder connecting plate part soldered and fixed to a surface of the circuit board by using a cream solder and a parts fixing part which is fixed to a connector to be mounted on the circuit board. On a solder connected surface of a lower surface of the solder connecting plate part, V grooves are formed which suck up the cream solder applied on the surface of the circuit board in accordance with a capillary phenomenon. Further, a plurality of communicating holes which communicate with tapered parts of the V grooves and can suck up the cream solder by the capillary phenomenon are bored from an upper surface to the lower surface of the solder connecting plate part with prescribed spaces provided between them in the direction where the V grooves extend. |
| US09025330B2 |
Recirculating gas rack cooling architecture
A cabinet for housing and cooling electronic components with internally circulating air that is cooled at each of a plurality of equipment shelves. |
| US09025329B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a first body, a supporting arm, at least one first hinge, a first coupling member and at least one second coupling member. The first hinge is connected between the first body and the supporting arm. The supporting arm can rotate relatively to the first body through the first hinge. The first coupling member is disposed in the first body. The second coupling member is disposed in the supporting arm. When the second coupling member moves to at least one predetermined position, the first coupling member and the second coupling member are attracted by each other. |
| US09025324B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes first and second bodies. The second body includes a display module and a supporting assembly. The supporting assembly includes a sliding component slidably disposed on the display module and a pivot component pivoted to the first body and the sliding component. When the second body expands from the first body through the rotation of the pivot component relative to the first body, the sliding component and the pivot component are adapted to rotate relative to each other so that a bottom side of the display module moves to a predetermined position on the first body. When the bottom side is located at the predetermined position, the sliding component and the display module are adapted to slide relative to each other so that the display module rotate around the bottom side, so as to change an included angle between the display module and the first body. |
| US09025322B2 |
Key control device for click pad
The present disclosure relates to a key control device for click pad. The key control device is disposed below a click pad of a notebook computer, and comprises a frame and a sliding lever. The click pad is disposed at the frame. When a plurality of positioning parts of the sliding lever are interlocked with a plurality of locking parts of the frame, the frame and the click pad cannot have up-and-down movements and thus shutting down the key functions of the click pad. When the plurality of positioning parts of the sliding lever are not interlocked with the plurality of locking parts of the frame, the frame and the click pad can have up-and-down movements and thus activating the key functions of the click pad. Thereby, the key control device according to the present disclosure can control the activation or shutdown of the key functions of the click pad. |
| US09025319B2 |
Adjusting drive of a motor vehicle adjusting element
An electronics and/or gearing housing, in particular for a worm wheel of a window lifting drive, of a motor vehicle is provided. The electronics and/or gearing housing has a housing body, within which an electronic assembly is arranged, and a cover, which is joined to the housing body via ultrasonic welding. |
| US09025317B2 |
Multi-material protective case for sliding/articulating/rotating handheld electronic devices
A two-piece hard shell case with a silicone or other flexible component may protect devices that hinge, slide, or otherwise articulate. A front surface hard cover may snap or connect to the front of the device while a back surface hard cover may snap or connect to the back of the device. A flexible component may be held in place under one or both of the hard shell pieces. The flexible component may be held under one or both of the hard shell covers and may have button pushers, covers, or other features to allow a user to operate a protected device while still covering the device. |
| US09025316B2 |
Inkjet-printed flexible electronic components from graphene oxide
An electrical component includes an inkjet-printed graphene electrode. Graphene oxide flakes are deposited on a substrate in a graphene oxide ink using an inkjet printer. The deposited graphene oxide is thermally reduced to graphene. The electrical properties of the electrode are comparable to those of electrodes made using activated carbon, carbon nanotubes or graphene made by other methods. The electrical properties of the graphene electrodes may be tailored by adding nanoparticles of other materials to the ink to serve as conductivity enhancers, spacers, or to confer pseudocapacitance. Inkjet-printing can be used to make graphene electrodes of a desired thickness in preselected patterns. Inkjet printing can be used to make highly-transparent graphene electrodes. Inkjet-printed graphene electrodes may be used to fabricate double-layer capacitors that store energy by nanoscale charge separation at the electrode-electrolyte interface (i.e., “supercapacitors”). |
| US09025309B2 |
Capacitor array and signal processor including the array
A capacitor array includes a plurality of comb capacitors sharing a common comb electrode. At least one of the comb capacitors has a comb electrode as a single base part. Each of the other ones of the comb capacitors has an electrode formed by coupling a plurality of base parts. In the other ones of the comb capacitors, a space between a wire coupling the base parts and an end of each of comb teeth of the common electrode, which is interposed between the base parts, is larger than a space between a base of each of the base parts of the plurality of comb capacitors and an end of each of the comb teeth of the common electrode, which is interposed between comb teeth of the base part. |
| US09025305B2 |
High surface resistivity electrostatic chuck
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck comprises an electrode, and a surface layer activated by a voltage in the electrode to form an electric charge to electrostatically clamp a substrate to the electrostatic chuck, the surface layer including a charge control layer comprising a surface resistivity of greater than about 1011 ohms per square. |
| US09025304B2 |
Systems and methods for a user interface for electronic weaponry
An apparatus, according to various aspects of the present invention, produces contractions in skeletal muscles of a target to impede locomotion by the target. The apparatus is used with a provided deployment unit that deploys an electrode away from the apparatus. The electrode conducts a current through the target. The apparatus includes a terminal; a producing sub-system for producing an electric arc to warn the target without conducting a current through the target; a conducting sub-system for conducting the current in series through the terminal and through the target; an initiating sub-system for initiating deployment of the electrode; and an operator interface. The operator interface facilitates selecting one or more cartridges of a set of cartridges to provide a stimulus signal to a target and/or display an arc. |
| US09025296B2 |
Transient voltage suppressor
A transient voltage suppressor may include a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having an anode coupled to Vcc. The SCR may include a PNP transistor (Q2) and an NPN transistor (Q3), the PNP transistor having a base in common with a collector of the NPN transistor and the PNP transistor having a collector in common with a base of the NPN transistor. The TVS may further include a Zener diode having an anode and cathode, wherein the anode is directly coupled to the base of the NPN transistor and/or the cathode is directly coupled to the base of the PNP transistor, and an additional NPN transistor (Q1). The cathode of the SCR may be directly coupled to a base of the additional NPN transistor, and a collector and emitter of the additional NPN transistor may be directly coupled in series between VCC and ground. |
| US09025294B2 |
System and method for controlling solid state circuit breakers
A system for controlling a solid state circuit breaker comprises a solid state power switch, and a controller for providing a gate voltage to the power switch. During turnoff of the solid state power switch, the controller reduces the gate voltage to an intermediate level for a specified time period and then reduces the gate voltage to a turnoff level. |
| US09025293B2 |
Method of forming a detection circuit and structure therefor
In one embodiment, a power supply controller is configured to use a current to detect two different operating conditions on a single input terminal. |
| US09025291B2 |
Protective device and method for preventing supply voltage sag of microcontroller from sagin electronic cigarette
A protective device and method for preventing supply voltage of microcontroller from sag in electronic cigarette is provided, comprising a microcontroller, a power supply module, a field effect transistor, an energy storage circuit, wherein, the energy storage circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the power supply module, the energy storage circuit supplies electric power to the microcontroller when an over current or short circuit occurs, and maintains the supply voltage of the microcontroller not being less than its minimal operating voltage in a certain period of time; the microcontroller processes the over current or short circuit signal and turns off the MOSFET to cut off the current flow in a load circuit. The unstable or uncontrollable phenomena of the microcontroller in the existing technology are resolved. The circuit of the present invention is simple and low cost. |
| US09025285B1 |
Low resistance interface metal for disk drive suspension component grounding
A stainless steel suspension component such as a mount plate is chemically activated by exposure to an activating solution. Gold is then spot plated onto the mount plate in the activated area using an elastomeric mask that is clamped over the mount plate. A component may then be bonded to the gold bond pads. The component may include a PZT microactuator bonded to the gold bond pads using a conductive adhesive such as silver epoxy. The gold acts as an interface metal that provides to a low resistance and environmentally robust ground path for the microactuator. |
| US09025275B1 |
System for limiting access to internal environment of storage library via cartridge access port
Utilities that increase the volume of media elements that can be simultaneously loaded and/or unloaded into or from a storage library, facilitate mounting of media element magazines into a storage library, and limit access to an interior of a storage library by users during operation of robotics assemblies of the storage library. One disclosed utility includes a cartridge access port for use with a storage library that has a storage container that is pivotable (e.g., swingable) between at least first and second positions. In the first position, the storage container is adjacent an opening in the housing of the library for loading and unloading of media elements by a user into or from the container via the opening. After the storage container has swung into the second position, the storage container is spaced from the opening and faces the interior of the library for access by a robotics assembly. |
| US09025274B1 |
Method and apparatus for writing to and reading from multiple drive heads
A method of writing data using more than one write head to write to more than one storage media platter surface of a storage device, where one actuator in the storage device controls positions of all of the write heads, includes controlling the position of one of the write heads to a selected radial track location, writing simultaneously to storage media of the storage device at the selected radial track location using a plurality of the write heads, and, during the writing at the selected radial track location, reading servo data using respective read heads associated with each respective one of the plurality of write heads and recording the radial position of the respective heads for the selected radial track location. During reading, the recorded head position for the track of the platter surface to be read is determined, and the read head is served to the recorded head position. |
| US09025270B1 |
Electronic system with current conservation mechanism and method of operation thereof
An apparatus includes: a media motor; a media mounted on the media motor; a head, over the media, the motion of the head controlled by a head actuation motor; a motor driver, coupled to the media motor, configured to adjust a media speed; and control circuitry configured to: coast the media motor in preparation for accelerating the head, and activate the head actuation motor including accelerating the head in a first direction for repositioning the head over the media. |
| US09025269B1 |
Disk drive compensating for cycle slip of disk locked clock when reading mini-wedge
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo tracks defined by full sectors and intervening short servo sectors, where each full servo sector comprises a preamble, a sync mark, and servo bursts, and each short servo sector comprises a reference pattern and servo bursts. A first phase error is generated based on the sync mark in a first full servo sector, and a disk locked clock is adjusted in response to the first phase error. A second phase error is generated based on the reference pattern in a first short servo sector, and the second phase error is processed to determine whether the disk locked clock slipped a cycle before the head reaching the first short servo sector. |
| US09025268B1 |
Cross-track interference testing of a hard disk drive
Described herein is a method for testing an electronic information storage device having a read and write head includes writing a plurality of pattern periods along a single track of a magnetic recording medium of the electronic information storage device using the write head. The method also includes mapping read head signals for each pattern period across the single track and surrounding regions of the magnetic recording medium. Additionally, the method includes determining a condition of the electronic information storage device based on an average of the read head signals. The condition can include adjacent track degradation of the magnetic recording medium. |
| US09025262B1 |
Systems and methods for asymmetry detection based on a synchronization mark
Systems and methods are provided for evaluating an asymmetry metric. A receiver receives a synchronization signal, a filtered signal, and a reference signal. A processor processes the synchronization signal and the reference signal to obtain a peak indicator signal, identifies a first set of values and a second set of values from the filtered signal based at least in part on the peak indicator signal, and evaluates an asymmetry metric from the first set of values and the second set of values. |
| US09025260B2 |
System and method for illuminating a target
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for illuminating a target includes a light source configured to emit one or more light beams with a first divergence. The system further includes a lens separated from the light source. The lens is configured to substantially satisfy the sine condition without removing spherical aberrations from the one or more light beams. The lens is further configured to receive the one or more light beams with the first divergence. The lens is further configured to change the first divergence of the one or more light beams to a second divergence. The second divergence is less than the first divergence. The second divergence is greater than zero. The lens is further configured to transmit the one or more light beams with the second divergence. |
| US09025259B2 |
Photographic lens optical system
First, second, third, and fourth lenses (in order from an object side) are arranged between the object and an image sensor where an image of the object is formed. The first lens may have a positive refractive power and may be a meniscus lens that is convex toward the object. The second lens may have a positive refractive power and may be a meniscus lens that is convex toward the image sensor. The third lens may have a positive refractive power and may be a meniscus lens that is convex toward the image sensor. At least one of an incident surface and an exit surface of the fourth lens may be an aspherical surface. The fourth lens may have a negative refractive power or a positive refractive power. A viewing angle θ of the lens optical system may satisfy a conditional expression, 2.5<|tan θ|<3.5. |
| US09025256B2 |
Dual field of view refractive optical system for GEO synchronous earth orbit
Various embodiments provide an optical system including a first lens group having a plurality of lenses; a second lens group having a plurality of lenses, the second lens group being disposed adjacent the first lens group; a third lens group having a plurality of lenses, the third lens group being disposed adjacent the second lens group; and a detector disposed behind the third lens group. A pupil of the optical system is located external to the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group. The second lens group is movable respective to the first lens group and the third lens group so as to convert a configuration of the optical system between a narrow field of view (NFOV) configuration and a wide field of view (WFOV) configuration. |
| US09025254B2 |
Dual row optical fiber array
A fiber array for receiving a plurality of light-guiding fibers has a substrate with V grooves for guiding light-guiding fibers. These are fixed inside the V grooves by covers. In order to achieve a better utilization of space, the light-guiding fibers are disposed in two planes. To this end, first fibers in V grooves are fixed on the surface of the substrate in one plane. Second fibers are fixed by V grooves in recesses between the first fibers in a second parallel plane. Here a processing of the substrate may be done without changing clamping or re-clamping of the substrate. Particularly small production tolerances can be achieved by this means. |
| US09025253B2 |
Optical device having a light transmitting substrate with external light coupling means
An optical device, includes a light-transmitting substrate (20) having an input aperture and first and second major surfaces (26, 32) parallel to each other and edges, one partially reflecting surface located in the substrate which is non-parallel to the major surfaces of the substrate and an external optical arrangement having an output aperture for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection. The optical arrangement for coupling light having an output aperture optically attached to the input aperture of the substrate with the part of the substrate located next to the substrate input aperture, being substantially transparent. |
| US09025252B2 |
Adjustment of a mixed reality display for inter-pupillary distance alignment
The technology provides for adjusting a see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display device for alignment with an inter-pupillary distance (IPD) of a user by different examples of display adjustment mechanisms. The see-through, near-eye, mixed reality system includes for each eye a display optical system having an optical axis. Each display optical system is positioned to be seen through by a respective eye, and is supported on a respective movable support structure. A display adjustment mechanism attached to the display device also connects with each movable support structure for moving the structure. A determination is automatically made as to whether the display device is aligned with an IPD of a user. If not aligned, one or more adjustment values for a position of at least one of the display optical systems is automatically determined. The display adjustment mechanism moves the at least one display optical system in accordance with the adjustment values. |
