| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09043382B2 |
Stream processing using a client-server architecture
A computer hardware system configured to respond to requests using stream processing includes a HTTP stream server including at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to initiate and/or perform the following. Responsive to a server request received from a server, a stream processing request is sent to a first stream processing node. Responsive to a create response message received from a second stream processing node, a stream processing result is correlated with the server request. A write response message including the stream processing result is sent to the server. The stream processing request is derived from the server request and includes a request identifier associated with the server request. The create response message includes the stream processing result and the request identifier. |
| US09043380B2 |
Reception according to a data transfer protocol of data directed to any of a plurality of destination entities
A data processing system arranged for receiving over a network, according to a data transfer protocol, data directed to any of a plurality of destination identities, the data processing system comprising: data storage for storing data received over the network; and a first processing arrangement for performing processing in accordance with the data transfer protocol on received data in the data storage, for making the received data available to respective destination identities; and a response former arranged for: receiving a message requesting a response indicating the availability of received data to each of a group of destination identities; and forming such a response; wherein the system is arranged to, in dependence on receiving the said message. |
| US09043375B2 |
Searching the internet for common elements in a document in order to detect plagiarism
A method and system for detecting plagiarism of software source code is disclosed. In one embodiment, a database exists of program elements that have previously been found to be matching within the source code for two different programs. This embodiment searches the Internet for occurrences of these matching program elements to determine how many times they appear and thus whether they are commonly used or not. The elements and their associated number of hits are placed in a spreadsheet for further observation and manipulation. One of skill in the art will see that this invention also applies to other kinds of text documents. |
| US09043371B1 |
Storing information in a trusted environment for use in processing data triggers in an untrusted environment
A server system having memory and one or more processors running a trusted internal process receives, from an untrusted external process of one or more external processes, a request to interact with a data item. In response to the request, the server system interacts with the first data item and stores a marker indicative of the interaction with the data item. After storing the marker, the server system identifies a plurality of markers corresponding to a plurality of data items and retrieves information corresponding to the plurality of markers. The retrieved information enables a determination, for each data item in the plurality of data items, as to whether an operation corresponding to the data item is to be executed. When a determination has been made that an operation corresponding to the data item is to be executed, the server system deletes the markers in conjunction with execution of the operation. |
| US09043368B2 |
Interfacing an R language client environment with a database engine
A method, system, and computer program product for interfacing an R language client with a separate database engine environment. The method commences by interpreting an R language code fragment to identify and select R language constructs and transforming the R language constructs into queries or other database language constructs to execute within the database engine environment. The method further implements techniques for transmitting marshalled results (resulting from the execution of the database language constructs) back to the R client environment. In some situations, the marshalled results include an XML schema or DTD or another metadata description of the structure of the results. User conveniences in the form of transparent database query construction, and transparent exploitation of parallelism is achieved by determining the computation resource requirements of executable language constructs, and mapping the execution to one (or more) of, a local R client, a database engine, or a remote execution engine. |
| US09043364B2 |
System and method for providing an intelligent configuration rationalization solution
A system and method are disclosed for rationalizing configurations associated with one or more products. The system includes a database associated with one or more customers. The system further includes an order analysis system coupled with the database. The order analysis system is capable of rationalizing the differences between configurations of various combinations of options that are stored in the database. |
| US09043361B2 |
Migration of data from a legacy system
A method and system for translating data to be migrated from an older legacy database to a newer recipient database. Legacy data elements in the older legacy database are translated to correspond the one or more recipient data elements in the newer recipient database by utilizing a translation table in the older legacy database. The translation table defines recipient data elements in the newer recipient database based upon metadata of the older legacy database. The metadata of the older legacy database describes legacy data fields in the older legacy database. The older legacy database utilizes a first operating system. The newer recipient database utilizes a second operating system that differs from the first operating system. The legacy data elements translated in the older legacy database are used to migrate the legacy data elements translated from the older legacy database to the newer recipient database. |
| US09043360B2 |
Display entity relationship
Method, system, and programs for providing one or more explanations. An inquiry is received via a communication platform where the inquiry is about how a set of entities are related. Information is retrieved from a knowledge storage in accordance with the set of entities and such information describes a plurality of entities and relationships existing among the plurality of entities. Based on such retrieved information, one or more explanations with respect to each relationship by which the set of entities are connected are generated. The one or more explanations are then transmitted as a response to the inquiry. |
| US09043358B2 |
Enterprise search over private and public data
A unified search service may collect information related to an enterprise from at least one of publicly available data and private enterprise data. In some implementations, crowd sourcing may be used to determine a source list of one or more sources of information. Authored content can be generated, such as by combining one or more items of information from the public data with one or more items of information from the private enterprise data. Further, in some implementations, a public index may be generated from the public data, and one or more affiliation indexes may be generated from the private enterprise data. For example, a first affiliation index may contain confidential enterprise information, while a second affiliation index may contain non-confidential enterprise information. A user's affiliation to the enterprise may be taken into consideration when determining which indexes to use when responding to a search request from the user. |
| US09043355B1 |
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a journal entry automator
The APPARATUS, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A JOURNAL ENTRY AUTOMATOR (hereinafter “JEA”) implement efficient and scalable monitoring, regulation, and allocation of computational processing, data, labor, and/or the like resources within an enterprise. In some embodiments, the JEA may facilitate, in various implementations, transaction classification through the use of universal variables and economical interface features. In one embodiment, classification rules for assigning accounting Classes/Subclasses to transactions may be defined. Upon receipt of an indication of a transaction, the transaction is tagged with transaction characteristics. Based on relevant transaction characteristics, accounting Classes/Subclasses may be assigned to the transaction using the applicable classification rules. |
| US09043350B2 |
Providing topic based search guidance
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. The present invention may generate multiple topics based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface then presents the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. The present invention generates search results based on the search inputs and then presents topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata. |
| US09043349B1 |
Image-based character recognition
Various embodiments enable a device to perform tasks such as processing an image to recognize and locate text in the image, and providing the recognized text an application executing on the device for performing a function (e.g., calling a number, opening an internet browser, etc.) associated with the recognized text. In at least one embodiment, processing the image includes substantially simultaneously or concurrently processing the image with at least two recognition engines, such as at least two optical character recognition (OCR) engines, running in a multithreaded mode. In at least one embodiment, the recognition engines can be tuned so that their respective processing speeds are roughly the same. Utilizing multiple recognition engines enables processing latency to be close to that of using only one recognition engine. |
| US09043340B1 |
Personal media database
A system and computer-implemented method for maintaining a personal media database associated with a user account including media-related information, the method including receiving media-related information regarding a media item from a remote media service, wherein the media-related information comprises rating information regarding the media item, the rating information representing an assessment of the quality of the media item by the user, and the rating information being provided according to a first rating standard, the first rating standard indicating a manner by which media items are rated, converting the rating information according to a second rating standard used at a personal media database, the second rating standard indicating a manner by which media items are rated wherein the second standard is different than the first standard and storing the media-related information including the converted rating information at the personal media database. |
| US09043337B1 |
Data mining and model generation using an in-database analytic flow generator
Embodiments are described for a system and method of providing a data miner that decouples the analytic flow solution components from the data source. An analytic-flow solution then couples with the target data source through a simple set of data source connector, table and transformation objects, to perform the requisite analytic flow function. As a result, the analytic-flow solution needs to be designed only once and can be re-used across multiple target data sources. The analytic flow can be modified and updated at one place and then deployed for use on various different target data sources. |
| US09043330B2 |
Normalized search
Systems and methods of searching by a processor are described herein. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a master index having a plurality of index documents corresponding to artifacts stored in a repository is generated. An index document maps contents from a source artifact to index categories having different default boost values indicating relative importance of the index categories. A search query is fired by a user to search the master index. A result list of artifacts having contents matching (hit) the search query is generated. Artifacts are ranked in the list based on hit scores according to number of hits, which categories the hits occurred and the default boost values of the index categories. |
| US09043320B2 |
Enhanced find-in-page functions in a web browser
A system and method for an enhanced find-in-page query function in a web browser. A find-in-page query is received for at least one webpage displayed on a computing device, wherein the query comprises a search string. Metadata relating to data objects displayed on the webpage is collected from the HTML code comprising the webpage, from the source of the of the plurality of objects, and from at least one search engine. At least one of the plurality of data objects matching the find-in-page query is identified wherein the search string is matched to metadata, wherein metadata relating to the matching data objects comprises the search string. The display of the matching data objects on the webpage is then altered, using the computing device, whereby the user is able to identify the data objects which match the find-in-page query. |
| US09043316B1 |
Visual content retrieval
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating image search results. One of the methods includes receiving first image search results responsive to a text query, each first image search result associated with a respective first score indicating a relevance of an image represented by the first image search result to the text query. Second image search results responsive to a query image are received, each second image search result associated with a respective second score indicating a measure of similarity between an image represented by the second image search result and the query image. A set of final image search results is selected including combining first scores and second scores of the selected first image search results. The final image search results are ordered by similarity to the query image. |
| US09043313B2 |
System and/or method for personalization of searches
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and/or method for providing enhanced content search results based on metrics indicating user affinity for an information site such as a web site. Information on user visits to a particular web site may be accumulated, for example, in connection with a beacon or other tracker placed on the publisher web site. The enhanced content may be provided by the publisher web site or may be generated otherwise. |
| US09043312B2 |
Identifying symbolic links
Systems and computer program products for identifying symbolic links in network file systems are provided herein. An absolute path may be determined at a network file server. This may include determining a complete client path from an initial client path and combining the complete client path with a server export path. Once the absolute path is determined, it may be traversed using a file descriptor of each file in the absolute path to identify a symbolic link. |
| US09043311B1 |
Indexing data updates associated with an electronic catalog system
Systems and methods are provided for efficiently indexing archived objects in an archive data store to allow for efficient and quick access to the archived objects. The systems and methods provided also allow alleviate the strain on a live data store and enable a requester wishing to retrieve updates to do so without knowledge of the location of the stored update on a live or archive data store. |
| US09043309B2 |
SQL transformation-based optimization techniques for enforcement of data access control
Techniques are provided for a database server to identify a query that comprises an access check operator specifying a data access control policy, and if so, to re-write the query to produce an optimized query execution plan. A first technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator based on the privileges associated with the database principal requesting the query. The rewritten query exposes the access predicates relevant to the requesting principal to subsequent database optimization processes. A second technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator that specifies a data security policy that does not include a denied privilege. A third technique rewrites a query that comprises an access check operator specifying one or more database table columns that store row-specific access control lists. The rewritten queries are used to generate a query execution plan that provides for several query execution optimizations. |
| US09043303B2 |
Methods and systems for sharing email in a multitenant database system
A method for sharing an email in an on-demand database system is provided. The method receives, at one or more computer systems associated with the on-demand database system, the email from a first user; determines, at the one or more computer systems, a database record associated with the email; logs, at the one or more computer systems, the email with the associated database record; and provides access to the email to one or more second users with access rights to the database record. |
| US09043301B2 |
Search and retrieval of objects in a social networking system
A social networking system receives a query associated with a user and, in response, provides a combined result set comprising objects stored by a social networking system that match the query. The combined result set comprises multiple result sets obtained from different search algorithms. The various objects stored by the social networking system may be of different types representing different concepts, such as user objects, application objects, event objects, location objects, group objects, and hub/page objects, any of which may be included in the result set. The objects of the result set may be further filtered, ordered, and/or grouped based at least in part on known relationships of the user with the objects, such as geographic distances between locations associated with the user and the objects. |
| US09043300B2 |
Input method editor integration
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor receives composition inputs in an input method editor environment, the composition inputs based on user inputs. Candidate selections are identified in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs. Each candidate selection comprises one or more ideograms. The input method editor environment receives a search command based on a user input, and selects one of the candidate selections in response to the search command. The selected candidate selection and the search command are provided to a search engine interface external to the input method editor environment. |
| US09043289B2 |
Estimation of errors in attribute values of aggregated databases
An apparatus (10) comprises a mobile device (1) that communicates with a web server (2) over a mobile network (3). The capabilities of the mobile device (1) can be described by device attributes in a device database. An aggregation engine (5) is provided to compile an aggregated device database from a number of source device databases. Both the source device databases and the aggregated database are stored in a device attribute store (4). When a user of the mobile device (1) attempts to access a web resource hosted on the web server (2), the web server (2) looks up the values of device attributes in the aggregated device database before returning data to the mobile device (1) that is appropriate for its capabilities. The aggregated database includes information regarding the value of each device attribute and also information regarding the probability that this value is correct. |
| US09043285B2 |
Phrase-based data classification system
A method of classifying data is disclosed. Text data items are received. A set of classes into which the text data items are to be classified is received. A phrase-based classifier to classify the text data items into the set of classes is selected. The phrase-based classifier is applied to classify the text data items into the classes. Here, the applying includes creating a controlled vocabulary pertaining to classifying the text data items into the set of classes, building phrases based on the text data items and the controlled vocabulary, and classifying the text data items into the set of classes based on the phrases. |
| US09043279B1 |
Class based storage allocation method and system
A method and system for allocating shared storage using one or more classification schemes is provided. One allocation method receives a storage request for provisioning storage from a class storage group configurable to share storage with more than one filesystems. Part of fulfilling this request includes associating a class and at least one corresponding storage allocation constraint with the storage request. The one or more storage allocation constraints can be used subsequently to determine if there is a sufficient amount of shared storage in the class storage group to fulfill the request. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention use at least one storage allocation constraint in determining if the storage allocation constraint for the class associated with the storage request allows allocation of shared storage to fulfill the request. When the storage allocation constraint allows, one implementation performs a provisioning of storage from the shared storage in class storage group. |
| US09043276B2 |
Packaging and bulk transfer of files and metadata for synchronization
An arrangement for packaging and transferring files such as content items and metadata in synchronization operations. Files are packaged in a concatenated fashion in order to optimize usage of the transfer channel, while maintaining an ability to keep track of how many files have been transferred. Metadata associated with the files may be sent in a single package in advance of sending the files. The metadata may be compressed using both a custom mechanism that takes into account predictable commonalities inherent in metadata for multimedia files, as well as standard compression techniques. |
| US09043267B2 |
Methods and systems for managing a data mining model
Methods, systems, and a computer readable medium storing a computer executable program for managing a data mining model are disclosed. A first notification associated with a data mining model is received at a business process system. A second notification associated with the data mining model is transmitted from the business process system responsive to the first notification. A determination is made regarding whether a first response operable to define an association between the data mining model and business data has been received at the business process system responsive to the second notification. A command is issued from the business process system to update model metadata associated with the data mining model based on the determination. |
| US09043266B2 |
Unified interactive data analysis system
A system for analyzing data from a data set is disclosed. The system includes analysis logic responsive to a dimensional analysis control and an attribute analysis control for the same data. This logic can incrementally update the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state, and then remain responsive in the new state to further user input via the dimensional data analysis control and further user input via the attribute analysis control to further incrementally update the presentation. |
| US09043260B2 |
Method and apparatus for contextual content suggestion
An approach is provided for contextual content suggestion. A recommendation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of contextual information associated with at least one device to determine one or more locations, one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination thereof. The recommendation platform also determines popularity data associated with one or more content items with respect to the one or more locations, the one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination. The popularity data is determined from one or more other devices sharing at least substantially the one or more locations, the one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination thereof. The recommendation platform then causes, at least in part, a recommendation of the one or more content items to the at least one device based, at least in part, on the popularity information. |
| US09043251B2 |
Apparatus and method for recognizing representative user behavior based on recognition of unit behaviors
An apparatus for recognizing a representative user behavior includes a unit-data extracting unit configured to extract at least one unit data from sensor data, a feature-information extracting unit configured to extract feature information from each of the at least one unit data, a unit-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize a respective unit behavior for each of the at least one unit data based on the feature information, and a representative-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize at least one representative behavior based on the respective unit behavior recognized for each of the at least one unit data. |
| US09043249B2 |
Automatic chemical assay classification using a space enhancing proximity
A computer implemented method for automatic chemical assay classification, the method comprising steps the computer is programmed to perform, the steps comprising: receiving a plurality of sets of parameters, each one of the received sets of parameters characterizing a respective assay of a chemical reaction, calculating a space enhancing proximity among points representative of assays of qualitatively identical chemical reactions, and representing each one of at least two of the received sets of parameters as a respective point in the calculated space, and dividing the points in the calculated space into a number of groups, according to proximity among the points in the calculated space, each group pertaining to a respective chemical reaction, thereby classifying the assays. |
| US09043245B2 |
Apparatus and method for secure fulfillment of transactions involving virtual items
A computer implemented method to exchange virtual goods in a virtual environment includes receiving funds at a trading platform from a buyer. The buyer is provided with a first secret that the buyer can decrypt and a second secret that the buyer cannot decrypt. The buyer is authenticated to a seller using the first secret. A virtual item is delivered from the seller to the buyer in response to authenticating. The buyer delivers to the seller the second secret for decryption by the seller. The seller is authenticated at the trading platform with the second secret. The seller is supplied with the funds. |
| US09043238B2 |
Data visualization system
The present invention provides a method implemented by a computer for generating an image on a display that represents a plurality of transactions as lines connecting points in the display indicative of a source and an origin for the respective transactions. For each of the lines, an anti-aliasing process is used to determine a coverage value for each pixel of the display that represents the extent to which the line covers each pixel, and a record of a cumulative coverage value for each pixel is maintained in an image buffer. When the lines have been rendered into the image buffer, the method comprises determining a maximum and a minimum of the cumulative coverage values stored in the image buffer, scaling the cumulative coverage value for each pixel, and rendering each pixel onto the display by using the scaled cumulative coverage value to determine a transparency for the pixel. |
| US09043232B1 |
Associating item images with item catalog data
An image of an item is obtained in one or more computing devices. The item is identified from the image based at least in part on data derived from reference images that are each associated with one or more items. Catalog data corresponding to the item is associated with the image. The catalog data is added to a merchant catalog in an electronic marketplace. |
| US09043227B2 |
Viewing shopping information on a network based social platform
A system for viewing shopping information on a social networking platform is disclosed. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a user device corresponding to a first user of the social networking platform to view a list of a second user of the social networking platform. The list may include items offered for transaction on a network-based commerce server. In response to receiving the request from the user device, the system forwards the request to the network-based commerce server, and then receives updated information for at least one item on the list from the network-based corner server. Then, the system communicates the updated information received from the network-based commerce server to the user device. |
| US09043225B2 |
Approximating alternate currency equivalents in digital receipts
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for approximating alternate currency equivalents in digital receipts. In response to a user request, item prices in one currency in a digital receipts (e.g., for retail sales transactions) can be approximated in a second different currency. Digital receipts with approximated item prices can be presented on a display at a mobile device. Currency conversion can be handled at a receipt data server or at the mobile device. Currency conversion can be performed locally or can be referred to a conversion server. Item prices in digital receipts can be converted from and/or to any of a variety of different currencies. |
| US09043224B2 |
Credit card point of service payment authorization system
The risk of fraud in point of sale credit card transactions is reduced by providing independently-routed verification by communication between the authorized user of the credit card and the issuer of the credit card through a trusted intermediary. |
| US09043216B2 |
Audio signal decoder, time warp contour data provider, method and computer program
An audio signal decoder has a time warp contour calculator, a time warp contour data rescaler and a warp decoder. The time warp contour calculator is configured to generate time warp contour data repeatedly restarting from a predetermined time warp contour start value, based on time warp contour evolution information describing a temporal evolution of the time warp contour. The time warp contour data rescaler is configured to rescale at least a portion of the time warp contour data such that a discontinuity at a restart is avoided, reduced or eliminated in a rescaled version of the time warp contour. The warp decoder is configured to provide the decoded audio signal representation, based on an encoded audio signal representation and using the rescaled version of the time warp contour. |
| US09043215B2 |
Multi-resolution switched audio encoding/decoding scheme
An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal has a first coding branch, the first coding branch comprising a first converter for converting a signal from a time domain into a frequency domain. Furthermore, the audio encoder has a second coding branch comprising a second time/frequency converter. Additionally, a signal analyzer for analyzing the audio signal is provided. The signal analyzer, on the hand, determines whether an audio portion is effective in the encoder output signal as a first encoded signal from the first encoding branch or as a second encoded signal from a second encoding branch. On the other hand, the signal analyzer determines a time/frequency resolution to be applied by the converters when generating the encoded signals. An output interface includes, in addition to the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, a resolution information identifying the resolution used by the first time/frequency converter and used by the second time/frequency converter. |
| US09043212B2 |
Messaging response system providing translation and conversion written language into different spoken language
A messaging response system is disclosed wherein a service providing system provides services to users via messaging communications. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, multiple respondents servicing users through messaging communications may appear to simultaneously use a common “screen name” identifier. |
| US09043209B2 |
Language model creation device
This device 301 stores a first content-specific language model representing a probability that a specific word appears in a word sequence representing a first content, and a second content-specific language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence representing a second content. Based on a first probability parameter representing a probability that a content represented by a target word sequence included in a speech recognition hypothesis generated by a speech recognition process of recognizing a word sequence corresponding to a speech, a second probability parameter representing a probability that the content represented by the target word sequence is a second content, the first content-specific language model and the second content-specific language model, the device creates a language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence corresponding to a part corresponding to the target word sequence of the speech. |
| US09043207B2 |
Speaker recognition from telephone calls
The present invention relates to a method for speaker recognition, comprising the steps of obtaining and storing speaker information for at least one target speaker; obtaining a plurality of speech samples from a plurality of telephone calls from at least one unknown speaker; classifying the speech samples according to the at least one unknown speaker thereby providing speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; extracting speaker information for the speech samples of each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; combining the extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; comparing the combined extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples with the stored speaker information for the at least one target speaker to obtain at least one comparison result; and determining whether one of the at least one unknown speakers is identical with the at least one target speaker based on the at least one comparison result. |
| US09043204B2 |
Thought recollection and speech assistance device
Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter include a method for detecting speech loss and supplying appropriate recollection data to the user. Such embodiments include detecting a speech stream from a user, converting the speech stream to text, storing the text, detecting an interruption to the speech stream, wherein the interruption to the speech stream indicates speech loss by the user, searching a catalog using the text as a search parameter to find relevant catalog data and, presenting the relevant catalog data to remind the user about the speech stream. |
| US09043203B2 |
Audio encoder, audio decoder, methods for encoding and decoding an audio signal, and a computer program
An encoder for providing an audio stream on the basis of a transform-domain representation of an input audio signal includes a quantization error calculator configured to determine a multi-band quantization error over a plurality of frequency bands of the input audio signal for which separate band gain information is available. The encoder also includes an audio stream provider for providing the audio stream such that the audio stream includes information describing an audio content of the frequency bands and information describing the multi-band quantization error.A decoder for providing a decoded representation of an audio signal on the basis of an encoded audio stream representing spectral components of frequency bands of the audio signal includes a noise filler for introducing noise into spectral components of a plurality of frequency bands to which separate frequency band gain information is associated on the basis of a common multi-band noise intensity value. |
| US09043194B2 |
Method and system for efficient emulation of multiprocessor memory consistency
A method (and system) of emulation in a multiprocessor system, includes performing an emulation in which a host multiprocessing system of the multiprocessor system supports a weak consistency model, and the target multiprocessing system of the multiprocessor system supports a strong consistency model. |
| US09043193B2 |
Manufacturing method and system of target
The disclosed technology provides a manufacturing method of a target comprising obtaining an initial mass and a residual mass of the target sample, and calculating an etching mass; determining a relative etching depth of the target sample; calculating a relative etching mass based on the etching mass and the relative etching depth; determining a utilization parameter of the target sample based on the relative etching mass and the initial mass of the target sample before being used; and performing a simulation and optimization process on the utilization parameter of the target sample, obtaining target parameters corresponding to a preset value of the utilization parameter, and outputting the target parameters to a manufacturing control center for manufacturing a target. The disclosed technology also provides a manufacturing system of a target. |
| US09043190B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying personalized vascular implants from patient-specific anatomic data
Embodiments include methods of identifying a personalized cardiovascular device based on patient-specific geometrical information, the method comprising acquiring an anatomical model of at least part of the patient's vascular system; performing, using a processor, one or more of geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis on the anatomical model; and identifying, using the processor, a personalized cardiovascular device for the patient, based on results of one or more of the geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis of anatomical model. |
| US09043183B1 |
Hard press rejection
Techniques for hard press rejection are described herein. In an example embodiment, a touch area on a sensor array is determined, where the touch area corresponds to a detected object and is associated with multiple signal values. A slope value for the detected object is computed based on a ratio of a signal distribution value in the touch area to a metric indicating a size of the touch area with respect to the sensor array. The slope value is compared to a threshold in order to determine whether to accept or to reject the detected object, and the detected object is rejected based on the comparison. |
| US09043182B2 |
Absolute position measurement apparatus and method
An absolute position measurement apparatus measures an absolute position of an object to be measured using a first light source and a second light source which has coherency lower than that of the first light source. The absolute position measurement apparatus includes a measurement part which measures a point where phases of interference signals from the first and the second light sources coincide with each other or a point where an intensity of the interference signal from the second light source is maximized, an origin defining part which defines the point measured by the measurement part as an origin position, a phase storing part which stores the phase of the interference signal from the first light source at the origin position, an origin redefining part which redefines the origin position, and a position calculating part which calculates the absolute position of the object to be measured. |
| US09043181B2 |
Method for determining coordinates
A method for determining the coordinates of a point on the surface of an object is provided. A source system, such as an OBIRCH system, is used to analyze and detect faults in an integrated circuit on a semiconductor die. The die includes three reference points and the detected fault(s) are defined with reference to the reference points. When the die is transferred to a FIB or other system for fault analysis, a processor determines the coordinates of the fault(s) for the FIB system using the three reference points. |
| US09043178B2 |
Operating method of sensor node, operating method of data sink in sensor network, and sensor network
Provided is an operating method of a sensor node. The operating method of a sensor node includes receiving a sensing request, adjusting a sensing condition on the basis of the received sensing request, and sensing according to the adjusted sensing condition. |
| US09043176B2 |
Battery degradation determination device, battery degradation determination method and battery degradation determination system
A battery degradation determination device includes a fitting module configured to fit AC impedance measurement data into an equivalent circuit model including at least one circuit block in which a resistance and a constant phase element are connected in parallel, and to obtain circuit constants in the equivalent circuit model, a P-value saving module configured to save P values being index of the constant phase element obtained by fitting AC impedance measurement data of a reference battery to the equivalent circuit model, and a degradation determination module configured to perform degradation determination for a battery as a determination target based on circuit constants obtained by fitting AC impedance measurement data of the battery as a determination target to the equivalent circuit model with the use of the P values as fixed values, with reference to correlations between degrees of battery degradation and the circuit constants in the equivalent circuit model. |
| US09043175B2 |
Electronic apparatus
When discharge power calculated based on a current value detected by a current detector is smaller than expected maximum power, which is the maximum power expected in an actual operation, a discharge efficiency at the expected maximum power is set as a discharge efficiency used for remaining capacity calculation. This ensures that a remaining capacity based on power required for a photographing operation can be detected. |
| US09043174B2 |
Estimating loss rates of links in smart grids
A method for estimating loss rates of links in a smart grid includes identifying end-to-end passage rates from a source to each of multiple receiver and/or load meters in a smart grid, and estimating a loss in at least one link of the grid by identifying the sparsest solution of link loss rates that matches the end-to-end passage rates. Also, a system includes a memory, a processor coupled thereto, and software modules executing on the processor, including a monitoring module for monitoring power flow of receiver and/or load meters in a smart grid, a measurement collector module for collecting measurements to compute end-to-end passage rates from a source to each receiver and/or load meter, and a processing module for estimating a loss in a link of the grid by identifying the sparsest solution of link loss rates matching the end-to-end passage rates. |
| US09043171B2 |
Electronic device and method for calculating efficiency of simulative power supply system
A method for calculating efficiency of a power supply system includes: displaying a parameter selection interface on the display unit for selecting power supply parameters and transmission line parameters. Obtaining power supply parameters and transmission line parameters selected by the user via the parameter selection interface when determining the user has finished the selection. Determining a efficiency of a selected power supply of the power supply parameters according to the relationship table, and calculating a sum efficiency according to the obtained power supply parameters and the transmission line parameters and the efficiency of the selected power supply. And calculating a total efficiency of the power supply system according to each sum efficiency when determining that all of the power supplies of the power supply system have been selected. |
| US09043168B2 |
Method and system for signal generation via a temperature sensing crystal integrated circuit
Disclosed are various embodiments involving correction of signals generated by a crystal oscillator. An age of an integrated circuit or a time of use of the integrated circuit may be determined. A signal generated from a crystal of the integrated circuit may be modified based at least in part on the determined age of the integrated circuit or the determined time of use of the integrated circuit. |
| US09043167B2 |
Subject information acquisition apparatus and subject information acquisition method
A subject information acquisition apparatus includes a first holding member that holds a subject, a probe that receives an elastic wave from the subject through the first holding member, a first holding member deformation amount measuring unit that measures an amount of deformation of the first holding member, and a processing unit that creates an area for generating subject information by using the amount of deformation of the first holding member and position information of the first holding member deformation amount measuring unit and generates an information value of subject information corresponding to the area for generating subject information by using a signal outputted by the probe. |
| US09043166B2 |
Meter electronics and fluid quantification method for a fluid being transferred
Meter electronics (20) for quantifying a fluid being transferred is provided. The meter electronics (20) includes an interface (201) configured to communicate with a flowmeter assembly of a vibratory flowmeter and receive a vibrational response and a processing system (203) coupled to the interface (201). The processing system (203) is configured to measure a volume flow and a density for a predetermined time portion of the fluid transfer, determine if the fluid transfer is non-aerated during the predetermined time portion, if the predetermined time portion is non-aerated then add a volume-density product to an accumulated volume-density product and add the volume flow to an accumulated volume flow, and determine a non-aerated volume-weighted density for the fluid transfer by dividing the accumulated volume-density product by the accumulated volume flow. |
| US09043162B2 |
Acquisition method and apparatus for mass spectrometer data
A method and apparatus for acquiring data from a mass spectrometer and its transmission to a computer system including a data acquisition engine, a network interface and a throughput optimization module which includes a ring buffer and a protocol stack. A compression engine may be provided between the acquisition engine and the ring buffer. The ring buffer is configured as a number of segments containing portions of memory matching the size of data words from the acquisition engine. When a segment is full of data corresponding to the words, or is partially full and has received data containing an end of scan marker, the number of words in the segment is written into a header word in the segment and the data in that segment are moved to the protocol stack. Subsequent data is received by the next segment in the buffer. |
| US09043157B2 |
Device for the collection and processing of information relating to the exposure of one or more persons to one or more products of chemical or biological origin and method for the use of such a device
A device for the collection and processing of information relating to the exposure of one or more persons to one or more products of chemical or biological origin has: at least one coded sensor for automatic or semi-automatic identification of a person likely to be exposed to at least one product, at least one coded sensor for the collection of information relating to the handling of at least one product by the person likely to be exposed to the product, at least one sensor for validating the information collected by the identification and collection sensors, at least one module for reading at least one coded sensor, and a module for processing information collected by the sensors. |
| US09043155B2 |
Matching pursuit-based apparatus and technique to construct a seismic signal using a predicted energy distribution
