US07694396B2
The present invention provides a reverse opening type separable end stop having a mechanism which securely locks a reverse opening type slider on a surface of an insert pin or a box pin, thereby blocking the slider from needlessly moving inward, wherein the reverse opening type separable end stop comprises a reverse opening type slider, a box pin and an insert pin, the insert pin or the box pin being provided with a contact portion with which a locking pawl provided on the reverse opening type slider mounted on a fastener chain can always make contact by colliding an end surface thereof in an opening/closing direction at an end portion of the fastener chain, so that the contact portion is locked by the locking pawl, whereby a high quality reverse opening type separable end stop is ensured.
US07694392B2
Tools and methods of making tools that are swung toward a work-piece are more accurate and/or safer to use because of a moveable grip provided on the tool handle. The tool handle slides through the moveable grip, with minimal or no rotation or shifting relative to the grip. The movable grip eliminates the need for the forward hand of the user to loosen its grip during portions or all of the swing, eliminates the need for the hand itself to slide along the surface of the handle, and, importantly, greatly reduces or eliminates the chance that the tool and the impact head of the tool hand will rotate or shift relative to user's hand(s). The moveable grip and handle are preferably rigid and hard and mated in shape and size so that rotation and shifting is reduced or eliminated. The preferred embodiment includes one or more control members for retaining or latching the moveable grip in one or more desired locations on the handle, so that the moveable grip may be prevented from sliding along the handle until the user desires it to slide.
US07694370B1
A massage table apparatus for woman includes a first hole for accommodating the face contour of a woman and a second hole for accommodating the breasts contour thereof when the woman is lying on the massage table on a face down position so as to bring a degree of comfort to the woman engaging in leisure activities including massage.
US07694368B2
A positive lock for an ambulance cot and method thereof which requires lifting an upper frame of the ambulance cot, in order to permit a spring actuator to clear an interference fit of the positive lock, are provided. If the upper frame is not lifted, then the spring force used to pull on the positive lock is insufficient to overcome the interference fit. Clearing the interference fit permits the cot to be height adjusted. Optionally, a light indicator may be provided which illuminates if the cot has not been positively locked in a height adjusted position.
US07694366B2
In an operating table comprising a table column (10) with a column foot (14) and with a column head (16) and also a patient bed (12) which is connectable to the column head (16) and which is pivotable in relation to the table column (10) about at least one axis parallel to the bed plane, the column head (16) has provided on it a guide track (42) which is curved continuously about an axis of curvature and on which a saddle coupleable to the bed (12) is mounted such that it can be adjusted along the guide track (42) by means of a saddle drive.
US07694364B1
A playpen bumper includes an elongated strip of generally soft material having a first surface, a second surface, and ties for releasably fastening the strip of material to a playpen. The strip of material has padding secured between the first and second surfaces. The first surface includes various ways for releasably securing a plurality of toys thereto such as a band or a pocket. The fastening means is attached to the second surface of the strip of material and is used to releasably fasten the bumper to the playpen. The first surface faces the interior or confined space of the playpen formed by a plurality of side walls and a bottom wall. The second surface faces outwardly from the confined space.
US07694358B2
A shower tray has a trough along one or more sides of the tray and structure for clamping flexible floor covering material and/or a flexible edge of a ramp device in the trough(s). The clamping structure may comprise one or more elongate clamping elements and securement for fixing the clamping element(s) in the trough(s).
US07694355B2
A pressure vessel at least includes a main vessel, an air entry valve, a water entry valve, a drain valve and a control valve. The drain valve is provided with a valve base set on the top of the main vessel, a piston unit inserted inside the valve base able to be moved upwards and a spring installed between the piston member and the valve base. In addition, the pressured water in the main vessel coming from the water entry valve and the air entry valve can be stored in the control valve and guided to a chamber between the piston unit and the valve base, enabling the piston member to surpasses the elasticity and the water pressure to move up to separate from a drain exit of the main vessel for flushing a toilet. Therefore, the present invention has a simple structure, easy to assemble, preventing accidental flushing.
US07694353B2
An air circulation system is provided that is fittable to a protective helmet. The system includes an external manifold, a removable intake duct, and a removable exhaust duct. The manifold is mountable to an external surface of a protective shell of a helmet and defines an exhaust passage external of the shell having at least one orifice communicable with an interior crown region of the shell and an intake passage communicable with a bottom region of the shell near a wearer's mouth and nose. The removable intake duct is connected to a remote positive pressure source at one end and connected to the external intake passage on the other end. The removable exhaust duct is connected to a remote source of negative pressure at one end and connected to the external exhaust passage of the external manifold on the other end. Fresh air can be circulated to the bottom region by the positive pressure source and exhaust air can be forcefully removed from the crown region by the negative pressure source to provide a complementary air circulation system for the wearer of the helmet.
US07698745B2
Systems and methods for secure messaging are provided. A sender may encrypt content and send the encrypted content to a recipient over a communications network. The encrypted content may be decrypted for the recipient using a remote decryption service. Encrypted message content may be placed into a markup language form. Encrypted content may be incorporated into the form as a hidden form element. Form elements for collecting recipient credential information such as username and password information may also be incorporated into the form. At the recipient, the recipient may use the form to provide recipient credential information to the remote decryption service. The recipient may also use the form to upload the encrypted content from the form to the decryption service. The decryption service may provide the recipient with access to a decrypted version of the uploaded content over the communications network.
US07698744B2
Systems and methods are described for allowing the execution of authorized computer program code and for protecting computer systems and networks from unauthorized code execution. In one embodiment, a multi-level proactive whitelist approach is employed to secure a computer system by allowing only the execution of authorized computer program code thereby protecting the computer system against the execution of malicious code such as viruses, Trojan horses, spy-ware, and/or the like. Various embodiments use a kernel-level driver, which intercepts or “hooks” certain system Application Programming Interface (API) calls in order to monitor the creation of processes prior to code execution. The kernel-level driver may also intercept and monitor the loading of code modules by running processes, and the passing of non-executable code modules, such as script files, to approved or running code modules via command line options, for example. Once intercepted, a multi-level whitelist approach may be used to authorize the code execution.
US07698737B2
A control unit is described for technical installations, devices and/or machines having a microprocessor, a programmable memory and a housing enclosing the microprocessor and programmable memory. Data lines lead out of the housing for connection with an external device for writing data to the programmable memory. The control unit is enclosed in the housing such that the operability of the control unit is at least partly destroyed when the housing is opened. The control unit furthermore has a check device that checks for authorization a write access by which data are written to the programmable memory over the data line, and causes the data to be written to the programmable memory only in case of a successful check of authorization.
US07698731B2
A security architecture is provided for accessing security components associated with an operating system. The security architecture is generally comprised of: a policy tree storing a plurality of security policies, where each security policy is define as at least one system call which correlates to a security operation and a corresponding security component for executing the security operation; and a policy manager adapted to intercept system calls from the operating system and operable to determine an applicable response based on the policy tree. The policy tree and the policy manager reside in a protected memory space of the execution environment.
US07698724B1
Multicast groups provide a mechanism to deliver simultaneous media content to a plurality of users. In streaming media systems, such as audio and video systems, each multicast recipient simultaneously receives similar content. Accordingly, each recipient must initiate transmission at the same time. A data communications device delivers multiple media streams of similar content to each of a plurality of users by converging a set of media streams and merging the converged streams onto a single stream for simultaneous delivery to each of the plurality of users from a single media stream resource. A convergence processor identifies a set of streams carrying similar content in a slightly time-shifted manner with respect to the other streams. The convergence processor filters certain streams to augment the streams to converge at a particular point, at which time the streams align respect to media content therein, and merge onto a multicast stream for the duration.
US07698719B2
The invention relates to a computerized method for a user to create an advertisement by displaying a plurality of advertising formats for selection by a user; displaying a template corresponding to a selected advertising format; displaying a plurality of product references for selection by the user; displaying on the template a selected product reference to create a proposed advertisement; and creating a preview of the proposed advertisement, all of which may be implemented using the Internet. The invention further relates to a computerized system for creating an advertisement that comprises a template database for storing advertising formats; a product database for storing product references; and a computer to access the databases. Preferably, the user has a network interface such as Internet access that permits access via a remote location, software to permit a user to specify specifications such as quantity, printing information, ship date, paper type, pricing information, and payment information, and may be configured to receive images and text for new products.
US07698709B2
A method and structure for determining a listing of host processors on a network to perform a parallel application, including determining a listing of all possible hosts on the network for performing the parallel application, determining for each of the possible hosts a current capacity and a current utilization, calculating for each of the possible hosts a difference between the current capacity and the current utilization, and selecting from the listing of all possible hosts a listing of hosts based on sorting the calculated differences.
US07698695B2
The present invention is directed to a computerized method for identifying at least one pattern in source code. The method includes the step of parsing the source code to obtain data corresponding to at least one source code class. A plurality of search units are provided, each search unit being configured to evaluate a single verifiable property of the at least one source code class to a TRUE state or a FALSE state. At least a portion of the plurality of search units are arranged in at least one predetermined search sequence. The at least one source code class is evaluated by each search unit included in the at least one predetermined sequence.
US07698692B1
Techniques for preparing a binary file for future instrumentation are provided. First object code and second object code are linked into a binary file. The first object code is created by compiling the source code of a computer program. The second object code comprises a first set of instrumentation code that is not referenced by any instructions in the object code of the computer program. The second object code stores commonly used instrumentation routines that are referenced by a second set of instrumentation code, which second set is inserted in the binary file when the binary file is subsequently instrumented.
US07698681B2
A logic book for a programmable device such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) achieves improved radiation tolerance by providing transistors of the same doping type in different well regions that are physically isolated by intervening well regions with complementary doping. For example, n-type field effect transistors (NFETs) may be located in two outer rows of the book with separate Pwell regions, while p-type transistors are located in two inner rows of the book sharing a common Nwell region. Since the NFETs in separate wells are physically isolated from each other, a circuit structure which uses two NFETs in the two outer rows is much less likely to suffer multiple upsets from a single radiation strike. More complicated embodiments of the present invention include additional transistor rows in the stack with isolated Nwells and Pwells.
US07698678B2
Apparatus and program product for designing vertical parallel plate (VPP) capacitor structures in which the capacitor plates in different conductive layers of the capacitor stack have a different physical spacing. The methodology optimizes the physical spacing of the plates in each conductive layer to achieve a targeted electrostatic discharge protection level and, thereby, supply electrostatic discharge robustness.
US07698675B2
A standard cell is split into a plurality of regions, and shareability information having pin information is added to a cell library for each of the split regions. Through comparison of shareability information, a determination is made as to whether, at the time of automatic placement, a standard cell can be placed so as to share part of its region with a standard cell placed adjacent to that standard cell. On the basis of the determination result, when placing a standard cell, a standard cell to be placed adjacent to that standard cell is placed so as to share part of its region, thereby making it possible to reduce the placement area.
US07698672B1
Methods, systems and computer program products for automatically minimizing leakage current in a circuit design can include post layout delay information of a circuit that meets timing limits is analyzed. The circuit can include a first type of cells, and the first type of cells each can include a first threshold voltage and a first leakage current. After post layout delay information are analyzed, a non-speed-critical path in the circuit is selected. A dopant implant level of at least one transistor in at least one cell along the selected non-speed-critical path is modified to change the first threshold voltage of the transistor to a second threshold voltage and the first leakage current of the transistor to a second leakage current. In some implementations, the magnitude of the first threshold voltage is less than a magnitude of the second leakage current and the total leakage current of the circuit is reduced.
US07698651B2
A user interface method for executing one or more operations in a computer for interfacing an associated user with a knowledge portal (10) that is operatively associated with a plurality of data objects in a data store (12) includes the steps of: receiving a user input (202); updating, based upon the received user input, one of a current object identity (82), a preview object identity (86), and a K-map parameter (84); updating a K-map conditional upon updating one of a current object identity (82) and a K-map parameter (84); displaying in a document pane (72) at least a portion of the current object; displaying in a map pane (74) the K-map; and displaying in a preview pane (76) contents associated with the preview object.
US07698650B2
Disclosed herein is a computer system which includes a plurality of objects stored in a memory, a plurality of actions such as printing actions stored in the memory, and an action tool. Application of the action tool executes a subset of the plurality of actions on a subset of the plurality of objects. A method of outputting computerized objects by identifying a plurality of objects to be printed or otherwise manipulated, selecting an action tool which includes multiple actions and applying the action tool to the identified objects also is disclosed. The system and method of the invention are particularly useful for printing sets of documents or other files.
US07698649B2
An icon or file is provided to facilitate communications across a network. The icon or file represents a contact or set of contacts and is separate from the communications program's user interface. At least one action is executed in response to an operation performed on the icon or a command issued to the file. The actions may generally include, for example, retrieving profile information about the contact, setting an alert to indicate that the contact's network/login status has changed (e.g., login, logout, or idle), or performing communications with the contact. The action may be the same action that would be executed in response to an operation performed on a representation of the contact or set of contacts in a user interface of a communications program.
US07698648B2
A method and system for indicating availability of a contact is provided. The presence system displays to the user an indication of the presence state in association with the contact. The presence system provides an indication of the availability associated with the presence state of the contact when the user indicates to view such information. When the contact has high availability, the presence system displays an increasing animation. When the contact has low availability, the presence system displays a decreasing animation.
US07698644B2
A system and method for displaying sticky notes on a phone are provided. The system for displaying sticky notes on a phone includes a processing system and a controller. The processing system includes a processor that is coupled to a display icon and user input device, to enter and display the sticky notes on the phone. The controller classifies the entered sticky notes on the basis of the action to be performed on them. These sticky notes may be classified, based on user identification associated with a multi-user phone.
US07698641B2
A display apparatus includes a display on which an image is displayed, an interface feasible to communicate with an image source and to receive identification information of an authentication device, which is disposed on the image source and includes the identification information, from the image source, a data storage in which at least one registration-recognition information is saved, and a controller to decide whether to display the image corresponding to an image signal received from the image source on the display based on a determination of whether the identification information received through the interface is consistent with the registration-recognition information saved in the data storage.
US07698633B2
A computer-implemented method for processing markup includes the steps of detecting textual content, detecting a markup element, detecting a predicate segment, and detecting a body. The markup element includes an open character, a textual name, an optional predicate segment, an optional body, and a close character. The predicate segment includes one or more predicates, separated by a predicate separator character. Each predicate includes a textual relation and optional textual complements separated by a complements separator character. The body includes a body separator character and a possibly empty sequence of instances of textual content and nested markup elements. Computer-readable markup data includes a sequence of textual content and markup elements. A computer-implemented driver configured to process markup and to generate object-oriented requests to a model object and a plurality of element objects includes a lexical analyzer, a syntax analyzer, and a parse responder.
US07698620B2
A calculation is facilitated for y[i]=q[i]×mod(p−1) which is required as an intermediate value when calculating intra-row permutation pattern U[i][j], which is a parameter for use by an interleaver for on a turbo code defined in a standard 3GPP TS25.212 of IMT 2000, from prime number p, base sequence s[j], inter-row permutation pattern T[i], and prime number sequence q[i]. First, index i and variable div are initialized to zero. When q[i]≧div+p−1, p−1 is added to the value of div. When q[i]
US07698618B2
The errors that may occur in transmitted numerical data on a channel affected by burst errors, are corrected via the operations of: ordering the numerical data in blocks each comprising a definite number of data packets; generating for each block a respective set of error-correction packets comprising a respective number of correction packets, the respective number identifying a level of redundancy for correcting the errors; and modifying dynamically the level of redundancy according to the characteristics of the bursts and of the correct-reception intervals between two bursts. Preferential application is on local networks, such as W-LANs for use in the domestic environments.
US07698614B2
The present disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus of using the JTAG TAP's TMS and TCK terminals as a general purpose serial Input/Output (I/O) bus. According to the present disclosure, the TAP's TMS terminal is used as a clock signal and the TCK terminal is used as a bidirectional data signal to allow serial communication to occur between; (1) an IC and an external controller, (2) between a first and second IC, or (3) between a first and second core circuit within an IC.
US07698611B2
A method and circuits for testing an integrated circuit at functional clock frequency by providing a test controller generating control signals that assure proper latching of test patterns in scan chains at tester frequency and propagation of the test pattern through logic circuits being tested at functional clock frequency.
US07698604B2
A storage controller (104) for a storage system (100) in which there are multiple storage devices (109) and a method for recording diagnostic information are provided. The storage controller (104) includes a storage device manager (203) which has means for allocating a storage device (109) in the storage system (100) for storing diagnostic data. The storage controller (104) also includes means for generating diagnostic data regarding the operation of the storage controller (104). Two buffers (207, 208) are used for alternately recording and writing batches of diagnostic data to the allocated storage device (109). The allocated storage device may be a storage device which is normally reserved for disaster recovery in the storage system (100).
US07698601B2
A minimally degraded configuration is determined when failing connections occur. Associative deconfigurations are determined from deconfiguring hardware items in a server system, associative groups are derived, and failed connections are determined. Failed connections are determined between two hardware items that are in the same associative group, and the two hardware items at both endpoints of the failed connection are deconfigured. Each associative group state is set to unknown, and the failed connections are counted where a single endpoint of the failed connection is within the associative group. The associative group state is set to deconfigured, if a member of the associative group was deconfigured. Counts of the associative groups that remain in the unknown state are analyzed, and the associative group with the smallest failed connection count is selected and set to a configured state. The other associative group at the other end is set to a deconfigured stated, and the hardware item in the other associative group is deconfigured.
US07698600B2
A programmable controller having self-diagnosis unit 60 (70) for self-diagnosis, wherein the self-diagnosis unit 60 (70) comprises data storage unit 61 (71) for storing data pertaining to an inspection unit for which the inspection is completed, and inspection start unit 62 (72) for starting the inspection from the next inspection unit of the inspection unit for which the inspection is already completed at the time before the power is turned on, when performing a self-diagnosis that occurs after the power is turned on, based on the data stored in the data storage unit 61 (71).
US07698599B2
A recording medium for storing start position information for each zone and a method of managing data using the information. In a disc having a plurality of zones which form a group, and a spare area which is allocated at the start portion or the end portion of the group for replacing defects, when start logical sector numbers of each zone are changed by slipping replacement during initialization or reinitialization, the information is stored in the defect management area to thereby increase the compatibility of the medium. In particular, by the method of managing data using information stored in a defect management area, generation of errors is prevented in reading or writing due to the change of a physical position of a real-recorded file which are caused by wrong calculation of the start logical sector numbers for each zone.
US07698596B2
The invention relates to a medical device for diagnostics and/or therapy with a system, with a device for self-analysis of the systems and creation of system internal status messages, with a device for interpretation of the system-internal status messages, with associated storage means for special technical and application knowledge, with an operating console for output of interpreted status messages and input of instructions, where the device for interpretation is embodied such that the system-internal status messages are converted on the basis of specialist technical and application knowledge into the interpreted status messages.
US07698588B2
The present invention discloses, in one aspect, a synchronizing circuit for synchronizing transmitted data. In one embodiment, the synchronization technique comprises a subsystem configured to compare positive and negative transitions of a core clock signal with positive and negative transitions of a source clock signal to determine a relationship between the transitions of the core clock signal and positions of the negative transitions of the source clock signal. The synchronization circuit also comprises logic circuitry coupled to the subsystem and configured to generate a final sampling signal based on the relationship. In addition, the synchronization circuit comprises a data sampler coupled to the logic circuitry and configured to sample a source data signal synchronized with the source clock signal using the final sampling signal, and to generate a core data signal synchronized with the core clock signal based on the sampling. Also disclosed is a method of synchronizing a data stream, and a data transfer assembly incorporating the synchronization circuit and the method.
US07698586B2
A portable system, method thereof, and a power consumption controller for controlling power consumption in a portable system are described. The portable system may include a storage unit, a module processing data, and a controller regulating power supplied to the module. The controller may regulate the module to perform a backup operation when a power saving mode begins and to interrupt the power after the backup operation is completed.
US07698583B2
A microprocessor capable of dynamically reducing its power consumption based on its varying operating temperature includes a temperature sensor that monitors the microprocessor's operating temperature and a control circuit that includes operating point data. The operating point data includes a first voltage at which the microprocessor may reliably operate at a frequency and at a first temperature, and a second voltage at which the microprocessor may reliably operate at the frequency and at a second temperature. The second temperature is less than the first temperature and the second voltage is less than the first voltage. The control circuit causes the microprocessor to operate at the frequency and at the second voltage rather than at the first voltage when the operating temperature drops below the second temperature while operating at the frequency and at the first voltage.
US07698582B2
An apparatus and method for compensating digital input delay in an intelligent electronic device is provided. A method is provided which provides for accurate SER data recording while facilitating the reduction of processing burden on the IED and optimization of system performance during the processing of SER data flow. An apparatus is further provided which generally includes a time delay element coupled to a sequential events recorder for compensating for delay in communication of a data signal such that the sequential events recorder records a compensated time for a select event based on the clock and the time delay. An apparatus is provided which includes an edge detection element for detecting either a rising or falling edge from the data signal.
US07698577B2
In one embodiment a communication device activation system is provided to restore activation of one or more communication devices that are in a powered-down mode to conserve power usage during a period of inactivity. The activation signal, also referred to as a warm start signal, comprises a sequence signal. A sequence generator generates a desired sequence signal. It is contemplated that one or more sequence signals may be selected for use by the activation system. The sequence signal may be generated or stored and retrieved. To resume communication, a wake-up sequence signal is generated and transmitted to a remote communication device. Upon receipt the received signal is filtered, correlated and analyzed. Analysis may compare one or more aspects of the signal to a threshold signal. If the signal is determined to comprise a wake-up signal, i.e. a request for communication, then a warm-start operation may occur. An acknowledgement signal may optionally be generated to acknowledge receipt of the signal. In one embodiment one or more sequence signals are utilized to monitor channel characteristics and adjust communication device settings accordingly. This may occur as part of the wake-up process.
US07698568B2
A system and method is disclosed for providing DRM in a broadcast environment. In accordance with the embodiment, a DRM system distributes encrypted service keys over the mobile telephone network to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives the encrypted service key and uses it to decrypt encrypted content keys received from a DVB set top box. The decrypted content keys are sent to the set box over local link where they are used to decrypt encrypted broadcast content. A power management technique for mobile receivers is also disclosed that enables the receiver hardware to power off during a portion of the rendering process.
US07698565B1
A method of providing a certificate from a client to a server is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a request for a certificate from the server and forwarding the request to a biometric certification server (BCS). The method further includes receiving a biometric identification from the client and forwarding the biometric identification to the BCS. If the biometric identification matches a registered user on the BCS, receiving a certificate including a public key of the client certified by the BCS, and forwarding the certificate to the server, thereby identifying the client to the server.
US07698559B1
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for digital rights management. In one aspect, a method is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic document, where the electronic document includes one or more content items, a set of usage rights defining one or more features to be enabled when the document is read by an electronic document reader, and a stored representation. The method further includes generating a representation of invariant content items of the electronic document, comparing the generated representation with the stored representation, and enabling features corresponding to the set of usage rights in the electronic document only if the generated representation and the stored representation are identical, where the features are features performed by the electronic document reader on the electronic document.
US07698557B2
A system and method for generating a digital certificate is provided wherein a new digital record is received and is assigned a sequence value. A first composite digital value is generated by applying a first deterministic function to the digital records stored in a repository. The sequence value and first composite digital value are included in a first certificate. After the digital record is added to the repository, a second composite digital value is generated by applying a second deterministic function to the digital records in the repository. This second composite digital value, and a composite sequence value, are published. An interval digital value which is based upon the first and second composite digital values, and the sequence value, are included in a second certificate which thus verifies the authenticity and sequence value of the digital record.
US07698548B2
Technology for applying a communications traffic security policy in which a distinct communications traffic flow is segregated based upon a security value; whereby the communications traffic security policy include one or both of a detection and an enforcement policy. The detection policy may include determining whether the segregated communications traffic flow involves malware; and, the enforcement policy may include a malware policy.
US07698541B1
A multiplexed hierarchical array of interrupt controllers is configured to enable low latency task switching of a processor. The hierarchical array comprises a plurality of interrupt controllers coupled to a root interrupt controller. For each task that the processor is configured to execute, a corresponding interrupt controller is provided. To switch the processor to a task, the corresponding interrupt controller signals the root interrupt controller which, in turn, sends an interrupt and a Task Identifier to the processor. The root interrupt controller also cooperates with an access multiplexer/demultiplexer to select the corresponding interrupt controller for communication with the processor. By providing interrupt controller selection as well as task identification, the hierarchical array offloads arbitration and context switching overhead from the processor. That is, in response to the interrupt, the processor switches to the identified task and may access a memory address space dedicated to the task.
US07698540B2
In an embodiment of the invention, a method for dynamic hardware multithreading, includes: using a hardware halt function or a hardware yield function in a processor core in order to enable or disable a hardware thread that shares the core; wherein the hardware thread is disabled by placing the hardware thread in a halt state or yield state, and allowing another hardware thread to utilize the core.
US07698536B2
A register file is disclosed. The register file includes a plurality of registers and a decoder. The decoder may be configured to receive an address for any one of the registers, and disable a read operation to the addressed register if data in the addressed register is invalid.
US07698534B2
A method of reordering a sequence of code for processing by a target data processor in order to reduce an execution time for said code on said target data processor is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: in response to a request to execute said sequence of code, loading said sequence of code into a volatile data store associated with said target data processor; analyzing said sequence of code in relation to properties of said target data processor; identifying interlocks within said sequence of code when executing on said target data processor, in which a portion of code would be stalled while waiting for an earlier portion to complete; reordering said sequence of code to remove at least some of said interlocks; and executing said reordered sequence of code; wherein said steps of analyzing, identifying, reordering and executing are performed by said target data processor.
US07698532B1
A method is disclosed that includes converting a first command to a second command. The first command is configured to control a first type of storage unit, while the second command is configured to control a second type of storage unit. The first type of storage unit is a secondary storage unit. The second type of storage unit is a primary storage unit.
US07698525B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for managing storage used by a processor when processing instructions in which an estimate of register usage for program procedures or functions is generated and used to control the storage of the register bank in memory.
US07698522B1
A method and an apparatus for performing a virtual address based memory access. A software object is executed. A security level for the software object is established. A virtual address based memory access is performed using at least one of the security levels. The function of the object is executed based upon the virtual address based memory access.
US07698519B2
Provided are a system, method, and computer readable storage medium wherein at least two primary storage pools are configured, wherein a first primary storage pool is configured to indicate a second primary storage pool as a next storage pool in a storage hierarchy that comprises the first primary storage pool and the second primary storage pool. The first primary storage pool of the storage hierarchy is copied to a copy storage pool, wherein the first primary storage pool and the copy storage pool are included as parameters of a single command. The second primary storage pool is copied to the copy storage pool, in response to determining that the second primary storage pool is the next storage pool for the first primary storage pool in the storage hierarchy.
US07698510B2
The invention provides apparatus and methods for registering shared memory objects. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for registering a shared memory object are presented including: locating the shared memory object, the shared memory object having a first size and a first virtual address; finding a shared memory region associated with the shared memory object, the shared memory region having a second size and a second virtual address, the second virtual address returned as a unique identifier; and registering the shared memory object using the unique identifier. In some embodiments, the methods further include: calculating a memory offset for the shared memory region; and registering the shared memory range using the memory offset. In some embodiments, the methods further include: storing the unique identifier, the second size, and the memory offset in a persistent shared memory data structure.
US07698499B2
A method of buffering a data stream in an electronic device using a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer system wherein the first read latch signal does not change the pointer location of the read pointer. A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and system are also disclosed in accordance with the invention to include a FIFO buffer system to buffer memory addresses and commands within the DRAM until corresponding data is available.
US07698497B2
Each of a plurality of memory areas includes a plurality of blocks. Each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages. Each of the memory areas also includes a data cache and a page buffer. A control unit controls a lower-limit value of the number of empty blocks in each of the plurality of memory areas.
US07698493B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to translate memory write requests to be transmitted from a first processor to a second processor in a computing system, such as between a CPU and a Southbridge, as an example. A method includes generating a memory write request in a second protocol responsive to a memory write request of a first protocol, the first protocol supporting a first memory write command type and a second memory write command type, the second protocol supporting only the first memory write command type. The method also includes inserting a predefined code in the memory write request in the generated memory write request in the second protocol to produce a translated memory write request. The method may also include receiving the memory write request from the first processor where the memory write request is operable according to the first protocol having at least first and second memory write command types. The predefined code in the received memory write request is then used to determine the type of memory write request (posted or non-posted).
US07698492B2
Provided are a guaranteed services method and apparatus in bridged LAN. streams are transmitted through bridges to a plurality of listener stations in a distributed network, and each bridge performs filtering, stream group registration and authentication for the streams. Accordingly, quality of service (QoS) in a distributed network can be improved. Furthermore, streams to the plurality of listener stations can be guaranteed.
US07698490B2
A system for a universal serial bus (USB) device to perform power configuration to operate with a USB host. A connection to the USB host is enabled. Then a high-power configuration is reported to the USB host and successful enumeration by the USB host is monitored for. If such enumeration is not forthcoming within a preset time, the connection to the USB host is disabled and re-enabled, and a low-power configuration is then reported to the USB host. Optionally, the system can further ramp up power usage until a preset high-power configuration is reached, or until there is voltage sag on the VBUS and then either ramp power usage back down or measure the sag and set to a calculated power usage.
US07698489B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for dynamically turning off bus signals driven into a graphics processing unit (GPU) when the GPU is in a low power state. The GPU may be located on a graphics card mounted to a motherboard by a bus, such as a PCI-Express bus.
