US08915373B2
A solid particle flow distribution controller includes an extension skirt configured to be mounted to a discharge skirt at a division between an upstream solid particle conveyance pipe and a plurality of downstream pipes. The extension skirt includes a plurality of circumferential segments. Each segment is movably mounted to the discharge skirt for movement in an upstream and downstream direction with respect to the discharge skirt. The segments of the extension skirt are configured and adapted for motion in the upstream and downstream direction independent of one another to extend upstream of the discharge skirt as needed to improve solid particle distribution among the downstream pipes.
US08915358B2
A moist wipes dispenser has a top attached to a bottom along a hinge. The top is adapted to pivot about the hinge's axis of rotation. The top is adapted to assume a closed position and a dispensing position. In one embodiment, the top can assume a warning position adapted to warn a user that the top is not shut. The top is urged to the warning position if the top is angularly disposed in a red zone that extends between the closed position and the warning position. The warning position is angularly displaced from the closed position by at least five degrees. In another embodiment, the hinge includes a pin integrally molded with the top or bottom, and an open knuckle integrally molded with the other of the top and bottom. The hinge is adapted to urge the top into closed and dispensing positions in selected angular ranges.
US08915351B2
A work piece conveying apparatus capable of conveying plural work pieces with differing transport pitches to each other. The work piece conveying apparatus includes a drive motor that includes an output shaft, plural drive pulleys that are fixed to the output shaft and have different diameters to each other, plural timing belts that are respectively entrained around the plural drive pulleys, and plural coupling plates that are respectively fixed to the timing belts and that move reciprocating with different transport pitches to each other accompanying forward and reverse rotation of the output shaft, and cause to convey work pieces.
US08915345B2
Apparatus directed to the art of disengaging an input from an output at predetermined torque values. A torque limiting clutch capable of use as a solid drive unit and a torque limited unit for which the torque disengagement value is selectable. The torque limiting clutch has an overload assembly and a torque drive mechanism which may comprise a plurality of drive pins. Additionally, the torque limiting clutch may comprise seals to discourage contaminants from entering the clutch.
US08915343B2
A method of controlling a hydraulic control system for a dual clutch transmission includes controlling a plurality of pressure and flow control devices in fluid communication with a plurality of clutch actuators and with a plurality of synchronizer actuators. The clutch actuators are operable to actuate a plurality of torque transmitting devices and the synchronizer actuators are operable to actuate a plurality of synchronizer assemblies. Selective activation of combinations of the pressure control solenoids and the flow control solenoids allows for a pressurized fluid to activate at least one of the clutch actuators and synchronizer actuators in order to shift the transmission into a desired gear ratio.
US08915342B2
A two stage clutch and shift actuation paddle assembly provides clutch disengagement through a first range of movement of a manually operated control lever or paddle and electronic shifting of a transmission upon movement through a second range. A return spring force generator causes a lower return force to be exerted on the generator paddle in a range of motion wherein the clutch is disengaged and a pronounced increased spring force to be exerted in advanced range of motion wherein the transmission shift actuation occurs.
US08915341B2
The invention relates to a current collector 1 for a device 2 that can be displaced with and against the driving direction F along a conductor line 5, comprising a current collector cart 8 for the guided displacement along a guide element 9 of the conductor line 5, and an energy transmission system. The invention solves the problem of providing a current collector and an energy transmission system, which enable an energy-conserving, contact-reliable and damage-free displacement of the current collector along a conductor line and a simple connection of the current collector to the conductor line, in that at least one first lever assembly 12L between the current collector cart 8 and displaceable device 2 is provided with a first drive lever arm 13L, the first end of which can be connected in a rotatable manner to the displaceable device 2 and the second end of which is connected in a rotatable manner to a second end of at least one first tension lever arm 14L, the first end thereof being connected in a rotatable manner to a current collector cart, wherein a first adjustment drive 15L is provided in order to be able to move the current collector cart 8 between a retracted position on the displaceable device 2 and an extended position away from the displaceable device 2, and wherein a first locking device 16; 18L; 15L is provided, in order to lock the first drive lever arm 13L when displacing the displaceable device 2 in the driving direction F in a predetermined extended position.
US08915335B2
The electrical braking device according to the present invention includes a braking element (2) which is formed, on the one hand, by electric jaws (7) and at least one sliding block (8) mounted in the proximity of the brake disk (3) in such a way that the latter passes at least partially through the electric jaws (7) and sliding block (8), and, on the other hand, by means (4) for fastening the electric jaws (7) and the sliding block (8) to the fixed frame (6) while providing the jaws and block with degrees of freedom obtained by the combination of different connections of the “flat plane contact” (FC), “point contact” (PC) and “annular linear contact” (AC) types, in order to compensate for the misalignments and defects in the shape of the brake disk (3) when the latter is driven in rotation.
US08915332B2
A mechanical device for reducing the energy absorbed by an electric motor of a handling plant. The device includes a first rotating member moved by the motor of the handling plant. The device also includes a second rotating member connected to the first member through a first transmission apparatus. A third rotating member is connected to the second rotating member through a second transmission apparatus, which develops a transmission ratio equal to unity. The device further includes a fourth rotating member operatively connected to the rotor of the electric motor. The fourth rotating member and the third rotating member are connected through a third transmission apparatus, which develops a transmission ratio equal to unity. The device includes a sixth rotating member connected to a fifth rotating member through a fifth transmission apparatus. The sixth rotating member and the first rotating member are connected through a sixth transmission apparatus.
US08915319B2
This invention relates to a wheel driven mechanism for a vehicle such as a wheelchair, an electrical bicycle, or a motorcycle, especially to a vehicle which has a wheel driven by power but without using an independent electric motor. The wheel driven mechanism comprises a rotor, a plurality of permanent magnets, a stator, and a plurality of electromagnets. The rotor is divided into a first block and a second block, and the permanent magnets are disposed within the first block to reduce the weight and the cost of the wheel driven mechanism. Furthermore, the user can easily rotate the handwheel mechanism during power off.
US08915318B2
A shifting machine structure contains a base unit, a seat unit, a hydraulic unit, a cushion support unit, a rod unit, and a control handle unit. Thereby, a pressing pedal and a releasing pedal of the hydraulic unit are pedaled to move the elderly or patients toward a desired position by using the base unit, the seat unit, the hydraulic unit, the cushion support unit, the rod unit, and the control handle unit, thus obtaining delivery safety and convenience. In addition, a copper sleeve and a copper piece of each of plural shafts of the seat unit rub with each other to enhance rigidity and durability.
US08915314B2
A down-the-hole drill hammer is provided that includes a housing, a piston mounted within the housing, a drill bit mounted below the housing, and a drive coupling operatively engaged with the housing and drill bit. The drive coupling can be configured with a plurality of lugs circumferentially disposed about the drill bit and coupled with the casing for providing rotation thereof. Alternatively, the drive coupling can be configured with segmented lugs configured to circumscribe the drill bit, or as a cylindrical chuck formed out of arch-shaped chuck segments which radially assemble onto the shank of the drill bit.
US08915304B2
A method of traversing a travel joint with a line can include, after the travel joint has been installed in a well, activating a connector which provides sealed fluid communication between sections of the line on respective opposite sides of the travel joint. A travel joint system for use with a subterranean well can include a travel joint comprising a releasing device which permits relative displacement between sections of the travel joint, and a connector which provides fluid communication between sections of a line.
US08915300B2
A valve includes: a housing; a mandrel disposed in the housing; a rupture disk disposed in a passageway of the mandrel; a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel; and a ball seat disposed in the mandrel. A method for actuating a valve includes: flowing a fluid through the valve; dropping a ball; seating the ball in the ball seat and blocking fluid flow through the mandrel; flowing fluid through the passageway to the sliding sleeve; moving the sliding sleeve axially within the valve; and exiting fluid through the openings of the housing and mandrel. A valve includes: a housing having an opening; a mandrel disposed in the housing; a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel; and a ball seat disposed in the mandrel blocking fluid communication between the mandrel and the passageway.
US08915297B2
Apparatuses and methods for improving the reliability of pinpoint stimulation operations is disclosed. A pinpoint stimulation improvement apparatus is disclosed which includes a hold down device, at least one flow reducer coupled to the hold down device, and a jetting tool coupled to the flow reducer. The flow reducer is positioned downstream from the jetting tool. A fluid flowing through the jetting tool passes through the flow reducer and forms a sand plug downstream from the pinpoint stimulation improvement apparatus.
US08915288B2
An article of furniture has a core formed from a cellular structure which is expandable upon movement of end faces away from each other. The exterior of the core presents a pair of oppositely directed undulating surfaces. An outer panel is juxtaposed with at least one of the undulating surfaces and secured to it. The outer panel is movable with the core to conform to the surface as the core is extended and retracted.
US08915283B2
The embossing unit includes in combination: a first support for a first embossing roller and a second support for a first pressure roller, cooperating with the first embossing roller. The second support presents two seats to receive and support the first pressure roller in two different positions with respect to this support. The embossing unit also includes a third support for a second embossing roller. The third support can take at least two different operating positions. A fourth support is provided to support a second pressure roller suitable to cooperate with the second embossing roller and suitable to take at least an operating position and an idle position. Finally, there is provided a fifth support with a double seat to receive and support in two different positions alternatively a marrying roll or the second pressure roller.
US08915282B2
A labelling assembly with a transfer module that has a rotationally driveable hub at least of one essentially vertical pallet shaft, to which transfer module it is possible to allocate functionally an at least essentially vertical glue roll, at least one label magazine and a gripper cylinder that can be driven rotationally around an at least essentially vertical axis, and where at least the pallet shaft and/or the magazine and/or the gripper cylinder and/or the glue roll is a removable replacement fitting or are removable replacement fittings connected detachably to a respective support for a replacement due to retooling. Further, a connection of at least one replacement fitting with its respective support is formed in such a manner that the replacement fitting can be removed and attached by means of an essentially, to the greatest possible extent, horizontal and lateral relative movement of the replacement fitting.
US08915275B2
This is an apparatus and system for integration of Central Tire Inflation (CTI) valve functionality directly into a wheel. The CTI valve may be attached to the wheel or integrated into the wheel. In addition, the CTI valve may have a valve body or the valve components can be installed directly into the wheel. An air passageway between the vehicle air source and the CTI valve and/or an air passageway from the CTI valve to the tire cavity can also be employed.
US08915271B2
The present invention provides a system and a method for loading/unloading cryogenic fluids between a ship and storage tanks The system comprises a shaft extended upwards to above the sea level, a transfer pipeline extended from the storage tanks to the shaft with a free end free to expand/contract axially inside the shaft, a header fluidly connected to the free end, at least one downward pipe branch from the header, at least one hose coupler attached to the shaft, at least one internal hose freely hung inside the shaft between the downward pipe branch and the hose coupler, and at least one loading arm fluidly connected to the hose coupler and having an end flange for connection with ship manifolds for fluid transfer. The system further comprises at least one vertical support to support the header in the vertical direction, wherein the header is free to move along with the free end of the transfer pipeline.
US08915270B2
Filler devices having an enclosure sub-assembly are provided herein. Filler devices may include at least one of a reservoir and at least one working valve for dispensing the product into a container. Enclosure sub-assemblies may include an enclosure frame, an enclosure member, at least one hinge, and at least one magnetic latch assembly, wherein the at least one magnetic latch assembly comprises a body having a magnet associated therewith, and wherein the at least one magnetic latch assembly is fixedly secured to one of the enclosure frame or the enclosure member upon displacement of the enclosure member from a closed position to an open position, and releasably, magnetically secured to the other of the enclosure frame or the enclosure member upon displacement of the enclosure member from a closed position to an open position.
US08915260B2
A pressure relief device is disclosed for a system containing a pressurized fluid. The device includes a main valve body having inlet and outlet flow ports and a valve plug positioned to seal the flowpath of the pressurized fluid between the inlet port and the outlet port of main valve body. A force transmission component is connected to the valve plug and an activation component is installed between the force transmission component and a mounting surface. The activation component is configured to prevent axial movement of the valve plug until a predetermined pressure is exerted on the valve plug. The force transmission component more efficiently transfers the output force acting on the valve plug to the activation component.
US08915259B2
The specification generally discloses systems and methods for mixing and delivering fluids in microfluidic systems. The fluids can contain, in some embodiments reagents that can participate in one or more chemical or biological reactions. Some embodiments relate to systems and methods employing one or more vent valves to controllably flow and/or mix portions of fluid within the microfluidic system. Advantageously, fluid control such as a sequence of fluid flow and/or a change in flow rate, can be achieved by opening and closing one or more vent valves and by applying a single source of fluid flow (e.g., a vacuum) operated at a substantially constant pressure. This can simplify the operation and use of the device by an intended user.
US08915258B1
A ground blind includes a collapsible support structure and a flexible cover mounted to the collapsible support structure. The flexible cover includes a top, at least one sidewall, at least one opening, at least one elastic member, and at least one fastener. The elastic member is configured to bias the opening into an open position. The fastener is configured to releasably hold the opening in a closed position.
US08915255B2
A smoking article includes a sheet material comprising a fibrous layer formed of cellulosic fibers and at least 50% by weight of inorganic filler material having a particle size in range of from 0.1 microns and 50 microns, wherein the sheet material has a tensile strength of at least 900 N/m. The fibrous layer preferably further comprises a binder material, preferably an organic binder material such as a cellulosic binder material. A coating layer may be provided on at least one side of the fibrous layer.
US08915241B2
The invention relates to a radiant energy powered water heating methods and apparatus, particularly, to the open-loop solar radiation collection systems. At least one nozzle is directed against a reflection surface facing an evaporation surface to spray at least one jet with reflection to diffuse the fluid within the inner cavity in an atomized plume having the evaporation surface been moisturized by a part of the sprayed fluid and said moisturizing part of the sprayed fluid been sufficiently vaporized or evaporated (see FIG. 3).
US08915240B2
One aspect provides a heating device comprising a firebox having a hearth therein and first and second heat exchange chambers, and a heat exchanging plate having a first surface and a second opposing surface. The heat exchanging plate is suspended above the hearth, such that the first surface is located between the hearth and the second surface. The heat exchanging plate has lower protrusions extending from the first surface and into the first heat exchange chamber, and upper protrusions extending from the second surface and into the second heat exchange chamber. A method of manufacturing a heating device is also disclosed.
US08915234B2
A cap assembly includes a body and a tether. The body is configured to be fastened to a container for closing an opening in the container. An aperture is formed in the body, and the tether has a fastener, where a portion of the fastener extends through the aperture in the body. A gap is formed between the portion of the fastener and the body that allows for venting of vapors from the container around the portion of the fastener that is extending through the aperture.
US08915222B2
A variable valve timing control apparatus includes a driving side rotation member, a driven side rotation member positioned coaxially with a rotational axis of the driving side rotation member, at least one plate, a plurality of partition portions forming a fluid chamber between the partition portions, a vane portion being fitted to the fluid chamber to relatively rotate the driving side rotation member and the driven side rotation member within a movable range thereof, a restriction mechanism for restricting a relative rotational phase, a fastening member fixing the plate and the partition portion of the driving side rotation member, and a reinforcement member engaged with the partition portion including a contact surface among the partition portions, the contact surface being configured to receive a contact of the vane portion when the relative rotational phase is either at a most retarded angle phase or a most advanced angle phase.
US08915219B2
A working machine engine is provided. The air flowing through the front side cooling air flow passage and the upper side cooling air flow passage which are provided in the front side and the upper side of the casing, respectively, and the air flowing through the auxiliary air flow passage provided in the back side of the casing join together near the opening. By this means, the air flowing through the auxiliary air flow passage can change the direction of the air flowing lengthwise through the front side cooling air flow passage and the upper side cooling air flow passage.
US08915218B2
A process and apparatus is provided for burning liquid ammonia in an energy device such as a diesel engine, boiler or gas turbine. In particular, the process and apparatus include mixing a renewable fuel with a low flame speed and high ignition temperature, e.g., ammonia, with a combustible liquid fossil or bio-fuel and supplying the mixture into a closed fuel loop where part is efficiently burned in an engine combustion chamber, and part is used to cool the engine and returned by the loop for mixture with fresh incoming fuel mixture. The invention provides for the mixing and emulsifying in such a way that vapor lock is avoided. In the loop, the mixture is emulsified into a disperse distribution of fuel droplets such that upon injection of a portion into the combustion chamber, the renewable fuel in an emulsified droplet evaporates, mixes with the air and forms a small combustion cell surrounding the liquid fuel droplet. The fuel droplet burns and then serves as an ignition kernel for the gas mixture in the small combustion cell producing efficient and rapid combustion of the renewable fuel. The fuel loop allows the fuel system to automatically scale for engines varying in power output from 1 to 35,000 horsepower.
US08915216B2
The present invention seeks to prevent damage to property resulting from an animal's separation anxiety which occurs when a pet owner departs, while minimizing the period of time the dog is confined. The device incorporates an automatically releasing door of a kennel or leash. For instance, the owner of a canine can place the dog in a kennel prior to leaving his or her residence. The owner can initiate a timer on the kennel or leash, and the kennel door opens or leash releases after a pre-determined amount of time, such as 30 minutes.
US08915213B2
In a division mask and a method of assembling a mask frame assembly by using the same, the division mask includes a stick body on which deposition patterns are formed, and a clamping portion which extends from the stick body outward along a longitudinal direction of the stick body, the clamping portion increasing in width from the stick body. By using this structure, since tight tension is exerted on the division mask during the assembly of a mask frame assembly due to an extension portion of the clamping portion, creases are prevented from being formed on the division mask, thus obtaining a precise mask frame assembly.
US08915212B2
A mask frame assembly includes an air tunnel between a frame and a mask so as to allow flow of air. Therefore, evaporation of cleaning liquid can be facilitated in gaps between the frame and the mask during cleaning and drying processes performed so as to reuse the mask frame assembly sooner. Thus, the amount of remaining cleaning liquid can be reduced so as to reduce the time necessary for preparation of a subsequent process using the mask frame assembly.
US08915211B2
A two roller impregnator for impregnating a fiber with (catalyzed) resin. The resin is kept directly above the two rollers and enclosed with a set of dams to create a resin pool. A different resin pool may be generated for each roller. The resin release mechanism facilitates for the resin and if necessary, a catalyst, to be released into the resin pool(s). Temperature of the resin pool can be controlled, along with the temperature of each roller. A post-impregnation catalyst activator can be utilized to activate the catalyst.
US08915207B2
An apparatus for stabilizing a watercraft, such as a kayak or canoe, for boarding or exiting, utilizing a paddle, comprising a quick insert/release paddle clamping device for mounting on a watercraft. The clamping device has laterally elongated jaws forming a C-shaped channel with a longitudinal slot for receiving a paddle shaft. The jaws have a deflectable lip portion configured to allow insertion and releasably retain the paddle shaft within the channel. The clamping device is mounted with the channel oriented horizontally and transverse to the fore-and-aft axis of the watercraft, with the slot disposed along a longitudinal side of the channel to allow insertion and removal the paddle shaft by fore-and-aft motion. Lateral spacing of paddle gripping regions minimizes twisting forces imposed on the clamping device when the outer end of the paddle engages an object to limit roll of the watercraft.
US08915206B1
A T-step hull form for monohull planing vessels includes a forward section, an aft section, a transom, a step, and a skeg. The step is transversely oriented and separates the forward section from the aft section, and the skeg extends longitudinally along the length of the hull form from the step rearwardly to the transom, dividing the aft section into a starboard tunnel portion and a port tunnel portion. The starboard and port tunnel portions are ventilated at their respective outboard sides, at the transom, or both. Vents may pass transversely through the skeg. Tunnel flaps may be disposed in each of the tunnel portions and are hingeably attached at the step to allow for adjustability of the step's geometry. The addition of the skeg, which extends from the step to the transom, provides additional longitudinal surface area for the hull form, and in turn increases lateral stability.
US08915203B2
There is provided a method for loading or unloading a liquid cargo for a water-borne vehicle. An exemplary method comprises distributing liquid cargo to a first storage compartment of the water-borne vehicle to a first level. The exemplary method additionally comprises distributing liquid cargo to a second storage compartment of the water-borne vehicle to a second level different from the first level so that a natural period of the first storage compartment is separated relative to a natural period of the second storage compartment to reduce sloshing of the liquid cargo. An exemplary water-borne vehicle and method of producing hydrocarbons are also provided.
US08915201B2
The invention relates to a device for producing a reinforced foam material and for receiving a textile semifinished product in a hook. To this end, the device has a first subunit having a transport device and a second subunit having a receiving device. The transport device is designed to convey the textile semifinished product into the receiving device, and the first subunit and the second subunit are designed such that the textile semifinished product can be presented in defined length by a relative movement of the first subunit relative to the second subunit. Furthermore, the receiving device of the second subunit is set up such that the textile semifinished product can be placed in the hooks by a relative movement of the receiving device relative to the hook.
US08915198B2
A table system that includes at least first and second table assemblies. The first table assembly includes a horizontally oriented first table member having a first upright member extending downwardly therefrom and a top surface and a bottom surface, a first flap member hingedly connected to the first table member and movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The first flap member has a top surface and a bottom surface. The second table assembly includes a horizontally oriented second table member having a first upright member extending downwardly therefrom and a top surface and a bottom surface. A first top surface horizontal distance is defined between the top surfaces of the first and second table members. The top surface of the first flap member defines a first top surface width dimension. The first top surface horizontal distance and the first top surface width dimension are approximately the same.
US08915195B2
A portable collapsible table, having a foldable supporting frame that supports a table top, the frame including a plurality of legs that are positionable in a first position that positions the table top in a first relatively low position and that are positionable in a second position that positions the table top in a second relatively raised position, the table top including a plurality of wells disposed therein, the wells, the frame and the table top being collapsible so that the table may be folded for ease in storage or transport thereof.
US08915193B2
A railroad hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The closure members (or doors) are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door during opening and closing. The doors are driven by a transverse drive linkage that is driven by a transversely mounted actuator. The actuator may be mounted in an accommodation in the lee of slope sheets between adjacent hoppers in a mid-span portion of the car. Drive from the actuator is carried to a pair of symmetrically mounted doors through drive train linkages.
US08915190B2
A launched smoke grenade has a body having a hollow interior that contains an active grenade material and a bullet trap element formed of an inert material, the body defining a muzzle receptacle bore that is adapted to receive a rifle muzzle, the active grenade material defining a cavity, and the bullet trap element having at least a forward portion received in the cavity. The active grenade material may include a smoke generation component and an ignition component. There may be a bullet suppressing material positioned between the rifle muzzle and the inert material. The bullet suppressing material and the inert material may be made of different materials.
US08915183B2
A screen printing screen, having: a screen printing stencil carrier which is configured as a film which is provided with first recesses which are configured in such a way that they reach from one upper side to the underside of the film, and a screen printing stencil which is configured as a nonmetallic masking layer which is connected fixedly to the underside of the screen printing stencil carrier, the masking layer being provided with second recesses which lie in congruence at least partially with the first recesses of the screen printing stencil carrier in such a way that a printing medium can pass through the first recesses of the screen printing stencil carrier from its upper side in the direction of the underside and through the second recesses of the masking layer to a substrate which can be placed underneath.
US08915180B2
An autonomously rotating cookware adapted to more evenly cook a food item within a cooking space presenting variable temperatures, includes a rotatable member and a thermally activated active material element, such as a shape memory alloy wire, drivenly coupled to the member, such that heat by-product during the cooking process causes the element to activate and activating the element causes the member to rotate, so that the food item is alternatively exposed to the variable temperatures.
US08915172B1
The invention herein named “Magnetized Fence with Stock Feeder for Decked Saws” is in total manifestation a table saw fence or other saw fence magnetized for resistance to lifting, in combination with a stock feeder or powerful spring-loaded workpiece guide mounted directly on said fence. Thus the stock feeder, which advances workpieces over the cutting element of a saw, can be used without its mounting apparatus interfering with lateral travel of the fence.Said invention is comprised of a: 1) saw fence, which guides workpieces, 2) motorized feeder with mounting apparatus, or spring-loaded guide, and 3) mechanisms incorporated for switching the magnetic element.
US08915170B2
A table saw includes a workpiece support surface and a laser apparatus. The workpiece support surface defines a blade opening through which a cutting blade is configured to extend. The laser apparatus is configured to emit a laser light away from the workpiece support surface.
US08915169B2
An adjustable driving tool includes a handle and a driving rod. The handle has a limiting portion disposed in the handle and a slot. The limiting portion has an inner space communicating with openings of a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion. The slot communicates with the inner space. The handle provided with a pin disposed through the inner space, and the first and second sleeve portions are disposed around the pin. The driving rod has a working end and a fixation end having an elongate through hole around the pin. The fixation end is disposed into the inner space through the slot. The driving rod is slidable relative to the pin, and the fixation end is controllably selectively inserted into the first sleeve portion or the second sleeve portion so that the driving rod is held.
US08915156B2
A method of compensating friction in a force-feedback device comprising a control member manipulated by a user and coupled to a tensioned cable that is actuated by a motor and gearbox unit. The method includes the steps of (1) detecting a variation in the sag of the cable caused by a manipulation of the control member, and (2) in response to such a detection, controlling the unit so that it develops a force (Fa) that compensates, at least in part, for the internal friction (Rsa) of the unit that opposes movement of the control member manipulated by the user.
US08915154B2
A system and method for the automated preparation of one or more samples for analysis is disclosed. The system comprises a processing mechanism configured to process the one or more samples, wherein each sample is contained in a separate sample container. The system further comprises a cover configured to enclose the sample containers while the processing mechanism is operating, a first holder comprising a first pivot point and a second pivot point, wherein the first pivot point of the first holder is hingedly connected to the cover, a second holder comprising a first pivot point and a second pivot point, wherein the first pivot point of the second holder is hingedly connected to the cover, a first actuator interface arm hingedly connected to the second pivot point of the first holder, and a second actuator interface arm hingedly connected to the second pivot point of the second holder.
US08915150B2
A torque sensor includes: a torsion bar; a multi-pole magnet; a pair of yokes on an outside of the multi-pole magnet in a radial direction and providing a magnetic circuit in a magnetic field generated by the multi-pole magnet; and a pair of magnetic sensors arranged along a circumferential direction. Each magnetic sensor includes a magnetism sensing part for detecting a magnetic flux density generated in the magnetic circuit, and outputs a detection signal to an external computing device. The magnetic sensors output the detection signals to the external computing device such that the computing device calculates a sum of outputs or a difference of outputs of the magnetic sensors so as to cancel a variation of the outputs produced by a magnetic flux generated from the multi-pole magnet and directly reaching the magnetism sensing parts.
US08915146B2
A magneto-inductive flow measuring device having a measuring transducer, which includes a measuring tube a magnet system for producing a magnetic field, and at least one electrode inserted into a bore of the measuring tube for registering an electrical voltage. A securement device is provided, which serves for securing the electrode on the measuring tube. The securement device is at least partially composed of plastic, and is connected with the measuring tube by a plastics welding technology.
US08915143B2
The scientific characterization of cellular contractility and cell movement, such as muscle function in particular is, to a large extent, carried out on intact tissue preparations for example using whole intact muscles from animals. Typical indices of muscle function may include isometric force, contractility under external force (load) and spatio-temporal determination of internal calcium concentration under strictly controlled conditions of length and applied force. The major advance of the described apparatus is that the common characterization of cellular contractility can be performed on a single cell rather than an entire tissue or whole animal. As such the apparatus described improves on and eliminates known limitations of currently considered state-of-the-art approaches.
US08915132B1
An improved weigh bearing monitor determining weight or urge applied upon an impaired lower extremity when limited weight bearing is prescribed by a medical professional. The limited amount of weight borne on the affected limb visualized on gauge (3) attached to assistive walking device (4) with weight borne readable on gauge (3) located within visual range of the user or caregiver. The device consists of gauge (3) connected to assistive walking device (4) connected by hose or tube (2) to foot appendage component containing bladder (1) attached to user's (6) foot. When user (5) applies pressure upon bladder (1), then gauge (3) is in view of user (5) or caregiver monitoring weight applied to the affected limb. This device may also be wireless with elimination of the hose. This device may also be hydraulic or pneumatic in accordance with variation maintaining the visual ability of user or caregiver.
US08915129B2
A cable depth gauge and method for determining the depth of a cable embedded in a sidewall of a tire, the cable depth gauge comprising an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having an indicator point set to reference a surface of the tire, the elongate body having a width to determine eligibility if the repair hole being examined meets the minimum size for the repair process and a first measuring region and a second measuring region located at the proximal end of the elongate body, the first measuring region and the second measuring region being at a known distance from the indicator point.
US08915128B2
A brake tool for inspecting a brake shoe having an anchor end and a cam end includes a first portion adapted to engage with an anchor aperture in the anchor end of the brake shoe, the first portion defining a first portion axis and having a length along the first portion axis sufficient to engage substantially an entire width of the anchor aperture; a second portion adapted to engage with a cam aperture in the cam end of the brake shoe, the second portion defining a second portion axis and having a length along the second portion axis sufficient to engage substantially an entire width of the cam aperture; and a connecting member connecting the first portion and the second portion with the first portion axis and the second portion axis substantially parallel to one another.
US08915127B2
In a method and a device for diagnosing a switchable coolant pump for circulating a coolant in a coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine, an actual value of the cylinder head temperature of the internal combustion engine is measured and the actual value of the cylinder head temperature is compared with a model value of the cylinder head temperature. The functionality of the coolant pump is assessed according to the comparison result.
US08915125B2
A cylinder internal-pressure sensor is provided with a housing unit 2 composed of an outer cylinder portion 2e and an inner cylinder portion 2i having elastic portions 2es and 2is having elasticity in an axial direction Fs formed on an intermediate portion Xm in the axial direction Fs; a pressure-receiving ring block portion 3 hermetically fixed between the outer cylinder portion 2e and the inner cylinder portion 2i located on the fronts of the elastic portions 2es and 2is and faced with the rear of the elastic portions 2e and 2i through the elastic portions 2e and 2i and having a front surface 3f as a pressure receiving surface; at least one or more pressure detection elements 5a, 5b, 5c, . . . in contact with one electrode portion 4 provided on a rear surface 3r of this pressure-receiving ring block portion 3, given the internal pressure Pc by the pressure-receiving ring block portion 3 and arranged at predetermined positions in a peripheral direction Ff; and a support ring block portion 6 fixed between the outer cylinder portion 2e and the inner cylinder portion 2i, having a front surface 6f as a support surface supporting the pressure detection elements 5a . . . and serving also as the other electrode 7.
US08915122B2
The invention relates to a sniffing leak detector comprising a sniffing line (11) and a feed line (33) that leads to a vacuum pump (16). A distribution point (24) from which a branch line (25) leads to a test gas sensor (15) is provided on the feed line (33). In order for the intermediate pressure (P2) at the distribution point (24) to be independent of feed fluctuations of the vacuum pump (16), a throttle (D2) comprising a supercritically operated orifice (20) is provided between the distribution point (24) and the vacuum pump (16). The pressure drop at the orifice (20) is greater than half the intermediate pressure (P2) at the distribution point (24). The flow at the orifice (20) is thus blocked, wherein the flow (Q) remains constant regardless of changes of the pump pressure (P3). Changes of the intermediate pressure (P2) are thus prevented so that the sensitivity and signal stability of the test gas sensor (15) is unaffected by changes of the pump pressure.