A technique includes processing seismic data indicative of samples of at least one measured seismic signal in a processor-based machine to, in an iterative process, determine basis functions, which represent a constructed seismic signal. The technique includes in each iteration of the iterative process, selecting another basis function of the plurality of basis functions. The selecting includes based at least in part on the samples and a current version of the constructed seismic signal, determining a cost function; and interpreting the cost function based at least in part on a predicted energy distribution of the constructed seismic signal to select the basis function. |
| US09043147B2 |
Navigation system with fuzzy routing mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving an origin and a destination; receiving a route keyword for routing between the origin and the destination; identifying a via point matching the route keyword; calculating a keyword group locale based on the via point within a group distance threshold from a keyword group center; and calculating a travel route from the origin to the destination traversing the keyword group locale for displaying on a device. |
| US09043145B2 |
Transporting residue of vehicle position data via wireless network
The invention relates to compressed data transmission in wireless data communication. Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network. A disclosed method for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network, includes the steps of: receiving data for updating residue encoding schema from a monitoring server; constructing a residue encoding schema based on the data, thereby producing a constructed residue encoding schema; and storing the constructed residue encoding schema such that the constructed residue encoding schema will become the current residue encoding schema; where: the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that each residue of the constructed residue encoding schema corresponds to a code; and the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that a residue having a relatively high probability of occurrence corresponds to a code of relatively short length. |
| US09043144B2 |
Trajectory planning
A method and apparatus for determining a trajectory for a vehicle are disclosed, wherein, the method includes: identifying a starting position (p0) and a desired terminal position (P) for the vehicle; linearly approximating dynamics of the vehicle; and using the starting position (p0), desired terminal position (P), and linear approximation, determining the trajectory for the vehicle. The linear approximation can be constrained by requirements (e.g., specifications) that: (i) an acceleration applied to the vehicle at a point on the trajectory is relatively large when the acceleration acts in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the velocity of the vehicle; and (ii) an acceleration applied to the vehicle at a point on the trajectory is relatively small when the acceleration acts in a direction that is substantially parallel to the velocity of the vehicle. The vehicle may have a curvature limit. |
| US09043140B2 |
Predictive natural guidance
In one embodiment, a navigation system provides predictive natural guidance utilizing a mobile landmark based on location data. The location data may be a schedule. A controller receives data of a schedule of a mobile landmark. The location data could be collected in real time or estimated. The mobile landmark may be a vehicle or a celestial body. The controller correlates a route from an origin location to a destination location and the location of the mobile landmark. The controller generates a message based on the correlation. The message is output during presentation of the route and references the mobile landmark. |
| US09043138B2 |
System and method for automated updating of map information
Traffic information readings corresponding to a vehicle are received, the readings including at least a location. The traffic information readings are compared to information already within a map database, and are used to derive additional map information augmenting or correcting that already within the database, the additional map information subsequently being stored in the database. Additional information that is derived includes the presence of stop signs and traffic lights at intersections, the legality of turns at certain times of day, and the connectedness or non-connectedness of road segments. |
| US09043137B2 |
Map display device and navigation device
According to a map display device, from current location information acquired by a current location acquiring unit 6 and boundary coordinate information in time zone information acquired by a time zone information acquiring unit 22, it is determined whether or not a vehicle 9 is located within a set area which is provided in the range of a predetermined distance from a boundary of a time zone to which a current location of the vehicle 9 belongs, and if it is determined that the vehicle 9 is located within the set area, a display unit 3 displays distinctively the time zone to which the current location of the vehicle 9 belongs and a time zone which is adjacent to the corresponding time zone through the set area. |
| US09043134B2 |
Range marker for a navigation system
Devices, methods and systems are disclosed herein to describe a range marker for a navigation system. The range marker may delineate a bounded area within a navigation map that a vehicle may travel based on the amount of fuel remaining. As the fuel continues to decrease during operation of the vehicle, the range marker may become smaller and smaller indicating a shrinking range since the fuel remaining decreases, thereby allowing the driver to easily identify which gas stations may be within a range of the vehicle (based on a current vehicle fuel level) and which gas stations might not be within the range of the vehicle. |
| US09043132B2 |
Apparatus for estimating travel path of a vehicle
An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis. |
| US09043130B2 |
Object sensing (pedestrian avoidance/accident avoidance)
Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete vehicle ecosystem. |
| US09043126B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program for determining the location of a user in an area
Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed. |
| US09043117B2 |
Driver assistance system in a motor vehicle comprising a speed limiting function
In the driver assistance system, a function module is provided for a speed limiting function by which certain conditions for exceeding a predefined maximum speed and for decelerating again down to the maximum speed are implemented. The function module generates signals for carrying out one or more measures to generate or increase the braking torque. The signal for carrying out the measures can be only a binary signal, or can correspond to a required braking torque progression in the form of a regulating step so as to reach the maximum speed within a predefined time period. In the second case, the predefined time period is preferably shorter than a defined time window during which a warning intervention of the speed limiting function is suppressed during an exception where the maximum speed is allowed to be exceeded. |
| US09043116B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing driving assistance
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for performing driving assistance for a controlled vehicle, involving determining a first longitudinal acceleration target value on the basis of a lateral acceleration of the controlled vehicle, determining a second longitudinal acceleration target value on the basis of a target speed of the controlled vehicle, determining a third longitudinal acceleration target value based on a minimum value of the first longitudinal acceleration target value and the second longitudinal acceleration target value, and controlling a longitudinal acceleration of the controlled vehicle on the basis of the determined third longitudinal acceleration target value. |
| US09043115B2 |
Method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system and motor vehicle
In a method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system of a motor vehicle, wherein a comfort curve speed is determined as a function of curve data, wherein the curve data are commensurate with at least one curve to be driven through next by the motor vehicle, wherein a target speed is determined as a function of the curve comfort speed at a defined point of the curve, and wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is adjusted as a function of at least the target speed of the motor vehicle. |
| US09043109B2 |
Method for automatically braking a vehicle, and control unit in which the method is executed
A method for automatically braking a vehicle using a hydraulic brake system, which includes a multi-stage valve situated between a master brake cylinder and the intake side of a hydraulic pump. To attenuate a pressure equalization process between a fluid volume on the side of the master brake cylinder and a suction line of the hydraulic pump, the control current for the valve is increased in ramp-shaped manner in order to first open a preliminary stage and then a main stage of the valve. |
| US09043104B2 |
Method for determining and selecting the optimal gear before driving into a curve for a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission
A method of determining and shifting to an optimal gear in a vehicle prior to entering a curve in a vehicle which comprises an automatic transmission. A curve speed limit is determined for an anticipated curve which is recognized by a navigation device, an anticipated road pattern and dependent on the vehicle and curve or road data, and a sportiness indicator (Ftyp). For each anticipated curve, an actual, optimal gear is determined, based on the determined curve speed limit and the sportiness indicator (FTyp) and, after determining the optimal gear, the method performs a check to determine whether or not the optimal gear deviates from the engaged gear (RGA_DEST). When a deviation is recognized and a driver reaction, which causes a deceleration of the vehicle and/or a reduction of the vehicle speed, is present, a down shift down to the actual, optimal gear occurs. |
| US09043103B2 |
Dog clutch control apparatus for automated transmission
A dog clutch control apparatus for an automated transmission includes a rotary shaft, plural dog clutch mechanisms, each of the dog clutch mechanisms including a clutch ring, a clutch hub arranged next to the clutch ring, a sleeve fitted with the clutch hub, a dog clutch portion which is provided at the clutch ring and selectively meshes with a spline formed at the sleeve, an axial driving device for moving the sleeve, the dog clutch control apparatus includes a disengagement detecting portion for detecting disengagement before the sleeve reaches a neutral position and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the axial driving device, wherein in a case where the disengagement is detected at a time of shifting operation, the control apparatus starts a shift-related control. |
| US09043101B2 |
Arrangement and method for controlling an automatically shifting transmission
In an arrangement for controlling an automatically shifting transmission, as a result of a corresponding programming of an electric control device, when actuating a second selecting device, starting from the automatic mode, first an immediate upshifting or downshifting can be prompted and is permitted unless prevented by a specified condition. In the case of a brief actuation, a first or further immediate upshifting and/or downshifting can be prompted and the current or thereby reached gear will be maintained until, first, the duration of the actuation has reached the specific minimum duration and, second, the actuation of the selecting device was terminated. When the second selecting device has a first operating element for the manual triggering of an upshift command and a second operating element for the manual triggering of a downshift command, the event controlling the return to the automatic mode may be the recognition of the simultaneously present commands downshifting and upshifting. After a first actuation of the second selecting device for the purpose of a manually prompted immediate up- or downshifting, a transition may immediately take place to the automatic gear change control according to the automatic mode, if subsequently thereto, an actuation of the second selecting device for the purpose of a gear change in a direction opposite thereto takes place within a comparatively brief time window. |
| US09043094B2 |
Assembly for coupling a towing vehicle to a trailer
An assembly is described for coupling a towing vehicle to a trailer having a towing vehicle-side coupling unit and a trailer-side coupling unit. A measuring device, which records and analyzes the force acting on the towing vehicle-side coupling unit in at least one direction, is assigned to the towing vehicle-side coupling unit. The measuring device is coupled to a vehicle immobilizer that prevents the towing vehicle from starting and/or being set in motion in response to the force recorded by the measuring device and/or a physical quantity derived therefrom exceeding a predefined threshold value. |
| US09043091B2 |
Vehicle steering system
When a partial malfunction is detected, a sensor malfunction determination unit changes a control mode from a first control mode to a second control mode. When the control mode is changed from the first control mode to the second control mode, a steered system motor is rotated in a direction corresponding to a rotation direction of a steering wheel immediately before the partial malfunction occurs in the angle sensor. When the absolute value of a steering angular velocity of the steering wheel exceeds a threshold, it is determined that a driver has operated the steering wheel in a direction opposite to a current steered direction, and the rotation direction of the steered system motor is reversed. |
| US09043082B2 |
Power supply control device for electric actuators for door-related accessories in vehicle
In a vehicle in which a power distributor is provided between a plurality of electric actuators for door-related accessories and an auxiliary power source connected to a main power source, the electric actuators including an electric actuator for a door lock device provided on a door lock device, control unit for controlling the power distributor operates so that, when a voltage applied from the main power source to the auxiliary power source is reduced to a predetermined voltage or below, and an impact detection sensor detects an impact that is a predetermined value or greater, a door lock device is put into an unlocked state while maintaining the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the electric actuator for a door lock device, but the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the remaining electric actuators for door-related accessories is forcibly stopped. |
| US09043075B2 |
Vehicle information acquisition system and vehicle information acquisition method
A vehicle information acquisition system includes a vehicle and an information management center. The vehicle includes an information acquisition portion that acquires a piece of vehicle information, which is processed by an information processing unit, based on a set collection condition, and transmits the acquired piece of the vehicle information to the information management center. The information management center determines a new collection condition for the piece of the vehicle information, which is processed by the information processing unit, based on a result of an analysis of the transmitted piece of the vehicle information, and transmits the determined collection condition to the vehicle as a collection condition for a piece of vehicle information to be subsequently acquired by the information acquisition portion to re-set the transmitted collection condition in the information acquisition portion. |
| US09043074B2 |
Determination of running resistance for a vehicle
A method and a system for determining a running resistance Fres for a vehicle. A model-based running resistance Fres,mod is estimated. Thereafter an energy change difference ΔWdiff between a model-based estimated energy change ΔWpred and an actual energy change ΔWreal is determined for the vehicle from a starting point to an end point of a distance S which is traveled by the vehicle. A braking force Funknown which is unknown to the model and which acts upon the vehicle over the distance S is also determined on the basis of the energy change difference ΔWdiff. Thereafter the running resistance Fres is determined to an adjusted value of the model-based estimate of the running resistance Fres,mod, the adjustment being based on the braking force Funknown which is unknown to the model. |
| US09043067B2 |
Front wheel energy recovery system
A kinetic energy recovery system (“KERS system”) and motorcycle equipped with the same is disclosed. The KERS system may be mechanical, hydraulic, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, motorcycle includes a rear wheel, an electric motor, a motor shaft, and a front wheel equipped with a wheel hub that includes a sprag clutch. The motor shaft can be fitted with a motor drive sprocket that drives a jackshaft chain that in turn drives a jackshaft input sprocket that is fitted to the jackshaft. Jackshaft input sprocket may be installed in conjunction with a sprag clutch that allows the rear wheel to free wheel during coasting while the front wheel KERS system is engaged. The motor harvests kinetic energy from the front wheel without simultaneously powering the rear wheel while the use of a geared dead zone allows the front and rear wheels to not lock together to improve safety. |
| US09043065B2 |
Method of adjusting the electrical supply voltage for the operation of at least one electrically powered vehicle
A vehicle is supplied by a first electrical energy storage unit on board the vehicle, and a ground electrical network providing an energy supply by application of a supply voltage through electrical distribution. The first energy storage unit is controllable under a generator regime or a receiver regime. The supply voltage is adjusted, in the generator regime, by applying an algebraically additive supply voltage originating from the first electrical storage unit to the distribution, to maintain a supply voltage above a minimum threshold. In the receiver regime, if a surplus of supply voltage originating at least partially from a second storage unit in the generator regime is detected above the minimum threshold, this surplus is channeled energetically to the first energy storage unit of the vehicle if it is required for operating the vehicle and enables maintaining the supply voltage below a maximum threshold and above the minimum threshold. |
| US09043063B2 |
Anti-nose down torque control system and method for vehicle
An anti-nose down torque control system and method for a vehicle is provided that prevents a nose down phenomenon where, during braking of a vehicle, front parts of the vehicle rotates forward. The method includes braking, by a controller, the vehicle being driven by a motor and applying the anti-nose down torque in a forward direction to the motor in response to a deceleration and a vehicle speed in a last braking stage. In addition, the controller is configured to decrease a braking deceleration and reduce a nose down phenomenon by the anti-nose down torque. |
| US09043061B2 |
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for driveline load management
A method includes interpreting a powertrain load variation amplitude and an internal combustion engine output profile. The method further includes determining an engine output differential in response to the powertrain load variation amplitude and the internal combustion engine output profile. The method further includes providing an energy accumulator sizing parameter and/or an alternate motive power provider sizing parameter in response to the engine output differential. |
| US09043058B1 |
Systems and methods for facilitating shift changes in marine propulsion devices
Methods and systems are for facilitating shift changes in a marine propulsion device having an internal combustion engine and a shift linkage that operatively connects a shift control lever to a transmission for effecting shift changes amongst a reverse gear, a neutral gear and a forward gear. A position sensor senses position of the shift linkage. A speed sensor senses speed of the engine. A control circuit compares the speed of the engine to a stored engine speed and modifies, based upon the position of the shift linkage when the speed of the engine reaches the stored engine speed, a neutral state threshold that determines when the control circuit ceases reducing the speed of the engine to facilitate a shift change. |
| US09043057B2 |
Control device for propulsion machine
A control device controls the operating state of each of a plurality of propulsion machines arranged in parallel in a marine vessel. Control devices are connected to each other by a communication line through which operating information of the propulsion machine is mutually transmitted and received. The control device includes a unit which determines the installation position of a corresponding propulsion machine, a unit which determines the connection state of another propulsion machine connected to the communication line, and a unit which determines a propulsion machine as a control reference from among a plurality of control devices. The propulsion machine as a control reference is switched to a propulsion machine which is arbitrarily designated by an operator or a propulsion machine which has the highest priority as a control reference. |
| US09043056B2 |
Method and system for using dynamic boundaries to manage the progression of ride vehicles that have rider control inputs
A method for controlling vehicle progression along a ride path of an amusement park ride. The method includes receiving inputs from a passenger of a vehicle on the ride path and processing the received inputs to determine a vehicle state change. The method includes determining a present or predicted vehicle state and comparing the present or predicted vehicle state with constraints defined by a dynamic boundary associated with the vehicle. The method includes issuing vehicle control commands to a drive assembly to implement the vehicle state change if it complies with the constraints. The dynamic boundary is moved logically along the ride path at a nominal speed to define a set of boundaries for movement of the vehicle along the ride path. The vehicle state change may be a change that causes the vehicle to travel at a speed differing from the dynamic boundary while remaining within the dynamic boundary. |
| US09043054B2 |
Method for determining the speed air aircraft and aircraft equipped with means for implementation
An aircraft is equipped with engines, each engine having at least one pod and one compressor/turbine hitch. The aircraft has at least one data processing unit and at least one system at the engine level. At least one engine is equipped with at least one static pressure probe for measuring the ambient air under the pod. Also, air static pressure probes are arranged at the engine levels, with one pressure probe at the output of the compressor, at least one rotation speed sensor, for example of a blower, and ambient air temperature probes at the air input or in any compression point. The processing unit is able, from measurements performed by such probes at the engine level, to supply to at least one of the systems at the engine level, determination data for the air speed of the aircraft. |
| US09043051B1 |
Event-based flight management system, device, and method
Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating and presenting one or more flight management strips on a visual display unit are disclosed. An event generator (“EG”) is configured to receive flight management data representative of one or more future vertical mode actions or future lateral mode actions, generate event data representative of one or more flight management strips, and provide the event data to a presentation system for the subsequent display of flight management strip(s). Each future vertical mode action may be comprised of a vertical FMS event or a speed/thrust FMS event, and each future lateral mode action may be comprised of a lateral FMS event. Also, each flight management strip could be informative of one FMS event and comprised of at least one commencement time row and one FMS event row for displaying time and event information, respectively. |
| US09043050B2 |
Programmable reverse thrust detent system and method
A reverse thrust detent system for an aircraft includes a throttle quadrant having an intermediate reverse thrust detent position, a reverse thrust scheduling system interfacing with the throttle quadrant, at least one aircraft engine interfacing with the reverse thrust scheduling system and a programmable input interfacing with the reverse thrust scheduling system and adapted to receive an engine reverse thrust setting. The reverse thrust scheduling system is adapted to operate the at least one aircraft engine according to the engine reverse thrust setting responsive to actuation of the intermediate reverse thrust detent position of the throttle quadrant. A reverse thrust detent method for an aircraft is also disclosed. |
| US09043047B2 |
Data link for use with components of remote control vehicles
Electronic components that are operable within remote control vehicles include Electronic Speed Controllers, radio control receivers, and telemetry transmitters. Hardware and software are described that support communication between a user computer and electronic components. A data link device has analog input and output interfaces that communicate to a mobile computing device such as smartphone. The data link device communicates with a electronic component to send and receive data such as parameters or operational data over a wired bidirectional bus interface. Software for performing data link operations run for example on an electronic component, a mobile computing device, a smartphone, a data link device, or a telemetry receive radio, or a combination of the above. Embodiments include software operable on a smartphone and a data link device that enables parameter or operational data communication between a smartphone and an electronic component using the microphone and speaker interface on the smartphone. Embodiments include software operable on an electronic component and a data link device for performing live-mode communication to a mobile computing device that displays live data. |
| US09043046B2 |
Data processing device, microcontroller, and self-diagnosis method of data processing device
A data processing device includes a memory, an arithmetic circuit that accesses the memory by outputting an access control signal CTRL that controls access to the memory, a first data storage unit that stores first data used when a self-diagnosis is performed, a read-modify-write circuit that generates second data by replacing a part of the first data stored in the first data storage unit with modify data outputted from the arithmetic circuit, and a determination unit that diagnoses a failure of the read-modify-write circuit by comparing the second data with an expected value. |
| US09043045B2 |
Travel assist apparatus and travel assist method
A travel assist apparatus performs assist of warning or auxiliary for preventing departure of a vehicle in a lateral direction of the vehicle. A value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed is varied in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction. This enables selection of a value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed that is suitable for the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction, enabling optimization of the timing of performing assist. Therefore, assist of warning or auxiliary is performed in an optimal way without bothering the driver. |
| US09043044B2 |
System and method for communicating data in a consist
A system for communicating a dataset may include at least a first and a second communication line. The system may also include a first transceiver configured to communicate a first data signal indicative of the dataset over the first communication line and a second transceiver configured to communicate a second data signal indicative of the dataset over the second communication line. The system may also include a processor. The processor may be configured to receive the first data signal and the second data signal and compare the first data signal and the second data signal to determine whether the first data signal or the second data signal comprises a more accurate signal. The processor may also be configured to determine the dataset based upon the more accurate signal. |
| US09043043B1 |
Autonomous flight controls for providing safe mode navigation
The present invention is directed to a flight controls system and a method for navigating an aircraft via the flight controls system implemented on-board an aircraft. The flight controls system may provide a first mode for allowing the aircraft to be autonomously navigated safely to a loiter zone in the event the pilot becomes incapacitated or unable to operate the aircraft. Further, the flight controls system may provide a second mode for providing autonomous landing functionality for the aircraft when the engines of the aircraft have failed. |
| US09043042B2 |
Method to map gaze position to information display in vehicle
A method of controlling a vehicle system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes: receiving image data that is captured from an occupant of the vehicle; determining a focus of the occupant of the vehicle based on the image data; and generating a user command to control the vehicle system based on the focus of the occupant. |
| US09043041B2 |
Monitoring aggressive driving operation of a mobile asset
The acceleration of a mobile asset is sensed and compared to threshold acceleration levels when the speed of the mobile asset is above a threshold speed. When the acceleration exceeds a threshold a report is created allowing aggressive driving behavior to be logged. |
| US09043040B2 |
Power system stabilization
A method of damping power system oscillations include obtaining a time synchronized damping control signal from a remote location and determining a communication time delay in receiving the time synchronized damping control signal from the remote location. The time synchronized damping control signal is then modified based on a phase compensation factor and an amplitude compensation factor determined from the time delay. Finally, a damping signal is generated based on the modified time synchronized damping control signal. |
| US09043039B2 |
System and method for arc detection and intervention in solar energy systems
An arc detection and intervention system for a solar energy system. One or more arc detectors are strategically located among strings of solar panels. In conjunction with local management units (LMUs), arcs can be isolated and affected panels disconnected from the solar energy system. |
| US09043035B2 |
Dynamically limiting energy consumed by cooling apparatus
Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided which include one or more coolant-cooled structures associated with an electronics rack, a coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with one or more passages of the coolant-cooled structure(s), one or more heat exchange units coupled to facilitate heat transfer from coolant within the coolant loop, and N controllable components associated with the coolant loop or the heat exchange unit(s), wherein N≧1. The N controllable components facilitate circulation of coolant through the coolant loop or transfer of heat from the coolant via the heat exchange unit(s). A controller is coupled to the N controllable components, and dynamically adjusts operation of the N controllable components, based on Z input parameters and one or more specified constraints, to provide a specified cooling to the coolant-cooled structure(s), while limiting energy consumed by the N controllable components, wherein Z≧1. |
| US09043034B2 |
Energy reducing retrofit method and apparatus for a constant volume HVAC system
An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time. |
| US09043033B2 |
Network system and control method thereof
A network system may be provided that includes an electronic product, a recognition target, a recognition device, a setting program and a display unit. The electronic product may operate to manage or process a target. The recognition target may include information relating to the target. The recognition device may recognize information listed on the recognition target. The setting program may convert information recognized by the recognition device into setting information. The display unit may display the setting information converted by the setting program. |
| US09043032B2 |
Verification and control device and method for at least one water purification system
A verification and control method for at least one water purification system is described, which includes a step of supplying, by a server embedded with the water purification system, an editing interface comprising a zone for selecting items of exploitation information representing physical quantities associated with the water purification system, a step of selecting, via the first remote browser, at least one item of exploitation information to constitute at least one exploitation interface page, a step of sending a request to access the exploitation page, by a second remote browser, to the server, a step of collecting the value of each physical quantity represented by a selected item of information to constitute the page, and a step of supplying, by the server, the page comprising each collected value. |
| US09043030B2 |
Manipulator and path generation method thereof
A manipulator and a method of generating the shortest path along which the manipulator moves to grip an object without collision with the object models a target object and a gripper into a spherical shape, measures a current position of the gripper and a position of the target object and a target position of the gripper, calculates an arc-shaped path in a two-dimensional plane along which the gripper needs to move by calculating an included angle of a triangle consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, transforms the arc-shaped path in the two-dimensional plane into an arc-shaped path in a three-dimensional space using a transform matrix consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, thereby automatically generating the shortest path of the manipulator. |
| US09043026B2 |
Method and device for actuating a key of a keyboard with a tracer finger of a robot
There is provided a method for actuating a first key of a keyboard with a tracer finger of a robot. An exemplary method comprises acquiring parameters of the keyboard and determining a position of the first key as a function of the acquired parameters using a model of the keyboard. The exemplary method also comprises guiding the tracer finger of the robot to the determined position of the first key. The exemplary method additionally comprises actuating the first key with the tracer finger of the robot. |
| US09043025B2 |
Systems and methods for safe robot operation
In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm. |
| US09043024B2 |
Vision correction method for tool center point of a robot manipulator
A vision correction method for establishing the position of a tool center point (TCP) for a robot manipulator includes the steps of: defining a preset position of the TCP; defining a preset coordinate system TG with the preset position of the TCP as its origin; capturing a two-dimensional picture of the preset coordinate system TG to establish a visual coordinate system TV; calculating a scaling ratio λ of the vision coordinate system TV relative to the preset coordinate system TG; rotating the TCP relative to axes of the preset coordinate system TG; capturing pictures of the TCP prior to and after rotation; calculating the deviation ΔP between the preset position and actual position of the TCP; correcting the preset position and corresponding coordinate system TG using ΔP, and repeating the rotation through correction steps until ΔP is less than or equal to a maximum allowable deviation of the robot manipulator. |
| US09043019B2 |
Automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS)
In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station. |
| US09043017B2 |
Home network system and method for an autonomous mobile robot to travel shortest path
Provided are a home network system and a method for an autonomous mobile robot to travel along a shortest travel route. The home network system capable of home automation includes a plurality of beacons for sensing a user located in a cell coverage area and for transmitting resulting sensing information of the user; an autonomous mobile robot for executing travel to reach the user based on provided travel route information; and a home server for calculating a travel route along which the autonomous mobile robot can easily reach the user based on the sensing information of the user transmitted from the beacons, and for providing the travel route to the autonomous mobile robot. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot may reach the user by the shortest travel route and thus reducing energy loss. |
| US09043016B2 |
Versatile robotic control module
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide robotic control modules for use in a robotic control system of a vehicle, including structures, systems and methods, that can provide (i) a robotic control module that has multiple functional circuits, such as a processor and accompanying circuits, an actuator controller, an actuator amplifier, a packet network switch, and a power supply integrated into a mountable and/or stackable package/housing; (ii) a robotic control module with the noted complement of circuits that is configured to reduce heat, reduce space, shield sensitive components from electro-magnetic noise; (iii) a robotic control system utilizing robotic control modules that include the sufficiently interchangeable functionality allowing for interchangeability of modules; and (iv) a robotic control system that distributes the functionality and processing among a plurality of robotic control modules in a vehicle. |
| US09043013B2 |
Sort systems and methods
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for assisting sort operators in identifying the appropriate location to sort an item. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for identifying a particular bin from a plurality of bins for sorting a package is provided. The system includes a plurality of bins configured to receive sorted packages; an optical reader positioned to capture destination indicia associated with the package; a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, where in at least some of the keys are associated with individual bins of the plurality of bins and at least some of the keys include lights; and a control system. The control system is configured to: receive data from the optical reader relating to the destination indicia; identify a particular bin within the plurality of bins associated with the received data; and trigger illumination of one or more lights on the keypad. |
| US09043012B2 |
Pharmacy automation using autonomous robot
A pharmacy automation system having a robot having a hardware device and a software for internal mapping is configured to carry out at least the following different interactions: the robot communicates autonomously with a physician or an assistant directly or via an intermediary; the robot interacts with an inventory of goods and browses the inventory of goods to determine if a prescribed medication is available in the pharmacy; if the prescribed medication is available in the pharmacy, the robot interacts with a medication dispenser, using the internal mapping to fill a container with the prescribed medication, and store the container; when a patient or a proxy arrives to pick up the prescribed medication, the robot checks and approves an identification of the patient or the proxy; and hands the container with the prescribed medication over to the patient or proxy. |
| US09043010B2 |
Method and weaving machine for shedding
Shed formation on a weaving machine (2), which is driven by a main motor (3), with a shedding device (4), which is driven by a shedding motor (5), wherein in each motion cycle (N) of the weaving machine (2), a loom shed (7) formed by warp threads (8) of the weaving machine (2) is opened and closed dependent on a weave pattern, and wherein the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is controlled by signals (10) of a control device (9). During a partial number (Tn1, Tn2) of motion cycles (N), the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is changed in such a manner so that plural shed closure angles (FSW) at which the loom shed (7) in the respective motion cycles (N) is closed, form an increasing or decreasing sequence. |
| US09043005B2 |
Music collection navigation device and method
An audio navigation device comprising an input means for inputting two or more audio pieces into the navigation device; a spatialization means for allocating a position in the form of a unique spatial co-ordinate to each audio piece and arranging the audio pieces in a multi-dimensional arrangement; a generating means for generating a binaural audio output for each audio piece, wherein the audio output simulates sounds that would be made by one or more physical sources located at the given position of each audio piece; an output means for simultaneously outputting multiple audio pieces as binaural audio output to a user; a navigation means for enabling a user to navigate around the audio outputs in the multi-dimensional arrangement; a selection means for allowing a user to select a single audio output. |
| US09043002B2 |
Adaptive control of electrical devices to achieve desired power use characteristics
A system and method is provided for energizing and managing digitally-controlled devices at different levels of granularity, to achieve desired power use characteristics. At the lowest level, a digitally-controlled device is energized using a variable load-sensing adaptive control (VLSAC). Operation of the device is controlled using digital signals input to the device, so that limits on parameters, such as power consumption are met. A plurality of VLSACs can be coupled to a power distribution unit (PDU), which is controlled to achieve desired levels for selected parameters, set for the PDU. Multiple PDUs can be coupled to a power conversion and regulation unit (PCRU), which can be controlled by a master control to achieve a desired power profile for an entire facility, enabling the facility to meet requirements of a utility supplying the power and thus, reducing operational costs. The VLSACs and PCRU include high efficiency power sources having low distortion. |
| US09043001B2 |
Methods and devices for treating primary headache
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient's vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated. |
| US09042995B2 |
Implantable medical devices and systems having power management for recharge sessions
Implantable devices and related systems utilize power management features in conjunction with a recharge circuit that includes a coil and capacitance. The reactance such as the capacitance and/or inductance may be variable such that in the event of an overcharge condition, the reactance may be varied to change the resonant frequency of the circuit of the coil from the recharge frequency to another frequency to reduce the power being received. Other power management features may additionally or alternatively be employed. For instance, the device may send an uplink telemetry signal to an external device to request that recharge power be decreased. The device may switch additional resistance into the circuit of the coil to reduce the Q of the circuit. As another example, the device may clamp the circuit of the coil to ground. |
| US09042993B2 |
Skin-hair treatment method and system
A method and system of conditioning human skin and hair using a hand-held skin/hair conditioner having interchangeable interface conductors that are contoured to enhance electrical conductivity between the conditioner and a variety of body areas. Each of the interchangeable interface conductors are preferably formed to maximize surface area contact with a variety of body surfaces such as scalp/hair, body skin, and facial skin. In a preferred embodiment, the skin/hair conditioner is formed to fit comfortably and controllably in a user's grasp while providing maximum contact with the selected body surface. The skin/hair conditioner includes an audio signal generator and a vibration mechanism to alert a user of a change in status of the conditioner. The interface conductors may be (1) smoothly rounded, (2) include teeth, (3) spherical or hemispherical (4) include multiple rounded nodules. The housings for the conditioner may be (1) elongated and somewhat flattened, (2) of elongated cylindrical shape, or (3) of a compact configuration similar to a door knob. The interface conductors and conditioning system may have a releasable latch, and spring arrangements for ejecting the interface conductor when the latch is released. |
| US09042989B2 |
Stimulation electrode selection
Bioelectrical signals may be sensed within a brain of a patient with a plurality of sense electrode combinations. A stimulation electrode combination for delivering stimulation to the patient to manage a patient condition may be selected based on the frequency band characteristics of the sensed signals. In some examples, a stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination that sensed a bioelectrical brain signal having a relatively highest relative beta band power level may be selected to deliver stimulation therapy to the patient. Other frequency bands characteristics may also be used to select the stimulation electrode combination. |
| US09042988B2 |
Closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation
The present invention provides a closed-loop system for treating neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. In one embodiment the system comprises an input assembly that is adapted to receive one or more signals from a patient that are indicative of a patient's neurological state. The input assembly processes the one or more signals to generate one or more control input signals. An output assembly receives the one or more control input signals from the input assembly and generate a neuromodulation signal that is a function of the patient's neurological state. An electrode array is configured to deliver the neuromodulation signal to a patient's peripheral nerve, such as the vagus nerve. |
| US09042983B2 |
Implantable system for flow measurement including charge amplifier
An implantable medical device lead having a flow measurement sensor mounted thereon is provided with a capsule mounted proximate to the sensor. The capsule is used to house electrical circuitry corresponding to the sensor in order to prevent impedance on conductors of the lead, which gradually decreases over chronic periods, from directly affecting signal transmission between the sensor and the electrical circuitry. The electrical circuitry includes a charge amplifier used for processing signals from the sensor. In some cases, the amplifier can be initially calibrated and periodically tuned so as to have consistent functioning with the sensor over chronic periods. |
| US09042981B2 |
Vagus nerve stimulation with target effects controlled by adjusting temporal parameters
One or more temporal stimulation parameters of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are selected to substantially modulate one or more target physiological functions without substantially modulating one or more non-target physiological functions. In one embodiment, a stimulation duty cycle is selected such that VNS is delivered to the cervical vagus nerve trunk to modulate a cardiovascular function without causing laryngeal muscle contractions. |
| US09042972B2 |
Pain judging device to judge pain based on a frequency component of a peak-relevant value