US07698481B1
In a circuit coupled to a port of a network having a loop architecture, a read/write pointer controller provides a read and a write pointer to track transmission words stored in a FIFO array. The read/write pointer controller also provides a FIFO level indicator to track the total number of transmission words in the FIFO array. A dynamic threshold controller tracks transmission word insertions and deletions in the FIFO array for a predetermined period of time and provides a threshold level adjustment signal based on the tracked transmission word insertions and deletions and a transmission word threshold level. A FIFO level adjuster provides transmission word insert and delete commands and adjusts the threshold level of the FIFO array in response to the threshold level adjustment signal.
US07698477B2
A method and apparatus is provided wherein a central Credit Controller Entity (CCE) is connected to a PCIE fabric environment by means of several buses. Flow Control information sent to the CCE over two of the buses indicates the buffer storage capacity that is available at respective Receiver components in the PCIE fabric. The CCE processes the Flow Control information, to generate updates that are sent by a third bus to Transmitter components corresponding to the Receivers. In one useful embodiment, directed to a method of Flow Control management, the CCE provides a repository adapted to store credit count information that represents the available storage capacity of respective Receivers. The method further comprises routing further credit count information from a given Receiver to the CCE, for storage in the repository, following each of successive events that affect the storage capacity of the given Receiver. The CCE is operated to selectively process the credit count information stored in the repository, in order to generate an update credit count. The update credit count is then selectively sent to a given Transmitter, to enable the given Transmitter to send a transmission to the given Receiver.
US07698475B2
A DMA transfer control apparatus comprises an internal memory for temporarily storing data, a buffer for temporarily storing data, a selector for selecting one of input data to the buffer and output data from the buffer per byte, and a rotator for rotating data. The internal memory receives read data from a transfer source, the buffer receives data from the internal memory, the selector receives data from the internal memory and data from the buffer, and the rotator receives data selected by the selector. An output of the rotator is used as write data. Thereby, high-speed DMA transfer is performed even when data transfer source addresses and data transfer destination addresses have different byte alignments where the addresses are located.
US07698472B2
Improved techniques for rendering a peripheral device removable (e.g., unpluggable) are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, the peripheral device is rendered removable from a host computer without preparatory user actions. In effect, the peripheral device can be automatically prepared for removal in the event that its user removes (unplugs) it from its host computer. According to another aspect of the invention, the peripheral device includes a data storage device that is mounted to a file system of the other computer when the other computer desires access to the data storage device. Otherwise, the data storage device is normally unmounted so that if the peripheral device were to be removed (e.g., unplugged) no harm or damage to data stored therein would occur. These aspects of the invention can be utilized alone or in combination with one another. The invention is particularly well suited for peripheral devices that are media players which are “hot” unpluggable without detrimental consequences.
US07698466B2
A method for transferring subscriber location information in a network communication system, including: converting the accessed subscriber location information into a code in the encoding format of the corresponding field in a subscriber packet to be sent outwards by the subscriber, carrying the code in the subscriber packet, and transferring the packet in the network communication system. It is also provided a method for converting MAC address, including: a network access device generating an MAC address from an MAC address resource pool; and replacing the source MAC address in a packet from a subscriber with said generated MAC address. The methods are no longer restricted by the number of permitted VLAN IDs in the network, and thereby improve feasibility of subscriber location information acquisition, providing a convenience for network operators to implement relevant extended services in network communication systems.
US07698465B2
A distributed computing system can achieve a generalized consensus, enabling commands that commute to be selected in any order. A leader can learn of previously selected sequences of commands, and can propose a compatible sequence of commands. Devices can select a sequence of commands that is compatible with previously selected sequences. Additional commands can be selected by selecting a sequence of commands comprising a previously selected sequence and the additional commands. Further efficiencies can be realized if the devices receive proposals directly from clients. Two or more proposals arriving in varying orders at the various clients may be selected in varying orders. However, if those proposals commute, a generalized consensus nevertheless exists despite the variations, enabling the system to continue efficient operation. To conserve memory, a checkpoint command that does not commute with any other command can be used to secure a sequence of commands for archiving or deletion.
US07698464B2
In methods and apparatus for acquiring VPN reachability information at a node of a data network, a VPN reachability information request is transmitted from a requesting node. The VPN reachability information request comprises a VPN identifier. Other nodes of the data network receive the VPN reachability information request and, if they have reachability information relevant to that VPN, they transmit such information to the requesting node where it is received and stored. The invention can be used in MPLS VPN architectures.
US07698462B2
Computer program products, apparatus, and methods for processing digital messages to recipients at destination domains is provided. A plurality of profiles are established, each profile for handling digital to a specific domain or set of domains. A request to process a plurality of outbound digital messages is handled by, for each given digital message, processing the given digital message by (i) determining a destination domain for digital messages, (ii) reading a profile for the determined destination domain for the digital messages and (iii) based on at least one parameter set in the profile: (a) sending the given digital message to the determined destination domain in accordance with the profile when permitted by the at least one parameter set in the profile, or (b) not sending the digital message to the determined destination domain when required by the at least one parameter set in the profile.
US07698459B2
A method is disclosed for identifying a device address of a destination device having a device address unknown to a source device. The method may include sending a communication, with a hunt address in place of a known destination address, from a source device to a destination device having a device address unknown to the source device. The method may further include using the hunt address as a known destination address in future communications, if an acknowledgement responsive to the communication is received by the source device. The method may further include selecting a next hunt address from a set of device addresses to use as the hunt address and iteratively sending communications with hunt addresses from the source device to the destination device until the device address of the destination device is determined through an acknowledgement responsive to a communication or hunt addresses are exhausted, if the acknowledgment is not received by the source device.
US07698458B1
Techniques are provided for using the mobility support features of IPv6 to allow client and server nodes to communicate without the continuing intervention of a load-balancing node that selected the server node. A load-balancing node intercepts a TCP SYN packet addressed to a virtual IP address. The load-balancing node selects a server node from among multiple server nodes, and sends the packet toward the server node. The server node sends an IPv6 packet toward the client node. The packet contains a Binding Update option that specifies the virtual IP address as a Home Address. This information causes the client node to replace destination addresses in outgoing IP packets so that packets that the client node would have sent toward the virtual IP address are sent toward the selected server node's IP address instead. Consequently, the IP packets are routed toward the selected server node instead of the load-balancing node.
US07698455B2
Multicast capability in a virtual private LAN service (VPLS) is provided in a provider IP/MPLS infrastructure without headend replications by encapsulating a customer data packet to use an established multicast protocol, such as IP multicast. In one example, the customer data packet is encapsulated by an IP header having an IP multicast group address and an Ethernet header. In one implementation, a DNS type mechanism is provided to distribute the IP multicast addresses for VPLS use. Such IP multicast group address can be set aside from an administratively scoped address range. An efficient IP routing algorithm running on the provider's network provides an efficient distribution tree for routing IP-encapsulated customer packet for the VPLS.
US07698451B2
Techniques for fragmenting a file or a collection of media data are disclosed. According one aspect of the techniques, a file pertaining to a title is fragmented into a header and several tails or segments. The header is a continuous portion of the file while the segments are respective parts of the remaining portion of the file. The header is seeded substantially in all boxes, and none, one or more of the segments are distributed in each of the boxes in service. When a title is ordered, the header is instantly played back while the segments, if not locally available, are continuously fetched respectively from other boxes that have the segments.
US07698436B2
An IP connection processing device and, more particularly, an IP connection processing device that, upon completion of user authentication, initiates a connection to an IP network in a designated area constructed by a wireless LAN or the like. The IP connection processing device, which processes the connection to the IP network that requires user authentication for connection to the network, includes components for: detecting authentication completion; acquiring an authentication result; and initiating or resuming the IP connection processing upon detection of the authentication completion. The IP connection processing device, upon detection of the authentication completion, requests IP address information from the IP network, and acquires an IP address of its own based on the information returned by the IP network.
US07698434B2
A connector architecture implementation that is J2EE compliant and provides improved connection management capabilities. The connector architecture implementation provides a connector leak detection mechanism that detects connection leaks both automatically and manually. The connector architecture implementation pre-configures and manages the growth and reduction of a connection pool. The connector architecture implementation may be pre-configured by pre-populating the connection pool. Connection pool growth may be managed by generating connections in response to connection requests. A connection pool may also be configured to reduce the number of connections in the pool. The number of connections may be reduced if the connection demand decreases. Password credentials allowing access to services are used to provide additional connection management.
US07698428B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for backing up data across a plurality of clients on a grid computing system. A sequence management apparatus includes a client request module, a sequence module, and packet storage module. The sequence module is configured to receive data to be backed up from a source client. The sequence module is configured to generate a non-transparent sequence key that identifies one or more target clients on the grid computing system. The packet storage module is configured to store a backup copy of the data from the source client on the plurality of target clients according to the non-transparent sequence key. The non-transparent sequence key may be generated by and known only to the sequence management apparatus in order to maintain a minimum security level for the data backed up on the plurality of target clients.
US07698423B2
A computer system comprising a plurality of first computers each operated by an operator and a second computer coupled via a network to the plurality of first computers. Each of the plurality of first computers executes at least one software, obtains operation information by the operator with respect to the at least one software to be executed, receives an input of information from the operator, displays a confirm window for the operator to check whether the received input information is correct or not, calculates operation time period about the displayed confirm window based on the obtained operation information; and sends the calculated operation time period about the confirm window to the second computer. The second computer receives the operation time period about the confirm window, and calculates the number of operations of which the received operation time period about the confirm window is shorter than a first threshold value.
US07698412B2
The present invention features a data link layer processor for performing VLAN tagging operations, policing, shaping, and statistics acquisition integrally with one or more media access controllers (MACs). When a plurality of data link layer processors are operated in parallel in a switching device, the computational burden carried by the route engine is significantly reduced. Moreover, the data link layer processor in its several embodiments may be used to introduce various forms of pre-processing and post-processing into network switching systems that employ route engines that do not posses such functionality.
US07698410B2
In an embodiment, new traffic pattern data is received pertaining to a first time period having a first time increment. The traffic pattern data may be received as, or converted to, count information reflecting the probabilities that the user will select particular links services. An incremental table is accessed to determine stale traffic pattern count data, which is the traffic pattern count data in the incremental table over a second time period having the first time increment, wherein the second time period covers the oldest traffic pattern count data in the incremental table. Then a count table is updated to reflect removal of the stale traffic pattern count data, wherein the count table contains global count data at a higher level of granularity than the incremental table. The incremental table and count table are updated to reflect addition of the new traffic pattern data.
US07698402B2
A system and method for performing enhanced modeling of multi-tiered architectures is presented. The system and method enable selection of a preferred design for a multi-tiered architecture of components based on a set of established criteria, and may employ certain vectors and functions in component attributes, and such attributes may include scalability and scope of fault attributes.
US07698400B1
Dedication of administrative servers to management of server functions in a multi-server environment
A system for managing administration of computer services provided to users includes a computer system and an operating system running on the computer system. A server process is launched by the computer system for providing services to users. An isolated Virtual Private Server (VPS) has a set of services that perform administrative operations relating to the server process. The server process can be a webserver, a file server, an FTP server, an authentication server, a VPS, a chroot environment, a jail environment, a sand box environment, a print server and a Windows Terminal Service. The administrative operations can include collection of statistics relating to the server process; servicing of requests for management of the server process; servicing of requests for management of operating system functions; servicing of requests for computer system resource allocation; servicing of requests for computer system resource re-allocation; servicing of requests for authorization within the operating system; servicing of requests for authorization within the server process; servicing of requests that the server process is forbidden from executing; servicing of operations that potentially can cause a fault in the server process; and servicing of operations that require multiplexing of server processes. The multiplexing can be based on a network protocol addressing, or on a content of a request directed to the server process. The VPS isolation can include logical isolation of processes, physical isolation of processes, resources isolation, namespace isolation, data isolation, address isolation, fault isolation and performance isolation.
US07698395B2
A method for controlling start-up of a network is provided. The method includes receiving a message from one node of a plurality of nodes at a hub while the network is in an unsynchronized state, relaying the message to the other nodes of the plurality of nodes of the network independent of the content of the message, and blocking all messages from the one node of the plurality of nodes until a relaying condition is met.
US07698393B2
A method and system for seamlessly integrating computing devices shadow information between computing devices. The transfer of information proceeds in accordance with user-defined preferences. While a user is interacting with an application on one computing device, the application is shadowed to another computing device. Since the information is shadowed, the user may continue interacting with the application on the other communication device at any point without first having to perform a synchronization.
US07698391B2
An application deployment architecture provides the capability to independently invoke different phases of an operation associated with an application, thereby progressively deploying the application across a network of peer nodes and providing fault tolerance. Therefore, applications are easier to deploy on the network of nodes, the deployment process is less error prone, and remediation of deployment errors is simpler than with prior approaches. Tasks constituent to phases of a deployment process are schedulable rather than completely automated and outside the control of the administrator, and are schedulable on a subset of the nodes rather than only on the entire network of nodes.
US07698388B2
A client computer hosts a virtual private network tool to establish a virtual private network connection with a remote network. Upon startup, the virtual private network tool collects critical network information for the client computer, and sends this critical network information to an address assignment server in the remote network. The address assignment server compares the critical network information with a pool of available addresses in the remote network, and assigns addresses for use by the client computer that do not conflict with the addresses for local resources. The address assignment server also provides routing information for resources in the remote network to the virtual private network tool. The virtual private network tool will postpone loading this routing information into the routing tables of the client computer until the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network. When the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network, the virtual private network tool will only provide the routing table with the routing information for that specific remote resource.
US07698383B2
It is desirable to drive down the complexity involved in developing the wireless application by reducing the need to do any explicit coding, as well as reducing device resources utilized by the application when provisioned. Having an intelligent wireless device runtime environment (Device Runtime) that provides a set of basic services to manage the wireless application as a series if application components, and their interactions, can simplify the development effort and reduce resource allocation. The wireless application is described as a set of components. The data domain for this category of applications is defined using atomic data components. The communication between the device and a server is defined using atomic message components. Both message and data components are described in metadata using a structured definition language such as XML. The relationships between the message and data components are embedded in the XML definitions in the form of message/data mappings. Typically, outgoing messages are derived from some underlying data component and incoming messages affect the current state (or data representation) of the application. It is therefore apparent that the metadata defined mapping relationship is preferable between the expression of data and message components.
US07698376B2
The present invention provides a novel client side caching (CSC) infrastructure that supports transition states at the directory level to facilitate a seamless operation across connectivity states between client and remote server. More specifically, persistent caching is performed to safeguard the user (e.g., client) and/or the client applications across connectivity interruptions and/or bandwidth changes. This is accomplished in part by caching to a client data store the desirable file(s) together with the appropriate file access parameters. Moreover, the client maintains access to cached files during periods of disconnect. Furthermore, portions of a path can be offline while other portions upstream can remain online. CSC operates on the logical path which cooperates with DFS which operates on the physical path to keep track of files cached, accessed and changes in the directories. In addition, truth on the client is facilitated whether or not a conflict of file copies exists.
US07698369B2
E-mail system which organizes e-mails into queues based on their locations and characterizes the e-mails. Metadata, indicative of the e-mail, is appended to the e-mail. The queues are organized based on the metadata, and processed. The metadata is always stored in local storage; and the message body may be stored in local storage, or in remote storage, depending on how long it will be until the message is sent. A special server manages whether the information is stored in local or remote storage.
US07698368B2
Described are a system and method of communicating with a user of a computing device over a network. Communications occur with a body-less electronic mail messages. The conveyed message is carried by the subject line of the body-less electronic mail message. The subject line records the temporal sequence of one or more text messages representing a chat-like email conversation between users. Each received body-less electronic mail messages appears on a display screen as a line item in a mailbox view. In one embodiment, the entire contents of the subject line are displayed in a drop-down list when a cursor is positioned over the subject column of the line item. In another embodiment, the user scrolls horizontally through contents of the subject line by positioning the cursor over a scroll bar arrow that appears at one end of the subject line column.
US07698362B2
A connection setting part holds a selecting condition for a binding to use; a common interface part receives a connection request from a common interface execution code to be executed by a client; a reading/analyzing part obtains the selecting condition from the connection setting part; an environment information obtaining part obtains environment information of the client and/or a server; a connection selecting determination part determines the binding to use based on the selecting condition and the environment information; and a calling part carries out connection to the Web service with the execution code corresponding to the determined binding.
US07698357B2
A device for calculating a multiplication of a multiplier and a multiplicand includes a first performer that performs an exact three operand addition and a second performer that performs an approximated operand addition and a calculator that calculates current look-ahead parameters using the approximated intermediate results. The first performer is further implemented to perform an exact three operand addition in the current iteration step using the exact intermediate result for the current iteration step and using the look-ahead parameters calculated for the current iteration step.
US07698356B2
In a computing system, evaluating a mathematical expression in presented hierarchically according to the rules of precedence of operations, initial operations at the bottom of the hierarchy may yield values too large to be calculated conventionally, even if the ultimate value of the expression may represent a calculable value. The mathematical expression is evaluated top down to determine if portions of the mathematical expression are re-expressible to simplify the expression and avoid initial or intermediate calculations that would prevent calculation of the mathematical expression. Portions of the original mathematical expression are re-expressible by substituting known mathematical identities, applying arithmetic rules, or treating a portion of the mathematical expression as a variable on which other operations are performed. Once the mathematical expression has been re-expressed, the mathematical expression is simplified, and, if possible, its value calculated.
US07698334B2
A system and method caches and distributes meta-data for one or more data containers stored on a plurality of volumes configured as a striped volume set (SVS) and served by a plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The SVS comprises one meta-data volume (MDV) configured to store a canonical copy of certain meta-data, including access control lists and directories, associated with all data containers stored on the SVS, and one or more data volumes (DV) configured to store, at least, data content of those containers. In addition, for each data container stored on the SVS, one volume is designated a container attribute volume (CAV) and, as such, is configured to store (“cache”) a canonical copy of certain, rapidly-changing attribute meta-data, including time stamps and container length, associated with that container.
US07698332B2
A method and system for projecting queries and images into a similarity space where queries are close to their relevant images is provided. A similarity space projection (“SSP”) system learns a query projection function and an image projection function based on training data. The query projection function projects the relevance of the most relevant words of a query into a similarity space and the image projection function projects the relevance to an image of the most relevant words of a query into the same similarity space so that queries and their relevant images are close in the similarity space. The SSP system can then identify images that are relevant to a target query and queries that are relevant to a target image using the projection functions.
US07698329B2
A method and apparatus for improving search results is provided. The method works by delineating sections of a document that are not relevant to the main content. The document content is subjected to ranking analysis in entirety. In response to a query results are recalled omitting terms included in the no-recall sections. Terms in the no-recall sections are not used in titles and abstracts of the results. The results are ordered at least in part by the rankings attributed to the identified no-recall sections.
US07698327B2
Systems and methods for enhancing information retrieval and communication functionality through the use of a universal interface that is configurable to interface with multiple applications resident on a user computer, and which provides a persistent two-way communication channel for communicating with search intelligence on a remote system. Sharable, actionable labels and codebooks of labels may be defined by a user. Each label may be defined in a natural language format and may include a mapping to a specific application or set of applications executable on a user system. Transfer of labels and codebooks between user systems allows for enhanced information exchange and retrieval among users as well as information exchange tracking and analysis by a server system.
US07698317B2
Techniques are disclosed for detecting web pages with duplicate content. In one embodiment, a set of shingles is computed for each page of a group of pages. An aggregate set of shingles is determined based on the sets of shingles computed for the group of pages. A first subset from the aggregate set of shingles is determined by selecting, from the aggregate set, shingles whose frequencies in the aggregate set exceed a specified threshold. A modified set of shingles is generated for each page of the group of pages by removing, from the set of shingles for that page, any shingle included in the first subset. One or more duplicate pages in the group of pages are determined based at least in part on the modified sets of shingles generated for the group of pages.
US07698316B2
A system (100) is provided for storing knowledge, information and data (KID). The system includes a plurality of sources of KID (20), at least one receiver of KID (30) from the plurality of sources, a universal knowledge, information and data store (UKIDS 160) and an interface (150) coupling the receiver and the UKIDS. The interface provides a plurality of logical partitions (200) for storing KID within the UKIDS. In one embodiment, a first level of the logical partitions segregates information into personal and professional KID. A plurality of second personal levels under the first personal level (210) segregates KID storage into a teams of people subset (212), an activities and organization subset (214) and an organization and administration subset (216). A plurality of second professional levels under said first professional level (220) segregates KID storage into a clients subset (230), an output subset (250), a teams subset (270) and an administration subset (290).
US07698308B2
As in a normal storage system, an application run on a host issues a data write command or a data read command. A monitor unit monitors the host and a command issued by the host to detect a re-startable point to issue the re-startable point notification to a source storage system. Using the re-startable point as a momentum, the source storage system converts a command stored in a buffering unit into a command for transfer in which redundant data transfer has been curtailed to transfer the command for transfer to a destination storage system. The destination storage system applies the received command to a storage unit. At this time, the command for transfer is restored to an ordinary command which is applied.
US07698306B2
A system and method for enabling parallel replay of a backup memory log of client transaction request entries to a network storage appliance file system is provided. The backup memory is typically implemented as a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). An initiator establishes a swarm of messages with a plurality of transaction blocks pointing to logged request entries and related states associated therewith. The states represent the various phases of file system recovery and disk storage including a retrieval of disk information (data and meta-data), typically in the form of a LOAD, and a subsequent modify phase. The swarm is transferred to the file system for parallel disk information-retrieval in an interleaved process. Any transactions that cannot be performed due to a required prerequisite action (e.g. a prior file-create) are returned to the initiator for reloading once the prerequisite action has occurred.
US07698300B2
If content having an attribute different from that of content usually used by a user is selected, the present invention allows proper content recommendation in accordance with the selection. When notified from a control block of a selected piece of music, a short-term preference vector generation block gets music vector of that piece of music from a music vector storage block and stores obtained music vector into a short-term preference vector storage block as short-term preference vector. A recommendation block computes a difference between short-term preference vector and long-term preference vector and, by use of a weight based on the computed difference, determines a piece of music to be recommended to a user, thereby recommending the determined piece of music to the user.
US07698295B2
An apparatus and method for handling a LET binding used in a WHERE clause of an XQuery FLWOR expression during an XML pivot join procedure. XPath steps under a LET binding are identified and marked as bindings. During a match graph construction phase of the pivot join procedure, the bindings are linked to a first common non-LET binding ancestor, while traversing from the bottom up. A location identifier for each binding is truncated to the location identifier of the first common non-LET binding ancestor to create a truncated location identifier. The truncated location identifier is compared to a node identification of a FOR binding of the XQuery FLWOR expression. A match of the node identifications will qualify the XML document and the XML document is returned by the XML pivot join procedure.
US07698289B2
A storage system architecture comprises one or more volumes distributed across a plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The volumes are organized as a striped volume set (SVS) and configured to store content of data containers served by the cluster in response to multi-protocol data access requests issued by clients. Each node of the cluster includes (i) a storage server adapted to service a volume of the SVS and (ii) a multi-protocol engine adapted to redirect the data access requests to any storage server of the cluster. Notably, the content of each data container is apportioned among the volumes of the SVS to thereby improve the efficiency of storage service provided by the cluster.
US07698287B2
The present invention provides several database formulas that can manipulate large sets of data. Each database formula is customizable and repeatable without user intervention. Thus, users may enter numerous options that can cover the user's desire for data output in certain forms or formats, select a set of input data, and consistently receive a set of output data. In some embodiments, the user may refer to the set of data semantically instead of specifying a range of cells to use in the database formula. Referring to the data semantically allows the database formulas to adjust to changes in the range of cells new data may occupy.
US07698286B2
The object-oriented approach used by the present invention provides the ability to develop and manage Internet transactions. Local applications can be accessed using any workstation connected to the Internet regardless of the workstation's configuration. Some or all of a Web page can be generated dynamically using input received in a returned page, generated at runtime, or retrieved from an external data source (e.g., database or electronic mail system). When the Web page definition is rendered, the information contained in template(s), declaration file(s), and object(s) are used to generate standard definitions. State information is maintained across transactions. Using state information, virtual applications, sessions, transactions, and pages can be implemented. Self-contained modules, or components, provide the ability to share implementations and create multi-content documents. Event objects can be used to assist in event handling management.
US07698278B2
A computing device includes a local directory service cache. The local directory service cache is a live database. The directory service cache is stored in a shared memory space. In certain embodiments of the invention, client processes needing directory services can directly access the local directory service cache via memory mapping. A caching program updates and maintains the database and obtains the needed data if a cache miss is encountered. Some socket communications between the client processes and the caching program may be used to update database entries, notify the caching program of cache misses, etc.
US07698275B2
In one embodiment, software for remediation management is operable to automatically identify an asset in an enterprise network. One or more vulnerabilities of the identified asset is automatically identified based on comparing the identified asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities. At least a portion of the content is collected from a plurality of third party content providers. Other example software for remediation management may be operable to identify one or more vulnerabilities of an asset based on comparing the asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities and automatically generate remediations for the asset based on the content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities.
US07698272B2
An apparatus, system, and method for determining the maximum supported degree of parallel sort operations in a multi-processor computing environment. An allocation module allocates a minimum number of sort files to a sort operation for each data source that participates in the parallel sort. The allocation module attempts to allocate sort files of one-half the sort operation data source file size, and iteratively reduces the sort file size requests in response to determinations that sort files of the requested size are not available. After allocation, a parallel operation module determines whether there is sufficient virtual storage to execute the sort operations in parallel. If there is not, the parallel operations module collapses the two smallest sort operations, thereby reducing the degree of parallelism by one, and repeats the request. The parallel operation module repeats the process until the sorts are executed or the process fails for lack of virtual storage.
US07698270B2
The invention comprises a set of complementary techniques that dramatically improve enterprise search and navigation results. The core of the invention is an expertise or knowledge index, called UseRank that tracks the behavior of website visitors. The expertise-index is designed to focus on the four key discoveries of enterprise attributes: Subject Authority, Work Patterns, Content Freshness, and Group Know-how. The invention produces useful, timely, cross-application, expertise-based search and navigation results. In contrast, traditional Information Retrieval technologies such as inverted index, NLP, or taxonomy tackle the same problem with an opposite set of attributes than what the enterprise needs: Content Population, Word Patterns, Content Existence, and Statistical Trends. Overall, the invention emcompasses Baynote Search—a enhancement over existing IR searches, Baynote Guide—a set of community-driven navigations, and Baynote Insights—aggregated views of visitor interests and trends and content gaps.
US07698262B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for searching multimedia data based on metadata. The apparatus for searching multimedia data includes: a mapping information storing unit for storing and managing mapping information between a Moving Picture Experts Group 7 (MPEG-7) query attribute and an MPEG-7 metadata property; and a query attribute mapping unit for acquiring the MPEG-7 metadata property to be mapped with the MPEG-7 query attribute according to a user query based on the mapping information.
US07698261B1
The present invention is directed to a method and system for refining a search to locate information about an item based on dynamically selected and ordered search categories. More specifically, the method and system identifies a set of search categories based on search category preference information obtained from the search results. The data entries are returned after searching on data stores with a search query provided by a user, and then the ranks of the returned data entries are determined based on a degree of relevancy with the search query. The dynamically selected search categories are displayed in an order corresponding to the rank of the data entries where the search category preference information is obtained.
US07698253B2
The present invention proposes enhancing the access path selection process by storing the relevant frequency distribution and the host variables values used for selecting the access path together with the corresponding access path executable. This way, the host variables impact to the access path can be inexpensively assessed and the re-optimization triggered only if necessary.
US07698252B2
Systems and methods are presented for retrieving records from a database and presenting them to a user through a timely and efficient query restricting process. The query request is then modified through the use of a determined partitioning field and a modified query which partitions the field relative to a partitioning value. Records are retrieved from the database. A small set of records is presented to the user, as is a prompt to retrieve more records. An application which receives query requests determines: restricting fields, partition size and whether or not the partition is within a predetermined range. The application returns a data set and receives requests for more records. Embodiments of the invention include a storage efficient solution that is particularly useful for maintaining a time efficient user response for a dynamic database.
US07698237B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating and evaluating a plurality of courses of action (COAs) for a problem of interest having an associated set of problem characteristics. A case based reasoner generates an initial set of courses of action according to the associated problem characteristics. Each course of action includes a plurality of COA packages and a set of associated fitness parameters. A genetic algorithm refines the initial set of courses of action according to a set of global influence values to produce at least one optimized course of action. A user interface allows a user to adjust at least one value from the set of global influence values and the set of fitness parameters associated with each optimized course of action.
US07698236B2
A targeted advertising system uses a machine learning tool to select an asset for a current user of a user equipment device, for example, to select an ad for delivery to a current user of a digital set top box in a cable network. The machine learning tool first operates in a learning mode to receive user inputs and develop evidence that can characterize multiple users of the user equipment device audience. In a working mode, the machine learning tool processes current user inputs to match a current user to one of the identified users of that user equipment device audience. Fuzzy logic may be used to improve development of the user characterizations, as well as matching of the current user to those developed characterizations. In this manner, targeting of assets can be implemented not only based on characteristics of a household but based on a current user within that household.
US07698230B1
A transaction receiver obtains a transaction packet comprising at least one document and instructions for processing the at least one document to complete a transaction. Thereafter, a rule parser accesses a transaction policy statement associated with the transaction packet including one or more rules for allowing the at least one document to be electronically signed. A verification agent then determines whether the rules of the transaction policy statement are met, after which a signature inhibitor prevents the at least one document from being electronically signed unless each rule of the transaction policy statement is met.
US07698228B2
A system and method for tracking purchases in a location-based services system is disclosed wherein a request for information on a particular product is received from a consumer using a remote terminal. A geographically tailored response to the request is then generated with the location-based services system. At least one offer is then displayed to the consumer based on the geographically tailored response. An acceptance of a respective offer made by the consumer is then processed by the location-based services system and information is stored about the transaction in a usage data file or database.