US08915119B2
A detection apparatus includes a particulate matter (PM) detection unit, a temperature detection unit, and a correction unit. The PM detection unit includes an insulator, a pair of electrodes, and a detector. The insulator is disposed in an exhaust path of an internal combustion engine through which an exhaust gas flows. The pair of electrodes are arranged in contact with at least a part of the insulator. The detector detects a PM detection value which is a value correlated to an amount of PM in the exhaust gas. The temperature detection unit detects at least one of an exhaust temperature of the exhaust gas passing through the PM detection unit and an insulator temperature of the insulator. The correction unit corrects the PM detection value detected by the PM detection unit based on at least one of the exhaust temperature and the insulator temperature.
US08915117B2
Intrinsically calibrating friction mensuration device has a drive unit with controllable motive member, configured to receive a controllable propulsion force, and to apply tractive force to a test piece on a surface. A force engine couples to the motive member, and applies the controllable propulsion force. The device includes a controller imposing a propulsion control signal actuating the force engine to produce the propulsion force. A force sensor is between the drive unit and the test piece, producing a force signal responsive to a sensed force between the drive unit and the test piece. The drive unit can self-propelled or stationary. A method includes applying an increasing tractive force to a test piece at rest; measuring the tractive force; identifying the maximum tractive force applied at incipient motion; identifying the transition between the resting test piece and incipient motion; determining the SCOF; continuing motion; and determining the DCOF.
US08915116B2
A mechanism by which a MEMS gyroscope sensor can be calibrated using data gathered from other sensors in a system incorporating the MEMS gyroscope sensor is provided. Data gathered from an accelerometer and a magnetometer in fixed orientation relative to the gyroscope is used to calculate changes in orientation of a system. A constant acceleration vector measured by the accelerometer and a constant magnetic vector measured by the magnetometer are used as reference vectors in a solution to Wahba's problem to calculate a rotation matrix providing the system's orientation with respect to those two constant vectors. By comparing changes in orientation from one time to a next time, measured rates of angular change can be calculated. The measured rates of angular change can be used along with observed gyroscope rates of angular change as input to a linear regression algorithm, which can be used to compute gyroscope trim parameters.
US08915114B2
The invention refers to a tool for cold expansion of fastener holes. The tool comprises a mandrel (1) with a conical working part (2), a cylindrical sleeve (4) with a conical hole (5), wherein the sleeve (4) is entirely split from end to end into separate, laterally touching one another, segments (6), fixed in a cylindrical hole (14) of a threaded bush (7) and along the outer cylindrical surface (8) of the mandrel (1). The bush (7) is attached immovably to a device, fixing the segments (6), and each segment (6) gets into contact with the conical surface (2) of the mandrel (1) along only one generatrix (16), laying in the symmetry plane (17) of the respective segment (6). The advantage of the tool is in the possibility to control the degree of cold expansion.
US08915111B2
The present invention relates to a die apparatus which cools metals after hot pressing. More specifically, the present invention relates to an immersion cooling type die apparatus, in which dies are immersed in a coolant to enhance a cooling rate of the dies while guaranteeing uniform quality. The die apparatus includes an upper die having a pressing surface formed on a lower surface thereof, a lower die having a pressing surface formed on an upper surface thereof, a coolant bath storing a predetermined level of coolant, and a pressing unit driven to lower and compress the upper die onto the lower die, to lower both the upper and lower dies in a compressed state, and to lift the upper and lower dies in a reverse sequence.
US08915107B2
A locking system is set forth having a key and a lock cylinder. The lock cylinder has a cylinder core journalled in a housing and having a keyway for inserting the key. A plurality of tumblers actuable by the key and an additional blocking element movably arranged in a guide passage of the cylinder core project into the keyway, said additional blocking element being displaceable obliquely or transversely to the direction of insertion of the key. The additional blocking element is made for cooperation with a counter-element arranged at the key blade with a key introduced up to the maximum insertion depth. The counter-element is in this respect arranged in a groove or recess starting from the key tip and extending in the longitudinal direction of the key blade.
US08915105B2
A compression latch is provided having a lock bolt operated via a codable cylinder lock. The lock bolt includes a guide having first and second inner surfaces. The lock includes a rotatable portion having a cam with a projection that is movable between the first and second inner surfaces. When the rotatable portion of the cylinder lock rotates via the key to cause the projection to move from a first position to a second position, the projection contacts the second inner surface and urges the lock bolt to engage a control member which prevents a handle of the compression latch from rotating. When the rotatable portion rotates via the key to cause the projection to move from the second position to the first position, the projection contacts the first inner surface and urges the lock bolt to disengage from the control member, which enables the handle to rotate.
US08915095B2
An environmental conditioning system has a compressor for compressor air in an air flow path. A turbine drives the compressor and is coupled to the compressor. An evaporator is in communication with the compressor. The evaporator is configured to cool air from the compressor.
US08915092B2
A heat pump system for conditioning regeneration air from a space is provided. The heat pump system is operable in a winter mode and/or a summer mode. The system includes an energy recovery module that receives and conditions air in a regeneration air channel. A pre-processing module is positioned downstream of the energy recovery module. The pre-processing module receives and heats air from the energy recovery module. A regeneration air heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the pre-processing module. The regeneration air heat exchanger receives and conditions air from the pre-processing module. The pre-processing module heats the air from the energy recovery module to increase an efficiency of the regeneration air heat exchanger.
US08915082B2
An engine is described having an engine control unit and two or more hydraulically operated wheels, wherein a fluid is flowed from an accumulator to the engine via the first wheel to assist in acceleration of the turbocharger in response to an acceleration signal from the engine control system and wherein the fluid is flowed from the engine to the accumulator via the second wheel to decelerate the turbocharger in response to a deceleration signal from the engine control unit. In one particular embodiment, the second wheel absorbs energy from the turbocharger in response to the deceleration signal from the engine control unit to decelerate the turbocharger. In some embodiments, the hydraulically operated wheels may be positioned on the same shaft of, and between, the turbine and compressor of the turbocharger.
US08915080B2
The present invention relates to a pressure generator for a hydraulic vehicle brake system for the regulated generation of a hydraulic brake pressure in a brake circuit, the pressure generator having a multiple-piston pump for delivering a brake fluid with at least two pump pistons and associated pressure chambers, on which the pump pistons act, an actuator for actuating the multiple-piston pump, and a fluid feed line which extends to the pressure chambers and is configured for connection to a storage container, in which a hydraulic fluid is stored. At least one valve is arranged in the fluid feed line and divides the latter into a first section which is arranged upstream of the valve and into a second section which is arranged downstream of the valve, the valve being configured to optionally at least partly shut off or open the second section of the fluid feed line and therefore to control the fluid supply of at least one pressure chamber.
US08915068B2
A device (40) for reducing pollutants, in particular nitrogen oxides, in an exhaust gas flow of an internal combustion engine, includes a reducing agent (46), in particular a urea-water solution, which is stored in a storage tank (42), a metering module, in particular a nozzle (68), for injecting the reducing agent (46) into the exhaust gas flow, and a pump (56, 100) for delivering the reducing agent (46) from a suction point (62) in the storage tank (42) to the metering module via lines (58, 66). A pump (56, 100) lies beneath a reducing agent level (44) in the storage tank (42), and a non-return valve is provided.
US08915065B2
In one example, a method of operating an engine having a diesel particulate filter in a vehicle, the particulate filter having a length and depth, includes performing particulate filter regeneration in response to temperature variation across the length and/or depth of the particulate filter.
US08915057B2
A sump pressurization system for a gas turbine engine comprises a first hollow shaft and a second hollow shaft disposed within the first hollow shaft and defining a cavity therebetween. Each of the first and second hollow shafts has a common axis of rotation. Also included is a source of pressurized air to pressurize the cavity and a plurality of hollow tubes disposed in the cavity. The tubes are oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation and are connected to and rotatable with the first hollow shaft. A plurality of apertures in the second hollow shaft are in fluid communication with the tubes, such that pressurized air flowing through the tubes passes through the apertures into the interior of the second hollow shaft.
US08915055B2
The spinning station of a spinning machine includes a yarn end disposal means, arranged between the outlet of the spinning device and the winding device, and with the aid of which an end section of the produced yarn is separated from the rest of the yarn and eliminated. Furthermore, a process for removing an end section of a yarn at a spinning station of a spinning machine prior to the subsequent piecing process is proposed, wherein the end section is gripped, cut off, and subsequently eliminated from the area of the spinning station with the aid of a yarn end disposal means arranged between the outlet of the spinning device and the winding device.
US08915044B2
A mounting clip for use in the construction industry. This device will be used to effectively and efficiently establish a gap under the bottom edge of a building wall board, such as sheet rock or gypsum boards. Hanging of building panels on wall assemblies in building construction projects is very common. The present invention is a gapping device which fits onto the bottom edge of sheet rock wall board like a shoe. The clip holds the sheet rock in position raised off of the floor while the sheet rock hanger permanently affixes the panel to the panel support area, typically a stud wall. The clip prevents moisture from wicking from the floor into the wall board material The clip is designed to become a permanent fixture in the final wall construction.
US08915039B1
In some embodiments, a durable solid-wood door or other rigid block assembly includes two generally-planar, mutually-parallel solid-wood boards each having a plurality of mutually-parallel dovetail-connection channels running generally along an internal surface of each of the boards, and a solid-wood central keying structure disposed between the two solid-wood boards. The central keying structure includes a plurality of two-sided sliding dovetails keys sized to slide within the dovetail-connection channels to secure the two-mutually-parallel solid-wood boards to each other via sliding dovetail connections to the central keying structure. Alternating wood grain orientations may be used to reduce warping. Each board may include multiple laterally-adjacent monolithic slabs interconnected via tongue-and-groove edge connections, with the dovetail connection channels extending across multiple slabs. An adhesive and/or fasteners secure the two boards in a fixed position relative to each other, creating a solid block structure.
US08915033B2
A composite product includes gypsum in an amount of 60 to 90% by weight, fibers in an amount of 1.5 to 26% by weight substantially homogeneously distributed through the composite, and a rheology-modifying agent in an amount of 0.5 to 6% by weight. The composite is caused or allowed to cure to form a cured composite. The cured composite is a fire resistant component used in a fire-rated door core, a fire-rated door or a fire-rated building panel. The fire resistant component may include a building panel, a door panel, a door core, a door rail, a door stile, a door lock block, a door border, or a door insert.
US08915032B1
A window construction set in a pre-existing frame includes upper and lower horizontal channel members that respectively engage horizontal top and bottom edges of at least two window panes and first and second laterally spaced vertical channel members that respectively engage vertical outboard edges of the window panes. Each channel member is secured to a corresponding part of the frame and a structural shim is sandwiched between each channel member and its associated frame. The preferred embodiment includes multiple window panes disposed in lateral relation to one another so that all panes are secured at their top and bottom edges and two outboard window panes are further secured along their respective vertical outboard edges. Respective abutting inboard vertical edges of contiguous window panes are joined together by respective strips of silicone, there being no vertical frame members between abutting contiguous window panes.
US08915027B1
A method of installing an edging system for a unit pavement system includes positioning a paver-contacting surface of an edge restraint against an edge of a unit pavement system including a plurality of paver units, and driving a plate-like stake in a generally horizontal direction underneath at least one paver unit of the plurality of paver units and into a granular material layer upon which the unit pavement system is supported such that the plate-like stake is operatively connected with the edge restraint. The edge restraint includes a horizontal section and a vertical section joined at a corner. The vertical section extends upwardly from and generally perpendicular to the horizontal section. An edging system for a unit pavement system is also disclosed.
US08915026B2
A barrier for blocking access to an enclosed space so that wildlife cannot enter the space for either nesting or other habitation is disclosed. Plural resilient spikes extend outwardly in an array from a base. When the apparatus is inserted into a space, the spikes bend so that the tips engage the walls of the space to lodge the barrier in place and resist extraction. The spikes discourage wildlife from entering and nesting in the space.
US08915024B2
A hunting blind including a front wall having an opening therethrough and a multi-position window covering the opening. The multi-position window includes a panel with an elongate aperture covered by a door pivotally connected to the panel. The multi-position window has a first position on the front wall and covering the opening wherein the elongate aperture extends vertically for hunting with a bow. The multi-position window has a second position on the front wall and covering the opening wherein the elongate aperture extends horizontally for hunting with a gun.
US08915023B2
In one embodiment, an electronically controlled hatch system for safe ingress, egress, hazard detection, and methods thereof are provided to reduce or eliminate hazards to personnel, including protection of people above and below a scuttle hatch, access port, skylight or elevated deck. Said hatch system reduces the risk of falls while ascending or descending a ladder through an access port. In certain embodiments, severe weather, hazard, security, and other safety information are detected and transmitted to a central control unit for processing and regulating the opening and closing of a hatch covering the access port and/or raising and lowering a safety railing system based on said information and/or user input. Said hatch system may include an actuator and guides for automatically locking/unlocking and opening/closing a hatch, an actuator and guides for automatically raising/lowering a railing system, safety monitoring detectors/apparatuses, and a centralized controller.
US08915019B2
A sliding door assembly for use with a tub or shower enclosure, said assembly comprising a rod, having a first end and a second end extending along said enclosure; at least one door, having a top, bottom, first end, second end, first surface and second surface; at least one roller attached to said door at a predetermined position and slidably engaging said rod; a stopper attached to said rod, at a predetermined position; a striker attached to said door, at a predetermined position; said striker further comprising at least one striking member; said stopper further comprising at least one striking member receiver; wherein when said door is in a first position, said at least one striking member and said at least one striking member receiver are not engaged and when said door is in a second position, said at least one striking member and said at least one striking member receiver are engaged, preventing said at least one door from substantial horizontal and vertical movement along said rod.
US08915015B1
A solar greenhouse which may be modular, free-standing or erected against an adjacent structure such as the wall of a building, having s a frame including structural members such as extruded aluminum channels which support a glazing system of transparent or translucent panels. The transparent or translucent panels preferably are opaque to the transmission of infra red light rejected from the solar collector louvers and the interior of the solar greenhouse. Positioned within the solar greenhouse enclosure below the glazed roof or top are a plurality of rotatable solar collector louvers which may be individually positioned or preferably are rotated in unison by a drive system which may be manually controlled or controlled by a software program in a computer or microchip. The louvers are effectively flat plate solar collectors. Water is circulated through the tubular axle of the louvers and is heated by solar radiation when the louvers are in their solar collection positions. The louvers may be adjusted to various positions.
US08915013B2
The invention relates to a method for the eradication and killing of microorganisms from among insects and worms in an aqueous system, especially for the control and eradication of the larvae. A sustained reduction or killing of the larvae is achieved by a two-step method in which insecticides and a zooplankton community are used as biological agents. The insecticides specifically kill the larvae present in the aqueous system. The biological agents, which according to the invention preferably comprise competitors for food of the above microorganisms/larvae, prevent repopulation. The combined use of insecticidal and biological treatment in aqueous systems allows an efficient and permanent eradication.
US08915002B2
Self illuminated back and front lit signage for a printed graphic. The signage includes a turning film having a structured surface for redirecting light, a diffuser providing for diffusion, and a printed graphic. The turning film receives light from an ambient light source and directs the light via the structured surface toward a viewer of the graphic in order to passively illuminate the signage.
US08914994B2
An article of footwear includes an upper for securing the article of footwear to a wearer. The footwear also includes a sole assembly operatively coupled to the upper. The sole assembly includes a bladder that contains a fluid. The bladder has a posterior portion, an anterior portion, and a middle portion disposed between the posterior and anterior portions. The posterior portion has a heel recess that is approximately coincidental with a center of a heel of the wearer. The middle portion includes a neck chamber that extends between the posterior and anterior portions. The neck chamber is elongate and has a width that is less than both the posterior and anterior portions, and the anterior portion has a plurality of toe recesses that extend generally away from the neck chamber.
US08914990B2
A hopper structure for treating granular material, comprising an inner sidewall section arranged, in use, as an upper tubular sidewall, a tapered lower section having a delivery mouth and an elongated insert body wherein said insert comprises an upper portion and a lower portion arranged at said lower tapered portion of the hopper and having its conicity facing away from said upper portion, said upper portion axially extending from the base of the lower portion up to at least one half of the upper tubular section at an angle λ≧0 with respect to a vertical line.
US08914981B1
A weed cutter with vacuum that includes a removable cover, a cylindrical chamber attachable to the cover, an intake column fastened endwise to the chamber opposite the cover, with a vacuum impeller disposed within the chamber, a motor disposed distally within the intake column, which motor engages a cutting blade pivotally mounted at a distal end of the intake column, wherein debris created at the cutting blade is drawn into the cylindrical chamber and captured in a filter column disposed therein.
US08914980B2
A razor has a holder, a holder handle defining a razor axis, a cross-piece installed in the holder along the razor axis, and up to four pairs of blades. The holder and holder handle collectively form a T-shape structure. Each of the blades in each of the pairs is installed in the holder on a respective side of the cross-piece and at sharp blade setting angle and symmetrical about the cross-piece. The blade setting angle is 75-80°, and the blade setting angle of each preceding blade pair in the direction of the razor movement is less than the setting angle of a subsequent blade pair. The invention makes it possible to increase the efficiency and ease of shaving and to reduce the production cost of the razor.
US08914976B2
Bi-casting a platform (50) onto an end portion (42) of a turbine airfoil (31) after forming a coating of a fugitive material (56) on the end portion. After bi-casting the platform, the coating is dissolved and removed to relieve differential thermal shrinkage stress between the airfoil and platform. The thickness of the coating is varied around the end portion in proportion to varying amounts of local differential process shrinkage. The coating may be sprayed (76A, 76B) onto the end portion in opposite directions parallel to a chord line (41) of the airfoil or parallel to a mid-platform length (80) of the platform to form respective layers tapering in thickness from the leading (32) and trailing (34) edges along the suction side (36) of the airfoil.
US08914956B2
In a manufacturing method for a monolithic ceramic electronic component, a ceramic paste is applied by using an application plate to a side surface of each of a plurality of green chips arrayed in row and column directions which are obtained after cutting a mother block. In the applying step, the ceramic paste is transferred to the side surface by moving the green chips and the application plate relative to each other in the direction in which the side surface extends while separating the green chips from the application plate, in a state where the ceramic paste is connected to both the green chips and the application plate.
US08914954B2
A process for the production of a core (10) with integrated bridging fibers (12) for the manufacturing of composite panels, includes producing the following stages: using a cake that is made of light material of the rigid foam type, forming the core (10); depositing excess bridging fibers (12) on at least one surface (18, 20) of the core; making a portion of these bridging fibers (12) penetrate into the core; and removing excess bridging fibers (12) that are not used. The panel that is obtained as well as the associated device are also described.
US08914953B1
A reusable casket includes a metal casket box having an opening at one end and including a panel section rotatably attached to the casket box which is closeable to enclose the opening and openable to allow longitudinal movement of a casket insert into and out of the casket box through the opening. A transverse member adjacent the panel section connects opposing side panels of the box to partially define the opening. The panel section is retained to the transverse member in the closed position by locking bolts extending through the panel section to engage the transverse member. A method of making the metal casket box includes welding side, end, and floor panels together, moveably attaching the panel section relative to an opening in the end of the casket box, and attaching the transverse member to the side panels adjacent the panel section.
US08914952B2
A clip includes a cylindrical body having insertion space into which one of different diameters of rod members is insertable, a pair of locking claws formed to face each other in a first direction and configured to lock the rod member inserted into the insertion space, and an inner wall configured to be deformable in a second direction which is substantially at right angles to the first direction. The inner wall deforms in the second direction upon receiving a rod member having a largest diameter among all of the attaching target rod members.
US08914932B2
A ramp may include a frame having first and second end portions and at least one rung extending substantially between the frame and being positioned between the first and second end portions, the at least one rung forming at least a portion of a ramp surface. The ramp may further include a plate extending substantially between the frame and being positioned adjacent to at least one of the first and second end portions, and a lip pivotally attached to the plate at a pivot axis, wherein the pivot axis is non-load bearing.
US08914918B2
An anti-horse collar tackle safety device, comprising a base having means for attaching the base to a pair of shoulder pads, wherein the base comprises an interior portion facing the shoulder pads and an exterior portion that is accessible from outside a jersey placed over the shoulder pads, and a releasable portion releasably attached to the exterior portion of the base via means for releasable attachment, wherein the releasable portion is configured to release via application of a force equal to or less than about 15 pounds.
US08914917B1
Protective hip pads and tailbone pads formed of resilient padding material have a combination belt slot and snap faster attachment arrangement and can selectively attached to athletic pants having either snap fasteners in the waistband, or to athletic pants having a waistband with a number of exposed slots through which a belt extends. Thin stiff flexible support plates are affixed to the front and back side of the pads and laterally spaced slotted apertures extending through the pad and support plates have a vertical slot and an intersecting horizontal slot. Snap fasteners slidably mounted in respective horizontal slots can be moved to be aligned and pressed onto mating snap members in the waistband to secure the pads to the waistband or, alternatively, moved to expose the vertical slots to receive a pants belt laced through the waistband and vertical slots to secure the pads to the waistband.
US08914915B1
A decorative footwear adornment providing a removable and reusable ornamentation for use upon existing footwear includes an attachable base plate being embellished with a decorative element or indicia. The base plate includes extending malleable attachment arms, each encased within a flexible polymer material, which are wrapped around and secured to straps or other portions of the footwear. The flexible nature of the attachment arms enables a user to repeatedly interchange and reuse the adornments with various footwear.
US08918905B2
Systems and methods of providing a secure access layer in a mobile phone and a computer system coupled to the mobile phone to provide authentication for transmitting data between the phone and the computer system.
US08918899B2
An information processing device, control method and program that suppresses security risks to a minimum. When power is activated, a control component starts by reading a first program from a first memory component and, in observance of the first memory program, it reads the identification information of an authentication device that is mounted to a mounting component, references a table T, and performs authentication processing for the authentication device, with the condition that the count value correspondingly listed for the identification information of the authentication device be larger than a prescribed value and, when authentication processing has succeeded, starts by reading the second program from a second memory component, and in the event that the authentication device continues to be mounted to the mounting component during executing the second program, decreases the table count value corresponding to the unique identification information of the authentication device.
US08918895B2
In a method for preventing information leakage in a workflow environment, a computer system receives a request to access documents in a repository. In one aspect, the computer system identifies articles in the document against the access credentials of the requestor. Further, the computer system extracts protected information from rows and columns in the articles based on label access controls. In another aspect, the computer system generates protected values in the extracted protected information from the rows and generating protected patterns in the extracted protected information from the columns. The computer system redacts the generated protected value and the generated protected patterns based on the access credentials of the requestor.
US08918893B2
A microcontroller is awakened from a lower power state in response to a trigger indication indicative of a fault condition. After the awakening, the microcontroller performs a security action with respect to secret information in the security module in response to the fault condition.
US08918887B2
To diagnose vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, even for web-server devices that change the content of responses to requests in accordance with prescribed conditions. A normal-response collection means (10) transmits a normal request (REQN), accompanied by a registered user ID and password, a plurality of times. Said normal-response collection means (10) receives a plurality of responses (RESN) (hereafter “normal responses”) from a web server in response to the normal requests. A common-region extraction means (12) extracts a common region from the plurality of normal responses. An abnormal-response collection means (18) performs SQL injection on the web server, receives the response (RESA) (hereafter “abnormal response”), and records same in a storage unit (16). A determination means (14) determines that the web server has a vulnerability if the normal responses and the abnormal response are the same in the common region.
US08918883B1
An enterprise network includes hosts running services. Some of the services have security vulnerabilities. There are one or more threat zones associated with the network. For example, a firewall may create two threat zones, one internal to the firewall and one external to it. A device profiler in the first threat zone profiles the hosts on the network and identifies the vulnerabilities that are present. A device profiler in the second threat zone determines which of the identified vulnerabilities are accessible from its zone. A risk module calculates the risk associated with a vulnerability based on the vulnerability's severity, threat level metrics for the threat zones, and an asset value of the host with the vulnerability. A reporting module prioritizes the vulnerabilities based on their risks.
US08918875B2
A system and method that provides for copying ARP replies, and generating data packets which include the ARP reply, and other information such as an identification of the port on the ARP reply was received. These data packets are then transmitted to an ARP collector which stores the ARP reply and port information. The ARP collector then uses this stored information, and analyzes future data packets relative to the stored information to detect occurrences of ARP spoofing. The ARP collector further provides for generating alerts and taking security actions when ARP reply spoofing is detected.
US08918869B2
This disclosure describes, generally, methods and systems for self defending and repairing a database. The method includes monitoring, at a database server, code modifications to a database management application. The database management application is configured to maintain the database. The method further includes determining that a code modification has occurred to the database management application. The method further includes checking the code modification for the presence of an authorization key, and in response to an invalid or non-existent authorization key, determining that the code modification is unauthorized. Further, the method includes quarantining the modified code in a secure storage location, and automatically accessing original code of the database management application and replacing the modified code with code from the original code of the database management application.
US08918864B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for scanning data during communication of the data over a network. In use, a process is initiated for determining whether to scan data, during communication of the data over the network. Further, the data is conditionally scanned based on the determination.
US08918859B2
A VPN connection is established between two networks (1, 6), with two communication devices (2, 7) assigned to the given networks (1, 6), a transmission device (11), and an identifying means. An initial VPN data package is transmitted from the first communication device (2) to the transmission device (11). The second communication device is identified (7) to the transmission device (11) through use of the identifying means. A second VPN data package is transmitted from the second communicating device (7) to the transmission device (11). The transmission device (11) provides an initial VPN configuration parameter (12) for establishing the VPN connection between the communication devices (2, 7) for the first communication device (2), and the transmission device (11) provides a second VPN configuration parameter (13) for establishing the VPN connection between the communication devices (2, 7) for the second communication device (7).
US08918858B2
A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media are presented that provide a configuration for communications through network address translation. The configuration includes transmitting, by a first computer device, a packet that includes a predetermined value indicating that the first computer device supports an extension of a communications protocol, wherein the communications protocol is used for communications across a network translator device and the extension is capable of traversing network address translation.
US08918853B2
Automatic recovery from loss of a security token on an embedded device is achieved by having a service provider (SP) server send to a device server a backup copy of the security token in conjunction with sending to an embedded device a primary copy of the security token, and retrieving from the device server and sending to the embedded device the backup copy of the security token upon detecting that the primary copy of the security token has been lost. The method and system obviate the need for a user to have to re-input on the embedded device a credential that is represented by the security token in the event the primary copy of the security token is erased from the embedded device or otherwise becomes inaccessible to the embedded device.
US08918851B1
An authentication system is presented that relies on an arrangement of positions defined through a positional matrix to determine the order in which two or more sets of images are extracted from a file structure and presented to a user through the mutually parallel rows or columns of a selection mechanism during the administration of an authentication challenge and which then attempts to authenticate the user's right of access or verify their identity based on the representational positions and relative alignment of the images matched by the user in some prescribed manner through the selection mechanism thus allowing the system to perform its authentication functions without having to explicitly reference, process, transmit or store any specific image identifiers, display coordinates or file designators that could, if otherwise compromised, reveal the proprietary images chosen by the user for the purpose of their authentication.
US08918848B2
Methods and systems for third party client authentication of a client. A method includes displaying a user interface on a display of the client, the user interface including an option to select a supported credential type of a third party authentication server, receiving a command selecting the supported credential type, and sending credential information and the selected supported credential type to an authentication server for third party authentication by the third party authentication server. The third party authentication server may support a token-based authentication protocol for implementing single sign on (SSO).
US08918847B2
A system and method for authenticating a layer 7 client application (application layer) based on a layer 2 (data link layer) or a layer 3 (network layer) authentication is provided. A request to authenticate to a network is received from a communication device. The request to authenticate to the network is for a layer 2 or layer 3 authentication. The communication device is authenticated to the network based on having the necessary credentials.A request is received to authenticate a layer 7 client application running on the communication device. The layer 7 client application running on the communication device requires a layer 7 authentication. The layer 7 client application running on the communication device is authenticated based on the layer 2 or layer 3 authentication.
US08918825B2
A system for presenting media programming guides is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to transmit to a media source a request to access media content of a personal television (TV) channel composed by a subscriber of a media communication system, transmit to the media source a communication identifier, and receive from the media source media content in the personal TV channel adapted according to the communication identifier. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08918823B2
A digital decoder for television receiver, comprises an input (E) for receiving a digital audio/video signal (SAV), means for demodulating and decoding the input signal into an output signal intended for the television receiver, and a first buffer memory (8) into which the input signal is diverted after demodulation (SO) when the decoder is placed in a so-called “live” mode of operation. In a so-called “replay” mode of operation, the signal recorded in the first buffer memory constitutes the output signal. This decoder comprises a second buffer memory (9) into which the demodulated input signal (SO) is diverted when the decoder is placed in the “replay” mode, the signal recorded in the second buffer memory (9) constituting the output signal when the decoder is switched from the “replay” mode to another so-called “return to live” mode of operation. In the “return to live” mode, the user views at high speed the video portion recorded in the second buffer memory before the decoder switches back to the “live” mode.
US08918817B2
A digital television (DTV) receiver for processing a DTV signal, a receiver to receive a digital television signal including a plurality of extended text table (ETT) instances that appear in transport stream packets with common PID values, the ETT instances having common table ID values, each ETT instance comprising a section header and a message body, the section header containing a table identification (ID) extension field that serves to establish uniqueness of each ETT instance, the message body containing an extended text message (ETM) which provides detailed descriptions of a virtual channel or an event associated with each ETT instance, wherein the section header further contains a section number field indicating a section number and a section syntax indicator field; a demodulator to demodulate the digital television signal; and an identifier to identify at least one pertinent ETT instance from the plurality of ETT instances.
US08918815B2
The television (1) includes: an infrared radiation receiver (119) which receives from a user an instruction to select a program cell; and a CPU (118) which generates a user interface screen of an electronic program table to be displayed on an LCD (110). The CPU (118) generates the user interface screen of the electronic program table such that a time zone item column located in a left direction of a selected program cell and a time zone item column located in a right direction of the selected program cell are indicated with deep blue, and other time zone item columns are indicated with light blue.
US08918814B2
A program information processing apparatus and a program information processing method that are capable of easily conducting a program search using an electronic program guide and displaying the search result clearly on the electronic program guide. A display control unit for displaying on a display unit an electronic program guide containing information relating to a plurality of programs, a selection unit for selecting a program from the plurality of programs in response to the operation of a user, and a search unit for searching a program containing information identical to or similar to at least a part of the information of the program selected by the selection unit are included, wherein the display control unit displays search result by the search unit on the electronic program guide.
US08918811B2
An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program and set a desired broadcast time for that program.
US08918801B2
Disclosed herein is a transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, including: an acquirer configured to acquire an estimated number of audience terminals indicative of an estimated number of reception apparatuses receiving the AV content; a computer configured, in conjugation with the AV content, to compute, on the basis of the estimated number of audience terminals, a validity probability of trigger information associated with control of an application program to be executed in the reception apparatus; a generator configured to generate the trigger signal including the computed validity probability; and a transmitter configured to transmit the generated trigger information with the AV content.
US08918799B2
A system call utility may be provided on a first operating system managing a first hardware computing entity. The system call utility may take as an argument a pointer to a computer code a second operating system established to run on the first hardware computing entity. The first operating system is enabled to execute the computer code natively on the first hardware computing entity, and return a result of the computer code executed on the first hardware computing entity to the second operating system.