A peak-relevant value device acquires a peak-relevant value (for example, the peak value of an R wave (R peak value)) every cycle from an electrocardiogram acquired. The frequencies of the peak-relevant value acquired as time-series data and the magnitudes for the respective frequencies are analyzed. A peak-relevant value LF calculating device calculates an LF component (peak-relevant value LF component) from the frequency component of the peak-relevant value. An interval acquiring device acquires the interval between characteristic points of the electrocardiographic complex from the electrocardiogram acquired and the frequencies of the feature point interval acquired as time-series data to acquire the magnitudes of the respective frequency component are analyzed. An interval HF calculating device calculates the HF component from the frequency components of the feature point interval acquired and pain is judged on the basis of the variations of the peak-relevant value LF components and the interval HF components. |
| US09042969B2 |
Heart rate correction system and methods for the detection of cardiac events
A device for detecting a cardiac event is disclosed. Detection of an event is based on a test applied to a parameter whose value varies according to heart rate. Both the parameter value and heart rate (RR interval) are filtered with an exponential average filter. From these filtered values, the average change in the parameter and the RR interval are also computed with an exponential average filter. Before computing the average change in the parameter, large changes in the parameter over short times, which may be caused by body position shifts, are attenuated are removed, so that the average change represents an average of small/smooth changes in the parameter's value that are characteristic of acute ischemia, one of the cardiac events that may be detected. The test to detect the cardiac event depends on the heart rate, the difference between the parameter's value and its upper and lower normal values, and its average change over time, adjusted for heart rate changes. The upper and lower normal parameter values as a function of heart rate are determined from long term stored data of the filtered RR values and parameter values. Hysteeresis related data and transitory deviations from normal (e.g. vasospasm related data) are excluded from the computation of normal upper and lower parameter bounds. |
| US09042965B2 |
Biopsy marker with in situ-generated imaging properties
An intracorporeal marker, for marking a site within living tissue of a host, includes an outer body portion of biodegradable material. An inner body portion is located in the outer body portion. The inner body portion includes biological material that becomes calcified in the living tissue of the host over time. An agent interacts with the biological material to promote calcification of the biological material of the inner body portion in the living tissue of the host. |
| US09042963B2 |
System and method for acquiring images from within a tissue
Systems and methods for imaging within depth layers of a tissue include illuminating light rays at different changing wavelengths (frequencies), collimating illuminated light rays using a collimator, and splitting light rays using a beam splitter, such that some of the light rays are directed towards a reference mirror and some of the rays are directed towards the tissue. The systems and methods further include reflecting light rays from the reference mirror towards the imager, filtering out non-collimated light rays reflected off the tissue by using a telecentric optical system, and reflecting collimated light rays reflected off the tissue towards the imager, thus creating an image of an interference pattern based on collimated light rays reflected off the tissue and off the reference mirror. The method may further include creating full 2D images from the interference pattern for each depth layer of the tissue using Fast Fourier transform. |
| US09042960B2 |
Determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses
A procedure and system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses includes measuring a change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a first position where the patient reports greatest pain at the affected level, to a second position where the patient reports least pain at the affected level. Spinal implants or prostheses are selected so as to urge the affected level of the spine toward the second position and away from the first position when the implants are placed at the affected level. In one embodiment, an implant device is formed by one or more inflatable balloons that are placed at determined locations inside a disc space at the affected level. When the balloons are inflated, vertebrae above and below the balloons are urged toward the second position and away from the first position at the affected level. |
| US09042956B2 |
System and method for power-efficient transmission of EMG data
The system for displaying muscle force data includes a wearable patch and a remote visual display. The wearable patch carries electrodes suitable for sensing electromyographic signals on the skin of the patient. The patch carries circuitry which converts the detected electromyographic signal to a digital output which can be transmitted to the remote visual display. The circuitry relies on filtering to produce a usable digital signal at very low power consumption. The transmitted signal can be used to drive a variety of visual displays, including a conventional hand-held personal communicators and entertainment devices which had been programmed to suitably process the visual display. |
| US09042955B2 |
Reference electrodes having an extended lifetime for use in long term amperometric sensors
The present application provides Ag/AgCl based reference electrodes having an extended lifetime that are suitable for use in long term amperometric sensors. Electrochemical sensors equipped with reference electrodes described herein demonstrate considerable stability and extended lifetime in a variety of conditions. |
| US09042954B2 |
Analyte sensors comprising hydrogel membranes
Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to analyte determining methods and devices (e.g., electrochemical analyte monitoring systems) that have improved signal response and stability by inclusion of a coating including a hydrogel, a crosslinker, and a swelling modulator, where the coating is disposed proximate to a working electrode of in vivo and/or in vitro analyte sensors, e.g., continuous and/or automatic in vivo monitoring using analyte sensors and/or test strips. Also provided are systems and methods of using the, for example electrochemical, analyte sensors in analyte monitoring. |
| US09042953B2 |
Analyte monitoring device and methods of use
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor. |
| US09042950B1 |
Detachable front flip cover for cell-phone case
The detachable front flip cover comprises a flip cover and a first barrier rod. The flip cover covers a front face of the cell-phone. The flip cover comprises a first side cover portion for covering a first side edge portion, and a front cover portion for covering a front surface portion. The first barrier rod is provided along the first edge of the flip cover, and extends from the first barrier rod, and has a diameter larger than a thickness of the first edge portion of the flip cover, and is configured for being partially fitted into a first groove provided along an edge portion of the main cell-phone case so as to be received and held in place. The first edge portion and the first side cover portion are connected to each other along a line foldably so as to fit a corresponding edge of the cell-phone. |
| US09042949B2 |
Mobile wireless device with multi feed point antenna and audio transducer and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing, a wireless communications circuit carried by the circuit board, and an audio circuit carried by the circuit board. The mobile wireless communications device may further include an antenna assembly including an antenna carrier frame coupled to the circuit board and defining a cavity therein, and an antenna element carried on the antenna carrier frame and having a plurality of spaced apart signal feed points coupled to the wireless communications circuit. In addition, an audio transducer may be carried within the cavity of the antenna carrier frame and coupled to the audio circuit. |
| US09042947B2 |
Multiple input acoustic coupler
A cable assembly for electronic devices such as cellular telephones and music devices is disclosed. The cable assembly can comprise either one or two earpieces, each of which is configured to be received into the concha of a user's ear. The earpiece(s) can be configured so as to be held in place by at least one anatomical structure of the concha. A speaker can be in acoustic communication with each earpiece. A cable can be configured to communicate a signal representative of sound from the electronic device to each earpiece. A microphone can be permanently attached or removably attachable to the cable to facilitate use with a cellular telephone. The cable assembly can facilitate hands free operation of a cellular telephone and can facilitate listening to a music device. Other implementations and related methods are also disclosed. |
| US09042940B2 |
Technique for executing communication of object data with mobile device
In a case where a communication device belongs to a first wireless network for the communication device to execute a wireless communication, the communication device may execute using a wireless communication with a mobile device via the first wireless network after sending to the mobile device a first wireless setting. The first wireless setting may be for the mobile device to belong to the first wireless network and include a password. In a case where the communication device belongs to a second wireless network for the communication device to execute a wireless communication, the communication device may execute a wireless communication with the mobile device via the second wireless network after sending to the mobile device a second wireless setting. The second wireless setting may be for the mobile device to belong to the second wireless network and not including the password. |
| US09042939B2 |
Portable electronic device and control method
A portable electronic device and a method of controlling are disclosed, each of which is capable of efficiently selecting a communication processing unit. The portable electronic device includes: a first communication processing unit conforming to a first communication scheme; a second communication processing unit conforming to a second communication scheme; a third communication processing unit conforming to a third communication scheme; and a control unit. When data communication is performed, the control unit controls each processing unit so as to preferentially use the first communication processing unit, the second communication processing unit, and the third communication processing unit in this order. In a case in which a network is disconnected while data communication is being performed by the second communication processing unit, the control unit executes control so as to continue the data communication by the third communication processing unit. |
| US09042936B2 |
Communication device and power control method thereof
A communication device and a power control method thereof are provided. The power control method, performed by a communication device, includes: determining a power range of a transmit power of an uplink signal; determining a gain switch range based on the power range; when the transmit power of the uplink signal is within the gain switch range, determining a first gain mode for amplifying the uplink signal; and when the transmit power of the uplink signal is out of the gain switch range, determining a second gain mode for amplifying the uplink signal. |
| US09042929B2 |
Trunked and broadband radio communication method and system
A data communication system and a method of data communication. The method comprises receiving data associated with a plurality of users, wherein a first set of the plurality of users is located at a first location and a second set of the plurality of users is located at a second location. The method further comprises determining that the first set of users has access to both a broadband data communication system and a trunked radio system and that at least one user of the second set of users does not have access to the broadband data communication system. The data is then provided to the first set of users by the broadband data communication system and not the trunked radio system, and to the second set of users by the trunked radio system and not the broadband data communication system. |
| US09042928B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating multiple beamforming transceiver in wireless communication system
A method for operating a base station in a wireless communication system in order to support a plurality of characteristics is provided. The method includes allocating resource periods for respective characteristics, transmitting system information including information on the characteristics, transmitting a reference signal with the characteristic corresponding to the relevant resource period through at least one of the resource periods, and receiving feedback information determining channel qualities for all of the characteristics. |
| US09042924B1 |
System and method for identifying SMS messages from multiple originators using a shared shortcode
To enable multiple message originators to share an SMS shortcode, originator identifying codes can be added to outbound SMS messages that prompt recipients to respond with response messages that include the originator identifying codes. The originator identifying codes can be added by a service provider that administers the SMS shortcode. When a response message is received on the SMS shortcode number, the service provider processes the response message content to extract the originator identifying code. The code and, optionally, a recipient ID can be used as a lookup to determine the intended originator that the response message is for. The response message can then be associated by the service provider with the correct originator for subsequent processing. |
| US09042922B2 |
Centralized system and method for automated carrier status updates via SMS in a multi-carrier environment
A method for managing carrier status via the Short Message Service (SMS) by a centralized system in a multi-carrier environment includes: associating a driver with a first load to be transported, using an SMS-enabled cellphone number of the driver; storing the association of driver and load in a database of the system, along with a unique identifier of the carrier; transmitting, by the server to the driver, an instruction as a text message to the driver's cell phone with instructions for replying upon arrival; receiving, by the server from the driver, a response consistent with the instructions for replying upon arrival; updating, by the server, a status associated with the driver's response in the database; repeating the steps for a second driver of a second carrier; and providing, by the centralized system, status reports related to both the driver and associated load, and the second driver and associated load. |
| US09042919B2 |
Sharing of location information in a networked computing environment
A system includes a server and a source client executable on a first electronic device in communication with the server The server is configured to provide to a second electronic device in communication with the server access to location data implementable by a user interface associated with the second electronic device The location data enables the user interface to display the geographical location of the first electronic device The access to the location data is accessible to the second electronic device only during a time interval designated by a user of the first electronic device. |
| US09042918B2 |
Using fingerprints in proximity detection of wireless devices
A method in a network node for enabling proximity detection is presented. The network node is comprised in a wireless communications network and serves a wireless device. According to the method, the network node obtains a fingerprint of a CSG cell, or of an inter-frequency cell. The network node then transmits the fingerprint to the wireless device, thereby enabling the wireless device to determine when it is in the proximity of the cell. |
| US09042917B2 |
Positioning for WLANS and other wireless networks
Techniques for positioning access points and terminals in WLANs and other wireless networks are described. For access point positioning, measurements are obtained for at least one access point in a WLAN. The measurements may be based on transmission sequences (e.g., beacon frames) transmitted periodically by each access point. The measurements may be made by multiple terminals at different locations or a single mobile terminal at different locations. The location of each access point is determined based on the measurements and known locations of the terminal(s). For terminal positioning, measurements for at least one access point in a WLAN are obtained. The location of the terminal is determined based on the measurements and known location of each access point. The measurements may be round trip time (RTT) measurements, observed time difference (OTD) measurements, time of arrival (TOA) measurements, signal strength measurements, signal quality measurements, etc. |
| US09042915B1 |
Estimating the location of a wireless terminal despite apparently reasonable but misleading or erroneous empirical data
A location engine is disclosed that estimates the location of a wireless terminal using (i) cell ID, (ii) triangulation, (iii) GPS, (iv) RF pattern-matching, or (v) any combination of them. The location engine is adept at discounting the contribution of apparently reasonable but erroneous data. The location engine receives data that are evidence of the location of a wireless terminal at each of a plurality of different times. The location engine then generates an initial hypothesis for the location of the wireless terminal at each time assuming that all of the data is correct and equally probative. Next, the location engine generates one alternative hypothesis for each initial hypothesis and each datum assuming that the datum is erroneous. Finally, the location engine generates the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at each time by determining which combination of initial hypotheses and alternative hypothesis is the most self-consistent. |
| US09042913B2 |
Transmitter position integrity checking
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining whether a reported position of a wireless transmitter is sufficiently accurate in accordance with an accuracy metric based at least in part on a calculated range between an estimated position of a mobile station and the reported position and also based at least in part on one or more measurements taken from one or more signals transmitted by the wireless transmitter. |
| US09042910B2 |
Method and system for monitoring a mobile station presence in a special area
Method for monitoring the presence of a mobile station in at least one special area, wherein a radio communication defining device transmits one radio distinctive defining signal that define the special area by its coverage, the mobile station processes a signal received in order to determine whether or not it is defining signal and more precisely a distinctive one that defines the special area, the mobile station sends an updating signal to a mobile telephone network, the network routes the updating signal to special operating means that adapt the value of an operating parameter. According to the invention, the special area is associated to the mobile station by transmitting to the mobile station a checking data used by the mobile station for determining whether or not the defining signal received is distinctive defining signal. |
| US09042907B2 |
Location identification of a portable electronic device based on characteristics of an operating environment of the portable electronic device
A location label may be determined for a portable electronic device. The location label may provide a textual indication of the particular location of a user of the portable electronic device, such as a restaurant name, or more generally a type of location of the user, such as simply a restaurant. The location label is determined based on a signature vector of operating environment characteristics of the portable electronic device. The operating environment characteristics may include sensor values, visible transmitters, radio connection information, executing applications or other operating environment characteristics that can have a value associated with them. |
| US09042906B1 |
Identifying a geographically nearby mobile computing device
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying proximity of a mobile computing device to another mobile computing device. A computing system determines that a set of mobile computing devices are geographically proximate to a first mobile computing device based on identifying that each of the mobile computing devices received a first type of signal from an emitting device for which the first mobile computing device also received the first type of signal. The computing system determines a subset of the mobile computing devices that share a physical space with the first mobile computing device based on identifying that each of the mobile computing devices emitted a second type of signal that was detected by the first mobile computing device, or detected the second type of signal that was emitted by the first mobile computing device. |
| US09042905B2 |
Automatic configuration of telecommunication station sets
A telecommunication station set such as an IP phone is configured based on proximity of a user. Proximity of the user relative to the station set can be determined using RF-ID, UWB, GPS, direct user input, contextual information or other technology. For example, the user may carry a badge equipped with an RF-ID tag. The RF-ID tag is operative in response to an RF-ID reader associated with the phone, when in close proximity, to signal user ID and password, which may be encrypted. The user ID and password are sent to a SIP server, which authenticates the user and retrieves user-specific configuration details which are returned to the IP phone. The IP phone configures itself with the user-specific parameters. If the user moves away from the phone, as determined by the RF-ID tag being out of range of the reader, the IP phone de-configures itself. |
| US09042901B2 |
Dynamic small cell provisioning and frequency tuning
A system may include a macro cell base station configured to determine a service quality associated with the macro cell base station; determine whether the service quality is below a quality threshold; and instruct a small cell base station to switch from a sleep mode to an awake mode, when the service quality is below the quality threshold. The system may further include a small cell base station, located within a coverage area of the macro cell base station, configured to enter an awake mode, when instructed to enter the awake mode by the macro cell base station; and inform the macro cell base station that the small cell base station is in awake mode. The macro cell base station may be further configured to hand over one or more user devices to the small cell base station, when the small cell base station is in the awake mode. |
| US09042896B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient zone switch operation in a broadband wireless access system
A wireless access system and, more particularly, a method and apparatus for more efficiently performing zone switch are disclosed. The method of performing zone switch by an advanced mobile station (AMS) in a mixed-mode advanced base station (ABS) which operates in a mixed mode of a broadband wireless access system includes receiving a ranging response (RNG-RSP) message including system information of an AMS support zone from a legacy zone (LZone) of the ABS, and performing ranging to the AMS support zone using the system information. |
| US09042894B2 |
Uplink interference mitigation by adapting open cell transmission power
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for interference mitigation of an open-access node. The method includes determining, at the open-access node, whether uplink interference from a mobile entity is above a threshold. The method includes adjusting a transmission power to trigger a hand-in of the mobile entity in response to determining the uplink interference is above the threshold. The method includes handing-in the mobile entity from a first cell in response to adjusting the transmission power. The method includes redirecting the mobile entity to a second cell different from the first cell. |
| US09042893B2 |
Congestion control method for femtocell
A congestion control method for a femtocell is provided. When the femtocell is not congested, the femtocell is prompted to enter an access permitted mode. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell sends a system information modification notification. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell repeatedly adjusts at least one cell selection parameter or at least one cell reselection parameter to gradually increase a coverage of the femtocell. |
| US09042892B2 |
Effective energy saving method of next generation mobile communication
Disclosed is an operating method of a base station which includes searching user equipment, having a machine to machine (hereinafter, referred to as M2M) communication function, from user equipment under communication; sending an M2M call setup request to the searched user equipment; sending a handover call setup request to the remaining user equipment from among the user equipment under communication; and entering a power-saving mode. |
| US09042889B2 |
Method and apparatus for selecting wireless communication systems
Methods and apparatuses are provided that facilitate avoiding one or more wireless communication systems based at least in part on determining a level of unreliability of a reverse link channel related to a system. This can be based at least in part on determining whether the system can be accessed over the reverse link channel. If not, the wireless communication system can be avoided to conserve power utilized to perform such access attempts. Where the unreliability is temporary, however, some access attempts can be performed for systems of higher priority than a current system during the period of avoidance of one or more higher priority systems. |
| US09042888B2 |
Mobile device network signaling management
A mobile wireless device maintains a radio sector database. When receiving no response or a negative response from a radio sector to a transmitted signaling message, the mobile wireless device adds or updates the radio sector database. When receiving a positive response from the radio sector, the mobile wireless device deletes the radio sector from the radio sector database. Before transmitting signaling messages to a radio sector, the mobile device determines a time delay value if the radio sector is in the radio sector database. The mobile wireless device discards the signaling message when an elapsed time since a most recently transmitted signaling message to the radio sector does not exceed the determined time delay value. In an embodiment, each radio sector in the radio sector database includes a failure count value, and the determined time delay value depends on the failure count value. |
| US09042884B1 |
System and method for enabling authorization of local breakout for internet protocol multimedia services
A mobile communication terminal includes a registration module that initiates a registration of the mobile communication terminal with Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystems (IMS) within a home network. The registration module initiates registration when the mobile communication terminal is roaming in a visited network. The mobile communication terminal also includes a session module that initiates a session set-up with the IMS to enable use of IMS resources. At least one of the registration module and the session module provide a first IP address to the IMS during at least one of the registration and the session set-up. The mobile communication terminal communicates with a first packet data network (PDN) that is local to the visited network using the first IP address in order to use at least one of the IMS resources. |
| US09042882B2 |
Methods to enable efficient use of multiple radio access technologies
A device and method are provided for concurrently using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) to support a wireless-enabled communications session. A set of data is processed at a client node to identify a subset of priority data. The set of data and the subset of priority data are respectively provided to a first and second protocol stack, which correspond to a first and second RAT. The first and second protocol stacks are then used to control the transmission of a first and second set of transmitted data, which in turn respectively comprise the set of data and the subset of priority data. The first and second sets of transmitted data are received by an access node, which uses corresponding first and second protocol stacks to control their reception. The first and second sets of transmitted data are then processed to generate a set of received data. |
| US09042880B2 |
Method and apparatus for uploading content over wireless networks
Method and apparatus for uploading content from a user terminal in response to a request triggered at the user terminal to upload content is provided. An exemplary method includes initiating a test call at the user terminal to a wireless network in response to an indication to upload content from the user terminal, obtaining user-channel information for the test call and network-level state information for the user terminal during the test call, determining whether a user-channel condition and a network-level condition are satisfied based on the user-channel information and network-level state information respectively, and uploading the content to the wireless network in response to the user-channel condition and the network-level condition being satisfied. The user terminal obtains at the user terminal user-level state information and triggers the indication to upload content from the user terminal if the user-level condition is determined to be satisfied. |
| US09042879B2 |
Capacity station activation method, radio communication apparatus, and system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a capacity station activation method and system. The method includes: A coverage station sends activation control information to a capacity station, where the activation control information is used to enable the capacity station to send a pilot signal to a user in a power increasing manner; receives a measurement result of measuring the pilot signal by the user; determines, according to the measurement result, a capacity station that needs to be activated to meet a system requirement; and sends activation information to a determined capacity station that needs to be activated to activate the capacity station. With the capacity station activation method and system in the embodiments of the present invention, a capacity station that needs to be activated can be determined more accurately, and furthermore, transmit power of an activated capacity station can be controlled, thereby reducing energy consumption of a whole system. |
| US09042877B1 |
System and method for retrofitting a branding framework into a mobile communication device
A method for retrofitting a branding framework into a mobile communication device is provided. The Method comprises the mobile communication device wirelessly receiving update instructions. In response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory in the mobile communication device allocated to a system memory partition. The method further comprises in response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory allocated to a user memory partition. The method further comprises determining the memory of the mobile communication device to allocate to create a carrier memory partition on the mobile communication device. The method further comprises installing a branding framework application into the system memory partition, wherein the branding framework application is configured to change the mobile communication device from a current brand to a different brand, wherein some information related to the current brand of the mobile communication device is stored in the carrier partition. |
| US09042876B2 |
System and method for uploading location information based on device movement
Systems and methods for uploading location information based on device movement are disclosed. In some embodiments, location information may be received or determined by a mobile communications device. The location information may be associated with a physical location of the mobile communications device. A rate of movement of the mobile communications device may be identified. In some embodiments, the location information may be transmitted or uploaded from the mobile communications device to a server. The frequency of the transmitting or uploading of the location information may be based on the rate of movement of the mobile communications device. |
| US09042870B2 |
Methods for capacity limitation mitigation in a radio frequency device
Example embodiments provide a method and/or network element capable of mitigating one or more effects of operating at full capacity. According to an example embodiment, a network element may address load capacity by identifying that a first network element (e.g., a femto) is operating at a threshold capacity. If a communication from a second network element intended for the first network element is received, an operation is performed that informs the second network element of at least one of (i) that the first network element is operating at a threshold capacity and (ii) that the communication cannot be delivered to the first network element while the first network element is operating at a threshold capacity. |
| US09042868B2 |
Instant messaging through secondary wireless communication device
A secondary wireless communication device may send and receive instant messages by causing a primary wireless communication device to send and receive the messages on behalf of the secondary wireless mobile communication device through a cellular communication system. To accomplish this, the primary and secondary devices may wirelessly communicate with one another through a connection other than the cellular communication system. Synchronization of instant messages between the primary and secondary devices may be maintained whenever the devices are in communication. |
| US09042867B2 |
System and method for speaker recognition on mobile devices
A speaker recognition system for authenticating a mobile device user includes an enrollment and learning software module, a voice biometric authentication software module, and a secure software application. Upon request by a user of the mobile device, the enrollment and learning software module displays text prompts to the user, receives speech utterances from the user, and produces a voice biometric print. The enrollment and training software module determines when a voice biometric print has met at least a quality threshold before storing it on the mobile device. The secure software application prompts a user requiring authentication to repeat an utterance based at least on an attribute of a selected voice biometric print, receives a corresponding utterance, requests the voice biometric authentication software module to verify the identity of the second user using the utterance, and, if the user is authenticated, imports the voice biometric print. |
| US09042866B2 |
Method for accessing a CSG femtocell
A method implemented by a terminal for accessing a CSG femtocell of a first access network. The terminal includes a list containing identifiers of CSG femtocells to which an access right is defined. The method includes: scanning a frequency band for discovering CSG femtocells; decoding, based on a key, a data stream broadcasted from the CGS femtocells; obtaining, based on the decoded data stream, an identifier of the CSG femtocells; and determining, based on the list, whether the terminal has authorized access to the discovered femtocells. The frequency band, the key or the list is determined based on a message received from a remote server via a second cellular access network different from the first access network. |
| US09042865B2 |
Method for determining mobile device password settings based on check-in information
Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for altering a mobile electronic device's screen timeout based on a check-in of a mobile device at a venue. A ringtone can be altered in addition to the password timeout time. Nearby venues and/or locations may be recognized and the time out can be adjusted based on the determined risk which may include the crime risk. |
| US09042863B2 |
Service classification of web traffic
A method for communication includes recording, at a gateway to a network, a generic definition of a service provided to clients of the gateway. The generic definition specifies a first Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) on the network that is associated with the service. At least a first communication between a client and the network is processed at the gateway in order to identify at least a second URI that is referenced from the first URI in a context of the service. Responsively to at least the first communication, an extended definition of the service for the client is automatically created by adding at least the second URI to the generic definition. Use of the service is monitored by applying the extended definition to second communications conveyed by the gateway between the client and the network. |
| US09042860B2 |
Monolithically integrated circuit
A monolithically integrated circuit, particularly an integrated circuit for radio frequency power applications, may include a transistor and a spiral inductor. The spiral inductor is arranged above the transistor. An electromagnetic coupling is created between the transistor and the inductor. The transistor may have a finger type layout to prevent any significant eddy currents caused by the electromagnetic coupling from occurring. The chip area needed for the circuit may be reduced by such arrangement. |
| US09042858B2 |
Device including a plurality of analog circuits and an interface that matches characteristics of the analog circuits
According to one embodiment, a compact low-power receiver comprises first and second analog circuits connected by a digitally controlled interface circuit. The first analog circuit has a first direct-current (DC) offset and a first common mode voltage at an output, and the second analog circuit has a second DC offset and a second common mode voltage at an input. The digitally controlled interface circuit connects the output to the input, and is configured to match the first and second DC offsets and to match the first and second common mode voltages. In one embodiment, the first analog circuit is a variable gain control transimpedance amplifier (TIA) implemented using a current mode buffer, the second analog circuit is a second-order adjustable low-pass filter, whereby a three-pole adjustable low-pass filter in the compact low-power receiver is effectively produced. |
| US09042857B2 |
Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filtering
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filtering are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filter that splits a filter input signal into first and second input signals, modifies the first input signal to produce a first output signal, modifies the second input signal to produce a second output signal having an intermediate frequency response, and combines the first and second output signals while adjusting their relative phases and/or amplitudes to produce a filter output signal with the target frequency response. Adjustment includes splitting the second input signal into third and fourth input signals, which are modified and then combined to produce the second output signal having the intermediate frequency response. |
| US09042854B2 |
Apparatus and methods for tuning a voltage controlled oscillator
Apparatus and methods for tuning a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) are provided. In one aspect, a method of auto-tuning in a phase-locked loop includes generating a VCO clock signal using a VCO coupled to a capacitor array, dividing the VCO clock signal to generate a divided clock signal using a prescaler circuit having a selectable division ratio, controlling a value of the selectable division ratio using a first counter and a second counter of a counter module, generating a phase-frequency detector feedback signal based on a division control signal M and the divided clock signal using the counter module, counting a number of cycles of the divided clock signal that occur during a calibration interval using a cycle counter of a digital processing logic circuit, and determining the value of a capacitor array control signal based on the number of cycles counted during the calibration interval. |
| US09042849B2 |
Panoramic display for a wireless device
Various embodiments of a panoramic display for a wireless device are described. In one embodiment, a wireless device may include a display comprising a plurality of display regions. The display regions may include a central display region and multiple lateral display regions arranged to provide a panoramic display. Image compression and/or scaling may be applied to media content that is to be displayed in one or more of the lateral display regions based on the proximity of the lateral display region to the edge of the display. |
| US09042844B2 |
Transceiver and related switching method applied therein
A transceiver includes: a power amplifying circuit arranged to generate differential output signals during a transmitting mode of the transceiver; a balance-unbalance circuit arranged to convert the differential output signals into a single-ended output signal; a switchable matching circuit arranged to receive the single-ended output signal on a signal port of the transceiver during the transmitting mode, and to convert a single-ended receiving signal on the signal port into a single-ended input signal during a receiving mode of the transceiver; and a low-noise amplifying circuit arranged to convert the single-ended input signal into a low-noise input signal during the receiving mode. The power amplifying circuit, the Balun, the switchable matching circuit, and the low-noise amplifying circuit are configured as a single chip. |
| US09042841B2 |
System and method for PUCCH subband feedback signaling in a wireless network
A mobile station for use in a wireless network. The mobile station transmits feedback reports to a base station of the wireless network. The feedback reports comprise a first feedback report, a second feedback report and a third feedback report. The first feedback report includes a precoder type indication (PTI) value that indicates at least one of a period of the second feedback report and a period of the third feedback report. The PTI value indicates a ratio of the second feedback report period to the third feedback report period. The PTI value also indicates the selected feedback information contained in the second feedback report and the third feedback report. |
| US09042836B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for measurement control
A communications apparatus includes a wireless module and a controller module is provided. The wireless module transmits and receives radio frequency signals to and from a service network via at least a first and a second component carriers. The controller module receives a first measurement configuration corresponding to the first component carrier from the service network, receives a message indicating that the first component carrier is replaced by a third component carrier from the service network via the wireless module, receives a second measurement configuration corresponding to the third component carrier from the service network via the wireless module, keeps at least one of the first and second measurement configurations in response to receiving the message, and performs measurements according to the kept measurement configuration. |
| US09042834B2 |
Mobile station
A mobile station (UE) according to the present invention is configured to repeatedly transmit a first measurement report including a radio quality of a first cell and to repeatedly transmit a second measurement report including a radio quality of a second cell at the same timings, when the mobile station starts transmitting the first measurement report and thereafter starts transmitting the second measurement report. |
| US09042833B1 |
Infrared and capacitance based sensing for proximity detection
A proximity detection module determines, using an infrared (IR) sensor of a user device, a distance between an object and the user device. The proximity detection module compares the distance to a distance threshold. If the distance is below the predefined distance threshold, the proximity detection module determines, using a capacitance sensor of the user device, a capacitance value associated with the object. The proximity detection module compares the capacitance value to a predefined presence threshold, and if the capacitance value meets or exceeds the predefined presence threshold, determines that the object comprises a body part of a user. |
| US09042829B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless short-range communication
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to invoke a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. |
| US09042826B2 |
Apparatus and method for power state transition via near field communication
An apparatus and method for power state transition via Near Field Communication (NFC) are provided. The apparatus includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver for generating a trigger signal in response to presence of another NFC device within an NFC communication range of the NFC transceiver, and a controller for controlling the apparatus to transition to or from a wake state when the trigger signal is received from the NFC transceiver. |
| US09042823B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless short-range communication disconnection
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to disconnect a communication connection. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection, after an interval following an establishment of the wireless communication connection; and disconnecting, by the apparatus, the wireless communication connection with the selected wireless device, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. |
| US09042817B2 |
Method and system to automatically establish NFC link between NFC enabled electronic devices based on proximate distance
Presented is a near field communication system and method to automatically establish an interconnection between two electronic devices. The system includes a first electronic device including an NFC chip communicatively coupled to a passive NFC tag, where the NFC tag having an integrated circuit with a predefined information content, a second device including an active NFC reader configured to read the predefined information content from the NFC tag based on an identification of a proximate distance therebetween, and where the NFC tag is capable of transmitting an activation signal to the NFC chip to enable transition of the NFC chip from a first state to a second state such as to establish a near field wireless communication link between the two devices to enable exchange of digital content therebetween. |
| US09042815B2 |
Wireless device for providing notifications associated with a mobile electronic device
A wireless device for providing notifications associated with a mobile electronic device is provided. The device comprises: an indicator; a body enabled to mate with a mobile electronic device, the body comprising the indicator such that when the body is mated to the mobile electronic device, the indicator is not obscured by the body; an induction device for wirelessly receiving signals from the mobile electronic device to control the indicator; and, a circuit connecting the induction device to the indicator, the circuit enabled to receive the signals and control the indicator in response thereto. |