US07698222B1
A user or a device may separate a check into two or more portions prior to generating a digital image of the check for remote deposit of the check. The user or a device may separate the check by cutting or tearing the check. After separating the check into the portions, the user may generate a digital image of the portions of the check using a scanner for example. The digital image may be transmitted to an institution for deposit of the check. The institution may retrieve the images of the portions of the check and generate an image of the check based on the portions, by combining the images of the portions for example. The image of the check that may be generated based on the images of the portions may be processed for deposit.
US07698219B2
A business method is disclosed of increasing the probability of timely receiving payment for financing renewable energy consumer premises equipment (CPE) by a consumer for power generation at a consumer premises, the renewable energy CPE adapted to deliver power onto a power grid. The method comprises creating an agreement between a consumer and an entity financing renewable energy CPE, wherein creating the agreement includes creating a provision that allows the entity to control power at the consumer premises if a default of the agreement by the consumer occurs.
US07698211B2
A method and system for the determination of optimal pricing and allocation of securities in an open, competitive environment. The method and system may also be used in developing pre-markets of other items that are difficult to price and allocate in a competitive manner, such as the underwriting/securitization of contracts for property; future revenue/earning streams from an asset and/or group of assets; underwritten insurance portfolios, intellectual property and other goods and services. The system of price optimization and allocation is accomplished by interactive feedback of information using a display and including competitive participation of individual members of the public (and/or their agents) or institutional buyers over a data network e.g., the Internet, uncovering the nature and identification of demand in a self-organizing fashion. Demand emerges through participants' interaction with the system and with each other, via a graphically-supported, interactive reservation process. Also, there is provided an interactive reservation process whereby additional units may be allocated.
US07698209B1
A method, system, and computer-program product for determining one or more decision steps of a programming logic set executed by a computer. The method comprises steps of: receiving at least one data set; receiving conditional information; tagging one of said one or more data sets to indicate qualification under the conditional information. The tagging includes determining, for each tagging condition element, if the tagging condition element passes or fails, and combining, in accordance with a predefined logic scheme, the results of the individual tagging condition elements from the determining step to further determine whether said data set meets the conditions.
US07698200B2
A system and method for creating an index value for evaluating market center execution quality. This can include a summation of at least two derived values selected from: an execution speed of a predetermined order of covered security orders that were executed at a market center; price improvement of a predetermined order of covered security orders that were executed at a market center; percentage of covered security orders that were executed at a market center at a quoted value or a better value; a percentage of covered security orders that were executed at outside the quoted value; and effective spread, which is as twice the difference between the securities execution price and the midpoint of a consolidated best bid or offer at the time of a securities order receipt. The index value can be utilized to compare market center executions provided in public data versus that provided by private data.
US07698198B2
A method for purchasing a securities bundle indexed to entertainment revenue comprises selecting a securities bundle offered by a special-purpose entity. The securities bundle comprises a first security and a second security and the securities bundle is associated with a closing date. The first security is associated with a first entertainment event and the second security is associated with a second entertainment event. The method continues by identifying a return value associated with the securities bundle, and by identifying a purchase price associated with the securities bundle. The method concludes by purchasing the selected securities bundle at least partially based on the purchase price and the return value.
US07698195B2
Users of a simulator gain skills for investing using a simulator. The simulator simulates a business system that conducts a market transaction. The simulator selects a set of factors from a plurality of sets; selects a current factor from the selected set; and determines a price in accordance with the current factor. The simulator further updates a financial position of the user of the simulator in response to a transaction; and performs the transaction in accordance with the price and an input from the user. The input from the user corresponds in content to an input to the business system. Consequently, the user develops skill in specifying market transactions to be conducted by reviewing changes in the user's financial position. The simulator may include a simulated competitor having a financial position affected by transactions according to a strategy of the competitor selected from a set of stored strategies.
US07698190B2
A software program that allows an individual with a personal computer to develop and implement plans of action for achieving a preferred lifestyle that appears feasible based on the individual's current and probable future financial circumstances.
US07698187B2
A method and system for facilitating trading of equity and index options is provided. The system incentivizes market makers to voluntarily agree to restrict the bid/offer spread on price quotes for options by enabling the market makers to submit batches of bids and offers simultaneously. The system also provides protection to the market makers by enabling withdrawal of certain bids and offers if a cumulative delta on traded options has been exceeded. The system also provides limits on the rates at which individual traders and the overall market submit bids and offers. The system provides summarization of market data to enable market makers to have relevant and timely data at all stages. In this manner, the system achieves increased liquidity of the equity and index options markets.
US07698185B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating payment values of goods and services (rewards). The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving an input. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include dynamic calculating, based upon the received input, a plurality of payment pairs, each of the plurality of payment pairs comprising any (including a plurality of) non-monetary currency value and/or any monetary currency value (between 0% and 100% respectively 100% and 0%).
US07698179B2
A hybrid label is provided with a unique product identification code which can be retrieved using multiple independent processes. In one embodiment, the hybrid label includes an RFID inlay and a printable face sheet which are secured together by a layer of adhesive material. The RFID inlay includes an integrated circuit chip which is programmed with the unique product identification code. The printable face sheet includes a bar code and an alphanumeric character string, each of which is configured to represent the same identification code. A product tracking system designed in accordance with the hybrid label is able to extract the unique identification code from the label and, in turn, associate the identification code with a designated bundle of data records which is located in an external database. The product tracking system can retrieve the identification code through the use of either RFID technology, bar code technology or manual data entry. The ability to monitor an individual article of commerce throughout the retail supply chain provides the system with, among other things, item-level tracking, anti-counterfeit, anti-diversion, security and article return applications.
US07698175B2
The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods to provide a user with visibility to packages that are inbound to and outbound from the user. A preferred embodiment describes a subscription system that allows the user to determine the frequency and format of package visibility information, and various tools are disclosed to automate and customize the presentation of package visibility information to the user.
US07698172B2
A method of providing price information of goods includes maintaining a database recording user information associated with a user, a product identifier, and desired price information, the user information including a user identifier and a mobile phone number or an electronic mail address associated with the user identifier. The method further includes receiving a selection of a product and desired price information for the product from the user, and recording the product identifier and the desired price information of the product in the database, in association with the user information of the user. The method further includes receiving selling price information of the product associated with the product identifier from at least one seller, and notifying the user of predetermined information when the received selling price satisfies a predetermined criterion.
US07698170B1
A data processing system normalizes data sets (such as low-resolution transaction data) into high-resolution data sets by mapping generic information into attribute-based specific information that is stored in a database. By establishing a shared domain model for representing items in the recommendation context, catalog and quote history with common terms and concepts, a recommendation engine operating in the shared domain may process the attribute-based representations to make specific and relevant recommendations to the customer. In addition, when certain attribute values are normalized over time, recommendations derived from past order history can be intelligently applied to current orders. The normalized representation of elements in the shared domain may also be used to generate compelling selling point text for each recommendation that is specific to the marketing objectives of the seller and identifies the objectives of the buyer.
US07698163B2
A system and method for segmenting customer data that represents a plurality of customers for use in a customer interaction. The segmentation process groups customers with similar characteristics into segments. The segments may be used to classify customers according to a likelihood of the customers to accept a particular marketing offer. The segments may also be used as an analytic framework for customer portfolio management, product development, marketing strategy, and customer interaction capabilities. A multi-dimensional segmentation approach may be used to cross-segment a plurality of customers so that the customers included in the crossed segments can be profiled for more precise targeting of marketing offers. Customers may be segmented according to one or more data types stored in a data warehouse. The multi-dimensional segmentation approach may be applied to relationships between and among the data types to obtain a holistic view of what drives customer value. The segmentations may be driven by a business objective. This enables the segment analysis to be calibrated in the context of the stated business objective.
US07698139B2
In a method and apparatus for a differentiated voice output, systems existing in a vehicle, such as the on-board computer, the navigation system, and others, can be connected with a voice output device. The voice outputs of different systems can be differentiated by way of voice characteristics.
US07698138B2
A broadcast receiving system includes a broadcast receiving part for receiving a broadcast in which additional information that corresponds to an object appearing in broadcast contents and that contains keyword information for specifying the object is broadcasted simultaneously with the broadcast contents; a recognition vocabulary generating section for generating a recognition vocabulary set in a manner corresponding to the additional information by using a synonym dictionary; a speech recognition section for performing the speech recognition of a voice uttered by a viewing person, and for thereby specifying keyword information corresponding to a recognition vocabulary set when a word recognized as the speech recognition result is contained in the recognition vocabulary set; and a displaying section for displaying additional information corresponding to the specified keyword information.
US07698137B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a specific sentence generator for generating a piece of sentence data specific to an application from a grammar stored in a grammar storing unit and correction information stored in a correction information storing unit and then storing the piece of data in specific sentence storing unit, a topic shift unit for shifting a general topic stored in a general topic storing unit to a topic specific to an application on the basis of the piece of sentence data and then storing the topic in a shifted topic storing unit, a natural speech recognition unit for recognizing speech by dictation with a shifted topic and then storing the recognition result in a recognition result storing unit, a candidate sentence generator for generating candidate sentences from a grammar and then storing the sentences in a candidate sentence storing unit, and a matching unit for determining a final recognition result by matching candidate sentences with a recognition result.
US07698136B1
The present invention is directed to a computer implemented method and apparatus for flexibly recognizing meaningful data items within an arbitrary user utterance. According to one example embodiment of the invention, a set of one or more key phrases and a set of one or more filler phrases are defined, probabilities are assigned to the key phrases and/or the filler phrases, and the user utterances is evaluated against the set of key phrases and the set of filler phrases using the probabilities.
US07698133B2
A noise reduction device is configured by use of: means for calculating a predetermined constant, and a predetermined reference signal Rω(T) in the frequency domain, respectively by use of adaptive coefficients Wω(m), and for thereby obtaining estimated values Nω and Qω(T) respectively of stationary noise components, and non-stationary noise components corresponding to the reference signal, which are included in a predetermined observed signal Xω(T) in the frequency domain; means and for applying a noise reduction process to the observed signal on the basis of each of the estimated values, and for updating each of the adaptive coefficients on the basis of a result of the process; and an adaptive learning means and for repeating the obtaining of the estimated values and the updating of the adaptive coefficients, and for thereby learning each of the adaptive coefficients.
US07698128B2
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to analyze the combinations of language objects in light of N-gram data stored on the device to avoid proposing low-probability compound language solutions.
US07698126B2
Embodiments of a localization system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of localization components provide localized data that is localized to one or more distinct markets. A translation matching component receives a localization request corresponding to input data to be localized. The translation matching component accesses the plurality of localization components based on the localization request. The translation matching component selects and outputs localized data from one or more of the plurality of localization components based on pre-determined criteria. In one embodiment, the translation matching component selects the localized data based on a time required to obtain the localized data. In another embodiment, the localization components provide confidence scores associated with the localized data, the translation matching component selecting the localized data based on the confidence scores.
US07698124B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a decoder receives a dependency tree as a source language input and accesses a set of statistical models that produce outputs combined in a log linear framework. The decoder also accesses a table of treelet translation pairs and returns a target dependency tree based on the source dependency tree, based on access to the table of treelet translation pairs, and based on the application of the statistical models.
US07698116B2
Manifolds are designed to deliver fluid through multiple orifices of the manifold such that for a given inlet fluid pressure the fluid being output from the multiple orifices has a desired mass flow profile. The desired mass flow profile includes a desired mass flow rate and a desired direction and distribution of flow in three-dimensional space. The manifold is first modeled as a two-dimensional representation to determine manifold parameters necessary to achieve the desired mass flow profile within the two dimensions. Then, the manifold is modeled as a three-dimensional representation based on the parameters previously determined for the two-dimensional representation to determine manifold parameters of the third dimension that are necessary to achieve the desired mass flow profile within the three dimensions.
US07698114B2
Techniques for enhancing thermal design of a system having a number of boundary values are provided. A method for such enhancement includes representing thermal response of the system to the boundary values, obtaining at least one constraining parameter, and determining spatial and/or temporal distribution of the boundary values. The thermal response is represented as a superposition of temperature fields associated with given boundary values. The spatial and/or temporal distribution of the boundary values is determined based on the thermal response represented in the representing step, so as to satisfy the constraining parameter. The boundary values can be, for example, power sources, and the at least one constraining parameter can be, for example, a spatial or temporal location of one of the power sources.
US07698112B2
A dynamic directory and tetrahedralization method. The dynamic directory of degree of freedom data for elements in a non-conformal mixed-element mesh includes elements subdividable into tetrahedral, in which a respective degree of freedom value is stored for each element, wherein the degree of freedom value is current as element subdivision proceeds. The tetrahedralization method includes providing a non-conformal mixed element mesh comprising elements subdividable into tetrahedra, identifying respective degree of freedom values for the elements in the mesh, and performing element subdivision based on the degree of freedom values of elements in the mesh.
US07698111B2
A method for computational analysis includes collecting an application dataset and extracting one or more features from the application dataset in order to generate a utilization workload model. The features correspond to an intrinsic dimensionality of the dataset. An apparatus and a computer-usable medium storing instructions executable by a processor for providing the computational analysis is also described.
US07698109B2
The invention provides a method for configuring a virtual representation of an assembly of a plurality of components, by: I) storing a first set of data representing a plurality of categories of components, and, for each category, parameters and constraints defining limitations for configurations of each of the components, II) generating and storing a second set of data representing the assembly of a plurality of components, while respecting the constraints associated with each component and constraints for the assembly, and generating a third set of data representing a present configuration, III) repeating the step II) by: a) adding, to the second and third set of data, data which represent a component and which are derived from the first set of data, or b) deleting data representing a component of the second and third set of data, or c) amending data representing a previously added component of the second and third set of data, while respecting the constraints associated with each component and constraints for the assembly, so as to arrive at an updated version of the second and third set of data.
US07698103B2
A diagnostic system for a modular fieldbus board carrying a number of fieldbuses connected to a bulk power supply. A monitoring transceiver means is adapted in use to one or more of the fieldbuses by means of two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points, which points are dispersed between the bulk power supply and the fieldbus trunk. The monitoring transceiver means can detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between two of the two or more of said points.
US07698101B2
A sensor authenticated to a garment transfers information, either wirelessly or wired, to an external data processing device. Such information includes location information, physiometric data of the individual wearing the garment, garment performance and wear data (when the garment is an athletic shoe, for example). The external data processing device can be portable digital media players that are, in turn, in wireless communication with a server computer or other wireless devices.
US07698095B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining fan rotation direction. A first temperature detection module detects a first temperature at a first location between a fan and a heat generating device. The fan provides cooling for the heat generating device by drawing air from the heat generating device across the first location to the fan when the fan is rotating in a first direction. A second temperature detection module detects a second temperature at a second location where the heat generating device is between the second location and the fan such that heat from the heat generating device is drawn away from the second location when the fan is rotating in the first direction. A temperature comparison module determines if the second temperature is above the first temperature. A fan rotation error module generates a fan rotation error signal if the second temperature is above the first temperature.
US07698090B2
The present invention refers to a system, composed by mechanical and electronic components and by a resident software inherent to the system. The system for the mean of thermal properties of fluids is destinated to the measure of thermal properties such as diffusivity and effusivity, and from those values, to obtain the conductivity and the volume thermal capacity of flowing media. Besides the use for the direct measure of thermal properties, the referred system has application in the verification of the quality or of adulterations in fuels (octane and no conformity), fuel oils and lubricants, perfumes, foods, drunk, and working as humidity met gases. In these cases the essential feature is the correlation of the measure of thermal property and the quality parameter of the substance analyzed. The present invention can used in industries and laboratories.
US07698089B2
A computer implemented method, data processing system, computer usable code, and apparatus are provided for generation of software thermal profiles for applications executing on a set of processors. Sampling is performed of the hardware operations occurring in a set of processors during the execution of a set of workloads to create sampled information. A thermal index is then generated based on the sampled information.
US07698084B2
Disclosed is a method for determining a force sensor signal baseline in a force-based input device. The method includes accepting a signal associated with touch activity and determining a signal range, wherein the signal range decays with time and is reset when the signal exceeds the current range. A touch event is declared when the signal range exceeds a predetermined activity threshold. A previously determined baseline is held when a touch event is declared, and updated when a touch event is not declared.
US07698083B2
A control apparatus configured to generate correction values for compensation of disturbance signals of a sensor includes a control loop having an input to receive input values. The control loop includes circuitry configured to receive the input values and configured to produce output values based on the input values, and an evaluation device downstream from the circuitry relative to the input, which is configured to receive the output values and to convert the output values into result values. The apparatus also includes a correction device configured to receive the result values and the input values, to generate correction values based on the result values and the input values, and to provide the result values to the circuitry. The correction device includes a detection device having memory, which stores the input values in the memory based on the result values.
US07698076B2
A system to manage and analyze conditions of pipeline structures, program product, and associated methods are provided. The system can include a computer defining a pipeline management computer having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein to manage and analyze conditions of the pipeline structure. The pipeline management computer can also include a display in communication with the processor to display pipeline project and client entity data and a user interface coupled to the processor to provide the pipeline management user with access to manipulate pipeline project and client entity data. A pipeline management database is provided accessible to the processor of the pipeline management computer. The database can include database records associated with at least one pipeline project related to database records associated with a pipeline management client entity. The system can also include pipeline management program product stored in the memory of the pipeline management computer to manage and analyze pipeline projects.
US07698074B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for determining emission outputs. One method bypasses a predictive emission function whenever an operating level is the same as an operating level from the original training set, and reports the emission level ascertained by the EPA reference method test during original training set acquisition. Another method uses a Predictive Emission Monitoring System to replace a Continuous Emission Monitoring System for cost effective management of pollution control equipment.
US07698071B2
Methods and devices, including methods and devices for estimating classifier performance such as generalization performance, are disclosed. One method includes providing multiple samples. Each sample is characterized by one or more features. This method also includes associating a feature variability with at least one of the one or more features on a feature-by-feature basis; and computing a first probability of misclassification by a first classifier using the feature variability. Devices, including integrated circuits (ICs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), that are configured for use in carrying out the present methods are also disclosed.
US07698064B2
An inertial navigation system is provided. The system includes a sensor block, an outer shell that substantially surrounds the sensor block and a plurality of gas pads connected to the outer shell that float the sensor block in gas creating a near frictionless environment to allow the sensor block to rotate in all directions. Each of the plurality of gas pads is adapted to receive pressurized gas. The outer shell and the sensor block are separated by a gap created by the pressurized gas at each pad.
US07698058B2
A spatial data search method, system and apparatus for identifying particular data of significance around a reference vector through the spatial data. The method involves determining a reference vector within a spatial region for which spatial data exists, loading a portion of the spatial data including the data around the reference vector into a memory buffer, and searching the spatial data in a prioritized order. The method, system and apparatus have particular utility in searching geographic data for a terrain awareness and warning system (“TAWS”) and display in an aircraft. Embodiments of the present invention provide advantages over existing sequential and radial search methods, significantly reducing the processing and calculations required and providing faster alerts to pilots.
US07698057B2
An in-vehicle navigation apparatus is equipped with (i) an HDD for recording map data for display and, further, (ii) an external memory, which is not an HDD and in which the map data recorded in the HDD can be copied. The navigation apparatus performs the following: when the main power is supplied to the map display device, the altitude of the position of the vehicle (startup altitude) is specified; when the specified startup altitude is equal to or higher than a reference altitude, the map data are read from the external memory and the corresponding map is thereby displayed on an image display device, with the HDD not activated; and when the specified startup altitude is lower than the reference altitude, the map data are read from the HDD and the corresponding map is thereby displayed on the image display device.
US07698053B2
An economy running system having: a function of stopping an internal combustion engine of a vehicle when the vehicle stops and all of stop conditions are satisfied; and a function of restarting the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. The economy running system includes: a control unit that judges whether the vehicle stops or not, and judges whether each of the stop conditions is satisfied or not; and a notification unit. When the control unit judges that the vehicle stops and that at least one of the stop conditions is not satisfied, the control unit causes the notification unit to notify to a user first notification information concerned with the at least one of the stop conditions.
US07698050B2
A method and a device for controlling a drive unit are provided, which allow for a reproducible load reversal damping. For this purpose, a setpoint value for an output variable of the drive unit is limited so that an overrun fuel cutoff of the drive unit is prevented. A limiting value for the setpoint value for the output variable is formed as a function of a loss value of the drive unit.
US07698045B2
In a vehicle of the invention, the lower between a first permissive water temperature based on an outside air temperature Tout and an elapsed time since system activation and a second permissive water temperature based on a target air outlet temperature in an air conditioning system is set to an intermittent operation permissive water temperature. When a cooling water temperature of an engine is not lower than the set intermittent operation permissive water temperature, intermittent operation of the engine is permitted. When the cooling water temperature of the engine is lower than the set intermittent operation permissive water temperature, on the other hand, intermittent operation of the engine is prohibited. This arrangement ensures appropriate control of the intermittent operation of the engine and thus effectively improves the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
US07698043B2
A vehicle control system includes a calculator that calculates an integrated controlled variable including a first controlled variable used for controlling the braking/driving force of each wheel so as to optimize the μ utilization ratio of the wheel and a second controlled variable used for controlling the steering angle of each wheel, based on constraints including a target resultant force to be applied to the vehicle body and a limit friction circle of each wheel, a calculator that calculates a steering controlled variable used for controlling only the steering angle of each wheel so as to achieve the target resultant force, and a controller that controls only the steering angle of each wheel, or the steering angle and braking/driving force of each wheel, based on a controlled variable obtained by linearly interpolating the integrated controlled variable and the steering controlled variable.
US07698036B2
A roll angular velocity sensor and an occupant sensor are operatively coupled to a processor, which provides for detecting a rollover condition responsive to a measure of roll angular velocity and controlling a safety restraint system responsive thereto, wherein a detection criteria associated with the rollover detection process is responsive to a signal from the occupant sensor. In one embodiment, a closure time is estimated from estimates or measurements of occupant velocity or acceleration, and the estimated closure time is compared with a threshold. If the estimated closure time is less than the threshold, activation of the safety restraint system is either inhibited or advanced relative to that otherwise provided by the rollover detection process alone. Otherwise, the activation may be delayed to provide additional time for the rollover detection.
US07698035B2
A steering control apparatus is provided, including a steering wheel, steered wheels, a direction varying actuator to operate the steering control wheels, a steering reaction actuator to apply steering reaction torque to the steering wheel and steering controller. The steered wheels are mechanically disconnected from the steering wheel. The steering controller outputs control commands for controlling the direction varying actuator and the steering reaction actuator.
US07698034B2
An integrated vehicle control system includes a first control system having a maximum authority to selectively operate a first vehicle sub-system and a second control system to selectively operate a second vehicle sub-system. A controller is adapted to monitor a first parameter associated with the first vehicle sub-system and a second parameter associated with the second vehicle sub-system. The controller is operable to control the first and second parameters by selectively invoking operation of the second control system when the first control system exceeds the maximum authority and the second parameter exceeds an upper threshold.
US07698033B2
A method of realizing a preferred in-vehicle chime includes the steps of selecting the preferred in-vehicle chime from an Internet-enabled program or a call center, transmitting the preferred in-vehicle chime from the Internet-enabled program to a telematics unit operatively disposed within the vehicle, and transmitting the preferred in-vehicle chime from the telematics unit to a vehicle chime module disposed within the vehicle.
US07698031B2
A system and method for determining vehicle wheel misalignment. The method includes accumulating the hand-wheel position using a hand-wheel sensor over a predetermined sampling period, and then comparing the accumulated hand-wheel position to previously accumulated hand-wheel positions to provide an indication of wheel misalignment. Because a vehicle will typically be driven so that the right turns will substantially equal the left turns over a sufficiently large sampling period, the accumulated hand-wheel position should average out to be about zero, unless there is a wheel misalignment which would cause the vehicle operator to continuously turn the hand-wheel in one direction when driving straight. Therefore, if the accumulated hand-wheel position exhibits a consistent algebraic deviation and shows a progressive increase over multiple sampling periods, the confidence of wheel misalignment will increase.
US07698029B2
A method, computer apparatus and computer program product are provided for autonomously transporting an asset along a track to a destination in a manner that is safe, reliable and quick. In regards to the method, instructions are received relating to the shipment of the asset to the destination. Based upon the instructions, a track-based route along which the asset is to be transported to the destination is then automatically determined. In order to automatically determine the track-based route, the integrity of the track and/or the track bed may be determined. When determined necessary in order to transport the asset to the destination, the track may be automatically reconfigured, such as by closing or opening appropriate switches. Further, the movement of the asset may be controlled in an autonomous manner along the track while continuing to monitor at least that portion of the track between the asset and the destination.
US07698027B2
A method for assisting in verifying the path of an aircraft comprising a step of computing a path by means of a flight management computer, based on lateral constraints originating from a navigation database, characterized in that it comprises a step consisting in assisting the pilot to verify that the computed path complies with the lateral constraints in order to improve safety.
US07698025B1
An aircraft control unit has modules for interfacing with various systems of an aircraft to integrate control of the systems. The modules include a communication module configured to be coupled to a communication system of the aircraft and a surveillance module configured to be coupled to a surveillance system of the aircraft. The aircraft control unit also includes a display screen for displaying information and a user interface usable to interact with the modules. Each of the modules is configured to display information on the display screen and to receive user input from the user interface.
US07698024B2
A Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system guides navigation of a vessel enabled to extract energy from wind and/or water currents primarily in offshore marine environments. An exemplary SCADA system could embody server and client software applications running on microprocessor systems at a remote control central service logging and energy distribution facility, and the vessel itself. The remote control service facility runs Human Machine Interface (HMI) software in the form of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) allowing choices to maximize system performance. The central server accesses information to control vessel position based on transmitted Global Position Satellite (GPS) data from the vessel, and weather information from the Geographic Information System (GIS) provided by multiple spatial temporal data sources. A server-side optimization algorithm fed the parameters delivered from vessel aerodynamic/hydrodynamic performance simulation software models, the vessel onboard sensor data, and integrated real-time weather and environmental data determines an optimal navigation through weather systems and presents choices to the HMI.
US07698020B2
Displacements of respective joints corresponding to respective joint elements (J9 and the like) of a rigid link model (S1) representing a two-legged walking mobile body (1) are sequentially grasped. Also at the same time, values, in a body coordinate system (BC), of an acceleration vector of the origin of the body coordinate system (BC) fixed to a waist (6) as a rigid element, a floor reaction force vector acting on each leg (2), and a position vector of the point of application of the floor reaction force vector are sequentially grasped. With the use of the grasped values, joint moments respectively generated in an ankle joint (13), a knee joint (14), and a hip joint (9) of each leg (2) are sequentially estimated based on an inverse dynamics model using the body coordinate system. The estimation accuracy of the joint moments of the leg can be enhanced by reducing arithmetic processing using tilt information of the two-legged walking mobile body relative to the gravity direction as much as possible.
US07698013B2
A parts production management system includes: a first table in which a line cycle number representing a line cycle that is a process unit for processing a group of parts and a parent lot number of a part input for being processed in a line cycle represented by the line cycle number are stored while being linked together; a second table in which the line cycle number and a child lot number of a part processed in the line cycle represented by the line cycle number are stored while being linked together; and a lot linking unit that stores a line cycle number of a line cycle for processing a parent lot and a parent lot number in the first table while being linked together when the parent lot is input to a production line and stores a line cycle number of a line cycle that has processed a child lot and the child lot number while being linked together when a process in the production line is completed and the child lot is output from the production line.
US07698008B2
A content-based comparison of a plurality of digital audio signals can be performed by generating, for a portion of a corresponding channel, a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second audio signal; comparing the first set of spectral characteristics with the second set of spectral characteristics to identify a degree of difference; and determining, for the portion of the corresponding channel, whether the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal based on the identified degree of difference. Further, one or more match criteria can be received from a user and utilized to determine, for the portion of the corresponding channel, that the first audio signal is substantially identical to the second audio signal if the identified degree of difference is within the received match criteria.
US07698001B2
A method for improving performance of networking applications which receive network data from a computer network and which are executable on any one of a plurality of data processing means. The proposed method comprises the steps of establishing a data transfer connection between a first data processing means of the plurality of data processing means and the computer network; sending data on the data transfer connection by means of a given networking application of a plurality of networking applications, the given networking application running on a second data processing means of the plurality of data processing means; determining a quality measure of the data transfer connection from the sent data; and moving the given networking application to the first data processing means if the quality measure meets a predefined criterion.
US07697997B2
A multifunction electrode (MFE) pad, which includes a multi-strand conductor having one end in the form of dispersed carbon fibers, and another end adapted for connection to a defibrillation unit. A conductive substrate is in electrical communication with one end of the multi-strand conductor. The conductive substrate includes a conductive back side, an intermediate conductive polymer layer, and a conductive front side, the front side being a metal/metal chloride coating containing at least 25% by weight of metal chloride. The MFE pad further includes a conductive hydrogel layer covering said front side of the conductive substrate and a backing layer covering one end of the multi-strand conductor and the back side of the conductive substrate. The backing layer has a surface area that is greater than the surface area of the conductive hydrogel layer.
US07697994B2
A method and system for remotely programming a medical device that includes generating a remote monitoring schedule; establishing a communication link between a centralized programming instrument and an external medical device; and transferring the remote monitoring schedule to the external medical device via the communication link. The remote monitoring schedule is transmitted to an implantable medical device via an established telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external medical device.
US07697992B2
Implantable neural stimulation systems include an array of electrodes configured to apply one or more stimulation signals to a patient via one or more channels out of a multiplicity of channels during a stimulation frame and a signal processor configured to select the one or more channels for stimulation. The selection of the one or more channels is based on a probability associated with each channel within the multiplicity of channels.