US08918792B2
Disclosed are a workflow monitoring control system, method, and program, wherein, when workflows are executed by passing through processing sections, each provided with business application software, in order, the service quality of the workflows can be ensured in as many workflows as possible with limited computer resources. A workflow monitoring and control system connected to a plurality of processing sections each of which executes a unit process assigned respectively, a unit process being one of parts constituting business data processing, by using business application software and computer resources, comprises a workflow defining means, a service quality lower limit setting means, a service quality calculation means, a quality insufficiency judging means, a computer resource reallocation means.
US08918784B1
In this disclosure, a resource scheduler is described that allows virtual machine instances to earn resource credits during the low activity levels. Virtual machine instances that spend a predominant amount of time operating at low activity levels are able to quickly gain resource credits. Once these virtual machine instances acquire enough resource credits to surpass a threshold level, the resource scheduler can assign a high priority level to the virtual machine instances that provide them with priority access to CPU resources. The next time that the virtual machine instances enter a high activity level, they have a high priority level that allows them to preempt other, lower priority virtual machine instances. Thus, these virtual machine instances are able to process operations and/or respond to user requests with low latency.
US08918776B2
A software system, such as an operating system, that has multiple parts can be deployed to a computing device incrementally, rather than all at once. The software system self-adapts to the user's needs by installing and removing system extensions automatically without user intervention. A core part of the software system is deployed in the computing device, and system extensions are delivered to the computing device when needed. The software system is aware of the system extensions, so they appear to be part of the system, even though they have not yet been downloaded. The system extensions can be delivered to the computing system on demand or over time during idle times of the computing device. Unused system extensions can be removed from the computing device, and can be downloaded again when next needed.
US08918775B1
Dynamic release control is performed by identifying a plurality of software application instances installed on a mainframe system, identifying a compatibility level for each software application instance, designating a common execution level based upon a lowest one of the identified compatibility levels, configuring each software application instance to conform to the common execution level, receiving a software update indication that at least one software application instance has been updated and performing a compatibility level switch across the plurality of software application instances after receiving the software update indication if a lowest one of the compatibility levels is different from the common execution level by adjusting the common execution level based upon the lowest one of the compatibility levels and by reconfiguring each software application instance to operate in a mode that constrains the corresponding software application instance to conform to the adjusted common execution level.
US08918773B2
A device provides, to a server device, a single request for user information associated with an application provided in the device. The device also receives, from the server device and based on the single request, one or more tables in a same format as stored in the server device, where the one or more tables are not joined by the server device. The device further stores the one or more tables in a database associated with the device, queries the one or more tables in the database for the user information, and provides, to the application, the user information retrieved based on the query.
US08918771B2
In one embodiment, a decision tree is evaluated in interpreted mode while statistics are collected. The decision tree is then represented as source code, and each decision in the decision tree is annotated with instructions determined based on the collected statistics. The source code is compiled into machine code, and the machine code is optimized based on the instructions annotating each decision in the decision tree.
US08918757B2
Indicating hierarchy diversion in a class diagram. A class inheritance structure for at least one parent class contained in computer program code can be identified to determine a class hierarchy corresponding to the parent class. For at least one child class in the class hierarchy that is a child of the parent class, a parent-child similarity value corresponding to a parent-child diversion of the child class from the parent class can be calculated via a processor. The class diagram can be generated. The class diagram can indicate at least the parent class, the child class and the parent-child similarity value. The class diagram can be presented.
US08918750B1
A recursive solution to a bin-packing algorithm provides efficient placement of objects in a physical layout. The algorithm determines requirement vectors for the objects that specify requirement for placement of the object in multiple dimensions, thereby forming a multi-dimensional bin-packing problem. The algorithm assigns the objects to physical partitions or “bins” by recursively exploring partial solutions that place the objects in the partitions by extending the partial solutions via recursion until the objects are placed. The bin-packing algorithm tests requirements vectors for remaining unassigned ones of the objects for both assignment and non-assignment to a current partition in a current partial solution until the current partial solution becomes a complete solution that satisfies the requirement vectors for the plurality of objects.
US08918747B2
A method is provided for verification of a logic design for a processor execution unit which includes an instruction pipeline with one or more pipeline stages. The method includes: creating a design under test using at least a first and a second instance of the logic design; initializing the instruction pipeline using the first instance of the design under test with the same value in each instruction pipeline stage and the second instance with random values in its pipeline stages; selecting an instruction of the processor execution unit out of a plurality of instructions and simultaneously issuing the instruction to each instance of the design under test; providing a comparison between the outputs of the instruction pipeline executing the instruction for each instance; and if the instruction is verifiable by formal model checking, approving the correctness of the logic design if the comparison result is true.
US08918740B2
An image management apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of types of additional information assigned to a plurality of images; a calculation unit that calculates a feature quantity of each of the images; an extracting unit that extracts, based on the feature quantity, additional information of the plurality of types of additional information; a control unit that generates one or more icons corresponding to the one or more types of additional information and displays the icons on a screen; an input unit that receives input according to a user's operation; a selecting unit that selects an image according to the signal; and an assigning unit that assigns to the selected image, when input of an operation signal associating the image selected by the image selecting unit with an icon selected by the user is received, additional information corresponding to the icon associated with the selected image.
US08918737B2
Zoom display navigation is described. In embodiments, a client device renders media content with a rendering system. A focus window is generated to display a section of the media content in the focus window that maintains a display resolution quality of the media content when the media content is displayed at a zoomed magnification level. Responsive to a navigation input, the focus window can be repositioned to a different section of the media content and/or the focus window can be zoomed to a different magnification level.
US08918736B2
A method includes receiving a current set of characters in response to a sequence of user commands. The current set of characters includes a current sequence of words. A respective word in the current sequence of words includes one or more characters in the current set of characters. The user commands include character entry commands. Additional user commands that specify characters to delete from the current set of characters and characters to add to the current set of characters are received. Replay recommendations for additional words to be added to the current set of characters in accordance with one or more deleted words that correspond to the deleted characters are provided.
US08918727B2
Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient.
US08918726B2
The present invention provides a method for implementing shared editing of a document, including: dividing a document into multiple portions; when a user modifies the document, providing at least one portion of the multiple portions for the user to modify, wherein the at least one portion is prohibited to be modified by another user at the same time; and storing the modified by the user. Therefore, multiple users may edit a same document simultaneously by utilizing a docbase management system, and the modifications made by each user to the document can be stored wholly. Moreover, because the document is managed by one party, the security of the document can be guaranteed.
US08918721B2
A system and methodology for collaborating. A plurality of computing appliances for use by a respective plurality of users, provides a combined display presentation of collaboration responsive to input of annotations made by at least two of the users working simultaneously on a common project having an associated common display presentation comprising a base image display combined with a display of the annotations as made by the at least two of the users. The system is comprised of layer storage comprising a plurality of separate respective data layers, providing associatively mapped storage of respective user data wherein each said data layer is associated with a respective user. Each said data layer of storage stores respective user data that is used to generate a respective display of respective user annotations as input by the respective user, as made relative to a display presentation of the base image display. Display control logic provides individualized selective control of utilization of each said separate respective data layer, as selected layers that are utilized in generation of a combined display presentation. The display control logic provides generation of the combined display presentation showing the collaboration of the respective ones of the users responsive to utilizing the respective ones of the selected data layers. In one embodiment, the system is further comprised of communication apparatus providing voice (and/or video) communication between each of at least two of the plurality of users, during the providing of the respective combined display presentation to said each of said at least two of the plurality of users, and the input of annotations by the users.
US08918720B1
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving one or more keywords at a web application that are used to search for documents of a first type. The documents are accessible by a user via an account of the user based upon user permissions. Search results are provided based upon the keywords and include links to one or more documents of the first type. A selection one or more of the links is received. Selecting the links logs data that includes an indication that the documents were selected. A request for a list of most or recently selected documents of the first type for the user is received. The list of most or recently selected documents of the first type is based upon an aggregation of the logged data, and the list of most selected documents of the first type is provided.
US08918713B2
A computer readable medium, an electronic document or a system that uses one of these that includes particular code that specifies a first module selectively designated for inclusion in a personalized container document and additional code that specifies a second module selectively designated for inclusion in the personalized container document. The container document designates a plurality of modules included in the container document. Each module in the plurality of modules is adapted for rendering module data for presenting in the container document. The first module is adapted to render module data based at least in part on the particular code, the particular code including a first content type element, a first content element and one or more preference elements. The second module is adapted for rendering module data for presenting in the container document based at least in part on the additional code, the additional code including a second content type element, a second content element and one or more preference elements. The first content type element is different than the second content type element.
US08918702B2
A semiconductor memory chip including error correction circuitry configured to receive data words from an external device, each data word comprising a binary number of data bits, and configured to error encode each data word to form a corresponding coded word comprising a non-binary number of data bits including the data bits of the data word and a plurality of error correction code bits. At least one memory cell array is configured to receive and store the coded word and partitioned based on the non-binary number of bits of the coded word so as to have a non-binary number of wordlines and provide the memory chip with an aspect ratio other than a 2:1 aspect ratio.
US08918701B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to storing data in a storage array. An aspect of the invention includes receiving write data. The write data is arranged into “r” rows and “n” columns of pages, with each page including a plurality of sectors. The write data is encoded using a plurality of horizontal and vertical erasure correcting codes on the pages. The encoding allows recovery from up to tr erasures in any one of the r rows, up to tr−1 erasures in any one of the remaining r−1 rows, up to tr−2 erasures in any one of the remaining r−2 rows, and so on, such that the encoding allows recovery from up to t1 erasures in the last remaining row. Encoded write data is output from the encoding. The encoded write data is written as a write stripe across n storage devices in a storage array.
US08918686B2
Embodiments of a system and method for testing an integrated circuit device are described herein. Testing is complemented by a determination of characteristics of a data valid window that identifies components of a response data signal from a device under test where the data signal can always be expected to be stable. In at least one embodiment, the method comprises: for each individual data bit region of one or more data bit regions of a second data signal, sampling the second data signal at a plurality of points of the individual data bit region to produce a plurality of sampled values for the second data signal; for each sampled value of the plurality of sampled values, determining whether the sampled value matches an expected bit pattern value corresponding to the sampled value; determining one or more characteristics of the data valid window that defines conditions under which a valid sample can be expected to be taken; and outputting a test outcome based on one or more characteristics of the data valid window. In some embodiments, the second data signal may be sampled at the plurality of points of the individual data bit region concurrently. In some embodiments, the determination of whether each sampled value of the plurality of sampled values matches the expected bit pattern value may be performed concurrently for all of the plurality of sampled values.
US08918685B2
This technology relates to smoothly performing a test on a memory circuit having a high memory capacity while reducing the size of a test circuit. A test circuit according to the present invention includes a test execution unit configured to perform a test on a target test memory circuit, an internal storage unit configured to store data for the test execution unit, and a conversion setting unit configured to set a part of or the entire storage space of the target test memory circuit as an external storage unit for storing the data for the test execution unit.
US08918677B1
A report generator of a storage area network management application includes a data validation mechanism that validates data related to managed resources operating in a storage area network. The data validation mechanism obtains first and second data sets concerning first and second characteristics of a resource operating in the storage area network and applies at least one data validation test using data sets to detect inconsistencies in data in the first and second data sets associated with the resource operating in the storage area network. Values can be compared in different columns of the same or different reports to detect report integrity errors or data mining errors. The report generator provides a storage area network management report based on data of the first data set and the second data set that accounts for inconsistencies in data associated with the resource as detected by the at least one data validation test.
US08918676B2
Disclosed in the present invention are a method and an apparatus for restarting communication after registration of a subscriber identity module SIM card fails, which belongs to the field of mobile communications. The method includes: acquiring failure information about registration of the SIM card; displaying the failure information and prompt information on an interface, and receiving confirmation information that is replied by a user according to the prompt information; and restarting, according to the confirmation information, a communication processor under the condition of not turning off an application processor or not restarting the application processor, so as to re-register the SIM card.
US08918675B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to detecting and rectifying corruption in a distributed clock in a distributed system. Aspects may include receiving a sequence number used as part of the distributed clock at a node and determining if the sequence number is corrupt. In order to provide an effective mechanism for determining a sequence number is corrupt and taking corrective actions, a valid sequence number range may be determined, a propagation count associated with the sequence number may be evaluated, an estimated sequence number may be calculated, and an epoch number associated with the sequence number may be evaluated. Additionally, in exemplary aspects node with a corrupt trusted sequence values may self diagnosis and terminate associated processes to prevent further propagation of the corrupt sequence number.
US08918668B2
An interface circuit includes a general-purpose CPU configured to transmit a clock to a serial encoder with which bidirectional serial communication of clock synchronization type is to be performed, the CPU being configured to transmit and receive data to and from the serial encoder; and an additional circuit configured to detect a start bit of reception data transmitted from the serial encoder. The general-purpose CPU starts counting the number of bits of the reception data in response to a detection signal from the additional circuit, the detection signal indicating the detection of the start bit. The CPU stops transmitting the clock to the serial encoder upon completion of counting a predetermined number of bits of the reception data.
US08918667B2
In a low-power signaling system, an integrated circuit device includes an open loop-clock distribution circuit and a transmit circuit that cooperate to enable high-speed transmission of information-bearing symbols unaccompanied by source-synchronous timing references. The open-loop clock distribution circuit generates a transmit clock signal in response to an externally-supplied clock signal, and the transmit circuit outputs a sequence of symbols onto an external signal line in response to transitions of the transmit clock signal. Each of the symbols is valid at the output of the transmit circuit for a symbol time and a phase offset between the transmit clock signal and the externally-supplied clock signal is permitted to drift by at least the symbol time.
US08918666B2
An apparatus for synchronizing a data handover between a first clock domain and a second clock domain includes a calculator, a first-in-first-out storage, a synchronization pulse generator, a fill level information provider and a feedback path. The calculator is configured to provide a synchronization pulse cycle duration information describing a temporal position of synchronization pulses at a clock of the second clock domain. The first-in-first-out storage receives an input data value in synchronization with the first clock domain and provides an output data value in synchronization with the second clock domain in response to a current synchronization pulse. The fill level information provider provides fill level information describing a fill level of the FIFO. The feedback path feeds back the fill level information to the calculator to adjust the synchronization pulse cycle duration information.
US08918665B2
An input device for an electronic device. The input device includes a power source, a processor in communication with the power source. Additionally, the input device includes a main sensor in communication with processor and configured to detect a user input and an auxiliary sensor in communication with the processor and configured to detect a user input. When the input device is in a normal power mode or active state, the main sensor is activated and when the input device is in a low power state the main sensor is deactivate and the auxiliary sensor is activated.
US08918661B2
The present invention achieves appropriate power saving of the storage systems in accordance with the user's needs. In a storage system 1 including a storage apparatus 10 comprising a thin provisioning function and a management device 20, the management device 20 receives specification of a storage pool 93 as a power saving target and the specification of a power saving mode from a user and, when receiving the specification of prioritizing host access, selects the storage resource (RAID group 92) allocated to the storage pool 93 preferentially in ascending order of access frequency from the host computer 30 until a sum of a reduced amount of power saving exceeds the target value or, when receiving the specification of prioritizing power saving, selects the storage resources allocated to the storage pool 93 preferentially in descending order of power consumption until a sum of a reduced amount of power consumption exceeds a target value, and makes the power saving function of the selected storage resources operate.
US08918657B2
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, and/or user interface adapted for, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise, based on a predicted non-zero future power requirement for performing one or more portions of an expected workload by a predetermined system, the predicted future power requirement based on a past power requirement for performing one or more portions of a known workload by the predetermined system, automatically causing a change from a first power state of the predetermined system to a second power state that does not violate a specification for performing the one or more portions of the expected workload.
US08918649B2
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for accessing and distributing data that includes a portable first device and a second device wherein both devices have unconscious capture capability. The first device has a first memory wherein at least one document is stored in the first memory of the first device. The first device has a transceiver, an identifier, and a public key to access a second device.
US08918645B2
Intelligent content delivery enables content to be delivered to different devices in formats appropriate for those devices based on the capabilities of those devices. A user might access the same piece of content on two different devices, and can automatically receive a higher quality format on a device capable of playing that higher quality format. The user can purchase rights to content in any format, such that as new formats emerge or the user upgrades to devices with enhanced capabilities, the user can receive the improved formats automatically without having to repurchase the content. Further, the user can pause and resume content between devices even when those devices utilize different formats, and can access content on devices not otherwise associated with the user, receiving content in formats that are appropriate for those unknown devices even if the user has not previously accessed content in those formats.
US08918644B2
This specification describes technologies relating to imparting real-time priority-based network communications in an encrypted session. In general, aspects of the subject matter described can be embodied in methods that include establishing, based on cryptographic information in a reserved, random-data portion of a handshake communication, a session, receiving parameter values relating to a sub media stream, included in a header of a network communication, storing the parameter values, obtaining state information and a data payload included in a second network communication, identifying, from the state information, a purpose of the second network communication, and whether a header of the second network communication includes one or more new values corresponding to one or more of the parameters, updating one or more of the stored values based on the one or more new values, and processing the data payload based on the identified purpose and the stored parameter values.
US08918632B1
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and policy rating server device that receives a request from a client computing device for one or more privacy ratings. The request identifies at least one application, such as an application installed on the client computing device for example. A policy associated with the identified application is obtained. The obtained policy is analyzed to identify a plurality of key words or phrases associated with use by the at least one application of functionality of, or personal information stored on, the client computing device. One or more privacy ratings are generated based on numerical values assigned to each of the identified key words or phrases. The generated one or more privacy ratings are output to the client computing device in response to the request.
US08918628B2
An electronic device sets run types and startup information for applications within the electronic device, where each run type is associated with a signal triggered by a hardware component of the electronic device and the startup information of each application comprises a run type and a starting time of the application. In response to detecting a signal triggered by a hardware component of the electronic device, and having an application having a run type associated with the signal, the electronic device further determines if a time of triggering the signal accords with a starting time of the application. The application is started if the time of triggering the signal accords with the starting time of the application.
US08918624B2
A method, computer program product and computer system for scaling and managing requests on a massively parallel machine, such as one running in MIMD mode on a SIMD machine. A submit mux (multiplexer) is used to federate work requests and to forward the requests to the management node. A resource arbiter receives and manges these work requests. A MIMD job controller works with the resource arbiter to manage the work requests on the SIMD partition. The SIMD partition may utilize a mux of its own to federate the work requests and the computer nodes. Instructions are also provided to control and monitor the work requests.
US08918623B2
There are provided methods and computer program products for implementing instruction set architectures with non-contiguous register file specifiers. A method for processing instruction code includes processing an instruction of an instruction set using a non-contiguous register specifier of a non-contiguous register specification. The instruction includes the non-contiguous register specifier.
US08918611B2
A semiconductor device has: as security states to which the nonvolatile memory device can transition, an unprotected state in which, when secret information is not set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is permitted, and reading the stored information is permitted; a protection unlocked state in which, when the secret information is set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is permitted on condition that a result of authentication using the secret information is correct, and reading the stored information is permitted; and a protection locked state in which, when the secret information is set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is inhibited until correctness as a result of authentication using the secret information is confirmed, and reading the stored information is inhibited under a predetermined condition.
US08918598B2
A newer generation game terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a storage access control unit. The storage access control unit accesses a newer generation storage according to a request for access from an application designed to execute a synchronization process based on the assumption of a speed of access to an older generation storage. The storage access control unit estimates time required to access the older generation storage in accordance with an evaluation function for calculating the required time. The storage access control unit executes an adjustment process to fill a time gap between the time required to access the newer generation storage and time estimated to be required to access the older generation storage.
US08918583B2
An embodiment is a technique to adapt behavior of a solid-state drive (SSD) to extend lifespan of the SSD. Real environmental information is received from an environmental processor. The real environmental information corresponds to an environment of the SSD. A behavior model is selected based on a real environmental model and an internal data usage model. If a new behavior model is selected, the environmental processor is informed about the new behavior model. The environmental processor sends control commands to a power management module to apply new power policy to the SSD. Information on the new behavior model is made available for query. If current behavior model is selected, the current behavior model is maintained.
US08918582B2
A virtual EEPROM driver is simulated for a virtual switch. A write function may be written to a shared memory device and designated as a virtual EEPROM driver. The virtual EEPROM driver may be duplicated into a non-volatile memory providing availability during a boot process.
US08918579B2
A storage device and method for selective data compression are provided. In one embodiment, a storage device determines whether data stored in a storage area in the storage device's memory is suitable for compression. If the data is suitable for compression, the storage device compresses the data. The storage device then uses free memory space resulting from compressing the data for an internal storage device operation. Other embodiments are disclosed, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.
US08918574B2
An apparatus, system, and method for deliberately preventing unauthorized access to data stored in a non-volatile memory device are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to destroy the data stored on the memory device. The apparatus may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB), a non-volatile memory circuit electrically connected to the PCB, and a housing of the PCB. The non-volatile memory circuit may be scored to facilitate deliberately breaking the non-volatile memory circuit in response to an external force. In a further embodiment, the apparatus may comprise an electrical erase circuit powered by a power source connected to a switch. The electrical erase circuit may be configured to non-destructively erase the non-volatile memory circuit in response to activation of the switch. The system may further include a leverage tool configured to provide leverage to a non-volatile memory device affected by an external force.
US08918572B2
A card adapter device includes a card slot for receiving a micro SD card therein; a SD interface for coupling electrically to a portable electronic device; a processing chip including a dynamic switch coupled electrically to the card slot and the SD interface, and a processor unit coupled electrically to the dynamic switch; and a wireless transmission/reception interface coupled electrically to the dynamic switch. Upon receiving a first signal from the wireless transmission/reception interface, the dynamic switch detects an operation mode of the SD interface and upon detecting that the SD interface is in an idle mode, the processor unit converts the dynamic switch to be coupled electrically to the wireless transmission/reception interface, thereby enabling the dynamic switch to transfer the first signal to the card slot, which, in turn, enables the wireless transmission/reception interface to access into the SD card.
US08918567B2
The present invention is to provide a connection device capable of increasing data reading and writing speeds, wherein the connection device includes a first connection module connected to a computer, a second connection module connected to at least one regular storage unit, a high-speed storage unit having higher data reading and writing speeds than each regular storage unit, and a control module respectively connected to the connection modules and the high-speed storage unit for identifying product information of each regular storage unit and the high-speed storage unit and generating a forward mapping table for each regular storage unit and a backward mapping table for the high-speed storage unit. Thus, when the computer performs a reading or writing operation on the regular storage unit, the control module can execute the operation through the high-speed storage unit according to the mapping tables, so as to shorten the time required for data processing.
US08918565B2
An adapter that fits to a touchscreen of a tablet computer or mobile phone enabling input and output to and from the device. Output is achieved by a plurality of phototransistors arranged in a matrix which interpret a plurality of video image dots, squares or groups of pixels on the tablet computer or mobile phone touchscreen converting them to 1s (ones) or 0s (zeroes).Input is achieved by a plurality of conductors which are selectively electrified by control electronics to a charge sufficient to disrupt the field or capacitance of the touchscreen finger tip sense at a plurality of locations on the screen. A program(s) on the tablet computer or mobile phone interprets the electronically controlled touches as data.
US08918562B1
Tracking several open data connections is difficult with a large number of connections. Checking for timeouts in software uses valuable processor resources. Employing a co-processor dedicated to checking timeouts uses valuable logic resources and consumes extra space. In one embodiment, a finite state machine implemented in hardware increases the speed connections can be checked for timeouts. The finite state machine stores a last accessed time stamp for each connection in a memory, and loops through the memory to compare each last accessed time stamp with a current time stamp of the system minus a global timeout value. In this manner, the finite state machine can efficiently find and react to timed out connections.
US08918553B2
A mechanism programming a direct memory access engine operating as a multithreaded processor is provided. A plurality of programs is received from a host processor in a local memory associated with the direct memory access engine. A request is received in the direct memory access engine from the host processor indicating that the plurality of programs located in the local memory is to be executed. The direct memory access engine executes two or more of the plurality of programs without intervention by a host processor. As each of the two or more of the plurality of programs completes execution, the direct memory access engine sends a completion notification to the host processor that indicates that the program has completed execution.
US08918551B2
A host I/F unit has a management table for managing an MPPK which is in-charge of the control of input/output processing for a storage area of an LDEV, and if a host computer transmits an input/output request for the LDEV, the host I/F unit transfers the input/output request to the MPPK which is in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV based on the management table, an MP of the MPPK performs the input/output processing based on the input/output request, and the MP of the MPPK also judges whether the MPPK that is in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV is to be changed, and sets the management table so that an MPPK which is different from the MPPK that is in-charge is to be in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV.
US08918542B2
A computer program product is provided for performing an input/output (I/O) operation initiated by an I/O operation instruction at a host computer system configured for communication with a control unit. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing: receiving, by the control unit, a transport mode command message from a channel subsystem of the host computer system, the command message include a command for data to be transferred between the host computer system and an I/O device controlled by the control unit; and sending a command retry message to the channel subsystem, the command retry message including a request that the command message be re-sent to the control unit and a reason code indicating a reason for the request.
US08918530B2
A remote access system connects a server computer with one or more client computers, where devices are connected locally at the client computers. The devices are recognized by the client computers and a device driver is provided for each connected and recognized device. A virtual driver is created at the server computer from information specific to the device, such that the virtual driver acts as an actual driver to an application on the server computer. The application through the virtual driver is able to recognize and provide commands to the connected device.
US08918528B2
The present invention provides a method, a group server, and an apparatus for operating a group resource; a member resource operation request sent to a member device carries an operation request identifier, so that the member device that the member resource belongs to determines, according to the operation request identifier, whether operation request identifiers stored by the member device include the operation request identifier, and processes the member resource operation request according to a determination result. Therefore, repeated processing or cyclic processing of the member resource operation request may be avoided.
US08918525B2
An exemplary network gateway is capable of accepting a session-related message having a session identifier field; the network gateway is adapted to extract a host identifier from a value populating the session identifier field and to perform a routing operation for the session-related message using the host identifier. For an exemplary media implementation, processor-executable instructions direct a device to perform actions including: ascertaining a host identifier from a session identifier field of a session message; and routing the session message responsive to the ascertained host identifier. An exemplary apparatus includes: at least one processor; and one or more media including processor-executable instructions that are capable of being executed by the at least one processor to direct the apparatus to perform actions including: receiving a session message having a session identifier including a host identifier; and routing the session message responsive to the host identifier.
US08918522B2
A system for re-establishing a session between first and second hosts attached to respective first and second access routers. A connection request is sent from the first host to the first access router, the request containing an EP address claimed by the second host, a new care-of-address for the first host, and a session identifier. Upon receipt of the connection request, the first router obtains a verified IP address for the second access router and sends an on link presence request to the second access router, the request containing at least an Interface Identifier part of the second host's claimed IP address, the cue-of-address. and the session identifier. The second access router confirms that the second host is attached to the second access router. The second access router then reports the presence status to the first access router.
US08918516B2
A protocol with matching protocol creation and parsing engines on both the client and server facilitates the automatic transfer of data and commands in an autonomous fashion. This protocol and its corresponding engines make up a new services layer software stack that is above the existing application layer in the network stack. The protocol is based on standard HTTP over TCP/IP as the applications, transport and internet layers, but adds a means to frame commands and data to allow for any operation to be performed over a single service layer. Protocol creation and parsing engines reside on all clients and the server. The server-side protocol engine runs as a common gateway interface binary within a standard web server. The client-side protocol engine has the communication layer of a standard web browser, but replaces the user interface layers with an API to automate the passing of commands and data to the server protocol engine. The server is then able to execute upon client requests or pass requests back to a specific client.
US08918506B1
There is disclosed a system and method for processing requests over an architecture. The architecture may utilize logical partitioning to distribute work load across multiple logical servers in an efficient manager. The system may comprise a router, a directory, at least one logical server, and a wallet server. The router may receive a request from a consumer via the consumer's device and extract a value from the request that identifies the consumer. The router may access the directory, which may contain a map that matches consumers with logical servers, to determine which logical server to forward the request to. The router may then pass the request to the determined logical server. The logical server may process the request by utilizing both generic and network or market specific plug-in processing. If the logical server determines that it does not have the necessary resources or loans to complete a request, then it may communicate with the wallet server to obtain additional loans of wallets containing usage resource. The logical server may generate a reply to the router for audit and transaction assurance, to generate an optional acknowledgement to the system generating the external request.
US08918504B2
Hardware based detection devices for detecting network traffic content and methods of using the same
A device for detecting network traffic content is provided. The device includes a first input port configured to receive one or more signatures, each of the one or more signatures associated with content desired to be detected, a second input port configured to receive data associated with network traffic content. The device also includes a processor configured to process the one or more signatures and the data to determine whether the network traffic content matches the content desired to be detected, and an output port configured to couple the device to a computer system of an intended recipient of the network traffic content. The output port passes the network traffic content to the computer system when it is determined that the network traffic content does not match the content desired to be detected.
US08918502B2
A method for determining the state of an entire network, including state of applications and infrastructure includes receiving network control messages in an OpenFlow network; passing normal network control messages through FlowSense, a control plane middleware, and constructing from the network control messages an application level connectivity graph to infer network delay between any two communicating server in the network and estimating an application response time of a given server in the network, the FlowSense including a network utilization procedure for computing the utilization of each link in the network derived from using captured messages triggered by switches when flow entries expire and providing state of the network for enabling intelligent detection and diagnosis of infrastructure and application performance.
US08918499B2
A system and method is provided for integrating the front-end and back-end of a virtualized desktop environment to achieve an objective. Network measurements are gathered which are related to enforcement of an objective. Based on gathered network measurements and quality of service requirements for user sessions, a determination is made as to how back-resources and front-end remoting protocol settings are to be adjusted. The back-end resources and the front-end remoting protocol settings are controlled to achieve the objective.
US08918497B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for measuring a client's network latency and the client's connection bandwidth. A network latency is determined by adding a randomly generated variable to a browser query string for a get request for a test file on a remote server, where the test file fits in one response packet. A first amount of time it takes for the test file to be received by the browser from when the get request is sent is determined and used to determine the network latency between the client and remote server. A connection bandwidth is determined by determining a second amount of time it takes for an email response to be received by the browser for an email request from the browser to a remote server. The size of the response is identified and combined with the second time to determine the connection bandwidth.
US08918493B1
Methods and apparatus to provide, in a cloud infrastructure environment having a compute layer, a network layer, a storage layer, and management layer, wherein the management layer has no knowledge of at least some of existing infrastructure services, selecting hosts containing host bus adapters and/or network adapters having unique identifiers, using the unique identifiers to analyze the storage layer for: storage groups having host initiators that match the unique identifiers of the host bus adaptors, and/or network file storage (NFS) exports exposed to the unique identifiers as client IP addresses.
US08918488B2
A system for automated management of virtual resources in a cloud computing environment includes a host computing device communication component and a storage system communication component. The storage system communication component is executed by a storage delivery management service, communicates with a storage system adapter in a storage area network to identify a storage system in a storage area network, and directs the automated provisioning of a virtual storage resource on the identified storage system, the storage system providing resources for provisioning the virtual drive. The host computing device communication component receives a request for access by a host computing device to the virtual storage resource, and responds, to the host computing device, with an identification of a network port of the identified storage system and an identification of the provisioned virtual storage resource.