| US09042813B2 |
Dynamic control point in simulcast radio communication system
Simulcast communication network (200) includes a first transmit/receive (T/R) site (2101, 2102, . . . 210N) that functions as control point. At least one processing device (211) is communicatively coupled to the simulcast communication network. The at least one processing device is responsive to a determination that the first T/R site has experienced at least one fault to initiate a dynamic control point arbitration (DCPA) session. The DCPA session includes automatically selecting one of a plurality of second T/R site (2101, 2102, . . . 210N) to function as the control point in place of the first T/R site and automatically re-configuring of the simulcast communication network to cause the selected one of the plurality of second T/R sites to function as the new control point. |
| US09042812B1 |
Surface-wave communications and methods thereof
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system including a frequency mixer that combines a signal and a carrier wave to form a combined signal, and a transmitter that generates a transmission based on the combined signal. The system can also include a coupling device that emits the transmission as an electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium. The electromagnetic wave can propagate longitudinally along the surface of the transmission medium and at least partially around the surface of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09042811B2 |
Specification of smart wireless television for rendering digital content
The specification of smart televisions are herein disclosed and enabled. The smart television is a wireless television that includes a wireless communication unit compatible, at least partly, with a protocol within IEEE 802.11, and may include Bluetooth compatibility. The smart television may render digital content received from a wireless mobile information apparatus over the wireless communication unit. The smart television includes an operating system for enabling installation of additional applications for expanding functionalities of the smart television; an output controller for decoding, decompressing, or decrypting the digital content; an image processor for applying one or more of a color, an image enhancement, or a resolution operation; and an output engine for rendering the digital content to a display or a projection medium. The wireless television may further include a touch sensitive display screen for interacting with users. Additionally, the wireless television may include authentication based on biometrics of the user. |
| US09042810B2 |
Single-cable automatic IRD installation procedure
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for auto-installing an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) includes issuing an auto-installation command from the IRD to an outdoor unit (ODU) and receiving a plurality of tones from the ODU in response to the auto-installation command, each tone representing a center frequency of available user bands (UBs). The auto-installation also includes acquiring a UB center frequency by the IRD, requesting the ODU to confirm a UB number corresponding to the acquired UB center frequency, and receiving confirmation from the ODU that a UB number corresponds to the acquired UB center frequency. The auto-installation also includes sending an acceptance of the assigned UB number from the IRD to signal the ODU that it may mark the assigned UB as assigned. |
| US09042804B2 |
Image forming apparatus reducing driving noise
An image forming apparatus which includes a main body, an image forming unit to form an image on a printing medium, a plate to open and close a first side of the main body; a pickup unit which includes a driven gear to rotate in forward and backward directions, a pickup roller to receive a driving force from the driven gear to pick up the printing medium disposed on the plate, and a support frame to rotatably support the pickup roller and to interlock with the forward and backward rotations of the driven gear to move toward and away from the plate, a driving source to drive the image forming unit and the driven gear, and a blocking gear disposed between the driven gear and the driving source, to prevent the support frame, spaced apart from the plate, from moving toward the plate. |
| US09042802B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charger; an irradiator; a development device having an accommodation unit to accommodate toner to obtain a visible image; a transfer device; and a fixing device to fix the visible image transferred onto a recording medium. The fixing device having a fixing rotation member; and a pressure rotation member to form a nipping portion by contacting the fixing rotation member, wherein the surface pressure of the nipping portion is 1.5 kgf/cm2 or less, wherein the fixing rotation member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or less at 23° C., wherein the ratio of the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 120° C. to the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 23° C. is 1.60 or less. |
| US09042797B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member and a separating member. The fixing member is provided with a sheet passing region through which a recording medium is passed and a non-sheet passing region arranged outside the sheet passing region. The pressing member comes in pressure-contact with the fixing member to form a fixing nip. The separating member is configured to separate the recording medium passed through the fixing nip from the fixing member. The separating member has a separating plate and a restricting piece. The separating plate faces the sheet passing region with an interval. The restricting piece restricts the interval. The restricting piece is provided with a contacting surface which comes in contact with the non-sheet passing region. The contacting surface has a width which becomes wider from an upstream side to a downstream side in the rotation direction of the fixing member. |
| US09042789B2 |
Toner case and image forming apparatus
A toner case includes a case main body and a shutter, a lever, a rotating member and a transmitting member attached to the case main body. The case main body includes a discharge port discharging a toner. The shutter is rotatably attached to open/close the discharge port and includes a shutter side gear. The lever is rotatably attached to operate the shutter and includes a lever main body that includes a lever side gear meshing with the shutter side gear. The rotating member is installed in a rotatable state. The transmitting member is rotatably attached to transmit the rotation to the rotating member and includes a transmitting member main body that covers the outside of the lever main body and includes an aperture. The aperture exposes a meshing part of the lever side gear and shutter side gear when the transmitting member is located to a predetermined rotational displacement. |
| US09042788B2 |
Charging device
A charging device for electrically charging a photosensitive member, includes: a discharging electrode; a casing provided with an opening; a grid provided at the opening; a sheet-shaped shutter; a moving portion; a connecting portion; a winding-up portion; an urging portion; a first supporting portion; a second supporting portion; and an operating portion. The winding-up portion is configured to wind up, when the shutter is closed, the shutter so that a surface of the shutter opposing the photosensitive member is an outermost surface. When movement of the shutter in the opening direction is completed, the operating portion is covered with the shutter. When the connecting portion is separated from the moving portion, a leading end portion of the shutter with respect to the closing direction is movable toward a downstream side of the operating portion with respect to the opening direction by a winding-up force by the urging portion. |
| US09042762B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has an image forming section configured to form an image on a recording sheet, a controller to execute a job, and an adjustment section configured to adjust a density of the image formed on the recording sheet by the image forming section during execution of the job. The controller discharges an inserting sheet onto the recording sheet having the image formed during the execution of the job when a value of the adjustment is larger than a predetermined value. |
| US09042757B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A controller controls a replenishing operation of the first replenishing device based on the first sensor, and controls a replenishing operation of the second replenishing device based on the second sensor. The controller prohibits the replenishing operation of the first replenishing device when the developer concentration in the first replenishing device reaches a first upper limit set to the first developing device, and the controller prohibits the replenishing operation of the second replenishing device when the developer concentration in the second replenishing device reaches a second upper limit set to the second developing device. The controller corrects the second upper limit based on the developer concentration in the second developing device when the developer concentration in the first developing device reaches the first upper limit. |
| US09042755B2 |
Printer control using optical and electrostatic sensors
Various methods and devices transfer test patches of marking material from a marking device of a printing apparatus to a transfer surface of the printing apparatus, optically measure the density of the test patches on the transfer surface using an optical sensor of the printing apparatus, and measure the electrostatic differences in charge of the transfer surface as the test patches on the transfer surface move by an electrostatic sensor of the printing apparatus. Such methods and devices adjust settings of the marking device based on output from the electrostatic sensor alone, or based on a combination of the output from the optical sensor and converted output from the electrostatic sensor. |
| US09042751B2 |
High voltage power supply and image forming apparatus
A high voltage power supply includes a developer carrier, an image carrier, a developing control unit, a load detection unit, a variation detection unit, and a voltage correction unit. The developing control unit applies a developing bias voltage to the developer carrier and thereby supplies the developer to the image carrier and develops an electrostatic latent image. The variation detection unit detects the variation in capacitance between the developer carrier and the image carrier detected by the load detection unit. The voltage correction unit corrects the developing bias voltage by decreasing the developing bias voltage as the variation increases, and increasing the developing bias voltage as the variation decreases. |
| US09042746B2 |
Methods for providing a page countdown for a replaceable unit of an image forming device
A method for providing a page countdown for a replaceable unit of an image forming device according to one embodiment includes calculating a number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of its life. The calculated number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of life is displayed on a display screen. After the calculated number of pages remaining is displayed, the displayed number of pages remaining is decreased by one for each page printed, the number of pages remaining is recalculated and a discrepancy between the displayed number of pages remaining and the recalculated number of pages remaining is tracked. If the discrepancy exceeds a predetermined error threshold, the recalculated number of pages remaining is displayed and the displayed number of pages remaining continues to be decreased by one for each page printed from the displayed recalculated number of pages remaining. |
| US09042744B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, an exposure unit for exposing a surface of the photosensitive member to light, and a detecting portion for detecting a lifetime of the photosensitive member on the basis of a thickness of a charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member and an amount of the light received by the charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member. |
| US09042742B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus receives setting of an object to be adjusted, on an adjustment object selection screen when selecting an adjustment mode. After the object to be adjusted is set, camera(s) photograph(s) the object to be adjusted so that the image forming apparatus obtains photographed data of current object to be adjusted. Next, the apparatus searches photographed data of the object to be adjusted in the ideal state thereof from the database. Name of the object to be adjusted and related information in the photographed data agree with those of the photographed data of current object to be adjusted. The higher ranked related information is preferentially searched and it is determined whether or not pieces of the higher ranked related information thus preferentially searched agree with each other. |
| US09042739B2 |
Network management system, repeater, and repeating method
A repeater includes a reception part configured to receive an optical signal transmitted by wavelength division multiplexing from a preceding repeater in a path from a source to a destination; a determination part configured to determine the channel allocation of the signal received by the reception part by determining a bit rate and a modulation technique with respect to each of channels in the received signal; and a detection part configured to detect a prohibited channel not to be included in the optical signal to be transmitted from the repeater, based on the channel allocation and a predetermined criterion. |
| US09042738B2 |
Illumination device and method for embedding data symbols in a luminance output
The invention relates to embedding data symbols of a data signal into a luminance output of an illumination device. The device includes a controller configured for receiving a first base pattern and a second base pattern within a frame period, and generating a shifted second pattern by phase shifting the second base pattern within the frame period with respect to the first base pattern in response to the data signal such that the data symbols are embedded in the luminance output of the device. The device also includes a first light source configured to generate a first luminance output in response to the first base pattern and a second light source configured to generate a second luminance output in response to the shifted second pattern. The first and second luminance outputs have different output spectra and the luminance output of the illumination device comprises both the first and second luminance outputs. With this approach, the short-time average light output of the illumination device remains constant, decreasing the visible flicker and allowing the use of lower switching frequencies relative to the prior art approaches. |
| US09042733B2 |
Device identification apparatus and remote control system
The device identification apparatus includes: a remote controller signal detecting section for detecting an optical signal from a remote controller; a receiving section for receiving the optical signal from the remote controller; a signal decryption section for decrypting the optical signal received by the receiving section; and a transmitting section for transmitting a device identification signal when the optical signal is a device selecting signal, and configured such that operations of the receiving section, the signal decryption section, and the transmitting section are started in response to a detecting signal of the remote controller signal detecting section, thereby realizing a device identification apparatus in which power consumption during standby is minimized. |
| US09042730B2 |
System and method for compensating signal degradation in dual polarization optical systems
A method for adjusting an optical signal includes determining a polarization dependent loss (PDL) value associated with the optical signal, determining an angle between the optical signal and one or more axes of PDL, determining an amount of nonlinear phase noise due to PDL and nonlinear effects upon the optical signal based upon the PDL value and the angle, determining a phase rotation based upon the amount of nonlinear phase noise, and applying the phase rotation to the optical signal. |
| US09042729B2 |
Minimizing bandwidth narrowing penalities in a wavelength selective switch optical network
This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing. |
| US09042728B2 |
Optical line termination node and passive optical network
An optical line termination node has a first connection arrangement for connecting a working fiber, a second connection arrangement for connecting a protection fiber, a transceiver arrangement having first primary link and a first secondary link, and protection switching means configured for being switched either in a working operating state or in a protection operating state. |
| US09042724B2 |
Measuring signal to noise ratio of a WDM optical signal
A WDM optical signal is transmitted through a tunable optical filter and is polarization-nulled to find optical signal to noise ratio of individual WDM channels. The polarization nulling can be performed using a heuristic multipoint extrema search method, such as Nelder-Mead method. A plurality of checkpoints can be included in the search to verify the progress and to improve the overall robustness of a real-time polarization nulling. |
| US09042722B2 |
Optical transceiver having enhanced EMI tolerance
An optical transceiver that reduces the EMI radiation leaked therefrom is disclosed. The optical transceiver includes a top cover and the bottom base to form a cavity into which a TOSA, a ROSA, and a circuit are set. The top cover provides a combed structure in a rear portion thereof, where the combed structure has a plurality of fins with a distance preferably less that quarter wavelength λ/4 of the noise wavelength to be reduced. The combed structure operates as a short stub for the electromagnetic wave traveling longitudinally in the cavity. |
| US09042721B2 |
Stochastic reflectometer
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a time-domain reflectometer having a transmitter configured to apply, to a system under test (SUT), an intensity-modulated probe signal generated based on a periodic pseudo-random bit sequence. The reflectometer further has a receiver configured to receive, back from the SUT, a reflected signal corresponding to the probe signal. The receiver converts the received reflected signal into a binary bit sequence using a relatively simple slicer circuit, and without the use of complex analog circuits and/or multi-bit analog-to-digital converters. The binary bit sequence is then compared with the original pseudo-random bit sequence to obtain a measure of the impulse response of the SUT. In some embodiments, the reflectometer has a controllable noise generator that can be used, e.g., to optimize the obtained measure for the detection of multiple SUT defects having significantly differing reflection characteristics. |
| US09042714B2 |
Dome-shape camera
A dome-shaped camera comprising: a camera body including a focus adjustment ring for manually performing focus adjustment; a base part which supports the camera body and includes a tilt mechanism which changes an angle of a tilt direction for supporting the camera body; a dome cover which covers the camera body; a mount device which mounts the dome cover on the base part so that the dome cover is rotatable about a center axis of the dome cover; and a power transmitting device which transmits a rotating force in a direction about the center axis added to the dome cover as a rotating force of a focus adjustment ring of the camera supported at any angle in the tilt direction via a power transmission member placed on a tilt axis. |
| US09042713B2 |
System and method for storing images captured from a booth
A system for capturing images in a booth. The system includes a network, a server communicatively coupled to the network, the server comprising a database operable to store images. The system further includes a booth communicatively coupled to the network, the booth comprising an input device operable to receive one or more inputs from a user, a camera operable to capture one or more images of the user, a display operable to present the one or more images, and a booth computer operable to transmit the one or more images to the server. |
| US09042712B2 |
Heated air freshener for 12V receptacle
An air freshener is configured to be carried by a power outlet of an automobile. The air freshener includes a scent capsule disposed in a housing. A heat source is disposed in the housing adjacent and opposing a permeable membrane of the scent capsule. The heat source is configured to heat the fragrant material in the scent capsule and accelerate permeation of the fragrant material through the permeable membrane of the sent capsule. A hatch is pivotally coupled to the housing and substantially contained within a hatch cavity with an outer surface that is substantially flush with an exterior of the housing in a closed position. The hatch can include a capsule cavity therein, carrying the scent capsule, and facing an interior of the housing in the closed position. |
| US09042711B2 |
Systems and methods to position and play content
Systems and methods to position and play content. The system renders a first content segment to an output device at an accelerated speed for the first content segment. Next, the system receives a request to play the first content segment from the beginning of the first content segment at a normal speed for the first content segment. Next, the system automatically positions to the beginning of the first content segment based on position information that is associated with the first content segment. Finally, the system renders the first content segment to the output device from the beginning of the first content segment at a normal speed for the first content segment. |
| US09042709B2 |
Image capture device, player, and image processing method
An image capture device includes: first and second shooting sections, each of which is configured to shoot an image of a subject; a disparity calculating section configured to generate a depth map based on first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively; and an image generating section configured to generate, based on the depth map and the first image, a third image that has as high a resolution as the first image and that forms part of a 3D image. The image generating section is controlled to determine whether or not to generate the third image based on at least one of the states of the first and second images, a zoom power during shooting, and the tilt of the image capture device during shooting. |
| US09042707B2 |
Apparatus and method for editing
An editing method comprises: generating, from a material data which is generated according to a first time and in which a first time range is specified, a playback data that is to be played back according to a second time different from the first time; and locating a second time range, which includes the material data within the first time range, in the playback data. |
| US09042706B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit configured to continuously generate still images from a moving image which is being read out from a recording medium and played back, a detection unit configured to detect a change of a playback state of the moving image which is being read out from the recording medium and played back, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the generation unit. The control unit performs control to stop generating of the still image when the detection unit detects that the playback state of the moving image during playback is changed. |
| US09042700B2 |
Cable spool assembly
A spool assembly includes a drum having a first axial end and an oppositely disposed second axial end. The drum includes an inner surface that defines a bore that extends through the first and second axial ends. A drum support is disposed in the bore of the drum. The drum support includes a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The drum support has an exterior surface. The exterior surface of the drum support and the inner surface of the drum define a plurality of channels. A first flange is engaged to the first end of the drum support. A second flange is engaged to the second end of the drum support. |
| US09042699B2 |
Switch rack system
In one embodiment, the system comprises: (a) a chassis; (b) one or more cards mounted in the chassis, each card having a plurality of switch ports, the plurality of switch ports being aligned in one or more columns; (c) an aggregator mounted adjacent the chassis, the aggregator having a plurality of bays, each bay being aligned with a card in the chassis, at least one of the bays having a faceplate comprising at least first and second aggregator ports aligned in a column; (d) at least first and second hydras, wherein each hydra comprises at least (i) a first connector; (ii) a plurality of second connectors; (iii) a plurality of conductors, each conductor connecting the first connector to one of the second connectors, the plurality of conductors being bundled together to form a trunk portion from the first connector to a breakout point, the plurality of conductors being separated into breakout portions from the breakout point to the second connectors; (iv) wherein the trunk portion of the first cable is longer than that of the second cable; and (e) wherein the first connector of the first hydra is connected to the first aggregator port and the second connectors of the first hydra are connected to a first set of switch ports, and the first connector of the second hydra is connected to the second aggregator port and the second connectors of the second hydra are connected to a second set of switch ports, wherein the first set of switch ports are further away from the aggregator than the second set of switch ports. |
| US09042697B2 |
Resonator for thermo optic device
A resonator for thermo optic devices is formed in the same process steps as a waveguide and is formed in a depression of a lower cladding while the waveguide is formed on a surface of the lower cladding. Since upper surfaces of the resonator and waveguide are substantially coplanar, the aspect ratio, as between the waveguide and resonator in an area where the waveguide and resonator front one another, decreases thereby increasing the bandwidth of the resonator. The depression is formed by photomasking and etching the lower cladding before forming the resonator and waveguide. Pluralities of resonators are also taught that are formed in a plurality of depressions of the lower cladding. To decrease resonator bandwidth, waveguide(s) are formed in the depression(s) of the lower cladding while the resonator is formed on the surface. Thermo optic devices formed with these resonators are also taught. |
| US09042696B2 |
Method and structure combining vertical and angled facets in silicon photonic waveguides
Embodiments of the invention use crystallographic etching of SOI wafers with a (110)-oriented epi layer to form both the vertical input facet and the re-entrant mirror. Proposed layout design combined with proposed orientation of the epi enables both vertical facets and re-entrant (upward-reflecting) mirror facets to be made in a single wafer-level wet etch process. |
| US09042690B2 |
Hybrid laser light sources for photonic integrated circuits
A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a reflection coupling layer formed on a substrate in which an optical waveguide is provided, at least one side of the reflection coupling layer being optically connected to the optical waveguide; an optical mode alignment layer provided on the reflection coupling layer; and/or an upper structure provided on the optical mode alignment layer and including an active layer for generating light and a reflection layer provided on the active layer. A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a lower reflection layer; an optical waveguide optically connected to the lower reflection layer; an optical mode alignment layer on the lower reflection layer; an active layer on the optical mode alignment layer; and/or an upper reflection layer on the active layer. |
| US09042686B2 |
Optical waveguide platform with hybrid-integrated optical transmission device and optical active device and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed are an optical waveguide platform with integrated active transmission device and monitoring photodiode. The optical waveguide platform with hybrid integrated optical transmission device and optical active device includes an optical waveguide region formed by stacking a lower cladding layer, a core layer and an upper cladding layer on a substrate; a trench region formed by etching a portion of the optical waveguide region; and a spot expanding region formed on the core layer in the optical waveguide region, in which the optical transmission device is mounted in the trench region and the optical active device is flip-chip bonded to the spot expanding region. The monitoring photodiode is flip-chip bonded to the spot expanding region of the core layer of the optical waveguide, thereby monitoring output light including an optical coupling loss that occurs during flip-chip bonding. |
| US09042679B2 |
Projection-based image registration
Systems, methods, and computer readable media to register images in real-time and that are capable of producing reliable registrations even when the number of high frequency image features is small. The disclosed techniques may also provide a quantitative measure of a registration's quality. The latter may be used to inform the user and/or to automatically determine when visual registration techniques may be less accurate than motion sensor-based approaches. When such a case is detected, an image capture device may be automatically switched from visual-based to sensor-based registration. Disclosed techniques quickly determine indicators of an image's overall composition (row and column projections) which may be used to determine the translation of a first image, relative to a second image. The translation so determined may be used to align/register the two images. |
| US09042678B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing size of image data
An input image (IMG1) may be converted to a lower-resolution output image (IMG2) by: determining a location (OP) of an output pixel (P2) with respect to said input image (IMG1), determining values of elements (E) of a filter array (FA1) such that non-zero values of the elements (E) of said filter array (FA1) approximate a paraboloid reference surface (REFS), wherein said reference surface (REFS) has a maximum at a base point (BP), and determining a value of said output pixel (P2) by performing a sum-of-products operation between non-zero values of said elements (E) and values of input pixels (P1) of said input image (IMG1) located at respective positions, wherein said filter array (FA1) is superimposed on said input image (IMG1) such that the location of said base point (BP) corresponds to the location of said output pixel (P2). |
| US09042676B2 |
Method and device for forming a panoramic image
There is described a method and a device for forming a panoramic image wherein it is decided to add a current image in a current panoramic image based on definitions of edges of the current image and the current panoramic image. |
| US09042675B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable recording medium which corrects an image such that some of warping of the image is left
An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit that acquires an image; an information acquiring unit that acquires image information indicative of a content of the image; and a correcting unit that corrects the image based on the image information such that some of warping of the image is left. The horizontal direction component of the warping may be completely or nearly completely eliminated while a predetermined portion of a vertical direction component of the warping is left, when the image information indicates the content of the image is a person. Alternatively, there is an analyzer which generates the image information indicating that the content of the image is a erson when the analyzing determines that the image contains two or more persons. |
| US09042673B2 |
Method and apparatus for deblurring non-uniform motion blur in large scale input image based on tile unit
Provided is a method and apparatus for deblurring a non-uniform motion blur in an input image, that may restore a clearer image by dividing a large scale input image into tiles corresponding to partial areas, selecting, among the divided tiles, an optimal tile for a partial area most suitable for estimating non-uniform motion blur information, and effectively removing an artifact in an outer portion of a tile through padding of each tile. |
| US09042672B2 |
Motion deblurring using image upsampling
Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for motion deblurring are disclosed. In one embodiment, an estimate of a latent image of a blurred image at a current scale from an estimate of a latent image at a previous coarse scale is generated using an upsampling super-resolution function, and a blur kernel is estimated based on the estimate of the latent image and the blurred image; and are repeated from a course to fine scale. A final image estimate is generated. The generating the final image estimate includes performing a deconvolution of the latent image using the blur kernel and the blurred image. |
| US09042670B2 |
Downsizing an encoded image
There is provided a system, a computer program product, program storage device readable by machine, and a method of downsizing an input disjoint block level encoded image. According to examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, the method can include calculating a DCT downsize ratio for downsizing the input image in a DCT domain according to a target downsize ratio and according to a size of a DCT transform length associated with the input image; adapting an I-DCT according to the DCT domain downsize ratios; performing the adapted I-DCT; providing an intermediate image as output of a DCT domain process; and applying a pixel domain interpolation to the intermediate image according to dimensions of the intermediate image and according to dimensions of the target image. |
| US09042669B2 |
Method and apparatus to prioritize video information during coding and decoding
A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information. |
| US09042668B2 |
Color-information based image compression method and apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. A document-type determining unit determines what type of document a document is on the basis of read information obtained as a result of reading the document by using a document reader. A compression-format setting unit sets, on the basis of the type of document determined by the document-type determining unit, a compression format used for generating image data from the read information. A generator compresses the read information by using the compression format set by the compression-format setting unit so as to generate image data corresponding to the document. |
| US09042665B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding image
An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding an image are provided. The image decoding method includes decoding luma blocks according to a predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks, and decoding chroma blocks according to the predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks. |
| US09042664B2 |
Image display apparatus
An image display apparatus that can shorten time for observing a series of images of an interior of a subject without hampering observation of a desired region of interest is provided. The image display apparatus according to the present invention is an image display apparatus for displaying the series of images of the interior of the subject picked up at time series, including an image extracting unit 15a that extracts images each having a feature of a desired region in the interior of the subject and that identifies the extracted images as images of the desired region among the series of images, and a frame rate controller 15b that sets a display frame rate for the identified images of the desired region to be different from a display frame rate for images of regions other than the desired region. |
| US09042659B2 |
Method and system for fast and robust identification of specific product images
Identification of objects in images. All images are scanned for key-points and a descriptor is computed for each region. A large number of descriptor examples are clustered into a Vocabulary of Visual Words. An inverted file structure is extended to support clustering of matches in the pose space. It has a hit list for every visual word, which stores all occurrences of the word in all reference images. Every hit stores an identifier of the reference image where the key-point was detected and its scale and orientation. Recognition starts by assigning key-points from the query image to the closest visual words. Then, every pairing of the key-point and one of the hits from the list casts a vote into a pose accumulator corresponding to the reference image where the hit was found. Every pair key-point/hit predicts specific orientation and scale of the model represented by the reference image. |
| US09042655B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium
A converted reference image generated from a reference image is searched for a first corresponding point corresponding to a first standard point included in a converted standard image generated from a standard image. Based on a position of the first corresponding point in the converted reference image, a second search standard point is determined on the reference image. Further, based on phase information on each frequency component regarding a second standard area including a second standard point corresponding to the first standard point of the standard image, and based on phase information on each frequency component regarding a second reference area including the second search standard point of the reference image, the reference image is searched for a second corresponding point corresponding to the second standard point. The information on a frequency component obtained in the computation on another stage is reused in the search on the two stages above. |
| US09042650B2 |
Rule-based segmentation for objects with frontal view in color images
A method of labeling pixels in an image in which pixels in the image that represent human skin of one or more people are detected and one or more regions in the image are identified, where each region in the one or more regions includes all or a portion of a human face of a person in the one or people in the image. Pixels that represent each face in the image are identified using the pixels that represent skin and the regions that include faces of the people, thereby identifying a position of each face in the image. From this, a face mask for each face and a rough body map corresponding to each face is determined using the positions of the identified faces. Further still, a torso map corresponding to each face is determined using determined face positions. Then, the extracted face masks and the torso maps are used to refine a skin map. A person or people map is determined using the skin map and the rough body map. |
| US09042647B2 |
Adaptive character segmentation method and system for automated license plate recognition
Methods, systems and processor-readable media for adaptive character segmentation in an automatic license plate recognition application. A region of interest can be identified in an image of a license plate acquired via an automatic license plate recognition engine. Characters in the image with respect to the region of interest can be segmented using a histogram projection associated with particular segmentation threshold parameters. The characters in the image can be iteratively validated if a minimum number of valid characters is determined based on the histogram projection and the particular segmentation threshold parameters to produce character images sufficient to identify the license plate. |
| US09042646B2 |
Detecting recurring themes in consumer image collections
A method of identifying groups of related digital images in a digital image collection, comprising: analyzing each of the digital images to generate associated feature descriptors related to image content or image capture conditions; storing the feature descriptors associated with the digital images in a metadata database; automatically analyzing the metadata database to identify a plurality of frequent itemsets, wherein each of the frequent itemsets is a co-occurring feature descriptor group that occurs in at least a predefined fraction of the digital images; determining a probability of occurrence for each the identified frequent itemsets; determining a quality score for each of the identified frequent itemsets responsive to the determined probability of occurrence; ranking the frequent itemsets based at least on the determined quality scores; and identifying one or more groups of related digital images corresponding to one or more of the top ranked frequent itemsets. |
| US09042645B2 |
Feature detection in numeric data
A method for detecting features in digital numeric data comprises obtaining digital numeric data comprising values corresponding to a plurality of sampling points over a domain space having at least one dimension, computing a plurality of scale-space data comprising filtering said digital numeric data using a filter bank, determining a plurality of feature regions each corresponding to a local extremum in scale and location of the scale-space data; and determining a feature region descriptor for each of said plurality of feature regions. The filter bank is a Cosine Modulated Gaussian filter bank in which the standard deviation parameter of the Gaussian equals 1 π ln ( 2 ) 2 2 b + 1 2 b - 1 multiplied by the cosine wavelength, in which b is in the range of 0.75 to 1.25, or said filter bank is an Nth-order Gaussian Derivative filter bank with N being in the range of 5 to 20. |
| US09042644B2 |
Artifact removal method and system for contoured images and video
A system and method that reduce or eliminate step-contouring generated by compression algorithms are provided because many types of compression algorithms introduce a step-contoured artifact for images and video with slow gradients. The system and method restores the gradient to a piece of content by detecting a start and end of the step contour in each row and column of the piece of content and increments a pixel in certain regions of the row or the column to restore the gradient in the piece of content. |
| US09042643B2 |
Method for demosaicking
A method for demosaicking a digital image is provided. Pixels of the digital image are processed in an order from the upper-left to lower-right of the digital image. If a current-processed pixel is a second color or a third color, a first sub-window centered at the current-processed pixel is generated. A first mask is used to select a first plurality of prior-processed pixels. A set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel is calculated according to stored direction weightings of the first plurality of prior-processed pixels. An interpolating direction of the current-processed pixel is determined according to the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel. A value of a first color for the current-processed pixel is calculated based on the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel and values of the first color of pixels of the first color in the first sub-window. |
| US09042641B2 |
Character recognition apparatus, character recognition method, and computer-readable medium
A character recognition apparatus includes an extracting unit extracting a feature point for a line in a handwritten character, first and second generation units, a learning unit, and a determination unit. The first generation unit generates first feature data from feature points for lines including an in-same-character line (first line) and being selected from lines in character-code-specified handwritten characters (known lines). The second generation unit generates second feature data from feature points for lines including an after-character-transition line (second line) and being selected from known lines. The learning unit causes a discriminator to learn classifications for first and second lines based on the first and second feature data. The determination unit determines whether each line in character-code-unknown handwritten characters is a first or second line, based on which classification is determined by the discriminator for feature data for the line. |
| US09042638B2 |
Image matching method and stereo matching system
An image matching method is utilized for performing a stereo matching from a first image block to a second image block in a stereo matching system. The image matching method includes performing a matching computation from the first image block to the second image block according to a first matching algorithm to generate a first matching result; performing the matching computation between the first image block and the second image block according to a second matching algorithm to generate a second matching result and a third matching result; obtaining a matching error and a matching similarity of the first image block according to the second matching result and the third matching result; and determining a stereo matching result of the first image block according to the matching error and the matching similarity. |
| US09042636B2 |
Apparatus and method for indicating depth of one or more pixels of a stereoscopic 3-D image comprised from a plurality of 2-D layers
Implementations of the present invention involve methods and systems for converting a 2-D image to a stereoscopic 3-D image and displaying the depth of one or more pixels of the 3-D image through an output image of a user interface. The pixels of the output image display the perceived depth of the corresponding 3-D image such that the user may determine the relative depth of the pixels of the image. In addition, one or more x-offset values or z-axis positions may be individually selected such that any pixel of the output image that correspond to the selected values is indicated in the output image. By providing the user with a visualization tool to quickly determine the perceived position of any pixel of a stereoscopic image, the user may confirm the proper alignment of the objects of the image in relation to the image as a whole. |
| US09042635B2 |
System and a method for inspecting an object using a hybrid sensor
A system, that includes a hybrid sensor that comprises: a monochromatic portion that is arranged to obtain a monochromatic image of a first area of an object; a multiple-color portion that is arranged to obtain a multi-colored image of a second area of the object; wherein the monochromatic portion comprises monochromatic sensing elements that sense radiation of a same frequency band; wherein the multiple-color portion comprises color sensing elements of different types, wherein different types of color sensing elements are associated with different frequency bands. |
| US09042634B2 |
Method system and computer product for non-destructive object analysis
Aspects of the invention provide a solution for analyzing an object, such as a part of a turbo machine. A planar surface is generated using a curved reformat function based on a surface of a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object. A peel of the 3D image that is adjacent to the surface is determined. Based on the peel, a second planar surface is generated. These two, and/or other similarly generated planar surfaces can be analyzed to determine characteristics of the original object. |
| US09042633B2 |
Recording media processing device, control method of a recording media processing device, and non-transitory storage medium