US07697988B2
An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a detector for detecting the presence of x-ray radiation, where the presence of x-ray radiation is detected in response to the strength of the x-ray radiation exceeding a first threshold. In one embodiment, the IMD includes a processor for adjusting a cardiac stimulation rate IMD in response to determining that the strength of the detected x-ray radiation exceeds a second threshold. The second pre-selected x-ray radiation threshold is greater than the first pre-selected x-ray radiation threshold. In another embodiment, the implantable device includes a detector for detecting the presence of any amount x-ray radiation and a processor for adjusting a stimulation rate provided by the IMD in response to detected x-ray radiation to reduce the chance of over-sampling artifacts or inappropriate therapy delivery.
US07697986B2
Cardiac pacemaker, having at least one stimulation pulse generator to selectively generate stimulation pulses for delivery to an atrium or to an atrium and a ventricle of a heart in DDD mode, at least one sensing stage adapted to process electrical signals sensed by an atrial and ventricular sensing electrode to detect an atrial or ventricular event and to generate an atrial or ventricular sense signal upon event detection, a control unit connected to the generator and sensing stage and being adapted to trigger the generator in DDD mode, wherein the control unit is adapted to verify proper atrioventricular conduction and to switch from a regular (DDD) mode, wherein scheduled ventricular stimulation pulses having predetermined positive intensity is triggered unless inhibited to a ventricular pulse suppression mode (VPS mode) wherein no ventricular stimulation pulses or ventricular stimulation pulses of sub-threshold intensity are generated as long as proper atrioventricular conduction is verified.
US07697977B2
A cardiac rhythm management device in which the relative depolarization times at sensing/pacing electrode sites during a cardiac contraction are determined by a bipolar sensing technique. The information gained thereby can be used to select which of the available electrodes should be used for optimal resynchronization pacing.
US07697974B2
A method for analyzing stored frames of time-stamped imaging data and time-stamped physiologic data obtained during a study of a patient during a plurality of cardiac cycles. The imaging data includes frames representative of a succession of images of the patient's heart. These configurations use a computer to analyze the stored physiologic data to determine times of a selected phase in the plurality of cardiac cycles, select, in the plurality of cardiac cycles, stored images corresponding to the determined times of the selected phase, and align and average images corresponding to the selected phase across the plurality of cardiac cycles to produce a single representative frame of image data.
US07697973B2
Medical imaging and navigation system including a processor, a display unit, a database, a medical positioning system (MPS), a two-dimensional imaging system, an inspected organ monitor interface, and a superimposing processor, the MPS including a transducer MPS sensor and a surgical tool MPS sensor, the two-dimensional imaging system including an imaging transducer, the processor being connected to the display unit, to the database, to the MPS, to the two-dimensional imaging system, to the inspected organ monitor interface, and to the superimposing processor, the inspected organ monitor interface being connected to an organ monitor, the surgical tool MPS sensor being firmly attached to a surgical tool, the transducer MPS sensor being firmly attached to the imaging transducer, the organ monitor monitoring an organ timing signal associated with an inspected organ.
US07697963B1
This patent discloses a docking station for a cellular phone. The docking station may include a housing, charger pins, keys, a red LED, a green LED, an upload button, a docking station memory, a signal emitter and a set of templates. The housing may have a slot, a cradle, an angled front face supporting the keys and LEDs, and a ledge supporting the upload button. A template may fit into the slot to adjust the cradle size to receive various cellular phones. The docking station may have electronics to receive and store phone contact information from a first cellular phone and upload that stored phone contact information into a second cellular phone. The signal emitter may send a disable signal to the first cellular phone.
US07697959B2
In a communication device compatible with either a SISO or MIMO access point, a set of antennas is configured as either sector-directional or omni-directional, depending upon whether the communication channel is characterized by the communication device as either strongly line of sight, or strongly scattering, respectively. In some embodiments, for the case in which a MIMO access point is utilized, the singular values of an estimated channel matrix are generated, and based upon the singular values, the characteristics of the communication channel is estimated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07697957B2
Various embodiments are described herein for a mobile communication device that utilizes a smart battery. The mobile device includes a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device. The smart battery is coupled to the main processor and provides supply power. The smart battery includes a battery processor for controlling the operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor, and a battery module having one or more batteries for providing the supply power. A battery interface is provided for coupling between the main processor and the battery processor for providing communication therebetween. The battery interface comprises a data communication line and protection circuitry for protecting the main processor from electrostatic discharge. A communication protocol is also provided for communication between the main processor and the battery processor.
US07697953B2
The present invention is a system and method which controls outer loop transmit power for transmission power of an uplink/downlink communication in a wireless communication system. The system receives a communication from a base station and determines an error rate on the received communication. The system then distinguishes between static and dynamic channels, produces a static adjustment value, and characterizes the dynamic channels to generate a dynamic adjustment value. The target power level is then adjusted by the static and dynamic adjustment values, setting the transmission power level.
US07697946B2
The present invention relates to a reflective communication system that allows information from wireless communication devices, such as radio-frequency identification devices (RFID), to be reflectively communicated to a receiver in lieu of using a separate communication system. A transmitter transmits a communication signal, having a carrier frequency, to the wireless communication device to provide power. The wireless communication device modulates a data signal onto the communication signal to form a reflected data signal. The wireless communication device reflects the reflected data signal directly to the receiver. In this manner, the process of communicating information from a wireless communication device is accomplished in one communication system rather than two. If the receiver also directly receives the communication signal from the transmitter, the receiver can determine the location of the wireless communication device relative to the transmitters.
US07697941B2
A wireless communications device that sends and receives presence status information is configured to detect when it is proximate a predefined zone. A receiver in the wireless communications device receives presence information from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone. The presence information defines a new presence status for the wireless communications device, and may include an indicator associated with the new presence status. Upon receipt of the presence information, a controller in the wireless communications device automatically changes the current presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status, and publishes the changed status to a remote entity. If the new presence status is not defined in memory, the controller may add the new presence status to memory.
US07697924B2
A telecommunications system includes a personal computer having a unified communication system including a presence application and a cellular telephone network identifier operably coupled to the unified communication system and configured to identify a cellular telephone network of multiple parties; and a cellular network gateway appliance operably coupled to the personal computer and configured to allow the unified communication system to make a telephone call via an associated cellular network and identified by the cellular telephone network identifier.
US07697923B2
A system and method for automatically generating a video specific to a contact for display on a mobile telephone when a call is initiated with the contact. Media files are manually and/or automatically associated with an individual contact, and a video generator module automatically creates a theme video based upon the associated media files. When a call is made to or from the contact, the video is played on the mobile telephone or other electronic device.
US07697915B2
A RF differential gain stage has cross-coupled capacitors between input and output nodes of the amplifier stage to boost gain. The gain boost allows cancellation of the series resistance of an inductive load of the amplifier stage.
US07697913B2
A receiver system with dual tuner diversity for background processing and for reducing multipath distortion. The receiver system provides a plurality of antennas with a dual tuner design. One tuner may be used solely for background processing of a received signal while the other tuner may be simultaneously used to reduce multipath distortion.
US07697909B2
Described herein is technology for, among other things, reducing offset errors in RMS-to-DC converters. The technology involves generating first and second feedback signals with first and second feedback paths respectively. A multiplier is then employed to receive first and second signals and provide a third signal based on multiplying the first signal and the second signal. The first signal is based on an input signal and the first feedback signal, and the second signal is based on the input signal and the second feedback signal. A chopper is then employed to receive an output signal, which is based on the third signal, and a chopping signal, and in turn provide a fourth signal based on multiplying the output signal with the chopping signal. As a consequence, the fourth signal represents the output signal shifted to a frequency different than that of low-frequency noise components of the first and second signals.
US07697900B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention described and shown in the specification and drawings is a transceiver with a receiver, a transmitter, a local oscillator (LO) generator, a controller, and a self-testing unit. All of these components can be packaged for integration into a single IC including components such as filters and inductors. The controller for adaptive programming and calibration of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. The self-testing unit generates is used to determine the gain, frequency characteristics, selectivity, noise floor, and distortion behavior of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US07697893B2
A wireless communications device includes a first radio and a second radio. The first radio is receives information regarding an ad-hoc mesh wireless network from at least one remote device. The second radio exchanges user data with the ad-hoc wireless mesh network. The wireless communications device also includes a buffer and a scheduler. The buffer stores user data for transmission to one or more remote devices in the ad-hoc wireless mesh network. The scheduler schedules transmissions by the second radio of the user data based on the received information. The first and second radios may employ various communications technologies. Examples of such technologies include Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN), and ultra wideband (UWB). The information received from the remote device may include one or more of the following: configuration information (e.g., topology information) corresponding to the ad-hoc wireless mesh network; routing information; and information regarding communications capabilities of one or more nodes within the ad-hoc wireless mesh network.
US07697892B2
A cradle apparatus and a portable device are interconnected employing reflected wave transmission without interfering with an adjacent wireless system or impairing ease of use of the portable device. The cradle is provided with a function of a reflected wave reader and a digital camera is provided with a function of a reflector, whereby communication between the cradle and the digital camera is performed in a non-contact manner. The digital camera modulates a reflected wave of an unmodulated carrier transmitted from the cradle by varying the antenna load impedance in accordance with picked up image data, thereby performing reflected wave transmission. Communication is possible even while the portable device is somewhat apart from the cradle, and the ease of use of the portable device is not impaired even while communication is being performed.
US07697888B2
The invention proposes an upgradable product capable of covering two sub-bands. An outdoor unit comprises, on the uplink, a switchable oscillator coupled to a waveguide featuring a removable cover enabling the said waveguide to be converted into a band rejector filter.
US07697881B2
An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt for heating an image on a recording material; a plurality of supporting members on which the belt is trained; magnetic flux generating means, disposed outside of the belt, for generating heat in the belt by a magnetic flux, the magnetic flux generating means being effective to cause induction heating both in a region of the belt between the supporting members and in at least one of the regions of the belt trained on the supporting members; a temperature detecting element for detecting a temperature of the belt in the region between the supporting members at a position across the belt from the magnetic flux generating means; and electric power supply shut-off means for shutting off electric power supply to the magnetic flux generating means on the basis of an output of the temperature detecting element.
US07697876B2
An image forming apparatus includes a first registration mark detection unit, second registration mark detection unit, CPU, and first registration mark time difference storage. If the width (tp) of the first registration mark signal detected by the second registration mark detection unit is equal to or smaller than a set value, the CPU directly uses, as an enable signal for controlling paper conveyance, the first registration mark detection signal detected by the first registration mark detection unit. If the width (tp′) of the first registration mark signal detected by the second registration mark detection unit is equal to or larger than a set value, the CPU controls a paper conveyer by setting, as a correct first registration mark position, a position shifted by tE measured from an error signal, from the first registration mark detection signal detected by the first registration mark detection unit.
US07697859B2
A first heating device heats a recording sheet having a developer image formed thereon, and a cooling device cools the recording sheet having been heated. A second heating device heats the recording sheet having been cooled, thereby giving gloss to the image on the recording sheet. A cooling capability of the cooling device is switched over in accordance with temperature detected by a temperature sensor which is disposed in a conveying path for the recording sheet under cooling by the cooling device.
US07697852B2
An image forming apparatus includes an operation unit configured to execute a control method of setting an image forming condition, inputting image data, determining to execute trial image forming, and controlling an image forming device to execute the trial image forming. The control method also includes the steps of accepting a change instruction for changing the set image forming condition, and controlling the image forming device, in a case where the change instruction is accepted, based on inputted image data and the changed image forming condition, and in a case where the change instruction is not accepted, based on inputted image data and the set image forming condition. The method also determines, in the case where the change instruction is accepted, whether or not to again execute the trial image forming.
US07697851B2
A method and apparatus for processing electronic documents is provided. A request, from a first user, to issue an alert to a second user that may have submitted a print request to the printing device is received at the printing device. The printing device may be attempting to process the print request submitted by the second user when the printing device receives the request from the first user. The first user may not know the identity of the second user. The printing device consults contact data that identifies how to contact the second user. The printing device thereafter issues the alert to the second user in accordance with the contact data. Upon receiving the alert, the second user is informed of the current condition of the printing device, e.g., the printing device may be experiencing a problem that prevents the second user's print request from being fully processed.
US07697848B2
A wireless communication system, a wireless transmitting apparatus, and a wireless receiving apparatus which can be applied to all types of light sources and can be applied to a variety of fields, provided with a medium forming an information transmission source, a general light source made of for example a lamp or the sun or another natural light source or artificial light source, a wireless transmitting apparatus for making the polarization of the light from the light source uniform and controlling the polarization plane of an infrared ray, visible ray, UV ray, or other light (modulating the light in polarization) so as to superimpose other information invisible to the human eye on visual information due to general reflected light and transmitting the same as an optical wireless signal, and a wireless receiving apparatus for receiving the optical wireless signal transmitted from the wireless transmitting apparatus and able to determine a change in orientation of the polarization plane of the light as information of the signal.
US07697828B2
An integrated optical auto focus and zooming system is provided, which includes a first optical lens, a first hollow casing, a second hollow casing, a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The first optical lens is placed in the first hollow casing, the first hollow casing and the second hollow casing are screwed with each other, and the plurality of piezoelectric elements are attached either on the first hollow casing or the second hollow casing. Upon the excitation of mechanical vibrations by the plurality of piezoelectric elements, a traveling wave is generated on the attached casing, so as to drive the other casing to rotate and then to move axially. Additional lens groups and casings can be added in the same way so to achieve multiple relative motions between lens groups and image sensor, and thus achieving the objectives of focusing and zooming. The present invention integrates the motor into the lens and hence eliminates the transmission mechanism, leading to simple structure, high efficiency, and multiple advantages in size, cost, and efficiency, etc., and thus can be very useful.
US07697824B2
So far, consumer AV equipment were not designed to ensure good usability for all users because operations of such equipment become complicated as a result of sophistication and diversification of their functions, or such equipment are provided with functions that can be used only by part of users. In this connection, a recording and playback apparatus is configured such that an expanded function control module which controls GUI functions or network connections is provided to enable a user to choose use conditions of the expanded functions and easily switch over operations of the expanded functions according to such use conditions. Thus, usability is improved.
US07697813B2
A light guide member capable of guiding light received from at least a first light source and second light source, wherein the first light source is spaced a distance D3 from the second light source. The light guide member may include a first side including a plurality of first grooves extending along a first direction and a plurality of second grooves extending along the first direction, wherein the first grooves may have a first pitch and the second grooves have a second pitch, the first pitch being different from the second pitch.
US07697800B2
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board in which optical waveguides are formed for transmitting optical signals together with electrical signals, which includes a cladding, a core embedded in the cladding that transmits optical signals, and a wiring pattern embedded in the cladding that transmits electrical signals, can offer improved optical connection efficiency and reduced material costs by enabling the cladding to act as an insulation layer and embedding the wiring pattern in the cladding.
US07697797B2
The present invention is a diaphragm-fiber optic sensor (DFOS), interferometric sensor. This DFOS is based on the principles of Fabry-Perot and Michelson/Mach-Zehnder. The sensor is low cost and is designed with high efficiency, reliability, and Q-point stability, fabricated using MEMS (micro mechanic-electrical system) technology, and has demonstrated excellent performance. A DFOS according to the invention includes a cavity between two surfaces: a diaphragm made of silicon or other material with a rigid body (or boss) at the center and clamped along its edge, and the endface of a single mode optic fiber. By utilizing MEMS technology, the gap width between the diaphragm and the fiber endface is made accurately, ranging from 1 micron to 10 microns. To stabilize the Q-point of the DFOS when in use as an acoustic sensor, a system of microchannels is built in the structure of the diaphragm so that the pressure difference on two sides of the diaphragm is kept a constant, independent of the hydraulic pressure and/or low frequency noise when the device is inserted in liquid mediums.
US07697786B2
The present invention provides a system and method for detecting edges of an object in a pre-crash sensing environment. The method includes extracting vertical edges from peaks in an array of column sums of absolute values of normalized horizontal derivates computed in the intensity image. The pixels with corresponding range image depths proximate the estimated object's closest surface contribute the column sums. The search is conducted for all likely combinations of left/right edge pairs preferably within a pre-determined horizontal range about the object's detected center. The left/right edge pairs that delimit a width within the pre-determined range of possible widths for the object are selected. Alternatively, an additional search is performed on each pair of edges to support any angular or inward slant on the edges of the object.
US07697783B2
A coding device having a specifying unit for specifying image region data to be processed for refreshing countermeasures in image data being coded based on that image data and a refreshing countermeasure unit for applying processing for refreshing countermeasures to image region data specified by the specifying unit when coding the image data.
US07697778B2
A digital image acquisition system includes a portable apparatus for capturing digital images and a digital processing component for detecting, analyzing and informing the photographer regarding motion blur, and for reducing camera motion blur in an image captured by the apparatus. The digital processing component operates by comparing the image with at least one other image, for example a preview image, of nominally the same scene taken outside the exposure period of the main image. In one embodiment the digital processing component determines the degree of artifacts and whether to inform the user that the image is blurred by identifying at least one feature in a single preview image which is relatively less blurred than the corresponding feature in the main image. In another embodiment, the digital processing component calculates a trajectory of at least one feature in a plurality of preview images, extrapolates such feature on to the main image, calculates a PSF in respect of the feature, and informs the user based on the calculated PSF. In another embodiment the digital processing unit after determining the degree of blur notifies the photographer of the existing blur or automatically invokes consecutive captures. In another embodiment, the digital processing unit determines whether the image quality is acceptable from real time analysis of the captured image and provides this information to the user. Such real time analysis may use the auto focusing mechanism to qualitatively determine the PSF.
US07697775B2
An image signal processing apparatus and method perform appropriate correction of image blurring in accordance with an image characteristic. In the apparatus, a user interface designates a blurring parameter, and a control signal generating unit generates a control signal corresponding to the designated parameter. An image characteristic detecting unit determines directions in which pixels in an input image have flat levels and directions in which pixels in the input image have levels corresponding to edges. Based on the determination, an address calculating unit reads coefficients from a coefficient ROM and supplies the coefficients to a product-sum calculating unit. The product-sum calculating unit generates a blurring-eliminated image by performing product-sum calculation using the coefficients. A post-processing unit produces an output image based on the input image and the result of product-sum calculation.
US07697768B2
An image processing apparatus is provided that efficiently performs compression and encoding when an image obtained from an image pickup device is compressed and encoded for distribution. The image processing apparatus includes an image dividing unit for dividing an image into a plurality of areas, an image compression and encoding unit for compressing and encoding the image for each area generated by dividing the image by the image dividing unit, an image transmission request receiving unit for receiving an image transmission request from a client via a network, a transmission image area selection unit for selecting areas of an image to be transmitted to the client based on the image transmission request from the client; and a selected area image transmission unit for transmitting a compressed and encoded image, corresponding to the areas selected by the transmission image area selection unit, to the client.
US07697765B2
In learning for pattern recognition, an aggregation of different types of object image data is inputted, and local features having given geometric structures are detected from each object image data inputted. The detected local features are put through clustering, plural representative local features are selected based on results of the clustering, and a learning data set containing the selected representative local features as supervisor data is used to recognize or detect an object that corresponds to the object image data. The learning thus makes it possible to appropriately extract, from an aggregation of images, local features useful for detection and recognition of subjects of different categories.
US07697754B2
A method for generating a block-based image histogram from data compressed by JPEG, MPEG-1, and MPEG-2, or uncompressed image data employing block-based linear quantization to generate histograms that include color, brightness, and edge components. The edge histogram, in particular, includes the global edge features, semi-global edge features, and local edge features. The global edge histogram is based on image blocks of the entire image space. The local edge histogram is based on a group of edge blocks. The semi-global edge histogram is based on the horizontally and the vertically grouped image blocks. A method for generating block-based image histogram with color information and brightness information of image data in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention extracts feature information of an image in terms of the block and updates global histogram bins on the basis of the feature information. The method for generating block-based image histogram with color information and brightness information of image data minimizes quantization error by employing linear weight and updates values of histogram bins. The error that occurs at a boundary between bins of the histograms and the linear weight depends on the distance between the histogram bins.
US07697753B2
An apparatus is disclosed for generating image feature data from an image having an arbitrary shape for use in image search. The apparatus includes rectangular area generating unit (2); rectangular image generating unit (3); padded-pixel value selecting unit (5); and image feature data generating unit (4). First, rectangular image generating unit (2) draws a rectangular area around input image (1) such that input image (1) is included therein. Rectangular image generating unit (3) pads a pixel value in an area of the rectangular area generated by rectangular area generating unit (2) which does not include pixels associated with input image (1) to generate a rectangular image. Image feature data generating unit (4) generates feature data from the image generated by rectangular image generating unit (3).
US07697742B2
A method of detecting a junction between a lesion and a wall in a CT scan image may include determining the boundary (B) of the wall to an internal space (L), identifying critical points (c1, c2) along the boundary, and selecting one critical point at either side of the lesion as a junction point between the wall and the lesion. The critical points may be points of maximum local curvature and/or points of transition between straight and curved sections of the boundary. The critical points may be selected by receiving first and second seed points (p1, p2) at either side of the lesion, moving the seed points to the boundary if they are not already located on the boundary, and finding the closest critical points to the seed points. The seed points may be determined by displacing the determined junction points (j1, j2) from an adjacent slice of the image into the current slice.
US07697735B2
This disclosure describes methods to integrate face, skin and iris recognition to provide a biometric system for identifying individuals. These methods only require a digital image depicting a human face as source data.
US07697731B2
The present invention provides an information-processing apparatus including detection means, recognition means, and meta-information generation means. The detection means detects conditions surrounding the user and generates sensing data revealing the conditions surrounding the user. The recognition means recognizes the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of the sensing data. The meta-information generation means generates meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of one or more pieces of the sensing data and recognition information showing a recognition result produced by the condition recognition means.
US07697716B2
An image is processed to encode a digital watermark, with different regions thereof processed using different levels of watermark intensity. In an image comprised of elements of differing sizes (e.g., halftone shapes of different sizes, or lines of different width), the different regions can be defined by reference to the sizes of elements contained therein. Regions characterized by relatively small elements can be watermarked at a relatively low intensity. Regions characterized by relatively large elements can be watermarked at a relatively high intensity. A variety of other features are also discussed.
US07697710B2
An earphone with a sound guiding tube is provided. The sound guiding tube has an external chamber beside the ear. Compared with a conventional earphone which transmits sound directly into the ear, the earphone of the present invention has a external chamber which forms sound field outside the ear and then transmits the sound into the ear through a sound guiding tube in a particular angle. The earphone of the invention is suitable for stereo sound source or multiple-channel sound sources and will reduce damage caused by wearing the earphone for a long time.
US07697707B2
A capacitor microphone unit comprises a diaphragm vibrated in response to voices, a fixed electrode facing the diaphragm, an insulator, a circuit board, and a cylindrical unit case housing the foregoing components. An open end of the cylindrical unit case is folded inward, and holds a peripheral edge of the circuit board, the folded part functioning as a crimp; a ground wiring pattern is present on the peripheral edge of the circuit board, and is perforated at a plurality of positions along the peripheral edge of the circuit board; and the circuit board is pressed by the crimp at a plurality of positions.
US07697699B2
An apparatus for reducing noise includes a comparator for generating a noise timing signal corresponding to a noise producing period of noise introduced from a noise source and contained in an audio signal, a gap time generator for generating a gap period in which to remove noise from the audio signal, a selector switch for selectively outputting the audio signal and a noise-removed signal, a level detector for detecting a signal level of the audio signal, and a masking degree determining unit for determining from the signal level detected by the level detector a gap period for which the audio signal is masked by the human auditory system. The selector switch outputs the noise-removed signal in a period corresponding to the gap period within the noise producing period of the noise timing signal, and outputs the audio signal in other than the gap period.
US07697697B2
An apparatus and method of automatic identification an external audio input/output device. The external device connected to an audio jack is identified as an audio output or input device, according to the impedance thereof. Furthermore, the present invention automatically selects the most suitable internal circuit to connect to the external device.
US07697693B1
A method and system for performing a quantum key distribution process in a quantum cryptographic system (200, 400) is provided. A first endpoint (405a) contributes a first set of random values to a quantum key distribution process. A second endpoint (405b) contributes a second set of random values to the quantum key distribution process. The first and the second endpoints (405a, 405b) derive a key based on at least some of the first set of random values and at least some of the second set of random values. In some implementations, the first endpoint (405a) may send each of the first set of random values using a basis (act 702, act 902) and the second endpoint (405b) may send an indication of received pulses and a basis for each of the received pulses (act 704, act 904).
US07697691B2
Delivering a Direct Proof private key to a device installed in a client computer system in the field may be accomplished in a secure manner without requiring significant non-volatile storage in the device. A unique pseudo-random value is generated and stored in the device at manufacturing time. The pseudo-random value is used to generate a symmetric key for encrypting a data structure holding a Direct Proof private key and a private key digest associated with the device. The resulting encrypted data structure is stored on a protected on-liner server accessible by the client computer system. When the device is initialized on the client computer system, the system checks if a localized encrypted data structure is present in the system. If not, the system obtains the associated encrypted data structure from the protected on-line server using a secure protocol. The device decrypts the encrypted data structure using a symmetric key regenerated from its stored pseudo-random value to obtain the Direct Proof private key. If the private key is valid, it may be used for subsequent authentication processing by the device in the client computer system.
US07697689B2
A security system for a digital trunked radio system having a digital control channel and a plurality of working channels, wherein said working channels are assigned for temporary use of individual radio units by digital control signals transmitted over said control channel, said control channel carrying digital control signals between a base site and said radio units, comprising a digital key, said key used to limit access to the system equipment and system control channel transmissions.
US07697678B2
A method and apparatus for unified overlay dialing enables simplified telephone dialing to occur within a standard overlay area and eliminates disruption dealing with area code saturation. Each three-digit area code within an overlay area is associated with a single-digit suffix, with the parent area code obtaining the suffix “0”. Intra-overlay area dialing then proceeds on the basis of a seven digit number plus a one-digit suffix, rather than a full 10 or 1+10-digit number. For dialing to the parent area code from within the overlay area, the suffix may be omitted entirely, and the expiration of a suitable timing delay causes the seven digit number provided to be dialed into the original (parent) area code. This method can be implemented in connection with a telephone company central office switch, a modified custom calling service or be made accessible to individual telephone subscribers using computerized customer premises equipment. It can also be used to simplify dialing in non-overlaid situations.
US07697675B2
A portable communication device engages in voice communication with a plurality of parties by establishing connections between the portable communication device and at least two other parties, positioning the other connected parties at different positions in space in relation to the portable communication device, and providing information in relation to the position of one of the other connected parties when this connected party provides audio information over the connection so that the user of the device can identify which party is active.
US07697665B2
A rotating anode X-ray tube includes a fixed body having a radial sliding bearing surface and a channel therein through which a coolant flows, a rotor including a discoid large-diameter portion, which has a recess fitted with one end portion of the fixed body with a clearance therebetween and constitutes an anode target, and a small-diameter portion, which has on an inner surface thereof a radial sliding bearing surface which faces the aforesaid radial sliding bearing surface with a clearance, and is united with the large-diameter portion at one end portion thereof, a lubricant filling the clearances, a cathode arranged opposite to the anode target, and a vacuum envelope which contains the fixed body, the rotor, the lubricant and the cathode, and fixes the fixed body at another end portion of the fixed body situated opposite the one end portion of the fixed body fitted in the recess.
US07697664B2
A method for determining a type of substance is described. The method includes determining an effective atomic number of the substance based on a measured ratio of numbers of detected x-ray scatter photons in a diffraction profile.
US07697658B2
A system and method for tomographic image reconstruction using truncated limited-angle projection data that allows exact interior reconstruction (interior tomography) of a region of interest (ROI) based on the linear attenuation coefficient distribution of a subregion within the ROI, thereby improving image quality while reducing radiation dosage. In addition, the method includes parallel interior tomography using multiple sources beamed at multiple angles through an ROI and that enables higher temporal resolution.
US07697655B2
A shift register includes several stages of shift register units. Each shift register unit includes a first level lifting unit, first level lowering unit, first driving unit and level controller. The first level lifting unit and first level lowering unit control the scan signal to be equal to a first timing signal and first voltage, respectively. The level controller includes an input unit, a charge storage unit, a second level lifting unit and a second level lowering unit. The input unit controls the third control signal to be equal to the first voltage at a node. The charge storage unit stores a voltage of the timing signal at the node. The second level lifting unit and second level lowering unit respectively control the second control signal to be equal to the third control signal and the first voltage to turn on and turn off the first level lowering unit.
US07697648B2
Asymmetric error correction device and method thereof, and optical disc reproducing device therewith
An asymmetric error correction device includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter sampling analog radio frequency (RF) signals reproduced from an optical disc with a sampling period, converting the same into the digital sampling signals, and outputting the same; a signal detector for detecting 4T sampling signals varying in polarity thereof every four times the sampling period among the digital sampling signals; an operator selecting and adding a signal among the 4T sampling signals to operate an asymmetric error value; a counter cumulatively counting the asymmetric error value operated in the operator; and a corrector correcting a signal level of the digital sampling signal outputted from the A/D converter if the counted value counted by the counter is out of a predetermined critical range. The asymmetric error is precisely corrected even in a signal part in which the asymmetric error is minutely generated.
US07697622B2
An apparatus for transmitting data in a base station of a wireless communication system that transmits data depending on channel status information fed back from terminals and uses a plurality of antennas. Based on the channel status information, a scheduler determines a terminal to which the base station will transmit data, determines antennas via which the base station will transmit data among the plurality of antennas, and determines a space pre-coding method. A multiplexer multiplexes transmission data into a plurality of data streams according to the number of the determined antennas. A modulation and coding unit performs modulation and coding on each of the data streams. A pre-coding controller outputs a matrix select signal for selecting one of a plurality of space pre-coding matrixes according to the space pre-coding method. A space pre-coder spatial-codes each of the coded streams with the matrix selected based on the matrix select signal. An OFDM modulator performs OFDM modulation on each of the spatial-coded streams. An RF unit transmits each of the OFDM-modulated streams via an associated antenna.