| US09025248B2 |
Antireflection stack
An antireflection stack, whereby a reflected color is moderate, and a multicolorization is suppressed. The antireflection stack comprises a substrate and an antireflection layer stacked on the substrate. The antireflection layer has a four-layer structure and comprises, sequentially from the substrate side, a first layer, a second layer, a third layer and a fourth layer. Further, the first layer has a refractive index of from 1.7 to 1.79, the second layer has a refractive index of from 2.25 to 2.45, the third layer has a refractive index of from 2.1 to 2.3, the fourth layer has a refractive index of from 1.25 to 1.5, and the refractive index of the second layer is larger than that of the third layer. |
| US09025245B2 |
Chromatic confocal microscope system and signal process method of the same
A chromatic confocal microscope system and signal process method is provided to utilize a first optical fiber module for modulating a light into a detecting light passing through a chromatic dispersion objective and thereby forming a plurality of chromatic dispersion lights to project onto an object. A second optical fiber module conjugated with the first optical fiber module receives a reflected object light for forming a filtered light, which is split into two filtered lights detected by two color sensing units for generating two sets of RGB intensity signals, wherein one set of RGB intensity signals is adjusted relative to the other set of RGB intensity signals. Then two sets of RGB intensity signals are calculated for obtaining a maximum ratio factor. Finally, according to the maximum ratio factor and a depth relation curve, the surface profile of the object can be reconstructed. |
| US09025244B2 |
Illuminating system and an optical viewing apparatus incorporating said illuminating system
An illuminating system (21) is provided for an optical viewing apparatus (1) which can be operated in a fluorescence mode. The illuminating system includes at least one broadband light source (31) for illuminating a viewed object (3) and at least one narrowband light source (37) for exciting fluorescence in the viewed object (3) and/or for background illumination in the fluorescence mode. The illuminating system further includes a light conductor (23) having a light source end inlet end (49) and an outlet end (25) facing toward the viewed object. Furthermore, the illuminating system (21, 210) includes a superposer (43) for superposing the light of the narrowband light source (37) with the light of the broadband light source (31). The superposer (43) is mounted at the inlet end (49) or at the light source side ahead of the inlet end (49) of the light conductor (23). |
| US09025242B2 |
Infrared reflector with metallic substrate coated with a layer of zirconium and chromium nitride
An infrared reflector is provided. The infrared reflector includes a metallic substrate coated with a layer of zirconium and chromium nitride of general formula (ZrxCr1-x)1-yNy with x between 0.15 and 0.7 and y between 0.01 and 0.265. A method of manufacturing this infrared reflector is also provided. |
| US09025241B2 |
Gain medium providing laser and amplifier functionality to optical device
An optical device includes a gain medium on a substrate. The device also includes one or more laser cavities and an amplifier on the substrate. The one or more laser cavities each guides a light signal through a different region of the gain medium such that each of the light signals is amplified within the gain medium. The amplifier guides an amplified light signal through the gain medium such that the amplified light signal is amplified in the gain medium. |
| US09025233B2 |
Dual mode function pixel and dual mode function display including the same
Disclosed is a dual mode function pixel that operates either in a first mode or in a second mode according to the intensity of a projected light to have a high visibility regardless of the intensity of projected light. The dual mode function pixel includes: a first membrane on which a self-luminescent element is formed; one or more membranes formed to surround the first membrane; and a lower layer formed below the first membrane and the one or more membranes to be spaced apart from the first membrane and the one or more membranes. The dual mode function pixel is controlled such that the self-luminescent element is driven either to emit light in a first mode operation or to selectively reflect a projected light by utilizing an interference of light generated between the first to one or more membranes and the lower layer in a second mode operation. |
| US09025226B2 |
Infrared holographic projector for thermal masking and decoys
A holographic structure, system and method project a grey-scale image in a narrow IR spectral band that is related to a broadband thermal signature of an object. The projected grey-scale image, when integrated over the broadband, forms either a decoy that approximates the thermal signature of the object or a mask that obscures the thermal signature of the object. The projected image is a tuned phase recording of a desired far field projection. In different embodiments, the projected image is a “positive” or a “negative” image of the object's thermal signature, a difference image between the thermal signatures of a false object and the object or a camouflage image of random features having approximately the same spatial frequency as the object's thermal signature. The goal being to confuse or fool, even for a short period of time, the warfighting or surveillance system or human observer that uses a broadband IR sensor to acquire and view thermal images of the scene. |
| US09025223B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium for color matching
There is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: a common color reproduction range generation unit configured to select the data of interest as common color reproduction range data if the data of interest is determined by the first color reproduction range determination unit to fall within the color reproduction range of the first output device and is determined by the second color reproduction range determination unit to fall within the color reproduction range of the second output device; and a table correction unit configured to correct output values for respective grid points of a first color conversion table included in the image processing apparatus in accordance with differences between the reference values and the colorimetric values corresponding to the common color reproduction range data. |
| US09025220B2 |
Mobile optical scanning system
A self-contained mobile optical scanning system having an image scanner contained within a hollow inside space defined by mated engagement of an upper housing and a lower housing having corresponding upper and lower transparent windows having reduced margins and a scanning control interface rotatable through the enclosed space which allows scanning through the upper transparent window in either the upright or inverted condition by alignment of viewable indicator marks and overlap indicators in relation to an article which allows stitched alignment of a plurality of scanning cycles to generate images embeddable with metadata or data files. |
| US09025219B2 |
Image reading device and image forming device
An image reading device includes a reading unit provided with an image sensor and configured to read a manuscript placed on a contact glass, a manuscript sensor whose output level varies depending on whether the manuscript is detected, and a moving mechanism configured to move the manuscript sensor from a predetermined reference position in an oblique direction with respect to a main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction such that a detection zone of the manuscript sensor passes through a side of the manuscript parallel to the sub scanning direction and a side of the manuscript parallel to the main scanning direction. A recognizing unit is also included that is configured to recognize lengths in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction of the manuscript, based on a displacement of the manuscript sensor from the reference position. |
| US09025217B2 |
Document, image forming apparatus, cover plate, image reading apparatus, image forming method, and image reading method
There is provided a document, wherein a measurement image for measuring a position of an image relative to a document is formed on a first surface thereof, a designation image for designating a document position, at which the document is placed on an image reading apparatus that reads an image, is formed on a second surface thereof, and wherein the document is spaced from an end portion of a reading region of the image reading apparatus by placing the document in accordance with the designation of the designation image, and the designation image is formed such that the measurement image is placed in the reading region of the image reading apparatus. |
| US09025215B2 |
Cable wiring structure and image reading device
A cable wiring structure includes: a base member; a movable member configured to reciprocate in a first direction and in a second direction relative to the base member; a cable; a tension applying member, which is attached to the movable member and is movable in the first direction and in the second direction relative to the movable member, wherein when the movable member moves in the second direction, the tension applying member is coming in contact with an inner circumference of the curved portion to apply tension to the cable in response to movement of the movable member; and a load adjustment portion, which is configured to increase a load that is applied between the tension applying member and the movable member in a case where the movable member moves in the second direction as compared with a case where the movable member moves in the first direction. |
| US09025213B1 |
Specifying disposition of documents in a document processing system
A document processing system allows specifying disposition of a paper document at the time a reservation for the document is created in the document processing system. A default disposition policy for the paper document can be selected, a different defined disposition policy can be selected, or a new disposition policy can be created. Quality assurance processing after scanning assures all needed processing is performed for the paper document and the corresponding electronic document. Once the quality assurance processing is complete, the disposition of the paper document is scheduled according to the specified disposition policy for the paper document. |
| US09025212B2 |
Scanner device and image forming apparatus having the same
A scanner device according to one aspect of the present disclosure has a first mode for reading a normal object placed on a document table, and a second mode for reading a self-luminous object placed on the document table. The scanner device has a light detecting portion and a control portion. The light detecting portion detects light of an object placed on the document table. The control portion switches the reading mode between the first mode and the second mode on the basis of a detection result of the light detecting portion. |
| US09025210B2 |
Document management apparatus
A document management apparatus in an embodiment is configured to manage a printer unit which erase image information obtained by printing both characteristic identification information and document information or only the document information with an erasable color material on a printing medium, and a reading unit configured to read the characteristic identification information on the printing medium to be erased by a erasing unit, comprising: an processor unit configured to manage an erasability condition of the document information on the basis of the characteristic identification information and instruct the printer unit to output new document information according to the erasability condition of the document information, the erasability condition being contained in the characteristic identification information read by the reading unit; and an interface unit performs respectively of the transmitting and receiving of information to the reading unit and the printer unit to the processor unit. |
| US09025205B2 |
Color processing apparatus and color processing method
The profile of a reference color space is acquired, and the acquired profile is converted into the profile of a uniform color appearance space which is a color space different from the reference color space. An evaluation value of color in the profile of the uniform color appearance space is calculated, and the profile of the uniform color appearance space is corrected based on the calculated evaluation value. The corrected profile is inversely converted into the profile of the reference color space. |
| US09025204B2 |
Image creating apparatus having color arrangement changing unit and image creating apparatus having color arrangement restoring unit
An image creating apparatus has a printing device configured to print a changed image on a recording medium; a difficult-to-recognize color arrangement storage unit configured to store a difficult-to-recognize color arrangement that is difficult to visually recognize; an object extracting unit configured to extract objects from an original image; a difficult-to-recognize object detecting unit configured to detect a difficult-to-recognize object; a representative color obtaining unit configured to obtain the representative color of the difficult-to-recognize object; a color arrangement changing unit configured to (i) change the color arrangement of the image so that the color arrangement of the periphery is changed from the difficult-to-recognize color arrangement in at least part of the difficult-to-recognize object and (ii) embed information about the representative color as dots; and a changed image printing unit configured to command the printing device to print the changed image with the changed color arrangement. |
| US09025202B2 |
Device and method for setting common indentifier with respect to common type of printing medium
In a case where a first identifier that is communicated between the printing apparatus and the information processing apparatus to specify a type of a printing medium that is used in the printing apparatus, and a second identifier unique to each of a plurality of types of printing media are set in both the printing apparatus and the information processing apparatus, the second identifier set in each of the information processing apparatus and the printing apparatus is obtained. Based on the second identifier set in each of the information processing apparatus and the printing apparatus, the first identifier set in each of the information processing apparatus and the printing apparatus is determined, such that the types of printing medium corresponding to the first identifier set in the information processing apparatus and the printing apparatus match, and a different first identifier is set regarding a printing medium of a different type. |
| US09025199B2 |
Inkjet recording apparatus
An inkjet recording apparatus is adapted to form an image on a printing medium 10, and recognize an image forming region as a region of pixels having drop amounts unequal to zero in the image. A drop amount increase/decrease controller 342 executes an increase/decrease process of drop amount at a current pixel as a target of the process, in accordance with an attribute of the current pixel when the current pixel is included in the image forming region. Pixels are made of ink discharged from nozzles arrayed in a scan direction perpendicular to a transfer direction of the recording medium 10. The drop amount increase/decrease controller 342 executes the increase/decrease process of drop amount in a reverse increase/decrease pattern to ink to be discharged from a neighboring nozzle. |
| US09025196B2 |
Printing system and printing method
A printing system includes a screen printing unit as a printing processor of a non-digital system and an ink jet printing device as a printing processor of a digital system. Holes as reference marks formed in a three-dimensional shape are provided on a placement table which is used commonly in the screen printing unit and the ink jet printing device. Positioning of printing positions is performed with reference to the same holes on both of the screen printing unit and the ink jet printing device. |
| US09025189B2 |
Memory management for print data objects
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention generates objects based on print data, stores the generated objects, determines whether or not a series of objects to be subjected to pseudo-transparency processing in the stored objects is subjected to an avoidance processing to deal with a shortage of the memory, which includes rendering objects to create a bitmap, encoding the bitmap for lossy compression and storing the compressed image as a new object, and controls execution of the avoidance processing on the basis of the determination result. |
| US09025186B2 |
Print control device, image forming apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium
A print control device includes an output unit, an adding unit, and a transmitting unit. The output unit outputs generated print data to a printing mechanism. The generated print data is generated as a result of unit print data, which includes page data of at least one page, being copied; and includes pieces of the unit print data. The adding unit adds blank page data between one piece of unit print data and another piece of unit print data to be printed next in line to the one piece of unit print data. The transmitting unit transmits, to the printing mechanism, information for causing an additional image to be formed on a medium when an image based on the page data is printed on the medium, and information for causing the additional image not to be formed on a blank page formed based on the added blank page data. |
| US09025183B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method for controlling image forming apparatus, and storage medium for performing maintenance on an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus configured to display a maintenance item for a user to do maintenance includes an input unit configured to input code information for specifying a plurality of maintenance items to be displayed by the image forming apparatus, a specifying unit configured to specify the plurality of maintenance items to be displayed by the image forming apparatus out of all the maintenance items based on the code information input by the input unit, a generation unit configured to generate a screen for displaying the plurality of maintenance items specified by the specifying unit on the same screen, and a display unit configured to display the screen generated by the generation unit. |
| US09025181B2 |
Printer and proxy server
A printer includes: a printer-side establishment unit; an instruction transmitting unit for transmitting a connection instruction when the printer is to be changed from a first state to a second state; a printer-side notification receiving unit for receiving: a print notification from a notification server when the printer is at the first state; and a changing notification from a proxy server when the printer is at the second state; a change unit for changing the state of the printer as: from the first state to the second state when the connection instruction is transmitted to the proxy server; and from the second state to the first state when the changing notification is received from the proxy server; and a print control unit for controlling a print performing unit to perform printing in accordance with print data when the changing notification is received from the proxy server. |
| US09025177B2 |
Media processing device, media processing system, and control method of a media processing device
After processing a medium B with a processing unit based on control data received from a host computer 92 and stopping conveyance of the medium B, the media processing device control unit 100 of a printer 1 prohibits processing the medium B by the processing unit, waits until displacement of the medium B is detected by a media orientation detection means 65, and reports starting to wait to the host computer 92. When displacement of the medium B is detected by the media orientation detection means 65 while waiting, the media processing device control unit 100 cuts the medium B with the automatic paper cutter 60, and then cancels prohibition of processing medium B by the processing unit. |