The recognition rate is improved while suppressing the processing time. The character recognition unit 80 of a check reader 1 uses two sets of reference waveform data, data for printing method 1 and data for printing method 2, in combination with modifying the reference waveform data in two ways, sliding the reference waveform data or scaling the reference waveform data according to variation in the line width of the magnetic ink character 101, to execute four candidate selection processes. If the same character is selected as a candidate by the first three of the four selection process combinations, the remaining one of the four processes is limited to using the reference waveform data for the selected candidate character. |
| US09042631B2 |
Method and systems for cell-level fish dot counting
The invention relates to a computer implemented method and systems for cell level fish dot counting. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) dot counting is the process of enumerating chromosomal abnormalities in the cells which can be used in areas of diagnosis and cancer research. The method comprises in part overlaying images of a biological sample comprising a nuclear counterstain mask and a FISH binary mask. The FISH binary mask is extracted using a multi-level extended h-maxima or h-minima. |
| US09042630B2 |
Biomarker evaluation through image analysis
A method for determining whether a test biomarker is a stain for a type of cell component, such as membrane or nucleus, involves performing various segmentation processes on an image of tissue stained with the test biomarker. One segmentation process searches for a first cell component type, and another segmentation process searches for a second cell component type by segmenting only stained pixels. The test biomarker is identified as a stain for each component type if the process identifies the component based only on stained pixels. Whether the test biomarker is a membrane stain or nucleus stain is displayed on a graphical user interface. In addition, the method identifies stained pixels corresponding to a second cell component using pixels determined to correspond to a first cell component. An expression profile for the test biomarker is then displayed that indicates the proportion of stained pixels in each type of cell component. |
| US09042629B2 |
Image classification based on image segmentation
The invention relates to a system (100) for classifying image data on the basis of a model for adapting to an object in the image data, the system comprising a segmentation unit (110) for segmenting the image data by adapting the model to the object in the image data and a classification unit (120) for assigning a class to the image data on the basis of the model adapted to the object in the image data, thereby classifying the image data, wherein the classification unit (120) comprises an attribute unit (122) for computing a value of an attribute of the model on the basis of the model adapted to the object in the image data, and wherein the assigned class is based on the computed value of the attribute. Thus, the system (100) of the invention is capable of classifying the image data without any user input. All inputs required for classifying the image data 10 constitute a model for adapting to an object in the image data. A person skilled in the art will understand however that in some embodiments of the system (100), a limited number of user inputs may be enabled to let the user influence and control the system and the classification process. |
| US09042627B2 |
X-ray diagnostic apparatus, X-ray diagnostic method and stent for X-ray diagnosis
According to one embodiment, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus includes a data acquiring unit and a data processing unit. The data acquiring unit acquires X-ray projection data corresponding to plural directions from an object in which a stent having markers has been inserted by exposing X-rays to the object from the plural directions. The data processing unit obtains a spatial position corresponding to at least one marker out of the markers based on first three dimensional image data generated by first image reconstruction processing of the X-ray projection data to generate second three dimensional image data by second image reconstruction processing of the X-ray projection data with a correction using a shift amount obtained based on the X-ray projection data and projected data of the one marker on a projected plane of the X-ray projection data. |
| US09042626B1 |
System and method for hybrid local tomography image reconstruction
Methods, processes and systems of image reconstruction utilizing a hybrid local tomography (HLT) methodology for reconstructing internal body images in medical applications, and the like. The system and method of the present invention provides an image with emphasized edges, and the image provides estimations of the attenuation coefficient inside the object being scanned. |
| US09042623B2 |
Automatic detection and correction of magnetic resonance imaging data
Systems and methods for processing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data are provided. A method includes receiving MRI data comprising a plurality of k-space points and deriving a plurality of image data sets based on the MRI data, each of the plurality of MRI image sets obtained by zeroing a different one of the plurality of k-space points. The method further includes computing image space metric values for each of the plurality of image data sets and adjusting a portion of the MRI data associated with ones of the image space metric values that fail to meet a threshold value to yield adjusted MRI data. |
| US09042619B2 |
Method and system for automatic native and bypass coronary ostia detection in cardiac computed tomography volumes
A method and system for detection of native and bypass coronary ostia in a 3D volume, such as a CT volume, is disclosed. Native coronary ostia are detected by detecting a bounding box defining locations of a left native coronary ostium and a right native coronary ostium in the 3D volume using marginal space learning (MSL), and locally refining the locations of the left native coronary ostium and the right native coronary ostium using a trained native coronary ostium detector. Bypass coronary ostia are detected by segmenting an ascending aorta surface mesh in the 3D volume, generating a search region of a plurality of mesh points on the ascending aorta surface mesh based on a distribution of annotated bypass coronary ostia in a plurality of training volumes, and detecting the bypass coronary ostia by searching the plurality of mesh points in the search region. |
| US09042611B2 |
Automated vascular region separation in medical imaging
A system and/or method automatically identifies one or more vascular regions in a medical image or set of medical images. For example, the system/method may automatically identify vascular structures as belonging to the left carotid, right carotid, and/or basilar vascular regions in the head. The system/method takes as input the medical image(s) and automatically identifies one or more vascular regions. The system/method may also automatically generate MIP renderings of the identified region or regions. |
| US09042610B2 |
Image pickup apparatus equipped with face-recognition function
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit to pick up an image of a subject which a user desires. The image pickup apparatus detects a face image area which includes a face of the subject person in the picked-up image based on the image information of the picked-up image, recognizes an expression of the face in the detected face image area, ranks the face image areas in order of good smile from among the recognized expressions, and displays the face image areas arranged in the order of ranking and the entire picked-up image on a same screen. |
| US09042608B2 |
Data security system
A data security system comprises a host processor, and a plurality of remote computers. Each remote computer provides biometric authentication of a user prior to responding to the user request for data access. The remote computers are handheld when in operational mode. A sensor in the handheld computer captures a biometric image while the remote computer is being used. The biometric sensor is positioned in such a way that the sensor enables the capture of the biometric image continually during computer usage with each request for access to secure data. The biometric authentication occurs in a seamless manner and is incidental to the data request enabling user identity authentication with each request to access secure data. |
| US09042601B2 |
Selective max-pooling for object detection
Systems and methods are disclosed for object detection by receiving an image and extracting features therefrom; applying a learning process to determine sub-regions and select predetermined pooling regions; and performing selective max-pooling to choose one or more feature regions without noises. |
| US09042596B2 |
Willpower watch (TM)—a wearable food consumption monitor
This invention is a wearable, automatic, and tamper-resistant device and method for monitoring and measuring food consumption and caloric intake. It can help people to manage their energy balance and weight. It can be embodied as: (a) one or more automatic-imaging members that are worn on a person from which these members collectively and automatically take pictures of the person's mouth and pictures of a reachable food source when the person eats; (b) a tamper-resisting mechanism which detects and responds if the operation of the one or more automatic-imaging members is impaired; and (c) an image-analyzing member which automatically analyzes pictures of the person's mouth and pictures of the reachable food source in order to estimate the types and quantities of food that are consumed by the person. |
| US09042594B2 |
Electrodynamic transducer having a dome and an inner hanging part
Electro-dynamic transducer (1) including: a main magnetic circuit (2) defining an air gap (15), a moving part (16) comprising a dome shaped diaphragm (17) fixed to a movable coil (18) diving into the air gap (15); a support (20) to which the moving part (16) is suspended; a suspension (26) linking the moving part (16) and the support (20); wherein the support (20) at least partly extends in an inner volume inside the moving part (16), wherein the suspension (26) is fixed, by an outer periphery, to an inner face of the moving part (16), and wherein the suspension (26) is made of an acoustically non emitting material. |
| US09042590B2 |
Earpiece positioning and retaining
A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a user's ear and retains the earpiece in its position. |
| US09042588B2 |
Pressure sensing earbuds and systems and methods for the use thereof
Pressure sensing earbuds and systems are disclosed. The earbuds can include one or more pressure sensors to determine the size and shape of a user's ear. The pressure signals can be relayed back to a processor, which may use them to dynamically optimize the volume levels delivered for frequencies over the audible range for a particular user. |
| US09042586B2 |
Method and apparatus for own-voice sensing in a hearing assistance device
Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for own-voice sensing in hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing assistance device adapted to process sounds, including sounds from a wearer's mouth. According to various embodiments, the device includes a hollow plastic housing adapted to be worn in the ear of the wearer and a differential sensor mounted to an interior surface of the housing in an ear canal of the wearer. The differential sensor includes inlets located within the housing and the differential sensor is configured to improve speech intelligibility of sounds from the wearer's mouth, in various embodiments. |
| US09042582B2 |
Coaxial passive radiation monomer
A coaxial passive radiation monomer apparatus is disclosed. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a dynamic speaker monomer combined with a passive radiator in a single unitary structure located in spatial proximity with respect to one another to thereby and further comprising an elastic material at the base of the speaker assembly for enhanced and optimized resonance frequencies for the active and passive components of the overall device. |
| US09042581B2 |
Component having a micromechanical microphone structure, and method for manufacturing same
Measures for improving the acoustic properties of a microphone component produced in sacrificial layer technology. The micromechanical microphone structure of such a component is implemented in a layered structure, and includes at least one diaphragm, which is deflectable by sound pressure and which is implemented in a diaphragm layer, and a stationary acoustically permeable counterelement for the diaphragm which is implemented in a thick functional layer above the diaphragm layer and which is provided with through openings for introducing sound. The through openings for introducing sound are situated above the middle region of the diaphragm, while perforation openings which are largely acoustically passive are provided in the counterelement, above the edge region of the diaphragm. |
| US09042580B2 |
Diaphragm
A diaphragm is disclosed in the invention, which comprises a one-piece diaphragm body and a plurality of mass blocks mounted on the diaphragm body. Each of the mass blocks substantially has the same radial distance from the center of the diaphragm. The mass blocks are divided into three or more arrays each of which includes one or more mass blocks. the arrays are distributed along the circumference direction of the diaphragm body, and the mass blocks in each array are distributed along the circumference direction of the diaphragm. The mass blocks are elastic and made of materials with internal damping, such as rubber, silicone or foam rubber. At least one of the mass blocks is connected to an annular roll fixed on the peripheral edge of the diaphragm body, and the mass blocks are bonded to the diaphragm body. |
| US09042577B2 |
Automated noise reduction circuit
An automated noise reduction circuit is configured to find an audio output with the lowest voltage level associated with undesirable noise. The circuit may include a plurality of audio input ports, ground isolation devices, electronic switches and a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be configured to toggle the ground isolation devices on and off, sample voltage at an output of the ground loop isolation transformers when the ground isolation devices are on and off, and switch the ground isolation devices to a position that produces a lowest voltage output based on a comparison of sampled voltage that is analyzed by a set of algorithms programmed into the microprocessor and that has been sampled from the output of the ground isolation devices for each of the multiple input ports. |
| US09042575B2 |
Processing audio signals
A method, device and computer program product for processing audio signals, the method including determining beamformer filter coefficients to be applied to the audio signals; applying the beamformer filter coefficients to the audio signals; outputting the filtered audio signals from an audio output comprising a plurality of speakers coupled with the device; and receiving at a microphone coupled with the device, the filtered audio signals output from the audio output. The filter coefficients are determined such that the filtered audio signals are suppressed when received at the microphone. |
| US09042571B2 |
Method and system for touch gesture detection in response to microphone output
In some embodiments, a method for processing output of at least one microphone of a device (e.g., a headset) to identify at least one touch gesture exerted by a user on the device, including by distinguishing the gesture from input to the microphone other than a touch gesture intended by the user, and by distinguishing between a tap exerted by the user on the device and at least one dynamic gesture exerted by the user on the device, where the output of the at least one microphone is also indicative of ambient sound (e.g., voice utterences). Other embodiments are systems for detecting ambient sound (e.g., voice utterences) and touch gestures, each including a device including at least one microphone and a processor coupled and configured to process output of each microphone to identify at least one touch gesture exerted by a user on the device. |
| US09042569B2 |
Active noise control device
An active noise control device detects composite vibration of a vibration transmitting route to which both vibration of a rotating body caused by generation or transmission of drive force of a vehicle and vibration of a wheel generated by contact between the wheel and a road surface are transmitted. A first reference signal for defining a reference waveform of a canceling sound for canceling vibration noise in a vehicle interior is generated based on the composite vibration. The component of the canceling sound for canceling vibration noise of the rotating body is removed from the first reference signal to generate a second reference signal for defining a reference waveform of the canceling sound for canceling vibration noise of the wheel. The canceling sound is outputted based on the second reference signal. |
| US09042568B2 |
Portable smart stethoscope formed of smart mobile device and casing assembly
A smart portable stethoscope is formed of a smart mobile device and a casing assembly for the mobile device. The casing assembly comprises a casing member, a diaphragm holder member configured to securely and effectively retain a diaphragm, and a vibrator-transducer member. The casing member includes a diaphragm connector part configured to securely fasten the diaphragm holder member to the casing member. The vibrator-transducer member is configured to be securely fastened to diaphragm holder member or casing member in such a manner that its vibrator is disposed to interconnect with the diaphragm and effectively duplicate vibrations captured by the diaphragm so as to deliver medical-grade auscultation electronic signal based on the duplicated vibrations to the mobile device through an audio plug plugged into a microphone jack thereof. |
| US09042567B2 |
Acoustic echo cancellation system
An acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) system includes a remote device, for capturing a remote captured sound, a server coupled to the remote device, and a local device coupled to the server. The server transmits the remote captured sound from the remote device to the local device. The local device receives, stores and plays the remote captured sound as a local playback sound. An echo is generated from reflection of the local playback sound. The local device captures the echo and a local sound into a local captured sound, and transmits both the remote captured sound and the local captured sound to the server. The server performs AEC on the local captured sound by using the remote captured sound from the local device and transmits the AEC processed local captured sound to the remote device. |
| US09042565B2 |
Spatial audio encoding and reproduction of diffuse sound
A method and apparatus processes multi-channel audio by encoding, transmitting or recording “dry” audio tracks or “stems” in synchronous relationship with time-variable metadata controlled by a content producer and representing a desired degree and quality of diffusion. Audio tracks are compressed and transmitted in connection with synchronized metadata representing diffusion and preferably also mix and delay parameters. The separation of audio stems from diffusion metadata facilitates the customization of playback at the receiver, taking into account the characteristics of local playback environment. |
| US09042564B2 |
Wireless communication device having speech recognition, speech translation, and hearing aid functions
Provided is a wireless communication device having speech recognition, speech translation, and hearing aid functions, which includes: an ITE (In-The-Ear) type radio transceiver including a microphone that receives an external voice, an ITE (In-The-Ear) type radio signal processor that processes radio data received from the microphone, a receiver that converts electrical signals from the radio signal processor into sound pressure, a volume controller that controls the intensity of the sound pressure, and a coil antenna for short-range wireless communications; and a portable radio repeater including a portable communication device that relays signals transmitted from the coil antenna of the ITE type radio transceiver, a coil antenna for short-range wireless communications with the ITE type radio transceiver, and a radio frequency (RF) antenna for two-way wireless communications with a portable radio repeater owned by another conversation partner. |
| US09042557B2 |
Method and apparatus for reproducing three-dimensional sound field
Provided is a method and apparatus for reproducing a three-dimensional (3D) sound field. A method of reproducing a 3D sound field may determine a control region based on a wavelength of an excitation frequency, set, based on a loudspeaker array, at least one candidate control point in the control region, and determine a non-uniform control point corresponding to a non-uniform loudspeaker. |
| US09042556B2 |
Shaping sound responsive to speaker orientation
Techniques for shaping sound based on a speaker orientation are disclosed. In an embodiment, an audio data stream is obtained by a zone player having one or more speaker drivers, an orientation of the zone player is determined, and sound is reproduced by the zone player based on the orientation. The sound may be further shaped based on other states of the zone player in addition to orientation. The overall sound may be shaped from one zone player or from a collection of zone players. |
| US09042553B2 |
Communicating device and communicating method
The debugging unit writes a public key of the key issuing server and an initializing program given from outside, to the storage unit. The instruction executing unit reads and executes the initializing program stored in the storage unit. The debug disabling unit disables the debugging unit. The public-key encrypting unit encrypts the random number by the public key in the storage unit, the random number generated by the random number generating unit after the debugging unit is disabled. The transmitting unit transmits the encrypted random number to the key issuing server. The receiving unit receives an individual key encrypted by the random number from the key issuing server. The individual-key writing unit decrypts the encrypted individual key by the random number to obtain the individual key and write the individual key to the storage unit. |
| US09042552B2 |
Managing encryption keys in a computer system
A method and apparatus is disclosed for managing encryption keys in a computer system in which in response to the change of a system key the old key and new key are both maintained for subsequent use. |
| US09042542B2 |
Integrated alerting
In a wide-area communication system, users or numbers in the system to be alerted are ranked so to improve the efficiency of the alert calls. Rankings are based on various factors, including whether two or more users are on the same active call, whether a user is on an active call, how recently a user ended a call, and whether a user recently missed a call. Within rankings, there may be multiple callers or numbers. These users may further be ranked, such as by determining which caller is expected to end a call first based on the current elapsed time of the call and the average call duration for that user or number. |
| US09042541B2 |
Multi-node predictive dialing for scalability
Multiple-nodes (multiple media servers) can be deployed in a single outbound calling system. Agent nailups can be established with the media servers, on a one-to-one basis (an agent is nailed up to only one of the media servers at any given time). Predictive dialing can be performed by each of the media servers (dialing nodes), resulting in active (answered) calls with customers. If the active call is in a different node than a nailup for an available agent, the controller can direct the agent nailup to be moved to the node which is handling the active call (or call leg). |
| US09042535B2 |
Echo control optimization
In one implementation, a conference hosted on a conference bridge that includes an echo control device that classifies the echo return loss of a plurality of endpoints. The endpoints may include endpoints on internet protocol (IP) networks and public switched telephone networks (PSTN). The echo control of the endpoints is controlled independently. An echo classification module calculates the echo return loss value of the associated echo tail of the endpoint and chooses an appropriate echo control mode. If the echo return loss is above a high threshold, a pass through mode is activated. If the echo return loss is below a low threshold, a full echo cancellation mode is activated. If the echo return loss is between the low threshold and the high threshold, an echo suppression mode is activated. |
| US09042534B2 |
Caller name identification using data structure synchronization of different networks
A device may receive a request to enable service on a wireless network for a user device. The user device may be associated with a wired network. The device may request network provisioning information, associated with the wired network, identifying service activation parameters. The device may provision the wireless network based on the request for network provisioning associated with the wired network. The device may synchronize caller information to a first caller information device, associated with the wireless network, from a second caller information device, associated with the wired network. The caller information may include caller identification information. The device may enable the service for the user device on the wireless network based on provisioning the wireless network and synchronizing the caller information to the first caller information device from the second caller information device. |
| US09042533B2 |
Dual-channel analog door entry system and a method thereof
The present invention discloses a dual-channel analog door entry system and a method thereof. The dual-channel analog door entry system comprises two cables connected between the building gateway and the floor distributors, configured to transmit audio and/or video signals between the outdoor stations and indoor phones; the building gateway, configured to receive a call request from at least one of the outdoor stations, identify and assign an available cable as an intercom channel, send the call request to each of the floor distributors via the intercom channel, and switch the audio and/or video signals from the outdoor station to the available cable; at least one of floor distributors, configured to receive and forward the call request to a desired indoor phone, receive a call response from the desired indoor phone if the desired indoor phone is available, and switch the audio and/or video signals from the available cable to the desired indoor phone. The solutions of the present invention achieves great improvement on line busy probability for large buildings and communities; and the solution is smart and simple to implement with low additional cost for reconstruction. |
| US09042529B2 |
Communication system
A communication system including a plurality of terminals; and a switchboard connected to the terminals, includes a means for causing each of the terminals to register an identifier and an address of the terminal itself in the switchboard; a means for, when one of the terminals transmits a request of transmitting a list of the terminals connected to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the list of the terminals to the terminal that transmits the request; a means for, when the terminal that transmits the request selects one of the terminals from the list and transmits the identifier of the selected terminal to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the address of the selected terminal to the terminal that transmits the request; and a means for causing the terminal that transmits the request to establish a communication with the selected terminal using the received address and a default port number. |
| US09042526B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling a calling party to leave a voice message for a called party in response to a command provided by the calling party
A method for allowing a calling party to leave a message for a called party. The method comprises: receiving a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party; obtaining message destination information associated with the called party; receiving a voice message provided by the calling party; generating an electronic message representative of the voice message; and causing transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided. |
| US09042524B2 |
Systems and methods for proximity-activated voice recording
According to one aspect, a proximity-activated voice recording system having at least two proximity-activated voice recording devices. Each voice-activated recording device may include a first proximity sensor for detecting a proximity defined by a device communications distance, and an identification token that contains first identification information for identifying the voice-activated recording device. In some cases, each device may have a second proximity sensor for detecting a proximity defined by a vocal communications distance. |
| US09042521B2 |
Beam lighting unit for radiographic apparatus
Method for limiting an X-ray beam, wherein the X-ray beam is limited by a limiting unit comprising a couple of blades approaching each other or moving away from each other to adjust the width of a space between the blades the two blades being driven by an actuator (12) linked to both blades. The position of a symmetry axis (S) of the space between the blades is set in a shifting step by changing the distance between the blades and by impeding the motion of one blade in comparison with the motion of the other blade resulting in an asymmetric motion of the blades with respect to an initial position of the symmetry axis (S). The desired width (W) of the space between the blades is set in an adjustment step by an unimpeded symmetric motion of the blades with respect to the position of the symmetry axis (S) set in the shifting step. |
| US09042520B2 |
Electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter
The present disclosure relates to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter, and more particularly, to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter that makes it possible to reduce the size of an x-ray tube by forming a stacked structure, with electric insulation and predetermined gaps maintained for each electrode, by manufacturing an x-ray tube having a stacked structure by inserting insulating spacers (for example, ceramic) between an exhausting port, a cathode, a gate, a focusing electrode, and an anode and bonding them with an adhesive substance, and then inserting a spacer between a field emitter on a cathode substrate and a gate hole connected with a gate electrode. |
| US09042519B2 |
Radiographing system, method of controlling automatic exposure in radiographing system, and radiological image detection device
A compensation circuit 76 of an AEC unit 67 of an electronic cassette 13 defines the detection signal of a detection pixel 65 of the electronic cassette 13 as a detection signal corresponding to the detection signal of an old AEC sensor 25. The compensation circuit 76 performs compensation so as to exclude the influence on the detection signal due to a difference in the configuration of an intermediate member disposed between an X-ray source 10 and an FPD 35 of the electronic cassette 13 when the detection pixel 65 is used as an AEC sensor instead of the old AEC sensor 25. The detection signal is transmitted from a detection signal I/F 80 to a detection signal I/F 26 of a source control device 11 as it is (instantaneous value) or as an accumulated value obtained using an integration circuit 77. |
| US09042512B2 |
Multi-sector computed tomography image acquisition
An approach is disclosed for acquiring multi-sector computed tomography scan data. The approach includes activating an X-ray source during heartbeats of a patient to acquire projection data over a limited angular range for each heartbeat. The projection data acquired over the different is combined. An image having good temporal resolution is reconstructed using the combined projection data. |
| US09042508B2 |
Counter, counting method, ad converter, solid-state imaging device, and electronic device
A counter configured to perform counting at both edges of an input clock to output an additional value or a subtraction value for a previous count value and a next count value includes a first latch circuit that latches the input clock, a second latch circuit that latches an output from the first latch circuit, a holding section that holds data of the 0th bit of a count value, and a correction section that performs count correction on data of the first and subsequent bits of the count value on the basis of an output of the second latch circuit. |
| US09042507B2 |
Nuclear reactor green and sintered fuel pellets, corresponding fuel rod and fuel assembly
A sintered fuel pellet for a water nuclear reactor fuel rod including a peripheral wall extending along a central axis and two end faces. At least one of the end faces includes at least a first chamfer extending from the peripheral wall towards the central axis with a first non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and a second chamfer extending from the first chamfer towards the central axis with a second non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the first slope is different from the second slope. |
| US09042506B2 |
Discrete signal synchronization based on a known bit pattern
Systems and methods for discrete signal synchronization based on a known bit pattern are described. In one aspect of the present subject matter, a discrete signal synchronization system is configured to synchronize a preprocessed discrete signal with a modified discrete signal. The system comprises a processor and a synchronization module coupled to the processor. The synchronization module comprises an extraction module and comparison module. The extraction module determines a bit pattern from the modified discrete signal using Discrete Wavelet Transformation (DWT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The comparison module compares the determined bit pattern with a known bit pattern of the preprocessed discrete signal and records a time point at which the determined bit pattern matches with the known bit pattern of the preprocessed discrete signal as a synchronization point. |
| US09042503B2 |
Data recovery circuit and operation method thereof
In a data recovery circuit, a sampling circuit is configured to sample data using a plurality of sampling clock signals having different phases relative to one another and to output a plurality of sampled data. A recovery data generation circuit is configured to perform a logic operation on the plurality of sampled data and to generate a plurality of intermediate recovery data according to a result of the logic operation. A recovery circuit is configured to check the plurality of intermediate recovery data for existence of an error and to output intermediate recovery data that is error-free, among the plurality of intermediate recovery data, as recovery data. |
| US09042500B1 |
Very low intermediate frequency (VLIF) receiver and method of controlling a VLIF receiver
A very-low intermediate frequency (VLIF) receiver and a method of controlling a VLIF receiver. The method comprises receiving a first signal, the first signal including one or both of an on-channel signal portion and an adjacent channel interferer (ACI) portion; determining that the first signal includes a portion having a strength that is above a threshold; in response to determining that the first signal includes a portion having a strength that is above the threshold, estimating one or more IQ imbalance parameters for at least a portion of the first signal; and compensating for an IQ imbalance in at least the portion of the first signal using the one or more IQ imbalance parameters. |
| US09042499B2 |
Radio frequency (RF) receivers with whitened digital clocks and related methods
Radio frequency (RF) receivers having whitened digital clocks and related methods are disclosed. Disclosed embodiments generate whitened clocks having random variations that are used to operate digital processing blocks so that interference created by the whitened clocks is seen as white noise within the received RF signal spectrum. RF input signals are received by RF front-ends (RFFEs) that output analog signals associated with channels within the RF input signals. These analog signals are converted to digital information and processed by digital receive path circuitry that outputs digital data associated with the channel. The digital receive path circuitry includes a whitened clock generator that generates a whitened clock having random variations and which a digital processing block that operates based upon the whitened clock. Further, the RFFE and the digital receive path circuitry are located within a single integrated circuit. |
| US09042496B1 |
Signal modulation scheme determination through an at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant
Various embodiments associated with an at least fourth-order cumulant of a signal are described. The at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of the signal can be taken and compared against an at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of known signals. A match can be found between the signal and a known signal and from this match, a demodulation scheme of the signal can be determined. The demodulation scheme can be used to demodulate the signal. |
| US09042489B2 |
Carrier frequency offset compensation apparatus and associated method
A carrier frequency offset compensation method for a communication system is provided. The method includes: mixing, filtering and interpolating an input signal according to a mixing parameter, a first filtering parameter and a first interpolation parameter, respectively, to generate a processed result; calculating a carrier frequency offset estimation value of the input signal according to the processed result; adjusting the mixing parameter according to the carrier frequency offset estimation value; and mixing, filtering and interpolating the input signal according to the adjusted mixing parameter, a second filtering parameter and a second interpolation parameter, respectively. The first interpolation parameter is associated with a cut-off frequency corresponding to the first filtering parameter. |
| US09042486B2 |
Sideband suppression in angle modulated signals
In an angle modulated radio transmitter, the total power is the same when modulated or unmodulated. Angle modulation produces multiple sideband pairs. The power in the sidebands is derived from the carrier. When a complex modulating waveform is used, the power (and therefore the amplitude) of the carrier varies. A system and method is provided for dramatically minimizing, to nearly zero, the bandwidth needed to transmit digital information using sideband suppression of angle modulated signals. The systems described use various techniques to suppress sideband pairs, leaving the carrier signal. The amplitude variations of the carrier are used to convey information. In some examples, techniques are used to filter and/or phase out one or more sideband pairs, leaving the carrier signal. |
| US09042482B2 |
FBR DC vector offset removal using LO phase switching
One embodiment relates to a feedback receiver (FBR). The FBR includes a FBR signal input configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first local oscillator (LO) signal input configured to receive a first LO signal having an LO frequency, and a second LO signal input configured to receive a second LO signal having the LO frequency. The second LO signal is phase shifted by approximately 90° relative to the first LO signal. FBR also includes a divider that induces a time-varying phase shift in the first and second LO signals while concurrently retaining a 90° phase shift between the first and second LO signals. |
| US09042481B2 |
Transmitter and transmission method
A transmitter is capable of suppressing a PAPR to be low and efficiently amplifying transmit power. The transmitter generates a transmission signal by oversampling a modulated signal, and includes a modulation unit that performs a modulation process on an information sequence and that generates a constant envelope signal and a phase interpolation unit that inserts a predetermined number of signals identical in amplitude to signal points of the constant envelope signal between the signal points so that signal points including original signal points are located equidistantly. |
| US09042476B2 |
Methods and a device for multi-resolution precoding matrix indicator feedback
Disclosed are methods and a device for Multi-resolution PMI Feedback. In one implementation, a user equipment finds a rank 1 or rank 2 Precoding Matrix Indicator based on the signal channel matrix and interference covariance matrix, defines an error vector, obtains an orthonormal basis for the projection matrix, finds the (M−1)-dimensional vector from a codebook (e.g., oversampled Discrete Fourier Transform) with the minimum Euclidean distance, and sends a feedback representing to the base station regarding the vector that it found in the codebook. |
| US09042475B2 |
Signal transmitting method and device in a multi-node system
Provided is a signal transmitting method of a terminal in a multi-node system including and configured to control a plurality of nodes and a base station connected to each of the plurality of nodes. The method includes: estimating a channel of at least one node by receiving a reference signal from at least one node among the plurality of nodes; selecting a preferred rank and a precoding matrix index by applying at least one precoding matrix to the estimated channel; selecting one of a plurality of codeword-layer mappings (CLMs) by applying a precoding matrix indicated by the rank and the precoding matrix index; and transmitting the selected rank, the selected precoding matrix index, and a CLM indicator to the base station. |
| US09042474B2 |
Method and apparatus for information feedback and precoding
Methods and apparatuses for information feedback and precoding have been provided. A method for processing communication data at a user equipment in a wireless communication system may comprise: deriving a spatial correlation matrix R of multiple transmit antennas of a base station based on an obtained downlink channel transmission matrix H; transforming a precoding codebook F according to the spatial correlation matrix R; selecting a precoding matrix Fs based on the transformed precoding codebook; and feeding back information about the spatial correlation matrix R and information about the selected precoding matrix Fs to the base station. A method for data precoding at a base station in a wireless communication system may comprise: obtaining, from a user equipment, information about a spatial correlation matrix R of multiple transmit antennas of the base station and information about a precoding matrix Fs selected by the user equipment; determining a desired precoding matrix FR,s based on the obtained information and a precoding codebook; and precoding downlink data to be transmitted to the user equipment with the desired precoding matrix FR,s. |
| US09042470B2 |
Measurement method and apparatus
The disclosure discloses a measurement method. The method includes: a conjugate multiplication operation is performed on reference signals corresponding to a subcarrier within adjacent time slots to remove phase interference of the reference signals; the reference signals from which the phase interference has been removed are descrambled; and all the descrambled reference signals are accumulated. The disclosure further provides a measurement apparatus. With the technical solution of the disclosure, the operation complexity of measurement can be reduced. |
| US09042465B2 |
Method and apparatus for updating channel information in mobile communication terminal
An apparatus and method for updating channel information in a mobile communication terminal supporting Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) are provided. The method includes sending a broadcasting information request to an Over The Air (OTA) server over a mobile communication network, receiving broadcasting information from the OTA server over the mobile communication network, and updating stored broadcasting information based on the received broadcasting information. |
| US09042460B1 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video by using transformation index, and method and apparatus for decoding video by using transformation index
Encoding and decoding a video using transformation index that indicates information that indicates a structure of a transformation unit transforming data of a current coding unit. |
| US09042459B1 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video by using transformation index, and method and apparatus for decoding video by using transformation index
Encoding and decoding a video using transformation index that indicates information that indicates a structure of a transformation unit transforming data of a current coding unit. |
| US09042458B2 |
Multi-threaded implementations of deblock filtering
Multi-threaded implementations of deblock filtering improve encoding and/or decoding efficiency. For example, a video encoder or decoder partitions a video picture into multiple segments. The encoder/decoder selects between multiple different patterns for splitting operations of deblock filtering into multiple passes. The encoder/decoder organizes the deblock filtering as multiple tasks, where a given task includes the operations of one of the passes for one of the segments. The encoder/decoder then performs the tasks with multiple threads. The performance of the tasks is constrained by task dependencies which, in general, are based at least in part on which lines of the picture are in the respective segments and which deblock filtering operations are in the respective passes. The task dependencies can include a cross-pass, cross-segment dependency between a given pass of a given segment and an adjacent pass of an adjacent segment. |
| US09042453B2 |
Method to derive at least one motion vector of a bi-predictive block in a current picture
In one embodiment, a method for a moving picture coding system to derive at least one motion vector of a bi-predictive block in a current picture from a motion vector of a first block in a first picture includes selecting, by the moving picture coding system, a list 1 motion vector of the first block in the first picture as a motion vector for deriving list 0 and list 1 motion vectors of the bi-predictive block if the first block only has the list 1 motion vector, the first picture being permitted to be located temporally before the current picture and permitted to be located temporally after the current picture, scaling the selected motion vector and deriving the list 0 and list 1 motion vectors of the bi-predictive block by applying a bit operation to the scaled motion vector, the bit operation including 8 bits right shift. |
| US09042449B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamic transcoding of indexed media file formats
Methods and systems for transcoding from an input media stream to an output media stream, wherein the input media stream and the output media stream are in an indexed file format. The methods and systems are capable of generating an efficiently coded media file where the movie box is generated and sent before transcoding is complete, while maintaining acceptable and consistent quality throughout and minimizing the total size of the file. |
| US09042448B2 |
Moving picture encoding system, moving picture encoding method, moving picture encoding program, moving picture decoding system, moving picture decoding method, moving picture decoding program, moving picture reencoding sytem, moving picture reencoding method, and moving picture reencoding program