US07697618B2
A method is provided for controlling transmissions between a base station and a mobile station in a wireless system using a plurality of subcarriers. A subcarrier allocation scheme is proposed where a total scheduling interval is divided into at least two sub-intervals. In a first interval, data transmission takes place using a large number of subcarriers. In a second interval, a smaller number of subcarriers are used for transmission. In a time-synchronized system, the first interval overlaps with the first interval in at least some neighboring cells and the second interval overlaps with the second interval in at least some neighboring cells.
US07697606B2
In a communication system, Huffman coding techniques are used to obtain shaping gains for an improvement in data transmission rates. More particularly, a novel method of Huffman shaping is described that achieves a shaping gain of greater than 1 dB. The shaping gain results in a higher data rate transmission in a communication system where transmitted power is constrained.
US07697602B2
A training sequence is pre-filtered in a radiocommunication system having an emitter in the form of an antenna device with several antenna systems, thereby making it possible to transmit the training sequences through a pre-filter to said antenna systems side for reradiation by the emitter. Estimation enabling to form the properties of radio transmission channels described by spatial correlations is formed. The prefilter is dimensioned according to the correlations, thereby minimizing the error value of an algorithm used for estimation the channel on a reception side.
US07697598B2
A multicarrier transceiver is provided with a sleep mode in which it idles with reduced power consumption when it is not needed to transmit or receive data. The full transmission and reception capabilities of the transceiver are quickly restored when needed, without requiring the full (and time-consuming) initialization commonly needed to restore such transceivers to operation after inactivity.
US07697593B2
A timing synchronization detects a temporary timing in a manner such that the presence of a first known signal in the received packet signal is detected by performing correlation processing on the first known signal in the received packet signal. The timing synchronization detects a timing in a manner that when the presence of a second known signal is detected, correlation processing is performed on the second known signal in the received packet signal. In the timing synchronization unit, a correlator is commonly used to perform two correlation processings.
US07697590B2
A chaos spreading code c(n) is inputted to a spreading unit 32. Data D1 and c(n) are multiplied in the spreading unit 32. A chaos spreading code d(n) is inputted to a spreading unit 42. Data D2 and d(n) are multiplied in the spreading unit 42. The chaos spreading codes c(n) and d(n) orthogonally cross each other. Outputs of the spreading units 32 and 42 are added by an adder 35 and transmitted through a transmitting unit 36 to a transmission path 38. By making an initial value which is set in a chaos sequence generator having a construction of a digital circuit different, the chaos spreading codes which orthogonally cross can be formed. Since the chaos spreading codes c(n) and d(n) orthogonally cross, an orthogonal modulating unit having a construction of an analog circuit for amplitude-modulating carriers which orthogonally cross can be made unnecessary and the construction can be simplified.
US07697588B2
To provide a structure having a photonic crystal that can display a reflection function using GR even when a refractive index difference between a photonic crystal layer and a cladding layer adjacent thereto is not sufficient and a surface-emitting laser using the structure. The structure includes a photonic crystal layer including a first member of a flat shape and plural pillars arrayed two-dimensionally periodically on the first member. The photonic crystal layer is formed of a first material having a first refractive index. A low refractive index layer formed of a second material having a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index is adjacent to the photonic crystal layer. A relative refractive index difference between the first refractive index and the second refractive index is not less than 0.04 and does not exceed 0.13. The height of the pillars with respect to the thickness of the photonic crystal layer is not less than 0.10t and does not exceed 0.07t.
US07697585B2
A semiconductor laser diode comprising a semiconductor substrate having an active layer with a pair of cavity facets opposed to each other on both ends of active layer as well as a first dielectric film of an oxide and a second dielectric film of an oxynitride successively stacked on one cavity facet has sufficient initial characteristics with a film structure having excellent heat radiability for allowing stable high-output lasing over a long period without reducing a catastrophic optical damage level on an emission end.
US07697576B2
Raman molecular imaging is used to differentiate between normal and diseased cells or tissue. For instance benign and malignant lesions of bladder and other tissues can be distinguished, including epithelial tissues such as lung, prostate, kidney, breast, and colon, and non-epithelial tissues, such as bone marrow and brain. Raman scattering data relevant to the disease state of cells or tissue can be combined with visual image data to produce hybrid images which depict both a magnified view of the cellular structures and information relating to the disease state of the individual cells in the field of view.
US07697566B2
A method and apparatus enables Ethernet data transport over a serial digital interface network. An Embedder/DeEmbedder for embedding Ethernet derived data and for de-embedding Ethernet derived data supports selective use of the active video region of the SDI frame and the unused HANC space for transporting Ethernet media independent interface data.
US07697565B2
A transmission apparatus for transmitting data has a table that includes a plurality of constellation versions for a 64 QAM modulation scheme. Each of the constellation versions defines at least one of (i) bit positions in a bit sequence and (ii) logical values of bits of the bit sequence. A transmission section transmits data using one of the constellation versions based on the table.
US07697560B2
A base station assigns a most appropriate carrier from wide frequency bands in response to a re-request for channel establishment received from a mobile station, even if a same slot as a slot last assigned is assigned. Furthermore, a frequency management table is managed in which carriers that form a radio channel and are grouped by a specific number thereof so as to be distributed over wide frequency bands. Priorities used to search groups are individually provided for base stations that form a system. This allows neighboring base stations to distribute carriers over the wide frequency bands.
US07697558B2
An emergency alert system for alerting DSL subscribers of imminent perils includes an alert server connected over a direct link to an edge node of a metro network for receiving an event notification, configuring from an event notification a highest priority alert message, and broadcasting the alert message to subscriber terminals over the metro network. An Add-Drop Multiplexer (ADM) multiplexes the alert traffic with the regular traffic onto the direct link, and the multiplexed traffic reaches the edge node of the metro network, which is configured with a high priority policy. The edge node discards the lower priority traffic in the presence of the alert traffic and an applet installed on the subscriber terminal accepts and displays the alert message in a browser or a media player.
US07697553B2
The present invention discloses a method of detecting overproduction of data when an H.323 endpoint is transmitting more video or other data than initially negotiated, and makes it produce less by utilizing standard flow control procedures. Flow control messages are sent periodically, incrementally instructing the H.323 endpoint to transmit lower amounts of bit rates, until the video rate received from the endpoint is equal to or lower than the initially negotiated rate, or some other fixed rate.
US07697552B2
A method for communication is used in a communication network that includes multiple ring nodes arranged in at least first and second ring networks, which are connected by one or more of the ring nodes serving as interconnect nodes. A data packet is accepted from a source user node served by the first ring network, for forwarding to a destination user node served by the second ring network. An identifier, which identifies an interconnect node in the first ring network through which the data packet is to be forwarded to the second ring network, is attached to the data packet in the first ring network. The data packet is forwarded over the first ring network, accepted at the interconnect node and, responsively to the identifier, forwarded from the interconnect node to the second ring network. The data packet is forwarded over the second ring network to the destination user node.
US07697549B2
Apparatus for mobile communication includes a switch and a plurality of access points, which are arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station using a common basic service set identification (BSSID) for all the access points. The access points are coupled by a LAN to the switch so that upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, the one or more of the access points convey messages responsively to the uplink signal over the LAN to the switch. A manager node is coupled to the switch so as to receive the messages and is adapted to process the messages so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal.
US07697548B2
We describe an example system that includes a plurality of aggregation nodes. Each aggregation node is configured to generate a node utilization data. A pool master is configured to generate a node utilization list responsive to the node utilization data received from each aggregation node and to activate the plurality of aggregation nodes responsive to the node utilization list.
US07697544B1
A network device for processing data packets includes input logic, a register, route lookup logic and output processing logic. The input logic receives a data packet having at least one multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) tag, stores the packet and forwards a portion of the packet including the MPLS tag. The route lookup logic receives the portion of the packet, generates next hop information based on the MPLS tag and determines whether at least one MPLS tag is to be removed from the packet before the packet is to be output by the network device. The route lookup logic also modifies a start offset value in the register for each MPLS tag that is to be removed and forwards the start offset. The output processing logic receives the start offset and begins processing the data packet for output at a location identified by the start offset.
US07697534B1
In one embodiment, a method generally includes identifying at a local Virtual Private LAN Service Provider Edge (VPLS PE) device whether remote VPLS PE devices are configured for operation as a Provider Backbone Bridge (PBB), negotiating pseudowire connections with the remote VPLS PE devices based on identification of the remote VPLS PE device configuration, receiving a frame destined for one of the remote VPLS PE devices, and transmitting the frame in a format compatible with the remote VPLS PE device. The local VPLS PE is configured for operation as a PBB and at least one of the remote VPLS PE devices is not configured for operation as a PBB. An apparatus for use in mixed mode VPLS network is also disclosed.
US07697533B2
A communication device and a method of processing input data. The communication device, processing input data constituting at least one of data packet comprises a detection unit, an Automatic Gain Controller (AGC), a signal processor, a demodulator, a pre-detection module, and a Baseband module. The detection unit receives the input data to perform the packet detection. The Automatic Gain Controller, coupled to the detection unit, generates an adjusted data and a gain control parameter once packet is detected. The signal processor, coupled to the AGC, performs the data signal processing includes at least one of analog to digital transformation processing, radio frequency processing and baseband processing, and detects at least one of the desired signal, noise and interference. The demodulator, coupled to the signal processor, demodulates the processed data into a processed data according to at least one processing function of noise reduction, interference reduction, and signal compensation. The pre-detection module, coupled to the demodulator, determines whether a potential error has occurred in the demodulated input data by a pre-detection method prior completing retrieval of the data packet for performing a packet-based error check sequence, and performs a selection to decide whether the components need to be terminated and which of the components need to be terminated if there is a potential error occurred on the demodulated input data. The Baseband module, coupled to the demodulator, performs a packet-based error check on the data packet upon completing retrieval of the data packet if there is no potential error occurred on the demodulated input data.
US07697529B2
A method for receiving packet data at a communication channel and transmitting the packet data over serial links of the communication channel. The packet data is sliced into n-bit data portions which are concatenated with a header prior to transmitting an n-bit portion across one of the serial links of the communication channel. The header may include an invert bit to alter the majority sign of an n-bit portion. Other aspects of the present invention are also described herein.
US07697525B2
A network node in a communication network includes a plurality of ports, at least a subset of which is grouped in a link aggregation (LAG) group. The node includes packet processing logic, which is coupled to receive data packets having respective destination addresses that specify forwarding the packets to groups of multiple recipients through at least one of the ports and to process the data packets so as to forward only a single copy of each of the data packets via the output ports in the subset, while distributing forwarded copies of the data packets among the output ports in the subset so as to balance a traffic load within the LAG group.
US07697524B2
A method and system for determining path maximum transfer unit (PMTU) in an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast is described. If a packet of a size greater than the MTU of any link of a path, with its Don't Fragment (DF) bit set, is sent by the source, the packet is dropped and an ICMP message, stating “Destination unreachable, DF bit set”, is sent to the source. The rate of messages to the source is controlled to avoid implosion of traffic. In response to the messages, the source sends multicast probe packets of multiple sizes to multicast distribution tree to determine its PMTU.
US07697521B2
A method of controlling connection between nodes in a digital interface whereby a first node that is a master node determines a second node to be the master and controls a point-to-point connection or a broadcast connection to another node. The first node having the display device determines the second node to be the master in accordance with a user selection, and transmits a connection command of a predetermined format for transmitting a data stream to the second node. The second node determined as the master in accordance with the transmitted connection command of the predetermined format is allocated with a channel and a bandwidth from an isochronous resource manager (IRM), and performs a point-to-point connection between the second node and the first node to transit the data stream. Thus, the transmission/reception, reproduction, and control of the data stream of the program can be smoothly performed.
US07697513B1
A method for sending messages between a first PBX device and a second PBX device is provided. The method includes receiving a first message from the first PBX at a first gateway. The message includes a standard section and a proprietary section. The standard and proprietary sections may be provided in a protocol associated with the PBX system. The standard section is decoded but the proprietary section is not. The standard section and proprietary section are then packetized in one or more packets. These packets are then sent over a packet-based network to a second gateway and may be routed over the packet-based network using the decoded standard section. The second gateway is then configured to generate a second message including the standard section and the proprietary section for sending to the second proprietary PBX device.
US07697496B2
A system for multi-accessing a radio communication data call include a plurality of user equipments controlling allocation of a radio resource according to a desired data transfer rate and a multi-access system for multi-accessing the plurality of user equipments to one or more radio communication terminals according to the allocation control. Because a plurality of user equipments multi-access the data call of the radio communication terminals, a high-speed wireless line can be effectively used. In addition, connecting the plurality of user equipments to one radio communication terminal can be provided with a suitably distributed service from a data service providing network.
US07697494B2
A method and system for assigning unique words in an SDMA (spatial division multiple access) communication system is disclosed. A base station has a set of available unique words from which to select and assign unique words. The base station prioritizes the set of unique words by determining which unique words are likely to interfere with adjacent base stations, and setting those words to a low priority. In this way, over time, the base station assigns unique words that have a lower level of correlation to allow for better signal differentiation and improved communication sensitivity. When a mobile device enters a base station's geographic area, it generates an establish request message that indicates what unique word it is using in the adjacent cell. The base station extracts this unique word, and sets it to a low priority in its set of unique words. The base station is therefore able to assign unique words that facilitate improved communications.
US07697492B2
Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling remote devices are provided. In an embodiment, a system can comprise one or more remotely controlled sensors and actuators. The remote sensors/actuators can interface with uniquely identified remote transceivers that transmit and/or receive data. The embodiment can also comprise a plurality of transceivers each having a unique address, and a controller adapted to communicate with at least one of the transceivers in a preformatted message. A sensor can be associated with at least one transceiver to detect a condition and output a data signal to the transceiver, and an actuator can be associated with a transceiver to receive a control signal and activate a device. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
US07697485B2
The present invention discloses a method for wireless communications network performance in transmitting a message. The method comprises creating a first beamformed virtual antenna for the serving BTS and one or more second beamformed virtual antennas for the one or more target BTSs when one or more predetermined conditions are met, establishing a first beamformed channel by using the first beamformed virtual antenna, establishing one or more second beamformed channels by using the one or more second beamformed virtual antennas, and transmitting a plurality of signals comprising the message via the first and the one or more second beamformed channels.
US07697483B2
A transmission method according to the present invention includes: concatenating CRC masking data and receiver identification information for identifying the receiver; generating CRC check bits by performing a CRC encoding processing against non-CRC masking data; masking the CRC check bits by the concatenated receiver identification information and CRC masking data; concatenating the masking result and the non-CRC masking data; generating a transmission signal by performing an FEC encoding processing against the concatenated masking result and the non-CRC masking data, which are added; and transmitting the transmission signal to the receiver.
US07697481B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide devices, systems and methods of seamless layer 2 handover between heterogeneous networks for a hybrid wireless communication device. For example, an apparatus includes a first wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol, a second, collocated, wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol, and possibly shared radio frequency components. A method includes a fragmented handover procedure in which a network entry procedure is divided into atomic operations which may be performed during short, orderly, absences from the active network. The method further includes orderly switching back to the active network for any data or connection-management transactions, until the fragmented handover is completed and layer 2 connections are established at the second network. Other features are described and claimed.
US07697480B2
A communication system provides for an active handoff of a voice call between a packet switched network and a circuit switched network. An active handoff from the packet switched network to the circuit switched network is accomplished by multicasting the call over forward links of both networks during the handoff. An active handoff from the circuit switched network to the packet switched network is accomplished by multicasting the call over reverse links of both networks during the handoff. The former handoff further may be facilitated by routing the call for each network through a same packet data control switch, and the latter handoff further may be facilitated by routing the call for each network through a same mobile switching center. In order for a subscriber unit to operate concurrently in both networks, the subscriber unit may comprise multiple transceivers or a single transceiver that is rapidly switched between the networks.
US07697479B2
A self-learning geographically aware handoff method and system is disclosed. The system includes a handoff manager (108), which receives information about a position and movement of the mobile nodes (102a, 102b, 102c and 102d) present in the mobile network (100). The handoff manager learns the coverage capabilities of the access points (104a, 104b, 104c and 104d) in the mobile network. It then determines a second access point, to which a mobile node will handoff to, based on the learned coverage capabilities. The handoff manager then informs the mobile node about the second access point.
US07697478B2
In a digital broadcasting network, a mobile terminal receives hierarchical ESG data relating to available broadcast programs adjacent network areas. The terminal is operable whilst receiving a first program from a transmitter in a first network area for detecting a need for handover to a second network area, and for then determining from the ESG data if the same program is available in the second network area. If it is, the terminal then receives the program from a transmitter in the second network area. Otherwise, it determines one or more programs which are similar to the first program, and presents them on a display for selection by a user. This involves determining which programs have an identifier in common with the first program. The identifier can be any one or more of a program identifier, a service identifier, a channel identifier, a category identifier and a genre identifier, for example.
US07697472B2
A system, a method and computer-readable media for collecting device usage information from portable devices. The portable devices are enabled to maintain device operation parameters. This information is communicated from a portable device to a host device. The host device may communicate the received information over a network to a database. The database may consolidate the device operation parameters from multiple portable devices.
US07697470B2
A data communication system capable of forwarding IP-addressed data to devices as such devices move among networks having different IP addresses is disclosed herein. The system includes first and second networks containing first and second pluralities of nodes. At least one of the first plurality of nodes is adapted to receive data transmissions from an external IP-based network. Upon joining the first network, this device is assigned an IP address which remains with it irrespective of whether it moves beyond the range of the first network. When this device roams into the vicinity of the second network, data addressed to the device which is received at the first network is forwarded via at least one node of the second network to the roaming device.
US07697469B2
A wireless communication network improves reverse link communication performance by changing one or more Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) control settings as a function of measured or estimated reverse link loading. Control settings can be changed on a per-sector basis, allowing consideration of different loading conditions in different radio sectors of the network. Further, control settings can be changed for individual mobile stations, or selected groups of mobile stations, allowing different ARQ controls to be used for different mobile stations. By way of non-limiting example, a control circuit in a base station controller can be configured to take advantage of light reverse link loading conditions in a given radio sector by changing the ARQ control parameter(s) used for one or more mobile stations operating in that sector so that fewer ARQ retransmissions are required for those mobile stations to transmit reverse link data to the network.
US07697467B2
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc.
US07697464B2
In order to make it possible for almost all of wireless terminals to operate intermittently without generating any conflicts in communication, and thereby, to achieve lower power consumption and transmission/reception of data pertaining to a wireless terminal immediately after a return from its power save state with top priority, mobile stations other than a first mobile station may be put in their power save states, while a return timing from the power save state of each of the mobile stations is intentionally shifted by a base station so as not to overlap in time. In addition, the base station performs polling on a mobile station returned from its power save state is polled with top priority so that transmission/reception of data pertaining to the mobile station is carried out between the mobile station and the base station within a CFP.
US07697461B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a node for discovering topology structure automatically in a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) ring network. The method includes: when receiving a topology discovering message, determining, by a node in the MPLS ring network, whether the topology discovering message is sent by the node; if yes, updating information of topology structure of the MPLS ring network stored in the node according to information of topology structure of the MPLS ring network carried by the topology discovering message; otherwise, appending information of topology structure of the node to the topology discovering message and forwarding the topology discovering message to a next node. Thus, the network topology may not depend on the topology of the physical layer network and the speed of discovering topology structure of the ring network is increased.
US07697459B2
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for identifying a distance-vector route associated with a wireless mesh network are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07697452B2
A method and a management apparatus for classifying congestion paths based on packet delay in a plurality of paths between measurement nodes. The method and the apparatus specify the short-time congestions based on packet delay in Internet Protocol network.
US07697445B2
A system and method for autonomous data path verification in a multi-module shelf configuration, such as in a digital cross-connect system, are disclosed. The system generally includes a source port module, a destination module, and optional n-stage network of mapping interface modules. The source port module is configured to reuse transport overhead bytes of received SONET or SDH signals by inserting data path verification data therefor. The destination module is configured to perform autonomous data path verification between the source port module and the destination module by examining the reused transport overhead bytes of the signals received from the source port module. The method generally includes reusing transport overhead bytes by inserting data path verification data into the overhead bytes of signals received by a first module, e.g., a source port module, and transmitting the signals with the data path verification data toward a second module, e.g., a destination port module. The second module emits a confirmed or unconfirmed pattern upon detecting presence or absence of an expected pattern in the reused transport overhead bytes, respectively, and reports changes in the received pattern to facilitate autonomous data path verification.
US07697444B2
According to one embodiment, a method for testing a circuit includes receiving a test access session request, where the test access session request indicates that a test session is to be performed on a circuit path. A reservation message is sent to a test bus, where the reservation message reserves the test bus for the test session. The test bus includes a portion of bandwidth shared among a plurality of network elements. Traffic associated with the circuit path is copied to the test bus.
US07697439B2
A method for determining a cumulative network layer reachability cost of traversing one or more autonomous network routing systems comprises receiving first network route information from an originating customer edge router, wherein the first network route information identifies a route in a customer network; determining a transit cost from the provider edge router to an endpoint associated with the originating customer edge router based upon a metric value received in a cost community attribute; repeating the determining step for each of one or more autonomous systems that lie in a path from the originating customer edge router to a destination customer edge router, to result in determining an accumulated transit costs across one or more autonomous systems; and determining, based at least in part upon the accumulated transit cost, a best path from the provider edge router to the endpoint associated with the originating customer edge router.
US07697433B2
A method and system for establishing a call between two endpoints residing on different media gateways in a decomposed voice over packet architecture. Cluster attributes identifying alternate bearer possibilities are exchanged between media gateways as part of capabilities negotiation which occurs during call setup conducted by an external call control element over a core network. The media gateways analyze the cluster attributes to determine whether bearer possibilities exist apart from the core network. If an alternate bearer possibility exists, the alternate is employed and the call is established via the alternate bearer directly between the media gateways, thus bypassing the core network.
US07697417B2
Multi-Protocol Label Switched (MPLS) traffic is re-routed to an alternate, Label Switched Path (LSP) to bypass a failure along a primary LSP, even though the failure occurs at or along an ingress section of an LSP, while associating an original IP address to the alternate path. Failures are also detected farther downstream outside an ingress section. When this occurs, MPLS traffic is re-routed to an alternate LSP which maintains the same quality of service as an original primary path and includes other network devices which are not a part of the primary path (except for the network device and a destination network device). The techniques require less resources than existing techniques.
US07697416B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus and method are described for constructing a repair path in the event of non-availability of a routing domain component of a routing domain comprising, as components, links and nodes. The apparatus is arranged to receive respective network repair addresses from each of the far-side and near-side advertising node for use in the event of non-availability of a routing domain component between the advertising node. The apparatus is further arranged to advertise the near-side advertising node network repair address to one or more far-side nodes via a path external to the routing domain.
US07697413B2
In the method a code mask for coding transmission over a traffic channel is generated based on a base station differentiator and a traffic channel differentiator. Base station differentiators are used to differentiate between different base stations and traffic channel differentiators are used by a base station to differentiate between different traffic channels assigned by a base station.
US07697412B2
A method and receiver for optimizing the processing of received Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexed (OFDM) signals, in which a choice is provided as to which channel estimation and equalization technique (of a number of available techniques) to use for each symbol or symbols of the received OFDM signal. Accordingly, the most appropriate technique can be selected for each symbol or symbols.
US07697410B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a centralized buffer architecture for an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) receiver. In this architecture, a central buffer is shared by the main functional blocks or modules of the OFDM receiver. A state machine enables access to the buffer by the functional blocks to maintain buffer coherency.
US07697406B2
An optical disk includes a land and a groove. The optical disk has a data efficiency of 80% or more. Data is recorded on both the land and the groove. A distance between the center of the land and the center of the groove adjacent to the land is 0.28 μm or more. Thus, an optical disk having a storage capacity of 25 GB or more can be provided.
US07697393B2
An optical pickup includes a diffraction grating partitioned into three areas, in which the phase of periodic grating groove structure in an area is successively shifted from that in the adjacent area by 90°. In the generation of a differential push-pull signal, an amplification factor K for sub push-pull signals is varied depending on the type of the optical disk. By such composition of the optical pickup, amplitude deterioration of the tracking error signal accompanying displacement of the object lens is reduced.
US07697392B2
An optical pickup apparatus which conducts reproducing and/or recording information for a first optical information recording medium by using a light flux having a wavelength λ1 (350≦λ1 (nm)≦480) and a second optical information recording medium. The optical pickup apparatus comprises an output angle conversion element which is a fixedly arranged single lens which can convert an output angle of the first light flux and the second light flux. The optical detector equipped in the optical pickup apparatus can receive both of the first light flux and the second light flux. And, both optical surfaces of the output angle conversion element are refractive surfaces.
US07697386B2
In a recording system in which linear velocity during the write operation changes, it is difficult to obtain write strategy parameters in every linear velocity with trial writing. The optimum write strategy condition under the high speed or low speed operation is obtained with trial writing or the like and a value of power compensation is obtained from the frequency characteristic stored in the table. Fluctuation in performance of optical disk drive, deterioration by aging, and temperature characteristic can be compensated.
US07697385B2
Test signals are sequentially generated. A laser beam inclusive of the generated test signals is applied to a preset test recording area in a disc-shaped recording medium to record the generated test signals thereon. A recording power of the applied laser beam is changed stepwise from a lowest level to a highest level through different intermediate levels. The lowest level, the highest level, and the intermediate levels the recording power of the applied laser beam takes are assigned to the test signals respectively. The recorded test signals are reproduced from the preset test recording area in the disc-shaped recording medium. An optimum value of a laser-beam recording power is decided on the basis of the reproduced test signals and at least one of the lowest level, the highest level, and the intermediate levels.
US07697382B2
A near-field light generating method for irradiating light from a light source to a metal film having a fine opening that has a size of not more than a wavelength of the light emitted from the light source, and forming a fine light spot adjacent to the fine opening on a light outgoing side of the fine opening. The method includes providing the metal film with a rectangular fine opening whose length to width ratio is between 1.1 times and 2 times that of a standard square opening, obtained by increasing the length of the standard square opening, and irradiating the metal film with light from the light source to form the fine light spot, which has a length and a width that are substantially equal to those of the standard square opening, and where the fine light spot has a light intensity, which is not less than two times that of the standard square opening. This method is applicable in a corresponding near-field optical head, which can be included either in an optical microscope to observe a sample surface or in an apparatus for recording and reproducing with respect to a recording medium.
US07697381B2
An object lens drive unit in which an undesired displacement or inclination of an object lens with respect to an optical disc is reduced. The position at which a lens holder for the object lens is supported by a pair of rod-shaped elastic support members in the focusing direction substantially coincides with the center of the tracking coil in the focusing direction.
US07697380B2
An apparatus for detecting the wobble carrier frequency of an optical disk is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an offset canceller, a binary conversion module, an adjustable band pass filter, and a frequency detection module. The offset canceller cancels the direct current offset of a first wobble signal to obtain a second wobble signal. The binary conversion module converts the second wobble signal to a binary data stream. The adjustable band pass filter passes only an adjustable frequency range of the binary data stream to generate a filtered signal, wherein the center frequency of the adjustable frequency range is sequentially adjusted. The frequency detection module then determines maximum amplitude of the filtered signal, and determines the center frequency of the adjustable frequency range according to which the filtered signal with the maximum amplitude is generated, wherein the wobble carrier frequency is the center frequency corresponding to the maximum amplitude.
US07697365B2
Various circuits include MOS transistors that have a bulk voltage terminal for receiving a bulk voltage that is different from a supply voltage and ground. The bulk voltage may be selectively set so that some MOS transistors have a bulk voltage set to the supply voltage or ground and other MOS transistors have a bulk voltage that is different. The bulk voltage may be set to forward or reverse bias pn junctions in the MOS transistor. The various circuits include comparators, operational amplifiers, sensing circuits, decoding circuits and the other circuits. The circuits may be included in a memory system.
US07697359B2
A method for refreshing a flash memory device includes providing first and second refresh fields that include a plurality of memory blocks, and determining, when there is a request for a refresh, a condition of a memory block to be refreshed in accordance with which of the first and second refresh fields includes the memory block to be refreshed.
US07697347B2
A method of driving a non-volatile memory device includes supplying power to the memory device, in which setting information related to setting an operating environment is copied and stored in multiple of regions of a memory cell array. An initial read operation of the memory cell array is performed and initial setting data is determined based on the initial read operation. The operating environment of the memory device is set based on the initial setting data. Corresponding portions of the stored copies of the setting information are read at the same time.
US07697345B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory recovers variation in the threshold of a memory cell due to disturbance related to a word line. The nonvolatile memory continuously performs many writing operations without carrying out single-sector erasing after each writing operation, performing the additional writing operations quicker than the usual writing operation, and lightening the burden imposed on software for use in additional writing. The data stored in a designated sector is read out before being saved in a register, and the selected sector is subjected to single-sector erasing when a predetermined command is given. Then write expected value data is formed from the saved data and data to be additionally written, completing the writing operation.
US07697344B2
A memory transistor including a substrate, a tunnel insulating pattern on the substrate, a charge storage pattern on the tunnel insulating pattern, a blocking insulating pattern on the charge storage pattern, and a gate electrode on the blocking insulating pattern, the blocking insulating pattern surrounding the gate electrode and methods of operating and fabricating the same. A nonvolatile memory may further include a plurality of memory transistors in series and a plurality of auxiliary structures between each of the plurality of unit transistors in series. Each of the plurality of auxiliary structures may be a dummy mask pattern or an assistant gate structure.