| US09025175B2 |
Storage medium, information processing apparatus, and control method
In a case where a parameter received from an application is a first parameter, an information processing apparatus receives data included in the parameter as string type data, converts the received data into binary data, and transmits the converted data to a printing apparatus. In a case where the received parameter is a second parameter, the information processing apparatus transmits data corresponding to the second parameter to the printing apparatus. |
| US09025171B2 |
Image forming system, image forming apparatus, authentication server, client personal computer, and control method of image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus for use in an image forming system that includes the image forming apparatus, a client PC, and an authentication server is disclosed. The image forming apparatus may include a cryptographic communication unit configured to perform secure communications, a parameter setting unit configured to set parameters for performing encryption in the image forming apparatus itself, an access right setting unit configured to set an access right of the image forming apparatus itself, a transmission unit configured to transmit the parameters according to an authentication result of the access right, and an automatic setting unit configured to automatically set the parameters by an operation from the client PC. |
| US09025169B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a power receiving unit, a power supply unit, an image forming unit, an execution control unit, a switching command receiving unit, a storage unit, and a power shutdown detection unit. The execution control unit executes, when started, a mode which is indicated by start mode information stored in the storage unit. The execution control unit causes the storage unit to store information indicating the standby mode as the start mode information if power shutdown is not detected when the standby mode is started, and causes the storage unit to store information indicating the execution mode as the start mode information if power shutdown is not detected when the execution mode is started. |
| US09025165B2 |
Normal vector tracing ultra-precision shape measurement method
Of two pairs of biaxial goniometers and a uniaxial straight-ahead stage, one pair of biaxial goniometers and the uniaxial straight-ahead stage are subjected to fully-closed feedback control (follow-up control) under which output from a QPD is directly input into an axis drive motor, and the remaining pair of biaxial goniometers are subjected to semi-closed feedback control (constant-value control), encoder outputs on all the axes and QPD output are acquired simultaneously, measurement point coordinates and normal vectors derived from the encoder outputs are corrected with the QPD output, thereby eliminating influence of steady-state deviation in a goniometer control system. |
| US09025163B2 |
Chirp modulation-based detection of chirped laser molecular dispersion spectra
An apparatus and method for detecting refractive index variations in a sample is disclosed. The apparatus includes a multi frequency laser source configured to generate a mixed laser beam having at least two optical frequencies. A sinusoidal function generator is configured to modulate the optical frequencies to generate a chirp-modulated mixed laser beam. The chirp-modulated mixed laser beam being configured to pass through the sample. A detector is configured to detect the chirp-modulated mixed beam. A signal processer is configured to process the detected chirp-modulated mixed beam to measure refractive index variations in the sample. |
| US09025159B2 |
Real-time 3D and 4D fourier domain doppler optical coherence tomography system
An optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system, a signal processing system configured to communicate with the Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system to receive detection signals therefrom and to provide imaging signals, and an image display system configured to communicate with the signal processing system to receive the imaging signals. The signal processing system includes a parallel processor configured to calculate structure information and Doppler information from the detection signals in real time such that the imaging signals provide a real time display of combined structure and flow of an object under observation. |
| US09025157B2 |
System and method for measuring perturbations using a slow-light fiber Bragg grating sensor
An optical device, a method of configuring an optical device, and a method of using a fiber Bragg grating is provided. The optical device includes a fiber Bragg grating, a narrowband optical source, and at least one optical detector. The fiber Bragg grating has a power transmission spectrum as a function of wavelength with one or more resonance peaks, each comprising a local maximum and two non-zero-slope regions with the local maximum therebetween. The light generated by the narrowband optical source has a wavelength at a non-zero-slope region of a resonance peak that is selected such that one or more of the following quantities, evaluated at the resonance peak, is at a maximum value: (a) the product of the group delay spectrum and the power transmission spectrum and (b) the product of the group delay spectrum and one minus the power reflection spectrum. |
| US09025155B2 |
Hand-held color measurement device
A hand-held color measurement device is provided that is designed especially for measurements on curved surfaces includes a housing that accommodates a measurement array and further includes a housing base and a measurement opening arranged in the housing base, through which measurement opening a measurement spot on the surface of a measurement object is illuminated and the measurement light reflected by the measurement spot is picked up. The measurement array includes an illumination array for applying illumination light to the measurement spot in at least one illumination direction, and a pick-up array for detecting the measurement light in at least one observation direction. A multi-point bearing includes at least three pin-shaped support members and is arranged on the housing base. Two support members lie symmetrically on both sides of the measurement opening, wherein their connecting line extends parallel to and in the immediate vicinity of an illumination-observation plane which is defined by the illumination and observation directions. The third support member lies transversely at a distance from the other two support members. |
| US09025154B2 |
Device for selecting a specific matter
The present disclosure provides an optical device for selecting specific matter, such as plant matter. The device comprises a light source for emitting light having at least (3) wavelengths and for generating a combined beam of light having the at least 3 wavelengths. The device further comprises an optical element for directing a plurality of light beams towards matter including the specific matter. The optical element has first surface portions through which in use the plurality of component light beams are directed to the matter including the specific matter. Each component light beam is directed through a respective first surface portion that has an optical property that is selected so that light intensity differences between the component light beams are reduced. The optical device also comprises an optical filter for filtering reflected component light beams such that an intensity of light is reduced in a wavelengths range outside one or more wavelengths ranges that include the at least three wavelengths. Further, the optical device comprises a detector for detecting the reflected component light beams. |
| US09025152B2 |
Microfluidic absorption cell
An absorption cell for microfluidic chemical analysis made from tinted or colored polymers, for example polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), in which microfluidic channels are cut. Light is coupled into the absorption cell via two windows (typically 200 um thick) that are retained at either end of the channel. Absorption is measured using a light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode butted against the windows. Spurious scattered and/or reflected light is absorbed by the colored polymer over the length of the measurement cell, while very little light loss occurs at the coupling windows. |
| US09025147B1 |
Probing circuit features in sub-32 NM semiconductor integrated circuit
A method for detecting ultra-fine features of an integrated circuit (IC) on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The semiconductor substrate comprises an IC fabricated by 22 nanometer or smaller scale semiconductor micro-fabrication process. The integrated circuit includes circuit features parallel to a circuit horizontal direction or a circuit vertical direction. The method includes focusing an incident light to produce a focused light spot on a portion of the IC. The incident light is linearly polarized in a linear polarization substantially parallel to the circuit horizontal direction. The method includes detecting reflected light from the portion of the IC, producing a relative movement between the focused light spot and the IC to allow the focused light to illuminate different portions of the IC, obtaining an image of the IC using signals of the reflected light detected from different locations of the integrated circuit, and detecting IC features in the image. |
| US09025144B2 |
Particle detection
A particle detection system (100), such as an active video smoke detection system, includes at least one illumination means (102) for directing a beam (106) of radiation through at least part of the air volume being monitored (110), an image sensor (104) is positioned to capture images of at least part of a beam (106) from illumination means (102); and means to analyze (107) the captured images to detect the presence of particles within the volume. At least 29 different aspects are described for improving the sensitivity, usability, and robustness of particle detection. These include, for example, configuring illumination means (102) to create a curtain of light or a rapidly-scanned beam across the air volume (110), and configuring a reflector to steer or change direction of a beam reflected from illumination means (102). |
| US09025143B2 |
Device for preventing intensity reduction of optical signal, optical emission spectrometer, optical instrument, and mass spectrometer including the same
A device for a device for preventing the intensity reduction of an optical signal, an optical emission spectrometer, an optical instrument, and a mass spectrometer including the same are provided. The device for preventing the intensity reduction includes a shielding filter which has a mesh structure capable of blocking RF electromagnetic waves radiated from a plasma field for a wafer processing, is installed in the front of an optical window of an optical emission spectrometer for measuring the plasma field from an emission spectrum image of the plasma field, and collects charging particles passing through the mesh. |
| US09025136B2 |
System and method for manufacturing three dimensional integrated circuits
System and method for manufacturing three-dimensional integrated circuits are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing an imaging writer system that includes a plurality of spatial light modulator (SLM) imaging units arranged in one or more parallel arrays, receiving mask data to be written to one or more layers of the three-dimensional integrated circuit, processing the mask data to form a plurality of partitioned mask data patterns corresponding to the one or more layers of the three-dimensional integrated circuit, assigning one or more SLM imaging units to handle each of the partitioned mask data pattern, and controlling the plurality of SLM imaging units to write the plurality of partitioned mask data patterns to the one or more layers of the three-dimensional integrated circuits in parallel. The method of assigning performs at least one of scaling, alignment, inter-ocular displacement, rotational factor, or substrate deformation correction. |
| US09025123B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel having: first and second substrates; a first electrode formed on an opposing face of the first substrate opposing the second substrate; a first alignment film covering the first electrode and the opposing face of the first substrate; a second electrode formed on the opposing face of the second substrate opposing the first substrate; a second alignment film covering the second electrode and the opposing face of the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which is provided between the first alignment film and the second alignment film and includes liquid crystal molecules, where a pretilt is imparted on the liquid crystal molecules, a plurality of uneven portions is formed on the first electrode, and a width of a portion of the convex portions provided on the first electrode becomes narrower toward the tip portion. |
| US09025120B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes a first substrate, a plurality of pixels, a second substrate, a plurality of floating electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer. The pixels are arranged in an array on the first substrate, and each of the pixels includes a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein a space is maintained between the first electrode and the second electrode. The floating electrodes are disposed on the second substrate and above the spaces. The liquid crystal layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the liquid crystal layer is optically isotropic when the first electrode and the second electrode have no voltage difference; and the liquid crystal layer is optically anisotropic when the first electrode and the second electrode have a voltage difference therebetween. |
| US09025116B2 |
Liquid-crystal display device
A liquid-crystal display device makes it possible to attach an optical element to a liquid-crystal display panel with high positional accuracy while avoiding or minimizing the enlargement of the picture-frame region (i.e., the non-display region) induced by the formation of markers on the panel and the increase of the fabrication cost. The panel comprises a main substrate, an opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal enclosed in a gap between the main and opposite substrates, wherein a polarizer plate is attached at least to the opposite substrate. Markers for attaching an optical element to the panel are formed at positions that overlap with the polarizer plate in a non-display region on the main or opposite substrate. Alignment direction regulators regulate the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules to a predetermined direction in the vicinities of the markers, allowing light to pass through at least the opposite substrate. |
| US09025110B2 |
Horizontal electric field-type liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
A horizontal electric field-type liquid crystal display (LCD) device is provided. The LCD device includes first and second substrates disposed opposite and apart from each other, a first electrode formed on an inner surface of the first substrate, a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode and configured to generate an electric field, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer formed between the first and second substrates, the LC layer including a polymer network and LC molecules confined in multiple domains by the polymer network. |
| US09025105B2 |
Display method, display device and display apparatus
A display method, a display device and a display apparatus are provided. The display method comprises: providing a white reflection plate which can reflect light by itself to generate white light; providing color transparent films on or outside the white reflection plate, so that corresponding color is displayed when white light is reflected by the reflection plate and transmits through the color transparent films. |
| US09025102B2 |
Drive circuit of liquid crystal panel
The present invention provides a drive circuit of liquid crystal panel, which includes a gate driver, a source driver, a plurality of gate lines, and a plurality of data lines. The plurality of gate lines and data lines define a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes a thin-film transistor, a common electrode, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin-film transistor, and a correction capacitor. The thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the gate driver and the source driver respectively by means of the gate lines and the data lines. The common electrode and the pixel electrode constitute a liquid crystal capacitor. The thin-film transistor includes a gate terminal and a drain terminal. The correction capacitor is electrically connected between the gate terminal and the drain terminal for correcting a parasitic capacitor generated between the gate terminal ad the drain terminal due to structural characteristics. |
| US09025100B2 |
Display with shielding antireflection layer
An electronic device may be provided with a display such as a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display may have a color filter layer, a thin-film-transistor layer, and a layer of liquid crystal material between the color filter layer and the thin-film-transistor layer. A lower polarizer may be formed under the thin-film-transistor layer. An upper polarizer may be formed on the color filter layer. A shielding antireflection layer may be formed on the upper polarizer. The shielding antireflection layer may serve both as a shielding layer that protects against display damage due to electrostatic charge and as an antireflection coating that helps to minimize reflections from the surface of the display. The shielding antireflection layer may include low and high index of refraction layers and a conductive layer such as a transparent conductive oxide layer that provides shielding. |
| US09025099B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method for fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display device to reduce damage of signal lines and switching devices caused by electrostatic discharge shock. The liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixels defined by intersections between gate lines and data lines, dummy pixels disposed along circumferences of the pixels, common lines disposed parallel to the gate lines, the common lines being connected to the pixels and the dummy pixels, a first gate metal to receive an exterior common voltage, second gate metals that extend from the common lines to one side, the second gate metals having a pad shape, a source-drain metal disposed in a direction parallel to the data lines at one side of the second gate metals, a first connection pattern to electrically connect the first gate metal to the source-drain metal, and a second connection pattern to electrically connect the source-drain metal to the second gate metals. |
| US09025095B2 |
Polarisation rotator with small induced ellipticity
The invention relates to a polarization rotator with small polarization ellipticity. The rotator includes a first optical unit (401) and a second optical unit (402) on a common optical axis. The first optical unit (401) is formed by a rectilinear polarizer (205) and a first quarter-wave plate (210), where the polarization direction of the polarizer is a bisector of the neutral axes of the quarter-wave plate. The second optical unit (402) is formed by a variable-delay plate (220) and a second quarter-wave plate (230), where the neutral axes of the second quarter-wave plate are bisectors of the neutral variable-delay plate axes. |
| US09025094B2 |
Wavelength selective optical switching devices