US08918487B2
An applet is used to deliver a persistent caching mechanism. An initial package of the applet incorporates a lightweight caching mechanism into its root set of classes. The remainder of the applet are divided into functional modules that can be subsequently downloaded as seeded. The initial applet and caching mechanism is packaged and signed in a package using tools and procedures native to each platform; and each functional module is packaged and signed in a generic, platform-independent fashion for verification and loading by any of the various platform-dependent initial applet packages. In this way, the same functional module portions of the applet (which may comprise the bulk of the applet) are cached and loaded in a platform-independent manner without requiring or relying on any caching mechanism built into a platform such as a web browser or other applet execution environment.
US08918482B2
A system, method, and program product comprise a user profile, a remote storage device and a user computer with a memory. A user copy of the user profile is stored in the memory of the user computer. A user profile synchronization component synchronizes the user copy of the user profile with a backup copy of the user profile at the remote storage device. A user profile download component allows a user to selectively download the backup copy of the user profile from the remote storage device.
US08918480B2
A network-enabled audio device that provides a display device that allows the user to select playlists of music much like a jukebox is disclosed. The user can compose playlists from disk files, CD's, Internet streaming audio broadcasts, online music sites, and other audio sources. The user can also select a desired Web broadcast from a list of available Web broadcasts. In addition, the user can play standard audio CD's and MP3 encoded CD's and have access to local AM/FM stations. Further, the software, the user controls, and the display in the network-enabled audio device are operably configured and connected such that the user can listen to playlists that include CD's and other audio sources just as the user would choose a playlist in a jukebox. The user accesses a server site via a PC and the Internet. From the server site, the user obtains a list of the devices in his or her Internet Personal Audio Network (IPAN) and what songs are on those devices. The IPAN includes an IPAN server, an IPAN client, and IPAN software stored on the network-enabled audio device. Thus, the network-enabled audio device provides people who are or are not comfortable with computers a way of taking music from various sources and putting it into one place for listening pleasure. In one embodiment, the Personal Computer (PC) is used to compose the playlists, but the user is able to listen to playlists and other audio sources without using the PC.
US08918478B2
Embodiments of erasure coded storage aggregation are disclosed. The erasure coded storage aggregation includes storing a data file as erasure coded fragments in a plurality of nodes of one or more data centers. The erasure coded storage aggregation further includes monitoring an access frequency of the data file. Based on the comparison between the access frequency and a predetermined threshold, the data file is either reconstructed from the erasure coded fragments and stored in a storage node or retained as erasure coded fragments in the plurality of nodes of the one or more data centers.
US08918459B2
Instant messaging contacts received at a contact center are directed to a conference with other such contacts before being allocated to an agent. In this way, customers of the contact center are entertained while waiting and have the ability to resolve one another's problems, thereby reducing the load on the contact center's agents. In another aspect, automated instant messaging scripts interact with the customer to elucidate the nature of the customer contact before directing the contact to a human agent.
US08918450B2
The present drawing data stored in the present drawing data storage unit is compared with the preceding drawing data stored in the preceding drawing data storage unit for each of the drawing areas divided by the area dividing unit, thereby determining whether there is a change in the preceding drawing data for each of the drawing areas in the present drawing data. Then, control is performed to transmit to the client apparatus the drawing data in a drawing area determined to have a change by the comparison decision unit, except for a drawing area of the present drawing data determined to have no change by the comparison decision unit. Consequently, it is possible to remarkably reduce the amount of data transferred to the client apparatus as a result of a change in the drawing and therefore transfer the drawing data at high speed.
US08918446B2
Methods and apparatus relating to reducing power consumption in multi-precision floating point multipliers are described. In an embodiment, certain portions of a multiplier are disabled in response to two or more multiplication operations with the same data size and data type occurring back-to-back. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
US08918441B2
According to one embodiment, a NAF conversion apparatus which converts a binary representation of an integer into a w-NAF redundant binary representation includes an acceptance device, a storage device, a shift register, and an update device. The acceptance device accepts the binary representation of the integer for every bit from lower bits. The storage device stores a state value expressed by 1 bit. The shift register stores a state value expressed by (w−1) bits. The update device determines a state of the storage device and a state of the (w−1)-bit shift register at next time, and determines a w-bit parallel output at current time by referring to a 1-bit value accepted by the acceptance device, the state value in the storage device, and the state value in the (w−1)-bit shift register.
US08918440B2
Methods and systems for decompressing data are described. The relative magnitudes of a first value and a second value are compared. The first value and the second value represent respective endpoints of a range of values. The first value and the second value each have N bits of precision. Either the first or second value is selected, based on the result of the comparison. The selected value is scaled to produce a third value having N+1 bits of precision. A specified bit value is appended as the least significant bit of the other (non-selected) value to produce a fourth value having N+1 bits of precision.
US08918413B2
A system and method for providing a digital map database wherein multiple instances of geocoded objects pertaining to points of interest (POI) and/or three-dimensional (3D) objects contained within one or more building blocks are compared to find undesirable duplicate geocoded objects. Cross-referencing information is stored and preference information about which geocoded object or object property/attribute should be used is assessed to determine priority for selection or presentation on the display screen (12) of a navigation device (10) or other suitable computing device. Cross-references can be pre-calculated at compile time or calculated on-the-fly by the navigation application at run time and may be persistently stored in dedicated data structures. When duplicate geocoded objects are found, only the most accurate information or a super set of (attribute) information is used by applications or presented to a user thereby preventing confusion.
US08918411B1
A method of displaying information of interest to a user as stored in an attribute database. The attribute database is a database of parent and linked child objects that has data about a user's characteristics and interests (content, commercial products, services, etc.) learned over time. A presentation database of parent and child objects is created from the objects in the attribute database using presentation templates to identify which of the attribute objects to use to create the presentation objects. The attribute child objects are sorted based on at least one trait in the attribute child objects and the presentation objects are linked together in the same order as the sorted attribute objects. The ordered presentation child objects are then linked to the corresponding presentation parent object and the selected presentation parent object and linked presentation child objects are displayed on a display.
US08918407B2
Systems and methods for cases based analysis are described. In one implementation, a new case-based document having static attributes and dynamic attributes is received. Once the static and the dynamic attributes are received, the static attributes of the received new case-based document is compared with the static attributes of one or more previously processed case-based documents. Based on the comparison, a sub-set of case-based documents is generated. For the generated sub-set, the dynamic attributes of the new case-based document are compared with the dynamic attributes of the sub-set of case-based documents. Based on the comparison, previously processed case-based documents, if any, which are found to be similar to the new case-based document are identified.
US08918405B2
A method includes populating an auto suggestion field with objects of the same type based upon the type of object selected in the main area of the application. The auto suggestion field is set to have N levels. The method further includes placing a recently used object in a first position of the N levels of the auto suggestion field. Succeeding objects are placed in other positions of the N levels in the auto suggestion field, wherein the succeeding objects are ordered based upon recency and frequency of use and the populating is executed by at least one processor.
US08918401B1
A system may obtain search results associated with a search performed using a search query. The system may modify the search results, if necessary, based at least in part on information associated with prior document accesses by a user and present the modified search results to the user. The modification of the search results might including adding, deleting, and/or reordering items in the search results. One or more advertisements relevant to the search query may also be presented to the user along with the modified search results.
US08918393B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for matching an inbound identity record to existing entities. A composite generic key may be generated from multiple entity resolution (ER) candidate-building keys determined to be generic keys. A query may be generated based on the composite generic key and executed to retrieve candidate entities for an inbound identity record.
US08918390B1
A computer-implemented method and system for improving efficiency in a delta compression process in a data storage system selects a data chunk to delta compress and generates a sketch for the selected data chunk. The method and system search for a set of candidate data chunks with a matching sketch and rank the set of candidate data chunks by degree of sketch matching. The set of candidate data chunks are tie-braked using location status data for each candidate and the selected data chunk is delta compressed with a selected candidate data chunk. The delta compressed selected data chunk is then stored in a data storage system.
US08918386B2
Embodiments of the invention form an information set from the current set of index information available by the operations of the Pre-Search and RunTime Search components of the search engine. A search request that contains search terms and/or other search criteria (e.g. date or file type) is entered by a user through an input interface. The search terms and the information set are worked through the search engine modules to provide the actual results sought by the user. These results are provided to the user via a Return Interface. Embodiments involve a search engine that forms a numeric code index that includes grammar embedded rules from a plurality of documents, converts a search request into the same format as the index, and then compares the index and the search request to form the search results.
US08918383B2
A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for performing a search for data. In one embodiment, the process converts each character of the search query into a phonetic variant to form an inflected search query. The process then identifies a set of inflected data fields of a vector space library satisfying the inflected search query. The set of inflected data fields are formed from a set of lightweight directory access protocol data fields of a set of lightweight directory access protocol records. Thereafter, the process generates a search result listing records of the set of records satisfying the search query.
US08918381B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus for diversifying selection criteria. An example method includes accessing a first set of selection criteria for a content item; selecting, based on the first set of selection criteria, a second set of selection criteria, the second set of selection criteria being a proper subset of the first set of selection criteria, the selection of each of the criteria in the second set comprising: determining a collective performance measure based on criteria that have been selected from the first set of selection criteria for inclusion in the second set of selection criteria, determining, for each criterion that has not been selected from the first set, a performance contribution to the collective performance measure, and selecting from the first set a selection criterion with the highest performance contribution relative to the performance contributions of other selection criteria that have not been selected for inclusion in the second set.
US08918370B2
A method of dynamic allocation of program libraries to an application server is provided. In addition to a static allocation of libraries to the server at initialization time, libraries can be added to or removed from the set available to a server while that server is active. New libraries are created as resource objects specifying a set of locations from which programs can be loaded. Each library is allocated a ranking which the system can use to identify its place in the loader's search order relative to other libraries. New library resources are dynamically installed and added to a list of available libraries, including the system's pre-defined library of locations, in a position in the loader's search order determined in accordance with the allocated ranking.
US08918369B2
A method and system classifies a venue by analyzing venue data from a venue website. The method includes receiving preliminary venue-related data. The method includes scanning the venue website to retrieve venue data, wherein scanning the venue website includes retrieving the venue data from HTML pages, text documents, PDF documents, and images. The method includes retrieving verifiable venue data from the venue data. The verifiable venue data is a subset of the venue data. The method includes analyzing the verifiable venue data by comparing the verifiable venue data to the preliminary venue-related data and determining a probability level for the venue URL from the comparison. If the probability level for the venue URL is equal or greater than a first probability level, the venue website data is further analyzed to extract attributes and attribute counts in a robust and context-sensitive way. The method includes determining the percentage of the attribute representation from the total number of preselected attributes in the venue data and classifying the venue based on the percentage of the attribute representation.
US08918364B1
In a mirrored database system, good quality of service and high availability is afforded by minimizing the time required for suspension of operations to transition between mirror states, and by keeping track of changes made to a primary database while the mirror database was out of communications so that a later mirror resynchronization process can quickly catch up the mirror database by making only the lost changes.
US08918360B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for recording, managing and tracking changes to objects in a computer system. A master record is created for the computer system; and, a transactional record is created for an object in the computer system. The master record includes the current status of the object and the current status for all objects associated to the object. The transactional record is updated in the electronic database; and, the master record is updated when the transactional record is updated. The master record is linked to all of the transactional records of the objects associated to the object with the processor. The master record is updated with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is updated or added.
US08918358B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus calculate a freshness cost for each of a plurality of information integration flow graphs and select one of the plurality of information integration flow graphs based upon the calculated freshness cost.
US08918357B2
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for creating and executing a client workflow for web data extraction. For example, the disclosed embodiments provide a system for web data extraction. The system includes a data storage component configured for storing a plurality of preconfigured reusable software components that provide services for creating a client workflow for web data extraction. The system also includes a communication interface operable to receive workflow definitions from a client for creating the client workflow for web data extraction utilizing at least one of the plurality of preconfigured reusable software components. The system has a processor for executing instructions to run the client workflow for web data extraction.
US08918356B2
A method, apparatus, and machine-readable medium are disclosed for processing change information from a first system comprising a first database at a second system comprising a second database. An embodiment of the method includes receiving a first message comprising the change information at the second system, processing the first message into a processed message, determining whether a custom script is needed in the processing, and incorporating the change information in the second database. An embodiment of the machine-readable medium includes instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the method. An embodiment of the apparatus includes an input module configured to receive the first message comprising the change information, a processing module configured to process the first message into the processed message, and a transaction module configured to incorporate the change information in the second database.
US08918355B2
Methods, systems, apparatus and computer-readable mediums, storing sets of instructions, provide for determining at least one meal combination including receiving, at a server, information identifying at least one food item; accessing, from a storage device, a set of meal combination rules; applying, at the server, the accessed set of meal combination rules to a plurality of food items; determining at least one meal combination; and transmitting the determined at least one meal combination from the server to a computing device for display. Alternatively, for generating a meal plan, including accessing a set of meal plan rules; applying the set of meal plan rules to a plurality of food items; determining a plurality of meal combinations; and transmitting the determined plurality of meal combinations from a server device to a computing device.
US08918352B2
Learning processes for a single hidden layer neural network, including linear input units, nonlinear hidden units, and linear output units, calculate the lower-layer network parameter gradients by taking into consideration a solution for the upper-layer network parameters. The upper-layer network parameters are calculated by a closed form formula given the lower-layer network parameters. An accelerated gradient algorithm can be used to update the lower-layer network parameters. A weighted gradient also can be used. With the combination of these techniques, accelerated training with faster convergence, to a point with a lower error rate, can be obtained.
US08918348B2
Techniques for displaying a relationship graph are described herein. In one example, a search term may be used to obtain a plurality of documents from a network, such as the Internet. A plurality of entities, and relationships between at least some of those entities, may be extracted from the documents. In an example user interface, representations of a plurality of entities may be displayed, such as by shapes (e.g., circles) labeled to identify people or organizations. Edges (e.g., lines) may be used to connect different representations of entities and to thereby indicate a relationship between the connected entities. In a particular example, input from movement of a cursor over an edge may result in display of a description of a relationship between the connected entities. In a further particular example, size of each entity may be related to a number of connections each has with others.
US08918347B2
In systems and methods for computer-based selection of identifying input for differentiating classes, training regions (each of which is associated with a defined class) are specified in a training space that is organized by data bands according to selected definitions. Windows are defined in training elements associated with data locations in the training regions. Multiple training windows are defined in the training elements in a known band in the training data. Relevance measures for training windows represent an extent of likelihood of correctly identifying class for a test location based on data band, window position within the training element, and the frequency of occurrence of data symbols in training windows at the window position. The window having the highest value relevance measure is selected as the most relevant window. Multiple most relevant windows, together with their parameters, are selected as identifying input to facilitate class differentiation in test spaces.
US08918343B2
A digital sound identification system for storing a Markov model is disclosed. A processor is coupled to a sound data input, working memory, and a stored program memory for executing processor control code to input sound data for a sound to be identified. The sample sound data defines a sample frequency domain data energy in a range of frequency. Mean and variance values for a Markov model of the sample sound are generated. The Markov model is stored in the non-volatile memory. Interference sound data defining interference frequency domain data is inputted. The mean and variance values of the Markov model using the interference frequency domain data are adjusted. Sound data defining other sound frequency domain data are inputted. A probability of the other sound frequency domain data fitting the Markov model is determined. Finally, sound identification data dependent on the probability is outputted.
US08918336B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for brokering a charging process of an electric vehicle. In one embodiment, a process extracts event data associated with the charging process from a charge notification in response to receiving the charge notification indicating that the charging process of the electric vehicle is complete. The event data may include, but is not limited to, duration of the charging process, quantity of electricity transferred, or rate at which electricity was transferred during the charging process. The process then identifies, from an energy transaction plan, a set of payees participating in the charging process. Thereafter, the process disburses a payment owed to the set of payees. An amount of the payment is calculated using payment terms in profiles of the set of payees. The payment includes funds from at least one of a payer fund and an incentive fund.
US08918335B2
A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.
US08918321B2
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for enhancing speech recognition accuracy. The method includes dividing a system dialog turn into segments based on timing of probable user responses, generating a weighted grammar for each segment, exclusively activating the weighted grammar generated for a current segment of the dialog turn during the current segment of the dialog turn, and recognizing user speech received during the current segment using the activated weighted grammar generated for the current segment. The method can further include assigning probability to the weighted grammar based on historical user responses and activating each weighted grammar is based on the assigned probability. Weighted grammars can be generated based on a user profile. A weighted grammar can be generated for two or more segments. Exclusively activating each weighted grammar can include a transition period blending the previously activated grammar and the grammar to be activated.
US08918316B2
The content of a media program is recognized by analyzing its audio content to extract therefrom prescribed features, which are compared to a database of features associated with identified content. The identity of the content within the database that has features that most closely match the features of the media program being played is supplied as the identity of the program being played. The features are extracted from a frequency domain version of the media program by a) filtering the coefficients to reduce their number, e.g., using triangular filters; b) grouping a number of consecutive outputs of triangular filters into segments; and c) selecting those segments that meet prescribed criteria, such as those segments that have the largest minimum segment energy with prescribed constraints that prevent the segments from being too close to each other. The triangular filters may be log-spaced and their output may be normalized.
US08918314B2
An encoding apparatus includes a first layer encoder that encodes an input signal, a first layer decoder that decodes the first layer encoded data, a weighting filter that filters a first layer error signal to acquire a weighted first layer error signal, a first layer error transform coefficient calculator that transforms the weighted first layer error signal into a frequency domain, and a second layer encoder that encodes the first layer error transform coefficient. The second layer encoder includes a first shape vector encoder that refers the first layer error transform coefficient to generate a first shape vector and first shape encoded information. A target gain calculator calculates a target gain using the first layer error transform coefficient and the first shape vector, a gain vector generator generates a gain vector, and a gain vector encoder encodes the gain vector to acquire gain encoded information.
US08918302B2
A sensor calibration system for a mobile machine is disclosed. The sensor calibration system may have a first calibration object positioned at a first worksite location, a second calibration object positioned at a second worksite location, and a plurality of sensors located onboard the mobile machine to detect the first and second calibration objects. The sensor calibration system may also have a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors. The controller may be configured to calibrate at least one of the plurality of sensors when the mobile machine is proximate the first worksite location, and to calibrate at least one other of the plurality of sensors when the mobile machine is proximate the second worksite location.
US08918299B2
A system and method for maximizing a battery pack total energy metric indicative of a total energy of a battery pack is provided. The method includes receiving battery cell charge capacity estimates for all cells in the battery pack, composing battery pack configurations comprising subsets of the totality of battery cells, evaluating a battery pack energy metric for every battery pack configuration that is composed, selecting the battery pack configuration that has the maximum battery pack energy metric, and storing values indicative of the selected battery pack configuration in a memory.
US08918298B2
In a solar cell evaluation device 1, a spectral sensitivity P(λ) of a solar cell 2, which is a measurement object, is measured in advance. When the solar cell 2 is evaluated, a spectral irradiance L (λ) of illumination light is measured, generated power EL of the solar cell 2 that is generated with the illumination light is measured, and the measured generated power EL of the solar cell 2 is converted into generated power ES generated by the solar cell 2 in the case of illumination with illumination light with a spectral irradiance S(λ) based on the reference solar light. Therefore, since the calibration in the solar cell evaluation device 1 is performed with software, the calibration can be performed in a simple manner and at a low cost even when the solar cell type is changed.
US08918297B2
A storage unit stores a first reference value of an input/output electric signal into/from control unit and a second reference value of an input/output electric signal into/from a monitoring unit. If the amount of deviation between the input/output electric signal into/from the control unit and the first reference value exceeds a threshold value, a first caution signal output unit detects degradation of the control unit and outputs a caution signal. If the amount of deviation between the input/output electric signal into/from the monitoring unit and the second reference value exceeds a threshold value, a second caution signal output unit detects degradation of the monitoring unit and outputs a caution signal. The first and second reference values are acquired and stored in the storage unit in a period between completion of production of the control unit and the monitoring unit and start of the operation thereof.
US08918290B2
A method and system to identify an unknown metal alloy based on its chemical composition is provided in the present application. The chemical elements contained in the alloy are separated into key elements and trap elements. Then a similarity factor between a relative amount of each key element and a threshold value of said key elements is determined and a correlation factor is formed based on the similarity factors.
US08918287B2
A method of determining the density of an underground formation surrounding a borehole from measurement of gamma rays arising from irradiation of the formation by a nuclear source in a tool body located in the borehole, and measurement of gamma-ray flux in the tool body at two different detector spacings from the source, the method comprising determining a substantially straight-line relationship between gamma-ray flux measurements at each different spacing with respect to the density of the formation for a tool body with no standoff; determining a relationship defining the deviation with respect to tool standoff of the density determined from the measured gamma-ray flux measurements at the two different detector spacings from the density calculated from the straight line relationships; and for a given pair of gamma-ray flux measurements at the different detector spacings, determining the intersection of the relationship defining the deviation with the straight line relationship so as to indicate the density of the formation surrounding the bore-hole; wherein the source is a neutron source and the gamma rays measured in the too! body are neutron-induced gamma rays resulting from neutron irradiation of the formation.
US08918280B1
A method for providing trajectory planning for an aircraft based on constraint processing is disclosed. The method may be performed utilizing a computer or processor onboard the aircraft that is en route, through all phases of flight, to an end location. The trajectory planning method may comprise receiving a set of constraints during the flight of the aircraft; analyzing the set of constraints to determine an optimal trajectory between a current location of the aircraft and the end location, the optimal trajectory is determined based on compliance with the set of constraints; and dynamically adjusting the flight of the aircraft based on the optimal trajectory.
US08918274B2
A navigation system may display route information that includes a display of the fixtures that are located on or near the route. The fixtures may be selected and inserted into the digital map as graphical objects. The graphical objects may be classified into a class and at least one sub-class. The classification data may be used to select and generate the graphical objects.
US08918269B2
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve disposed in an intake passage of the engine is provided. A wide-open intake air amount, which is an intake air amount corresponding to a state where the throttle valve is fully opened, is calculated, and a theoretical intake air amount, which is an intake air amount corresponding to a state where no exhaust gas of the engine is recirculated to a combustion chamber of the engine, is calculated according to the wide-open intake air amount and the intake pressure. An air-fuel ratio correction amount and a learning value thereof are calculated according to the detected air-fuel ratio, and a reference intake air amount is calculated using the intake pressure, the engine rotational speed, the air-fuel ratio correction amount, and the learning value. A lower limit value of the detected intake air amount is set according to the reference intake air amount, and a limit process is performed for limiting the detected intake air amount within a range of values which are equal to or greater than the lower limit value. An amount of the evaporative fuel/air mixture supplied to the intake passage is calculated, and the limit-processed intake air amount is corrected using the evaporative fuel/air mixture amount to calculate an intake gas amount. An exhaust gas recirculation ratio is calculated using the theoretical intake air amount and the intake gas amount.
US08918267B2
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided, the control apparatus being capable of effectively suppressing the inflow of fresh air into a catalyst due to an operational delay of the valve stop mechanism when an execution request for fuel cut is issued. There is provided a valve stop mechanism capable of changing the operational states of intake valves and exhaust valves between a valve operating state and a valve closed/stopped state. The operational states of the intake and exhaust valves are changed into the valve closed/stopped state, if the engine rotational speed decreases to or below a predetermined rotational speed when the engine rotational speed is higher than the predetermined rotational speed in a case where an execution request for fuel cut is detected and the temperature of the catalyst is not lower than a predetermined temperature during operation of an internal combustion engine.
US08918266B2
A method for automatic lambda control of an internal combustion engine, in which, upon detection of a predetermined operating state of the internal combustion engine, a calibration factor (KAL) is determined and in which, during the operation of the internal combustion engine, a lambda measuring signal (iP) is corrected by the calibration factor (KAL) and is set as the actual lambda value (Lam(IST)) for the automatic lambda control of the internal combustion engine. The predetermined operating state is recognized when an engine coastdown is initiated.
US08918258B2
System and method for controlling a transmission in response to transient torque events are disclosed. The method includes commanding a maximum transmission output torque; comparing the commanded output torque to a feedback torque to determine if they are equal; and incrementally increasing the transmission output torque until equal. A machine and a powertrain include a controller configured to command a maximum negative transmission output torque in response to a transient torque event, and incrementally increase the transmission output torque until such time as the transmission output torque is equal to or within a preset range of the feedback torque.
US08918256B2
The present invention relates to a technology for controlling an electric power steering apparatus. According to the present invention, a difference in steering feeling according to a change of a mechanical characteristic of an electric power steering apparatus can be corrected so that the sense of difference in steering felt by a driver when using the steering apparatus can be minimized and the reliability in relation to the apparatus can be enhanced.
US08918246B2
The disclosed strategy and method assists in controlling a machine equipped with a work implement for performing work at a worksite. The work implement can be positioned around the worksite such that the implement is obstructed from view through an operator display device through which the worksite is visible. A controller or the like determines the position of the work implement and generates an augmented overlay. The augmented overlay is displayed on the operator display device superimposed over the worksite indicating the position of the work implement.
US08918242B2
Various embodiments include tools and methods for diagnosing connected services in a vehicle. Communication with a vehicle computing system in a vehicle may be established. A diagnostic connection to a diagnostics server may also be established. Vehicle information and diagnostic data from one or more connected services may be received from the vehicle computing system and transmitted via a diagnostic connection to the diagnostics server. A connected services diagnostic status for the vehicle may be determined based on the vehicle information and the diagnostic data. The connected services diagnostic status may be received from the server and output to a user.
US08918238B2
The present invention provides an integrated engine system; said integrated engine system includes an air-compressor, an air-buffer-system, a power-management-unit, and a cold-expansion-chamber for operating a Mackay Cold-Expansion cycle, which includes a first-intake-process, a hot-combustion-process, a fuel-cooling-process, a second-intake-process, a cold-expansion-process, and an exhaust-process; said air-buffer-system supplies a cooled compressed air to be injected during said first-intake-process, and a heated compressed air to be injected during said second-intake-process; an air-fuel mixture is ignited to produce a hot-expansion-medium during said hot-combustion process, and the hot-expansion-medium is cooled by a fuel vaporization and an injection of heated compressed air to produce a cold expansion medium at an optimal expansion temperature, thereby accelerating the conversion of carbon-monoxide to carbon dioxide in the cold-expansion-medium and reducing heat loss.
US08918237B2
Systems and methods that can be used in a Positive Train Control system to continuously monitor train integrity and end of train location using radio frequency (RF) ranging techniques to determine the line of sight distance between the head end and the end of the train. The systems and methods allow PTC controlled trains to maintain positive length of train awareness and to determine if a portion of the train separates unintentionally. The systems and methods can be implemented on existing RF infrastructure used on trains, without impacting existing messaging traffic, adding bandwidth or power requirements. The systems and methods work on stretched trains running on tangent or straight track, as well as on foreshortened trains running on curved track.
US08918220B2
An energy management system within a building obtains energy usage data over several cycles to determine a minimum feasible load. The minimum feasible load corresponds to operational conditions of the building, such as occupied or unoccupied. The energy usage data is binned according to the operational condition under which it was obtained. A threshold based on the minimum feasible load is used to monitor energy usage within the building and to identify anomalies in energy demand for possible action.
US08918218B2
Methods and systems for remotely monitoring and/or controlling a demand control ventilation system are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a demand control ventilation device having a damper and a controller are provided. The damper may have a range of damper positions for controlling a flow of outside air into the building. The controller controls the damper positions such that a desired flow of outside air is drawn through the damper and into the building. A remote monitoring device may also be provided. The remote monitoring device may be located remotely from the demand control ventilation device, but in communication with or part of the controller. In some instances, the remote monitoring device may have a user interface for remotely monitoring and/or controlling at least certain aspects of the demand control ventilation system from the remote location.
US08918209B2
A mobile robot that includes a drive system, a controller in communication with the drive system, and a volumetric point cloud imaging device supported above the drive system at a height of greater than about one feet above the ground and directed to be capable of obtaining a point cloud from a volume of space that includes a floor plane in a direction of movement of the mobile robot. The controller receives point cloud signals from the imaging device and issues drive commands to the drive system based at least in part on the received point cloud signals.
US08918207B2
A robotic surgical system includes a master controller with an input handle and robotic manipulator assemblies including a surgical end effector and an endoscopic camera. The input handle is translatable to provide a position and rotatable to provide an orientation. A control system couples the master controller to the first and second manipulator assemblies. The control system moves the surgical end effector in response to the position and orientation of the input handle. The control system moves the input handle to orient the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of the endoscopic camera during the repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the end effector, or the endoscopic camera. The control system may move the surgical end effector only in a first mode and orients the input handle only in a second mode.
US08918206B2
Synchronization of activities requiring coordinated timing across a bank of vending machines, such as harmonious actuation of illumination elements, is performed by specifying, in an application layer (e.g., Zigbee) of a network protocol, actions to be synchronized to a distributed timing event and distributing notice of the specified timing event using physical and media access control layers of the network protocol.
US08918202B2
A method of controlling a mobile drive unit includes detecting, by a mobile drive unit at a first location, an active marker at the first location. The mobile drive unit is a self-powered robotic device configured to move independently in a workspace in response to instructions received from the active marker. A management module transmits an instruction to the active marker. The active marker emits a signal detectable by the mobile drive unit, the signal comprising the instruction. The mobile drive unit receives the instruction from the active marker for the mobile drive unit to perform a task.
US08918191B2
An implantable device for providing electrical stimulation of cervical vagus nerves for treatment of chronic cardiac dysfunction with bounded titration is provided. A stimulation therapy lead includes helical electrodes configured to conform to an outer diameter of a cervical vagus nerve sheath, and a set of connector pins electrically connected to the helical electrodes. A neurostimulator includes an electrical receptacle into which the connector pins are securely and electrically coupled. The neurostimulator includes a pulse generator configured to therapeutically stimulate the vagus nerve through the helical electrodes in alternating cycles of stimuli application and stimuli inhibition that are tuned to both efferently activate the heart's intrinsic nervous system and afferently activate the patient's central reflexes by triggering bi-directional action potentials. The neurostimulator includes an integrated leadless heart rate sensor configured to sense heart rate and alter the triggering in response to the sensed heart rate falling outside a predetermined range.
US08918188B2
The present invention provides an electrode array for a medical implant device, comprising a substrate supporting a plurality of electrodes, the substrate comprising at least two layers of material including a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer of material and the second layer of material have different coefficients of thermal expansion. The plurality of electrodes may be supported on the first layer of material, and are preferably incorporated in and/or project from the second layer of material. The second layer of material may itself have a layered structure comprising multiple material layers, with the plurality of electrodes incorporated within the said multiple material layers. The first layer of material preferably has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the second layer of material. The invention furthermore provides a medical implant device including an electrode array according to the invention, and a method of manufacturing such an electrode array.
US08918182B2
Methods and systems for automatically determining an implant side associated with a cochlear implant
An exemplary method includes a fitting subsystem detecting a communicative coupling of a cochlear implant associated with a patient to a sound processor connected to the fitting subsystem and automatically determining, in response to the communicative coupling, an implant side associated with the cochlear implant in accordance with one or more implant side selection factors. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
US08918179B2
A method and neurostimulation system for providing therapy to a patient is provided. A plurality of electrodes is placed adjacent to tissue of the patient. The electrodes include first and second electrodes, with the first electrode having a first tissue contacting surface area and the second electrode having a second tissue contact surface area greater than the first tissue contacting surface area. Anodic electrical current is simultaneously sourced from one of the first and second electrodes to the tissue and while cathodic electrical current is sunk from the tissue to another of the first and second electrodes to provide the therapy to the patient.