US07697341B2
A method of testing a non-volatile memory device on a wafer is disclosed. The method includes performing an erase operation and a first verify operation about every memory cell in the non-volatile memory device, storing data of a first latch in a page buffer for storing result in accordance with the first verify operation in a second latch, and setting the data of the first latch to data indicating pass of the verifying, and performing a soft program and a second verify operation about every memory cell.
US07697329B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems in accordance with this invention include memories that include a data array and a configuration array adapted to store configuration information for configuring the data array. The data array and the configuration array include a plurality of wordlines and a plurality of bitlines. The plurality of wordlines in the data array extend in the same direction as the plurality of wordlines in the configuration array. Likewise, the plurality of bitlines in the data array extend in the same direction as the plurality of bitlines in the configuration array. The configuration array may include a wordline driver layout, a bitline driver layout, relative positions of zia contact regions, a diode sensing orientation, a sense amplifier layout, a voltage regulator layout, and a layout of conductors proximate to the array that are each substantially similar to corresponding elements of the data array. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
US07697318B2
A memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections of bit line pairs and word lines. Each memory cell includes a first transistor having one main electrode connected to a first bit line, a second transistor having one main electrode connected to a second bit line, a first node electrode for data-storage connected to the other main electrode of the first transistor, a second node electrode for data-storage connected to the other main electrode of the second transistor, and a shield electrode formed surrounding the first and second node electrodes. The first and second transistors have respective gates both connected to an identical word line, and the first and second bit lines are connected to an identical sense amp. The first and second node electrodes, the first and second bit lines, the word line and the shield electrode are isolated from each other using insulating films.
US07697311B2
Proposed is a highly reliable storage apparatus with fast access speed and low power consumption, as well as a controller and control method for controlling such a storage apparatus. This storage apparatus is equipped with a flash memory that provides a storage extent for storing data, a disk-shaped memory device with more data write cycles than the flash memory, and a cache memory with faster access speed than the flash memory. Data provided from a host system is stored in the cache memory, this data is read from the cache memory at a prescribed timing, data read from the cache memory is stored in the disk-shaped memory device, and, when a prescribed condition is satisfied, this data is read from the disk-shaped memory device, and the data read from the disk-shaped memory device is stored in the flash memory.
US07697304B2
An electromagnetic wave shielding device 1 comprises a transparent substrate 11, an adhesive layer 13 which is provided as needed, an electromagnetic wave shielding layer 15, and a transparent resin layer 17. The electromagnetic wave shielding layer 15 includes a mesh portion 103 facing a screen portion 100 of an image displaying device, a transparent resin layer anchoring portion 105 surrounding a periphery of the mesh portion 103, and including openings 105a having the same opening ratio as that of the openings 103a of the mesh portion 103, and a frame portion 107 surrounding an outer periphery of the transparent resin layer anchoring portion 105, and not having openings. The transparent resin layer 17 is provided such that it covers the surfaces of the mesh portion 103, and the transparent resin layer anchoring portion 105, and fills the openings 103a, 105a.
US07697300B2
An electronic unit, in particular a control device for a motor vehicle, has a printed circuit board, populated with electronic components, and a housing enclosing the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has at least one first section, arranged at a distance from the housing and equipped with electronic components on both sides thereof, and at least one second section which is connected to the housing by way of a heat-conducting adhesive layer.
US07697291B2
The present invention is a method and apparatus for cooling a semiconductor heat source. In one embodiment a thermal spreader is provided and includes a substrate for supporting the semiconductor heat source and a heat sink coupled to the substrate. A channel is disposed between the heat sink and substrate. The channel has at least one wall defined by the heat sink. The surface area of the channel wall defined by the heat sink is about 10 to about 100 times the surface area of a bottom surface of the semiconductor heat source. A coolant, for example liquid metal, circulates within the channel.
US07697280B2
An exemplary sliding mechanism (100) used for a sliding-type portable electronic device, includes a sliding member (10), a sliding member (20), and a sliding module (30). The main housing defines a curved sliding groove (203) therein. The sliding module includes two movable arms (301, 302), an elastic member (50) positioned between the two movable arms, and two sliding pegs (402, 404). The sliding pegs are partially received in the sliding groove of the main housing. A first end of each movable arm is rotatably attached to the sliding member, and a second end opposite to the first end of each movable arm is fixed to one of the sliding pegs. Two ends of the elastic member are correspondingly fixed to the two movable arms for driving the movable arms to move towards each other.
US07697270B2
A portable electronic device includes a stationary cover (10), a sliding mechanism (40) fixed with the stationary cover, a first sliding body (20) slidably connected to the sliding mechanism; and a second sliding body (30) slidably connected to the sliding mechanism and arranged to be abreast with the first sliding body. The stationary cover is slidably connected with the first sliding body and the second sliding body by the sliding mechanism, and the first sliding body and/or the second sliding body are/is operative to reveal out from the stationary cover.
US07697260B2
An electrostatic chuck is capable of attachment to a pedestal in a process chamber. The chuck has an electrostatic puck comprises a ceramic body with an embedded electrode. The ceramic body has a substrate support surface with an annular periphery. The chuck also has a base plate below the electrostatic puck that is a composite of a ceramic material and a metal. The base plate has an annular flange extending beyond the periphery of the ceramic body. The base plate and electrostatic puck can be supported by a support pedestal having a housing and an annular ledge that extends outwardly from the housing to attach to the annular flange of the base plate. A heat transfer plate having an embedded heat transfer fluid channel can also be provided.
US07697258B2
At least one orifice is added to an AC ionizer with nozzles and ionizing electrodes that are used to remove static charge. The orifice is placed in a location where electrostatic forces are weak and where gas ions can be easily extracted from the ionizer. Ionizer effectiveness is enhanced by recovering gas ions that are normally trapped between the nozzles and under a portion of the ionizer from which the nozzles project. Without the orifice properly positioned, the trapped gas ions are lost by recombination or grounding. With the orifice positioned in an area of weak electrostatic forces, more gas ions are available for discharging the charged object. The combined air consumption of nozzles plus at least one orifice is the same or less than nozzles alone would consume for a given discharge time.
US07697224B2
An embodiment in accordance with the present invention enables storing in a memory, multi-bit data corresponding to analog signals read from a medium before being converted to single-bit data as recorded data. In an embodiment of the present invention, an AD converter is configured to convert analog signals from a magnetic disk to multi-bit data. A buffer circuit holds successively multi-bit data transferred from the AD converter toward a Viterbi decoder, and outputs the held plural multi-bit data in parallel. A SRAM for ECC is used for storing multi-bit data transferred from the buffer circuit.
US07697223B2
A method for monitoring a fly height of a magnetic transducer comprises flying the magnetic transducer at a distance of separation from a recording media. A read-back signal is read with the magnetic transducer from the recording media. The read-back signal is rectified to produce a rectified signal. The rectified signal is filtered thereby providing a filtered signal. A fault signal is provided in response to the filtered signal exceeding a threshold.
US07697216B2
A lens drive device may include a movable lens body provided with a lens, a support body which movably supports the movable lens body through a plate spring in an optical axis direction, and a magnetic drive mechanism for driving the movable lens body in the optical axis direction. The plate spring may include an outer side connecting part connected with the support body, an inner side connecting part connected with the movable lens body, and an arm part which is connected with the inner side connecting part and the outer side connecting part through an inner connecting portion and an outer connecting portion. The arm part may include a meandering part which comprises a plurality of extending parts which is extended in a radial direction is serially connected through inner side turning portions and outer side turning portions.
US07697208B2
A display apparatus comprising a display device (104, 200, 301, 401) configured to display an image is disclosed. The display device comprises a plurality of picture elements, and one or more lenticular means (203). The lenticular means comprises one or more refracting layers (303, 403) configured to direct light emanating from said picture elements in a plurality of directions such that said image of a picture element is divided in two or more essentially identical images.
US07697203B2
A stereoscopic display for switching between two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images. The stereoscopic display includes a display device providing an image and a parallax barrier unit that transmits all incident light in a 2D mode and forms barriers to separate an image for a left eye from an image for a right eye in a 3D mode by moving two facing polarization grating screens relative to each other. The polarization grating screens have a grating pattern such that two kinds of birefringence elements changing the directions of polarization of incident light into different directions are alternately disposed horizontally and vertically, and each row of the birefringence elements is shifted with respect to a previous row by a predetermined horizontal distance.
US07697191B2
The present invention relates to a method and a system for synthesizing a prescribed three-dimensional electromagnetic field based on generalized phase contrast imaging. Such a method and apparatus may be utilized in advanced optical micro and nano-manipulation, such as by provision of a multiple-beam optical tweezer.
US07697189B2
There is provided a display element which is constituted of simple members, can achieve low-voltage drive and exhibits high display contrast and superior response speed. The display element comprises opposed electrodes having therebetween an electrolyte layer containing silver or a silver-containing compound, wherein the opposed electrodes are driven so that silver is dissolved and deposited and the electrolyte layer further contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by formula (1), (2) or (3).
US07697183B2
Scanning beam systems, apparatus and techniques in optical post-objective designs with two beam scanners for display and other applications.
US07697181B2
An actuator includes: a first vibrating system having a frame-like driving member and a pair of first axis members holding the driving member from both sides so that the driving member is rotatable about an X axis; a second vibrating system having a movable plate provided inside the driving member and a pair of second axis members holding the movable plate on the driving members from both sides so that the movable plate is rotatable about a Y axis orthogonal to the X axis; a driving unit including a permanent magnet provided on the driving member, a coil provided to oppose the permanent magnet and a voltage applying unit applying voltage to the coil; and a spacer sandwiched between the driving member and the permanent magnet so as to form space preventing intervention by the movable plate. The permanent magnet is provided such that a line segment connecting both poles of the permanent magnet inclines, in a plan view of the movable plate, with respect to the X axis and the Y axis. The voltage applying unit includes a voltage generating portion generating a first alternating voltage and a second alternating voltage having different frequencies and a voltage superimposing portion superimposing the first voltage and the second voltage. The voltage superimposed at the voltage superimposing portion is applied to the coil so that the movable plate rotates about the X axis with a frequency of the first voltage and about the Y axis with a frequency of the second voltage.
US07697176B2
A method for performing chromatic adaptation includes performing chromatic adaptation wherein corrections to tristimulous values XYZ are maximized in the regions of white and neutral and are minimized in the vicinity of non-neutral regions of colors space via piecewise linear corrections in XYZ. In one embodiment, a selective linear correction is performed using three matrices one for each sector in an RGB color space. In an alternative embodiment, selective color adjustments are made and the adjustments are partitioned for each primary and secondary color.
US07697175B2
An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors having filters, respectively, different in spectral sensitivity, and arranged in a subscanning direction with a distance therebetween to scan an original in the subscanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a noise pixel detection processor detecting a noise pixel from each of the three data output from the three line sensors; a color detector detecting a color of each noise pixel from the three data; and a determiner validating a result of detection by the noise pixel detection processor when a color of the noise pixel and that of a pixel neighboring the noise pixel form a predetermined combination.
US07697170B2
A method for controlling an image processing apparatus includes a determining step of determining, on the basis of a given first area in an original document image, a second area in the original document image that does not overlap with the first area, and a compositing step of combining a first copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image with the first area and combining a second copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image with the second area.
US07697169B2
A printing apparatus comprises a processor comprising registers, and a memory configured to store image data. The processor is configured to load portions of the image data into the registers and perform toner explosion compensation on the portions of the image data loaded in the registers, excluding image data loaded in boundary positions in the registers.
US07697151B2
A full width array CCD sensor is incorporated in the media path to monitor fused pages by calculating area coverage from multiple engines in a Tightly Integrated Parallel Process (TIPP) architecture. With knowledge of the area coverage differences between print engines for a given pixel count to the ROS, a relative density difference of each engine is determined. Based on the determined relative density difference, an adjustment is calculated and applied to the engine with the largest error to match the area coverage(s) of the other engine(s).
US07697150B2
Representative embodiments provide for a security lock apparatus configured to securely couple a sheet handling device in cooperative relationship with an imaging device in response to a first predefined user action, the security lock apparatus further configured to de-couple the sheet handling device from the imaging device in response to a second predefined user action, wherein the security lock apparatus is further configured to be inoperable by unauthorized personnel. The present invention provides a method including supporting a security lock apparatus with an imaging device, performing an authorized predefined locking action coupled to the security lock apparatus, and securely coupling the sheet handling device in cooperative relationship with the imaging device using the lock apparatus in response to the performing the authorized locking action.
US07697141B2
A multivariate optical element (MOE) calculation device is used in an apparatus for determining a property of petroleum in real time flowing in a pipe in petroleum field stream pipes or pipe line. Multiple apparatuses are provided for determining the amount of each of a plurality of properties. An internal reflectance element (IRE) is used to determine the property of the petroleum from a surface of the petroleum flowing in a pipe. A cleaning apparatus is provided to clean the surface of the IRE in the pipe and a turbulence generator is provided in the pipe to insure homogeneity of the petroleum being analyzed prior to analysis. A bellows may be provided the apparatus housing to compensate for pressure differentials between the housing and the flowing petroleum in the pipe. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US07697134B1
A correlation spectrometer can detect a large number of gaseous compounds, or chemical species, with a species-specific mask wheel. In this mode, the spectrometer is optimized for the direct measurement of individual target compounds. Additionally, the spectrometer can measure the transmission spectrum from a given sample of gas. In this mode, infrared light is passed through a gas sample and the infrared transmission signature of the gasses present is recorded and measured using Hadamard encoding techniques. The spectrometer can detect the transmission or emission spectra in any system where multiple species are present in a generally known volume.
US07697129B2
Systems and methods for inspecting a wafer with increased sensitivity are provided. One system includes an inspection subsystem configured to direct light to a spot on the wafer and to generate output signals responsive to light scattered from the spot on the wafer. The system also includes a gas flow subsystem configured to replace a gas located proximate to the spot on the wafer with a medium that scatters less of the light than the gas thereby increasing the sensitivity of the system. In addition, the system includes a processor configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output signals.
US07697128B2
A method of imaging radiation from an object on a detection device. The method includes directing a beam of coherent radiation to the object, scanning the beam of radiation over an angle in or out of a plane of incidence relative to the object, and imaging scattered radiation from the object on the detection device.
US07697127B2
An angle measurement device includes a light source configured to emit light along an optical path and a patterned member positioned along the optical path and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The patterned member includes a periodic optical variation. Light passing through the patterned member provides a spatially modulated optical waveform. The angle measurement device also includes an imaging device positioned along the optical path and including a plurality of photosensitive elements disposed in an array configuration. The imaging device is configured to receive the spatially modulated optical waveform and provide a signal associated with light intensity at each of the plurality of photosensitive elements. The angle measurement device further includes an angle determination unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to compute a rotation angle of the patterned member based on a reference waveform and the provided signal.
US07697117B2
A polarization pattern assembly produces a polarization pattern. In an embodiment, a polarization pattern assembly includes a frame that supports a polarization pane in a central region of the frame. The polarization pane changes the polarization direction of light incident upon the polarization pane. Different polarization patterns in a pupil of a polarized illuminator can be generated.
US07697115B2
A system and method allow for a more effective synchronous scanning mirror (SSM). A lithography apparatus comprises an illumination system, a patterning device, a substrate table, and a projection system. The illumination system conditions a beam of radiation received from a radiation source operating at a first frequency. The patterning device patterns the beam. The substrate table supports and scans a substrate at a scanning velocity. The projection system includes a scanning device including a reflective device and a plurality of flexures. The plurality of flexures being configured to allow the reflective device to resonate about an axis of rotation. The scanning device is configured to scan the patterned beam onto a target area of the substrate The resonant frequency of the scanning device is substantially equal to the first frequency, and is synchronized with the scanning velocity.
US07697111B2
An optical element is used for an exposure apparatus which is configured to illuminate a mask with an exposure light beam for transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system and to interpose a given liquid in a space between a surface of the substrate and the projection optical system. The optical element includes a first anti-dissolution member provided on a surface of a transmissive optical element on the substrate's side of the projection optical system.
US07697107B2
A mother glass panel for manufacturing a plurality of liquid crystal displays (LCD) includes a first substrate; a second substrate attached to the first substrate, wherein column spacers are disposed between the first and second substrates to form cell gaps; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein, the mother glass panel defines a plurality of liquid crystal display regions and at least two of the liquid crystal display regions have different cell gaps.
US07697102B2
There is disclosed a contact structure for electrically connecting conducting lines formed on a first substrate of an electrooptical device such as a liquid crystal display with conducting lines formed on a second substrate via conducting spacers while assuring a uniform cell gap among different cells if the interlayer dielectric film thickness is nonuniform across the cell or among different cells. A first conducting film and a dielectric film are deposited on the first substrate. Openings are formed in the dielectric film. A second conducting film covers the dielectric film left and the openings. The conducting spacers electrically connect the second conducting film over the first substrate with a third conducting film on the second substrate. The cell gap depends only on the size of the spacers, which maintain the cell gap.
US07697099B2
A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate 110a, a second substrate 110b placed to face the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer 120 interposed between the first and second substrates, a first electrode 111 formed on the first substrate, a second electrode 131 formed on the second substrate, an interlayer insulating film 115a placed between the first electrode and the first substrate, and a wall structure 115b formed integrally with the interlayer insulating film. The liquid crystal display device has a plurality of pixels each including the first electrode, the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second electrodes. A shading region surrounds each of the plurality of pixels, and the wall structure is placed regularly in the shading region. A groove structure 415a may be formed in place of the wall structure.
US07697096B2
A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: a substrate; a field-generating electrode formed on the substrate; and a slope member formed on the substrate and having an inclination angle smaller than about 45 degrees.
US07697093B2
An array panel is provided. The array panel comprises a substrate, a common electrode, and pixel structures. Each pixel structure comprises a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, and a shield. The first pixel electrode has a central portion, first branches that connect to the central portion, and a connecting portion. The shield overlaps with at least the central portion of the first pixel electrode. The connecting portion connects the ends of at least two of the first branches. The central portion connects perpendicularly with one of the first branches; this branch overlaps with at least part of the common electrode so that the width of this branch is greater than or equal to that of the common electrode. The second pixel electrode, adjacent to the first pixel electrode, comprises a central portion and second branches that connect to the central portion.
US07697084B2
The liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes a main supporter in which a backlight and an LCD panel are mounted, and two bottom covers that are engaged with the main supporter to protect the backlight and the LCD panel, wherein the bottom covers are symmetrical to each other to be located at both sides of a long direction of the main supporter.
US07697080B2
A multiple-view directional display is provided having an image display element and a parallax optic (13). The display element (8) comprises substrates (6, 19) between which the display layer (8) is sandwiched and the parallax optic (13) is disposed within the image display element.
US07697076B2
A TV set (20) with a parental guide mode is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The TV set includes: a mode switching unit (204) for switching the TV set between a normal mode and the parental guide mode, under the normal mode the TV set being capable of broadcasting all channels and under the parental guide mode the TV set be capable of broadcasting one or more predetermined viewable channel(s); a memory (209) for storing identifier(s) of the predetermined viewable channel/channels; and a MCU (202) for controlling the TV set to broadcast the viewable channel/channels under the parental guide mode according to the identifier(s) of the predetermined viewable channel/channels stored in the memory.
US07697068B2
A television signal receiving apparatus receives television signals including broadcast data signals and outputs the received data signals to a display device. The display device displays an image that has characters and/or pictures generated from the data signals. A communication unit of the receiving apparatus is connected to and communicates with an external device. A control unit controls the image to be displayed on the display device according to results of communication with the communication unit.
US07697067B2
Digital video processing systems and methods for estimating horizontal sync in digital video signals
Video signal processing systems and methods for detecting horizontal synchronization signals within video signals. Digital filtering methods are implemented for processing analog video signals to determine time varying characteristics of video signals to detect the starting and ending positions of horizontal synchronization pulses in a video signal with increased accuracy. In addition, adaptive methods are implemented for dynamically determining various video signal parameters over time, such as blanking level BL, threshold value (slice) level and synchronization level SL using information extracted from digitally filtered video signals.
US07697065B2
According to one embodiment, an embodiment of a pixel conversion device of the invention improves outlines of edge peripheries of characters, etc., of a color digital image signal. The device includes a histogram extraction module, a picture characteristic extraction module which detects a luminance boundary in a luminance signal block on the basis of histogram information, sets a color-difference boundary of the same pattern as that of the luminance boundary to a virtual color-difference signal block, and generates a control signal for unifying the same area by pixel data of the same value, and a data rate conversion module which converts a color-difference signal block before conversion into the same data rate as that of the luminance signal block to correlate the converted color-difference signal block to the virtual color-difference signal block, corrects resolution and obtains a color-difference signal for a format of 4:4:4.
US07697063B2
An imaging-device cleaning apparatus is attached to a camera by engaging with a lens mount of the camera typically used for attaching a camera lens. The imaging-device cleaning apparatus includes a nozzle for removing dust and dirt in the vicinity of an imaging section of the camera, and a motor and a fan for supplying air to the nozzle to remove the dust and dirt from the vicinity of an image sensor of the camera.
US07697035B1
The present invention relates generally to a rotatable camera attachment and, more particularly to a rotatable lens system that works in conjunction with after-market digital and video cameras by means of a corresponding electronic device. The rotatable camera attachment comprises a lens that rotates 360° horizontally and 180° vertically to simultaneously capture the images surrounding a primary image recorded with the conventional camera. The electronic device is provided as a means to process the images so they can be viewed together. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
US07697031B2
An intelligent light source for use with the test of a digital camera module provides a plurality of shapes of light. A fast light pulse is created with turn-on and turn-off transitions less than or equal to one microsecond. Other waveform shapes comprise a ramp and a sinusoid, and all shapes can be made to occur once or repetitively. The magnitude of the light has a range from 0.01 LUX to 1000 LUX, and the ramp has a ramp time that has a range from microseconds to 100 ms. The light comprises of a plurality of colors created by serial connected strings of LED devices, where the LED devices in a string emit the same color. The light emanating from the light source is calibrated using a photo diode and the control of a tester by adjusting offset voltages of a DAC controlling a current through the LED strings.
US07697030B2
A monitor camera is provided with a control device which carries out a predetermined process in response to an input of a trigger signal. The control device has an arrangement in that continuous images are successively inputted from a camera unit thereto and in that a detection of a moving object is carried out by detecting a change in images in a moving-object detector. When no change in images is detected by the moving-object detector within a predetermined time after the input of a trigger signal from a detection sensor to a trigger signal input unit, the control device determines the trigger signal inputted to the trigger signal input unit as valid. Then, only when the valid trigger signal has been detected, an abnormality process is carried out. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the abnormality process from being performed upon erroneous detection of a normal state as an abnormal state.
US07697025B2
Positional and elevation data obtained from a camera unit is correlated with coordinates in an entire image display portion, used as a GUI having positional information to select a specified image with a mouse. Which frame this corresponds to in the entire image is calculated, and further, the position within the clicked frame is calculated. The calculated positional information is converted into positional information and elevation data of the frame. The camera unit is controlled with the positional information and elevation data from the camera unit, and an image of a range indicated by a specified image display frame superimposed on the display portion is taken, and stored and/or displayed. This allows confirmation an image of a range to be photographed beforehand, and the user can tell the relation between the range capable of acquiring images and the photography range at a glance, so desired portions can be continuously monitored.
US07697023B2
To provide an image forming apparatus suppressing color slippage without using a mirror with high flatness, when a reflective surface of the mirror used in an optical system of, for example, yellow is formed in a completely flat surface, and a curvature R of the reflective surface of the mirror used in the optical system of magenta is +75 m, a deviation of a scanning position exceeds 100 μm at maximum, resulting in accentuating the color slippage. Meanwhile, when the mirror of yellow is replaced with the mirror having the curvature R of +300 m, the slippage can be suppressed to 100 μm or less. Therefore, each mirror is selected, so that the curvature of each mirror becomes all positive or all negative. Thus, the deviation of the scanning position is in the same direction of laser beams L of each color, and the slippage can be prevented.
US07697021B2
An image forming apparatus irradiates a polygon mirror with laser beams from different directions. The polygon mirror reflects the laser beams toward different optical axis directions to scan the laser beams at a predetermined deflection angle. First and second beam detectors are disposed at the beam incident ends in the scanning direction of first and second light scanning sections such that the second beam detector detects the start of the light beam scanning operation at an earlier timing than the first beam detector does. The detection result of the first beam detector is used to set sampling start timing in common between first and second image data. Based on the detection results of the first and second beam detectors, first and second image data are written into a memory, and the first and second laser source sections are controlled based on the image data read out from the memory.
US07696987B2
A touch panel includes an input registration structure comprising a biasable medium layer. A generally inflexible cover is disposed on the input registration structure and defines a touch surface. A pointer biases the biasable medium layer at a position adjacent the pointer when the pointer is positioned proximate the touch surface. The input registration structure generates a position signal corresponding to the position of the pointer in relation to the touch surface.
US07696983B2
A wireless mouse includes a housing, a wireless signal receiver, a power switch, a carrier seat and a push-push element. The power switch is arranged inside the housing and includes a triggering part. The carrier seat is movably installed inside the housing for carrying the wireless signal receiver thereon and has a knob exposed outside a surface of the housing. The push-push element is arranged inside the housing and includes a clipping part for engaging with the carrier seat to fix the carrier seat in a first position or a second position. When the carrier seat is fixed in the first position, the carrier seat contacts the triggering part of the power switch to turn off the power switch.
US07696980B1
One aspect of the present invention is an apparatus and method for improved cursor control in a device which can operate both on a work surface and in air. Cursor resolution is reduced as the user engages with the device for clicking, leading to more precise movement closer to the target, as well as reduced parasitic and other unintentional motion of the cursor during clicking. Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is an apparatus and method for improved battery life in an in-air pointing device. In another aspect, the present invention is a method a system for improved user interface interaction, for UI controls such as sliders, pop-up boxes, menus, lists and button groups.
US07696976B2
An organic light emitting display device having a sampling voltage supplying unit is disclosed. The sampling voltage supplying unit supplies a power supply voltage to a plurality of sampling latches in common depending on an output signal of a shift register. Accordingly, it is possible to significantly reduce the number of transistors in the sampling latches and reduce panel area occupied by the data driver. The reduced number of transistors of the sampling latches also reduces power consumption.
US07696970B2
A driving circuit according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a switching unit for sequentially switching between a first operation of applying a positive gray-scale voltage to odd-numbered data lines and applying a negative gray-scale voltage to even-numbered data lines and a second operation of applying a negative gray-scale voltage to odd-numbered data lines and applying a positive gray-scale voltage to the even-numbered data lines; a plurality of short-circuit switches for short-circuiting a pair of adjacent odd-numbered data lines and a pair of adjacent even-numbered data lines to produce a plurality of pairs of short-circuited data lines in a switching period between the first operation and the second operation; and a plurality of common node-connected switches corresponding to the plurality of data line pairs and short-circuiting a corresponding one of the data line pairs to a common node.
US07696945B2
A sparse array antenna is disclosed. The antenna comprises series-fed antenna array columns tuned to a respective transmit and receive frequency. The transmitting and receiving radiation elements are formed with a given distance between each transmitting radiator element and each receiving radiator element, and the series-fed antenna columns are arranged in parallel, perpendicular to a symmetry line forming a symmetric interleaved transmit/receive array. Furthermore the receiving array columns operate as parasitic elements in a transmit mode and transmitting array columns operate as parasitic elements in a receive mode, thereby reducing creation of grating lobes. The created sparse array antenna may further be arranged to be scannable to also provide reduced sidelobes entering visual space when scanning the main radiation lobe from an off boresight direction. Typically the series-fed array columns may be formed as extended ridged slotted wave-guides tuned to a respective transmitting or receiving frequency.
US07696938B2
In an antenna system, an antenna feeding substrate is connected by its conductor structures via field coupling to planar antenna radiating elements. A mounting part, able to be fixed in position against the antenna feeding substrate, is provided for the antenna radiating elements. The mounting part itself or a housing part able to be joined to it with form locking is used for the HF shielding of the antenna feeding substrate. The mounting part and/or housing part are structured in such a way that, viewed from the planar antenna radiating elements in the radiation direction, a wave guidance is achieved.
US07696931B2
An antenna comprises a high frequency antenna body, and a low frequency antenna body electrically connected to a point of the high frequency antenna body where a high frequency current distribution is minimized. By independently designing a high frequency bandwidth and a low frequency bandwidth from each other, an antenna having an optimum function in a desired frequency band can be easily fabricated.
US07696928B2
Systems and methods for communicating over multiple frequency bands include a driven antenna element and a parasitic element communicatively coupled to the driven antenna element, the parasitic element including at least a first and a second conductive section. The parasitic element can include two or more conductive sections, and the sections can be coupled using a connector (e.g., switching element or trap). Further, some driven antenna elements may be associated with two or more parasitic elements.
US07696920B1
An airborne weather radar system is coupled to a display on an aircraft and a radar antenna attached to the aircraft. The airborne weather radar system includes a processing system for receiving weather radar returns from the radar antenna. The radar returns resulting from radar signals are transmitted from the radar antenna. The processing system is configured to compress radar data representing graphical images actually provided on the display on the aircraft. The graphical images are provided in response to the weather radar returns. The radar data is compressed to provide compressed data. The compressed data has reduced spatial resolution when compared to the radar data, wherein the processing system is disposed on the aircraft.
US07696919B2
A system and method for warning a helicopter of an approaching bullet using existing sensor systems is disclosed. The disclosed method including the steps of: detecting and providing bearing information for detected small arms weapon firing locations near the helicopter, determining a detection area and detection time window for the fired bullet, determining the antennas of the RF transmitting and RF receiving systems covering the bearing of the detected weapon firing; determining a timing sequence and allocating time segments for transmitting and receiving RF signals during the detection time window, commanding the RF emitting system to emit and the RF receiving system to receive RF signals during their allocated time segments, processing RF signals received and determining whether reflected RF signal pulses from the emitted RF signal pulses are present, and outputting a warning where reflected RF signal pulses are detected.