A wavelength selective switch device includes an incidence part where wavelength multiplexed light made of light of a plurality of wavelengths enters, an exit part that includes a plurality of fiber that outputs light of a wavelength selected from a signal in which wavelength multiplexed light that entered from the incidence part enters, a polarization diversity part that separates incidence light that entered the incidence part according to polarization components of the incidence light to make first and second optical beams, a wavelength dispersion and synthesis element that spatially disperses incidence light according to a wavelength of the incidence light and multiplexes the spatially dispersed reflected light according to the wavelength, and a wavelength dispersion and synthesis element that spatially disperses incidence light according to a wavelength of the incidence light and multiplexes the spatially dispersed reflected light according to the wavelength. |
| US09025093B2 |
Liquid crystal display device, electronic apparatus, and optical device
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel which displays a left eye image and a right eye image; and an optical device which generates a lens effect of a lens group which causes binocular parallax, wherein the optical device includes a first substrate and a second substrate which are disposed opposed to each other with an interval therebetween, a first electrode which is formed on the first substrate so as to be opposed to the second substrate, a second electrode which is formed on the second substrate so as to be opposed to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes liquid crystal molecules, the alignment direction of which is changed in accordance with a voltage which is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US09025090B2 |
Integrated touch screens
Integrated touch screens are provided including drive lines formed of grouped-together circuit elements of a thin film transistor layer and sense lines formed between a color filter layer and a material layer that modifies or generates light. The common electrodes (Vcom) in the TFT layer can be grouped together during a touch sensing operation to form drive lines. Sense lines can be formed on an underside of a color filter glass, and a liquid crystal region can be disposed between the color filter glass and the TFT layer. Placing the sense lines on the underside of the color filter glass, i.e., within the display pixel cell, can provide a benefit of allowing the color filter glass to be thinned after the pixel cells have been assembled, for example. |
| US09025084B2 |
Video display apparatus having a function of adjusting color balance
In a video display apparatus A, a controller 9, while displaying video processed by a video processor 4 on a video display 3, displays LUTs 45R, 45G, and 45B which are tables of correction data for correcting luminance levels of red, green, and blue respectively. The controller 9 re-calculates and rewrites the correction data based on one adjustment point or two or more adjustment points P1 and P2 adjusted by the user. |
| US09025078B2 |
Image capture method and image capture apparatus
An image capture method includes performing light metering with respect to a subject in response to a first control signal, setting an ISO value and a shutter speed value based on result of the light metering, increasing the ISO value by a first amount and decreasing the shutter speed value by a second amount in response to a second control signal to capture a plurality of images, where the second amount is greater than the first amount, performing gamma correction with respect to the plurality of images to increase brightness of each image, and synthesizing the plurality of gamma corrected images to obtain a single image with improved brightness. |
| US09025077B2 |
Geometrically distorted luminance in a multi-lens camera
Spatial resolution can be improved in multi-lens digital cameras. Each lens can have the same or similar field of view, but can be associated with different geometric distortions defining, for example, a magnification at various field of view portions. A final image can be generated based on an initial image captured by each lens. Luminance information from the magnified portions of the initial images can be combined to form final image luminance information. Chrominance information from the initial images can be combined to form final image chrominance information. The final image can be generated based on the final image luminance information and the final image chrominance information. |
| US09025075B2 |
Focus detecting apparatus, lens apparatus including the same, image pickup apparatus, and method of detecting defocus amount
A focus detector, which detects a defocus amount from a displacement amount between images formed by a pair of light beams split from an image pickup system so as to pass through a pair of pupil regions, includes a pair of lenses and phase difference sensors, a memory unit for storing an image displacement amount between the image signals on the phase difference sensors in an in-focus state, a waveform read out controller for setting pixels to be calculated for the phase difference sensors, respectively, based on the image displacement amount, a correlation calculator for calculating a correlation amount between the image signals from the pixels to be calculated, a waveform degree-of-conformity calculator for calculating a waveform degree-of-conformity based on the image signals obtained from the pixels to be calculated, and a defocus calculator for calculating the defocus amount based on the correlation amount and the waveform degree-of-conformity. |
| US09025073B2 |
Compact camera optics
Imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, which is adapted to generate an input image in response to optical radiation. A processing engine is configured to apply a digital filter, having a kernel width greater than five pixels, to the input image to generate a filtered image. An optical assembly is arranged to focus the optical radiation onto the image sensor with a point spread function such that no more than a first threshold percentage of energy emitted from a point object and focused by the optical assembly falls within a first region of the image sensor having a first width five times the pitch of the image sensor, while at least a second threshold percentage of the energy emitted from the point object and focused by the optical assembly falls within a second region, which contains the first region and has a second width corresponding to the kernel width. |
| US09025072B2 |
Camera module and method for adjusting focus of lens in camera module
Disclosed herein is a camera module having a selective focus adjustment function. The camera module includes a lens part containing a multiple of lenses, an image sensor converting an optical image transmitted through the lens part into an electric signal, and a main control part transferring the lens part driving signal to set a focusing area around the finger end part indicated by a finger in an image obtained from the optical image in a preview state. According to the proposed invention, a focusing region is set around the end part of a finger at the time of capturing an image when a user indicates a desired focusing setting area by a finger, so that the user can take the focus by selecting a desirable focus position freely at the time of photographing an image using a portable terminal having a camera module of the present invention. |
| US09025071B2 |
Method for contamination detection in a TOF range camera
A method for contamination detection in a time-of-flight (TOF) range imaging system is described, wherein the TOF range imaging system receives light reflected from a scene, through an optical interface, on an imager sensor having an array of pixels, and wherein distance information and amplitude information are determined for the sensor pixels. The presence of contamination on the optical interface is determined on the basis of amplitude information determined for the sensor pixels. |
| US09025069B2 |
Focus detection sensor and optical apparatus using the same
A focus detection sensor includes a line sensor comprised of a pair of sensor arrays in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. The sensor arrays include a pixel of a first type having an arrangement for transferring charges generated by a photoelectric conversion device to a corresponding memory device and causing the memory device to integrate the charges during a charge accumulation period, and a pixel of a second type having an arrangement for integrating, in the pixel, the charges generated by the photoelectric conversion device during the charge accumulation period without transferring the charges to the memory device until the end of the charge accumulation period, and transferring the charges to the corresponding memory device when the charge accumulation period has ended. An accurate charge accumulation result can be obtained by a simple arrangement. |
| US09025065B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, image processing method, and camera module for creating high dynamic range images
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a high dynamic range (HDR) synthesizing unit. The HDR synthesizing unit synthesizes a first image signal from a first pixel and a second image signal from a second pixel. The first pixel is a pixel to which a first exposure time is applied. The second pixel is a pixel to which a second exposure time is applied. The second exposure time is shorter than the first exposure time. The first and second horizontal lines form a periodic array. The first horizontal line is a horizontal line formed by the first pixels. The second horizontal line is a horizontal line formed by the second pixels. In the periodic array, a combination of the first horizontal lines and the second horizontal lines of the number which is twice the number of first horizontal lines is formed as units. |
| US09025063B2 |
Unit pixel of image sensor and pixel array including the unit pixel
A unit pixel of an image sensor is provided. The unit pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element configured to generate photocharge varying with the intensity of incident light, a transfer transistor configured to transfer the photocharge to a floating diffusion in response to a transfer control signal, and a supplemental transistor connected to the floating diffusion. Because the unit pixel includes only one transistor in addition to the transfer transistor, the area of the unit pixel is minimized, and, as a result, the resolution of a pixel array is increased and the power consumption of the pixel array is decreased. |
| US09025061B2 |
Device having an optical module and a supporting plate
An optical device includes an optical module, e.g. with an objective lens, a printed circuit board, an image recording element and a supporting plate. In one embodiment, the optical module and the image recording element are arranged on one side of the supporting plate, the printed circuit board is arranged on the opposite side of the supporting plate, and the image recording element and the printed circuit board are contacted to each other through one or more openings in the supporting plate. In another embodiment, the image recording element is arranged in an opening in the supporting plate and directly joined to the printed circuit board. |
| US09025057B1 |
Gain value interpolation
An apparatus, method, and other embodiments associated with performing interpolations to compute gain values that correct for varying spatial intensity are described. In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by an apparatus that processes image data, a gain value for a pixel in the image data for which there is no gain value available in the apparatus, by interpolating related gain values associated with corners of a rectangle bounding the pixel, wherein the interpolating includes determining at least two partial coefficients by interpolating pairs of the related gain values. Noise is filtered from the image data using a noise threshold, and the noise threshold is modified by using the at least two partial coefficients. The method also applies the gain value to the pixel in the image data. |
| US09025047B2 |
Photographing apparatus and method
An electronic apparatus includes an exposure difference value calculator that calculates an exposure difference between a flash turned-off image and a flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio calculator that calculates first flash mixture ratio in blocks, a subject area selector that selects a block having maximum first flash mixture ratio and selects an area including the selected block and a block having first flash mixture ratio ranging between the maximum value and a threshold value, a flash light color balance calculator that calculates color balance of the selected area from the flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio correction unit that calculates second flash mixture ratio by multiplying the first flash mixture ratio by a coefficient, and a white balance gain calculator that calculates white balance gain in the blocks based on the second flash mixture ratio, the calculated color balance, and a color balance of normal light. |
| US09025046B2 |
Method for white balance adjustment
A white balance adjustment method includes capturing a raw image where an arrangement format of the raw image is BGb/GrR, extracting color scale values of each color channels, and obtaining cumulative proportion of color scale values in each channel. Cumulative proportion of each channels are compared with default minimum and maximum values, to get a cumulative proportion which is above a maximum value treated as a reference white, and a cumulative proportion below the minimum value treated as a reference black. The color scale values are re-quantized according to the obtained reference white and black, by using a color histogram equalization method. |
| US09025043B2 |
Image segmentation from focus varied images using graph cuts
A system for providing an adjusted image of a scene includes an optical assembly, a capturing system coupled to the optical assembly, and a control system. The optical assembly is adjustable to alternatively be focused on a first focal area and a second focal area that is different than the first focal area. The capturing system captures a first frame of the scene when the optical assembly is focused at the first focal area, and a second frame of the scene when the optical assembly is focused at the second focal area. The first frame includes a plurality of first pixels and the second frame includes a plurality of second pixels. The control system analyzes the first frame and the second frame and utilizes graph cuts techniques to assign a depth label to at least a portion of the first frame. |
| US09025036B2 |
Focus adjustment apparatus and method for controlling the same
A focus adjustment apparatus includes an object detection unit configured to detect feature information of an object, a plurality of signal generation units configured to accumulate charges to generate and output a pair of image signals respectively, and a focus detection unit configured to control charge storage of the plurality of signal generation units and detect a focus based on a phase difference between a pair of image signals output from a first signal generation unit corresponding to the feature information of the object detected by the object detection unit, wherein if reliability of detection by the object detection unit is a first level which is higher than a second level, the focus detection unit sets charge storage time of the first signal generation unit longer than that in a case of the second level. |
| US09025033B2 |
Surveillance camera and method for calibrating the survelliance camera using a calibration tool
A surveillance camera is positioned and positionable at a stationary surveillance position for monitoring. The surveillance camera has a calibration tool that is constructed or configured for ascertaining the stationary surveillance position of the surveillance camera. |
| US09025031B2 |
Apparatus for housing surveillance devices, and a surveillance unit comprising the apparatus
A surveillance unit (1) comprises a support pole (3) and apparatus (5) mounted on the support pole (3) for housing surveillance cameras (6,7) and infrared heat detectors (8) in a controlled environment. The apparatus (5) comprises a primary housing (10) defining a primary hollow interior region (11) supported on a main support platform (21) which is mounted on the support pole (3). A secondary housing (14) defining a secondary hollow interior region (15) is coupled to the primary housing (10) by a tubular coupling element (17) which defines a communicating passageway (18) for communicating the primary and secondary hollow interior region (11,15). The secondary housing (14) comprises a lower secondary shell (68) of polycarbonate material and an upper secondary shell (73) which form the secondary hollow interior region (15). A PTZ camera (7) is located in a central first chamber (87) of the secondary hollow interior region (15) and eight first cameras (6) are located in the secondary hollow interior region (15) spaced apart at 45° intervals around the central first chamber (87). Medium and low voltage panels (59,60) are located in the primary hollow interior region (11) for controlling and monitoring data from the cameras (6,7) and the infrared heat detectors (8). An air conditioning unit (31) located in the primary housing (10) controls the temperature of air within the primary and secondary hollow interior regions (11,15) in order to maintain a controlled temperature environment within the primary and secondary hollow interior regions (11,15). An electrically powered circulating fan (130) located in an air accommodating duct (120) which extends from the primary hollow interior region (11) into the secondary hollow interior region (15) through the communicating passageway (18) circulates air from the air conditioning unit (31) between the primary and secondary hollow interior regions (11,15). |
| US09025028B2 |
Device and method for detecting vehicle license plates
A system and method for detection of vehicle license plates including a video camera that has a first operating mode in which it generates a first image sequence of a small, strip-shaped section of its optical camera image at a high frame rate, and a second operating mode in which a second image sequence of its entire optical camera image is generated at a lower frame rate. In the first operating mode, at the time of the detection of a license plate in the first image sequence, the video camera is switched to the second operating mode to generate an image, which contains the license plate in or near the mentioned section. |
| US09025026B2 |
Monitoring camera apparatus
Provided is a monitoring camera apparatus that can pick up, when an image of a signal lamp of a traffic signal is picked up by a monitoring camera at night, an image of an image pickup region other than the signal lamp bright without saturating a red signal lamp.The monitoring camera apparatus includes signal controlling means including RGB ratio detecting means for detecting lighting, lighting/extinguishing times, the shape and the number, or signal lamp control signals of signal lamps of a traffic signal in the image pickup region and detecting ratios of RGB signals of the signal lamps, gain controlling means for controlling a gain of the RGB signals, and color mixture controlling means for controlling color mixtures of respective signal lamp colors. The signal controlling means detects ratios of RGB signal levels on the basis of lighting, lighting/extinguishing times, the shape and the number, or signal lamp control signals of respective signal lamps of green, yellow, and red, specifies the signal lamps as a red signal lighting region of a red signal lamp if R>G≈B, attenuates GB signals or reduces the GB signals to zero and reduces color mixture in the color signal lighting region with the color mixture controlling means, and makes it possible to display lighting of the red signal lamp as a red color on a monitor. |
| US09025021B2 |
System and methods for translating sports tracking data into statistics and performance measurements