US08918167B2
An RI measurement/notification apparatus includes: a displaying section configured to display waveform data of an intracardiac electrocardiogram; a waveform data acquiring section configured to acquire waveform data in a preset waveform data acquisition time period from an intracardiac electrocardiogram during atrial fibrillation; an RI calculating section configured to calculate an RI value based on the waveform data acquired by the waveform data acquiring section; and a notifying section configured to, in a case where the RI value calculated by the RI calculating section exceeds a preset threshold, notify that the value exceeds the threshold.
US08918152B2
Disclosed are devices comprising multiple nanogaps having a separation of less than about 5 nm. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating these devices.
US08918142B2
A smart mobile communication device comprises a casing, a touch screen and two sensors. The casing has a front surface and at least two opposite holding surfaces. The front surface is disposed between the at least two opposite holding surfaces. The touch screen is disposed on the front surface to be used as a main operation interface of the smart mobile communication device. The two sensors are disposed on the at least two opposite holding surfaces respectively to be used as secondary operation interfaces of the smart mobile communication device. Accordingly, the convenience for operating the smart mobile communication device can be enhanced.
US08918141B2
An earpiece (100) is provided. The earpiece can include an Ambient Sound Microphone (111) configured to capture ambient sound, an Ear Canal Microphone (123) configured to capture internal sound in the ear canal, a memory (208) configured to record at least a portion of the history of the ambient sound and the internal sound, and a processor (121) configured to save a recent portion of the history responsive to an event.
US08918138B2
According to one embodiment, an input control unit to provide isolation and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for a circuit in an RF transceiver comprises a switching device coupled between an input of the circuit and ground. The switching device is configured to provide ESD protection while the circuit is activated. The switching device is further configured to ground the input while the circuit is non-activated, thereby concurrently isolating the input and providing ESD protection. A method for providing isolation and ESD protection for a circuit in an RF transceiver comprises activating the circuit, providing ESD protection while the circuit is activated, deactivating the circuit, and coupling an input of the circuit to ground, thereby concurrently isolating the input and providing ESD protection while the circuit is non-activated. The method and switching device can be used to provide isolation and ESD protection to receive bands in the RF transceiver.
US08918137B2
Embodiments of a system and method for transmitting data from an access point in a multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) system are provided. A first indication of signal quality (ISQ) is received at the access point from a first station and a second ISQ is received from a second station. The access point sets a first power level and a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for transmission of a first aggregated media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (A-MPDU) to the first station as a function of the first ISQ and an amount of payload data corresponding to the first A-MPDU. The access point also sets a second power level and a second MCS for transmission of a second A-MPDU as a function of the second ISQ and an amount of payload data corresponding to the second A-MPDU.
US08918127B2
A method of providing a message service in a sender's wireless device is disclosed. The sender's wireless device may be capable of sending messages via a packet switched base station in a first mode, or via a short message service (SMS) base station that is independent of the packet switched base station, in a second mode. The sender's wireless device determines whether a destination address corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer. The sender's wireless device sends, if the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service, the outgoing message to the recipient's wireless device via the packet switched base station in the first mode. If the destination address does not correspond to a subscriber of the service, the outgoing message may be sent via the SMS base station in the second mode.
US08918126B2
A system for providing multimedia ring back for a voice-call is disclosed. The system may include an MMRB for VC control module and a network access module operatively connected to the MMRB. The network access module is adapted to interface the MMRB with external network components. The MMRB is responsive to indication that a caller is inviting a callee to join a voice-call wherein the caller and/or the callee is subscribed to an MMRB for VC service. The MMRB is responsive to indication that the callee received an invitation message and is now pending acceptance of the voice-call, for causing the caller to adapt its media-specification for the ongoing voice-call establishment process to a media-specification that is compatible with multimedia-content communication, thereby enabling a multimedia-content communication with the caller during at least a portion of the ongoing voice-call establishment process.
US08918108B2
Systems and methods for frequency reuse in a multi-cell deployment model of a wireless backhaul network are shown. According to embodiments, a wireless backhaul network includes a plurality of cells, each of which includes one or more hubs supporting wireless backhaul communication utilizing a cell deployment geometry and wireless communication frequency assignments adapted to facilitate heterogeneous cell configurations within the wireless backhaul network. In particular, embodiments provide frequency planning for initial deployment, build out, and expansion of a plurality of cells providing wireless backhaul communication so as to implement a predetermined wireless frequency reuse pattern providing alternating utilization of a plurality of wireless communication frequencies by the cells of the backhaul network.
US08918107B2
The present invention provides a handover method, a base station and a system. The handoff method comprises: a low-power base station monitors an uplink signal which is sent by a user equipment served by a neighbor base station, and obtains signal measurement information of the uplink signal and characteristic information of the uplink signal; the low-power base station sends the signal measurement information of the uplink signal and the characteristic information of the uplink signal to at least one macro base station which covers the low-power base station, so that the macro base station, according to the signal measurement information, determines whether the user equipment to which the characteristic information corresponds is unloaded to the low-power base station.
US08918095B2
A communication system includes a development sector for registering a plurality of wireless devices, a business sector for controlling utilization of an application program and for receiving application data, a service sector for deploying the application program and for providing the application data to the business sector in accordance with communication with at least one wireless device of the plurality; and a mobile sector comprising the plurality of wireless devices, each device for receiving the application program deployed by the service sector, executing the application program in response to the business sector, and communicating with the service sector to support provision of the application data to the business sector. The wireless device, such as a cell phone, personal digital assistant, or palm top computer may include an auxiliary device such as a bar code scanner, a magnetic stripe card reader, or a printer.
US08918089B2
The method of authorizing the transmission of a message comprises requesting the transmission of a message from a calling party to a called party and presenting a plurality of audiovisual media elements to the calling party, one of which is representative of a physical characteristic of the called party. The other audiovisual media elements are similar in form to the media element representative of the called party. The calling party selects one audiovisual media element from the presented media elements. The transmission of the message from the calling party to the called party is authorized only in the case where the selected audiovisual media element is representative of the called party.
US08918088B1
A network configuration and method of delivering targeted advertisement during an audio broadcasting using a targeted radio advertisement manager (“TRAM”) are disclosed. A TRAM process for delivering targeted advertisement (“AD”) is able to receive a packet carrying identification (“ID”) identifying a radio and a time stamp associated with a tune-in broadcast station via a cellular communication network. After identifying at least one user associated with the radio, a user preference is determined in accordance with the user. After generating a set of targeted ads based on user preference, the set of targeted ads is forwarded to the radio. The targeted ads are selectively disseminated during commercial intervals between radio broadcasting in accordance with a predefined broadcasting schedule.
US08918083B2
A system and method for managing voice mail messages associated with a mobile device. The method can include receiving, by a processor of the mobile device, at least one identifier associated with a sending device that initially stored, external to the mobile device, a visual voice mail message associated with the mobile device. The processor can compare the at least one identifier with one or more lists of predetermined identifiers stored on the mobile device. The one or more lists include at least one of a list of approved predetermined identifiers and a list of disapproved predetermined identifiers. Based on the comparison, appropriated actions can occur based on rules stored on the mobile device.
US08918082B2
Seamless connectivity by a user device between a licensed and an unlicensed network is provided through capturing of MAC address information relating to one or more access points servicing the licensed and/or the unlicensed networks. One or more access points can be chosen as a designated access point. If the access point is available for communication with the device and other device criteria is met, the access point is designated. If designated, when the device is in vicinity of the access point seamless and transparent connectivity is automatically established with that access point.
US08918076B2
Network node and method in a telecommunication network, the network node receiving from a calling terminal a request to set up a call with a called terminal. The network node retrieves call set up information from a stored connection table and utilizes the retrieved data to set up the call. The connection table comprises data relating to set up of a call between the calling terminal and the called terminal. A first region class for the calling terminal is determined, and a second region class for the called terminal, each being associated with locations of the calling terminal and the called terminal, respectively. Furthermore, a rating category for the call to be set up is determined using the first region class and the second region class using the connection table.
US08918074B2
Provided is a mobile communication terminal including a display unit and an activation button configured to switch from an inactive state, which is an OFF state of the display unit, to an active state, which is an ON state of the display unit, wherein a predetermined operation is performed simultaneously with switching to the active state by pressing the activation button.
US08918071B2
A system and method to be used with first and second devices where the first and second devices are capable of communicating using a subset of different modulation schemes wherein the subset includes at least first and second different modulation schemes, the method for optimizing transmission of data from the first device to the second device, the method comprising the acts of at the first device, when data is to be transmitted from the first device to the second device, receiving at least a portion of a trigger signal from the second device wherein the transmitted trigger signal includes data transmitted using a sequence of at least two of the modulation schemes from the subset, the portion of the trigger signal received being a received trigger signal, analyzing the received trigger signal to identify one of the modulation schemes from the subset as a function of the received trigger signal as an initial modulation scheme to be used to transmit data to the second device and transmitting the data from the first device to the second device using the initial modulation scheme.
US08918068B1
A radio frequency (RF) power limiter including a signal conductor having an input end and an output end and first and second limiter stages. The first limiter stage comprises a plurality of stacked diode strings arranged in anti-parallel with respect to the signal conductor. The second limiter stage comprises a second plurality of stacked diode strings arranged in anti-parallel with respect to the signal conductor. An all pass filter is arranged between the first and second limiter stages.
US08918067B2
The impedance of the elements of a capacitor array in the transmitter is kept substantially constant over changes in process, temperature, and supply voltage. The impedance is maintained substantially constant by compensating a gate voltage supplied to switches in each element of the capacitor array to adjust for changes in temperature and supply voltage to thereby maintain a substantially constant RC product for each unit element in the capacitor array and thereby improve the quality factor of the capacitor array.
US08918066B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses a first antenna and a second antenna in a portable electronic device. During operation, the system receives a request to switch from the first antenna to the second antenna to transmit a signal to a cellular receiver. Next, the system loads a set of radio-frequency (RF) calibration values for the second antenna. Finally, the system performs the switch from the first antenna to the second antenna to transmit the signal, wherein the second antenna is operated using the RF calibration values after the switch.
US08918063B2
A system for transmitting/receiving a multi-band Radio Frequency (RF) signal using a Dual Input, Dual Output filter is provided. The system may include a Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) filter and the Dual Input, Dual Output filter. The system for transmitting/receiving a multi-band Radio Frequency (RF) may be implemented in a Radio Frequency (RF) region, which includes an area from an end of an antenna to an end of a mixer in a mobile communication.
US08918058B2
A wireless communication apparatus is provided for selecting an optimum frequency even when radio wave conditions have changed. A wireless communication apparatus provided with a frequency selector for selecting an optimum frequency for establishing a link for mutually transmitting and receiving has a transceiver for transmitting radio waves to another wireless communication apparatus and receiving from the other wireless communication apparatus radio waves responding to those transmitted radio waves, a quality analyzer for analyzing communication quality indicating the condition of the link from the received radio waves, and a quality updater for updating the analyzed communication quality on the basis of time elapsed from when the radio waves were received. In addition, the frequency selector selects the optimum frequency on the basis of the updated communication quality.
US08918056B2
A wireless communication device includes a communication unit, a detection unit, and a control unit. The communication unit communicates with another wireless communication device by use of a wireless channel selected from wireless channels. The detection unit detects field intensities of first wireless channels. The control unit calculates a field intensity of a second wireless channel based on the field intensities of the first wireless channels, wherein the first wireless channels do not include the second wireless channel.
US08918055B2
A method implemented in a wireless communications system is disclosed. The method includes determining a first candidate set of transmit beams for a wireless transmitter having a transmit antenna array and a second candidate set of receive beams for a wireless receiver having a receive antenna array, transmitting, from the wireless transmitter, each transmit beam in the first candidate set, and applying, at the wireless receiver, receive beams in the second candidate set to receive said each transmit beam in the first candidate set. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses also are disclosed.
US08918049B2
An ultrawideband radio transceiver/repeater provides a low cost infrastructure solution that merges wireless and wired network devices while providing connection to the plant, flexible repeater capabilities, network security, traffic monitoring and provisioning, and traffic flow control for wired and wireless connectivity of devices or networks. The ultrawideband radio transceiver/repeater can be implemented in discrete, integrated, distributed or embedded forms.
US08918048B2
In the context of a wireless communication network, relay-based communication is provided. In particular, a relay node (100) comprises a receiver (110) configured to receive a signal representative of a message transmitted from an originating node and intended for a destination node, wherein a transmission from an interference source causes interference in the received first signal. The relay node (100) also comprises an interference detector (130) configured to detect interference from the interference source in the received signal and which part of the message that is affected by the interference, called the interfered part of the message, and a forwarding unit (120) configured to perform a partial retransmission based on the interfered part of the message to the destination node.
US08918045B2
Image glossing apparatus, image glossing method, and recording medium storing image glossing program
An image glossing apparatus including a recording sheet feeder feeding a recording sheet bearing a toner image; a glossing device including a heater heating a glossing portion of the toner image to gloss the portion; a glossiness information obtaining device obtaining position information on the position of the glossing portion; and a position detector including a tip detector detecting tip of the fed recording sheet, and a distance measuring device measuring the moving distance of the recording sheet after the tip of the recording sheet is detected. The position detector detects the position of a portion of the recording sheet facing the heater based on the information on the tip of the recording sheet and the information on the moving distance of the recording sheet. When the portion of the recording sheet facing the heater is the glossing portion, the heater heats the portion to gloss the glossing portion.
US08918040B2
A fuser unit includes: a cylindrical member having flexibility; a heat generator, which is arranged at the inside of the cylindrical member; a plate-shaped nip member, which is arranged to slidingly contact an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member and receives radiation heat from the heat generator; a backup member, which is configured to configure a nip part between the cylindrical member and the backup member with the cylindrical member, by nipping between the backup member and the nip member; a temperature detection unit, which is arranged to face an opposite surface that is opposite to the surface of the nip member slidingly contacting the cylindrical member at the inside of the cylindrical member and detects a temperature of the nip member, and an urging member that urges the temperature detection unit toward the nip member.
US08918034B2
A powder accommodation container includes an accommodation container body, a regulation member, and a transport member. The accommodation container body has a hole portion to outside and accommodates powder. The regulation member is provided in the hole portion to regulate a passage of the powder accommodated in the accommodation container body. The transport member is arranged in an inside of the accommodation container body to rotate about a rotating shaft and to transport the powder in the inside of the accommodation container body. The transport member has one end side in a short direction that is arranged on the rotating shaft and the other end side that is a free end, the free end includes a flexible member that is in contact with the accommodation container body to be flexed. The flexible member is locatable to face the hole portion.
US08918030B2
A powder supplying device includes a powder container frame, a powder container detachably installable in the powder container frame horizontally and including a container body in which a discharge port through which powder is discharged from the container body is formed, a shutter member attached to the container body to open and close the discharge port by moving along the container body in a direction in which the powder container is installed, and at least one shutter control member movably attached to the powder container frame. The shutter control member opens and closes the shutter member by moving together with the powder container as the powder container is fitted into and pulled out from the powder container frame.
US08918029B2
A developer container includes a container body having an inner space capable of containing a developer and an opening communicating with the inner space; an opening and closing portion that is disposed on the container body and that opens and closes the opening; and a pair of restraining portions that are disposed on the opening and closing portion and that each restrain the opening and closing portion from being moved from a closed position to an open position. The opening and closing portion is permitted to be moved to the open position if the restraint on the movement of the opening and closing portion by each of the pair of restraining portions is independently removed.
US08918026B2
A developer holding apparatus holds a developer material therein. A rotatable member is disposed within the developer holding apparatus. The rotatable member includes a rotational shaft and an agitating portion. The agitator is offset relative to the rotational shaft and extends in a first direction parallel to the rotational shaft. The agitating portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first dimension in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second portion includes a second dimension in a third direction substantially parallel to the second direction. The second dimension is smaller in width than first dimension.
US08918025B2
To provide an image forming method, containing: a charging step, a latent electrostatic image forming step, a developing step, a transferring step, and a fixing step, wherein the developing step is developing the latent electrostatic image formed on the latent electrostatic image bearing member with a two-component developer containing a toner and a carrier by a developing element to form a visible image, where the developing contains: stirring the toner and the carrier to prepare the two-component developer to have a flow energy amount of 30 mJ to 70 mJ; and periodically discharging and transporting the stirred two-component to the developer unit by air pressure to thereby supply the two-component developer for the developing.
US08918015B2
A main cartridge attachable and detachable to and from an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium is provided. The main cartridge include a process device configured to act on a photosensitive member, a grip portion configured to be held by a user, and an attachment unit to attach a sub cartridge containing developer along the longitudinal direction of the main cartridge. In the longitudinal direction, the center position of the grip portion is disposed at the upstream side in the attachment direction of the sub cartridge from the center position of the main cartridge.
US08918014B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a main assembly and a cartridge including a process device actable on an electrophotographic photosensitive member. The process cartridge is detachably mountable relative to the main assembly, with the cartridge including a first unit and a second unit pivotably connected with the first unit. An opening is provided in the main assembly of the apparatus for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridge. An openable member is provided in the main assembly of the apparatus for openably closing the opening. An exposure device is provided on the openable member for exposing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A first positioning portion is provided in the main assembly. The exposure device is provided with a second positioning portion for positioning between the exposure device and the second unit of the cartridge by engagement with the cartridge by closing the openable member.
US08918008B2
A connector to electrically connect a rotary body having a shaft, the connector includes a connecting terminal, electrically connected to either a power supply or ground, to contact the shaft of the rotary body either at least two points or along a line; and a posture adjuster to hold the connecting terminal to adjust the posture of one of the connecting terminal and the rotary body to maintain contact between the connecting terminal and the shaft of the rotary body.
US08917997B2
An optical system and method disclosed include a first lens component and a second lens component within the receive path or the transmit path. The first lens component includes at least two aspheric surfaces that oppose one another and generate a collimated beam channel. The second lens component generates a converging beam and magnifies the converging beam with a magnification factor that is different from a magnification factor in the other path, either the receive path or the transmit path. The receive path and the transmit path include symmetrical lengths and asymmetrical magnification factors.
US08917993B2
In general, techniques are described for monitoring downstream traffic in order to schedule delivery of upstream traffic in a computer network. The techniques may be implemented by an optical line terminal (OLT) comprising a control unit and an interface. The control unit determines an amount of upstream data that is waiting at one of a plurality of ONTs to be transmitted upstream to the OLT, and determines an amount of downstream data that is transmitted by the OLT to this ONT. The control unit increases the determined amount of upstream data based on the determined amount of downstream data transmitted by the OLT to the ONTs and, after increasing the determined amount of upstream data, generates an upstream grant map that grants time slots to the ONTs based on the determined amount of upstream data. The interface transmits the upstream grant map downstream to the ONTs.
US08917989B2
Methods and systems for splitting an initiated signal are disclosed. An exemplary system may include a transmitter configured to selectively transmit an initiated signal, and a signal splitter in communication with the transmitter. The signal splitter may be configured to selectively split the initiated signal into a plurality of recipient signals for a plurality of recipient lines in communication with the transmitter. The signal splitter may be configured to selectively modify a number of recipient signals, e.g., by adjusting a spot size of the initiated signal on the signal splitter.
US08917979B2
A scene switching system and method applicable to a plurality of media channels and a recording medium thereof are provided, which are used for switching and playing scenes for a plurality of media channels. Such a system includes a channel connection module and a media switching module. The channel connection module acquires first media data and second media data from a first media channel and a second media channel. The media switching module, when determining that a first switching setting corresponding to the first media data is set to be activated and the second media data is being played, analyzes whether a first playing scene of the first media data agrees with scene demand data of the first switching setting, and decides whether to perform switching processing on the first playing scene according to the first switching setting.
US08917977B2
A data recording/playback configuration whereby data compatible with a standard such as the BD standard, AVCHD standard, or the like, and data incompatible with a standard are usable is realized. In the event that recorded data is data compatible with a standard such as the BD standard, AVCHD standard, or the like at the time of data recording processing as to a medium, the management information of the data is recorded in a first management information file only for data compatible with a standard, and in the event that the recorded data is data incompatible with a standard, the management information of the data is recorded in a second management information file. Also, management information updating processing for recording all of management information recorded in the first management information file in the second management information file is performed. An existing device which executes only processing as to data compatible with a standard performs processing by applying first management information, and a new-type device which can perform processing as to data incompatible with a standard can play all of data by processing to which second management information has been applied.
US08917973B2
In a DVD recording/playback system, a set top box STB receives an MPEG transport stream constituted by a plurality of transport packets, and a formatter extracts support information indicating if management information included in the transport packets includes predetermined items. A disc drive that records data on a recording medium having a management area and data area records the support information in the management area.
US08917967B2
A cable sealing device including an attaching part securable to the cable; a fixation part adapted to be mountable on the attaching part; and a sealing part. The attaching part includes outer locking faces. The fixation part has inner abutment faces adapted to co-operate with the outer locking faces to axially and rotationally lock the fixation part relative to the attaching part. The sealing part includes an inner seal and an outer seal. The sealing part also includes a second securing arrangement that is configured to engage a first securing arrangement of the fixation part to axially and rotationally lock the sealing part to the fixation part.
US08917966B2
An enclosure system for receiving a cable includes an enclosure having an inner chamber and an open position exposing the inner chamber and a closed position covering the inner chamber. A cable receiving port in a wall of the enclosure extends along a longitudinal axis from outside of the enclosure into the inner chamber. The cable receiving port is configured to receive a cable therein when the cable is advanced axially into the port without rotation of the cable when the enclosure is in the closed position. A mating member is associated with the cable receiving port that limits rotation of the cable when the cable is advanced axially into the port. An axial retention member is associated with the cable receiving port that limits axial movement of the cable out of the port when the cable is advanced axially into the port to a lock position.
US08917948B2
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for denoising an image sequence. A first patch is determined in a first frame in an image sequence comprising a plurality of frames. The first patch comprises a subset of image data in the first frame. Locations of a plurality of corresponding patches are determined in a neighboring set of the plurality of frames. One or more neighboring related patches are determined for each of the plurality of corresponding patches in a same frame as the respective one of the corresponding patches. A denoised first patch is generated by averaging image data in the one or more neighboring related patches in the neighboring set of the plurality of frames.
US08917947B2
A selective predictor utilizes a selective prediction method for coordinate data encoding. The selective predictor may calculate multiple prediction vectors for each vertex in the shape traversal order. Then, the selective predictor selects the vector that is closest to the vertex to be estimated. In determining the multiple prediction vectors, the selective predictor considers the position of several previous vertices in the traversal order. The selective predictor outputs a correction vector for the selected prediction vector and identification information indicting the selected prediction vector.
US08917933B2
The invention relates to a system for segmenting an object in image data using model-based image segmentation. The system comprises a feature unit for identifying features in the image data for computing an external energy of a mesh on the basis of a current position of the mesh. The feature unit further comprises a candidate feature unit for selecting a plurality of candidate features in the image data. The feature unit further comprises a position unit for determining a position of each candidate feature of the plurality of the candidate features relative to a region of the image data. The feature unit further comprises a feature function unit for computing a strength of each candidate feature. The feature unit further comprises an evaluation unit for evaluating each candidate feature of the plurality of candidate features and for identifying the feature among the plurality of candidate features based on this evaluation.
US08917931B2
An encoder for encoding a video stream or an image is described herein. The encoder receives an input video stream and outputs an encoded video stream that can be decoded at a decoder to recover, at least approximately, an instance of the input video stream. The encoder includes an encoding logic reducing a color spectral resolution of the input video stream to a range of colors or color differentials similar to that recognizable by a human eye, whereby an encoding efficiency is increased by the color spectral resolution reducing.
US08917930B2
Methods for selecting metrics for substrate classification, and apparatus to perform such methods. The methods include determining a value of a metric from an image of a substrate sample for each substrate sample of a plurality of substrate samples, wherein the metric is indicative of a surface texture of each substrate sample and iteratively assigning substrate samples of the plurality of substrate samples to an aggregate of a particular number of aggregates in response to a value of the metric for each substrate sample until a convergence of clustering is deemed achieved, then determining an indication of cluster tightness of the particular number of aggregates. The methods further include selecting or ignoring the metric for substrate classification in response to the indication of cluster tightness of the particular number of aggregates.
US08917923B2
A method and CT system are disclosed for recording and distributing whole-body CT data of a polytraumatized patient. In at least one embodiment the method includes producing a whole-body topogram including division and assignment of z-coordinate regions of the whole-body topogram to different body regions; performing a whole-body CT scan with the recording of CT raw data; assigning the CT raw data to the different body regions; reconstructing CT image datasets on a computer of the CT system; and sending only body region-specific CT image datasets to a number of remote workstations operated by technical specialists.
US08917912B2
An object identification system calculates boundaries between real objects from images of the real objects, and calculates first indicators which correspond to each angles of a first angle section divided into a first angle gap and which varies every boundary between the calculated real objects. The object identification system extracts a virtual object having an outline firstly meet with a radiating line corresponding to each map angle of the divided into a second angle gap, and generate a set of second indicators corresponding to each map angle. The object identification system matches the first indicators into second indicators having a repeat ratio substantially equal to a repeat ratio of the first indicators in an angle section, and extracts virtual objects matched with each of the previewed real objects.
US08917910B2
A system and a method for image segmentation use segmentation maps of one or more similar images as a basis for the segmentation. The method includes generating an image signature for an input image to be segmented and identifying at least one similar image from a set of images, based on the image signature of the input image and image signatures of images in the set of images. The similarity may be computed after first projecting the image signatures into a feature space where similarity is more likely to agree with segmentation map similarity. The input image is segmented, based on the segmentation map of one or more of the at least one identified similar images.
US08917907B2
Aspects of the present invention include systems and methods for segmentation and recognition of action primitives. In embodiments, a framework, referred to as the Continuous Linear Dynamic System (CLDS), comprises two sets of Linear Dynamic System (LDS) models, one to model the dynamics of individual primitive actions and the other to model the transitions between actions. In embodiments, the inference process estimates the best decomposition of the whole sequence into continuous alternating between the two set of models, using an approximate Viterbi algorithm. In this way, both action type and action boundary may be accurately recognized.
US08917906B2
A motion recognition apparatus is provided. The motion recognition apparatus includes an event sensor configured to sense a portion of an object, where a motion occurs, and output events, a color sensor configured to photograph the object and output a color image, a motion area check unit configured to check a motion area which refers to an area where the motion occurs, using spatiotemporal correlations of the events, a shape recognition unit configured to recognize color information and shape information of an area corresponding to the motion area in the color image, a motion estimation unit configured to estimate a motion trajectory using the motion area, the color information, and the shape information, and an operation pattern determination unit configured to determine an operation pattern of the portion where the motion occurs, based on the estimated motion trajectory.
US08917904B2
A method for vehicle clear path detection using a camera includes imaging a ground area in front of the vehicle with the camera to produce a ground image and analyzing the ground image to formulate a clear path free of objects limiting travel of the vehicle.
US08917896B2
A loudspeaker includes a horn including a first end panel, a second end panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. Edges of at least the first and second side panels define a diffraction slot opening. The first and second side panels are each fabricated from a sheet of flexible material held in a stressed, curved shape by at least a rigid support member. The panels are designed by an automated process based on a number of electro-acoustic transducers to be used in a loudspeaker, horizontal and vertical coverage angles for the loudspeaker, and a wall length for a horn of the loudspeaker.
US08917888B2
A control terminal apparatus includes a transmission unit transmitting a control signal to audio output apparatuses, a display unit, an operation detector detecting an operation associated with display content, and a controller displaying individual volume setting sections which correspond to the audio output apparatuses and which include operation members performing variable operations of volume settings while volume setting states are displayed, displaying a master volume setting section including an operation member performing collective variable operation while the volume balance of the audio output apparatuses is maintained, executing clear display of a setting changeable range in which the volume balance is maintained in the master volume setting section, generating, when the operation detector detects an operation performed on one of the individual volume setting sections or the master volume setting section, a control signal corresponding to content of the operation, and causing the transmission unit to transmit the control signal.
US08917886B2
An audio signal in which an audio signal is received as a stream of digital samples, each being a numerical value representing a sampled signal level. A first zero crossing point is identified and the received audio samples are stored until a second zero crossing point is identified, thereby storing a first half-wave of samples. The highest intensity sample is identified from the stored samples and this is compared against a predetermined threshold. All stored samples are scaled by an initial scaling factor so that the intensity of the highest intensity sample is not above this threshold. A second half-wave of samples is stored in which all samples of the second half-wave are below the threshold. All stored samples of the second half-wave are also scaled but by a modified scaling factor derived from a combination of the initial scaling factor and a decay factor.
US08917885B2
A pseudo noise superimposing unit superimposes a pseudo noise (M-sequence) to an audio signal picked up by a microphone and outputs the superimposed signal to an amplifying system. An calculating unit calculates a correlation value between the audio signal picked up by the microphone and the pseudo noise. The calculating unit estimates a gain of a closed loop based on the correlation value. A gain control unit suppresses a gain of the audio signal based on the estimated gain of the closed loop.
US08917881B2
A loudspeaker system is provided for uniformly emanating sound waves to a listening area. The loudspeaker system includes a plurality of drivers, where each driver includes a front face, a rear face, and an axis of symmetry extending substantially perpendicularly through both the front and rear face. Each driver is configured to emanate low and high frequency sound waves from its front face substantially along its axis of symmetry. The loudspeaker system also includes a support structure having an inner volume. The support structure is configured to support the drivers in an arrangement such that the front face of each driver is directed toward the inner volume and the axis of symmetry of each driver intersects a relatively small volume near a central point located at the center of the inner volume. A listening area for the loudspeaker system is outside of the inner volume of the support structure.
US08917878B2
A microphone inspection method includes the following steps. Firstly, a sound wave from a speaker is received by an under-test microphone and a reference microphone. Consequently, a first characteristic point distribution chart and a second characteristic point distribution chart are created, respectively. Each of the first characteristic point distribution chart and the second characteristic point distribution chart includes plural characteristic points corresponding to respective normalized frequency values. Then, a characteristic point number difference between a number of the characteristic points of the first characteristic point distribution chart and a number of the characteristic points of the second characteristic point distribution chart within a specified normalized frequency value range is calculated. Consequently, the quality of the under-test microphone is judged according to the characteristic point number difference.
US08917865B2
A voltage generation apparatus includes a booster circuit which outputs a direct-current voltage after having performed boosting processing, the voltage value of the direct-current voltage being specified on the basis of a pulse width of a series of pulse signals inputted, a direct-current to alternating-current conversion circuit which generates a ringer voltage to be supplied to a device connectable to a telephone line by converting the direct-current voltage outputted by the booster circuit to an alternating-current voltage, and a control unit which outputs a series of pulse signals to the booster circuit. the series of pulse signals having a feeding-voltage pulse width corresponding to a target voltage value of a feeding, voltage or a ringer-voltage pulse width corresponding to a target voltage value. the feeding-voltage pulse width and the linger-voltage pulse width being pulse widths having been set in a voltage adjustment stage.