A first super-resolution enlarger 103 works on moving pictures input with a standard resolution, implementing a process for a super-resolution enlargement including information on frequency components in the spatial direction and the temporal direction that has been potentially contained in the input moving pictures but unable to express to a sufficient degree by the standard resolution, and provides super-resolution enlarged signals, which are returned to the standard resolution at a first resolution converter 104, and the super-resolution enlarged signals as returned to the standard resolution are encoded at a second encoder 107. There is a first encoder 102 for encoding moving pictures input with the standard resolution, and a multiplexer 109 working to multiplex a sequence of encoded bits from the first encoder 102, a sequence of encoded bits from the second encoder 107, and the like. The second encoder 107 is adaptive to employ local decoded signals in the first encoder 102 or processed signals thereof, as reference signals. |
| US09042441B2 |
Apparatus and method for media streaming
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, dividing a media content item into a plurality of media content segments, at each media content segment of the plurality of media content segments, applying motion estimation between at least two video frames of the media content segment to determine a content weight for the media content segment, determining a bit rate for the media content segment according to the determined content weight for the media content segment, and encoding the media content segment at the determined bit rates to generate a data stream for the media content segment, whereby a plurality of data streams for the plurality of media content segments of the media content are generated, and transmitting the plurality of data streams for the plurality of media content segments of the media content to the one or more media devices. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09042436B2 |
Asymmetric multi-channel adaptive equalizer
An apparatus is disclosed to compensate for non-linear effects resulting from the transmitter, the receiver, and/or the communication channel in a communication system. A receiver of the communication system contains an image cancellation module that compensates for images generated during the modulation and/or demodulation process. The image cancellation module includes a fine carrier correction loop to correct for frequency offsets between the transmitter and receiver. The image cancellation module includes a coarse acquisition mode and a decision directed mode. The decision directed mode allows for a larger signal-to-noise ratio for the receiver when compared against the coarse acquisition mode. |
| US09042434B2 |
Filter
Method and filter for filtering a signal, in which the signal is applied to a delay line having a plurality of taps. Respective weighting coefficients of a windowing function are applied to outputs from the plurality of taps to thereby generate a plurality of weighted outputs. The method comprises repeatedly selecting, for output, whichever of the weighted outputs has the highest value. |
| US09042432B2 |
Adaptive filter bank for dynamic notching in powerline communication
An adaptive filter bank can be implemented on a PLC device to dynamically adapt to variations in notching requirements and the performance of the PLC medium. The PLC device can apply filter coefficients to one or more filter elements of the adaptive filter bank to generate one or more notched subcarriers in the PLC band. A performance measurement of one or more subcarriers in the PLC band can be determined and evaluated against corresponding performance measurement thresholds. For a given notched subcarrier, if the performance measurement of the corresponding subcarriers is not in accordance with the performance measurement threshold, updated filter coefficients for the filter element configured to generate the notched subcarrier can be determined based, at least in part, on the performance measurement of the one or more subcarriers. The filter coefficients of the filter element can then be updated using the updated filter coefficients. |
| US09042429B2 |
Interference cancellation radio receiver
A radio receiver apparatus includes a serving cell detector configured to generate a detected serving cell signal based on a serving cell detector input signal. The radio receiver apparatus further includes a first interfering cell detector configured to generate a detected first interfering cell signal based on a first interfering cell detector input signal and a first interfering cell synthesizer configured to generate synthesized first interfering cell signal based on the detected first interfering cell signal. A serving cell interference removing unit is configured to remove the synthesized first interfering cell signal from a serving cell signal to generate the serving cell detector input signal. |
| US09042428B2 |
Efficient frequency domain (FD) MMSE equalization weight updates in a multi-stage parallel interference cancellation receiver
A system and method to more efficiently compute updated Frequency Domain (FD) Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) equalization weights in a multi-stage Parallel Interference Cancellation (PIC) receiver after initial interference cancellation. The updated equalization weights (which are to be used during re-equalization) can be obtained using the old equalization weights already computed for initial interference cancellation. There is no need to invert an nR by nR matrix (where nR is the number of receive antennas) at each stage of the PIC receiver during each iteration of equalization and decoding operations. Rather, the matrix to be inverted to obtain updated equalization weights may be of the dimension n×n (where “n” equals the total number of transmission layers in a transmission scheme used in the wireless network). This significantly reduces complexity of determining updated equalization weights during FD MMSE equalization, thereby saving computational resources in a digital receiver performing such equalization. |
| US09042426B1 |
Wireless communication system
A wireless communication system includes a mobile device carried by a user and an in-vehicle apparatus equipped to a vehicle and communicatively connected with the mobile device. The in-vehicle apparatus includes a transmission unit, a transmission control unit, a reception determination unit, and a position determination unit. The transmission unit transmits low-frequency band request signals generated by spread modulating transmission data with predetermined spreading factors. The transmission control unit controls the transmission unit to generate and transmit first and second request signals having first and second attainable ranges by spread modulation using first and second spreading factors, respectively. The reception determination unit performs reception determination to response signal transmitted from the mobile device in response to the request signal. The position determination unit specifies the first attainable range or the second attainable range as a mobile device position area in response to a reception determination result. |
| US09042421B2 |
Surface emitting laser, surface emitting laser array, and optical apparatus having surface emitting laser array
There is provided a surface emitting laser allowing a direction of a far-field pattern (FFP) centroid to be inclined from a normal direction of a substrate providing the surface emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, an upper reflecting mirror stacked on the substrate; and a surface relief structure located in an upper portion of a light emitting surface of the upper reflecting mirror, the surface relief structure being made of a material allowing at least some beams emitted from the surface emitting laser to be transmitted therethrough, a plurality of regions having a predetermined optical thickness in a normal direction of the substrate being formed in contact with other region in an in-plane direction of the substrate, and a distribution of the optical thickness in the in-plane direction of the substrate is asymmetric to a central axis of the light emitting regions. |
| US09042412B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting communication channel delay asymmetry
The invention provides a method and apparatus for detecting communication channel delay asymmetry between transmission line protection devices. The method comprises: calculating, repeatedly, clock disparity between clocks of the protection devices and communication delays at different paths of the communication channel; comparing the latest calculated clock disparity and communication delays with previously calculated clock disparities and communication delays, respectively; determining a channel switching has happened if a change of the calculated clock disparity exceeds a first threshold, or a change of the calculated communication delays for any path exceeds a second threshold; and determining the channel delays as asymmetrical if a difference between the calculated communication delays of the different paths after the channel switching exceeds a third threshold. |
| US09042411B1 |
System and method for accurate time sampling in presence of output delay
A system and method for accounting for delay to accurately schedule a data packet for transmission between communicating devices. According to an aspect of the invention, a data packet to be scheduled is identified and the packet modified time, reflecting an estimation of the transmission time of the packet, and the scheduled transmission time, reflecting the time the packet should be scheduled to be transmitted, are calculated. A time stamp in the packet is adjusted to reflect the packet modified time and the packet is stored until either the packet modified time or the scheduled transmission time, when the packet is then transmitted. |
| US09042409B2 |
Packet processor and method for processing packets by means of internal control packets
A packet processor for processing an input packet includes an information generator for generating process control information for processing the input packet, an internal packet generator for receiving the input packet as an packet to be processed and adding the process control information to the packet to be processed to produce an internal packet, an internal packet processor for processing the internal packet supplied from the internal packet generator on the basis of the process control information added to the internal packet, and a packet transmitter for extracting an output packet from the internal packet processed by the internal packet processor to transmit the output packet. The packet processor can reduce the amount of communication between modules even when the packet processor includes plural modules. |
| US09042406B2 |
Method for obtaining IPV6 configuration information in IPV6 transition network, system and apparatus
The present invention discloses a method for obtaining IPv6 configuration information in an IPv6 transition network. The network includes an IPv4 network and an IPv6 network. An apparatus for providing IPv6 configuration information in the IPv4 network receives an IPv6 configuration information obtaining request packet sent by a user side device. In response, the apparatus sends a response packet to the user side device, where the response packet is a DHCPv4 packet, and carries the requested IPv6 configuration information. Some of the advantages of the present invention are that automatic configuration for a user side device which needs to traverse the IPv4 network to access the IPv6 network is implemented, and efficiency is greatly improved compared with a manual configuration method in the prior art. |
| US09042405B1 |
Interface mapping in a centralized packet processor for a network
A method for processing packets in a centralized packet processor includes configuring the centralized packet processor to operate as a part of a communication system that includes a plurality of component systems configured to operate as components of the communication system, where each of the plurality of component systems includes a respective set of physical interfaces to provide interfaces to ports associated with other devices on a network, and where each of the plurality of component systems is configured to forward selected packets to an external device via a dedicated physical interface, receiving the selected packets via a plurality of physical ports of the centralized packet processor, generating, for use at the centralized packet processor, a plurality of virtual ports to uniquely identify a plurality of physical interfaces of the component systems, where a quantity of the plurality of virtual ports is larger than a quantity of physical interfaces available at the centralized packet processor, and performing a processing operation on the selected packets at the centralized packet processor using the plurality of virtual ports. |
| US09042404B2 |
Scalable interconnect modules with flexible channel bonding
The present application discloses apparatus and methods for increasing channel utilization for a high-speed serial interface of an integrated circuit (IC). A new circuit architecture is disclosed which provides circuitry that may be programmed flexibly to support a multitude of different channel bonding schemes. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the new architecture decouples the granularity of control-signal channel bonding from the granularity of data-aggregation channel bonding. This advantageously allows optimization of configurations for both types of channel bonding. In another aspect of the invention, the logical boundaries of bonded user channels are decoupled from the physical boundaries of the PCS modules. This decoupling advantageously eliminates a rigid constraint of previous architectures. |
| US09042402B1 |
Methods and apparatus for control protocol validation of a switch fabric system
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to receive a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to send a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity such that the second network control entity implements the test instruction for a predetermined amount of time. |
| US09042400B2 |
Multi-detection of heartbeat to reduce error probability
A communications system improves performance of detecting a signal having an indication of a request to change communications states by making at least two positive identifications of the request in a given time frame. The system may further improve performance by applying a difference in power levels for a non-request state (i.e., steady state or ‘control hold’ state) versus a request state (i.e., ‘request to change’ state). In one particular application, a base station determines a request to change communications states with a reasonably high probability of detection and a reasonably low probability of false detection. The system has a reduced number of erroneous communications states, such as erroneous traffic channel allocations. The detection technique is compatible with 1xEV-DV systems and I-CDMA systems, but general enough to support systems employing various other communications protocols used in wired and wireless communications systems. |
| US09042399B2 |
Signaling separate unicast and broadcast information with a common pilot
Aspects describe conveying unicast information and broadcast information in a resource set for a transmission request. The unicast information and broadcast information can be transmitted at substantially the same time. Power control can be applied separately to the unicast information and the broadcast information for reliable decoding. A null request can be indicated by “00” bits in a unicast portion and a zero power level in the broadcast portion. |
| US09042398B2 |
Dynamically adjusted credit based round robin scheduler
A credit based queue scheduler dynamically adjusts credits depending upon at least a moving average of incoming packet size to alleviate the impact of traffic burstiness and packet size variation, and increase the performance of the scheduler by lowering latency and jitter. For the case when no service differentiation is required, the credit is adjusted by computing a weighted moving average of incoming packets for the entire scheduler. For the case when differentiation is required, the credit for each queue is determined by a product of a sum of credits given to all queues and priority levels of each queue. |
| US09042395B2 |
E-spring support of Ethernet protection
A method of routing traffic through a packet network having a mesh physical topography. At least two types of network primitive are defined, each type of network primitive providing a respective model of traffic forwarding through at least two neighbor nodes of the network. A network model encompassing at least a portion of the network is constructed using a set of two or more interconnected network primitives. The network model has nodes and links corresponding to respective nodes and lines of the network. Respective forwarding information is computed for each node of the network model. For each node of the network model, the respective computed forwarding information is installed in a forwarding database of the corresponding node of the network, such that traffic is forwarded by each node of the network in accordance with the respective computed forwarding information. |
| US09042393B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting up uplink common bearer in wireless communication network
A method and apparatus for setting up an UpLink common bearer shared by a plurality of User Equipments (UEs) in a wireless communication network is provided. The apparatus includes a Serving GateWay (S-GW) for receiving a group identifier of a UE from a Mobility Management Entity (MME), sending a create bearer request message including the group identifier to a Packet Data Network (PDN) GateWay (P-GW), receiving a create bearer response message including UL common S5 bearer information (UL common S5 info) for a group corresponding to the group identifier from the P-GW, and sending a create bearer response message including UL common S1 bearer information (UL common S1 info) to the MME, and the P-GW for receiving the create bearer request message from the S-GW, and generating and sending the create bearer response message including the UL common S5 info. |
| US09042388B2 |
Lawful interception for 2G/3G equipment interworking with evolved packet system
A method, system, and a computer program product for reducing consumption of resources for lawful interception or retention data related to traffic concerning a 2G/3G target mobile connected to a telecommunications network interworking with Evolved Packet System is provided. At least a first parameter value in data for which lawful interception or data retention has been activated is detected at a first node. Based on at least the first parameter value, whether the traffic is intercepted or retained at a second node crossed by the traffic in the same network is evaluated. If the second node is located downstream of the first node, lawful interception requests or intercepted data are filtered out. |
| US09042382B1 |
Application update using multiple disparate networks
A system and method that enables an application to retrieve application update from the software vendor using one or more network connection. The application checks for updates when it is invoked by the user. The checking of updates is done by sending a request to the vendor server via one or multiple network connections. The network connection can be wired or wireless. By using multiple network connections, the update process can send and receive update data faster than using one network connections. Another aspect of the invention is if the checking for update request failed via the default or 1st network connection, the application will check for the next available network connection to send the update request. By checking for update from the vendor, the application will always have the most up to date patches, fixes, and/or new features. |
| US09042380B2 |
Crossbar switch and recursive scheduling
A crossbar switch has N input ports, M output ports, and a switching matrix with N×M crosspoints. In an embodiment, each crosspoint contains an internal queue (XQ), which can store one or more packets to be routed. Traffic rates to be realized between all Input/Output (IO) pairs of the switch are specified in an N×M traffic rate matrix, where each element equals a number of requested cell transmission opportunities between each IO pair within a scheduling frame of F time-slots. An efficient algorithm for scheduling N traffic flows with traffic rates based upon a recursive and fair decomposition of a traffic rate vector with N elements, is proposed. To reduce memory requirements a shared row queue (SRQ) may be embedded in each row of the switching matrix, allowing the size of all the XQs to be reduced. To further reduce memory requirements, a shared column queue may be used in place of the XQs. The proposed buffered crossbar switches with shared row and column queues, in conjunction with the row scheduling algorithm and the DCS column scheduling algorithm, can achieve high throughput with reduced buffer and VLSI area requirements, while providing probabilistic guarantees on rate, delay and jitter for scheduled traffic flows. |
| US09042377B2 |
System and method for web telephone services
A web telephone service system comprises a client web page adapted to be displayed on a screen of a computer, the client web page including an element associated with the web telephone service and embedded software code, a client web server hosting the web page and an authentication key, an application server adapted to authenticate the client using the authentication key and determining a client telephone number associated with the client, a media server adapted to translate IP traffic to and from a real-time protocol traffic, a media gateway in communication with a private branch exchange adapted to associate the client telephone number with a dial plan, a SIP trunk adapted to translate VOIP traffic to and from POTS traffic, and whereby a user clicking on the visual element is operable to cause a voice communication line to be automatically established between the computer and a client POTS telephone device. |
| US09042374B2 |
Selective bandwidth connectivity through network line cards
Public communication networks increasingly need to provide customers with a range of communication services, from baseband voice service, to computer data communications, to high speed digital data communications for multimedia and the like. Many such services would be blocked by existing telephone network line cards, which provide coding and decoding (CODEC) between analog and digital signals and process digital signals only at a relatively low, fixed bit rate. In accord with the invention, intelligent signal detection and control added to a line card selectively bypasses the CODEC and the associated connection to a time slot limited telephone exchange. The selective bypass connection provides a connection to an alternative network functionality capable of providing higher bandwidth digital services. In the preferred embodiment, the bypass provides a connection through an adaptive digital signal processor with a programmed controller. The digital signal processor provides coding and decoding functions, adapted to the particular communication service requested and the physical level signal protocol used over the customer's line. The digital signal processor also provides a two-way digital communication link to a relatively fast data switch, such as an edge device of an asynchronous transport mode (ATM) network. The data switch and associated data network provide a full range of digital communication services of various bandwidths or bit rates as may be requested by individual. |
| US09042367B2 |
System and method for synchronizing phases and frequencies of devices in multi-user, wireless communications systems
A system and method for synchronizing the phases and frequencies of devices in multi-user, wireless communications systems are provided. A primary beacon signal is transmitted by a destination node in a wireless communications network to a plurality of source nodes. Secondary beacon signals are also exchanged between the source nodes. Using the primary and secondary beacon signals, the nodes generate local phase and frequency estimates which are used to control local phases and frequencies of the source nodes. The source nodes then transmit common information to the destination at carrier frequencies based on the estimated local frequencies and phases, so that the phases and frequencies of the transmitted information are synchronized to facilitate coherent combining of the bandpass signals at the destination. Phase and frequency synchronization can be applied to wireless communications systems having any number of source nodes, and effects of Doppler shifts and moving platforms are accounted for. Acoustic and radio-frequency signaling can be utilized. |
| US09042364B2 |
Method of detecting and handling an endless RLC retransmission
Disclosed is a radio (wireless) communication system providing a radio communication service and a terminal, and more particularly, to a method of effectively detecting and handling endless RLC retransmission so as to prevent endless RLC re-transmission occurring between the terminal and a network in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) that has evolved from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. |
| US09042360B2 |
Modifying remote service discovery based on presence
Modifying remote service discovery based on presence involves identifying service discovery data using ad-hoc, peer-to-peer, service discovery protocols of a local network. The service discovery data is aggregated via an entity of the local network. Presence data associated with a remote device located outside of the local network is identified and the aggregated service discovery data is altered based on the presence data. The altered aggregated service discovery data is made available to the remote device using out-of-band communications. The out-of-band communications are different from the service discovery protocols of the local network. |
| US09042355B2 |
Quality of service (QoS) for satellite communications network
A device stores a traffic management profile for satellite network traffic that provides default percentages for classes of traffic that can pass when contention for limited bandwidth exists. The device receives packets having class markings and designated for transmission over a Demand-Assigned Time Division Multiple Access (DA-TDMA) network and identifies each of the received packets as one of a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet or a non-TCP packet. The device assigns the received packets to different queues based on the class markings and the identifying as a TCP packet or non-TCP packet, and determines available transmission bandwidth for a particular time slot of the DA-TDMA network associated with the device. The device also schedules packets from the different queues based on the default percentages in the traffic management profile and the transmission bandwidth for the particular time slot. |
| US09042354B2 |
Controlling stations' access to a communications medium
Managing access to a time-slotted communications medium by masking interrogatory codes that are contained in signals demarcating time slots of the medium and comparing the masked interrogatory codes against masked response codes. Access to the medium is dependent on the outcome of these comparisons. |
| US09042351B2 |
Radio communication apparatus
A radio communication system includes a mobile station configured to: intermittently receive information indicating a transmission format used for a shared channel via which data is received from a radio communication apparatus, intermittently transmit Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) information relating to the transmission format used for the shared channel in a first mode, set the timing of the intermittent transmission of the CQI information a given time before the reception of the information indicating a transmission format used for the shared channel, the CQI information being transmitted periodically, and switch from the first mode to a second mode in which the CQI information is transmitted more frequently than in the first mode; and the radio communication apparatus configured to communicate with the mobile station. |
| US09042350B2 |
Firmware processing for downlink F-DPCH
A channel receiver operable to implement fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for high-speed data packet access is provided. A received RF signal is processed to produce a set of soft symbol outputs. The receiver detects whether transmit power control (TPC) command bits are present in the set of soft symbol outputs. The TPC command bits are conveyed with the RF signal over non-dedicated pilot bits in the processed baseband signal. When TPC command bits are detected, the set of soft symbol outputs are processed to produce estimated TPC command bits. A TPC quality estimate is generated based on the estimated TPC command bits. A signal-to-interference ratio for the WCDMA dedicated physical channel is adjusted based upon a comparison of the TPC quality estimate with a TPC quality target to effect F-DPCH power control. |
| US09042349B1 |
Allocation of wireless resources based on media codec
In response to receiving a first resource request from a first wireless communication device (WCD) and a second resource request from a second WCD, a radio access network (RAN) may determine that the first WCD and second WCD are contending for a resource of a wireless coverage area that is defined by the RAN. The RAN may further determine that the first WCD supports a first media codec, and that the second WCD supports a second media codec but does not support the first media codec. The RAN may compare the first media codec to the second media codec, and based on a result of this comparison, may allocate the resource to the first WCD. |
| US09042346B2 |
Mobile relay station and handover method thereof
A mobile relay station (RS) and a handover method thereof are provided. When it is determined that a mobile RS performs handover from a superordinate base station (BS) to a target BS, information indicating admission of handover is received from the superordinate BS. The mobile RS transmits a service unavailability section to a subordinate terminal, whereby the subordinate terminal is prevented from performing handover to a different BS or a different RS. |
| US09042344B2 |
Base station, user equipment, radio network controller and methods therein
Some embodiments herein relate to a method in a base station (12) for informing a user equipment (10) of a power offset to be used at the user equipment (10), which base station (12) is controlled by a radio network controller (15). The base station (12) evaluates a quality of a High Speed Dedicated Packet Control Channel, HS-DPCCH, from the user equipment (10). The base station (12) transmits information, which information is generated at the base station (12) and indicates a power offset to the user equipment (10). The power offset is based on the evaluation and to be used for a HS-DPCCH transmission from the user equipment (10). |
| US09042342B2 |
Radio communication base station device and correlation setting method
Provided is a radio communication base station device which can suppress a use amount of an SRS communication resource. In this device, a correlation rule setting unit (102) sets a rule for correlating a preamble with an SRS transmission time interval so that the preamble transmission time band and the SRS transmission time band are in the same transmission time band. An SRS transmission band decision unit (103) decides a time interval of a transmission time band which can transmit the SRS according to the preamble transmission time interval inputted from a preamble transmission band decision unit (101) and the correlation rule setting unit (102). |
| US09042341B2 |
Method of zone switch in a broadband wireless access system
A method for performing zone switch carried out by an advanced mobile station (AMS) operating in a first zone of a serving advanced base station (serving ABS) supporting a legacy mobile station (MS). The method includes receiving a handover command (AAI-HO-CMD) message indicating zone switching to a second zone of the serving ABS from the first zone, in which the handover command message is received in the first zone and provides information on a Connection Identifier (CID) to be used by the AMS in the second zone; performing network reentry in the second zone using the information on the CID; receiving an unsolicited ranging response (RNG-RSP) message in the second zone after the network reentry in the second zone is finished, in which the unsolicited RNG-RSP message indicates zone switching to the first zone of the serving ABS from the second zone; and performing network reentry in the first zone of the serving ABS. Further, the first zone supports AMSs and the second zone supports legacy MSs. |
| US09042339B2 |
System and method for supporting robust header compression in wireless communication system
A system and method support robust header compression (ROHC) for a mobile station (MS) handover in a wireless communication system. If a mobile station (MS) accesses a base station (BS) controlled by the ASN-GW through a handover, ROHC parameter information is received from a previous ASN-GW controlling a previous BS accessed by the MS before the handover. An ROHC parameter for ROHC-based communication with the MS is determined on the basis of the ROHC parameter information received from the previous ASN-GW. The determined ROHC parameter is transmitted to the MS by using a path modification request message for an ROHC service flow. |
| US09042333B2 |
Cooperative wireless networks
A cooperative multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) system coordinates spatially distributed transceiver stations for communicating with wireless client devices. The system comprises a network interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver stations via a backhaul network, which may comprise a wireless local area network. A MIMO processor pre-codes NR original data streams to generate NT subspace-coded data streams, wherein each subspace-coded data stream comprises a linear combination of at least some of the original data streams. NT may denote a number of transmitting antennas, and NR may denote a number of receiving antennas. A network controller conveys the subspace-coded data streams to the transceiver stations via the backhaul network and coordinates the simultaneous transmission of the subspace-coded data streams over wireless links to the wireless client devices. The pre-coding causes the transmissions to coherently combine at a first wireless client device to produce at least a first data stream while suppressing inter-user interference from at least a second data stream intended for at least a second wireless client device. The client devices and/or the transceiver stations may be selected based on channel state information and/or measured channel quality. |
| US09042328B2 |
Channel quality indicator reporting in communications system
A solution for periodic channel quality indicator reporting in a communications system is disclosed. A user equipment performs the method steps of receiving radio resource configuration signalling from a network apparatus, and checking a channel quality indicator mode of the received radio resource configuration signalling. Based on said checking, the user equipment determines a container for a periodic channel quality indicator report, and based on said determining, selects a physical uplink control channel transmission format for the periodic channel quality indicator report. If the determined container of the periodic channel quality indicator report is a reduced-bit container, a modified physical uplink control channel format 1b is selected as the physical uplink control channel transmission format for the periodic channel quality indicator report. |
| US09042325B2 |
Blind decoding
A method includes selecting, in a system in which a communication device searches for unscheduled transmissions of downlink control information for said communication device, a combination of search spaces for unscheduled transmissions of downlink control information for a communication device by a number of transmission techniques. The method includes transmitting an indication of the result of the selected combination to said communication device. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed. |
| US09042324B2 |
Enhanced active scanning in wireless local area networks
A method for active scanning in a wireless network may include two transmitters. In such a method, the following steps may take place: detecting a first probe request having a scanning target originating from a first transmitter; desiring to send a probe request to the scanning target from a second transmitter; and canceling the second probe request on a condition that the second transmitter detects the first probe request. |
| US09042319B2 |
Transmission of acknowledgement signals from a user equipment for orthogonal reception at multiple points
Method and apparatus for a User Equipment (UE) determining a resource for a transmission of a control signal in response to a detected control channel including Control Channel Elements (CCEs), where transmission of the control signal is with a first sequence or with a second sequence, if a first resource or a second resource is used, respectively. The first resource is determined from the CCE index while the second resource is determined from a group of consecutive CCE indexes. The UE is also signaled a bit-map associating the subframe of the control channel detection with the use of a first resource or of a second resource. |
| US09042318B2 |
Distributed channel assignment
Disclosed, in example embodiment herein, is an apparatus comprising an interface and channel selection logic coupled to the interface. The channel selection logic is operable to receive data representative of neighboring wireless devices to a wireless device occupying a channel for a plurality of channels via the interface. The channel selection logic is responsive to receiving the data representative of neighboring wireless devices occupying the plurality of channels to generate a graph for each of the plurality of channels, wherein vertices of the graph represent the wireless device and neighboring wireless devices occupying the channel and edges of the graph represent wireless devices with overlapping coverage areas. The channel selection logic selects the channel for the wireless device whose graph has the smallest radius. |
| US09042314B2 |
Method for performing retransmission in MIMO wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
A method for performing retransmission at a user equipment of a MIMO wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises transmitting multiple transport blocks to a base station for a transmission unit time in accordance with uplink grant information, which includes a first new data indicator; receiving ACK/NACK (Acknowledgement/Negative-ACK) responses corresponding to the respective transport blocks and uplink grant information, which includes a second new data indicator, from the base station; and performing new transmission or retransmission for the multiple transport blocks in one transport block unit for a transmission unit time in accordance with the ACK/NACK responses and the second new data indicator, if transport rank is reduced to 1. |
| US09042312B2 |
Heterogeneous network partition in TDD beyond radio frame
Maintaining uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) compatibility with extended radio frames includes partitioning subframe groups over an extended radio frame having a length of time greater than a time defined for a single radio frame. User equipment (UE) suspends PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel) retransmission in the extended radio frame, in accordance with hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing of a subframe group assigned to the UE. |
| US09042310B2 |
Transmit power allocation for adaptive multi-carrier multiplexing MIMO systems
The present invention relates to transmit power allocation in multi-carrier, multiplexing MIMO communication systems. The present invention especially relates to a MIMO communication device, a method of assigning transmit power to two or more communication channels and a software program product. A multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, communication device according to the present invention comprisesa link controller adapted to assign transmit power to two or more transmission channels, each of said transmission channels having preassigned a portion of transmit power for each of a group of subcarriers, said link controller being further adapted to assign, for each subcarrier of said group of subcarriers, at least part of the preassigned transmit power portion of a transmission channel that is not used for transmitting information at the subcarrier, to one or more transmission channels that are used for transmitting information at the subcarrier. |
| US09042308B2 |
System and method for connecting a wireless terminal to a network via a gateway
A system including (i) a first gateway providing access to a first network and a second network, and (ii) a second gateway providing access to the second network. A network device determines whether a wireless terminal is communicating with the first network via the first gateway and attempting to communicate with the second network via the second gateway. The network device determines whether the first gateway permits the wireless terminal to communicate with the second network. In response to determining that the wireless terminal is communicating with the first network via the first gateway and is attempting to communicate with the second network via the second gateway and that the first gateway permits the wireless terminal to communicate with the second network, the network device permits the wireless terminal to access the second network via the first gateway prior to the wireless terminal establishing a connection with the second gateway. |
| US09042304B2 |
Controlling a paravirtualized wireless interface from a guest virtual machine
A method, system and an apparatus to paravirtualize a wireless interface is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method receives a frame of data for a wireless service through a wireless interface of a host device using a processor. If the frame of data is associated with a first type of category, the frame of data is processed through a first standard interface. If the frame of data is associated with a second type of category, the frame is processed through a second standard interface. The method then sends the frame of data processed through the first standard interface or the second standard interface to a guest. A virtual wireless interface associated the guest that is emulating the wireless interface of the host device converts the frame of data processed through the first standard interface to the second standard of communication. |
| US09042302B2 |
Data breakout at the edge of a mobile data network
Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. These services may include caching of data, data or video compression techniques, push-based services, charging, application serving, analytics, security, data filtering, and new revenue-producing services, as well as others. This architecture allows performing new mobile network services at the edge of a mobile data network within the infrastructure of an existing mobile data network. |
| US09042295B1 |
Transponded anti-jam satellite communications
A method and apparatus for processing a signal. The signal is received in a receiver system in a satellite. The signal has a range of frequencies in which information is carried in a number of channels having a number of frequencies within the range of frequencies. The number of frequencies for a channel in the number of channels changes within the range of frequencies over time. The signal is transmitted using a transmitter system in the satellite. The signal is unprocessed to identify the number of frequencies for the channel used to carry the information by the satellite. |
| US09042294B2 |
System and method for relaying transmissions in wireless communications
A system and method for relaying transmissions in wireless communications is provided. A method for combined relay node operation includes determining an operating mode of the combined relay node, where the combined relay node includes a repeater and a relay. The method also includes if the operating mode is repeater on mode, amplifying and forwarding received signals, and storing subframes, where subframes are demodulated and decoded versions of the received signals. The method further includes if the operating mode is repeater off mode, amplifying and forwarding a control zone of signals received while the operating mode is repeater off mode, and transmitting subframes stored while the operating mode is repeater on mode. |
| US09042293B2 |
Communication method using relay station in mobile communication system
A communication method using a relay station (RS) in a mobile communication system is disclosed. A base station transmits identification information, which designates a position of a relay station region during at least one next frame, to a mobile subscriber station through the relay station, and the mobile subscriber station identifies the position of the relay station region during the at least one next frame. Thus, the mobile subscriber station does not need to synchronize with a relay station preamble to retrieve the relay station region for every frame, and a start point of the relay station region can be retrieved quickly and exactly even in the case that the position of the relay station region is varied. |
| US09042292B2 |
Method and system for determining mapping relationship between multicast broadcast single frequency network area and service area
The present invention discloses a method and system for determining a mapping relation between the MBSFN area and the service area, wherein the method includes: an eNB sends an M2 setup request message to an MCE; the MCE allocates MBSFN area identities and sends a message with a mapping relation between the MBSFN area and the service area to the eNB; and the eNB acquires the mapping relation between the MBSFN area and the service. By the technical scheme of the invention, the mapping relation between the MBSFN area and the MBMS area can be defined, thus ensuring the synchronization transmission demand of the MBSFN with air interfaces. |
| US09042291B2 |
Methods for assigning a plethora of group communications among a limited number of pre-established MBMS bearers in a communication system
An infrastructure device in a 3GPP compliant system performs a method to allocate MBMS bearers. The 3GPP compliant system includes a RAN partitioned into a plurality MBMS services areas, wherein each MBMS service area has a plurality of pre-established MBMS bearers for transporting media streams. The infrastructure device: receives a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group; selects a set of the MBMS service areas for transporting the media stream; determines an available MBMS bearer in each selected MBMS service area to assign to transport the media stream; and identifies the assigned MBMS bearers to members of the communication group. In addition, a UE performs a method for MBMS service area location update in the 3GPP compliant system. Accordingly, the UE: determines a 3GPP MBMS service area in which the UE is currently located; and identifies the 3GPP MBMS service area to an infrastructure device. |
| US09042290B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient addressing and power savings in wireless communications
A method and apparatus may be used for assigning groups of stations in wireless communications to one or more groups. Groups may be assigned by an access point (AP) based on information received from a station (STA). Group information may be signaled to each station and a group identifier may be indicated in a frame. The group information may be applied to a performance enhancement, for example power savings for the station, wherein the station enters a power saving mode on a condition that the station determines that it is not a member of the group. |
| US09042288B2 |
System and method for traffic signaling and control in a wireless network