A system for creating objective sports measurements and statistics of a sporting event. The system analyzes the continuous on-going motion of the players, the game object and the state of the game. Continuous on-going motion of the players and game object can be obtained through any of several technologies including cameras, IR sensors, RFID, etc. The state of the game includes at least the determination of when the competition is officially on versus paused. For sports that include a game clock, the detection of a running clock indicates that the competition is on, whereas a stopped clock indicates that the competition is paused. The combination of these three data sets, i.e., player locations, game object locations and the state of the game, are both necessary and sufficient for objectively determining key sports metrics including when the game object is in possession of a given player, which expands into the cycle of possession flow. |
| US09025018B2 |
User interface for an electron microscope
A user interface for operation of a scanning electron microscope device that combines lower magnification reference images and higher magnification images on the same screen to make it easier for a user who is not used to the high magnification of electron microscopes to readily determine where on the sample an image is being obtained and to understand the relationship between that image and the rest of the sample. Additionally, other screens, such as, for example, an archive screen and a settings screen allow the user to compare saved images and adjust the settings of the system, respectively. |
| US09025017B2 |
Detection of when a capsule camera enters into or goes out of a human body and associated operations
A method for detecting a capsule camera entering into or exiting the GI tract, includes (a) taking a first test image under the condition that an illumination system of the capsule camera is disabled; (b) taking a second test image under the same condition as the first test image; (c) comparing selected corresponding pixel values of the first test image and the second test image to determine if a significant change in pixel values has occurred; and (d) upon detecting the significant change in pixel values, determining if the capsule camera has entered or exited the GI tract, and performing operations appropriate to follow such determination. |
| US09025015B2 |
Verification of playout of signage
A video sign based advertising method involves providing a video display that is adapted to display images as an arrangement of pixels; sending video signals representing an advertisement to the video display; capturing an image of a sample of less than all of the pixels of the video display; determining if the captured sample matches a bitmap of the image sample of the image that is being sent to the display; logging play-out of the advertisement if a match is detected; and initiating an error condition action if a match is not detected. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US09025014B2 |
Device detection camera system
A camera detects devices, such as other cameras, smart devices, and access points, with which the camera may communicate. The camera may alternate between operating as a wireless station and a wireless access point. The camera may connect to and receive credentials from a device for another device to which it is not connected. In one embodiment, the camera is configured to operate as a wireless access point, and is configured to receive credentials from a smart device operating as a wireless station. The camera may then transfer the credentials to additional cameras, each configured to operate as wireless stations. The camera and additional cameras may connect to a smart device directly or indirectly (for instance, through an access point), and the smart device may change the camera mode of the cameras. The initial modes of the cameras may be preserved and restored by the smart device upon disconnection. |
| US09025007B1 |
Configuring stereo cameras
A computer-implemented method for configuring stereo cameras includes detecting, in a computer system, a relocation of a manipulator in a virtual set. The manipulator defined in the computer system to specify an aspect of the virtual set. The method includes receiving an input in the computer system, the input specifying an aspect of a projection environment. The method includes configuring, using the relocation and the input, first and second cameras to capture a stereo view of a scene such that the stereo view is compatible for being projected in the projection environment. |
| US09025005B2 |
Holographic imaging device and method
Technologies are generally described for reproducing holographic images by causing a photo-induced change in the diffractive index of a holographic recording medium. An example device may include a light irradiation unit and a transparent substrate. The light irradiation unit can be configured to transmit a photo-inducing light. Further, the transparent substrate may have a predetermined refractive index and can be configured to include a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface can be configured to receive an incident light, and the second surface can be configured to receive the photo-inducing light. The transparent substrate can be configured to form interference fringe patterns from a photo-induced change in the refractive index of the transparent substrate responsive to the photo-induced light. |
| US09025004B2 |
Optronic system having supra-hemispheric vision
A video optronic system, comprises a sensor with a supra-hemispheric lens and a matrix detector array, a unit for processing the sensed images, display means for the processed images. The matrix detector, having video rate, comprises: i. L×C pixels, with L and C>2000, each employing correlated double sampling and able to ensure a charge-voltage conversion, and ii. 2 C parallelized analog-digital conversion elements, each comprising a first ADC with output having low level and large gain and a second ADC with output having high level and low gain; the lens exhibits a focal length controlled by the angle of elevation, the focal length being longest in the equatorial plane, and has a numerical aperture lying between 0.9 and 1.6; and the processing unit comprises: i. means for correcting the non-uniformities, ii. means of weighted summation, of several neighboring pixels, iii. means for adapting and compressing the sensed image. |
| US09025003B2 |
Head bracket
A head bracket for providing multiple horizontal panoramic pictures simultaneously comprises a video camera, a longitudinally rotating motor, a transversally rotating motor, sliding rings, a connection interface, and a support. A supporting pipe is arranged at center of head bracket and provided with multiple coaxial heads. Sliding rings are arranged at center of coaxial heads and fixed on supporting pipe. The video camera is mounted on fixing bracket of outer case of sliding rings. A longitudinally rotating belt pulley on video camera is connected to longitudinally rotating motor through a belt, and a transversely rotating belt pulley on sliding ring is connected to the transversely rotating motor through a belt; wherein the transversely rotating motor is fixed on a bottom plate fixed on the supporting pipe. The supporting pipe is internally provided with cables and cable connectors. The connection interface is arranged at the tail end where cables gather. |
| US09025000B2 |
System and method for initiating a video conferencing through a streaming device
The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for initiating by a remote user a video conference through a streaming device of a first user. One embodiment is a computer-implemented method that includes the steps of activating the streaming device; granting the remote user access to a website for controlling the streaming device in response to activating the streaming device; authenticating the remote user; receiving a selection of video conference options from the remote user in response to the remote user being authenticated; generating an invitation for the first user to accept a video conference with the remote user; and initiating the video conference in response to the first user to accepting the invitation. |
| US09024994B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for incorporating voice or video communication into a television or compatible audio capable visual display
Voice or video communication is incorporated into a television or compatible audio capable visual display by routing a television signal through a communication interface apparatus connected to a voice or video communication network and switching between a call and at least the audio portion of the television signal when a call is detected and the user chooses to answer the call in response to an on-screen menu superimposed on the video portion of the television signal. The communication interface apparatus includes a controller that is configured to allow speed dialing using a wireless remote, as well as making calls from a user-defined contact list or a regional phone directory that is updatable from a remote source via the Internet. |
| US09024989B2 |
Registration adjustment method for image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus
In a registration step, the temperature near a polygon mirror (83) is detected by a first temperature sensor (85), and the internal ambient temperature of an image forming apparatus (1) is detected by a second temperature sensor (86). Also, a registration adjustment value of each color is determined and stored in a memory (75). In a printing step, the registration adjustment value (A) of each color determined in the registration step is corrected based on a change in the temperature near the polygon mirror (83) and a change in the internal ambient temperature of the image forming apparatus (1). Furthermore, the write timing of an electrostatic latent image onto each photosensitive drum (13) by an optical scanning device (11) is controlled. Then, the position of the electrostatic latent image on each photosensitive drum (13) is shifted by an amount corresponding to the corrected registration adjustment value. |
| US09024988B2 |
Media detection apparatus and method
An apparatus and method for automatically calibrating a media sensor configured to detect advancing print media in a printing device. In some embodiments, the apparatus selects a first light intensity level and a second light intensity level greater than the first light intensity level. A light source unit, such as a light emitting diode or laser diode is activated to emit light at the second light intensity level. The light passes though print media, for example, a roll of self-adhesive labels, that is advanced along a print path of the printing device. The amount of light transmitted through the print media is measured as the print media advances. If the measured light increases, the light source unit is reactivated to emit light at the first light intensity level. In some embodiments, the apparatus identifies whether print media has changed or an out-of-stock condition exists. |
| US09024984B2 |
Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a sheet feeder, including: a support member which can be rotated around a pivot at upstream side thereof in a sheet feeding direction and supports sheets; a driving unit rotating the support member upwardly; a feeding portion feeding the sheets; a first detection unit detecting the sheets on the support member at a first detection position above the support member; a second detection unit detecting the sheets on the support member at a second detection position located at upstream of the first detection position and below the first detection position; and a stacking amount determining portion determining a stacking amount of the sheets on the support member, based on a period of time between a time when the second detection unit detects the sheets and a time when the first detection unit detects the sheets while the support member is upwardly rotated by the driving unit. |
| US09024983B2 |
Three-dimensional image display device and driving method thereof
A 3D image display device is provided. The 3D image display device includes a display panel, a filter, a filter driver and a timing controller. The filter is disposed at a front surface of the display panel and comprises a light transmitting area for transmitting an images and a light blocking area for blocking an images. The timing controller converts a received 3D image into a copied 3D image, outputs the copied 3D image through the display panel in units of a frame, and controls the filter driver for switching between a position of the light transmitting area and a position of the light blocking area in units of a frame. |
| US09024981B2 |
Control device, display device, electronic apparatus and controlling method
An application control changes a first image displayed with a plurality of pixels composing the entirety or a part of a display section to an image in the first gray level displayed with the plurality of pixels, and thereafter display a second image displayed with the plurality of pixels. Also, the application control device controls an application device such that the numbers of application of the first voltage and the second voltage to each of the plurality of pixels are equal to each other from a state in which each of the plurality of pixels lastly assumes the first gray level before the first image is displayed until a state in which each of the plurality of pixels first assumes the first gray level after the first image is displayed. |
| US09024979B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel, liquid crystal display device, and method of driving a liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is disclosed. The LCD panel includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, a first sub gate-line coupled to first row-pixels that are adjacent to a lower side of the first sub gate-line, a second sub gate-line coupled to second row-pixels that are adjacent to an upper side of the second sub gate-line, a plurality of gate-lines between the first sub gate-line and the second sub gate-line, a plurality of even data-lines coupled to first column-pixels that are adjacent to the even data-lines, and a plurality of odd data-lines coupled to second column-pixels that are adjacent to the odd data-lines. Here, each gate-line of the plurality of gate lines is coupled to first row-pixels that are adjacent to a lower side of the gate-line and second row-pixels that are adjacent to an upper side of the gate-line. |
| US09024978B2 |
Display device
Provided is a display device having plural data line voltage generation circuits capable of supplying a display control voltage to display elements of a color designated as necessary. The display device includes plural display elements each displaying an image of one color; plural gradation voltage output units provided for each color to output a gradation voltage corresponding to each display gradation value of a gradation number; plural display control voltage supply units connected to each of two or more display elements to supply control voltages corresponding to display data of the display elements to each of the display elements based on the gradation voltages of the gradation number output by any one of the gradation voltage output units; and plural gradation voltage selection units provided to one or each display control voltage supply unit to select the gradation voltage output by any one of the gradation voltage output units. |
| US09024977B2 |
Resizing objects in regions of virtual universes
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach to resize (e.g., shrink and/or enlarge) objects in a region of a VU so that additional objects can be accommodated. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a mechanism for a region/room to calculate when it has reached full capacity, and use a configurable multiplier to decrease the size of all objects in the room, including avatars, desks, chairs, tables, etc. This allows for accommodation of a significantly higher quantity of objects within the region. In a typical embodiment, the transition to smaller size would be seamless to the user. Moreover, in one embodiment, if the room is of a certain type (e.g., auditorium), additional objects may be auto-created or deleted based on the number of avatars entering or exiting the room. Still yet, objects can be enlarged as the occupancy falls below the capacity. |
| US09024976B2 |
Postural information system and method
A system includes, but is not limited to, a obtaining information module configured for obtaining user advisory information including information regarding one or more users each of two or more devices based at least in part upon physical status information including information regarding one or more spatial aspects of one or more portions of each of the two or more devices, and an output module configured for outputting output information based at least in part upon one or more elements of the user advisory information. |
| US09024974B2 |
Augmented reality system, apparatus and method
Information technology tools can be provided to manage access by a plurality of attendees through a network to a presentation. Each of the attendees is registered with an associated content access status, and presentation data for the presentation is provided to a registered attendee based on the particular content access status of the registered attendee. |
| US09024973B2 |
Method and arrangement in an electronic device
An object of the present invention is to provide a way of displaying content of an obscured area of a view for a user.The object is achieved by a method in an electronic device. The electronic device obtains (402) an information identifying a position of the obscured area in relation to the view. The electronic device further calculates (403) an information identifying the position of the obscured area on a display. The electronic device obtains (404) an information regarding the content of the view or part of the view when not obscured from a memory. The electronic device creates (405) an image relating to the content of the obscured area of the view. The electronic device further displays (406) the image on a place on the display that corresponds to the calculated (403) position of the obscured area in relation to the display. |
| US09024972B1 |
Augmented reality computing with inertial sensors
Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for receiving measurements from one or more inertial sensors (i.e. accelerometer and angular rate gyros) attached to a device with a camera or other environment capture capability. In one embodiment, the inertial measurements may be combined with pose estimates obtained from computer vision algorithms executing with real time camera images. Using such inertial measurements, a system may more quickly and efficiently obtain higher accuracy orientation estimates of the device with respect to an object known to be stationary in the environment. |
| US09024969B2 |
Method and device for performing user-defined clipping in object space
A method and device for performing and processing user-defined clipping in object space to reduce the number of computations needed for the clipping operation. The method and device also combine the modelview transformation of the vertex coordinates with projection transform. The user-defined clipping in object space provides a higher performance and less power consumption by avoiding generation of eye coordinates if there is no lighting. The device includes a driver for the user-defined clipping in the object space to perform dual mode user-defined clipping in object space when a lighting function is disabled and in eye space when the lighting function is enabled. |
| US09024967B2 |
Digital video editing system including multiple viewing windows of a same image
The system provides different ways for users to select an object and an action to be applied to the object in computer applications such as image processing or digital post-production. The user can select an object first and then an action, or vice versa. The user can also use gestural input to designate both an object and action virtually simultaneously. Multiple view, or windows, of an image can be independently sized, zoomed, panned, etc. Any effects performed on the image appear in all of the windows since each window shows (potentially) different portions of the same image content. A navigation window helps a user move within a large image or diagram that does not fit entirely on a single display screen. The navigation window includes an inner box that shows, in miniature, the principal objects in the screen display. |
| US09024966B2 |
Video blending using time-averaged color keys