US08917861B2
An apparatus and method for initiating a voice communication to a best-determined target includes associating a plurality of workers in a worker list with a skills profile for each worker. Upon receiving an assistance request for a task, the worker list can be searched automatically for target contacts having the skill profile best-matching the assistance request. Further search criteria can be compared between the task and the matched target contacts to facilitate the proper selection of the best-matched target contacts. Upon a match, a voice communication is automatically initiating between the requestor to the best-determined target contact.
US08917856B2
The present invention discloses a call center system and a call service implementation method thereof, wherein in the system, a Web access device is used for logging on an instant messaging server based on an instant messaging access of a user and sending instant messaging queuing information to a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), and initiating an instant messaging request to a seat after receiving queuing result information returned by the CTI; the CTI is used for returning the queuing result information to the Web access device according to the received instant messaging queuing information and sending a Web access service beginning message to the seat; and the seat is used for accepting the instant messaging request initiated by the Web access device according to the received Web access service beginning message and performing an instant messaging. The call center system and the call service implementation method thereof provided by the present invention combines the interaction of the voice access and the operation of network access instant messaging, perfecting the call center system with a single manner of the voice access.
US08917846B1
A system and method for controlling audio in a multi-user meeting is provided. The method may include determining, using the one or more processing devices, that a group video conferencing device is associated with a multi-user video conference. The method may further include determining, using the one or more computing devices, whether a user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in a geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device. The method may also include, when the user is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating, using the one or more computing devices, a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the user located in the geographical location.
US08917844B2
Techniques for detecting and resolving feature interactions during calls are disclosed. In particular, a finite-state machine and a corresponding method detect when a feature that is invoked during a call would interact with another previously-activated feature, and ensure that both features are not active simultaneously. Three different techniques for resolution are disclosed: in one technique, activation of the latter feature is always refused; in a second technique, the former feature is always deactivated and the latter feature is then activated; and in a third technique, one of the two features is selected to be the active feature—perhaps based on priorities assigned to the features—and the features are activated and/or deactivated accordingly.
US08917843B2
An indication of an incoming call may be received at a call control unit communicatively coupled to, and/or resident within, a telephone. The indication may include identification information for the incoming call. It may be determined whether additional information regarding a caller associated with the identification information exists, and if so, a first operation may be performed on the incoming call responsively to the additional information, otherwise, a second operation may be performed on the incoming call responsively to an absence of the additional information. The additional information my include a user-configurable list of desired callers (e.g., a whitelist) and/or undesired callers (e.g., a blacklist). The additional information may also include caller identification information and/or a spam score. The first operation may be blocking the incoming call, forwarding the incoming call to a voice mailbox, transmitting the incoming call to the telephone, enabling the telephone to receive the incoming call, and/or answering the incoming call and then terminating the incoming call. In some embodiments, the first and/or second operations performed on the incoming call is/are user configurable.
US08917842B2
A system and method of saving and delivering a voice memo or text memo to identify incoming calls is provided. A user of the system of the invention is given the option of recording a memo on the calls he or she has received through a prompt on a telecommunication device. The user can choose to record a voice memo or text memo after each call. The memos are saved in connection with caller id information pertaining to the number from which the call was placed. When a user of the system receives a call from a number that has a memo saved in relation thereto, the user will be prompted to hear, and may listen to, the voice memo before answering the call. If the memo is in text form, the user can configure the system to provide various processing options. In one processing option, a text to speech audio presentation of the text of the memo is made available to permit the message to be heard over a telephone or networked audio capable PDA device. In other processing options, the user has the text of the message sent to the user's PC or emailed or sent by instant message to the user's PDA device.
US08917828B2
A request to execute an interaction site for enabling communications to be exchanged between a multi-channel communications system and a user device is received by an interaction flow processor. The interaction site is identified based on the request. An interaction flow document is accessed for the identified interaction site, the interaction flow document including code for initiating the interaction site between a user device and the multi-channel communications system using any one of multiple different communications channels including an interactive voice response channel. A communications channel used by the user device to contact the multi-channel communications system is determined. Based on the determined communications channel, the code of the interaction flow document is translated to code executable by the multi-channel communications system to enable the multi-channel communications system and the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel. A response is transmitted to the multi-channel communications system.
US08917826B2
Aspects of the invention provide a solution for detecting man-in-the-middle attacks in electronic transactions using prompts. One embodiment includes a method for authenticating an electronic transaction. The method includes: receiving an electronic transaction request from a user, determining an IP address associated with a client system from which the electronic transaction request originates, providing the user with a password associated with the electronic transaction request, receiving a telephonic communication from a telephonic device associated with the user, prompting the user, via a voice response unit, to input the password using the telephonic device, authenticating the user by comparing the inputted password and the provided password, determining a probable location of the user based on the determined IP address of the client system, communicating to the user the probable location of the user based on the determined IP address, and prompting the user to confirm the probable location of the user.
US08917812B2
An x-ray detector assembly includes a curved rail and a first plurality of x-ray attenuation plates attached to the curved rail, wherein the plates of the first plurality of x-ray attenuation plates are spaced apart from one another by a first pitch. A second plurality of x-ray attenuation plates are attached to the curved rail, wherein the plates of the second plurality of x-ray attenuation plates are spaced apart from the plates of the first plurality of x-ray attenuation plates by a second pitch greater than the first pitch. A first plurality of x-ray detector cells is also positioned adjacently to the first and second pluralities of x-ray attenuation plates and positioned in a linear arrangement with respect to each other.
US08917811B2
An apparatus and method for dynamically calibrating a computed-tomography (CT) scanner that includes a rotating X-ray source and a plurality of stationary energy-discriminating detectors configured to capture incident X-ray photons emitted from the X-ray source. A bowtie filter with a unique geometry and material composition is used to generate reference beams of a desired intensity. The apparatus includes a processor that is configured to remove a scattering background based on data obtained from the reference beams and compute a change in a predetermined calibration function.
US08917809B2
The present invention is directed to a new manufacturing process for a FRP honeycomb structure where the honeycomb core assembly is arranged parallel to the surface. The honeycomb core is made from FRP prepreg with double structural walls and is manufactured by stiffening using heat and pressure. In a honeycomb core assembly set tank, a plurality of internal tanks are gathered in honeycomb core assembly. An internal tank FRP wall maintains the pressure of the internal tank, while an external FRP wall, heat foamed plastic resin and rigid FRP hull of set tank endure the external shock loading. A honeycomb core structure of six-corner cell can be infinitely arranged, and its structural position is unique. A set tank in which a plurality of internal tanks are gathered into a honeycomb core assembly can be arranged in infinite combinations, such that the total capacity can be extremely large.
US08917802B1
Various embodiments associated with multiple signal editions is described. A plurality of sensors can be deployed in an environment. These sensors can be used to capture a signal of interest (SOI). However, when the signal is weak or difficult to sense, what an individual sensor captures may be of little value. Therefore, multiple sensors can be used together to capture the signal (e.g., different editions of the SOI). Further, it is possible that the demodulation scheme of the signal is not known, such as when the signal is from an unknown network (e.g., a network of an enemy). A mathematical operation can be performed upon signal editions such that a result does not include noise. This result can be used in determining the demodulation scheme of the signal.
US08917797B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling a buffer in a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) communication system. An audio encoder marks a frame as “dropped” whenever a buffer overflow might occur. Only a small number of bits are utilized to process a lost frame, thereby preventing the buffer from overflowing and allowing the encoder buffer-level to quickly recover from the potential overflow condition. The audio encoder optionally sets a flag that provides an indication to the receivers that a frame has been lost. If a “frame lost” condition is detected by a receiver, the receiver can optionally employ mitigation techniques to reduce the impact of the lost frame(s).
US08917796B1
A method in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) transmitter includes selecting a transmission mode from a group of modes including a spatial multiplexing mode and a transmit diversity mode. A rate matching parameter is set depending on at least the selected transmission mode. Data for transmission is formatted in one or more transport blocks, each transport block including multiple code blocks having respective lengths, in symbols, that are respective integer multiples of the rate matching parameter. The code blocks of a given transport block are mapped onto time-frequency resource elements in accordance with the selected transmission mode, such that each resource element contains data originating from only a respective one of the code blocks of the given transport block. The code blocks of the given transport block are transmitted over the time-frequency resource elements to a receiver.
US08917791B2
A method for efficiently transmitting and receiving downlink control information is disclosed. The method includes, at a base station, receiving feedback information including a precoding matrix index (PMI) from a user equipment (UE) and transmitting precoding information having a predetermined bit number according to the number of antenna ports and a transmission mode of the base station. The precoding information of a predetermined transmission mode in the precoding information includes confirmation information indicating that the base station uses a PMI which is recently received from the UE.
US08917786B1
This invention discloses a method for communications faster than the Nyquist rate (FTN) and faster than the Shannon rate which method is Quadrature Layered Modulation (QLM). QLM properties include scaling the data symbol pulses to maintain the same error rate performance for all rates. QLM alternatively considers the increase in the data symbol rate to be a layering of additional communications over the same link. The Shannon bound is a limit on the capacity of a communication link when transmitting data symbols at the Nyquist rate. QLM observes one can communicate at FTN to transmit more information than the Shannon rate since the Nyquist rate captures the information in a frequency band and does not constraint the information. These properties describe QLM and a separate math proof-of-concept is disclosed. Implementation and performance data demonstrate QLM can support communications data rates which are at least double the Shannon rate.
US08917783B2
The frequency response of a first component signal path of a differential signaling link is adjusted to off-set a notch in the frequency response from a corresponding notch in the frequency response of a second component signal path of the differential signaling link.
US08917774B2
An initial content is encoded a first time to obtain a first encoded content. One or more parameters obtained from the first encoding are used to generate an encoding coefficient. The initial content is encoded a second time to obtain a second encoded content. The second encoding is performed using encoding coefficients, at least one of which is derived from the parameter associated with the first encoding. The two encodings can be implemented using a single encoder or two separate encoders.
US08917773B2
A moving picture coding apparatus includes an intra-inter prediction unit which calculates a second motion vector by performing a scaling process on a first motion vector of a temporally neighboring corresponding block, when selectively adding, to a list, a motion vector of each of one or more corresponding blocks each of which is either a block included in a current picture to be coded and spatially neighboring a current block to be coded or a block included in a picture other than the current picture and temporally neighboring the current block, determines whether the second motion vector has a magnitude that is within a predetermined magnitude or not within the predetermined magnitude, and adds the second motion vector to the list when the intra-inter prediction unit determines that the second motion vector has a magnitude that is within the predetermined magnitude range.
US08917769B2
Methods and systems to apply motion estimation (ME) based on reconstructed reference pictures in a B frame or in a P frame at a video decoder. For a P frame, projective ME may be performed to obtain a motion vector (MV) for a current input block. In a B frame, both projective ME and mirror ME may be performed to obtain an MV for the current input block. The ME process can be performed on sub-partitions of the input block, which may reduce the prediction error without increasing the amount of MV information in the bitstream. Decoder-side ME can be applied for the prediction of existing inter frame coding modes, and traditional ME or the decoder-side ME can be adaptively selected to predict a coding mode based on a rate distribution optimization (RDO) criterion.
US08917766B2
A picture coding apparatus includes a static area information calculating unit that calculates static area information indicating a size of a static area of which motion is smaller than a predetermined value for each of fields included in an interlaced picture, a reference field selecting unit that selects, as a reference field to be used to predict a field to be coded, one of a field having of the same parity as a field to be coded and a field having the opposite parity of the field to be coded, among fields previously coded, based on the static area information of the fields previously coded, and a coding unit that codes the field to be coded by using the reference field selected by the reference field selecting unit.
US08917765B2
Video encoding system with region detection and adaptive encoding tools and method for use therewith
A system for encoding a video stream into a processed video signal that includes at least one image, includes a region identification signal generator for detecting a region of interest in the at least one image and generating a region identification signal when the pattern of interest is detected. An encoder section generates the processed video signal based on the operation of a plurality of encoding tools, each having at least one encoder quality parameter. The encoder section adjusts the at least one encoding quality parameter of at least one of the plurality of encoding tools in response to the region identification signal.
US08917749B2
Provided is a laser diode mounting substrate for an automotive lamp module using a laser diode. The substrate includes: a substrate body with a power supply circuit pattern, which electrically connects a connector with a contact point of the laser diode, on the top; a first heat conduction layer disposed at the area except for the power supply circuit pattern, on the top of the substrate body; and a second heat conduction layer disposed on the bottom of the substrate body, in which at least one heat transfer hole is disposed through the first heat conduction layer, the substrate body, and the second heat conduction layer. Therefore, the present invention provides an effect that heat generated by the laser diode can be effectively dissipated.
US08917746B2
A method and apparatus embodying some aspects of a packet processing communication system. The packet processing communication apparatus comprises a packet processor and a microprocessor. The packet processor is configured to process packets belonging to a certain flow through a plurality of processing stages of a programmable data-path. The microprocessor is in communication with the packet processor and is configured to process a user-defined function in the programmable data-path on designated packets belonging to the certain flow. The packets of respective flows to be processed by the microprocessor are designated in a mapping. The designated packets processed by the microprocessor are returned to one of the processing stages of the packet processor for further processing.
US08917740B2
A system and method are provided for prioritizing network processor information flow in a channel service manager (CSM). The method receives a plurality of information streams on a plurality of input channels, and selectively links input channels to CSM channels. The information streams are stored, and the stored the information streams are mapped to a processor queue in a group of processor queues. Information streams are supplied from the group of processor queues to a network processor in an order responsive to a ranking of the processor queues inside the group. More explicitly, selectively linking input channels to CSM channels includes creating a fixed linkage between each input port and an arbiter in a group of arbiters, and scheduling information streams in response to the ranking of the arbiter inside the group. Finally, a CSM channel is selected for each information stream scheduled by an arbiter.
US08917738B2
Described embodiments provide a method of processing packets of a network processor. One or more tasks are generated corresponding to received packets associated with one or more data flows. A traffic manager receives a task corresponding to a data flow, the task provided by a processing module of the network processor. The traffic manager determines whether the received task corresponds to a unicast data flow or a multicast data flow. If the received task corresponds to a multicast data flow, the traffic manager determines, based on identifiers corresponding to the task, an address of launch data stored in launch data tables in a shared memory, and reads the launch data. Based on the identifiers and the read launch data, two or more output tasks are generated corresponding to the multicast data flow, and the two or more output tasks are added at the tail end of a scheduling queue.
US08917736B2
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) tunneling over Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) networks. The CEE networks comprise devices configured to use PCIe. An initiating device initiates a command. The command is associated with initiator control signals, which are associated with the initiating device. The initiating device requests permission from an arbiter, and receives a request grant from the arbiter. Based on the request grant, a mapping device maps the initiator control signals, an target device address, and the command into a CEE control frame. Based on the mapping, the initiating device transmits an inquiry to the devices. Based on transmitting the inquiry, the initiating device receives a response from a corresponding device. The corresponding device is associated with the target device address. The response comprises target control signals associated with the corresponding device. Based on the response, the initiating device initiates a transaction to the corresponding device through CEE control frames.
US08917734B1
A system and method are disclosed for aggregated non-transparent requester ID translation in a PCIe switch. The system may include a first switch that is enabled to receive a request from a non-transparent port of a second switch at an aggregated downstream port of the first switch and translating the requester ID of the request at the first switch using the aggregated switch number and the captured bus number of the requester ID. The method may include receiving a request from a non-transparent port of a second switch at an aggregated downstream port of a first switch and translating the requester ID of the request at the first switch using the aggregated switch number and the captured bus number of the requester ID.
US08917726B2
A network utilizes centralized control for the transport of a packet flow to a destination via an intermediary network. The network identifies the intermediary network best suited for offloading the packet flow and then develops a routing policy based on Multiprotocol Label Switching or other circuit-switching type techniques. This ensures that the packets of the packet flow are automatically forwarded to a peering router connected to the identified intermediary network, and ensures that the peering router automatically outputs the packets of the packet flow to the identified intermediary network in a manner that bypasses autonomous routing decisions by the routers of the network.
US08917723B2
The present disclosure discloses a method, device, and system for processing an IPv6 packet, and relates to the field of Internet technologies. According to the present disclosure, a secure access, authentication, and authorization can be ensured in an IPv6 network, and different IPv6 address prefixes are allocated to different terminals. Therefore, normal routing in the network is ensured. A method for processing an IPv6 packet provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an access node adds access line information to an IPv6 packet; and forwards the IPv6 packet that is added with the access line information to an IP edge node. The present disclosure is applicable to a scenario of processing a packet in an IPv6 network.
US08917721B2
Methods and apparatus to control a flash crowd event in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving at a VoIP border element a VoIP registration response message having a field representing a priority assigned to a VoIP endpoint, receiving a message from the VoIP endpoint at the VoIP border element, detecting whether a network congestion condition exists, and placing the message received from the VoIP endpoint into one of a plurality of queues based on the priority when the congestion condition is detected.
US08917720B2
A system and method for integrating conventional enterprise communication systems into an IMS-based services environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, when a call request is received for a call between first and second local users of a PBX, the PBX determines whether a class of service for either the first or second local user is for Exposed Local Call (ELC) processing. If so, then call information is routed through a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) core network that is coupled to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server to provide IMS services to the call.
US08917719B2
A method, equipment, and a mobile communication system for realizing explicit call transfer are provided. The method for realizing explicit call transfer includes the following steps. A service centralization & continuity application server (SCC AS) receives a call request sent by a second user equipment (UE), and sends the call request to a third UE, in which an instruction for replacing a call between a first UE and the third UE is carried in the call request. A message returned by the third UE according to the call request is received, and the third UE is controlled to establish a connection with the second UE and to break a connection with the first UE. The third UE is an IP multimedia subsystem centralized service user equipment (ICS UE).
US08917715B2
A method and system are described that allow a device operating in coordination with other devices to synchronize the devices operation with the other devices. A controllable device processor may determine that a received data packet is a retransmission of an initial control command data packet. The processor may obtain from the retransmitted data packet a start value and a time indicator related to performance of the operation. A ramp rate related to the operation to be performed may be obtained. Using the time indicator, an adjusted ramp rate may be calculated. An output value for the device may be set based on the start value, the adjusted ramp rate, and the time indicator. The adjusted ramp rate may result in completing the operation at substantially the same time as though the device received the original command.
US08917712B2
In a communication terminal that performs bidirectional communication using different frequencies for transmission and reception, a receiving unit receives reception signals transmitted from the base station, a detecting unit detects the timing of DL when the receiving unit receives the reception signals, an adjusting unit adjusts the timing of UL to transmit the transmission signals so as to synchronize the timing of the DL 101 and the timing of the UL, and a transmitting unit transmits transmission signals to the base station based on the timing of UL adjusted.
US08917707B2
Methods for a User Equipment (UE) to transmit Channel Quality Index (CQI) feedback information, and an indicator in feedback information, to an evolved Node B (eNB) in a wireless communication system, and apparatuses therefore, are provided. A method for a UE to transmit CQI feedback information to eNB in a wireless communication system, includes obtaining one or more Transmission Points Configurations for Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) (TPCCs), each TPCC including a unique combination of one or more cells in a CoMP measurement set, estimating a channel for one or more cells in the CoMP measurement set, computing a CQI for each of at least one of the one or more TPCCs, each CQI being computed using one or more estimated channels that correspond to the combination of one or more cells included in a corresponding TPCC, generating CQI feedback information based on the one or more CQIs, and transmitting the CQI feedback information.
US08917705B2
A method includes wirelessly communicating with one or more stations that are partitioned into one or more groups. The method also includes generating a message that identifies one or more time periods during which each station of a first group of the one or more groups is permitted to contend for a communication channel or restricted from contending for the communication channel. The method further includes transmitting the message.
US08917699B2
A user network (e.g., mobile phone) is described herein that uses one or more access systems to establish a communications session with a remote communications network. In one embodiment, the user network has a processor and a memory with instructions stored therein which are accessible and processable by the processor to facilitate the following steps: (a) maintaining a detected set which contains access resource (s) that are associated with possible access connection (s) which could be used to access the remote communications network; (b) maintaining a candidate set which contains access resource (s) and logical connection (s) that are associated with the possible access connection (s) which could be used as communication bearer (s) to the remote communications network; and (c) maintaining an active set which contains a particular logical connection which is associated with one of the access connections that is currently being used as a communication bearer in an established communication session with the remote communications network.
US08917694B2
A method of receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) signal from at least one access terminal (AT) in a wireless communication system is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes transmitting at least one packet via a packet data channel from an access network (AN), receiving at least one ACK signal from the at least one AT using same channelization resources, wherein each AT is assigned a code specific to each AT, and identifying the ACK signal corresponding to the transmitted packet from the received at least one ACK signal.
US08917690B2
A method is provided that includes allocating a first subset of resource elements (REs) of a physical resource block (PRB) to a mobile terminal and associating one or more first demodulation reference symbols (DM-RS) ports therewith. The first subset of REs and the one or more first DM-RS ports have common interference characteristics, thereby providing for enhanced interference suppression. The method also includes causing transmission of the PRB for reception by the mobile terminal. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.
US08917685B2
Disclosed is a wireless communication system and the like that can avoid interference even if a plurality of networks coexist. The wireless communication system includes a primary user, cluster head equipment, and a secondary user. The cluster head equipment is for providing a local area network to a cluster region containing the abovementioned primary user. Also, the cluster head equipment contains: an acquisition means that acquires one or both—of information regarding the primary user and information regarding a primary signal—and the like; and a transmission means that transmits information to the secondary user. Then, using this wireless communication system, the secondary user performs cognitive wireless communication or the like on the basis of the information received from the transmission means of the cluster head equipment.
US08917682B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specially, the present invention relates to a method and a device which enable a terminal to transmit channel quality information, the method comprising the following steps: receiving a control channel, which includes a request for the channel quality information; generating the channel quality information on one or more specific downlink carriers from a plurality of downlink carriers after receiving the control channel; and transmitting the channel quality information through a shared channel, wherein the one or more specific downlink carriers are indicated using the caption of the request for the channel quality information or time information related to the transmission of the channel quality information.
US08917681B2
A method for transmitting reference signals for eight or fewer antenna ports includes mapping a portion of common reference signals (CRSs) for four or fewer antenna ports into a downlink subframe including 1st slot and 2nd slot with a normal cyclic prefix configuration; mapping channel status information reference signals (CSI-RSs) for eight or fewer antenna ports into the downlink subframe according to a preset pattern; and transmitting the downlink subframe into which the CRSs and the CSI-RSs are mapped, wherein the preset pattern defines the CSI-RSs for eight or fewer antenna ports to be mapped onto two OFDM symbols of the data region in the downlink subframe, with the two OFDM symbols being spaced apart by one OFDM symbol, and wherein the portion of the CRSs for four or fewer antenna ports is limited to the CRSs for two or fewer antenna ports.
US08917675B2
A system and method for multiple contention access periods is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system for wireless communication comprises a coordinator configured to schedule wireless transmissions among a plurality of wireless devices during a plurality of superframes, at least one of the superframes comprising a period during which the coordinator is configured to receive one or more data packets from the wireless devices via at least one random access scheme, the period being partitioned into a plurality of sub-periods which do not overlap with one another, wherein the coordinator is configured to receive at least a first data packet having a first value for a parameter during a first sub-period and a second data packet having a second value for the parameter during a second sub-period, and wherein the first and second values for the parameter are different from each other.
US08917674B2
Methods and systems for content-aware mapping/error protection are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include controlling a MAC layer and/or a PHY layer (PHY/MAC layer), in a wireless communication device to wirelessly communicate multimedia information based on content of the multimedia information, which may comprise video information, audio information, and/or data. The controlling of the PHY/MAC layer may comprise selecting a forward error correction code and modulation to be applied to portions of the multimedia information, and selecting one or more antenna to transmit the portions of the multimedia information. The selection criteria may be based on priority assigned to the portions of the multimedia information, and on feedback information from the receiving device and/or a receiver co-located with the device transmitting the multimedia information.
US08917669B2
According to one embodiment, a method of processing data for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation in a wireless communication system includes: receiving control signaling from a network; receiving data based on the received control signaling; generating a positive response message (ACK) if the received data is successfully decoded or a negative response message (NACK) if the received data is not successfully decoded, wherein the generated ACK or the generated NACK is not transmitted to the network when a timer is expired or not running; and combining the received data with data currently in a buffer after the timer is stopped or expired.
US08917668B1
A system and method for entering and exiting energy savings power mode in a wireless network is provided. According to an aspect, a request message for requesting entry of a node into energy serving is generated at an anchor node. The request message is sent and the node that receives it enters an energy saving mode. The request can be implemented as an X2-application protocol message and can include indicators for timing of entry into energy saving mode, resources to be reserved and the state of energy saving mode to be entered into. The nodes can take the form of anchor nodes and non-anchor nodes as well as macro nodes and small nodes. Modified versions of X2-application protocol messages eNB configuration update, cell activation request and cell activation response can also be used to assist a node in entering and exiting energy savings power mode.
US08917667B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a system for processing an eMPS in a CSFB mechanism. The method in the embodiment of the present invention mainly includes: receiving a CSFB access request of a user equipment; determining that the user equipment has a CSFB priority service right according to acquired priority service information of the user equipment; and providing a CSFB access service preferentially for the user equipment with the CSFB priority service right.
US08917666B2
A wireless network using network coding, and a method of adaptively adjusting buffering time in the wireless network, are provided. A communication method of a cross node in a wireless network, includes determining information associated with a number of hops between a source node and the cross node, and/or a number of hops between the cross node and a destination node. The method further includes adaptively adjusting a buffering time at the cross node based on the information. The method further includes buffering a packet received by the cross node based on the adjusted buffering time. The method further includes performing network coding of the buffered packet and another packet.
US08917665B2
Method and an apparatus for providing channel quality information in a wireless communication system
A method and an apparatus for providing channel quality information in a wireless communication system are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for transmitting channel quality information includes receiving a downlink signal, calculating a channel quality information index for the received downlink signal at least based on a number of resource elements for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), wherein the number of resource elements for the PDSCH is determined at least based on an overhead of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and transmitting the calculated channel quality information index.
US08917658B2
The present invention provides methods, an application node (104, 26, 300), a policy node (108, 24, 400), a system for service delivery control related to access technology types and in particular for service delivery control based on allowed access technology types. Based on radio access technology types as defined by an application node related to a service provider as communicated to the policy node over the inter node interface Rx (106), and an radio access technology type with which a mobile phone (102, 22) communicates on at the moment, a determination is made as to whether the radio access technology type with which the mobile phone communicate son is among the allowed radio access technology types or not. If it is not, the current access technology type may be updated such that there is a match between the allowed radio access technology type and the current radio access rate.
US08917654B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate frequency hopping in a single carrier FDMA wireless environment by dynamically altering user offsets with time to obtain interference diversity. A channel tree can be utilized with nodes that are assigned values. User devices can be assigned to such nodes, a path between an assigned node and a root node in the channel tree can be evaluated, and a table lookup can be performed to determine an identity of a subcarrier set to assign to the user device assigned to a given node, as well as a number of subcarriers to be assigned to the user device. Additionally, node values can be dynamically varied during a communication event to alter path values and thus alter subcarrier set assignments.
US08917653B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating operation of a radio communication system that provides for multi rate data communications, such as a CDMA 2000 system that provides for 1xEV-DV communication services. A supplemental pilot, or control, signal generator embodied at a mobile station generates a supplemental pilot, or control, signal that is sent on a newly defined supplemental pilot, or control, channel. As the data rates of data communicated upon a reverse supplemental channel changes, corresponding changes are made to the power level of the reverse supplemental pilot, or control, signal.
US08917646B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method that comprises recording broadcasted television content and determining if one or more segments of the content is corrupted. The method can also present a notification if the content is corrupted, where the notification can include indicia such as a pop-up window, an icon or symbol in a program guide screen or program recorded content screen, and/or an indicator on the DVR unit. The method can also acquire uncorrupted content to replace one or more segments of the corrupted content.
US08917640B2
The present description proposes a user equipment for processing data related to contention-based random access in a wireless communication system. The present description proposes to separately handle random access related parameters according to access type of a user equipment. Examples of the access type include normal access and delay tolerant access. In detail, a system information block indicating a first maximum number of preamble transmission applicable to a first type UE performing normal access and a second maximum number of preamble transmission applicable to a second type UE performing delay tolerant access is proposed. Further, back-off interval information used to indicate first type back-off interval information applicable to the first type UE and second type back-off interval information applicable to the second type UE is proposed.
US08917628B2
A method for start-up of a network, including a number of nodes, which are connected via channels. The nodes exchange information in the form of messages via the channels. The transition phase of a synchronizing node from its initial phase to a synchronized phase is separated in a first integration phase and a second subsequent cold-start phase. A synchronizing node in the integration phase listens to messages being sent from nodes in the synchronized phase and only reacts to an integration message (i-frame) if the integration message is a valid message. Furthermore, a synchronizing node, wherein integration of the synchronizing node to a set of already synchronized nodes was not successful after a specifiable period, changes into the cold-start phase, in which a cold-start procedure of the node is extracted, wherein in the cold-start phase the node does not react to integration messages of a node in the synchronized phase.
US08917625B2
A system and method to map a Quality of Service (QoS) of a traffic flow from a wireless network to a wired network is described herein. The method comprises the steps of receiving a packet of the traffic flow over the wireless network and determining a first Quality of Service associated with the traffic flow over the wireless network based on a first set of parameters associated with the packet. The method further comprises the step of determining a second parameter that identifies a second Quality of Service over the wired network, wherein the second Quality of Service is substantially equivalent to the first Quality of Service. The method also comprises inserting the second parameter in a field of the packet based on the determined second Quality of Service and transmitting the packet over the wired network.
US08917614B2
Methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture are disclosed that provide for partial downlink and uplink resource allocations among cooperating cells in a CoMP transmission to a user equipment. The resource allocation can be based on channel conditions and differing capabilities and restrictions of cooperating cells such as in support of heterogeneous network configurations.
US08917607B2
An exemplary method includes monitoring a performance of at least one of a plurality of layer-2 network paths connecting a layer-2 network switch device to another layer-2 network switch device and selecting an optimal one of the plurality of layer-2 network paths over which to forward data traffic based on a path selection heuristic and the monitored performance of the at least one of the plurality of layer-2 network paths. At least a portion of the exemplary method may be performed by a layer-2 network switching system. In certain embodiments, the selecting of the optimal one of the plurality of layer-2 network paths over which to forward the data traffic is based on at least one of a latency parameter, a congestion parameter, and a cost parameter associated with the at least one of the plurality of layer-2 network paths. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08917605B2
Methods and apparatus for addressing wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) behavior in response to configuration, configuration parameters and access issues related to the activation/deactivation process when the WTRU may be configured with multiple serving cells or carrier aggregation.
US08917595B2
A portion of management traffic, carried via network traffic, and received and/or transmitted via a network controller, may be processed externally to the network controller. A pass-through driver may be utilized, in the network controller, to enable transparent routing of management traffic that may be processed externally. The externally processed management traffic may comprise WS-Management based messaging, while management traffic that may comprise ASF based messaging may be processed internally in the network controller. An application processor may be utilized to perform external processing of received and/or transmitted management traffic. A management bus may be utilized to enable routing of management traffic processed external to the network controller. The management bus may also be utilized to enable platform operations during processing of management traffic. The application processor may invoke, via the management bus and/or the pass-through driver, platform based functionality maintained via the network controller.