A system and method are provided for traffic signaling in wireless or sensor networks. The system and method use information or bits in a Signal Field (SIG) of Physical Layer (PHY) preamble in a packet to provide traffic control information. An embodiment method implemented by a network component comprises indicating a traffic direction and a traffic type for traffic control in a SIG in a frame and transmitting the frame including the SIG. Another method comprises receiving in a frame a SIG for traffic control that indicates a transmission type and decoding the SIG field to determine whether to process remaining information in the frame if the frame comprises data payload or a Media Access Control (MAC) header. |
| US09042287B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving network loading
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatus, and computer-program products for improving network loading (e.g., by enabling inter-frequency handover and/or traffic offloading between neighboring base stations). In aspects, the proposed methods may include transmitting a beacon signal on a frequency (e.g., carrier frequency) other than the frequency currently used by a base station. The base station may select a cell identity (ID) and transmit one or more beacon signals on the frequency using the selected cell ID. The beacon signal may be used to decide whether or not to perform an inter-frequency handover. |
| US09042272B2 |
Distributed proxy addressing operations
An addressing redirection mechanism is initiated at a switch or a router in a computing network in order to enable the switch to perform one or more distributed proxy addressing operations on behalf of a connected router. An address request transmitted from a first host device to a second host device to obtain addressing information of the second host device is received at the switch, and the switch inspects the address request to identify addressing information for the first host device. The switch is configured to forward the addressing information for the first host device to the router. |
| US09042271B2 |
Transport networks supporting virtual private networks, and configuring such networks
A layer 2 transport network, and components thereof, supporting virtual network functionality among customer edge devices. Virtual private network configuration can be accomplished with merely local intervention by preprovisioning extra channel (or circuit) identifiers at each customer edge device and by advertising label base and range information corresponding to a list of channel (or circuit) identifiers. |
| US09042262B2 |
Method and apparatus for adjusting sound reference signal transmission power
A method of adjusting a transmit power for sounding reference signals in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of cells, performed by a user equipment, including determining a first transmit power for a first sound reference signal (SRS) to be transmitted on a first serving cell and a second transmit power for a second SRS to be transmitted on a second serving cell, and if a total transmit power for the first SRS and the second SRS exceeds a maximum transmit power, scaling the first SRS and the second SRS with a same scaling factor. |
| US09042260B2 |
Multi-hop wireless networks
A path configuration message is sent to nodes in a multi-hop network along a path between a source node and destination nodes. The path configuration message includes path information and one or more special channel access parameters associated with the path information. The path configuration message temporarily changes the channel access priority for packets matching the path information in the special message. The nodes along the path therefore have higher channel access priority relative to other nearby nodes and other traffic flows. At the end of the a length of a time determined by a time to live parameter in the special message, the nodes resume using default channel access parameters in place of the special channel access parameters for packets matching the path information. |
| US09042258B2 |
Method for performing limited measurement in wireless communication system and apparatus supporting same
Provided is a method for measuring, which is performed by a user equipment in a wireless communication system. The method for measuring comprises the following steps: receiving from a serving cell a report request message on measured resource limitation; attempting to acquire the information on the measured resource limitation; and transmitting the report request message on the measured resource limitation including the information on the measured resource limitation to the serving cell; receiving from the serving cell the measured resource limitation setting; and performing the limited measurement, when the information on the measured resource limitation is successfully acquired. |
| US09042257B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method
A computer having a communication function is caused to receive user instructions designating execution of a process other than a process for acquiring information relating to a communication environment; execute the process designated by the user instructions; acquire information relating to the communication environment of the computer, when the user instructions are received or when the process indicated by the user instructions is executed; and acquire position information of the computer, when the user instructions are received or when the process indicated by the user instructions is executed. |
| US09042255B2 |
Methods and apparatus for device scheduling
Systems and techniques for crosstalk estimation. One or more user devices feed back preceding matrix indicator rank information to one or more base stations, which generated channel state information reference sources, at least one of which includes weightings based on the preceding matrix indicator rank information. One or more user devices estimates channel information based on active preceding matrix indicator information received by the base station from at least one user device. One or more user devices computes channel estimates for a desired transmission channel and one or more other potential transmission channels associated with other user devices and performs crosstalk estimation for the estimated channels. Crosstalk estimation information is fed back to a base station, which performs scheduling based at least in part on the crosstalk estimation from the one or more user devices. |
| US09042254B2 |
Communication method between two distinct networks with radio communication nodes, associated processing module and computer program
A communication method between two distinct networks with radio communication nodes, includes the following steps: collecting geographical location information for the nodes of the first and second network, deducing a geographical coverage area of the first and second network as a function of geographical location information; determining an intersection zone of the geographical coverage areas; identifying, as a function of the collected location information, nodes of the first and second network, located inside said intersection zone; and sending said nodes of the first identified network data indicating the collected geographical locations of the nodes of the second identified network. |
| US09042252B2 |
Inter-packet interval prediction learning algorithm
An appliance receives packets that are part of a flow pair, each packet sharing an application protocol. The appliance determines the application protocol of the packets by performing deep packet inspection (DPI) on the packets. Packet sizes are measured and converted into packet size states. Packet size states, packet sequence numbers, and packet flow directions are used to create an application protocol estimation table (APET). The APET is used during normal operation to estimate the application protocol of a flow pair without performing time consuming DPI. The appliance then determines inter-packet intervals between received packets. The inter-packet intervals are converted into inter-packet interval states. The inter-packet interval states and packet sequence numbers are used to create an inter-packet interval prediction table. The appliance then stores an inter-packet interval prediction table for each application protocol. The inter-packet interval prediction table is used during operation to predict the inter-packet interval between packets. |
| US09042248B2 |
Radio communication system, radio terminals, radio base stations, radio communication method and program
Disclosed is a radio communication system wherein radio terminals can communicate using a plurality of component carriers having different frequencies. The communication system has a reception start timing control means for commonly controlling the cycle of reception start timing for predetermined channels in at least some of the component carriers assigned to the radio terminals; and a reception control means for controlling the reception interval of said predetermined channels, said reception intervals being started at the reception start times in at least some of the component carriers assigned to the radio terminals. |
| US09042245B2 |
Network measurements and diagnostics
A network diagnostics equipped device(s), such as a Domain Master, node, test and measurement system, transceiver, or the like, is configured to be capable of performing one or more of data rate measurements in a network, Signal-to-Noise Ratio per subcarrier (SNRps) measurements in a network, Bit Allocation Value per subcarrier (BATVps) measurements in a network, Channel Attenuation per subcarrier (CATps) measurements in a network, Quiet Line Noise per subcarrier (QLNps) measurements in a network and Nonlinear Noise per subcarrier (NLNps) measurements in a network. The above information can be further used to address network performance issues as well as to map and assist with identification of one or more problems within the network. |
| US09042230B2 |
Real time and high resolution buffer occupancy monitoring and recording
Presented herein are techniques for detection and characterization of buffer occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. The packets are stored in a buffer of the network device as they are processed by the network device. An occupancy level of the buffer is sampled at a sampling rate. Occupancy levels of the buffer over time are determined from the sampling, and traffic flow through the network device is characterized based on the occupancy levels. |
| US09042229B2 |
Partitioning a network switch into multiple switching domains
A distributed fabric system includes multiple switches coupled to a cell-based switching fabric. A logical system port that is globally unique within the distributed fabric system is mapped to each physical network port in the distributed fabric system. To partition the system into multiple non-overlapping switching domains, each system port is associated with a look-up table having at least one table entry for each other system port to be allocated to the same switching domain as that system port. Each switch that receives a packet over a given system port is limited to switching the packet to only those other system ports for which the look-up table associated with the given system port has a table entry. |
| US09042228B2 |
Automatic protection switching method, device and system
Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic protection switching method, device and system. The method includes: determining a part of services as to-be-switched service(s) according to change of bandwidth when monitoring that the bandwidth of the first transmission path changes; and switching the to-be-switched service(s) between links on the second transmission path and the first transmission path. Another method includes: receiving a partial switching message from a peer network edge node through the first transmission path or the second transmission path; and determining the to-be-switched service(s) according to indication information about the to-be-switched service(s) or bandwidth change information in the partial switching message, and switching the to-be-switched service(s) between links on the first transmission path and the second transmission path. |
| US09042227B2 |
Systems , methods, and computer program products providing feedback for network congestion management
A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly recording computer program logic for providing feedback in a network, the computer program product including code to receive first data and second data over the network at a receiving device, code to increment a first counter and a second counter in response to the first data and second data, respectively, code to generate a plurality of feedback signals reflecting states of the first and second counters using at least three bits, the bits defining a set of code points mapped to the states of the first and second counters so that each individual code point represents a different one of the states and each one of the states is represented by one code point, and code to transmit the plurality of feedback signals to a sending device in the network. |
| US09042224B2 |
Method and system for weighted fair queuing
A system for scheduling data for transmission in a communication network includes a credit distributor and a transmit selector. The communication network includes a plurality of children. The transmit selector is communicatively coupled to the credit distributor. The credit distributor operates to grant credits to at least one of eligible children and children having a negative credit count. Each credit is redeemable for data transmission. The credit distributor further operates to affect fairness between children with ratios of granted credits, maintain a credit balance representing a total amount of undistributed credits available, and deduct the granted credits from the credit balance. The transmit selector operates to select at least one eligible and enabled child for dequeuing, bias selection of the eligible and enabled child to an eligible and enabled child with positive credits, and add credits to the credit balance corresponding to an amount of data selected for dequeuing. |
| US09042220B2 |
Network traffic scheduler and associated method, computer program and computer program product
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for network traffic scheduling. The method includes selecting, at a present node within a node hierarchy that multiplexes a plurality of input nodes to an output node, a winning node from a plurality of lower level nodes, obtaining first parameters provided from the winning node, the first parameters being in association with the winning node, determining second parameters in association with the present node at least partially based on the first parameters, and providing the second parameters in association with the present node to an upper level node in the node hierarchy for scheduling at the upper level node. To determine the second parameters in association with the present node, in an embodiment, the method includes using the first parameters to look up an entry in a lookup table that stores the second parameters in association with the first parameters. |
| US09042218B2 |
Apparatus, method, and system for incentivizing open access to closed subscriber group low-power base stations
Apparatus and methods are disclosed that provide various incentive schemes for owners of low-power base stations to allow others nearby to use their base station, enabling offloading of some users from a nearby macrocell, thus helping improve overall network performance. For example, a “win-win” scenario might exist when a sharing opportunity at a low-power base station overlaps with a sharing opportunity at the neighboring macrocell. During this overlap, when the low-power base station provides access to its air interface to one or more UEs outside of a set of UEs associated with the low-power base station, an incentive credit may be received. Incentive credits can take various forms, and in some examples, may be in an amount that is a function of an amount of contribution to the network resulting from the provision of access to the air interface. |
| US09042215B2 |
Simultaneous acquisition of a TD-SCDMA network in circuit-switched fallback from TDD-LTE systems
In mobile user equipment (UE) configured to allow for operation on multiple wireless communication networks, such as on a TD-SCDMA network or on a TDD-LTE network, an improved method for handing over a circuit-switched call is offered. The proposed circuit-witched fallback procedure, employing an improved UE hardware architecture, allows for certain connection setup procedures to occur in parallel, such as the UE pre-acquiring the TD-SCDMA cell. The parallel operations thus speed up the circuit-switched fallback procedure and reduce existing delays in executing circuit-switched fallback from TDD-LTE to TD-SCDMA networks. |
| US09042214B2 |
Router and rapid response network
A router includes a plurality of wireless network carrier cards, each of the network carrier cards adapted for use with one of a like plurality of different carrier networks, means for determining which of the plurality of network carrier cards provides a suitable connection to a carrier network and means for selecting one or more suitable connections to one or more carrier networks and for connecting the EVDO router to the carrier network through a particular one of the plurality of network carrier cards and a load balancing processor for load balancing between a plurality of different backbone networks and wherein the load balancing processor directs traffic among multiple networks to provide a desired throughput. In one embodiment, the router is provided as an evolution-data optimized (EVDO) wireless router. |
| US09042213B2 |
Communication apparatus and a communication method for combining signals mapped on a plurality of frequency bands and transforming the combined signal into a symbol in a time domain
Provided is a radio communication device which can reduce ISI caused by destruction of an orthogonal DFT matrix even when an SC-FDMA signal is divided into a plurality of clusters and the clusters are respectively mapped to discontinuous frequency bands. The radio communication device includes a DFT unit (110), a division unit (111), and a mapping unit (112). The DFT unit (110) uses the DFT matrix to execute a DFT process on a symbol sequence in a time region to generate a signal (SC-FDMA signal) of the frequency region. The division unit (111) generates a plurality of clusters by dividing the SC-FDMA signal with a partially orthogonal bandwidth corresponding to the vector length of some of the column vectors constituting the DFT matrix used in the DFT unit (110) and orthogonally intersecting at least partially. The mapping unit (112) maps the clusters to discontinuous frequency bands. |
| US09042210B2 |
Multi-purpose near-field transducer having a temperature coefficient of resistance
An apparatus includes a writer, an arrangement comprising a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) adjacent the writer and comprising a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and a lead arrangement connected to the NFT arrangement. In some configurations, the NFT arrangement includes a heat sink, and the lead arrangement is connected to the heat sink. In other configurations, the lead arrangement is connected directly to the NFT. |
| US09042206B2 |
Mechanism for driving an indicator for a timepiece
A mechanism for driving an indicator for a timepiece includes: a mobile for driving the indicator; a first lever mounted about a first pivot and including a beak to cooperate with a toothing of the mobile; a first cam arranged to rotate the first lever about the first pivot; a second lever mounted about a second pivot and to which the first pivot is rigidly connected; a second cam arranged to rotate the second lever about the second pivot; and elastic elements for maintaining the cooperation between the levers and cams; the levers and the cams being arranged so that the beak of the first lever cyclically describes a closed curve, each cycle including a first motion during which the beak leaves the toothing of the mobile without changing the angular position thereof and a second motion during which the beak re-enters the toothing to move the mobile. |
| US09042203B2 |
High-frequency content boost for vibratory seismic source and method
Computer software, controller and method for generating a desired pilot signal for driving a vibratory source. The method includes steps for selecting a pilot target amplitude spectrum for the vibratory source; determining an initial pilot signal that matches the pilot target amplitude spectrum; associating the initial pilot signal with first and second frequency bands, the second frequency band including a high-frequency end of a range of the vibratory source; band-passing a first part of the initial pilot signal associated with the first frequency band with a first band-pass configuration; band-passing a second part of the initial pilot signal associated with the second frequency band with a second band-pass configuration; level compressing the first and second parts of the initial pilot signal; recombining the first and second parts of the initial pilot signal to form a recombined pilot signal; and processing the recombined pilot signal to obtain the desired pilot signal. |
| US09042201B2 |
Method and system for direct communication
Information is communicated to an individual by directing an acoustic signal transcranially to a target region in the brain. The target region is stimulated to produce a cognitive effect, and the cognitive effect is modulated or encoded to carry the desired information. |
| US09042198B2 |
Nonvolatile random access memory
According to one embodiment, a memory includes a memory cell array with banks, each bank including rows, a first word lines provided in corresponding to the rows, an address latch circuit which latches a first row address signal, a row decoder which activates one of the first word lines, and a control circuit which is configured to execute a first operation which activates one of the banks based on a bank address signal when a first command is loaded, and a second operation which latches the first row address signal in the address latch circuit, and execute a third operation which activates one of the first word lines by the row decoder based on a second row address signal and the first row address signal latched in the address latch circuit when a second command is loaded after the first command. |
| US09042194B2 |
Refresh method, refresh address generator, volatile memory device including the same
A refresh method for a volatile memory device includes refreshing memory cells of a first set of rows of an array at a first refresh rate having a first refresh period, the first refresh rate being a lower rate having a longer refresh period than a second refresh rate having a second refresh period, wherein each memory cell in the first set of rows of the array has a retention time longer than the first refresh period; and refreshing memory cells of a second set of rows of the array at a third refresh rate having a third refresh period, the third refresh rate being a higher rate having a shorter refresh period than the second refresh rate having the second refresh period, wherein at least one memory cell of each row of the second set of rows has a retention time longer than the third refresh period and shorter than the first refresh period. The second refresh period corresponds to a refresh period defined in a standard for the volatile memory device. |
| US09042193B2 |
Sense amplifier scheme
A sense amplifier circuit comprising a pair of cross-coupled inverters and a data line charging circuit is disclosed. The cross-coupled inverters comprise a first inverter and a second inverter. The first inverter has a first pull-up transistor with a first pull-up terminal. The second inverter has a second pull-up transistor with a second pull-up terminal. The output of the first inverter is coupled to the input of the second inverter at a first sense amp node. The output of the second inverter is coupled to the input of the first inverter at a second sense amp node. The data line charging circuit has a first node connected to a data line and the first pull-up terminal. The data line charging circuit also has a second node connected to a complementary data line and the second pull-up terminal. The first and second pull-up transistors are coupled to different voltage levels when a sense amplifier enable signal is activated. |
| US09042189B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes: a burst start signal generation unit configured to generate a first burst start signal by delaying a write pulse by a first period, generate a second burst start signal by delaying the write pulse by a second period, and selectively transmit the first or second burst start signal as a select burst start signal in response to a test signal; an input control signal generation unit configured to generate an input control signal in response to the first burst start signal; and a write command generation unit configured to generate a write driver enable signal in response to the select burst start signal. |
| US09042188B2 |
Memory controller and method of calibrating a memory controller
A memory controller transmits a data signal, a data strobe signal and a mask signal to a memory, wherein each transition of the data strobe signal indicates a sample point for the data signal and the mask signal indicates a validity of the data signal. A mask signal training procedure is carried out comprising three steps. Writing first and second values to the memory for a predetermined plurality of transitions of the data strobe signal with the mask signal set to indicate that the first data signal is valid and the second data signal is valid except for a selected transition of the predetermined plurality. Reading from the memory for the predetermined plurality of transitions of the data strobe signal. Determining a timing offset for the mask signal for which the value read at the selected transition matches the first value. |
| US09042186B2 |
Solid state drive and data erasing method thereof
A data erasing method of a solid state drive is provided. The solid state drive includes a memory module. The memory module includes a block. A data to be erased is stored in the block. The data erasing method includes steps of performing a first erasing operation to erase the block, programming the block after the first erasing operation, and performing a second erasing operation to erase the block. |
| US09042181B2 |
Periodic erase operation for a non-volatile medium
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing erase operations for a data storage medium. A method includes determining whether a use threshold for one or more non-volatile storage cells is satisfied. A method includes performing a default erase operation for the one or more storage cells in response to determining that the use threshold is not satisfied. A method includes performing an extended erase operation for the one or more storage cells in response to determining that the use threshold is satisfied. An extended erase operation may include a greater number of erase pulse iterations than a default erase operation. |
| US09042180B2 |
Charge pump redundancy in a memory
An integrated circuit includes a circuit block to utilize a load current at a load voltage from a power input and two or more charge pump arrays. The outputs of the charge pump arrays are coupled to the power input of the circuit block. The integrated circuit includes one or more modifiable elements to disable one or more of the two or more charge pump arrays. |
| US09042179B2 |
Method for writing in and reading data from a semiconductor storage device and semiconductor storage device
A method for writing data in a semiconductor storage device and a semiconductor storage device are provided, that can reduce variations in readout current from a sub storage region which serves as a reference cell for the memory cells of the semiconductor storage device, thereby preventing an improper determination from being made when determining the readout current from a memory cell. In the method, data is written on a memory cell in two data write steps by applying voltages to the first and second impurity regions of the memory cell, the voltages being different in magnitude from each other. |
| US09042178B2 |
Program and read trim setting
A method and apparatus for setting trim parameters in a memory device provides multiple trim settings that are assigned to portions of the memory device according to observed or tested programming speed and reliability. |
| US09042169B2 |
Shifting cell voltage based on grouping of solid-state, non-volatile memory cells
Cells of a solid-state, non-volatile memory are assigned to one of a plurality of groups. Each group is defined by expected symbols stored in the cells in view of actual symbols read from the cells. Based on cell counts within the groups, it can be determined that a shift in a reference voltage will reduce a collective bit error rate of the cells. The shift can be applied to data access operations affecting the cells. |
| US09042168B1 |
System and method for improving error distribution in multi-level memory cells
A system including a state set module to arrange states of a memory cell in three sets. The memory cell stores three bits when programmed to a state. Each set includes three rows of bits. In a set, a row includes one of the three bits of the states. The first, second, and third rows of the first, second, and third sets include a first number of state transitions. The second, third, and first rows of the first, second, and third sets include a second number of state transitions. The third, first, and second rows of the first, second, and third sets include a third number of state transitions. A write module writes first, second, and third portions of data to a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell storing the three bits when programmed to a state, using states selected respectively from the first, second, and third sets. |
| US09042166B2 |
Magnetoresistive effect element and method of manufacturing magnetoresistive effect element
A magnetoresistive effect element includes first and second conductive layers, a first magnetic layer between the first and second conductive layers having a magnetization direction that is unchangeable, a second magnetic layer between the first and second conductive layers having a magnetization direction that is changeable, a tunnel barrier layer between the first and second magnetic layers, a nonmagnetic layer between the second magnetic layer and the second conductive layer, and a conductive sidewall film that provides a current path between the second magnetic layer and the second conductive layer that has a lower resistance than a current path through the nonmagnetic layer. |
| US09042165B2 |
Magnetoresistive effect element, magnetic memory cell using same, and random access memory
A magnetoresistive effect element uses a perpendicularly magnetized material and has a high TMR ratio. Intermediate layers composed of an element metal having a melting point of 1600° C. or an alloy containing the metal on an outside of a structure consisting of a CoFeB layer, an MgO barrier layer, and a CoFeB layer. By inserting the intermediate layers, crystallization of the CoFeB layer during annealing is advanced from an MgO (001) crystal side, so that the CoFeB layer has a crystalline orientation in bcc (001). |
| US09042164B2 |
Anti-tampering devices and techniques for magnetoresistive random access memory
A system may include circuitry and a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) die including at least one MRAM cell. The circuitry may be configured to detect attempted tampering with the MRAM die and generate a signal based on the detected attempted tampering. The signal may be sufficient to damage or destroy at least one layer of the at least one MRAM cell or a fuse electrically connected to a read line of the at least one MRAM cell. |
| US09042163B2 |
Memory device having a local current sink
A memory device having a local current sink is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes one or more write drivers. The electronic device includes at least one Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) coupled to a bit line and coupled to a source line. The electronic device also includes a current sink circuit comprising a single transistor, the single transistor coupled to the bit line and to the source line. |
| US09042162B2 |
SRAM cells suitable for Fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) process
A static random access memory (SRAM) cell includes first and second n-channel transistors, first and second p-channel transistors, first and second enable transistors, and first and second pass gates. The first n-channel transistor, the first p-channel transistor, and the first enable transistor are connected in series between first and second reference potentials. The second n-channel transistor, the second p-channel transistor, and the second enable transistor are connected in series between the first and second reference potentials. The first pass gate is configured to selectively connect a first bitline to a first node. The first node is connected to a gate of the first n-channel transistor and a gate of the first p-channel transistor. The second pass gate is configured to selectively connect a second bitline to a second node. The second node is connected to a gate of the second n-channel transistor and a gate of the second p-channel transistor. |
| US09042159B2 |
Configuring resistive random access memory (RRAM) array for write operations
A system includes a resistive random access memory cell and a driver circuit. The resistive random access memory cell includes a resistive element and a switching element, and has a first terminal connected to a bit line and a second terminal connected to a word line. The driver circuit is configured to apply, in response to selection of the resistive random access memory cell using the word line, a first voltage of a first polarity to the bit line to program the resistive random access memory cell to a first state by causing current to flow through the resistive element in a first direction, and a second voltage of a second polarity to the bit line to program the resistive random access memory cell to a second state by causing current to flow through the resistive element in a second direction. |
| US09042158B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with protective resistance film
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell block that includes a memory cell array, the memory cell array including: a plurality of first lines; a plurality of second lines intersecting the plurality of first lines; and a memory cell that is provided at each of intersections of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and includes a variable resistance element, the memory cell array further including a protective resistance film that is provided respectively at each of the intersections of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and that is connected in series with the memory cell and ohmically contacts the memory cell, and the protective resistance film being configured from a material having a resistivity of 1˜100 Ω·cm. |
| US09042157B2 |
Programmable volatile/non-volatile memory cell
The invention concerns a memory device comprising at least one memory cell comprising: a first transistor (102) coupled between a first storage node (106) and a first supply line (GND, VDD); a second transistor (104) coupled between a second storage node and said first supply line (GND, VDD), control terminals of said first and second transistors being coupled to said second and first storage nodes respectively; a third transistor (110) coupled between said first storage node and a first access line (BL) and controllable via a first control line (WL1); a fourth transistor (112, 712) coupled between said second storage node (108) and a second access line (BLB) and controllable via a second control line; and a first resistance switching element (202) coupled in series with said first transistor and programmable to have one of first and second resistive states. |
| US09042155B2 |
Reactive metal implanted oxide based memory
Methods, devices, and systems associated with oxide based memory can include a method of forming an oxide based memory cell. Forming an oxide based memory cell can include forming a first conductive element, forming an oxide over the first conductive element, implanting a reactive metal into the oxide, and forming a second conductive element over the oxide. |
| US09042153B2 |
Programmable resistive memory unit with multiple cells to improve yield and reliability
A method and system for a programmable resistive memory to improve yield and reliability has a plurality of programmable resistive units. Each programmable resistive unit can have at least one programmable resistive cell. Each programmable resistive cell can have a programmable resistive element with a first end coupled to a first supply voltage line and a second end coupled to at least one diode serving as program selector. Each diode can have at least first and second terminals with first and second types of dopants, with the second terminal being coupled to a second supply voltage line. The first and second terminals of the diode can be fabricated from source/drain of MOS in a well for MOS devices or fabricated on the same polysilicon structure. |
| US09042146B2 |
DC pre-charge circuit
Systems and methods are provided for pre-charging the DC bus on a motor drive. Pre-charging techniques involve pre-charge circuitry including a manual switch, an automatic switch, and pre-charge control circuitry to switch the automatic switch between pre-charge and pre-charge bypass modes in response to an initialized pre-charge operation, input voltage sags, and so forth. In some embodiments, the pre-charge operation may be initialized by switching the manual switch closed. In some embodiments, the pre-charge operation may also be initialized by a detected voltage sag on the DC bus. The pre-charge circuitry may also be configured to disconnect to isolate a motor drive from the common DC bus under certain fault conditions. |
| US09042145B2 |
Circuit configuration with a step-up converter, and inverter circuit having such a circuit configuration
An inverter circuit contains a first and second DC sources for providing a DC voltage, a common step-up converter for boosting the DC voltage, an intermediate circuit capacitor connected between the outputs of the common step-up converter, and an inverter for converting the DC voltage provided by the capacitor into an AC voltage. The common step-up converter contains a series circuit having a first inductance and a first rectifier element and is connected between an output of the first DC source and one side of the intermediate circuit capacitor as well as a series circuit which includes a second inductance and a second rectifier element and is connected between an output of the second DC source and another side of the intermediate circuit capacitor. The common step-up converter further contains a common switching element which is connected between the first and second DC sources. |
| US09042144B1 |
High voltage rectifier and voltage doubler using low voltage CMOS process transistors
A high voltage full wave rectifier and doubler circuit having complementary serially connected low voltage MOSFET stacks to provide high voltage capability. The state of the MOSFETs in the MOSFET stacks is controlled by means of resistors coupled between the circuit's outputs and a time varying input signal. The resistance values of the resistors are selected to maintain operation of the stacked MOSFETs below their breakdown voltages. |
| US09042143B2 |
Low forward voltage rectifier using capacitive current splitting
A Low Forward Voltage Rectifier (LFVR) circuit includes a bipolar transistor, a parallel diode, and a capacitive current splitting network. The LFVR circuit, when it is performing a rectifying function, conducts the forward current from a first node to a second node provided that the voltage from the first node to the second node is adequately positive. The capacitive current splitting network causes a portion of the forward current to be a base current of the bipolar transistor, thereby biasing the transistor so that the forward current experiences a low forward voltage drop across the transistor. The LFVR circuit sees use in as a rectifier in many different types of switching power converters, including in flyback, Cuk, SEPIC, boost, buck-boost, PFC, half-bridge resonant, and full-bridge resonant converters. Due to the low forward voltage drop across the LFVR, converter efficiency is improved. |
| US09042141B2 |
Control of energy storage system inverter system in a microgrid application
A system that manages a supplemental energy source connected to a power grid uses a two stage control strategy to manage power transfers in and out of the power grid as well as in and out of an energy storage system, such as a battery bank. One stage uses a non-linear transfer function to control an output frequency of a DC-to-AC inverter to limit undesired effects of power transients that occur on the grid. A second stage uses control strategy for transferring energy between the energy storage system and an internal DC link based on a relationship between a voltage on a DC link connecting the first and second stages and a DC link reference voltage, the voltage on the DC link, and a voltage at the energy storage system. The control strategy includes rapid charging, over-charging protection, and grid transient stabilization. |
| US09042136B2 |
Magnetic flux conversion device
Embodiments provide a magnetic flux conversion device (MFCD) that may produce a regulated output signal with a target value (e.g., target voltage and/or target current) from a source signal on a power line. The MFCD may include a secondary stage configured to be inductively coupled with the power line. The source signal may cause a secondary electrical signal to flow in the secondary stage. A regulator module may be coupled to the secondary stage and configured to produce the output signal with the target value across output nodes by sensing the output signal and shunting the secondary stage if a value of the output signal is above the target value. |
| US09042132B2 |
Noise suppression circuit for power adapter
A noise suppression circuit for a power adapter is disclosed. The noise suppression circuit can reduce or eliminate adapter-induced noise that could interfere with an electronic device powered by the adapter. In one example, the noise suppression circuit can include an active circuit to detect and attenuate or cancel the induced noise. In another example, the noise suppression circuit can include an RLC circuit in parallel with the adapter choke to suppress the induced noise at the operating frequencies of the powered electronic device. In still another example, the noise suppression circuit can include a modified adapter Y capacitor connection so as to bypass the adapter choke, thereby reducing or eliminating the choke's induced noise. |
| US09042129B2 |
System and method for controlling power in a distribution system
An integrated power quality control system includes a transformer with a primary winding, a secondary winding and a compensation winding wound on a magnetic core. A power electronic converter in the system provides a reference voltage to the compensation winding for injecting a series voltage in the secondary winding of the transformer. A controller is utilized to generate a reference control voltage for the power electronic converter based on a power quality control requirement. |
| US09042123B2 |
Full bridge DC-DC converter that applies current doubler
A full bridge DC-DC converter to which a current doubler is applicable is provided and includes a transformer and a switching circuit that converts a high direct current voltage into a high alternating current voltage and then outputs the high alternating current voltage to the primary side of the transformer. In addition, an output circuit receives and processes the output of the secondary side of the transformer and supplies the processed output to an electric load. The output circuit includes a first inductor, a first contact resistor, a second inductor, a second contact resistor, a first diode, a third contact resister, a second diode, and a fourth contact resister. |
| US09042120B2 |
Grounded lid for micro-electronic assemblies
An apparatus for reducing EMI at the micro-electronic-component level includes a substrate having a ground conductor integrated therein. A micro-electronic component such as an integrated circuit is mounted to the substrate. An electrically conductive lid is mounted to the substrate, thereby forming a physical interface with the substrate. The electrically conductive lid substantially covers the micro-electronic component. A conductive link is provided to create an electrical connection between the electrically conductive lid and the ground conductor at the physical interface. |
| US09042117B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device effectively suppress the problem of mutual interaction occurring between an inductor element and wires positioned above the inductor element formed over the same chip. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a multi-wiring layer formed overlying that semiconductor substrate, and in which the multi-wiring layer includes: the inductor element and three successive wires and a fourth wire formed above the inductor element; and two shielded conductors at a fixed voltage potential and covering the inductor element as seen from a flat view, and formed between the inductor element and three successive wires and a fourth wire formed above the inductor element. |
| US09042111B2 |
Secure raceway with lockable access
A system for securing an access opening of a cable raceway using a single padlock includes a cover having a securing wall and opposed first and second sidewalls, which form a channel for accommodating at least a portion of the cable raceway with the securing wall covering the access opening. First and second insert bars engage the first and second sidewalls and a lock bar engages the first and second insert bars and may be locked in an engaged position to prevent the first and second insert bars from being disengaged with the cover and to secure the cover about the cable raceway preventing access to the access opening. |
| US09042109B2 |
Mounting structure of flexible printed circuit board and sliding-type electronic device
A mounting structure of a flexible printed circuit board and a sliding-type electronic device is provided by which a too large increase in thickness of devices can be avoided and a pair of housings can be slid relatively in a bending and slanting direction. In the mounting structure, an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 22 coupled in a freely slidable manner are electrically connected to each other by a flexible printed circuit board folded back to be routed between slide facing surfaces 12b and 22a of both the housings and the height of a side wall surface 12c and 22c of the upper housing and lower housing changes in a bending manner along the direction of freely sliding and, in the slide facing surfaces of the upper housing and lower housing, concave space portions 15 and 25 to accommodate the change in curvature and in position of a folding-back portion 31a caused by sliding motion between the upper housing and lower housing are disposed. |
| US09042107B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
Disclosed herein is a display device including a main board part configured to have a display area including drive wiring and have a display panel disposed in the display area; and an auxiliary board part configured to be monolithic with the main board part and have extraction wiring from the drive wiring. |
| US09042106B2 |
Thin film type chip device and method for manufacturing the same
Disclosed herein is a thin film type chip device, including: a plurality of unit circuit structures laminated on a substrate; and an adhesive layer adhering the unit circuit structures to each other. |
| US09042104B2 |
Portable electronic device and electronic module fixing structure thereof