A display system combines a graphic plane and a video overlay plane using color keys in the graphics plane. By time-averaging patterns of color keys in successive frames of the graphics plane, individual pixels of the graphics plane can be made to appear partially transparent. Using this technique, regions in the graphics plane (e.g., a menu) can be partially transparent with respect to the video overlay, and aliasing can be reduced by making selected pixels in the graphics plane partially transparent. |
| US09024965B2 |
Determining a layout of graphic objects according to a layout density map
A method performed by a physical computing system for determining a layout of graphic objects (802) according to a layout density map (300) includes generating the layout density map (300), the layout density map (300) having low density regions (302) and high density regions (304); providing a set of candidate locations (402) within the layout density map (302), a number of the candidate locations (402) being equal to a number of the graphic objects (802), the candidate locations (402) being arranged away from the low density regions (302) and from other the candidate locations (402); and overlaying the layout density map (300) with the graphic objects (402), each graphic object (802) being disposed at one of the candidate locations (402). |
| US09024949B2 |
Object representation using distance functions
An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to represent three-dimensional (3-D) object using signed distance functions. A bounding box containing an object is constructed in a 3-D coordinate system. The bounding box has at least a bounding plane. A ray is projected from a grid point on the bounding plane to the object with a pre-defined direction. The ray intersects a surface of the object at an intersection point. A parameterization value of the intersection point associated with the grid point is computed. The parameterization value corresponds to a distance from the grid point to the intersection point. |
| US09024948B2 |
System and method for generating an outer layer representation of an object
A system and method for generating a representation of an outer layer of a three-dimensional object is disclosed. The object may be represented by a data structure that defines a plurality of triangles that collectively represent the object. The method comprises receiving the data structure and determining a bounding box that can encapsulate the object, the bounding box being comprised of a plurality of voxels. The method further comprises determining an intersecting set of voxels of the plurality of voxels. A member of the intersecting set of voxels intersects with at least one triangle of the plurality of triangles. The method also includes determining an outer set of voxels from the intersecting set of voxels, wherein a member of the outer set of voxels shares a face with a voxel that is not a member of the intersecting set of voxels. The method further includes determining an outer layer set of triangles from the plurality of triangles to obtain a modified data structure. |
| US09024946B2 |
Tessellation shader inter-thread coordination
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing a computer-implemented method for tessellating patches. An input block is received that defines a plurality of input patch attributes for each patch as well as instructions for processing each input patch. A plurality of threads is launched to execute the instructions to generate each vertex of a corresponding output patch based on the input patch. Reads of values written during instruction execution are synchronized so threads can read and further process the values of other threads. An output patch is then assembled from the outputs of each of the threads; and emitting the output patch for further processing. |
| US09024944B2 |
Display panel
Pixel structural designs on a display panel are disclosed. Each pixel on the display panel includes a plurality of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels are arranged sequentially along a vertical direction and used for displaying different colors in a circle. The display panel in the disclosure can be switched between a two-dimensional mode and a three-dimensional mode. In the three-dimensional mode, parts of the sub-pixels are disabled for forming a shielding area. Other adjacent sub-pixels form a pixel displaying unit. |
| US09024943B2 |
Three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging method, system and imaging device
A three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging method includes: longitudinally slicing a three-dimensional scene according to a physical depth of field to produce several two-dimensional layers; respectively displaying each two-dimensional layer on each different two-dimensional display window to form several two-dimensional pictures; polarizing light emitted from the two-dimensional display windows to transmit the light into human eyes, in such a manner that the human eyes are able to perceive the images of all the pictures, and splicing the images of all the two-dimensional pictures into an image of the original three-dimensional scene. The method realizes a three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging by simulating a real physical depth of field generated by human eyes perceiving a real three-dimensional stereoscopic image. Viewers are able to see a three-dimensional scene without wearing glasses. A three-dimensional stereoscopic imaging system and an imaging device thereof are further provided. |
| US09024940B2 |
Three-dimensional image display device and three-dimensional image display method and program
A three-dimensional (3D) image display device enables easy recognition of a 3D image by appropriately changing the popout amount of a 3D image. The display device includes a timer setting and measuring a given time over which the popout amount of a 3D image changes, a popout amount change mode memory storing information on time dependent change of the popout amount occurring over the given time, a popout amount controller producing the popout amount for each unit time based on parallax between a plurality of images, the given time, and the time dependent change information, a changing image producer producing pairs of popout-amount-changing images from the plurality of images according to a popout amount by the unit time, a 3D image producer producing a corresponding popout-amount-changing 3D image, and a display controller. |
| US09024939B2 |
Method and apparatus for applying a rotational transform to a portion of a three-dimensional representation of an appliance for a living body
A method and apparatus for applying a rotational transform to a portion of a three-dimensional representation of an appliance for a living body is disclosed. The representation is defined by an input plurality of coordinates stored in a processor circuit memory, the input plurality of coordinates representing a general shape of the appliance. The method involves applying the rotational transform to the portion of the representation of the appliance within the transform volume to produce an output plurality of coordinates representing a modified shape of the appliance such that the general shape of portions of the appliance outside the transform volume remain un-modified by the rotational transform, and storing the output plurality of coordinates in the processor circuit memory. |
| US09024937B2 |
Calibration method for image processing device, calibration device, image processing device, and display module
A method for calibrating an image processing device performs first processing to first image data, using a three-dimensional lookup table, and performing second processing to image data that has been processed by the first processing, using a one-dimensional lookup table on the output side of the three-dimensional lookup table. The method includes first setting step for setting first calibration information for each color component to have a target color temperature at the one-dimensional lookup table, second setting step for setting second calibration information for mapping the first image data to a target color space at the three-dimensional lookup table, and correction step for correcting the first calibration information based on an error from a target characteristic using image data that has been processed by the second processing. |
| US09024931B2 |
Power-saving mechanism of display and control method using the same
A power-saving mechanism of display and a control method using the same are disclosed. The mechanism has no need as the prior art where a user's setting is needed to decide whether or not entering a power-saving operation mode or shutting off the display. The display power-saving mechanism of the present invention can judge whether or not the display frames are still; if the frames are still in a certain time, the display automatically enters the power-saving operation mode. The display power-saving mechanism is disposed in the hardware architecture of the display and capable of automatically judging whether or not to enter the power-saving operation mode without the user's setting. |
| US09024928B2 |
System and method for producing an image having high dynamic range
A system and method for producing an image having high dynamic range is described. The system comprises: a light source for providing light along an optical path; a digital micromirror device for directing portions of the light to off-state and on-state light paths, thereby producing an image; and a deformable optical element disposed in the optical path between the light source and the digital micromirror device for steering at least some of the light from the off-state light path to the on-state light path to increase dynamic range of the image produced by the digital micromirror device. The deformable optical element can comprise at least one steerable segment and at least one static element. |
| US09024927B2 |
Display device and method for driving the same
To suppress the increase in power consumption and suppress the decrease in display quality of a display device capable of displaying 3D images, whether each of optical shutters arranged in a matrix is brought into a light-transmitting state or a light-blocking state is selected in accordance with a voltage between a pair of electrodes (a first electrode and a second electrode) of the optical shutter. By control of the voltage between the pair of electrodes, a parallax barrier can be selectively formed in an intended region. Thus, a parallax barrier can be formed only in a region where 3D images are to be displayed. |
| US09024922B2 |
Display device, method of driving the same, and electronic unit
A display device includes: data-line pairs arranged side by side along a first direction; gate lines arranged side by side along a second direction; a display section including pixels each disposed at an intersection of a data-line pair and a gate line and connected to one or both of the data-line pair; a data-line drive circuit supplying a positive-phase data signal to one of the data-line pair and a negative-phase data signal to the other, and allowing the data-line pair to stay in a high-impedance state before writing of an image signal to the pixels; and a short circuit putting the data-line pair in a short-circuit state while the data-line pair stays in the high-impedance state, and then releasing the short-circuit state Following the release of the short-circuit state, the positive-phase data signal or/and the negative-phase data signal are written into the pixel as the mage signal. |
| US09024919B2 |
Light emitting diode display panel
A light emitting diode display panel includes a control circuit and a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels includes a first light source and a first light sensing element. The first light sensing element receives a first optical signal from a lighting pen and generates a first control signal to the control circuit. According to the first control signal, the control circuit turns on the first light source in the pixel. The pixels further comprise a first polarizer covering the first light sensing element. When the lighting pen emits the first optical signal, a polarization direction of the light from the lighting pen is parallel to a polarization direction of the first polarizer. Therefore, the first optical signal can pass through the first polarizer and be received by the first light sensing element. |
| US09024917B2 |
Side-light display illuminator
A light guide for illuminating a display screen, including a vertical cone-shaped entrance surface including an aperture for admitting light beams emitted by an LED, a folding mirror for reflecting the admitted light beams at an angle of approximately 90°, and for horizontally collimating the admitted light beams, a horizontal guide for guiding the reflected light beams to an exit surface, and an exit surface positioned above a perimeter of a display screen for directing the guided light towards a portion of the display screen, the exit surface being tilted vertically from the horizontal at a slight angle to direct the guided light beams towards the display, and being shaped horizontally as a concave lens to spread the guided light beams horizontally over an angular expanse of the display screen. |
| US09024916B2 |
Extracting touch data that represents one or more objects on a touch surface
A touch-sensing apparatus is based on frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). The apparatus comprises a panel, in which sheets of light are propagated by internal reflection between a touch surface and an opposite surface. A light sensor arrangement is optically connected to the panel to measure transmitted light energy on detection lines across the touch surface. Each detection line represents a light path across the touch surface from a light source to a light sensor. An object that touches the touch surface will frustrate the propagating light and cause a local attenuation among the detection lines. A data processor is connected to the light sensor arrangement and configured to execute a process for extracting touch-related data. |
| US09024912B2 |
Baseline recalculation after frequency reconfiguration of a mutual capacitive touch controller
Systems and methods are provided that allow a touch sensor, such as a mutual capacitive touch panel, to switch from an operative transmit (TX) frequency at which the mutual capacitive touch panel is driven to an alternative TX frequency. When switching to an alternative TX frequency, an alternative baseline capacitance value corresponding to the alternative TX frequency may be utilized to determine whether a touch event has occurred on the mutual capacitive touch panel. Frame scans can be repeatedly performed at the operative TX frequency and the alternative TX frequency in rapid succession, and an average difference of the frame scans can be calculated and utilized to generate the alternative baseline capacitance value which may be insensitive to sudden ambient changes and moving touch events affecting the mutual touch capacitive panel. |
| US09024911B2 |
Method and device for detecting capacitive touch screen
A detecting device and method for a capacitive touch screen is proposed. A plurality of frequency settings is employed. Each frequency setting corresponds to a type of driving mode of a type of driving potential. These frequency settings are used for setting the detecting device for the capacitive touch screen. When the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of the signals in the capacitive touch screen is not appropriate, frequency settings are changed by selecting one that yields a more appropriate S/N ratio among the frequency settings. The driving mode includes a single-electrode driving mode in which only a single driving electrode in the capacitive touch screen is driven at a time, and a multiple-electrode driving mode in which multiple driving electrodes are simultaneously driven at a time, and there can be several types of driving potentials. |
| US09024906B2 |
Multi-touch input discrimination
Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described. |
| US09024902B2 |
Ultrasound device and method thereof
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a Time Gain Compenstaion (TGC) feature in an ultrasound device using a touchpad or similar device, which eliminates the need for mechanical potentiometers. The touchpad is segmented into one or more rows, wherein each row is mapped to a corresponding depth of an image. In order to set a required TGC gain setting of a particular depth of the image, a user moves his/her finger across the face of the touchpad such that the desired gain curve can be set. Finer adjustments can be done by moving the finger in the desired horizontal area of the touchpad. The mapping of the effective depths is indicated by horizontal lines on the touchpad as well as on the screen. |
| US09024901B2 |
Interactive whiteboards and programs
Provided is a technique of correcting influences of optical environment to correctly recognize the color of an input object used for inputting of coordinates, and enabling automatic designation of a color to be used for drawing. A coordinate detection unit detects coordinates of an input object. Next, display light on the display plane in the vicinity of the coordinates is estimated from display data, and a correction value to remove influences of the display light is calculated. A captured image of an input object used for input operations on the display plane is extracted, and the color of the captured image is corrected with a display light correction value. Thereby, influences of the display light added to the input object are removed, enabling the original color of the input object to be identified. |
| US09024900B2 |
Electronic device and method of controlling same
Provided are an electronic device wherein an application can be started up easily using text and so forth displayed in a display unit, and a method of controlling same. A start-up unit uses inputted text to start up an application which executes various functions. If text being displayed on the display unit has been selected as a result of a detection unit detecting that contact has been made to a region in which any of the text characters of the same text is displayed, an application control unit causes the display unit to display an application start-up display to which an application is associated. |
| US09024895B2 |
Touch pad operable with multi-objects and method of operating same
The present invention provides a touch pad operable with multi-objects and a method of operating such a touch pad. The touch pad includes a touch structure for sensing touch points of a first and a second object and a controller for generating corresponding touching signals and related position coordinates. Moreover, the controller calculates at least two movement amount indexes according to coordinate differences between these position coordinates, thereby generating a movement amount control signal to control behaviors of a software object. |
| US09024891B2 |
Single substrate touch sensor
The embodiments described herein are related to capacitive input device, including a substrate, a plurality of first sensor electrodes deposited on the substrate and arranged in a first direction, an insulating layer, a plurality of connecting elements deposited on the insulating layer, a plurality of second sensor electrodes. The plurality of second sensor electrodes includes a plurality of sensor electrode elements deposited on the substrate ohmically isolated from the plurality of first sensor electrodes. Each of the plurality of sensor electrode elements are connected to at least one other sensor electrode element arranged in a second direction by one of the plurality of connecting elements. The capacitive input device may further include a plurality of routing elements deposited on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of routing elements coupled to one of the plurality of second sensor electrodes and is substantially disposed in the first direction. |
| US09024890B2 |
Comparison of an applied gesture on a touch screen of a mobile device with a remotely stored security gesture