US07696913B2
A signal processing system includes an analog-to-digital delta sigma modulator with a duty cycle modulator and a finite impulse response (FIR) filter in a main loop feedback path of the delta sigma modulator. The duty cycle modulator and FIR filter can provide high performance filtering in the main loop feedback path. To prevent instability in the main loop caused by the duty cycle modulator and FIR filter, the delta sigma modulator also includes a stabilizer loop. Transfer functions of the main loop and the stabilizer loop combine to achieve a target transfer function for the analog-to-digital delta sigma modulator that provides for stable operation of the analog-to-digital delta sigma modulator. In at least one embodiment, the stabilizer loop includes a stabilizer path that provides output data directly to an integrator of the main loop filter.
US07696908B2
Techniques are provided for reducing error propagation in encoded data using Fibonacci modulation codes. The Fibonacci modulation codes have a Fibonacci base with a variable span that limits error propagation. Some of the elements in the Fibonacci base have a larger span than limited span elements in the base. Errors occurring in bit positions of an encoded sequence that correspond to the limited span elements do not propagate to adjacent bytes in the decoded sequence. The Fibonacci modulation codes can also have a relatively high code rate.
US07696903B2
A traffic system for alerting a driver of a vehicle to a traffic sign includes a sensor and a control unit. The sensor may be an image sensor and the control unit may comprise a graphic processing unit (GPU) to detect the optical flow of objects in the captured images so as to distinguish moving vehicles from non-moving objects. The speed of vehicles may be detected such that the system may (1) activate lights to warn a driver if he is traveling too fast or (2) display the speed to either the driver or a police officer. The system may also be implemented and used as a geographic border monitoring system.
US07696896B2
A fire detector including a base and a fire detector insert connectable to the base. The fire detector insert is connectable to the base by an axial movement and detachable from the base by a subsequent axial movement.
US07696895B2
An pathway indicating luminaire for use in an auxiliary lighting system contains at least one source of primary light and at least one light emitting diode. A switching system provides energy from a storage cell to the light emitting diode upon certain conditions, generally by time or by lack of ambient light.
US07696893B2
A method and apparatus for detecting structural anomalies in the body of rotating members of an engine involves establishing an electric circuit in the body of the rotating members by embedding a network of electrically conductive fibers. Upon rotation of the members in the presence of a magnetic field, an electric current flows in the electrically conductive fibers of the rotating members. Detection of a structural anomaly in any of the rotating members results from detecting a break of the electric circuit.
US07696890B2
A system and method are used for electronically detecting the accumulation of dust within a computer system using a capacitive dust sensor. The dust detection system may be implemented on a smaller computer, such as an individual PC, or in a more expansive system, such as a rack-based server system (“rack system”) having multiple servers and other hardware devices. In one embodiment, each server in a rack system includes a capacitive sensor responsive to the accumulation of dust. The capacitive sensor may include one or more capacitive plates integral with a heatsink. As dust collects on the capacitive plates, the capacitance increases. When a capacitance setpoint is reached, indicating the dust has reached a critical level, an alert is generated. The alerts may be received by a management console for the attention of a system administrator. Each alert may contain the identity of the server generating the alert, so that the system administrator knows which server(s) are to be removed for cleaning.
US07696887B1
A tracking system having a monitored unit and tracking unit with components that generate and transmit a recognizable audible, visual and, or tactile signal when the monitored unit travels beyond the distance threshold from the tracking unit to alarm the monitored person that they have traveled outside a designated safe area. The tracking unit further comprises circuitry and, or processor code that generates and transmits a signal that becomes increasingly stronger as the tracking unit gets closer to the monitored unit so as to generally indicate and direct the location of the monitored unit. The instant invention preferably comprises circuit components that facilitate adjustment of the separation distance required between the monitored unit and tracking unit to activate the alarm signal(s).
US07696886B2
The electronic seal with radio frequency identification of the present invention comprises a lock cylinder and a lock latching plug to form an integral lock portion, which having RF chip, RF antenna with associated electric circuits, conductors and RF chip, wherein the lock cylinder comprises a metal lower antenna tube and a metal upper antenna tube to form each opposite pole of the dipole antenna. With relay conductor and propagating conductor being built in the central hollow space to connect with RF antenna and RF chip respectively, the RFID system is activated if lock cylinder and lock latching plug joint together.
US07696885B2
Methods and systems of attaching a radio transceiver to an antenna. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems comprising an antenna and an integrated circuit configured to operate as a radio transceiver. The antenna comprises a ground plane having a first edge surface, and an active element having a second edge surface. The ground plane and the active element are retained together such that the first and second edge surfaces are substantially coplanar and form an antenna edge. The integrated circuit is configured to operate as a radio transceiver, and the integrated circuit is mechanically coupled to the edge of the antenna and electrically coupled to the active element.
US07696879B2
In a communication network or networked system, cables that interconnect systems or parts of a system are provided with RFID tags embedded at periodic intervals along their lengths. A network of GPS-enabled RFID readers with triangulation capabilities enables the determination of the physical routing of cables within an area of interest. It also enables communication of the physical routing information to an operations support system for cable management.
US07696869B2
A monitoring system and method comprises a container adapted to house contents therein and a sensor device attached to the container, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one sensor that collects past and present data of the container, wherein the data comprises container content identification data, container geographic location data, container motion data, evidence of container tampering data, and biometric data of individuals handling the container; and a processor operatively connected to the at least one sensor and adapted to communicate the data to any of a user and a remote storage device. The processor is adapted to communicate the data into a language of choice of the user. The sensor device comprises an identification code, wherein the processor is adapted to regulate types of services the container is eligible to receive based on the identification code.
US07696861B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a wheel identifying apparatus for a vehicle which includes a transmitter, a signal strength determiner, a variation determiner, and a wheel identifier. The transmitter is located on the body of the vehicle and working to transmit a signal during running of the vehicle. The signal strength determiner is located on a wheel of the vehicle away from the rotational axis of the wheel and works to determine strength of the signal thereat. The variation determiner works to determine a variation in the strength of the signal determined by the signal strength determiner. The wheel identifier is configured to identify the wheel as a spare wheel located on the body of the vehicle when the variation determined by the variation determiner is substantially zero.
US07696854B2
A heavy current coupling that includes an electrically conductive elastic fastening and fuse element supported by the housing. The fastening and fuse element is configured to electrically connect first and second contacts, with the first and second contacts being spaced from one another. Wherein the fastening and fuse element burns through when a predetermined maximum current is exceeded, thereby interrupting the electrical connection between the first and second contacts.
US07696840B2
RF switches are known from the art for selecting an RF signal from a multiple of inputs. For instance a TV-tuner and TV-Front-end can have two or more antenna inputs but are implemented with a relative bad cost performance. The present invention relates to an RF selection switch circuit (200). The switch comprises a first switch (202), a second switch (204) with both an RF input port and a common RF output port a control signal circuitry (206). In a preferred embodiment the switches comprise pin-diodes. The RF output port comprises two transistors (T1, T2), one of which at a time can put the non-selected switch to a low-impedance level in order to minimize signal leakage the common output port.
US07696838B2
In an equalizing filter circuit having an input terminal 101, an output terminal 102, delay devices 104 connected in multi-stage to the input terminal 101, and a plurality of weighting circuits 105 which are branched from and connected to the plurality of delay devices to thereby combine respective output signals of the weighting circuits, gain adjustment of the weighting circuits is performed to determine a coefficient of the equalizing filter circuit without depending on a load connected to the output terminal. Thus, an amount of compensation for a distorted waveform may be enhanced. To this end, an impedance converting circuit 108 is connected between at least one weighting circuit and the output terminal.
US07696835B2
A communication system includes a transmitting device configured to transmit data and a receiving device configured to receive the data. The transmitting device includes first and second transmission lines and a differential signal outputter configured to generate differential signals from the microwave signal corresponding to the data, and to output one of the differential signals to the first transmission line and the other differential signal to the second transmission line. The receiving device includes third and fourth transmission lines and a converter. The differential signals are transmitted to the third and fourth transmission lines from the first and second transmission lines via line-to-line couplings. The converter then converts the differential signals into the microwave signal corresponding to the data, and outputs the converted microwave signal.
US07696833B2
An oscillator includes a first oscillating portion that outputs a first oscillation signal having a first oscillation frequency through a first intermediate node to an output terminal, a mounting portion that includes an insulating layer and that mounts the first oscillating portion, a first line provided in the insulating layer and coupled between the first intermediate node and ground, a second line provided in the insulating layer and coupled between the first intermediate node and a power supply terminal, and a third line provided in the insulating layer and coupled between the first intermediate node and the output terminal.
US07696830B2
The digital controlled oscillator includes a variable capacitance section having a first capacitor array of a plurality of first variable capacitors and a second capacitor array of a plurality of second variable capacitors, and generates a signal having an oscillation frequency corresponding to the capacitance value of the variable capacitance section. The first capacitance change amount in the individual first variable capacitors is a value obtained by multiplying the second capacitance change amount in the individual second variable capacitors by an integer equal to or more than 2, and the number of second variable capacitors is equal to or more than a value obtained by subtracting 1 from the integer equal to or more than 2.
US07696825B2
An apparatus includes an input-bias node and an internal load. The input-bias node is configured to simultaneously receive an input signal and a bias signal through an input-bias port. The internal load is connected between the input-bias node and multiple output ports, at least one of the output ports outputting an output signal based on the input signal received at the input-bias node.
US07696816B2
An amplifier system receives an input signal and generating therefrom an amplified output signal. The amplifier system is recited as comprising an input stage and an amplifier stage. The input stage is configured to receive the input signal and provide a level-shifted signal that has an average signal level that is shifted in regards a level shift value. The amplifier stage is configured to receive the level-shifted input signal from the input stage and generate therefrom the amplified output signal. The level shift value being selected to minimize a DC offset in the amplified output signal at least when the amplifier system is initially powered on. Since the amplified output signal has a minimal or zero DC offset, the amplifier system avoids generation of undesirable noises when it is initially powered on.
US07696813B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device for fast and low power operations, comprising a plurality of circuit blocks of a chip, each of which has a plurality of states with different power consumption values. A power management circuit determines the state of each of the circuit blocks so as not to exceed a maximum power consumption value of the semiconductor integrated circuit device by considering the power consumption of each circuit block and by each state transition in each circuit block. The maximum power consumption value may be preset or adjustable after fabrication.
US07696806B2
The present invention discloses a level shift circuit which comprises: an input driver circuit; a capacitor having a first end electrically connected with the output of the input driver circuit; an output driver circuit electrically connected with a second end of the capacitor; and a feedback latch circuit electrically connected between the output of the output driver circuit and the second end of the capacitor, for maintaining the voltage level at the second end of the capacitor.
US07696790B2
A low-current input buffer is disclosed. The buffer uses self-biased N and P channel differential pairs with their outputs tied together. The self-biasing assists in reducing current consumption. The combination of N and P-channel differential pairs results in symmetry across a wide range of reference and supply voltages.
US07696778B1
Embodiments of the present invention include systems for calibrating an output circuit. A comparator is coupled to a calibration terminal and configured to determine whether the calibration terminal is in a first state coupled to a calibration resistor or in a second state. A calibration circuit is coupled to the calibration terminal and configured to generate a calibration value based in part on the presence or absence of the calibration resistor. An impedance selector is coupled to the calibration circuit, the comparator, and a default calibration value. The impedance selector is configured to select the default calibration value when the comparator indicates the calibration terminal is in the second state and to select the calibration value coupled from the calibration circuit when the comparator indicates the calibration terminal is in the first state.
US07696776B2
A circuit for generating an on-die termination control signal can include a first signal generation block configured to generate a first signal to prevent a first on-die terminal control from being performed in a frequency/voltage switching period, a second signal generation block configured to generate a second signal to perform a second on-die termination control at an initial stage of operation, and a signal output block configured to generate the on-die termination control signal by combining the first and second signals.
US07696774B2
The present invention describes systems and methods to provide defect-tolerant logic devices. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a defect-tolerant logic device including a plurality of CMOS gates and at least one defective CMOS gate included within the plurality of CMOS gates. Additionally, the at least one defective CMOS gate is enabled to be reconfigured into a pseudo-NMOS transistor if a P-network of the at least one defective CMOS gate is diagnosed as defective. Furthermore, the at least one defective CMOS gate is enabled to be reconfigured into a pseudo-PMOS transistor if the N-network of the at least one defective CMOS gate is diagnosed as defective.
US07696771B2
Provided is a test apparatus that tests fluctuation of a power supply voltage supplied to a device under test, including an oscillator that outputs a clock signal having a frequency that corresponds to the power supply voltage supplied to the power supply input terminal of the device under test, and a measuring section that measures the frequency of the clock signal. For example, the oscillator outputs as the clock signal an output signal of any one negative logic element from among an odd number of negative logic elements connected in a loop, and at least one of the negative logic elements operates using, as a voltage source, a voltage corresponding to the power supply voltage supplied to the power supply input terminal of the device under test.
US07696761B2
The invention provides a spectrum analyzing method, a distortion detector and a distortion compensation amplifying device for performing time/frequency conversion processing at high speed, and reducing a convergent time of a compensation coefficient. The distortion detector for detecting distortion in a frequency area with respect to an input signal includes a time window processing section for multiplying the input signal by a time window; an averaging processing section for averaging an output of the time window processing section; an FFT processing section for converting an output of the averaging processing section from a time area to a frequency area; and a distortion extracting section for extracting a distortion component from an output of the FFT processing section.
US07696753B2
Data is collected for average units including acquisition of template data and acquisition of imaging data. A frequency difference is calculated between a resonant frequency in a reference average unit and a resonant frequency of an object average unit based on phase variation of the magnetic field between the reference average unit and the object average unit. Corrected phase shift is produced in image data collected in one or more average units based on the frequency difference. An image is reconstructed based on the imaging data collected in the reference average unit and corrected imaging data concerning the object average unit constituted by one or more average units.
US07696750B2
A system and method for probing a specimen to determine one or more components by utilizing a first signal to excite the specimen at a nuclear quadrupole resonant frequency and observing changes in a specimen property. One exemplary property may be dielectric constant. Another exemplary property may be magnetic permeability. In one embodiment, the first signal is unmodulated and a second signal is observed for the presence of modulation at the frequency of the first signal. Alternatively, the first signal may be modulated and the second signal may be observed for the presence of the modulation. A system is disclosed wherein the specimen is excited using the first frequency and a radar at the second frequency is used to observe changes in radar reflectivity of the specimen due to the excitation.
US07696738B2
A DC-DC converter reducing reversed current in a low load state and increasing output voltage response speed. An error amplification circuit generates an error signal from the output voltage. A pulse signal generation circuit generates a first pulse signal in accordance with the error signal. A comparison circuit generates a comparison result signal from the error signal. A drive signal generation circuit generates a constant level signal and a second pulse signal. An output circuit receives the first pulse signal and either the constant level signal or the second pulse signal to generate first and second drive signals for driving first and second transistors. The output circuit generates the second drive signal in accordance with the first pulse signal when receiving the constant level signal and generates the second drive signal with the first and second pulse signals when receiving the second pulse signal.
US07696727B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring an amount of current in battery cells. The apparatus includes: a plurality of resistors (R1, R2, and R3) connected in parallel; a main chip connected to both ends of one (R1) of the plurality of resistors, detecting voltage across the connected resistor, and adding up the amount of current on the basis of the detected voltage; a multiplexer selecting one of the other resistors (R2 and R3) when the amount of current added up at the main chip exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a plurality of switches connected to the plurality of resistors respectively, and switched on/off by an output signal of the multiplexer. Thereby, it is possible to prevent damage to the surrounding components caused by the generation of heat from the single detection resistor, and detect a more precise amount of current in the battery cells.
US07696726B2
The present invention relates to battery chargers. A first controller can be configured to set, when a first power supply is coupled to a first port, a current produced by a variable current source at a safe rate to charge a battery. An ammeter can be configured to measure, when the battery is coupled to a second port, the current flowing into the battery. The first controller can be configured to increase, after a passing of a quantifiable amount of time, the current produced by the variable current source by a quantifiable amount of current. The first controller can be configured to continue iteratively to increase, after the passing of the quantifiable amount of time, the current produced by the variable current source by the quantifiable amount of current until the safe rate is near or at a highest safe rate to charge the battery.
US07696724B2
Measuring the voltage level of a mobile telephone battery during a charging operation involves disabling the charge temporarily so that the battery rapidly enters discharge mode. The discharge mode voltage is more representative of the true battery charge level, so that the present invention can be implemented to provide a battery charge level display that is accurate even when the telephone is being charged.
US07696718B2
Disclosed is a charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery incorporated in a portable electronic device. The charging apparatus includes a contactless IC card reader configured to supply operating power to a contactless IC card unit incorporated in the portable electronic device and have an authentication function of authenticating that an object to be authenticated is a correct one, a charging circuit configured to perform contactless charging of the secondary battery, and a control unit configured to activate the charging circuit if an authentication result is OK after the contactless IC card reader authenticates an object to be authenticated when the object to be authenticated is placed.
US07696717B2
A method of monitoring a battery energy management system includes discharging a detector circuit to a minimum battery voltage, measuring an elapsed time that the minimum battery voltage is detected, resetting a timer circuit, and sampling the minimum battery voltage and the elapsed time of the minimum battery voltage in response to a predefined prompt. The discharge of the detector circuit, the measurement of the minimum battery voltage, the elapsed time of the minimum battery voltage, and the reset of the timer circuit are performed in response to an input voltage being less than the voltage stored within the detector circuit.
US07696714B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing power to a fan motor. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a boost regulator configured to provide an output current to a fan motor using an input current provided at an input voltage by a power supply. The fan motor is configured to draw the output current at a first frequency and the input current is constant within a first selected tolerance over a time scale longer than indicated by the first frequency.
US07696708B2
A ripple detecting device for detecting a ripple from an armature current outputted from a motor by overlapping a low band noise having a frequency of one/n (wherein “n” is a natural number more than 1) includes an initial ripple detecting device for detecting a cycle of the ripple in advance, a feature detecting device for detecting a feature of the ripple from the armature current outputted from the motor. The ripple detecting device further includes a ripple detecting control device for detecting the ripple by comparing the feature of the ripple with the low band noise having the frequency of one/n detected by the feature detecting device at a time before the present time with the feature of the ripple detected by the feature detecting device at the present time and judging that a ripple is generated when the features of the time before the present time and the present time present are resembled.
US07696700B2
A system for reducing and limiting current and reducing voltage for a light string system. The system includes: an input terminal connected to a rectifying circuit; the rectifying circuit being connected between the input terminal and a voltage-reducing and current-limiting circuit; the voltage-reducing and current-limiting circuit being connected between the rectifying circuit and the input terminal; and an output terminal being connected to the device for rectifying current, reducing voltage and limiting current.
US07696699B2
A lamp base (2) for a high-pressure discharge lamp comprises an ignition transformer (1000), which is placed in the interior (214) of the lamp base (2) and which serves to ignite the gas discharge inside the high-pressure discharge lamp. To this end, the ignition transformer (1000) comprises a core on which its windings (1001, 1002) are placed. The core is formed by a first core part (1004) and by at least one second core part (1005, 1006, 1007), which are each made of a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic material and are separated by at least one gap (10078). The first core part (1004) has a cylindrical section on which the windings (1001, 1002) of the ignition transformer (1000) are placed, and core parts (1004, 1005, 1006, 1007) are formed in such a manner that the core, apart from the at least one gap (1008), has a closed shape.
US07696691B2
A plasma display panel (PDP) including a plurality of cavities within a barrier structure is disclosed. In one embodiment, the PDP includes i) an upper substrate, ii) a lower substrate facing the upper substrate, iii) the barrier structure disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and defining discharge cells, iv) upper discharge electrodes arranged at intervals within the barrier structure and each surrounding at least parts of the discharge cells, v) lower discharge electrodes arranged at intervals within the barrier structure, located under the upper discharge electrode, and each surrounding at least parts of the discharge cells, and vi) phosphor layers disposed over the discharge cells. According to one embodiment of the present invention, ineffective power consumption can be reduced and heat generated in the discharge cells can be effectively dissipated.
US07696688B2
An adhesive type organic EL display, and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The organic EL display comprises a first substrate having a thin transistor formed thereon, and a second substrate having an organic EL element formed thereon. The organic EL display further comprises at least two partition walls formed in a non-light emitting region of the second substrate, an insulation layer formed to cover a portion of each partition wall, and a second electrode, which is formed on the partition walls, and electrically connected to the thin transistor of the first substrate.
US07696683B2
One embodiment of an organic electroluminescent element of present invention includes a substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, an organic luminescent medium layer including an organic luminescent layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the organic luminescent medium layer and barrier film formed on the second electrode. The organic luminescent medium layer is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. Film density of the barrier film changes in thickness direction.
US07696676B2
A piezoelectric planar composite apparatus to provide health monitoring of a structure and associated methods are provided. The piezoelectric planar composite apparatus includes a piezoelectric electric material layer, multiple electrodes positioned in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material layer, and multiple sets of electrode interconnect conductors each positioned in electrical contact with a different subset of the electrodes and positioned to form multiple complementary electrode patterns. Each of the complementary electrode patterns is positioned to form an electric field having an electric field axis oriented along a different physical axis from that of an electric field formed by at least one other of the complementary electrode patterns. The interconnect conductors can be distributed over several electrode interconnect conductor carrying layers to enhance formation of the different complementary electrode patterns.
US07696674B2
An electroacoustic component operates with guided acoustic waves and includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a metallic layer and an intermediate layer. The first substrate (S1) is made from a monocrystalline LiTaO3. The metallic layer is arranged between the first substrate and the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is arranged between the metallic layer and the second substrate. The crystal section of monocrystalline LiTaO3 is chosen such that for the second Euler angle μ: −100°≦μ≦−40° or −160°≦μ≦−130°. For the first Euler angle λ, preferably λ=0° and for the third Euler angle θ, −10°≦θ≦10°.
US07696668B2
A solid state thermoelectric converter includes a thermally insulating separator layer, a semiconducting collector and an electron emitter. The electron emitter comprises a metal nanoparticle layer or plurality of metal nanocatalyst particles disposed on one side of said separator layer. A first electrically conductive lead is electrically coupled to the electron emitter. The collector layer is disposed on the other side of the separator layer, wherein the thickness of the separator layer is less than 1 μm. A second conductive lead is electrically coupled to the collector layer.
US07696666B2
A dynamoelectric machine grommet including, a body portion of the grommet sealably engagable with an opening in a housing of a dynamoelectric machine, and at least one projection extending from the body portion and receptive to a conductor and providing electrical insulation thereto.
US07696662B2
A magnet comprising grains of a ferromagnetic material whose main component is iron and a fluorine compound layer or an oxy-fluorine compound layer of fluoride compound particles of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth elements, present on the surface of the ferromagnetic material grains, wherein an amount of iron atoms in the fluorine compound particles is 1 to 50 atomic %.
US07696660B2
A leading end portion of a lead wire holder located in a direction opposite to a direction in which six lead wires extend is inserted toward concave surfaces through an insertion opening. After the leading end portion has entered toward the concave surfaces and gotten out therefrom, the leading end portion is situated between opposed surfaces of hooks and a holder receiving portion bottom surface. With this arrangement, a back surface of a rear end portion located opposite to the leading end portion of the lead wire holder comes into contact with end surface portions of partitioning wall portions. An end surface portion of the rear end portion faces projecting portions. Then, the six lead wires are partially received in six lead wire receiving portions, respectively.
US07696643B1
An interim power source includes an energy storage, a switch coupled with the energy storage, and a control circuit coupled with the switch. The switch selects a source of power being delivered out of an output power terminal to an electronic device. The control circuit may cause the switch to select the source of power from at least one of an input power terminal and the energy storage. The input power terminal may include a main power source and a backup or secondary power source.
US07696638B2
A voltage supply device for a control device that is mounted in a motor vehicle is provided. The control device comprises a logic unit, used mainly for processing information, and a power unit, used mainly for driving actuators. The logic unit is connected to a voltage source by means of a switchable supply line, and the power unit is connected to a voltage source by means of a non-switchable supply line.
US07696633B2
A floating power generating device that includes a support frame having a pair of buoyant pontoons, a power generator mounted to the support frame between the pontoons, an electrical cable in electrical communication with the power generator, and means for maintaining the floating power generating device in a substantially fixed position within the flow of water.
US07696629B2
A chip stacked package structure and applications are provided, wherein the chip stacked package structure comprises a substrate, a first chip, a patterned circuit layer and a second chip. The substrate has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first chip with a first active area and an opposite first rear surface is electrically connected to first surface of substrate by a flip chip bonding process. The patterned circuit layer set on the dielectric layer is electrically connected to the substrate via a bonding wire. The second chip set on the patterned circuit layer has a second active area and a plurality of second pads formed on the second active area, wherein the second bonding pad is electrically connected to the patterned circuit layer.
US07696625B2
In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, electroplating and CMP have had a problem of increase in manufacturing costs for forming a wiring. Correspondingly, an opening is formed in a porous insulating film after a mask is formed thereover, and a conductive material containing Ag is dropped into the opening. Further, a first conductive layer is formed by baking the conductive material dropped into the opening by selective irradiation with laser light. Subsequently, a metal film is formed over the entire surface by sputtering, and the mask is removed thereafter to have only the metal film remain over the first conductive layer, thereby forming an embedded wiring layer formed with a stack of the first conductive layer containing Ag and the second conductive layer (metal film).
US07696624B2
A method used to form a cobalt metal layer on a silicon surface using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process comprises a treatment of the silicon surface prior to cobalt formation. Treatment includes serial exposure to one or more cycles comprising a titanium nitride precursor or a tantalum nitride precursor, followed by an optional exposure to ammonia. After this treatment, the silicon surface is exposed to a metal organic cobalt such as cyclopentadienylcobalt dicarbonyl to form a cobalt precursor on the silicon surface, which is then exposed to hydrogen or ammonia to reduce the precursor to an ALD cobalt metal layer. Once this initial metal layer is formed, additional cobalt ALD layers may be completed to form a cobalt metal layer of a desired thickness.
US07696621B2
An electronic packaging system includes an electronic device. The electronic packaging system also includes a flexible material located adjacent a plurality of sides of the electronic device. The electronic device is located in a cavity in the flexible material. The flexible material has a first height and a first width. The electronic device has a second height. The first height is greater than the second height and the first width is greater than the first height so the flexible material protects the electronic device from loading.
US07696620B2
A theme is to prevent the generation of noise due to damage in a photodetecting portion in a mounting process in a photodiode array, a method of manufacturing the same, and a radiation detector. In a photodiode array, wherein a plurality of the photodiodes (4) are formed in array form on the surface at a side of the n-type silicon substrate (3) onto which light to be detected is made incident and the penetrating wirings (8), which pass through from the incidence surface side to the back surface side, are formed for the photodiodes (4), the photodiode array (1) is arranged with the spacer (6), having a predetermined planar pattern, provided at non-forming regions of the incidence surface side at which the photodiodes (4) are not formed.
US07696619B2
A combination includes a first chip package unit and a second chip package unit on which the first chip package unit is placed. Each of the first and second chip package units includes a substrate having a first surface, a second surface, a chip package electrically connected to the first surface, and a plurality of bonding pads formed on the first and second surfaces. The bonding pads on the first surface of the first chip package unit are respectively electrically connected with the bonding pads on the surface of the second chip package unit. The chip packages electrically connected to the first surfaces are enclosed by the substrates, and the bonding pads on the second surfaces are configured as interface terminals of the combination.
US07696617B2
To prevent or alleviate the occurrence of stress in the junction portion between the semiconductor element and the semiconductor package for mounting the semiconductor element, so that cracks will not occur even when there is mounted a semiconductor element having a low strength. A package for semiconductor devices is formed as a laminate of many layers including a plurality of conducting layers and insulating resin layers that are alternately laminated one upon the other and having, on one surface of the laminate, a portion for mounting a semiconductor element. The whole region or some region(s) of the insulating resin layers of the laminate, including at least the portion for mounting the semiconductor element and the peripheries thereof, are constituted by a prepreg obtained by impregnating a woven fabric of a liquid crystal polymer with an insulating resin.
US07696612B2
Disclosed in this specification is a multiphase buck converter package and process for forming such package. The package includes at least four dies and at least nine parallel leads. The dies are electrically connected through a plurality of die attach pads, thus eliminating the need for wirebonding.
US07696610B2
A high reliability radiation shielding integrated circuit apparatus comprising a plurality of package layers; a radiation shielding lid or base coupled to the plurality of package layers; wherein the circuit die are shielded from receiving an amount of radiation greater than the total dose of tolerance of the circuit die. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit apparatus for use in high reliability applications is disclosed. The integrated circuit apparatus is designed to be highly reliable and protect integrated circuit die from failing or becoming unreliable due to radiation, mechanical forces, thermal exposure, or chemical contaminates.
US07696607B2
A semiconductor device includes: a circuit region having a function element formed on a semiconductor substrate; a scribe region located between the circuit region and another circuit region formed spaced from the circuit region, the scribe region including a cutting region and non-cutting regions provided at both sides of the cutting region; a first interlayer insulating film formed in the scribe region on the semiconductor substrate; a first dummy pattern made of conductive material and formed in the first interlayer insulating film in the cutting region; and a second dummy pattern made of conductive material and formed in the first interlayer insulating film in each of the non-cutting regions. The ratio, per unit area, of the area of the first dummy pattern to the area of the cutting region is lower than the ratio, per unit area, of the area of the second dummy pattern to the area of the non-cutting regions.