A portable electronic device includes an electronic module and an electronic module fixing structure. The electronic module fixing structure includes a main body, a sliding component, a rod and an elastic component connected between the main body and the sliding component. The main body has a track with a positioning portion. The sliding component is slidably disposed on the main body. The rod is rotatably connected with the sliding component. An end of the rod is adapted to move along the track. When the end is located at the positioning portion, the end and the positioning portion are interfered with each other to position the sliding component. When the electronic module pushes the sliding component, the rod is rotated to drive the end to move away from the positioning portion, and the sliding component pushes the electronic module away from the main body through elastic force of the elastic component. |
| US09042102B2 |
Waterproof controller used for electric power steering
A waterproof controller used for electric power steering includes a shell, a chamber, at least one sealing block, a circuit board, at least one cable, and at least one board mounting accessory. The chamber is formed in the shell. The sealing block is disposed on the shell, and includes at least one hole. The circuit board is accommodated in the chamber. The cable includes a first terminal and a second terminal opposite to the first terminal. The first terminal passes through the hole of the sealing block. The board mounting accessory covers the second terminal, in which the board mounting accessory and the second terminal insert into the circuit board together. |
| US09042101B2 |
Electric power conversion apparatus
An electric power conversion apparatus includes a channel case in which a cooling water channel is formed; a double side cooling semiconductor module that has an upper and lower arms series circuit of an inverter circuit; a capacitor module; a direct current connector; and an alternate current connector. The semiconductor module includes first and second heat dissipation metals whose outer surfaces are heat dissipation surfaces, the upper and lower arms series circuit is disposed tightly between the first heat dissipation metal and the second heat dissipation metal, and the semiconductor module further includes a direct current positive terminal, a direct current negative terminal, and an alternate current terminal which protrude to outside. The channel case is provided with the cooling water channel which extends from a cooling water inlet to a cooling water outlet, and a first opening which opens into the cooling water channel. |
| US09042096B2 |
Thermal management of a communication transceiver in an electrical communication device
Disclosed herein are various systems and methods relating to communication devices that include modular transceivers, such as small form pluggable transceivers. According to one embodiment, a communication device may include a chassis defining an interior and an exterior of the communication device. The chassis includes a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides that together with the top and the bottom form an enclosure. One of the sides may include a first segment disposed in a first plane and a second segment disposed in a second plane. The second segment includes an outwardly extending communication transceiver housing configured to receive a communication transceiver. The communication transceiver may extend through an aperture in the second segment and into interior of the communication device to contact an electrical connector, while a second portion of the communication transceiver in the communication transceiver housing remains on the exterior of the communication device. |
| US09042095B2 |
Mobile terminal with waterproof sheet and manufacturing method
A mobile terminal has a waterproof sheet interposed between a first body portion and a second body portion. The waterproof sheet is formed with a curved shaped or step-like cross-section in consideration of characteristic of internal component or a battery arranged on the first body portion of the mobile terminal, the curved shaped or step-like cross-section is configured to encase, in part or in whole, the internal component or the battery. |
| US09042088B2 |
Battery-mounting structure
According to one embodiment, a battery-mounting structure includes a first housing, a second housing including a display device including a display screen, a hinge configured to attach the second housing to the first housing rotatably between a first position in which the display screen is covered with the first housing and a second position in which the display screen is exposed, and a battery configured to be attached to the first housing and including a recess configured to accommodate a part of the second housing in the second position. |
| US09042085B2 |
Component cover having variable light transmissivity
In a broad aspect, embodiments described herein are generally directed to an electronic device comprising: a housing; a component mounted within the housing; a component cover in fixed relation to the housing; wherein the component cover is configurable between at least a first state and a second state; and wherein light transmissivity through the component cover is greater when in the second state than when in the first state. In some implementations, in the first state the component cover is substantially opaque, or in the second state the component cover is substantially transparent. |
| US09042075B2 |
Apparatus and method for water protection of an electronic device
An apparatus comprises a sensor having a sensing film and at least two electrodes; and a plurality of electronic components operably associated with the sensor. The sensing film is configured to provide a signal based on humidity immediately prior to contact with liquid water. The electronic components are configured to provide a change in output voltage to trigger an electronic switch that disconnects an electronic device from a power source. |
| US09042070B2 |
Overcurrent protection circuit and power supply device
According to one embodiment, an overcurrent protection circuit for controlling an output transistor connected between a power source and an output terminal is provided. The overcurrent protection circuit has an overcurrent limiting circuit, a current-voltage control circuit, and a first control circuit. The current-voltage control circuit configured to control a gate voltage of the output transistor so that an output current is proportional to an output voltage of the output terminal Tout. The first control circuit is configured to allow the current-voltage control circuit to control the output transistor so that the output current is proportional to the output voltage when the output voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage. The first control circuit is configured to allow the current-voltage control circuit to stop controlling the output transistor when the output voltage exceeds the threshold voltage. |
| US09042069B2 |
Power supply controller
The power supply controller performs the power-supply-path protection operation to restrict power supply through the switch element if a value of temperature increase of the power supply path W with respect to the reference temperature To exceeds the temperature threshold value and remove the restriction if the temperature decreases to the temperature threshold value or lower. And the controller performs the switch protection operation to restrict the power supply through the switch element if the value of the flowing current exceeds the current threshold value and remove the restriction after the reference time H elapses. And also the controller adds the additional value F to the value of temperature increase on condition that the value of the flowing current exceeds the current threshold value in the power supply protection operation and compares a post-addition temperature to the temperature threshold value. |
| US09042059B1 |
Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor structure with multiple stacked sensors and improved center shield
A two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR) read head has upper and lower read sensors wherein the lower read sensor has its magnetization biased by side shields of soft magnetic material. The center shield between the lower and upper sensors may be an antiparallel structure (APS) with two ferromagnetic layers separated by an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer. The center shield has a central region and two side regions, but there is no antiferromagnetic (AF) layer in the central region. Instead the two side regions of the upper ferromagnetic layer in the APS are pinned by AF tab layers that are electrically isolated from the upper sensor. The upper ferromagnetic layer and the APC layer in the APS may also be located only in the side regions. The thickness of the center shield can thus be made thinner, which reduces the free layer to free layer spacing. |
| US09042058B1 |
Shield designed for middle shields in a multiple sensor array
A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The method provides a first read sensor stack and defines a first read sensor in a stripe height direction from the first read sensor stack. The stripe height direction is perpendicular to the ABS. A shield is provided on the first read sensor stack and in a down track direction from the first read sensor stack. A second read sensor stack is provided. The shield is between the first read sensor and the second read sensor stack in the down track direction. Both the first read sensor and the second read sensor are defined from the first read sensor stack and from the second read sensor stack, respectively, in a cross-track direction. The cross-track direction is substantially perpendicular to the down track direction and substantially perpendicular to the stripe height direction. |
| US09042057B1 |
Methods for providing magnetic storage elements with high magneto-resistance using Heusler alloys
Methods for providing magnetic storage elements with high magneto-resistance using Heusler alloys are provided. One such method includes depositing a substrate including NiFe, depositing a seed layer on the substrate, depositing a buffer layer on the seed layer, and growing, epitaxially, an upper layer on the buffer layer, the upper layer including a Heusler alloy. |
| US09042051B2 |
Gradient write gap for perpendicular magnetic recording writer
The present disclosure provides for a magnetic writer pole for use in a hard drive. The magnetic writer pole comprises a first bevel formed by a non-magnetic layer, the first bevel formed at a first angle and extending to a first throat height. The magnetic writer pole further comprises a second bevel formed by the non-magnetic layer and extending distally from the first bevel at a second angle that is greater than the first angle and extending to a second throat height. The magnetic writer pole further comprises a third bevel formed by the non-magnetic layer and extending distally from the second bevel at a third angle that is greater than the second angle. |
| US09042050B2 |
Head transducer with multiple resistance temperature sensors for head-medium spacing and contact detection
A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign. |
| US09042047B1 |
Mitigating write faults arising from disturbed lubrication events
Apparatus and method for detecting and compensating for lubrication disturbance (lube disturb) events on a rotatable data recording medium. In some embodiments, a lube disturb event is detected responsive to displacement of a data transducer away from a first memory location on a rotating data recording medium during a write operation to write data thereto. The lube disturb event arises responsive to a transfer of accumulated contamination from a data transducer to a lubrication layer on the rotating data recording medium and a smearing of the transferred accumulated contamination along the first memory location. The write data are stored to a different, second memory location instead of to the first memory location responsive to the detected lube disturb event. |
| US09042046B2 |
Variable stopwrite threshold using kurtosis
A method according to one embodiment includes measuring a current position error signal, and calculating a statistical derivative using the current position error signal sample. A kurtosis value is calculated using a current position error signal sample or derivative thereof. A threshold value is adjusted using the kurtosis value. The statistical derivative is compared to the threshold value, and writing is enabled when the statistical derivative does not exceed the threshold value. A determination is made whether to enable or disable writing based on a stopwrite threshold when the statistical derivative exceeds the threshold value. |
| US09042042B2 |
Lens drive device
The lens drive device is equipped with a first supporting body that holds the lens and is movable in the direction of the optical axis, a second supporting body that holds the first supporting body, a fixed body that holds the second supporting body in a manner enabling movement in directions that are roughly orthogonal to the optical axis direction, a first drive mechanism for driving the first supporting body, a second drive mechanism for driving the second supporting body in a first direction, and a third drive mechanism for driving the second supporting body in a second direction. The first supporting body is supported by the second supporting body by means of first supporting members which are formed from an elastic material; and the second supporting body is supported by the fixed body by means of second supporting members, which are formed from an elastic material. |
| US09042041B2 |
Optoelectronic module and lighting device including the optoelectronic module
An optoelectronic module 1 having at least a first 2A and a second 2B radiation-emitting source and a first optical element 5 including a cavity 10 wherein the surface 5A of the cavity 10 is able to reflect the radiation 3A, 3B of the at least two radiation sources. An outlet 15 in the optical element 5 is provided for coupling radiation out of the cavity 10, wherein the radiation emitted by the radiation sources 2A, 2B is reflected by the surface 5A of the cavity resulting in a mixing of the radiation. |
| US09042036B2 |
Image lens assembly system
An image lens assembly system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element has refractive power. The second lens element has positive refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power. The fifth lens element has refractive power. The sixth lens element with refractive power is made of plastic material, and has at least one surface being aspheric. The seventh lens element with refractive power is made of plastic material and has a concave image-side surface, wherein the image-side surface thereof changes from concave in a paraxial region thereof to convex in a peripheral region thereof, and at least one surface thereof is aspheric. |
| US09042033B2 |
Imaging lens
An imaging lens includes a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens having negative refractive power; a third lens; a fourth lens having negative refractive power; a fifth lens having positive refractive power; and a sixth lens, arranged in this order from an object side to an image plane side. The first lens is formed so that a surface thereof on the object side has a positive curvature radius. The sixth lens is formed so that a surface thereof on the object side and a surface thereof on the image plane side have positive curvature radii. Each of the first to sixth lenses has an Abbe's number within a specific range. |
| US09042032B2 |
Optical arrangement for converting an incident light beam, method for converting a light beam to a line focus, and optical device therefor
In a method for converting a light beam to a line focus, wherein the line focus extends according to its length along a first direction (y) and is narrow in a second direction (x) perpendicular to the first direction (y), the light beam is directed onto at least one conical optically operative surface, by which it is converted to the line focus. The light beam is directed onto the at least one optically operative surface with a ring-segment-shaped cross section transversely with respect to the light propagation direction. A device, in particular for carrying out the method, and an optical arrangement for generating a light beam with a ring-segment-shaped cross section are likewise described. In accordance with a further method and a further device, a line focus is generated only with spherical and/or cylindrical elements. |
| US09042031B2 |
Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus having the same
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, a reflecting unit for bending an optical path, and a rear lens group including two or more lens units, wherein, during zooming, the first and second lens units are moved and the reflecting unit is not moved, and wherein an amount of movement of the first lens unit during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a distance on an optical axis from a reflecting surface of the reflecting unit to an image plane, a distance on the optical axis from a lens surface of the second lens unit closest to the image side to the reflection surface of the reflecting unit at the wide-angle end, and a focal length of the second lens unit are appropriately set. |
| US09042027B2 |
Fluid-filled lenses and actuation systems thereof
An actuator assembly for an adjustable fluid-filled lens is provided. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly includes a clamp configured to adjust the optical power of the fluid lens module when the clamp is compressed. In some embodiments, a magnetic element is configured to adjust the optical power of the fluid-filled lens. In some embodiments, a plunger changes the optical power of the fluid lens module. In some embodiments, a reservoir is configured such that deformation of the reservoir changes the optical power of the fluid-filled lens. In some embodiments, a balloon is configured to deform the reservoir. In some embodiments, an adjustable fluid-filled lens includes a septum configured to be pierceable by a needle and automatically and fluidly seal a fluid chamber after withdrawal of the needle. In some embodiments, a thermal element can heat fluid within a fluid chamber to change an optical power of the lens module. |
| US09042025B2 |
Eyepiece optical system
In order from the object side, a first lens having positive power with a convex observation-side surface, a second lens having negative power and a meniscus shape with a concave object-side surface, and a third lens having positive power with an observation-side surface having a smaller radius of curvature than that of an object-side surface are provided. The first, second and third lenses are single lenses. The conditional expressions (1): 0.9 |
| US09042018B2 |
Leaky-mode resonant retarders and related methods
A leaky-mode resonant retarder is described. The retarder may include a substrate and a spatially modulated periodic layer coupled to the substrate, where the spatially modulated periodic layer is configured to shift a phase between two perpendicular electric-field components of incident light. The retarder may operate as a half-wave plate or a quarter-wave plate. |
| US09042016B2 |
Optical film, method of producing optical film, antireflective film, polarizing plate and image display device
An optical film has a cellulose acylate film base material containing cellulose acylate and a plurality of sugar ester compounds having different ester substitution degrees in which an average ester substitution degree of the plurality of sugar ester compounds is from 60 to 94%, and an antistatic hardcoat layer formed from a coating composition containing at least an organic antistatic agent and a curable compound having a (meth)acryloyl group in a molecule of the curable compound. |
| US09042008B2 |
Optical semiconductor device
An optical semiconductor device includes: semiconductor lasers; a wave coupling section multiplexing light output by the semiconductor lasers; first optical waveguides respectively optically connecting respective semiconductor lasers to the wave coupling section; a phase regulator regulating phase of reflected light that is reflected at a reflecting point located in the optical semiconductor device and that returns to the semiconductor lasers; a second optical waveguide optically connecting the wave coupling section to the phase regulator; an optical amplifying section amplifying output light of the phase regulator; and a third optical waveguide optically connecting an output of the phase regulator to the optical amplifying section. The phase regulator adjusts the phase of reflected light that returns to the semiconductor lasers to decrease line width of the light output by the semiconductor lasers. |
| US09042006B2 |
Solid state illumination source and inspection system
An exemplary illumination source for an inspection system includes a pulsed seed laser having a wavelength of approximately 1104 nm and a continuous wave, Raman seed laser having a wavelength of approximately 1160 nm. An optical coupler can combine outputs of the pulsed seed laser and the continuous wave, Raman seed laser. Pre-amplification stages can receive an output of the optical coupler. A power amplifier can receive an output of the pre-amplification stages. A sixth harmonic can be generated using the amplified, combined wavelength. Systems for inspecting a specimen such as a reticle, photomask or wafer can include one of the illumination sources described herein. |
| US09042002B2 |
Modulated signal detecting apparatus and modulated signal detecting method
A phase difference error detecting unit detects a phase difference error component included in a phase difference component; a phase difference correcting unit corrects a first signal having the phase difference component as an angle of a cosine function and a second signal whose angle of the cosine function differs from that of the first signal by approximately π/2 based on the detected phase difference error component; a phase operating unit operates a phase difference component from the first signal and the second signal corrected by the phase difference correcting unit; and the phase difference correcting unit obtains the corrected first signal and the corrected second signal by rotating a coordinate point represented by the first signal and the second signal on a polar coordinate plane by an angle corresponding to the phase difference error component. |
| US09042001B2 |
Electrophoretic display apparatus and method thereof
An electrophoretic display apparatus includes an array substrate, an opposite substrate facing the array substrate, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the array substrate and the opposite substrate. The electrophoretic layer includes a non-polar solvent and a plurality of polar particles dispersed in the non-polar solvent. At least one of the array substrate or the opposite substrate includes a plurality of electric field forming electrodes respectively. |
| US09041999B2 |
Electrowetting device and method of manufacturing the same
In one embodiment, the electrowetting device includes a first medium; a second medium that is not mixed with the first medium and has a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first medium; an upper electrode that adjusts an angle of a boundary surface between the first medium and the second medium; and a barrier wall that has a side surface surrounding the first and second mediums, allows the upper electrode to be disposed on a portion of the side surface, and has irregular widths. |
| US09041989B2 |
Holographic direct view display having an apodization device
The invention relates to apodization in a holographic direct view display. Known apodization functions are utilized/modified for an apodization mask such that the functions reduce the intensities of selected higher magnitudes of diffractions. The holographic direct view display comprises a controllable light modulator having modulator cells and modulating impinging coherent light into a phase and/or amplitude, and an array of apodization masks. The apodization masks have the same apodization function for a predetermined group of modulator cells, by means of which function a complex amplitude transparency can be set for the modulator cells. This transparency corresponds to an individually predefined course of intensity in a far field of the light modulator, wherein the predefined course of intensity includes a reducing of the light intensity of higher magnitudes of diffractions, and/or of the interfering light emitted by the light modulator. |
| US09041985B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a casing that blocks ambient light and has an opening portion in a bottom surface, an image capturing unit that captures an image of a medium exposed to an internal portion of the casing in the opening portion, and a plurality of light sources that are arranged on the internal portion of the casing and irradiate light toward the opening portion. The plurality of light sources irradiate light to different areas on a plane in the opening portion. |
| US09041984B2 |
Image reading device and image forming apparatus
An image reading device includes a light source, an imaging section, and a controller. The light source includes a plurality of light emitting elements. The light source irradiates light to an original document, while moving relative to the original document. The imaging section obtains scan data read from the original document by light irradiated to the original document from the light source. The controller controls the light source and the imaging section. The controller determines a read target region and a non-read target region in the original document, turns on a light emitting element out of the plurality of light emitting elements, which corresponds to the read target region, and turns off a light emitting element out of the plurality of light emitting elements, which corresponds to the non-read target region. |
| US09041982B1 |
Portable device scanner support with contour correction and automatic copying
Systems and methods use a supporting arm having a first end and a second end, and a program of scanning instructions readable by a computerized processor. The first end of the supporting arm is connected to a secondary device. The second end of the supporting arm holds a portable device comprising a camera. The camera has a field of view within which images are captured. The portable device maintains the scanning instructions. The second end of the supporting arm is positioned to hold the camera in a location, relative to the secondary device, to maintain the surface of the secondary device within the field of view of the camera. The camera of the portable device obtains images of objects placed on the surface of the secondary device when the portable device is held by the portable device holder. |
| US09041979B2 |
Image processing apparatus with edge outline definition on edge outside mask range of black determination range
An image processing apparatus includes: a color converting portion and an edge-outline-to-be-defined specifying portion. The color converting portion is configured to convert a portion near one of edges of a black determination range determined as having a composite black and a portion near the other of the edges thereof, so as to have a pure black. The edge-outline-to-be-defined specifying portion is configured to set a range, of the black determination range, positioned inward of one of the edges of the black determination range and the other of the edges of the black determination range, as a mask range, for a black plane, and specify an edge outside the mask range as an edge on which edge outline definition is to be performed. |
| US09041976B2 |
Server device, association process flow determining method, and image processing system
A server device includes an external device information managing unit which manages external device information regarding plural external devices, and an association process flow determining unit which determines an association process flow that defines how plural processes in image processing are performed on image data by the external devices, based on the external device information. The association process flow determining unit is configured to determine plural association process flows for the image processing, and the determined association process flows include first and second association process flows such that first external devices defined in the first association process flow differ from second external devices defined in the second association process flow. |
| US09041975B2 |
Printing device for executing two-sided printing, and control method and non-transitory computer-readable medium for printing device that executes two-sided printing
A printer device has a two-sided printing function and a circulatory transporting path for transporting a printing medium. The printer device is configured such that after creating a set of print data for a first recording surface to be printed with two-sided printing, the printer device adds a set of dummy print data for a second recording surface corresponding to a back side of the first recording surface to the set of print data for the first recording surface. |
| US09041973B2 |
Support system, control device, image forming apparatus, and support method utilizing cards on which written information is printed
Having specified written information on a first card newly placed at a base A which is a first workspace and the position where the first card is placed, a PC (100A) which is a control device at base A stores, in a memory, the written information and the position where the first card is placed as card information. A PC (100B) connected to this PC instructs a printing device (200B) to print a second card based on the specified written information. The PC (100B) presents the position where the second card is to be placed at a base B which is a second workspace based on the specified position where the first card is placed. |
| US09041967B1 |
Printing system and data transmission method thereof
A printing system and a data transmission method thereof are provided. The printing system includes a peripheral unit and a controller. The peripheral unit is configured to execute a data printing function and includes a digital data. The controller is coupled to the peripheral unit. The controller converts a digital control command to obtain an analog control signal, and transmits the analog control signal to the peripheral unit. The peripheral unit converts the analog control signal into the digital control command when the analog control signal is received by the peripheral unit. The peripheral unit converts a corresponding digital data into an analog signal according to the digital control command to transmit the analog signal to the controller. |
| US09041958B2 |
Non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing distributed printing control program
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores therein a distributed printing control program executed in a system to perform distributed printing by outputting a specified number of sets of paper sheets by using plural image forming apparatuses, where the number of the sets is instructed by a job. The program causes an apparatus belonging to the system to function as a control section. The control section divides the job into plural jobs, where each of the jobs causes one of the image forming apparatuses to eject plural sets of paper sheets shifted in alternate directions such that, when sets of paper sheets ejected by the plural image forming apparatuses are stacked up together, all the sets of paper sheets are shifted in alternate directions to enable each of the sets to be separated from others. The control section further subjects the divided jobs to the plural image forming apparatuses. |
| US09041955B2 |
Printing system and methods using a printer server homepage from a print server
In one embodiment, a printing method includes accessing a printer server homepage with a browser and adding a bookmarklet to the browser from the homepage. The method includes accessing a content server web page with the browser, and, in response to activation of the bookmarklet, accessing and executing a toolbar script from the printer server to append a webprint toolbar to the web page. In response to activation of a print icon on the webprint toolbar, a proxy script is accessed from the printer server and executed to send the web page from the browser to the printer server. |
| US09041952B2 |
Input device, image reading device, and image forming apparatus to authenticate the user based on a result received by input section
An input device includes a display section, an input section, and an authentication section. The display section has a display area and displays a plurality of symbols in respective first regions of the display area. The input section receives an input indicating which of the plurality of symbols displayed on the display section is selected by a user by specifying a position in the display area. The authentication section authenticates the user based a result received by the input section. The input section receives an input indicating which of the plurality of symbols is selected, by receiving an input indicating which of a plurality of second regions allocated to each first region is selected. The authentication section authenticates the user based on the first region corresponding to the selected symbol from among the plurality of first regions and the second region selected from among the plurality of second regions. |
| US09041951B2 |
Program creation apparatus and computer-readable non-transitory storage medium with program creating program stored thereon
An information processing apparatus includes: a package holding section; a package designation receiving section; and a program creating section. The package holding section holds a plurality of packages each containing: a command to output to an image forming apparatus an instruction to perform an operation performable by the image forming apparatus or a designation of a setting value for an item adjustable in the image forming apparatus, the setting value indicating an operating level of an operation shown by the item; and image data showing the operation for which the command instruction to perform is intended or the item for which the command designates the setting value. The package designation receiving section receives a designation of packages and an order of execution of the packages. The program creating section uses the designated packages to create a program for executing the commands in the packages in the designated order of execution. |
| US09041950B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method for controlling image forming apparatus, and program
An image forming apparatus includes a switching unit configured to switch a power supply source from a main power source to a power storage unit according to shifting to a power failure state, a calculation unit configured to calculate a power amount to be consumed by a received job if the power supply source is the power storage unit when the job is received, a detection unit configured to detect a power amount stored in the power storage unit, a determining unit configured to determine whether the received job can be executed based on the detected power amount and the calculated power amount to be consumed for the received job, and a control unit configured to start processing the job if it is determined that the received job can be executed and to perform control during the processing of the job so as not to accept a subsequently received job. |
| US09041948B2 |
Image processing apparatus, security system supplied with image processing apparatus, image processing method and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes an intrusion detection unit that detects an intrusion of an intruder; an imaging unit that images a monitor area; an imaging control unit that activates the imaging unit and causes the imaging unit to start imaging; and an imaging instruction unit that instructs the imaging control unit to activate the imaging unit and cause the imaging unit to start imaging, in a case where the image processing apparatus is in an energy-saving mode, in which the imaging unit is inactive, when the intrusion detection unit detects the intrusion of the intruder, without switching the energy-saving mode to a normal mode, in which the imaging unit and an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium are active. |
| US09041945B2 |
System, method and program for controlling setting values in an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus and method includes executing a series of processes utilizing a plurality of functions based on a plurality of setting values, storing, as a history, an execution result of the processing, a plurality of setting values, and an error content in a case where the execution result is failure, determining whether the execution result of a previous processing is successful based on the stored in a case where the processing execution unit re-executes processing, specifying a setting value potentially causing the failure based on the error content in a case where the determination unit determines that the execution result of the previous processing is failure and performing display control of a setting field for setting the setting value. |
| US09041941B2 |
Optical system for occupancy sensing, and corresponding method
An optical system for occupancy sensing according to the invention includes a plurality of optical line sensors, each consisting of a linear array of light sensing elements; and an optical light integrating device that integrates light from rays with incidence angles subject to geometric constraints to be sensed by a light sensing element. |
| US09041939B2 |
Apparatus and method for compensating for sample misalignment
A method of compensating for sample misalignment in an optical measurement apparatus (40), comprises the steps of: determining an expected response from a detector (58) in said optical measurement apparatus given a particular set of parameters defining a path that light can take through the optical measurement apparatus from a source (42), via a sample (50), to the detector (58); measuring a response from the detector for the sample under test; and refining the set of parameters until the expected response and the measured response converge so as to determine the set of parameters giving rise to the measured response. |
| US09041938B2 |
Surface wave assisted structures and systems
A surface wave assisted system having an aperture layer with a surface and an aperture, and a plurality of grooves around the aperture. The plurality of grooves is configured to generate an optical transfer function at the aperture by inducing a surface wave for interfering with transmission of light of a range of spatial frequency. |
| US09041937B2 |
Interference measurement device and measurement method
[Problem to be Solved] To improve the measurement accuracy of an interference measurement device which utilizes interference of light.[Means for Solution] An interference measurement device includes a light source 10 for emitting supercontinuum light (SC light), an optical fiber coupler 11 for splitting the SC light into measurement light and reference light, a dispersion compensation element 12, a drive unit 13 for moving the dispersion compensation element 12, and light-receiving means 14 for measuring an interference waveform produced as a result of interference between the measurement light and the reference light. A measurement object 15 to be measured is an Si substrate having a thickness of 800 μm. The dispersion compensation element 12 is an Si substrate having a thickness of 780 μm. Namely, the dispersion compensation element 12 is formed of the same material as that of the measurement object 15 and is 20 μm thinner than the measurement object 15. The interference caused by reflection on the back surface of the measurement object 15 and reflection on the back surface of the dispersion compensation element 12 has a narrow peak width because wavelength dispersion is cancelled almost completely. Thus, the accuracy in measuring the peak position improves. As a result, the accuracy in measuring temperature, etc., improves. |
| US09041935B2 |
Measuring polarization crosstalk in optical birefringent materials and devices based on reduction of line broadening caused by birefringent dispersion
Techniques and devices for measuring polarization crosstalk in birefringence optical media including polarization maintaining fiber. |
| US09041931B2 |
Substrate analysis using surface acoustic wave metrology
A system for imposing and analyzing surface acoustic waves in a substrate to determine characteristics of the substrate is disclosed. Optical elements and arrangements for imposing and analyzing surface acoustic waves in a substrate are also disclosed. NSOM's, gratings, and nanolight elements may be used to impose surface acoustic waves in a substrate and may also be used to measure transient changes in the substrate due to the passage of surface acoustic waves therethrough. |
| US09041929B2 |
Method for securing a display diagnostic device to a display
An apparatus for securing a diagnostic tool proximate to and in front of a display device between the corners thereof. A harness is adapted to releasably hold the diagnostic tool, a restraining bracket extends from the harness, and there is at least one elastic cord having a first end, an intermediate portion and a second end. The cord is threaded through the restraining bracket and is sized so as to impart elastic tension to the corners of the display device while concomitantly protecting the front surface from pressure due to the position of the harness and diagnostic tool. |
| US09041926B2 |
Apparatus and method for in-flight detection of airborne volcanic ash
A method of optically determining the presence of volcanic ash within a cloud comprises emitting a circularly polarized illuminating beam within a cloud and analyzing backscatter light to identify the presence of volcanic ash within the cloud. The method further includes determining the degree to which the cloud has altered the polarization state of the emitted beam. The index of refraction of the backscatter light and the opacity of the backscatter light are also analyzed. |
| US09041922B1 |
System and method for biological specimen mounting
A system and method for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising: a fluid channel including: a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, a section-mounting region downstream of the fluid channel inlet, and a fluid channel outlet downstream of the section-mounting region; a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid channel outlet; and a manifold, fluidly coupled to the reservoir, that delivers fluid from the reservoir to the fluid channel inlet, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the section from the fluid channel inlet toward the section-mounting region. |
| US09041921B2 |
Defect inspection device and defect inspection method
A defect inspection device has: an illumination optical system which irradiates a predetermined region of an inspection target with illumination light; a detection optical system which has a detector provided with a plurality of pixels by which scattered light from the predetermined region of the inspection target due to illumination light from the illumination optical system can be detected; and a signal processing portion which is provided with a correction portion which corrects pixel displacement caused by change in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the inspection target with respect to a detection signal based on the scattered light detected by the detector of the detection optical system, and a defect determination portion which determines a defect on the surface of the inspection target based on the detection signal corrected by the correction portion. |
| US09041918B2 |
Measuring apparatus and referencing method for a digital laser distance meter, and laser distance meter
A handheld distance measuring instrument includes a first emission device, a first reception device and a second reception device. The first emission device is configured to emit an optical measurement radiation onto a target object. The first reception device is configured to detect the radiation returning from the target object. The second reception device is configured in order to detect a reference radiation internal to the instrument. The reception devices respectively include a first detector unit, a second detector unit, a first time measurement unit, and a second time measurement unit. The first time measurement unit is configured to be connected selectively to the first detector unit and to the second detector unit. The second time measurement unit is configured to be connected selectively to the first detector unit and to the second detector unit. |
| US09041917B2 |
Range sensor and range image sensor
The range image sensor is a range image sensor which is provided on a semiconductor substrate with an imaging region composed of a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged units (pixel P), thereby obtaining a range image on the basis of charge quantities QL, QR output from the units. One of the units is provided with a charge generating region (region outside a transfer electrode 5) where charges are generated in response to incident light, at least two semiconductor regions 3 which are arranged spatially apart to collect charges from the charge generating region, and a transfer electrode 5 which is installed at each periphery of the semiconductor region 3, given a charge transfer signal different in phase, and surrounding the semiconductor region 3. |
| US09041916B2 |
Three-dimensional image sensor and mobile device including same
A 3D image sensor includes a depth pixel that includes; a photo detector generating photo-charge, first and second floating diffusion regions, a first transfer transistor transferring photo-charge to the first floating diffusion region during a first transfer period in response to a first transfer gate signal, a second transfer transistor transferring photo-charge to the second floating diffusion region during a second transfer period in response to a second transfer gate signal, and an overflow transistor that discharges surplus photo-charge in response to a drive gate signal. Control logic unit controlling operation of the depth pixel includes a first logic element providing the first transfer gate signal, a second logic element providing the second transfer gate signal, and another logic element providing the drive gate signal to the overflow transistor when the first transfer period overlaps, at least in part, the second transfer period. |
| US09041915B2 |
Systems and methods of scene and action capture using imaging system incorporating 3D LIDAR
The present invention pertains to systems and methods for the capture of information regarding scenes using single or multiple three-dimensional LADAR systems. Where multiple systems are included, those systems can be placed in different positions about the imaged scene such that each LADAR system provides different viewing perspectives and/or angles. In accordance with further embodiments, the single or multiple LADAR systems can include two-dimensional focal plane arrays, in addition to three-dimensional focal plane arrays, and associated light sources for obtaining three-dimensional information about a scene, including information regarding the contours of the objects within the scene. Processing of captured image information can be performed in real time, and processed scene information can include data frames that comprise three-dimensional and two-dimensional image data. |
| US09041914B2 |
Three-dimensional coordinate scanner and method of operation
A noncontact optical three-dimensional measuring device that includes a projector, a first camera, and a second camera; a processor electrically coupled to the projector, the first camera and the second camera; and computer readable media which, when executed by the processor, causes the first digital signal to be collected at a first time and the second digital signal to be collected at a second time different than the first time and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a first point on the surface based at least in part on the first digital signal and the first distance and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a second point on the surface based at least in part on the second digital signal and the second distance. |