A method of a mobile device comparing an applied gesture on a touch screen of a mobile device with a remotely stored security gesture is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a mobile device includes determining that an applied gesture on a touch screen of a mobile device in a locked state is associated with a user-defined gesture, comparing the applied gesture on the touch screen of the mobile device with a designated security gesture stored in a remote computer server, and unlocking the mobile device when the applied gesture on the touch screen of the mobile device in a dormant state matches the designated security gesture stored in the remote computer server. |
| US09024889B2 |
Information presenting device, tactile sense presenting method, and program
An information presenting device of present invention includes a conductive layer to which an AC voltage is applied, an insulating layer for covering the conductive layer and presenting a tactile sense when a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential is in contact with the insulating layer. |
| US09024879B2 |
Computer input device with switchable operation modes and mode switching method thereof
A computer input device with switchable operation modes includes a body, a printed-circuit-board (PCB), a processor, and two switches. Two function buttons are disposed on the body to be pressed to move back and forth; the PCB is disposed in the body; the processor and the switches are disposed on the PCB and electrically connected with each other. The processor outputs control signals corresponding to a first operation mode or a second operation mode to a computer. While the switches are respectively triggered by the pressing of the function buttons, triggering signals are transmitted to the processor simultaneously, so that the processor switches the first operation mode to the second operation mode; or the processor switches the second operation mode to the first operation mode. |
| US09024878B2 |
Hardware cursor snooping
A feedback subsystem may be used to control the positioning of a local cursor of a display in response to receiving remote cursor movement information from a remote computer system. The feedback subsystem may send the remote cursor movement information to an operating system (OS) which may send local coordinate information to a graphics controller. Local coordinate information from the graphics controller may be used to compare with remote coordinate information received from the remote computer system. The feedback subsystem may repeatedly send the remote cursor movement information to the OS until it is determined that the local coordinate information from the graphics controller is consistent with the remote coordinate information received from the remote computer system. |
| US09024873B2 |
Control device
A control device includes a holder, a sleeve, a detecting module, and a positioning mechanism. The holder defines an accommodation chamber. The sleeve is sleeved onto the holder, wherein the sleeve is rotatable and movable on the holder. The detecting module is accommodated within the accommodation chamber for detecting a rotation and a translational movement of the sleeve. The positioning mechanism includes a positioning part and a transmission member. The positioning part is located at a side of the holder. The transmission member is connected with the holder and disposed on the positioning part. When the holder generates a first vertical displacement relative to the positioning part, the transmission member generates a second vertical displacement relative to the positioning part synchronously in response to the first vertical displacement of the holder. |
| US09024872B2 |
Head-mounted display
A mounting section (2) for a user to mount on his/her head includes an infrared light irradiation section (5) that irradiates an object to be detected (21) with a predetermined pattern of infrared light and an infrared light detection section (6) that detects the infrared light reflected by the object to be detected (21). The infrared light irradiation section (5) and the infrared light detection section (6) are placed at a predetermined distance from each other. The three-dimensional coordinates of the object to be detected (21) are computed from a predetermined pattern of reflection from the object to be detected (21) as obtained by the infrared light detection section (6). |
| US09024870B2 |
Mobile terminal and control method thereof
A control method of a mobile terminal is disclosed. The control method of a mobile terminal includes: acquiring a pressure signal through a pressure sensing module for sensing a change in pressure applied to at least one part of the body in at least two degrees; and generating an event for changing a display state of a display unit through a control signal to be matched to the pressure signal. Emotional quality can be improved by changing a display state of a display unit in response to a change in pressure applied to the body. |
| US09024868B2 |
Mobile electronic device
According to an aspect, a mobile electronic includes a first display unit, a second display unit, an input unit, and a control unit. The first display unit displays a first image. The second display unit displays a second image. To the input unit, an instruction is input. The control unit causes the second display unit to display the first image, as the second image, when a first period of time has passed since the first image is displayed by the first display unit. |
| US09024863B2 |
Display device
The display device includes: a flexible display panel including a display portion in which scanning lines and signal lines cross each other; a supporting portion for supporting an end portion of the flexible display panel; a signal line driver circuit for outputting a signal to the signal line, which is provided for the supporting portion; and a scanning line driver circuit for outputting a signal to the scanning line, which is provided for a flexible surface of the display panel in a direction which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the supporting portion. |
| US09024862B2 |
Dynamic creation of waveform palette
A system and method for driving a display region on the display are described. The method includes receiving a desired color for a pixel, determining a waveform to drive the pixel to desired color, updating frame buffer with an index to the determined waveform, updating waveform table with the determined waveform, and then driving the pixel on the display using the index and associated waveform. After the drive, the waveform is removed from the waveform table and the corresponding pixel in frame buffer is updated with an index corresponding to a null waveform. |
| US09024858B2 |
Display panel with improved gate driver
The present invention divides a wire supplying a scan start signal to a gate driver into two wires, so as to avoid overlapping a clock signal line. In this way the clock signal is not delayed by interference, and a gate driving margin may continue uninterrupted, thereby uniformly outputting a gate-on voltage. In particular, if the clock signal line is connected to all stages in the gate driver and the clock signal line overlaps the scan start signal line, unsightly horizontal bands appear on the image and the parallel gate lines generate a very large parasitic capacitance. In contrast, the gate drivers in the present disclosure comprise clock signal lines which do not overlap the scan start signal lines. As benefits, interference resulting in horizontal banding is minimized and the power consumption may be reduced by about 10%. |
| US09024855B2 |
Information processing apparatus and display control method
An information processing apparatus is disclosed, including a detection part, a change part, and a determination part. The detection part detects a change of a first color temperature of an external environment. The change part changes a second color temperature of a display part at a predetermined speed to a targeted value corresponding to the first color temperature after the change in response to a detected change of the first color temperature. The determination part determines whether brightness of an image is changed, in response to a switch of the image on the display part. When it is determined that the brightness of the image on the display part is changed during the change of the second color temperature of the display part, the change part changes the second color temperature of the display part at a different speed from the predetermined speed. |
| US09024853B2 |
Liquid crystal display drive circuit
The present invention provides a liquid crystal device drive circuit, which includes a gate driver, a source driver, a plurality of gate lines, and a plurality of data lines. The gate lines and data lines define a plurality of pixel units. Each pixel unit includes a thin-film transistor, a common electrode, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin-film transistor, a storage capacitor, and a timer switch. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the thin-film transistor. The common electrode and the pixel electrode constitute a liquid crystal capacitor. The storage capacitor is connected in parallel to the liquid crystal capacitor. The thin-film transistor includes a gate terminal and a source terminal. The gate terminal is electrically connected to the gate line via the timer switch. The thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the gate driver and the source driver respectively by the gate lines and the data lines. |
| US09024852B2 |
Image displaying method and image displaying apparatus
An image displaying apparatus divides 1 frame into plural sub-frame periods, and modifies the image signals in which a region denoted by an image signal α or an image signal close to the image signal α and a region of another image signal β or an image signal close to the image signal β are adjacent to each other. The image displaying apparatus carries out display, in at least one sub-frames period A, with a modified image signal so that the difference with the image signal of the other region becomes smaller, and in at least one other sub-frames period B, with a modified image signal so that the difference with the image signal of the other region becomes more significant, in the vicinity of the boundary between the region of the image signal α and the region of the image signal β. |
| US09024850B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is provided. The liquid crystal display includes a pixel array having a plurality of pixels in a matrix on a substrate. First and second pixels are adjacent to each other along a first direction. The first and second pixels each include first and second switching elements. A first common gate line extends in a second direction different from the first direction and is commonly connected to the first and second switching elements. First and second data lines extend in the first direction and are connected to the first and second switching elements, respectively. |
| US09024845B2 |
Head mounted display and method of controlling therefor
A method of controlling a head mounted display (HMD) according to one embodiment of the present specification includes the steps of detecting a first contact contacted with a nose pad of the HMD, detecting a second contact contacted with a temple of the HMD, if the first contact and the second contact are detected, operating in a wearing mode to activate a display unit and an audio input unit, if the first contact is not detected and the second contact is detected, operating in a mute mode to activate the display unit and inactivate the audio input unit, and if the first contact and the second contact are not detected, operating in a non-wearing mode to inactivate the display unit and the audio input unit. |
| US09024839B2 |
Smart antenna systems for reception of digital television signals
A reconfigurable antenna is disclosed that includes a ground plane, an electrically-conductive microstrip patch element, and a plurality of switches. The patch element is spaced-apart from the ground plane with a dielectric medium between the patch element and the ground plane. The switches are coupled between the ground plane and the patch element. The switches are openable and closable, for example, in response to a control signal from an external television device to configure the state of the reconfigurable antenna. Additional reconfigurable antenna elements are disclosed. Antenna arrays including reconfigurable antenna elements, switchable fixed elements, or a combination thereof are also disclosed. |
| US09024837B2 |
Antenna and wireless communication device
An antenna and a wireless communication device which are suitable for an RFID system and in which radiation characteristics are prevented from being changed as a result of impedance adjustment are configured such that the antenna includes a first loop electrode that has an external shape of a regular polygon or circle and that includes a pair of open ends, feeding portions arranged inside the first loop electrode, a second loop electrode connected to the feeding portions, and a coupling electrode that couples the first loop electrode and the second loop electrode to each other. The wireless communication device is obtained by coupling the wireless communication element which processes a high-frequency signal to the feeding portions. |
| US09024836B2 |
Electronic device for processing radio frequency signals and matching circuit for providing variable impedance
An electronic device includes an antenna, an RF circuit, and a matching circuit. The matching circuit is configured to provide variable impedance between the antenna and the RF circuit, wherein the matching circuit includes a first element having a first terminal and a second terminal, and wherein the first terminal is coupled to the antenna; a second element having a third terminal connected to the second terminal of the first element and a fourth terminal coupled to the RF circuit; a first tuning cell connected to the second terminal of the first element and the third terminal of the second element, and comprising a first tuning element, a second tuning element and a first control element, wherein the first control element determines whether to make a first node connected between the first and second tuning elements couple to a voltage level. |
| US09024832B2 |
Mounting electronic components on an antenna structure
A method and apparatus for mounting electronic components on an antenna structure includes at least one conductive antenna element 102, an insulating layer 106 disposed on the antenna element 102, at least one electronic component 108 disposed on the insulating layer 106, and at least one electrical trace 110 disposed on the insulating layer 106 and connecting to the at least one electronic component 108. The trace follows contours of the antenna structure, such that the trace and component are electrically isolated from the antenna element. |
| US09024825B2 |
Mobile devices with conductive liquid antennas and related methods
Mobile devices with conductive liquid antennas and related methods are provided. In this regard, a representative mobile device includes a first antenna having a first channel and a first liquid, the first channel defining a first interior volume, the first liquid being electrically conductive and located within the first channel, the first liquid further exhibiting a first volume smaller than the first interior volume; and a first antenna feed mounted such that, responsive to the device being in a first orientation, the first liquid electrically communicates with the first antenna feed. |
| US09024824B2 |
Antenna assembly and wireless communication device employing the same
An antenna assembly is used in a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device includes a main body and a circuit board received within the main body. The antenna assembly includes a first antenna unit located in the main body, a feed point and a second antenna unit. The feed point is electrically connected to the circuit board and the first antenna unit. One part of the second antenna unit is exposed from the main body, the other part of the second antenna unit is located within the main body and produces resonance with the first antenna unit to receive and transmit radio signals. The antenna assembly can occupy small space in the wireless communication device and reduce coupled interference of other electronic components on the antenna assembly. |
| US09024822B2 |
Housing assembly and electronic device using the same
An housing assembly includes an outer housing, an antenna cover, a support member, and an elastic member. The outer housing defines an antenna opening. The antenna cover is positioned in the antenna opening of the outer housing. The support member is positioned in the outer housing. The support member forms an assembly portion for receiving the antenna module. The assembly portion is aligned with the antenna opening. The elastic member is positioned between the support member and the antenna cover, generating elastic force snugly fixing the antenna cover to the outer housing. An electronic device using the housing assembly is also provided. |
| US09024818B2 |
Communication device
Communication systems and methods are disclosed. A number of interference sources are obtained based on received signals. A communication is performed using a plurality of antennas and a transmission directivity of the antennas is controlled when transmitting signals. At least null-steering from among null-steering and beam-forming is performed in relation to the transmission directivity of the antennas, when the number of interference sources is less than a first threshold value. Only the beam-forming is performed from among the null-steering and the beam-forming in relation to the transmission directivity of the antennas, when the number of interference sources is greater than the first threshold value. |
| US09024817B2 |
Systems and methods for receiving aircraft position reports
One embodiment is directed to an aircraft position report system. The system comprises a satellite, an aircraft position reporting receiver mounted on the satellite, an antenna element mounted on the satellite, and an antenna interface mounted on the satellite. The aircraft position reporting receiver receives aircraft position reports through the antenna element by associating a spot beam with a narrow coverage area. The aircraft position reports are derived from a signal produced by the antenna element. The antenna interface changes the narrow coverage area associated with the spot beam to receive aircraft position reports from a wide coverage region within a reporting period. In one exemplary embodiment, the antenna interface mechanically steers the spot beam for each receiver to one of the narrow coverage areas. In another exemplary embodiment, the antenna interface electronically steers the spot beam for each receiver to one of the narrow coverage areas. |
| US09024810B2 |
Method and apparatus for ranging finding, orienting, and/or positioning of single and/or multiple devices
A method and apparatus for ranging finding of signal transmitting devices is provided. The method of signal reception is digitally based only and does not require receivers that are analog measurement devices. Ranging can be achieved using a single pulse emitting device operating in range spaced relation with a minimum of a single signal transmitter and a single digital receiver and processing circuitry. In general a plurality of transmitting pulsed emitters may be ranged and positioned virtually simultaneously in 3-dimensions (XYZ coordinates) using a configuration of a plurality of digital receivers arranged in any fixed 3-dimensional configuration. Applications may involve at least one single transmitter to receiver design to determine range, or at least one transmitted reflecting signal off from an object to determine range. |
| US09024807B2 |
Verification of a level gauge system
The present invention relates to a method of verifying a measurement accuracy of a level gauge system. The method comprises determining a first measurement value indicative of a time-of-flight of a first electromagnetic reflection signal to a reference reflector and back; determining a measurement unit verification measurement value based on a response signal from a verification arrangement; determining a second measurement value indicative of a time-of-flight of a second electromagnetic reflection signal to the reference reflector and back; and determining a verification result based on the first measurement value, the second measurement value and the measurement unit verification measurement value. Through embodiments of the present invention, it will be verified that the measurement unit is functioning correctly and that level gauge system works as it should also after being reconnected to the propagation device. |