US07696606B2
A semiconductor wafer comprises a plurality of die areas, at least a first scribe line area and at least a second scribe line area surrounding each die area, at least a first metal structure positioned in the first scribe line area, and at least a second metal structure positioned in the second scribe line area. The first metal structure comprises at least a first slot split parallel to the first scribe line area, or comprises a plurality of openings arranged in an array. The second metal structure comprises at least a second slot split parallel to the second scribe line area, or comprises a plurality of openings arranged in an array.
US07696601B2
A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. A barrier film is formed in a device separating structure, and the device separating structure is etched at a predetermined thickness to expose a semiconductor substrate. Then, a SEG film is grown to form an active region whose area is increased. As a result, a current driving power of a transistor located at a cell region and peripheral circuit regions is improved.
US07696598B2
An ultrafast recovery diode. In a first embodiment, a rectifier device comprises a substrate of a first polarity, a lightly doped layer of the first polarity coupled to the substrate and a metallization layer disposed with the lightly doped layer. The ultrafast recovery diode includes a plurality of wells, separated from one another, formed in the lightly doped layer, comprising doping of a second polarity. The plurality of wells connect to the metallization layer. The ultrafast recovery diode further includes a plurality of regions, located between wells of said plurality of wells, more highly doped of the first polarity than the lightly doped layer.
US07696597B2
A pixel with a photosensor and a transfer transistor having a split transfer gate. A first section of the transfer gate is connectable to a first voltage source while a second section of the transfer gate is connectable to a second voltage source. Thus, during a charge integration period of a photosensor, the two sections of the transfer gate may be oppositely biased to decrease dark current while controlling blooming of electrons within and out of the pixel cell. During charge transfer the two gate sections may be commonly connected to a positive voltage sufficient to transfer charge from the photosensor to a floating diffusion region.
US07696588B2
Microelectronic imagers with shaped image sensors and methods for manufacturing curved image sensors. In one embodiment, a microelectronic imager device comprises an imaging die having a substrate, a curved microelectronic image sensor having a face with a convex and/or concave portion at one side of the substrate, and integrated circuitry in the substrate operatively coupled to the image sensor. The imaging die can further include external contacts electrically coupled to the integrated circuitry and a cover over the curved image sensor.
US07696584B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a contact and an adjacent film on the surface of an underlying doped semiconductor material. The film has sufficient fixed charge to create an inversion layer adjacent the surface of the doped semiconductor material that under depletion conditions at least balances the number of surface states at the doping concentration of the underlying semiconductor material.
US07696582B2
A semiconductor device having a bipolar transistor improved with heat dissipation. A semiconductor device having bipolar transistors formed in a plurality of device forming regions electrically isolated from each other by device isolation trenches traversing the semiconductor layer, in which a device isolation trench for each of unit bipolar transistors connected in parallel is removed and the plurality of unit bipolar transistors connected in series are entirely surrounded with one device isolation trench.
US07696581B2
The present invention relates to an isolation film in a semiconductor device and method of forming the same. An isolation film is formed in a doped region of a peripheral region, in which the doped region is isolated from a deep well region of a cell region and the isolation film is thicker than an isolation film of the cell region so that a parasitic transistor is not generated and a leakage current can be prevented.
US07696577B2
A memory cell array in a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having active areas and isolation areas in parallel, a plurality of select lines having generally a U like shape and is configured to cross over the active areas and the isolation areas, and a plurality of word lines formed between the select lines. In view of the select line being formed in U like shape, an occurrence of a punch through phenomenon is prevented by a junction area formed between the select lines. As a result, a margin for reducing a width of the select line is increased.
US07696576B2
According to the present invention, it is possible to isolate elements from each other without formation of STI and integrate the elements at a high density. A step is formed on a surface of a silicon substrate so as to provide different surfaces. Transistors are formed on the respective different surfaces. The transistors are insulated from each other by a silicon layer and an insulating sidewall. Since no STI is formed between the transistors, it is possible to integrate the transistors at a high density.
US07696574B2
A semiconductor structure and its method for fabrication include a first surface semiconductor layer of a first crystallographic orientation located upon a dielectric surface of a substrate. Located laterally separated upon the dielectric surface from the first surface semiconductor layer is a stack layer. The stack layer includes a buried semiconductor layer located nearer the dielectric surface and a second surface semiconductor layer of a second crystallographic orientation different from the first crystallographic orientation located over and not contacting the buried semiconductor layer. The semiconductor structure provides a pair of semiconductor surface regions of different crystallographic orientation. A particular embodiment may be fabricated utilizing a sequential laminating, patterning, selective stripping and selective epitaxial deposition method.
US07696569B2
A semiconductor device includes a trench provided in a semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode formed in the trench through a gate dielectric film, and a diffusion layer formed in the vicinity of the trench. The trench includes an opening portion provided in a surface of the semiconductor substrate, a recess curved surface portion including a cross-sectional contour having a substantially circular arc shape, and a connection curved surface portion connecting the recess curved surface portion and the opening portion. The connection curved surface portion includes a continuous curved surface between the opening portion and the recess curved surface portion.
US07696554B2
A flash memory device and method of fabricating the same, wherein a width at the top of a floating gate is narrower than that at the bottom of the floating gate. The area of the floating gate can be reduced while maintaining the overlap area between the control gate and the floating gate. Therefore, inter-cell interference can be reduced without lowering program speed.
US07696541B2
A structure, method and a design structure for preventing latchup in a gate array. The design structure including: a NFET gate array and a PFET gate array in a substrate; an electrically conductive through via extending from a bottom surface of the substrate toward a top surface of the substrate the NFET gate array and PFET gate array, the through via electrically contacting the P-well.
US07696536B1
A method for enhancing operation of a bipolar light-emitting transistor includes the following steps: providing a bipolar light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to promote carrier transport from the emitter region toward the collector region by providing, in the base region, several spaced apart quantum size regions of different thicknesses, with the thicknesses of the quantum size regions being graded from thickest near the collector to thinnest near the emitter.
US07696534B2
A stressed MOS device is provided that includes a silicon substrate, a gate electrode and an epitaxial layer of stress inducing monocrystalline semiconductor material. The silicon substrate is characterized by a monocrystalline silicon lattice constant. The gate electrode overlies a silicon channel region at the surface of the silicon substrate. The epitaxial layer of stress inducing monocrystalline semiconductor material is grown in the silicon substrate. The epitaxial layer of stress inducing monocrystalline semiconductor material has a lattice constant greater than the monocrystalline silicon lattice constant, and extends under the silicon channel region.
US07696530B2
A sensor includes a first gate electrode, a second gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, a gate-insulating layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a sensing portion including an accommodating part and a receiving layer. The first and second gate electrodes are opposed to each other with the sensing portion, the semiconductor layer, and the gate-insulating layer therebetween. One surface of the semiconductor layer is in contact with a surface of the sensing portion, and another surface of the semiconductor layer is in contact with the gate-insulating layer. A surface of the gate-insulating layer is in contact with the second gate electrode. The first gate electrode and the receiving layer are opposed to each other with the accommodating part therebetween. The source and drain electrodes are in contact with the semiconductor layer.
US07696525B2
A surface mounting device-type light emitting diode (SMD-type LED) comprises a lead frame composed of a pair of lead terminals; a package housing a portion of the lead frame therein, the package having an emission window which is opened so that light is emitted through the emission window; an LED chip mounted on the lead frame inside the package; a wire for electrically connecting the LED chip and the lead frame; and a molding material filled in the package, the molding material having surface irregularities with a predetermined shape formed on the surface thereof which is exposed through the emission window of the package.
US07696517B2
Transistors having a Hafnium-Silicon gate electrode and high-k dielectric are disclosed. A workpiece is provided having a gate dielectric formed over the workpiece, and a gate formed over the gate dielectric. The gate may comprise a layer of a combination of Hf and Si. The layer of the combination of Hf and Si of the gate establishes the threshold voltage Vt of the transistor. The transistor may comprise a single NMOS transistor or an NMOS transistor of a CMOS device.
US07696513B2
The present invention provides a light-emitting device, including: a pixel region provided on a substrate and including a blue pixel region, a green pixel region, and a red pixel region which correspond to lights of three primary colors of blue, green and red light, respectively, the pixel region including: a thin-film transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and an active layer; a light-emitting layer; and a lower electrode and a counter electrode for sandwiching the light-emitting layer therebetween, wherein the active layer includes an oxide; the drain electrode is electrically connected with a part of the light-emitting layer; and the thin-film transistor is arranged in a region other than the blue pixel region on the substrate.
US07696512B2
The electron device of the present invention has a carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed at both end of the carbon-based linear structural body, so as to subject the carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle to connect between the first electrode and the second electrode. A process of manufacturing the electron device includes steps of: forming a carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle, using a catalyst of a first island and a second island selected from two or more of islands of the catalyst on a substrate; and forming a first electrode and a second electrode so as to connect the first electrode with the first island and one end of the carbon-based linear structural body, and the second electrode with the second island and the other end of the carbon-based linear structural body.
US07696509B2
A method of fabricating a solid state electrolytes memory device is provided. An insulator layer is formed on a substrate. A conductive layer is formed on the insulator layer. At least two openings partially overlapped and capable of communicating with each other are formed in the conductive layer, so that the conductive layer forms at least a pair of tip electrodes. Thereafter, solid state electrolytes are filled in the openings.
US07696504B2
A phase change memory device comprises an insulating layer and a phase change layer formed on the insulating layer. A phase change layer has a pad portion. The pad portion is formed with at least one slit.
US07696503B2
A multi-level, phase change memory cell has first and second thermal isolation materials having different thermal conductivity properties situated in heat-conducting relation to first and second boundaries of the phase change material. Accordingly, when an electrical current is applied to raise the temperature of the memory material, heat is drawn away from the memory material asymmetrically along a line orthogonal to electric field lines between the electrodes.
US07696501B2
An apparatus for monitoring the exhaust of an engine includes a flow-through chamber for receiving exhaust, a source of electromagnetic radiation and a detector. The source provides electromagnetic radiation in a range comprising the infrared, visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. The source and a detector are arranged so that radiation passing through the chamber is incident on the detector. An electronic circuit is connected to the detector to provide a signal indicative of the attenuation of the radiation by particles in the exhaust in the chamber. The detector provides respective measures of radiation which it receives for at least two different wavelengths of the radiation, and the electronic circuit provides corresponding electrical signals indicating the attenuation of the two different wavelengths by particles within the exhaust in the chamber. The wavelengths are selected to be those for which the attenuation caused by nitrogen dioxide in the exhaust is substantially the same.
US07696500B2
A test source that combines infrared energy and visible light to produce a uniform output of energy in the visible and infrared spectra is disclosed. The test source includes an infrared energy source and a visible light source. The infrared energy source has a white coating thereon. The visible light source emits visible light onto the infrared light source, which generates a combination of infrared energy and visible light outwardly into the surrounding atmosphere.
US07696492B2
A radiation system for generating a beam of radiation that defines an optical axis is provided. The radiation system includes a plasma produced discharge source for generating EUV radiation. The discharge source includes a pair of electrodes constructed and arranged to be provided with a voltage difference, and a system for producing a plasma between the pair of electrodes so as to provide a discharge in the plasma between the electrodes. The radiation system also includes a debris catching shield for catching debris from the electrodes. The debris catching shield is constructed and arranged to shield the electrodes from a line of sight provided in a predetermined spherical angle relative the optical axis, and to provide an aperture to a central area between the electrodes in the line of sight.
US07696486B2
An efficient, large-area-detector and readout-system for combined sub-mm spatial imaging and time-of-flight spectrometry of fast and slow neutrons, as well as gamma-rays, capable of loss-free operation in mixed neutron-gamma fields of very high intensity.
US07696485B2
A radiation detector is formed from a plasma panel that includes a front substrate, and a back substrate that forms a generally parallel gap with the front substrate. X (column) and Y (row) electrodes are coupled by gas discharge events to define one or more pixels. Impedances are coupled to the X and Y electrodes, and a power supply is coupled to one or both types of electrodes. Discharge event detectors are coupled to the impedances.
US07696482B1
High spatial resolution radiation detectors, assemblies and methods including methods of making the radiation detectors and using the detectors in performing radiation detection. A radiation detector of the invention includes a substrate, a scintillator layer comprising a microcolumnar scintillator, and an optically transparent outer cover layer, the scintillator layer disposed between the substrate and the cover layer with a gap disposed between at least a portion of the cover layer and the scintillator layer.
US07696480B2
One finding of the present invention is that, by use of radiation with a polyfrequent effective spectrum for the examination of the object, beam hardening or shift of the spectrum's center of gravity does indeed lead to the fact that the effectively operative absorption coefficient or attenuation coefficient and/or the effective operative reflection coefficient of the object material, and thus particularly also the ratio of two coefficients to different radiation spectrums, no longer is solely specific for the material, but also depends on the thickness, but that this may be accepted, and nevertheless exact classification of the object material can still be done by using, in addition to the ratio of the absorption and/or reflection coefficients, one of the intensity values resulting during irradiations, in order to perform an association with one of a plurality of predetermined materials on the basis of reference data.
US07696474B2
The present invention describes apparatuses and methods that provide energy to ions in a non-thermal manner. The elevated ion energy minimizes or eliminates interferences due to clustering with polar molecules, such as water. The energized ions are separated in an ion mobility spectrometer. During the ion transportation and separation process, the elevated energy level of ions prevents them from clustering with neutral molecule inside the spectrometer. The additional electric field component only causes ions to reach elevated energy level, whereby the spectrometer can preserve its normal performance, meanwhile avoiding interference from water and other neutral molecules. A RF electric field is applied to the ions in ionization, reaction and separation region of ion mobility spectrometers.
US07696466B2
Output optical energy pulses including relatively high energy magnitudes at the beginning of each pulse are disclosed. As a result of the relatively high energy magnitudes which lead each pulse, the leading edge of each pulse includes a relatively large slope. This slope is preferably greater than or equal to 5. Additionally, the full-width half-max value of the output optical energy distributions are between 0.025 and 250 microseconds and, more preferably, are about 70 microseconds. A flashlamp is used to drive the laser system, and a current is used to drive the flashlamp. A flashlamp current generating circuit includes a solid core inductor which has an inductance of 50 microhenries and a capacitor which has a capacitance of 50 microfarads.
US07696461B2
A solar cell or solar module is measured during a short pulse of light in such a way that the resulting data for current and voltage at each light intensity is the same as would be measured under steady-state illumination conditions and therefore predictive of the actual performance of the solar cell or solar module in sunlight. A varying voltage is applied to the terminals of the solar cell during a light pulse so that the instantaneous current at a given voltage and light intensity during the light pulse is the same as would be measured under constant illumination at that same given intensity. A constant voltage is modified by a small signal correction that is proportional to the terminal current. Or, the small signal correction is proportional to the light intensity. An analog feedback circuit is constructed using the terminal current or light intensity for feedback in order to provide the requisite varying voltage. The varying voltage may also be supplied by digital synthesis.
US07696460B1
A circuit for compensating for frequency modulation on a radar signal is disclosed. The disclosed circuit includes an adaptive narrow band filter in the feedback path of a phase-locked detector, such filter having a bandwidth which is narrower than the frequency range of the signal being compensated, and means for detecting the amplitude of such signal.The invention herein described was made in the course of, or under a contract or subcontract thereunder, with the Department of Defense.
US07696459B2
A guidable projectile has a nose member, a projectile body, and a nose member articulation assembly which couples the nose member to the projectile body. The nose member articulation assembly includes a stator attached to the nose member, a rotor attached to the projectile body, and rotational support hardware interconnecting the stator to the rotor. The stator defines a central axis. The rotational support hardware is constructed and arranged to guide rotation of the rotor around the central axis defined by the stator. Such a guidable projectile enables circuitry such as the driver of the stator and the power source to reside at fixed locations relative to the stator thus alleviating the need for slip rings which would otherwise present potential points of failure.
US07696454B2
A cooking apparatus is provided having an apparatus body including a burner which heats an object. There may be a first image acquirer provided at one side of the apparatus body, the first image acquirer may be configured to acquire image information corresponding to a heat source generated by the burner. Additionally, a display may be provided at one side of the apparatus body to display the image information acquired by the first image acquirer.
US07696449B2
A silicon crystallizing device includes a laser beam source emitting a laser beam, a projector unit converging and changing a pattern of the laser beam from the laser beam source, a stage loading/unloading a substrate, a mirror deflecting the laser beam from the projector unit to an outside of the substrate, and a cooling device receiving the laser beam deflected by the mirror and sinking heat generated by the laser beam received, thereby warming up the projection lens before completion of loading the substrate, or cutting off laser beam incident on the substrate after crystallization of the substrate.
US07696439B2
A layered metal structure is provided in accordance with an aspect of the invention. The structure can be used, for example, to fabricate a conductive interconnect element for conductively interconnecting one or more microelectronic elements. The layered structure includes first and second metal layers each of which may include one or more of copper or aluminum, for example. An intervening layer, may include for example, chromium between the first and second metal layers, chromium being resistant to an etchant usable to pattern the first and second metal layers selectively to the intervening layer. An etchant such as cupric chloride, ferric chloride (FeCl3), a peroxysulfuric composition, or a persulfate composition may be used to pattern the first and second metal layers in such case.
US07696435B1
A rigid conduit has a hard plastic exterior surface and electrical metallic tubing as the interior surface. The hard plastic exterior forms a smooth male fitting at one end of the conduit and a smooth female fitting at the other end of the conduit. Chemical solvent adhesives join together adjacent conduit sections, the hard plastic male and female fittings fusing together. The interior surface of electrical metallic tubing protects the exterior hard plastic material from damage caused during cabling of the electrical raceways. The exterior hard plastic protects the rigid conduit from corrosive environments, such as underground installations.
US07696434B2
A conduit (1) having a substantially semi-circular outer cross-section comprising a base portion (3) and a lid portion (2), the lid portion (2) being attached to the base portion (3) by a hinge (4) and having a clip (23) on the opposite side, wherein the hinge (4) is located at an angular elevation from the base of between 10° and 35°, the base portion (3) having a clip socket for retaining the clip (23), wherein the clip socket comprises an outer wall (32), which forms part of the semi-circular outer cross-section, and an inner wall (33), between which is defined a channel (34) for the clip (23), the height of the inner wall above the bottom of the base portion (3) being substantially the same as the height of the hinge (4) above the bottom of the base portion (3).
US07696430B2
A metallic conductor (21) including an assembly of wires (22) having a predetermined polygonal cross-section. A flexible cable (23) is formed from a plurality of the multi-wire conductor (21) having a predetermined polygonal cross-section that are insulated.
US07696426B2
The present invention provides a retrograde recombinant composition algorithm that creates new musical compositions based on existing musical compositions that are preferably written in software and is suitable for implementation in electro-mechanical and electronic devices that generate musical works based on existing bodies of music. The retrograde approach to recomposition according to the present invention provides a highly simplified code that executes at a high speed, and accordingly a reduced need for computational resources.
US07696425B2
A keypad assembly, which includes at least one key configured to be provided at an outer surface of a body of an electronic device, a substrate including at least one switch that closes when the at least one key is depressed, and a supporting plate configured to detachably attach to an inner surface of the body of the electronic device, the supporting plate fixing the at least one key and the substrate to the body of the electronic device.
US07696422B1
A heelless instrument pedal device includes a bottom board and a pedal board. The bottom board is in connection with an instrument support and has two pivotal connection elements protruding upwards with a ball shape. The rear bottom surface of the pedal board has a pivotal connection base corresponding to the pivotal connection elements. The pedal board is connected to the pivotal connection elements on the bottom board using the pivotal connection base. Thus, the pedal board can swing in the direction of the force applied by the user's foot. The front end of the pedal board has a linking element, so that the linking element moves as the pedal board swings with respect to the pivotal connection elements.
US07696420B2
A string bender apparatus includes a mounting plate with an anchor for anchoring guitar strings to a guitar body, a first section with fastener-receiving holes arranged to receive fasteners extended into pre-existing mounting holes in the body, and an extension that extends from the first section. A lever is pivoted to the extension for movement in a plane that extends generally parallel the front surface of the guitar body. The lever includes a first end defining a handle that is positioned generally adjacent one side of the strings and includes an opposite end attached to one of the strings for temporarily changing a tension of the one string and thus changing a pitch of the one string when the handle is moved in the plane. The string bender can be retrofit onto existing guitars. The string bender can be made removable and replaced with, or combined with a vibrato.
US07696410B1
This invention relates to the purified and isolated family of Rps1-k disease resistance genes, proteins encoded thereby and use of the same to confer, enhance or otherwise modify resistance of soybean to plant pathogens, particularly Phytophthora sojae.
US07696405B2
Pairs of plants are provided in which complementing constructs result in suppression of a parental phenotype in the progeny. Methods to generate and maintain such plants, and methods of use of plants generated or maintained by the methods, are provided, including use of parental plants to produce sterile plants for hybrid seed production. Also provided are regulatory elements for pollen-preferred expression of linked polynucleotides. Also provided are methods for identifying gene function, and methods for repressing transmission of transgenes.
US07696401B2
An absorbent material formed at least in part of a cross-linked polymer. The absorbent material has a centrifuge retention capacity as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 20 g/g and a gel bed permeability under load as determined by a Gel Bed Permeability Under Load Test of at least about 300×10−9 cm2 or a free swell gel bed permeability as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least about 2,500×10−9 cm2. The cross-linked polymer may comprise either at least about 75 weight percent anionic polymer or at least about 75 weight percent cationic polymer. In one embodiment, the cross-linked polymer is surface treated with a water soluble non-cross-linked polymer having a potential for becoming charged opposite that of the cross-linked polymer.
US07696375B2
This invention provides a method for producing a lactic acid ester that can minimize input energy at the time of production, that can reduce chemical costs, and that can minimize equipment costs. This method comprises steps of: performing an esterification reaction in a reaction solution containing ammonium lactate obtained via fermentation and alcohol with an ammonia concentration of 1.0% by weight or lower; and recovering the lactic acid ester synthesized in the above step.
US07696372B2
This invention relates to a process for preparing R-gossypol L-phenylalaninol dienamine using non-chromatographic purification methods. In particular, the invention is directed to resolution of R- and S-gossypol L-phenylalaninol dienamine by crystallization. R-gossypol L-phenylalaninol dienamine is a useful intermediate for the preparation of R-(−)-gossypol and R-(−)-gossypol acetic acid co-crystal. R-(−)-Gossypol acetic acid and its co-crystal is useful for inducing apoptosis in cells and for sensitizing cells to the induction of apoptotic cell death.
US07696370B2
The invention provides processes for converting a vegetable oil to a polymer. In particular, the processing steps comprise bodying, epoxidation, hydrolysis, and oligomerization. These processes provide new processing paths for the formation of polyols for use in rigid foam and other applications.
US07696369B2
The invention provides a process for recuperating a triglyceride oil from wet gums from a vegetable oil, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing wet gums by water de-gumming a crude vegetable oil, (b) mixing said wet gums with water containing a phospholipidolytic agent, (c) allowing the mixture to separate into two or more phases, said two or more phases including at least an oily phase and an aqueous phase, and (d) recuperating said oily phase.
US07696367B2
The invention is a process for epoxidizing an olefin with hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst mixture containing a titanium or vanadium zeolite and a supported catalyst comprising palladium, gold, and an inorganic oxide carrier. Prior to its use in the epoxidation process, the supported catalyst is calcined in the presence of oxygen at a temperature from 450 to 800° C. and reduced in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature greater than 20° C. The process results in significantly reduced alkane byproduct formed by the hydrogenation of olefin.
US07696353B2
A liquid-crystalline compound of the following formula: wherein Y11, Y12 and Y13 are methine or N; L1, L2 and L3 are single bond or divalent group; H1, H2 and H3 are formula (DI-A) or (DI-B); YA1, YA2, YB1 and YB2 are methine or N; XA and XB are O, S, etc.; R1, R2 and R3 are -(-L21-Q2)n1-L22-L23-Q1; L21 is single bond or divalent group; Q2 is cyclic divalent group; n1 is 0-4; L22 is —O—, —O—CO—, etc; L23 is —O—, —S—, etc.; Q1 is polymerizable group or H.
US07696351B2
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of S-(+)-clopidogrel by an optical resolution and, more particularly, to a process for the preparation of S-(+)-clopidogrel represented by the following formula 1 with high optical purity by converting a clopidogrel racemic carboxylic acid into a diastereomeric salt using a (+)-cinchonine for optical resolution, extracting an S-(+)-clopidogrel carboxylic acid from the diastereomeric salt using a suitable solvent under an acidic condition and then reacting the S-(+)-clopidogrel carboxylic acid with methanol.
US07696348B2
It is an object to provide a novel bipolar organic compound. In particular, it is an object to provide a bipolar organic compound excellent in thermal stability. Further, it is another object to provide a bipolar organic compound which is electrochemically stable. A quinoxaline derivative represented by a general formula (1) is provided. Further, since the quinoxaline derivative represented by the general formula (1) is bipolar, the use of the quinoxaline derivative of the present invention allows fabrication of a light-emitting element and a light-emitting device with a low driving voltage and low power consumption. Furthermore, a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency can be obtained.
US07696344B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rationale design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes.
US07696343B2
The use of antagonists to JAM-1 Claudin-4 and occludin to open tight junctions. The antagonists include, by way of example antibodies and antibody fragments that bind to the proteins and small interfering nucleic acids that downregulate the mRNA encoding the proteins.
US07696322B2
The present invention provides novel antibodies. In particular, the present invention provides fusion antibodies comprising antibody heavy and light chain fusions. The present invention further provides multivalent antibodies comprising multiple fusion antibody chains. The present invention further provides methods of generating splice resistant antibody genes.
US07696320B2
Disclosed are ligands that have binding specificity for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), or for VEGF and EGFR. Also disclosed are methods of using these ligands. In particular, the use of these ligands for cancer therapy is described.
US07696319B2
The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.
US07696314B2
The present invention relates to non-naturally occurring polypeptides derived from fish allergens such as parvalbumin Cyp c 1.01 from carp. The polypeptides display reduced allergenic activity and are useful as allergy vaccines for treatment of sensitized allergic patients and for prophylactic vaccination.
US07696306B2
The present invention relates to a MUC1 cytoplasmic tail peptide or portion thereof. These peptides are useful for inducing an immune response to MUC1-expressing tumor cells and thus for preventing or treating cancer.
US07696301B2
Marine umbilicals are provided comprising polyamide compositions having good hydrolysis resistance and that may optionally contain plasticizer.
US07696297B2
Methods for making a branched polycarbonate are disclosed. An interfacial mixture comprising water, a substantially water-immiscible organic solvent, a dihydroxy compound, a polyhydric branching agent, an endcapping agent, a catalyst, and a base is formed. The base and the branching agent are dissolved in the mixture before the dihydroxy compound is added, and the interfacial mixture has a basic pH. The mixture is reacted by adding a carbonate precursor to the mixture while maintaining the pH between about 8 and about 10 to form the branched polycarbonate. The resulting branched polycarbonates may contain more than 1.5 mole % of the THPE; have residual chloride content of 20 ppm or less; and a weight average molecular weight of about 55,000 or less. They may also be highly transparent.
US07696290B2
Disclosed herein is a method for inhibiting and retarding the premature polymerization and the polymer growth of vinyl aromatic monomers wherein the method comprises adding to said monomers an effective amount of an inhibitor and retarder blend comprising: (A) at least one aromatic sulfonic acid; (B) at least one amine; (C) at least one nitrophenol; and (D) at least one member of the group consisting of nitroxy radical-containing compounds and nitrosoanilines.
US07696289B2
The present invention relates to a continuous gas phase process comprising passing a recycle stream through a fluidized bed in a gas phase fluidized bed reactor, wherein the recycle stream comprises a low molecular weight dew point increasing component and a high molecular weight component, polymerizing an alpha-olefin monomer in the presence of a catalyst, and controlling an amount of the low molecular weight dew point increasing component in the recycle stream such that a dew point approach temperature of the recycle stream is less than the dew point approach temperature when operating with the higher molecular weight dew point increasing component alone.
US07696285B2
Disclosed is a carbamate functional reactive polymer composition, comprising an acrylic resin (a′) comprising a functional group (F3) that is at least one of a primary carbamate group, a primary hydroxyl group, a secondary hydroxyl group, and mixtures thereof, and a nonvolatile solvent (b′nv) that is not a crystalline solid at 75° C. but is a fluid solid at a temperature of free radical polymerization and comprises (i) four or more isomers, and (ii) at least two reactive functional groups (F2) that are selected from primary carbamate, primary hydroxyl, and secondary hydroxyl, wherein no more than 10% of the sum of functional groups (F2) and (F3) are primary hydroxyl groups and at least 60% of the sum of functional groups (F2) and (F3) are primary carbamate groups. In one exemplary embodiment, the reactive polymer composition is made by a disclosed method.
US07696275B2
A seal element (70) for providing a static or dynamic seal between two components (74, 78) in a downhole tool includes a polymer host material (212) and a plurality of nanostructures (220) forming a nanocomposite material (210). The polymer host material (212) has a plurality of regions of free volume (222) that receive the nanostructures (220). The nanostructures (220) and the polymer host material (212) form interfacial interactions that improve the useful life of the seal element (70) by minimizing seal failures associated with explosive decompression, extrusion, spiral failure, abrasion, temperature degradation and the like.
US07696269B2
This invention relates to novel sulfur-containing silane coupling agents, and organic polymers containing carbon-carbon double bonds. These novel silanes can be carried on organic and inorganic fillers. The invention also relates to articles of manufacture, particularly tires, made from the elastomer compositions described herein.
US07696264B2
Processes for preparing silicon-containing polytrimethylene homo- or copolyethers, wherein at least a portion of the polymer end groups are silicon-containing end groups, are provided.