US08917594B2
A network switch, in response to receipt from a source station of a Layer 2 reservation request, establishes a reservation for capacity of an ingress queue of the network switch for a data flow of the source station. In response to a queue overrun condition on the ingress queue of the network switch while the reservation is active, the network switch preserves data frames in the data flow of the source station transmitted pursuant to the reservation and discards other data frames.
US08917583B2
A transmitter generates and transmits a low rate signal to its intended receiver. Upon receiving the low rate signal, the intended receiver generates and transmits a channel sounding response (CSR), said CSR being a short burst having a predefined transmit format and carrying predetermined information. The transmitter then analyzes the CSR and determines uplink channel response, estimates downlink channel response, and determines appropriate transmit parameter settings based on the analysis and downlink response estimate. Adjustment of the transmit parameters can be made in either the MAC or PHY layer or in a combination of both. After adjusting its transmit parameters and modulating sub-carriers with user-data according to the determined transmit settings, the transmitter transmits the user-data to the receiver on a preferred portion of bandwidth. In a preferred embodiment, the transmitter also generates and transmits a transmit format control (TFC) signal containing the determined transmit parameter settings, including sub-carrier modulation information, to the receiver.
US08917581B1
Articles of manufacture and methods of manufacturing such articles of manufacture are disclosed. The articles of manufacture may include a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer having a near field transducer (NFT) and a chimney thermally coupled to the NFT. The articles of manufacture may also include an electrical conductor having section with a reduced width that is thermally coupled to the chimney. The methods include applying an electrical current to the electrical conductor to generate heat in the section and annealing the chimney and the NFT from the heat generated.
US08917579B2
To provide a timepiece dial that presents a rich stereoscopic effect, and to provide a timepiece comprising the timepiece dial, the timepiece dial of the invention comprises a microlens layer composed of a plurality of microlenses arranged in an orderly fashion as viewed in a planar view, and a decorative layer composed of a repeating design having a plurality of constituent units. As viewed in a planar view, the microlens layer and the decorative layer are superimposed, and the decorative layer has regions where pitches of the constituent units that are adjacent are different from each other.
US08917569B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a signal transmission block and signal reception blocks. The signal transmission block is disposed in a first chip and configured to transmit fuse information in synchronization with transmission control signals. The signal reception blocks are respectively disposed in the first chip and a second chip and configured to receive the fuse information in synchronization with reception control signals.
US08917564B2
A semiconductor memory device having a 3D stacked structure includes: a first semiconductor area with a stacked structure of a first layer having first data and a second layer having second data; a first line for delivering an access signal for accessing the first semiconductor area; and a second line for outputting the first and/or second data from the first semiconductor area, wherein access timings of accessing the first and second layers are controlled so that a first time delay from the delivery of the access signal to the first layer to the output of the first data is substantially identical to a second time delay from the delivery of the access signal to the second layer to the output of the second data, thereby compensating for skew according to an inter-layer timing delay and thus performing a normal operation. Accordingly, the advantage of high-integration according to a stacked structure can be maximized by satisfying data input/output within a predetermined standard.
US08917559B2
A method may be performed by a data storage device and includes writing first data to a group of storage elements. Each particular storage element of the group of storage elements is assigned to a particular state of a first set of states based on a first data value to be stored in the particular storage element. The method also includes overwriting the first data in the group of storage elements with second data. Each particular storage element of the group of storage elements is assigned to a particular state of a second set of states based on a second data value to be stored in the particular storage element. At least one state is included in the first set of states and is excluded from the second set of states.
US08917557B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate, memory strings formed above the semiconductor substrate, and a control circuit configured to control voltages applied to the memory cells. In a read operation, when the control circuit precharges a first source line electrically connected to a selected memory string to a first voltage, the control circuit precharges a second source line electrically connected to an unselected memory string to a second voltage, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage, and after the second source line is precharged, the control circuit precharges a first bit line electrically connected to the selected memory string to the second voltage.
US08917554B2
Word line switch transistors in a well in a substrate may be back biased. A memory array having non-volatile storage devices may be in a separate well in the substrate. The well of the word line switch transistors may be biased separately from the well of the non-volatile storage devices. Word line switch transistors may be back-biased during an erase operation. A first voltage may be applied to a first terminal of word line switch transistors that are coupled to blocks selected for erase. The first voltage may be applied to a first terminal of word line switch transistors that are coupled to blocks that are not selected for erase. The first voltage is passed to word lines in selected blocks, but is not passed to word lines in unselected blocks.
US08917546B2
A method of writing to a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) of a magnetic memory array includes an access transistor coupled to the MTJ for reading of and writing to the MTJ, where when the MTJ is written to, at times, by switching its magnetic orientation from an anti-parallel to a parallel magnetic orientation, a bit line that is coupled to one end of the MTJ is raised to Vcc and a voltage that is the sum of Vcc and Vx is applied to the gate of the access transistor, with Vx being approximately the voltage at an opposite end of the MTJ. Further, the voltage of a Source Line (SL), which is coupled to the MTJ using a first transistor of a write driver that is also coupled to the SL, is regulated such that SL remains sufficiently above 0 volts to avoid violation of Vgs exceeding Vcc where Vgs is the gate to source voltage of the access transistor.
US08917539B2
A solid-state, multi-valued, molecular random access memory (RAM) device, comprising an electrically, optically and/or magnetically addressable unit, a memory reader, and a memory writer. The addressable unit comprises a conductive substrate; one or more layers of electrochromic, magnetic, redox-active, and/or photochromic materials deposited on the conductive substrate; and a conductive top layer deposited on top the one or more layers. The memory writer applies a plurality of predetermined values of potential biases or optical signals or magnetic fields to the unit, wherein each predetermined value applied results in a uniquely distinguishable optical, magnetic and/or electrical state of the unit, thus corresponding to a unique logical value. The memory reader reads the optical, magnetic and/or electrical state of the unit.
US08917518B2
A housing for a hard disk drive includes an enclosure defining a window in a front side thereof for providing access to install the hard disk drive in the enclosure, a rotation arm having a front end and a back end, and a panel. The back end of the rotation arm is pivotally connected to a rear end of the enclosure, and the panel is pivotally connected to the front end of the rotation arm. The rotation arm and the panel are pivotable between a locked state in which the panel covers the window of the enclosure and the rotation arm abuts a lateral side of the enclosure, and an open state in which the panel is pulled away from the enclosure to expose the window.
US08917514B2
A frame module is adapted to be disposed in a housing of a computer for fixing first and second electronic devices. The computer includes a motherboard unit with a socket connector. The frame module includes a frame body having top and bottom surfaces adapted to be connected respectively to the first and electronic devices. An adaptor board includes a board body connected transversely to a rear edge of the frame body and having an edge connector adapted to be inserted into the socket connector, and first and second electrical connectors for electrical connection with the first and second electronic devices, respectively.
US08917510B2
The present invention is directed to a reversibly adhesive thermal interface material for electronic components and methods of making and using the same. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide thermal interface materials that include a thermally-reversible adhesive, and a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive filler, where the thermal interface material is characterized by a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m-K or more and an electrical resistivity of 9×1011 ohm-cm or more.
US08917508B2
The invention relates to a power electronic assembly (1, 2, 3) with a heat sink (2), a power semiconductor module (1) and a circuit arrangement (3) for controlling the power semiconductor module, wherein the heat sink (2) has at least two parallel channels through which a coolant can flow.
US08917507B2
A cooling device is provided. The cooling device is equipped with an electronic substrate on which a heating element has been mounted, and comprises a thermal diffusion unit of a plate-like shape. A front surface of the thermal diffusion unit thermally contacts a first circuit mounting surface of the electronic substrate. A rear face of the thermal diffusion unit thermally contacts a second circuit mounting surface of the electronic substrate. And, the thermal diffusion unit diffuses heat from the heating element according to vaporization and condensation principles of a refrigerant sealed therein.
US08917506B2
A case for a smartphone electronic device protects and extends the battery life of the smartphone. The case has a first case portion and a second case portion, which assemble together to protect the top, side, and bottom edges of the smartphone. The lower case portion includes a battery to extend the battery life of the electronic device.
US08917504B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for modifying the spatial orientation of a thermal acoustic panel of a computing enclosure rack are provided. Embodiments include receiving, by a configuration controller, a configuration preference from a user; identifying, by the configuration controller, a spatial orientation configuration corresponding to the configuration preference received from the user; and coordinating, by the configuration controller, movement of the thermal acoustic panel relative to a body of the computing enclosure rack in accordance with the identified spatial orientation configuration.
US08917502B1
A modular datacenter having multiple levels. The levels are stackable, and the number of levels can be selected based upon a desired installation. The datacenter includes walls or other structures that define ducts that extend through all the levels. The ducts can be used as hot and cold aisles for servers and networking equipment. The ducts can be formed by concentric cylinders.
US08917499B1
A foldable keyboard comprises a pair of keyboard panels with a proximal panel pivotal over a distal panel about a keyboard hinge oriented laterally with respect to and located between two adjacent rows of keys of the keyboard. A stand panel is pivotally coupled to the distal panel at a stand hinge oriented laterally with respect to the keyboard, and pivotal over the proximal panel of the keyboard. A kickstand can be pivotally coupled to a back of the stand panel. A shelf can be pivotally coupled to a front of the stand panel at a shelf hinge located proximate to the stand hinge to receive the tablet computer thereon.
US08917489B2
An apparatus and a method for holding a wafer are provided in this disclosure. The wafer holding apparatus includes: an electrostatic chuck, the electrostatic chuck having a plurality of concentric zones; a plurality of power supply units, each adapted for applying a voltage to one of the zones of the electrostatic chuck independently; and a control unit, adapted for controlling each of the power supply units independently to start or stop applying the voltage to a corresponding zone of the electrostatic chuck. Surface flatness is improved when the wafer is chucked on the wafer holding apparatus according to the disclosure, and the risk of particle contamination can be reduced when the wafer is flattened and gets back into warpage from flatness.
US08917485B2
A magnetoresistive effect element includes a magnetization fixed layer including a first crystal grain, having a magnetization direction which is fixed substantially in one direction, a spacer layer arranged on the magnetization fixed layer and having an insulating layer and a metal conductor penetrating the insulating layer, and a magnetization free layer including a second crystal grain, arranged on the spacer layer to oppose the metal conductor and having a magnetization direction which changes corresponding to an external magnetic field.
US08917483B2
First and second laminated structures are respectively formed at one surface and the other surface of an insulating layer. A laminate is formed of the first laminated structure, the insulating layer and the second laminated structure. A heat-assisted wiring trace is included in the first laminated structure, and a support substrate and a connection terminal are included in the second laminated structure. The surface of the connection terminal is exposed at the other surface of the insulating layer. A first portion of the laminate including the connection terminal has a thickness smaller than the thickness of second and third portions of the laminate including portions on both sides of the connection terminal.
US08917481B2
Provided are a structure of a high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head in which the positional relationship of a main magnetic pole and a spin torque oscillator in a cross-track direction is accurately determined, and in which variations are not caused in high frequency magnetic field assist characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the structure. The high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head includes a main magnetic pole, a spin torque oscillator disposed on the main magnetic pole, and an insulating side gap covering a side surface of the main magnetic pole and a side surface of the spin torque oscillator. The main magnetic pole and the spin torque oscillator are formed between both side surfaces of the side gap. Thus, a self-alignment structure of the high frequency magnetic field assisted magnetic recording head is obtained.
US08917479B2
A device includes a magnet and a magnetizer. The magnetizer is operable to rotate with respect to the magnet. The rotation generates an acoustic pure tone at a particular frequency. A combination of the magnet and the magnetizer has a magnetic profile. The combination is altered to superimpose a particular harmonic shape on the magnetic profile to reduce the acoustic pure tone at the particular frequency.
US08917474B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a ramp near an outer diameter of the disk, wherein the ramp for unloading the head off the disk. The head is positioned at an inner diameter of the disk and then moved toward the ramp in response to a velocity profile. An interval is measured from a beginning of the movement until the head begins unloading onto the ramp, and the velocity profile is adjusted in response to the measured interval.
US08917473B2
In one embodiment, a write controlling method is provided that adjusts the timing to wrap-turn the tape running direction depending on the data amount in order to reduce the time required for positioning in reading any data by performing back-and-forth data writing by positioning a magnetic head of a tape recording apparatus at a predetermined position close to a first end of the tape medium, writing data on the tape medium starting from the predetermined position toward a second end of the tape medium, wrap-turning a running direction of the tape medium when the magnetic head reaches the second end of the tape medium, and writing the data on the tape medium from the second end toward the first end.
US08917461B2
An optical device comprising: an elastic body provided between a first frame and a second frame; a position determining portion provided to sandwich, with the elastic body, the first frame, and can determine a position of the first frame towards the elastic body; a fixing portion provided to sandwich, with the position determining portion, the first frame, and can fix the first frame to the position determining portion; and an energizing member energizing the first frame in a direction crossing a position determining direction of the first frame and a fixing direction of the first frame.
US08917445B2
An optical receiving apparatus includes an optical amplification medium that receives an excitation light and an input light, an optical loss medium that receives an output light from the optical amplification medium, a monitor that detects a power level of an output light from the optical loss medium, a controller that controls a power of the excitation light such that the power level of the output light detected by the monitor is at a target value, and a receiver that receives the output light from the optical loss medium, the output light not being optically amplified.
US08917436B2
The current invention relates to a piezochromic device wherein said device exhibits a reversible change in appearance initialed by an external applied force and then reverts back to its original appearance over a set relaxation time when the external force is removed. In one embodiment, a device comprising a transparent or semi-transparent cover layer and a magnetic layer, wherein between the cover layer and the magnetic layer is a liquid medium containing magnetically alignable pigments.
US08917435B2
An optical scanner includes: a light reflecting section having light reflectivity; a movable plate which includes the light reflecting section and can be displaced; four link sections connected to the movable plate; and a supporting section supporting the four link sections. The four link sections are provided on an outer circumference of the movable plate at 90-degree intervals along a circumferential direction of the movable plate in a plan view. Each link section includes a turnable drive section, and a shaft section which connects the movable plate and the drive section. The shaft section is bent and deformed in a thickness direction of the movable plate by turning the drive section.
US08917427B2
When receiving data in a unit of frame, each frame including a plurality of bits, based on a spread clock signal, a receiving time per bit of receiving data is calculated based on a receiving rate, and the change cycle of the spread clock signal is adjusted according to the receiving time per bit.
US08917417B2
A controller of an image forming apparatus is configured to judge whether a first sheet size of the first image data is larger than a size of an in-use sheet. When the first sheet size is larger than the in-use sheet size, it is judged whether the resizing operation is to be applied to the first image data, resize the image size of the first image data to meet the in-use sheet size by applying the resizing operation to the first image data when the resizing operation is to be applied to the first image data, and control the image forming device to form an image on the sheet based on the first image data to which the resizing operation has been applied.
US08917416B2
An apparatus that controls a display unit to display, as a preview image, an image to be printed on a print medium by a printing apparatus that includes a function for adjusting a conveyance amount to convey a print medium in a conveyance direction by increasing or decreasing the conveyance amount as compared to a reference conveyance amount when an image of a designated size is printed acquires an adjustment amount of the conveyance amount and changes a size of the preview image with respect to the conveyance direction according to the acquired adjustment amount.
US08917414B2
A virtual printer interface node enables a non-cloud-ready printer to communicate with a cloud-based service, residing on an internet. The virtual printer interface node includes a housing; a communication interface to provide communication directly to the network router; and a microcontroller operatively connected to the communication interface. The microcontroller converts commands, received through the communication interface, from the cloud-based service, residing on the internet, to native protocols of the non-cloud-ready networked printer and communicates the converted native protocols to the non-cloud-ready networked printer.
US08917411B2
A computer connectable with a printer includes an application unit that outputs first data, an interface that generates second data based on the first data, and a driver unit. The driver unit includes a generating unit, a determining unit, and a reducing unit. The generating unit generates third data based on the second data. The printer prints an image corresponding to the third data. The determining unit determines whether or not the image corresponding to the third data should be printed by the printer. The reducing unit reduces at least one of a first time period required to generate the second data and a second time period required to generate the third data, if the determining unit determines that the image corresponding to the third data should not be printed by the printer.
US08917408B2
A system and method are provided to implement an automated scheme by which a vendor can advantageously employ remotely-monitored information on a status of non-managed office devices, gathered as part of the vendor's customer support effort regarding the office devices that the vendor manages for a customer organization under a managed service agreement or the like, to the benefit of the customer organization and the vendor. The vendor remotely monitors a status of non-managed office devices, including a status of consumables in the non-managed devices, at a customer organization's site, and upon being made aware of a change in status on one of the non-managed devices, including pending exhaustion of one or more consumables on a non-managed device, immediately offers assistance in correcting a problem with the non-managed device to include replenishment service of the nearly-exhausted consumable in the non-managed device.
US08917397B2
An apparatus which provides a multiplicity of test colors and neutral tones simultaneously within a microscope's optical system that may be used to align, and/or calibrate the microscope, and the light source and any associated recording devices, automatically or with input from an operator. The test colors and neutral tones may also be used as references against which to judge specimens being viewed in the microscope.Also disclosed is a method of operating a microscope using such a such pattern.
US08917395B2
An imaging or sensor system comprises a transmitter assembly, a receiver assembly and a control unit. The transmitter assembly defines an outgoing optical beam transmission path with respect to a target surface and the receiver assembly defines a return optical signal transmission path from the target surface. Each of the paths includes transmission through or reflection from at least one microdisplay device comprising a plurality of controllable elements for selective placement in a transmit mode for transmission of light along the transmission paths. A control unit selectively places the microdisplay device elements in the transmission mode.
US08917394B2
In a color imaging system, multiple rendering devices are provided at different nodes along a network. Each rendering device has a color measurement instrument for calibrating the color presented by the rendering device. A rendering device may be a printer in which the measuring of color samples on a sheet rendered by the printer is provided by a sensor coupled to a transport mechanism which moves the sensor and sheet relative to each other, where the sensor provides light from the samples to a spectrograph. A rendering device may also be a display having a member supporting a color measuring instrument for receiving light from an area of the screen. The color measuring instruments provide for non-contact measurements of color samples rendered on a display or a sheet, and are self-calibrating by the use of calibration references.
US08917388B2
An apparatus comprises a plurality of detecting elements and a summer. Each detecting element receives and detects different bands of spectrum of Raman radiation formed in response to at least one optical excitation pulse directed to the object. The detecting elements and/or the summer receives a command to enable registration of detections in the detecting elements and a command to disable the registration during or after the Raman radiation. The summer registers separately the detections of the Raman radiation in at least two detecting elements for presenting data on the object on the basis of the detections.
US08917386B2
Testing the authenticity of a valuable document, whereby at least one intensity distribution of electromagnetic radiation passing through the valuable document in the dark field is detected in a spatially resolved manner and a spatially resolved dark field characteristic is determined therefrom. The actual authenticity test is then performed by a procedure in which selected test partial regions of the valuable document are assigned respectively to one of a plurality of suspicion classes, an interconnection region is formed from substantially interconnected test partial regions that were assigned to at least one specific suspicion class, and the valuable document, depending on the form and/or position of the interconnection region, is assigned to one of at least two authenticity categories which is linked to the at least one specific suspicion class.
US08917385B1
Volcanic ash is identified within a field of regard (FOR) by obtaining spectral radiance data comprising brightness temperature values over a specified spectral range for each field of view (FOV) within the FOR, determining a baseline brightness temperature value over the specified spectral range that is identified as representing no volcanic ash, and assigning one or more FOVs having brightness temperature values that deviate from the baseline brightness temperature value by a predetermined amount with an indication of containing volcanic ash.
US08917375B2
Embodiments of a grey-scale holographic structure and system for generating a collimated wavefront in a compact range are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the grey-scale holographic structure comprising millimeter-wave transmissive material having a surface arranged to provide differing amounts of phase-delay to an incident millimeter-wave wavefront as the incident wavefront passes through the material. The grey-scale holographic structure may comprises a plurality of layers (N) to provide a phase total delay of lambda which results from a series tuned layers, each having a thickness of a wavelength/N. Each layer provides a predetermined amount of phase delay allowing the structure to operate as a phase-delay hologram.
US08917374B2
The present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device in which, even when a columnar spacer is misaligned, the columnar spacer can be light-shielded without reduction of an aperture ratio. According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of substrates spaced at a distance from each other by a plurality of columnar spacers, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates, and in which a pixel is formed by picture elements of a plurality of colors, the liquid crystal display device being featured in that one of the pair of substrates includes colored layers of a plurality of colors, and a light shielding layer, in that at least one of the colored layers of the plurality of colors has a region in which a colored layer of the same color is integrally arranged on respective picture elements adjacent to each other, and has a straight portion and an extension portion extending from the straight portion, in that at least one of the plurality of columnar spacers is provided at a position overlapping with the extension portion, and has a substantially rhombus-shaped surface or a substantially circular surface, which is in contact with the substrate, and the contour line of the extension portion has a shape corresponding to the contour line of the columnar spacer provided at the position overlapping with the extension portion.
US08917373B2
An electro-optical device may include a first substrate, a second substrate, a photo-curable seal member between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first light-shielding layer between the first substrate and the photo-curable seal member, and a second light-shielding layer between the first substrate and the first light-shielding layer. The first substrate may include a pixel area in which pixels are aligned, and a seal region around the pixel area and in which the photo-curable seal member is provided. Within the seal region, the second light-shielding layer may be larger in an outer shape or pattern than the shape or pattern of first light-shielding layer. The pixel area may include an interconnect layer made of the same layer as the one of the light-shielding layers, and the interconnect layer may be narrower than one of the light-shielding layers.
US08917369B2
A display device is provided in which reduction of reflected light is realized. Also a multilayer substrate is provided in which light reflectance is reduced even when the substrate has a plurality of layers that differ in refractive index from each other. In the display device of one embodiment, the reflectance of light reflected by the internal structure, of light incident on the internal structure through a display screen, is less than 1.0%. The multilayer substrate of one embodiment includes a first layer and a second layer disposed adjacently to the first layer. The refractive index of the second layer varies continuously from an interface where the second layer is adjacent to the first layer in a direction from the first layer, with the variation being started at a value of the refractive index at the interface where the first layer is adjacent to the second layer.
US08917360B2
To provide an electronic device capable of preventing an enclosure from falling down without providing a stand and also improving heat dissipation of the enclosure. An electronic device (1) according to the present invention has a substrate (3) where a data storage unit (5) incorporating a storage medium is mounted, and a columned enclosure (2) for storing the substrate (3) in a standing posture, with an axial direction thereof directed to the vertical direction. The enclosure (2) has a pair of lateral walls (22, 23) opposite to the substrate (3) in the Y1-Y2 direction. The pair of lateral walls (22, 23) have a curved shape curved so that middle portions in the Z1-Z2 direction depart from the substrate (3) more than the respective both ends in the Z1-Z2 direction.
US08917356B2
Disclosed are a play control system and method. The system includes: a display control module for dividing the display screen of electrical equipment, wherein the display control module can divide the display screen into a plurality of display area layouts; a control module for determining the current display area layout and the video signal corresponding to the picture to be displayed in each display area in the current display area layout according to an instruction; and a processing module for according to determination result of the control module, processing each video signal to be displayed according to the display requirement of the display area which needs to display the video signal and providing the processed video signal meeting the display requirement of the corresponding display area to the electrical equipment.
US08917348B2
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a luminance integrating unit, a luminance observation value calculating unit, and an illuminance value conversion unit. The luminance integrating unit integrates a luminance value detected for every pixel. The luminance observation value calculating unit calculates a luminance observation value based on an integration result in the luminance integrating unit. The luminance observation value is an observation result of the luminance for an entire imaging screen. The illuminance value conversion unit converts the luminance observation value to an illuminance value. The luminance integrating unit integrates the luminance value discriminated in accordance with a condition set with respect to a luminance level.
US08917342B2
Solid-state imaging element, method for producing solid-state imaging element, and electronic device
A solid-state imaging element includes a wiring layer; a charge accumulation unit including a semiconductor layer provided on the wiring layer; and a photoelectric conversion film provided on the semiconductor layer, wherein a pinning layer of a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of the charge accumulation unit, the pinning layer including an opening, is provided in a region of the charge accumulation unit, the region being located at an interface between the charge accumulation unit and the photoelectric conversion film.
US08917330B1
Cinematic motion blur and other cinematic effects are enabled during image capture through exposure timing manipulation. The resulting captured images and videos include one or more cinematic effects without the need for a user to impose the cinematic effects post-capture.
US08917322B2
In one aspect, video latency reduction by real-time warping is described. In one aspect, an original geometric image model of a digital video frame is adjusted according to a video frame latency, to form an adjusted geometric image model. A geometric image model may represent a field of view from a remote camera used to capture the digital video frame. The adjusted geometric image model may be overlaid onto the original geometric image model to capture a warped image. In one aspect the warped image is re-projected according to the adjusted geometric image model to form a re-projected image. The re-projected image may then be displayed to approximate a real-time field of view from a camera used to capture the digital video frame. In one aspect, an attitude and runway alignment of an unmanned aerial vehicle may be controlled using a displayed, re-projected image. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US08917319B2
An endoscope system includes a light source device, a CCD, a video processor, and an observation monitor, wherein the video processor includes: a band decomposition processing section that performs a decomposition processing for decomposing into a plurality of spatial frequency bands on a signal of an image picked up by the CCD, to generate a plurality of band images; an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement processing on selected band images based on an enhancement amount set for a region where an observation target in a subject is distributed in a feature space formed with wavelength bands or spatial frequency bands of the band images selected among the plurality of band images as axes; and an image generation section that integrates the plurality of band images subjected to the color conversion processing, for each wavelength image, to generate an image.
US08917313B2
An image capturing apparatus includes a driving unit for displacing one of a lens unit and an imaging device with respect to an optical axis, and a controller for causing the driving unit to displace one of the lens unit and the imaging device, in response to the motion of the image capturing apparatus. When, with a shooting direction being moved, captured images are generated so that a panoramic image is generated from the captured images, the controller displaces the position of the lens unit or the imaging device at the start of exposure of each image to be captured in a direction based on a direction in which the shooting direction is moved. In addition, a displacement amount at the start of the exposure is set in response to the length of an exposure time period so that the displacement during the exposure time period becomes small and the quality of an image is improved.
US08917286B2
When a single page of a newspaper article or a magazine is displayed using hierarchical data, a guidance area (indicated by a line in the hierarchical data) for each article is defined in a scenario definition file. A plurality of guidance areas are defined in the layer below, i.e., the layer having a resolution of a level that allows characters to be legible, so that the viewer can track the article from start to end. The displayed image is initially guided to the guidance area upon a user request for enlargement. Upon a further request for enlargement, the displayed image is guided to the guidance area at the head of the article. When the user having read the sentence in the guidance area provides an input by indicating a direction or pressing a predetermined button, the displayed image is guided to the guidance area showing the continuation of the sentence.
US08917282B2
Techniques for improving the performance of vector-based, fluid motion simulation techniques. The techniques may be implemented in procedural painting algorithms that employ a vector-based, fluid motion simulation technique to help achieve dynamic, serendipitous behaviors of painting at good interactive rates even on relatively low-powered devices. Instead of employing polygons in a procedural painting algorithm that are combinations of pigment and water, a technique may be employed in which the polygons are separated into pigment polygons and water polygons. The water polygons are not rendered; only the pigment polygons are rendered. To improve the performance of the wetness determination at vertices of the pigment polygons, a technique may be used that first rasterizes all of the water polygons into a buffer, which may be referred to as a wetness layer or wetmap; the wetness at a vertex is then determined by sampling this buffer or layer at the vertex's position.
US08917276B2
A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, receives image data from an image database in the form of vector data that defines various image objects, such as roads, geographical boundaries, etc., and textures defining text strings to be displayed on the image to provide, for example, labels for the image objects. The imaging rendering system renders the images such that the individual characters of the text strings are placed on the image following a multi-segmented or curved line. This rendering system enables text strings to be placed on a map image so that the text follows the center line of a curved or angled road or other image feature without knowing the specifics of the curvature of the line along which the text will be placed when creating the texture that stores the text string information. This feature provides enhanced visual properties within a map image as it allows, for example, road names to be placed anywhere inside a road following the curvature of the road, thus providing a pleasing visual effect within the map image.
US08917272B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for facilitating visualization and analysis of medical data. A method may include accessing a first set of data points. The method may further include plotting a plurality of data points from the first set of data points on a first graph. The method may additionally include causing the first graph to be displayed. The method may also include accessing a second set of data points. The method may further include plotting a plurality of data points from the second set of data points on a second graph. The method may also include causing the second graph to be displayed overlaying the first graph. At least a portion of the second graph may be semi-transparent such that at least a portion of the first graph is viewable concurrently with the second graph. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.
US08917270B2
Video of a scene is generated and presented to a user. A stream of mesh models of the scene and a corresponding stream of mesh texture maps are generated from one or more streams of sensor data that represent the scene. Each of the mesh models includes a collection of faces, and each of the mesh texture maps defines texture data for one or more points on the faces. Each of the mesh models is broken down into convex sections. Each of the convex sections is surrounded with a three-dimensional hull. The texture data that is associated with each of the faces in the convex section is projected onto the three-dimensional hull, and a hull texture map for the convex section is produced.
US08917269B2
The present disclosure describes a display apparatus for displaying two and three dimensional images and video. In some embodiments, the display is at least partially transparent, allowing the viewer to receive visual information from the display and see objects and the environment behind the display apparatus.
US08917264B2
Disclosed herein is a pixel circuit including: a light emitting element; a storage capacitor; a writing transistor for writing a driving voltage corresponding to a video signal to the storage capacitor; and a driving transistor for driving the light emitting element on a basis of the driving voltage written to the storage capacitor, wherein a characteristic of the writing transistor is controllable in such a manner as to be operatively associated with a process of writing the driving voltage corresponding to the video signal to the storage capacitor.
US08917262B2
A touch input system including a stylus and a display device is provided. The stylus includes a battery module, a touch portion, a transducer module and a RF transmitting module. When a contact pressure is acted on the touch portion, the touch portion is electrically connected to the battery module by the contact pressure and emits a light signal. The display region receives and reacts to the light signal, and the contact pressure is transformed into an electrical signal by the transducer module. The RF transmitting module is electrically connected to the transducer module and transmitting the electrical signal. The display device includes a display region and a RF receiving module.
US08917258B2
A touch screen apparatus including: a touch sensing unit; a memory configured to store sensing information transmitted from the touch sensing unit; and a display unit associated with the memory, the display unit configured to receive and display the sensing information stored in the memory.
US08917243B2
Systems and methods for illuminating a keycap on a keyboard are described. One system comprises a first light source positioned below the keycap on the keyboard and arranged to illuminate a portion of a bottom of the keycap. The system also comprises a second light source, adjacent the first light source, positioned below the keycap and arranged to illuminate a portion of the bottom of the keycap. One method of illuminating a keycap on a keyboard comprises activating a first light source, wherein the first light source and a second light source are positioned below the keycap on the keyboard, and activating the second light source responsive to the first light source operating outside a predetermined threshold parameter.
US08917240B2
A computing system includes a depth image analysis module to track a world-space pose of a human in a fixed, world-space coordinate system. The computing system further includes an interaction module to establish a virtual interaction zone with an interface-space coordinate system that tracks the human. The computing system also includes a transformation module to transform a position defined in the fixed, world-space coordinate system to a position defined in the interface-space coordinate system.