| US09024802B2 |
Electromagnetic detection and imaging transceiver (EDIT) and roadway traffic detection system
An automatic frequency control is used to keep a continuous wave (CW) transmission tuned to the resonant frequency of a resonant microwave patch antenna (RMPA). Changes in loading and the bulk dielectric constant of the mixed media in front of the RMPA will affect its resonant frequency and input impedance. A significant shift in the measured input impedance is interpreted as an object moving nearby, and the phase angle of the measured input impedance is used to estimate the direction of an object's movement. |
| US09024800B2 |
Wireless battery-powered remote control having multiple mounting means
A remote control for a wireless load control system, the remote control comprising: a housing having a front surface and an outer periphery defined by a length and a width; an actuator provided at the front surface of the housing; a wireless transmitter contained within the housing; and a controller contained within the housing and coupled to the wireless transmitter for causing transmission of a wireless signal in response to an actuation of the actuator, the wireless transmitter and the controller adapted to be powered by a battery contained within the housing; wherein the length and the width of the housing are slightly smaller than a length and a width of a standard opening of a faceplate, respectively, such that the outer periphery of the housing is adapted to be received within the standard opening of the faceplate when the housing and the faceplate are mounted to a vertical surface. |
| US09024799B2 |
Data transmission apparatus and method thereof and data reception apparatus and method thereof
Data transmission apparatus and method thereof, and data reception apparatus and method thereof. Input data is encoded into a plurality of visual codes according to a visual code type. The visual code type includes a sequential type requiring sequential transmission and a nonsequential type not requiring sequential transmission. The sequential visual code includes start code, data code, and end code, and is displayed sequentially. The nonsequential visual code is displayed nonsequentially. |
| US09024790B2 |
Capacitive keyboard with non-locking reduced keying ambiguity
Keyboards, keypads and other data entry devices can suffer from a keying ambiguity problem. In a small keyboard, for example, a user's finger is likely to overlap from a desired key to onto adjacent ones. An iterative method of removing keying ambiguity from a keyboard comprising an array of capacitive keys involves measuring a signal strength associated with each key in the array, comparing the measured signal strengths to find a maximum, determining that the key having the maximum signal strength is the unique user-selected key, and maintaining that selection until either the initially selected key's signal strength drops below some threshold level or a second key's signal strength exceeds the first key's signal strength. |
| US09024789B2 |
Method for determining the sequence of vehicle tagged with and without RFID
A method for determining the sequence of vehicle tagged with and without an RFID, comprises: f1. carrying out multiple receiving and transmitting communications with an RFID tag in a read-write region by using an RFID reader-writer, recording success and failure operations; f2. setting a time window, moving the time window from left to right on a time axis, adding the success times of the receiving and transmitting communications to obtain a curve a; f3. detecting vehicles in the read-write region by using a ground induction coil to obtain a curve b; f4: when detecting a square wave in the curve b, indicating there is at least one vehicle driving through the coil, judging whether the driven through vehicle is installed with an RFID tag according to the wave time relationship between the curves a and b, judging whether there is a vehicle without an RFID tag among the vehicles with RFID tags driving through. |
| US09024788B2 |
Vehicle direction identification device, vehicle direction identification method and program therefor
A vehicle direction identification device includes: a frequency analysis unit which analyzes amplitude or phase of surrounding sound in each analysis section; a sound source direction identification unit which identifies a sound source direction included in the surrounding sound for each analysis section; a vehicle identification information storage unit which stores first vehicle identification information including a first threshold value; a first vehicle identification unit which calculates a rate of occurrence of each sound source direction and identifies the sound source direction whose rate of occurrence is equal to or exceeds the first threshold value; a second vehicle identification information calculation unit which calculates second vehicle identification information including a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value; and a second vehicle identification unit which identifies the sound source direction whose rate of occurrence is equal to or exceeds the second threshold value. |
| US09024787B2 |
Controlling vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway
A hardware traffic control device controls vehicular traffic on a one-way roadway. A hardware sensor detects vehicular traffic on a roadway in order to enable a hardware traffic control device to determine that the vehicular traffic on the roadway has been moving exclusively in a first direction during a preceding period of time, thus identifying the roadway as a one-way roadway in which current vehicular traffic is authorized to travel only in the first direction. The hardware sensor then detects an errant vehicle that is traveling in the opposite direction on the one-way roadway. A disabling electronic signal is then transmitted from the hardware traffic control device to disable a distracting electronic device within the errant vehicle. |
| US09024786B1 |
System for providing environmental condition information to vehicles and related methods
An apparatus for communicating weather related information to a vehicle has been developed. The invention includes, a navigational positioning system that provides the location of the vehicle and a receiver for receiving weather related data at the vehicle that includes road conditions, atmospheric conditions, weather warnings and watches, and forecast conditions. The weather related data is associated with a geographic grid that is made of a plurality of cells. The invention's processor determines if the weather related data is associated with the vehicle location and displays the weather related data to the vehicle's occupants. |
| US09024785B2 |
Traffic information distribution system and traffic information system, traffic information distribution program, and traffic information distribution method
Systems, methods, and programs distribute traffic information including information on a wrong-way vehicle traveling in a wrong-way direction opposite to a designated travel direction of a road. The systems, methods, and programs distributes the traffic information to the target vehicle, determine a reporting range of the wrong-way vehicle information based on a wrong-way vehicle position. When an end-point distance is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference distance, the systems, methods, and programs set a wrong-way section as the reporting range. When the end-point distance is less than the reference distance, the systems, methods, and programs set the wrong-way section and at least one road section which is adjacent to the wrong-way section as the reporting range. When the target vehicle is in the reporting range, the systems, methods, and programs send the traffic information including the wrong-way vehicle information to the target vehicle. |
| US09024781B2 |
Cardiac electricity and impedance monitoring mobile network terminal device having function of micro current release
A cardiac electricity and impedance monitoring mobile network terminal device having function of micro current release is provided which includes a baseband processor module, an electrophysiological data collection module, a micro current stimulator module, a keyboard module, a graphics and image display module, an image and picture sensor, a voice communication module, an external data memory card, an external data memory, a short distance digital communication module, a USB interface module, a GPS receiver module, an application module set and run in the operation system of the baseband processor; a cardiac electricity and breast impedance data remote monitoring, a sleep snore data monitoring, a pathological image remote monitoring, a short distance data/information exchange, a medical advisory VoIP voice communication and a network emergency recourse being implemented by the mobile network terminal device under the control of the application program module. |
| US09024777B2 |
Active compensation for mud telemetry modulator and turbine
An arrangement having a piston configured to move along an axial pathway a rotating seal configured to seal an inside environment from an outside environment, the rotating seal configured to be acted upon by a pressure exerted from the piston, a differential pressure sensor measuring a pressure difference between a first fluid from the outside environment and a second fluid on the inside environment, a motor connected to the piston, the motor configured to actuate the piston to a position along an axial pathway and an electronic feedback control system connected to the motor, the electronic feedback system configured to interface with the differential pressure sensor and maintain a pressure generated by the piston onto the rotating seal to a desired pressure. |
| US09024776B2 |
Methods and systems for wellhole logging utilizing radio frequency communication
A system and method is disclosed for utilizing a radio frequency communication system to wirelessly exchange data with well logging tools and external devices. A logging tool component is operably fitted with an extension antenna which travels through the thick casing of the logging tool. The extension antenna enables data exchange, for example, between radio frequency identification tags inside the logging tool and devices outside of the logging tool. |
| US09024773B2 |
Anti-ligative bed linen system
An anti-ligative bed linen system includes one-piece bedding having a top blanket attached to the base of a bottom cover to fit on a mattress. The bed linen includes quilted material that resists tearing or vandalism. The features of being one-piece, quilted, and tear resistant creates a bed linen that is difficult to contrive a hanging device from. Rolling up the quilted material makes a thicker lanyard as compared to a sheet or thin blanket that hospitals typically use. The thicker the lanyard the less lethal it is. Built into the structure are features that allow another bed linen set to be installed over an existing set so the user can use multiple blankets if desired. Another feature includes an alarm system that warns when the bed linen has been removed from the mattress. A washable foldable quilted pillow provides safe comfort and avoids the dangers of using pillowcases. |
| US09024770B2 |
Electronic football concussion avoidance training module
A self-contained removable electronic module which mounts onto an ordinary football helmet's face mask bars and visually annunciates to the wearing player and game referees the occurrence of a blow to the player's helmet of an impact exceeding a preselected threshold level. |
| US09024768B2 |
Occlusion detection system and method
A method, computer program product, and infusion pump assembly for determining a first rate-of-change force reading that corresponds to the delivery of a first dose of an infusible fluid via an infusion pump assembly. At least a second rate-of-change force reading is determined that corresponds to the delivery of at least a second dose of the infusible fluid via the infusion pump assembly. An average rate-of-change force reading is determined based, at least in part upon the first rate-of-change force reading and the at least a second rate-of-change force reading. |
| US09024764B2 |
Method and apparatus for manipulating driver core temperature to enhance driver alertness
The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for reducing a vehicle driver's core temperature to offset drowsiness. In one embodiment, a temperature sensor records data describing a vehicle driver core temperature and communicates the data describing the vehicle driver core temperature to a temperature regulator. The temperature regulator determines whether the vehicle driver core temperature is similar to one or more circadian temperatures associated with wakefulness. If the vehicle driver core temperature is similar to a circadian temperature associated with sleep, the temperature regulator reduces the vehicle driver core temperature. In an embodiment the temperature regulator cools a material physically contacting the venous plexuses or arteriovenous anastomoses to cool the portions of the vehicle driver's anatomy which most efficiently cool the vehicle driver. |
| US09024760B1 |
Ultrasonic receiving circuit
An ultrasonic occupancy sensor for detecting presence or absence of an occupant in a space includes an ultrasonic receiving circuit having a synchronous rectifier that allows the circuit to detect small-magnitude ultrasonic waves having a Doppler shift. The sensor comprises an ultrasonic transmitter for transmitting ultrasonic waves at an ultrasonic operating frequency, and a controller that drives the transmitting circuit with complementary drive signals to control the ultrasonic operating frequency. The synchronous rectifier receives the drive signals from the controller and rectifies an amplified input signal to generate a rectified signal, which is filtered by a filter to generate a filtered signal. The controller receives the filtered signal and determines that the space is occupied if the magnitude of the filtered signal exceeds a threshold. The ultrasonic occupancy sensor may also include a low phase-noise oscillator circuit coupled to the controller for setting an internal operating frequency of the controller. |
| US09024754B2 |
Monitoring inmate movement with RFID
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for tracking offender movement with RFID. Such a system can include a transponder associated with an offender and a radar module configured to determine a direction of a moving object passing within range of the radar module. The system can include a radio frequency identification reader situated near the radar module and configured to transmit an interrogating signal to the transponder and receive an identifying signal in response to the transponder receiving the interrogating signal. The system can include a server configured to receive data from the radio frequency identification reader and the radar module through a network, transmit the received data to a web service through the network, and receive an alert from the web service that a monitoring rule of a plurality of monitoring rules associated with the offender was violated. |
| US09024751B2 |
Dormant to active appurtenances for reporting information regarding wound dressings
Appurtenances to wound dressings can include: a substrate configured to attach to a wound dressing; a fluid-activated voltaic cell attached to the substrate; a transmission unit attached to a surface of the substrate, the transmission unit including circuitry and at least one antenna, the transmission unit configured to transmit a signal in response to current generated by the fluid-activated voltaic cell; and a projection operably attached to the fluid-activated voltaic cell, the projection of a size and shape to extend into an interior region of the wound dressing and configured to sample a fluid within the interior region of the wound dressing. |
| US09024750B2 |
Method to calibrate a fiber optic strap on a body worn device
The subject matter discloses a method and system for calibrating an electronic monitoring device having a housing and a strap being connected to a first end and a second end of the housing. The method provides for calibrating a transmission power level for signals transmitted along the strap. Then, the signal is generated and transmitted along the strap from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing. Calibrating the transmission power level for signals transmitted along the strap provides for minimizing the power level to a lowest transmission power level detectable by a receiver located in the housing or until the signal is lower than a predefined threshold. |
| US09024748B2 |
PASS-Tracker: apparatus and method for identifying and locating distressed firefighters
According to one aspect of the invention, the PASS-Tracker is a hand-held device that improves the ability of a rescuer to quickly locate a distressed firefighter by two processes: (1) detecting and recognizing the acoustic alarm sound from a PASS device in Alarm Mode, and (2) providing an indication to rescue personnel of the shortest path to the victim. The invention does not require a pre-installed infrastructure in a particular building; rather the device can be used in an ad hoc fashion at any fire scene. The PASS-Tracker utilizes a plurality of small microphones to detect the acoustic signal from the PASS device. Internal electronics in the PASS-Tracker measure the time-of-arrival (TOA) of the leading edge of the acoustic wave at each microphone and calculate and display the angle-of-arrival (AOA) of the wave. |
| US09024746B2 |
Safety features for medical devices requiring assistance and supervision
An automatic locking system for a medical treatment device helps to ensure that an assistant is present during treatment of a patient. Among the features disclosed biometric authentication to verify that a trained assistant is present, a presence detector to ensure the assistant is continuously present during treatment, and warning and recovery processes that allow intermittent lapses in the continuous presence of the assistant. |
| US09024744B2 |
Smart phone control and notification for an electric vehicle charging station
A system and method for remote control of and notification by an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). The system including a remote device, such as a smart phone, having a software configured to remotely control the EVSE and remotely retrieve and receive information from the EVSE. The smart phone may identify and connect to a communication network, automatically identify the EVSE, connect to the EVSE, and send the EVSE instructions for various functions of the EVSE, including charging, vehicle control, and reporting functions. The EVSE may execute the instructions received and return a confirmation to the remote device. The remote device may present the confirmation to a user. |
| US09024743B2 |
Apparatus and method for activating a localization process for a tire pressure monitor
A receiver device is tuned to monitor for first transmissions at a first time according to a first criterion and to monitor for second transmissions at a second time according to a second criterion. When the receiver device initially recognizes one of the first transmissions being transmitted according to the first criterion or the second transmissions being transmitted according to the second criterion, the recognized transmission is verified as being valid. When the transmission is recognized as valid, a transmission apparatus is activated to transmit an indication to a receiver so that a localization process can be executed. |
| US09024738B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for mitigating vibration of an electronic device
According to one aspect, an electronic device that includes a vibrating element adapted to vibrate the electronic device, at least one sensor operable to detect the presence of an audible higher-order harmonic above a fundamental frequency when the vibrating element is active. The device also includes a processor operable to adjust the vibrating element to reduce the audible higher-order harmonic when the audible higher-order harmonic is detected. |