US08917237B2
An example information processing system includes a stationary display device, and a portable display device on which a predetermined input can be made by a user. A content item is played and displayed on the stationary display device, and while the content item is being played, the playback image of the content item and a user interface image used for specifying a content item to be played are selectively displayed on the portable display device.
US08917235B2
An optical input card is shaped and sized for removable slidable insertion within a slot of a portable computer. The optical input card comprises an optical navigation sensor, a control panel and a wireless communication module. The optical navigation sensor is disposed on the first side of the card for exposure to a navigation surface and is configured to capture a first user control input. The control panel on a second side of the card is configured to capture at least one second user control input. The wireless communication module is configured to wirelessly communicate the first user control input and the at least one second user control input to the portable computer.
US08917225B2
A pixel circuit including an organic light emitting diode. Also, the pixel circuit includes: a second transistor connected to a first scanning line, a data line, and a first node; a fifth transistor connected to a third scanning line, the first node, and a second node; a fourth transistor connected to a second scanning line, a first reference voltage, and the second node; a third transistor connected to the first scanning line, a second reference voltage, and a third node; a first capacitor connected between the first node and the second node; a second capacitor connected between the second node and the third node; and a first transistor connected to the first node, a first power, and the third node, and configured to drive the organic light emitting diode.
US08917223B2
There are provided an illumination unit and a display apparatus which are capable of improving convenience for users. The illumination unit includes a light source section including a laser light source, an optical device allowing a laser beam from the laser light source to pass therethrough, a drive section allowing the optical device to oscillate, and a control section performing one or both of control of decreasing brightness of emitted light from the light source section and control of outputting to the outside information that oscillation of the optical device has been stopped when the oscillation of the optical device has been stopped during drive operation by the drive section.
US08917219B2
An RFID transponder antenna has a carrier substrate and an auxiliary substrate. The carrier substrate is provided with a contact point for a first connection to an integrated circuit, and a first conductor path including at least two coil turns. A first end of the path forms a contact terminal for a second connection to the integrated circuit. The other end forms a connection point for an electrical connection to a second conductor path. The second path on the auxiliary substrate forms a bridge over the coil turns. The second conductor path has one end connected to the contact point, and another end connected to the connection point providing a permanent connection between the auxiliary substrate and/or the first conductor path, and the carrier substrate and/or second conductor path; the permanent connection being formed at least at one point lying between both ends of the auxiliary substrate.
US08917218B2
A circuit board and a circuit module more accurately provide impedance matching between an antenna coil and an electronic component electrically connected to the antenna coil, and include a board body including board portions and a plurality of laminated insulating material layers made of a flexible material. An antenna coil includes coil conductors provided in the board portion. Wiring conductors are provided in the board portion and electrically connected to the antenna coil. The board portion has a structure that is less likely to deform than the board portion. An integrated circuit electrically connected to the wiring conductors is mounted on the board portion.
US08917216B2
An antenna device includes a feeding line having a first conductor and a second conductor and an antenna element having a conductive flat plate in which a slit is formed. The conductive flat plate has first and second sides opposite to each other and a third side. The antenna element is divided into an antenna pattern portion and a ground pattern portion via the slit. The slit is configured with a first slit portion apart from a center line towards the first side, a second slit portion apart from the center line towards the second side, a third slit portion coupling the first slit portion with the second slip portion, and a cutting portion coupling the third slit portion with the third side.
US08917213B2
An antenna device which is provided in an electronic timepiece, and receives positioning signals from satellites includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a dielectric layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein one electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode constitutes at least a part of a character plate of the electronic timepiece.
US08917202B2
A bend sensor for use in wirelessly sensing an amount of bend of a joint or other monitored object. The sensor includes a radio frequency (RF) antenna and an integrated circuit linked to the antenna. The integrated circuit or chip is passive and responds to, or is powered by, a read signal received by the antenna to transmit a reflected signal via the antenna such as to an RFID reader. The sensor also includes a transducer linked to the integrated circuit. The transducer defines reflecting impedance, which modulates amplitude and phase of the reflected signal. The transducer has impedance varying with deformation or bend. In one example, the transducer includes an upper conductor, and the amount of the deformation is defined by a bend radius of the upper conductor. The read signal may be at 5 GHz or higher such with the antenna and the transducer being microwave structures.
US08917199B2
In certain embodiments, a subterranean imaging apparatus comprises at least two receive channels configured on a land-based vehicle and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The at least two receive channels are operable to generate electrical signals according to electromagnetic radiation reflected from a subterranean target below a ground surface. The SAR system is operable to receive the electrical signals from the at least two receive channels, generate raw images from the received electrical signals, generate a weighting according to phase statistics of pixels in the raw images, and combine the raw images using the weighting to generate a refined image of the subterranean target.
US08917198B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one implementation, an apparatus includes multiple processing branches, each including: a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit, and a digital bandpass filter. A combining circuit then combines signals at the processing branch outputs into a final output signal. The continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits include adjustable circuit components for changing their quantization-noise frequency-response minimum, and the digital bandpass filters include adjustable parameters for changing their frequency passbands.
US08917190B1
A method of restricting turns at vehicle intersections imposes a policy that is dynamic and congestion based. Vehicle turns are allowed only to the extent that such a maneuver does not cause a hindrance to other vehicles traveling the same direction that are not turning. A hindrance may be defined in a variety of ways based on whether other vehicles are substantially impeded in their progress. In this way, such a “no hinder” turn restriction is dependent on actual driving conditions and allows for more efficient movement of traffic in both heavily congested and light driving conditions. A no hinder turn restriction may be combined with or may replace other types of turn restrictions and may be utilized for both left and right turns and for streets with single or multiple lanes.
US08917188B2
The present invention relates to a method for detecting and warning against wrong-way drivers, the method comprising the following steps: a) establishing a radio field over a roadway section to be monitored and at least substantially transversely to a predetermined correct driving direction of the roadway section, the radio field having at least two radio field sections that are spaced apart when viewed in the driving direction and have associated reception field strengths; b) detecting attenuations of the reception field strengths of the radio field sections that occur due to radio shadowing during driving through the roadway section; c) determining the sequence of the radio field sections in which an attenuation of the respectively associated reception field strengths has been detected; d) comparing the determined attenuation sequence with the correct driving direction; and e) initiating at least one warning signal if the attenuation sequence runs opposite to the correct driving direction.
US08917186B1
In a computer-implemented method for remote monitoring of one or more alarms, an audio signal is received. The received audio signal is processed using an audio recognition technique to identify an alarm that generated the audio signal. A user is caused to be notified that the identified alarm has been triggered.
US08917181B2
An individual is monitored by providing a monitoring system having a control device in communication with appliances. A routine usage of the appliance by an individual is determined. A deviation from the routine usage of the appliance is detected. An alarm signal is sent to a remote communication device of a third party. The third party remotely manipulates the appliance via the control device to remove the deviation from the routine usage, such as turning off an iron or closing a refrigerator door, without involving the individual.
US08917180B2
The present invention discloses an EAS based theft-deterrent tag, comprising a main member coupled with an article by a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism is configured to allow comfortable trial of the article prior to purchasing, without detachment and removal of the theft deterrent tag from the article.
US08917179B2
A system for detecting the presence of an object may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to transmit a plurality of interrogation signals, a response controller that is configured to receive the plurality of interrogation signals and respond by transmitting a plurality of standard response signals, and a mixing element that is configured to generate a mixed signal when in the presence of the plurality of interrogation signals and the standard response signals. The RFID reader outputs an alert signal upon receipt of the mixed signal.
US08917173B2
A system is disclosed for determining the location of fixed wireless assets (FWAs). The system includes at least one FWA having an asset tracking number, at least one mobile device wirelessly coupled to the FWA via a first communication link, and a database having information that associates people with locations. The mobile device is assigned to one of these people. The system also includes a computer that is coupled to the FWA via a second communication link and to the database. The FWA is configured to forward the data received from the mobile device to the computer along with the FWA's asset tracking number. The computer is configured to determine the location of the FWA based at least in part on the data received from the FWA and the information retrieved from the database.
US08917172B2
A method of using radio frequency identification (RFID), in particular ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID, is described, which keeps pets from accessing forbidden areas. The pet wears a device which is preferably powered by the animal's own activity, converted to electrical power by a motion harvesting system to recharge a battery. The device uses an RFID reader to detect and identify RFID tags placed at boundaries of areas to which the pet is forbidden to enter, and sets off an alarm to warn the pet if it is approaching such an area. Because the RFID tags are individually identifiable, the forbidden area alarm can be configured to the pet, allowing use in a multiple-pet household.
US08917165B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for detecting and re-personalizing are provided herein. In an embodiment, the invention operates by obtaining an ID (i.e., an identification, such as a Dynamic Unique Identifier) from a RFID tag, generating a new ID, and writing the new ID to the RFID tag. The ID read from the tag is used to lookup a subject's record in a database. If the write of the new ID to the tag is verified, then database changes are committed to link the new ID to the subject. In an alternative embodiment, the invention operates by obtaining data from a memory of a RFID tag, wherein the memory has a first partition and a second partition, generating a new ID, and writing the new ID to either of the first partition or the second partition of the RFID tag. If such write is verified, then the new ID is written to the other partition of the RFID tag. The data from the tag is used to lookup a subject's record in a database. If either write to the first partition or second partition is verified, then database changes are committed to link the new ID to the subject.
US08917159B2
The present invention provides value to brand owners, retailers, and consumers through the use of radio frequency identification, stenography, nanolithography, fingerprints, novel heuristic threat evaluation, indication, and detection model. Additionally, using cryptography, tag passwords are formulated and identities are reversibly flipped, thus allowing item identities to remain secret to unauthorized observers. This unique combination of heuristics and authentication technologies provides an efficient means of finding and stopping the flow of counterfeit products throughout global supply chains. The present invention includes radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, encoders, servers, identity changers, and authenticity verifiers to make this task a viable and adaptive weapon against the elusive counterfeiters. The present end-to-end RFID system offers unprecedented security for retailers and consumers, while remaining efficient and scalable.
US08917153B2
A supported pot magnet has a magnet coil and a coil former, with the coil former being made of a non-metallic material having a thermal contraction coefficient the same as that of the magnet coil. The supported pot magnet also has a cooling circulator composed of two identical separate components with a semi-cylindrical shape, each having multiple cooling tubes, a refrigerant inlet tube, a refrigerant outlet tube, and multiple clamps. The cooling tubes have a semicircular shape and mate with the slots, and are provided thereon with heat conducting members that are vertically disposed at an inner side of the cooling tubes. The refrigerant inlet tube and outlet tube are vertically mounted at two ends of the cooling tubes, in communication with the cooling tubes. The clamps are disposed on the refrigerant inlet tube and outlet tube.
US08917152B2
A spin wave device according to an embodiment includes: an input interconnect transmitting an input impulse signal; a multilayer film including a foundation layer; a first magnetic layer formed on the multilayer film and generating spin waves when receiving the input impulse signal, the spin waves propagating through the first magnetic layer; a plurality of input electrodes arranged in a straight line on the first magnetic layer, being connected to the input interconnect, and transmitting the input impulse signal to the first magnetic layer; and a plurality of sensing electrodes sensing the spin waves, being arranged on the first magnetic layer, and being located at different distances from one another from the straight line having the input electrodes arranged therein, and the following equation is satisfied: d=Vg×t0.
US08917149B2
The present invention relates to a rotary joint for joining two waveguides for guiding electromagnetic waves, comprising a first portion adapted to receive a first waveguide, a second portion adapted to receive a second waveguide, and a third portion adapted for polarization rotation and arranged between the first portion and the second portion. The rotary joint is configured such that two portions selected from the group comprising the first portion, the second portion and the third portion are rotatable between at least two different angular positions around a central axis. Further, the rotary joint being configured to switch between a jointed state, in which the portions contact each other for electrical connection, and a non-jointed state. The present invention also relates to a method of operating such a rotary joint and a computer program and a computer readable non-transitory medium for implementing such a method.
US08917146B1
A current controlled operational transconductance amplifier based sinusoidal oscillator circuit that provides oscillation based on the transconductance and parasitic capacitance of the operational transconductance amplifier without externally connected capacitances. The oscillation frequency is adjusted through a variable current source or a variable resistor with a DC voltage source.
US08917142B2
A switching circuit 33 comprises a connection circuit cascade-connecting control terminals for controlling switching of n number of transistors M1-Mn via n−1 number of coils L1 respectively (n is an integer equal to or more than 2; and coils L3 respectively connected between one end of each of the transistors M1-Mn and other end of a coil L2, one end of the coil L2 being electrically connected to a DC power source. The transistors M1-Mn is sequentially switched with PWM signals inputted to an input terminal of the connection circuit. The switching circuit 33 further comprises a transistor M0 inserted at the one end or the other end of the coil L2 in cascade-connection.
US08917141B2
An amplifier circuit is disclosed for providing a radio frequency output signal having a variable signal envelope, comprising a main amplifier device and an auxiliary amplifier and a combiner network for combining an output signal from said first amplifier device and a second output signal from said second amplifier device to provide a combined output signal of variable signal envelope to a load, and a signal processing circuit comprising an input and a non-linear processing section to provide at least said second radio frequency output signal with a signal envelope that has a non-linear dependency from an amplitude characteristic of the input signal such that the degree of non-linearity of the non-linear dependency varies dependent on the amount of change per time unit of the amplitude characteristic of the input signal. Further, a method of power amplifying a radio frequency signal having a variable signal envelope is disclosed.
US08917140B2
An apparatus and method for enhancing the whole efficiency of power amplification in a supply modulated amplifier are provided. The power amplification apparatus includes a controller, a Doherty power amplifier, and a supply modulated amplifier. The controller selects a power amplifier among the Doherty power amplifier and the supply modulated amplifier. The Doherty power amplifier amplifies a power of a transmission signal when the Doherty power amplifier is selected by the controller. The supply modulated amplifier amplifies the power of the transmission signal using a supply voltage determined considering the amplitude of the transmission signal, when the supply modulated amplifier is selected by the controller.
US08917112B1
The invention provides a bidirectional level shifter which includes: a first signal terminal; a second signal terminal; a first switch, coupled between the first signal terminal and ground; an inverter receiving a signal from the first signal terminal; a Schottky diode including an anode and a cathode, the anode receiving a signal from the second signal terminal; a second switch, coupled between the cathode of the Schottky diode and the ground; a comparing circuit, comparing a reference voltage and a voltage at the second signal terminal to control the first switch, wherein the reference voltage is lower than a forward bias voltage of the Schottky diode; a first voltage source coupled to the first common node; and a second voltage source coupled to the second common node.
US08917097B2
A method for detecting and locating by reflectometry electrical faults in a metal structure includes injecting a probe signal into an electrical propagation line held at a substantially constant distance from the structure. The propagation line is connected at one end to the metal structure and at another end to a signal generator. The method further includes detecting a reflected signal in return from the injected signal. In addition, the method includes comparing the reflected signal with a reference signature of an undisrupted reflected signal.
US08917090B2
A device for inspecting an annular sealing wiper extending at the surface of a bladed-wheel drum of a rotor. The device includes a carriage including at least two guide wheels and carrying a probe situated in a location such that, when the carriage is in position, the probe is positioned facing an edge of the wiper for inspection and at a determined distance therefrom.
US08917086B2
A position sensor suitable for use in linear synchronous motor (LSM) drive systems employing Halbach arrays to create their magnetic fields is described. The system has several advantages over previously employed ones, especially in its simplicity and its freedom from being affected by weather conditions, accumulated dirt, or electrical interference from the LSM system itself.
US08917084B2
The present invention is an efficient high voltage sensing mechanism that operates only when an individual needs to test the voltage across a wire. The present invention attaches around a tested wire using a jaw and a hook. The hook is tensioned using an expansion spring. The operator propels the hook outwards from the jaw, around the tested wire; thereafter, the expansion spring retracts to latch onto the tested wire against the jaw. An on-off switch is integrated into the mechanical hook device. As the hook is propelled outwards, the on-off switch moves into the “on” position, which powers the electrical processing and voltage analysis equipment. Once the hook is returned to the initial position, the on-off switch moves to the “off” position. This arrangement allows the present invention to remain unpowered for any instance a wire is not being tested. The present invention detects voltage through capacitive coupling.
US08917083B2
Electrical structures, methods, and computer program products for radio frequency (RF) de-embedding are provided. A structure includes a first test device, a first through structure corresponding to the first test device, and a first open structure corresponding to the first test device. The structure also includes a second test device having at least one different physical dimension than the first test device but otherwise identical to the first test device, a second through structure corresponding to the second test device, and a second open structure corresponding to the second test device. A method includes determining a first electrical parameter of the first test device in a first DUT structure and a second electrical parameter of the second test device in a second DUT structure based on measured electrical parameters of the first and the second DUT structures, through structures, and open structures.
US08917064B2
A control circuit is provided which includes a pre-charge circuit connected in parallel with a solid state switching device of, for example, a power distribution network. The pre-charge circuit pre-charges a load capacitance at a load side of the switching device prior to activation of the switching device. The pre-charge circuit includes a threshold waveform generation circuit and an over-current detect circuit. The threshold waveform generation circuit synthesizes a maximum acceptable charging waveform for the pre-charge circuit in charging the load capacitance, and the over-current detect circuit signals an over-current fault condition upon a charging current through the pre-charge circuit exceeding the synthesized, maximum acceptable charging waveform. The pre-charge circuit includes a sense resistor coupled to a power input side of the solid state switching device, with charging current through the pre-charge circuit being monitored via the sense resistor.
US08917056B2
An electric vehicle charging apparatus. The electric vehicle charging apparatus includes an electric vehicle including a vehicle coil connected to a charging circuit connected to a storage battery, a parking stop arranged on a parking lot surface, a stop coil arranged within the parking stop to generate an induced current in the vehicle coil when the vehicle coil is arranged in a vicinity of the stop coil and an operation unit connected to the stop coil to raise the stop coil.
US08917051B2
The present invention provides a novel method of controlling a mobile, integrated fuel processor and fuel cell system that utilizes an innovative combination of feedback and feed forward control loops maintain the reformer temperature and hydrogen permeate pressure in the system with the operating parameters of the fuel reformer being adjusted to achieve rapid and more reliable load following when transient conditions occur.
US08917040B2
A motor control circuit calculates an α-axis current iα and a β-axis current iβ in a fixed coordinate system based on a W-phase (sensor phase) of an AC motor. The control circuit calculates, at each switching time point and each intermediate time point, the α-axis current iα from a current iw.sns sensed in the W-phase, and the β-axis current iβ from a differentiated value Δiα determined from the variation quantity of the α-axis current between every two successive switching time points or intermediate time points. Subsequently, the control circuit calculates a current phase xθ=tan−1(iβ/iα) relative to the W-phase. Subsequently, the control circuit calculates an estimation factor according to the current phase xθ and determines an estimated current iu.est in the U-phase of the AC motor by multiplying the sensed current iw.sns by the calculated estimation factor.
US08917039B2
The car power source apparatus is provided with a driving battery having a plurality of connected batteries, battery-switches that connect the driving battery to the vehicle-side load, a control circuit that controls the battery-switches, and an auxiliary battery that supplies operating power to the control circuit power supply line. The power source apparatus is provided with a supplementary power supply circuit that supplies operating power to the control circuit power supply line from batteries in the driving battery to maintain control circuit operation in the event of an auxiliary battery voltage drop condition. In an auxiliary battery voltage drop condition, the supplementary power supply circuit supplies operating power to the control circuit power supply line and maintains control circuit operation to maintain control of the battery-switches.
US08917038B2
A motor control device has a drive circuit that drives an electric motor with a battery as a power supply, a switch element that is provided between the battery and the drive circuit, the switch element supplying a current from the battery to the drive circuit when being turned on, the switch element cutting off the current from the battery to the drive circuit when being turned off, a rotation speed detector that detects a rotation speed of the electric motor, and a controller that operates the drive circuit to control the electric motor. The controller turns on the switch element when the rotation speed of the electric motor, which is detected by the rotation speed detector, is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value during stopping of the control of the electric motor.
US08917034B2
This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus, system, and method to limit a current overshoot in an electronic component using a switched feedback circuit to precondition a gate of a transistor coupled to the electronic component.
US08917032B2
Various embodiments of the invention allow for active AC ripple noise cancellation. In certain embodiments, noise cancellation is accomplished by modulating an LED driver output in a polarity opposite to the ripple, thereby, preventing interference with ripple-sensitive loads. Certain embodiments take advantage of a filter network to prevent the LED driver from modulating LED current in response to ripple that falls within a visible frequency range so as to prevent flicker in an LED backlight display. In addition to protecting ripple-sensitive loads from large ripple currents, efficiency is increased by reducing both I2·R losses and peak currents, thereby, extending the useful battery life time in mobile devices.
US08917029B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) driver is provided. The LED driver, providing a drive voltage for driving an LED circuit according to an input voltage, includes a current regulator, a dimming signal generator, and a boost converter. In response to a pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming signal, the current regulator enables the LED circuit in a first PWM period and disables the LED circuit outside the first PWM period. The dimming generator generates a prolonged PWM dimming signal according to the PWM dimming signal. The prolonged PWM dimming signal has a prolonged period, a length of which is associated with a level of an input voltage. In response to the prolonged PWM dimming signal, the boost converter is enabled in a second PWM period and maintains a level of the drive voltage according to the input voltage.
US08917000B2
An arrangement structure includes: a motor including: a motor main body including a stator and a rotor, the rotor being disposed to be rotatable relative to the stator; a case member configured to store the motor main body; and a connecting conductor configured to electrically connect an inside conductor disposed inside the case member and an outside conductor disposed outside the case member; and a support device fixed to the case member and a frame member of a vehicle, the support device being configured to support the motor on the frame member, wherein the connecting conductor is arranged directly below a fixing portion where the support device is fixed to the case member.
US08916999B2
A motor includes a motor case, and a rotor and a stator, which are disposed in the case. The case has a tubular portion, a front cover mounted to an axial end of the portion, and a rear cover mounted to the other axial end of the portion. The rotor has a rotary shaft and the stator includes a plurality of teeth, which extend toward a central axis of the shaft and are circumferentially disposed at equal intervals. Between each circumferentially adjacent pair of the teeth, a slot extending toward the axis is formed. In each slot, a U-shaped segment is inserted in parallel with the axis. The distal ends of the segments projecting out from the slots are electrically interconnected, thereby forming an SC coil including the segments disposed circumferentially. The SC coil includes a receiving terminal, and the terminal includes leads extending in parallel to the axis.
US08916998B2
An electrical drive device (1) includes a control circuit (3) connectable to a voltage source (5) on the input side and to an electric drive motor (4) on the output side. The control circuit (3) includes two separate return conductors (13, 35) connected to each other at a single connection point (36). One return conductor (13) is connected to the ground terminal (12) of the control circuit (3). The other return conductor (35) is connected to a motor converter (14), a converter control (15) and a back-up capacitor (19). Due to this arrangement, the currents (is, ia) flowing in a back-up circuit loop (31) and a control circuit loop (32) are confined to remain within the control circuit (3) and are separated from a housing (10), for example the chassis of a motor vehicle. As a result, the electrical drive device (1) has low interference emissions.
US08916976B2
First semiconductor element 1 being buried in first insulating material 2; second semiconductor element 5 being covered by second insulating material 6; connection electrode 4 being buried in first insulating material 2 arranged between circuit surface of first semiconductor element 1 and circuit surface of second semiconductor element 5; external connection terminal 8 being arranged on lower surface of first insulating material 2 facing in the same direction as lower surface of first semiconductor element 1 opposite to circuit surface thereof; connection electrode 4 forming a part of path for electrically connecting circuit surface of first semiconductor element 1 and circuit surface of second semiconductor element 5 to each other; first semiconductor element 1 and external connection terminal 8 being electrically connected to each other by way of wire 3 and via 7 passing through region of insulating layer other than region thereof burying connection electrode 4.
US08916970B2
Relating to electronic components, the present disclosure provides a method for welding a gold-silicon eutectic chip, and a transistor. The method for welding a gold-silicon eutectic chip includes: electroplating a gold layer with a thickness smaller than or equal to 1 micron on surfaces of a chip carrier; bonding multiple gold protrusions on the gold layer in a welding region; and rubbing a chip in the welding region at a eutectic temperature to form a welding layer. The transistor includes a chip, a chip carrier, and a middle layer connecting the chip and the chip carrier, where the welding middle layer is a welding layer obtained by using the above welding method. The present disclosure reduces an amount of gold in use and lowers a cost of gold-silicon eutectic welding to a relatively large extent, and, accordingly, cuts down the cost of a transistor.
US08916967B1
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor module including a high-side first transistor and a low-side second transistor, a first control board located above the semiconductor module, a drive element connected to a first gate terminal and a first source terminal of the first transistor on the first control board, and a drive element connected to a second gate terminal and a second source terminal of the second transistor on the first control board, a second control board located above the first control board, and photocouplers provided on the second control board. The semiconductor module includes a positive electrode terminal, a ground terminal, and an output terminal. The first gate terminal and the first source terminal are located at the side provided with the positive electrode terminal and the ground terminal. The second gate terminal and the second source terminal are located at the side provided with the output terminal.
US08916961B2
An insulation sheet made from silicon nitride comprising: a sheet-shaped silicon-nitride substrate which contains β-silicon-nitride crystal grains as a main phase; and a surface layer which is formed on one face or both front and back faces of surfaces of the silicon-nitride substrate and is formed from a resin or a metal which includes at least one element selected from among In, Sn, Al, Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, Pb, Pd, Sr, Ce, Fe, Nb, Ta, V and Ti. A semiconductor module structure using the insulation sheet made from silicon nitride.
US08916951B2
A lateral bipolar transistor with deep emitter and deep collector regions is formed using multiple epitaxial layers of the same conductivity type. Deep emitter and deep collector regions are formed without the use of trenches. Vertically aligned diffusion regions are formed in each epitaxial layer so that the diffusion regions merged into a contiguous diffusion region after annealing to function as emitter or collector or isolation structures. In another embodiment, a lateral trench PNP bipolar transistor is formed using trench emitter and trench collector regions. In yet another embodiment, a lateral PNP bipolar transistor with a merged LDMOS transistor is formed to achieve high performance.
US08916941B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. According to the semiconductor device, a silicide layer is formed on at least a part of both sidewalls of a gate pattern on a device isolation layer, thereby reducing resistance of the gate pattern. This makes an operation speed of the device rapid. According to the method of the semiconductor device, a sidewall spacer pattern is formed on at least a part of both sidewalls of the gate pattern in following salicide process by entirely or partially removing remaining portions of the sidewall spacer except for portions which are used as an ion implantation mask to form source/drain regions. This can reduce resistance of the gate pattern, thereby fabricating a semiconductor device with a rapid operation speed.
US08916939B2
A method for forming a device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with first and second contact regions and a dielectric layer over the contact region. First and second vias are formed in the dielectric layer. The first via is in communication with the first contact region and the second via is in communication with the second contact region. A buried void provides a communication path between the first and second vias. The vias and buried void are at least partially filled with a dielectric filler. The partially filled buried void blocks the communication path between the first and second vias created by the buried void. The dielectric filler in the vias is removed, leaving remaining dielectric filler in the buried void to block the communication path between the first and second vias and contact plugs are formed in the vias.
US08916933B2
A semiconductor device having a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices and design structure to enhance channel strain. The gate structures for an NFET and a PFET have identically formed sidewalls, and stress materials are provided in recesses in source and drain regions of the NFET and the PFET.
US08916932B2
A semiconductor device including a substrate; a FINFET disposed on the substrate, the FINFET including: a set of epitaxial regions disposed in a source/drain region on a set of fins, the set of epitaxial regions including: a first epitaxial region on a first inner surface of a first outer fin, the first epitaxial region having a first thickness defined as one of: a distance from the first inner surface to an edge of the epitaxial region in the case of a non-merged state of adjacent inner epitaxial regions of adjacent fins, and half of a distance from the first inner surface to an opposing inner surface of an adjacent fin in a merged state of adjacent inner epitaxial regions of adjacent fins, and a second epitaxial region with a second thickness disposed on a first outer surface of the first outer fin. The second thickness is thinner than the first thickness.
US08916925B2
A vertical semiconductor device includes a first active pillar vertically protruded from a semiconductor substrate; a first vertical gate connected to at least one side of the first active pillar and formed along a direction that crosses a buried bit line; and a first body line connected to at least one side of the first active pillar which is not connected to the first vertical gate.
US08916911B2
A semiconductor substrate includes a photodiode on a support substrate. An insulating layer is provided between the support substrate and the semiconductor substrate. A first conductive pattern is provided in the insulating layer. A first through electrode penetrates the support substrate to be in contact with the first conductive pattern.
US08916910B2
Reconfigurable 3D interconnect is provided that can be used for digital and RF signals. The reconfigurable 3D interconnect can include an array of vertical interconnect vias (or TSVs) providing a signal path between a first core element of a 3D IC and a second core element of the 3D IC stacked above the first core element. A routing circuit can be used to route a signal from the first core element to the second core element through selected TSVs of the array of TSVs providing the signal path between the first core element and the second core element. The routing circuit allows re-routing of the signal through different selected TSVs during operation, which can provide real time adjustments and capacity optimization of the TSVs passing the particular signal between the elements.
US08916900B2
An optoelectronic module includes a radiation-emitting semiconductor component, an electrical component and a carrier substrate. The carrier substrate includes a top and a bottom, wherein first electrical connections are arranged on the bottom and second electrical connections are arranged on the top. The electrical component is arranged on the top of the carrier substrate and is electrically conductively connected with the first electrical connections. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component is arranged on the side of the electrical component remote from the carrier substrate. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component furthermore includes conductive structures electrically conductively connected with the second electrical connections.
US08916899B2
Disclosed are a light emitting apparatus and a lighting system. The light emitting apparatus includes a body, a first electrode having a protrusion pattern on the body, a second electrode electrically separated from the first electrode on the body, an adhesive layer on the first electrode including the protrusion pattern, and a light emitting device on the adhesive layer.
US08916888B2
The present invention discloses an integral LED component which integrates LED epitaxial structures electrodes and interconnect with a package substrate together and an integral manufacturing process thereof. The integral LED component can be made with multiple epitaxial structures or with just a single epitaxial structure. The integral LED component can be mounted into a hollow carrier. And by having support by the hollow carrier, the package substrate can be mounted and contacted with a heat conductive or a dissipation device. The integral LED component is fabricated by wafer level process and cut from the wafer as an independent component. By different manufacturing process, the integral LED component can be made as Vertical LED structure or Lateral LED structure.
US08916883B2
A light emitting device includes a light emitting structure comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a reflective layer formed under the light emitting structure; and a transparent supporting layer formed between the light emitting structure and the reflective layer, to emit a light generated from the active layer; and a conductive layer formed under the reflective layer, to surround the reflective layer.
US08916871B2
An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a gallium nitride (GaN) substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is substantially opposite the first surface, at least one device layer is coupled to the first surface, and a backside metal is coupled to the second surface. A top metal stack is coupled to the at least one device layer. The top metal stack includes a contact metal coupled to a surface of the at least one device layer, a protection layer coupled to the contact metal, a diffusion barrier coupled to the protection layer, and a pad metal coupled to the diffusion barrier. The semiconductor device is configured to conduct electricity between the top metal stack and the backside metal.
